District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gabriel Quinn Enos, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Enos previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.

On August 23, 2017, Enos shot the victim in the face, killing him. At the time of sentencing, Enos was on supervised release for a separate case and received an additional 6 months in prison for violating the terms of that release. 

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

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-00834-02-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-053_Enos

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clifton Yazzie, 38, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Chief Judge G. Murray Snow to 30 months in prison for failing to register as a sex offender. Yazzie received an additional 18 months in prison for violating his supervised release in a related case. Yazzie previously pleaded guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and admitted to violating his supervised release.

At sentencing, Chief Judge Snow ordered that Yazzie serve 9 months for his supervised release violation after completing his sentence for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, for a total of 39 months in prison. Yazzie was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender for life. In order to protect the public, the conditions of supervision include that Yazzie participate in a sex offender treatment program and live at a residence preapproved by his probation officer, as well as restrictions on his involvement in certain vocational and volunteer activities. 

The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Keller, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00034-GMS; CR-16-01285-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-052_Yazzie

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leon Lee Jones, 38, of Ganado, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 18 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jones previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On July 11, 2018, Jones shot and killed the victim, who was his intimate partner. The murder occurred near Klagetoh, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Jones is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Samuels and William Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-08369-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-050_Jones

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Felipe Fuentes, 62, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week for his role in a long-running bribery conspiracy that spanned much of his tenure as the elected County Assessor for Santa Cruz County. Fuentes pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2022 before the Honorable Raner C. Collins, Senior United States District Judge.  

According to Fuentes’ admissions in connection with the plea hearing, Fuentes and other co-conspirators engaged in a multi-year bribery scheme in which Fuentes received cash payments from a large landowner in Santa Cruz County. Fuentes admitted that, in exchange for the cash payments, he took various official acts in his capacity as the County Assessor to benefit the landowner, including reducing assessed values for properties owned by him and his business entities. According to Fuentes’ plea agreement, in addition to the cash payments, the landowner also allowed Fuentes to use a 17-acre ranch owned by one of his business entities free of charge for multiple years during the course of the bribery conspiracy. 

“Property taxes pay for critical local government services that support our communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Fuentes abused the public trust when he reduced the assessed value of property, and by doing so diverted money away from Santa Cruz County in order to serve his own self-interest.”

"The citizens of Arizona deserve a government free of corruption. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority and is committed to rooting out public corruption and civil rights violations at all levels," said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The FBI continues to investigate this case and encourages the public to come forward if they have any information."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force investigated the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-00824-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-049_Fuentes

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sarah Nicole Kelley, 41, of Coolidge, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $190,774.64 in restitution. Kelley was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and 8 counts of money laundering by a federal jury in October 2021.

The evidence at trial showed that Kelley defrauded a family friend out of $185,000 in savings. Kelley, a former real estate agent, convinced the victim to invest in a real estate project and send additional money for a short-term loan. Instead of using the money as promised, Kelley used the victim’s savings to pay off her own debts. Kelley then strung the victim along for months with a series of lies and excuses about how the money was spent and when the victim would get it back.

At sentencing, the Court found that Kelley previously defrauded another family friend out of $647,000 using similar tactics. The Court also found that Kelley provided false testimony under oath when seeking to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict.

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-01143-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 048_Kelley

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Theodore Itsvan Joseph Kritza, 46, of Superior, Colorado (formerly of Chandler, Arizona), was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kritza was also ordered to pay $4,794,874 in restitution to the victim. Kritza previously pleaded guilty to bank and wire fraud.

In April 2005, the victim, an NBA player, hired Kritza to serve as his personal assistant, taking care of his day-to-day tasks, including paying his bills. Between 2005 and 2012, Kritza fraudulently obtained funds by forging the victim’s signature on more than two dozen documents, including business loans, credit line applications, and a power of attorney. Kritza also forged his employer’s signature to open a bank account in the victim’s name so Kritza could conceal his use of the victim’s personal funds. Kritza stole money from the victim’s salary, endorsement contract, and sale of a condo. Kritza then used the stolen funds to maintain a lavish lifestyle for his family that included expensive luxury cars, homes, vacations, private school tuition for his children, business investments, and the attempted purchase of an airplane.

“We see this scenario time and again,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “A confidant abuses a position of trust and embezzles someone else’s assets. Thanks to our partners at the FBI for their hard work on the investigation.”

“For years, Theodore Kritza preyed upon the trust he gained with the victim and defrauded him of his hard-earned money and savings, choosing greed over trust. Today, Kritza found out the cost of his scheme,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “This sentencing sends a clear message that fraud is a serious crime, with serious consequences. The FBI remains committed to pursuing justice for all victims of fraud.”

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra M. Hansen and Jane L. Westby with the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-00938-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-047_Kritza

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jerryctana Woolboy, 31, of Dennehotso, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 85 months in prison. Woolboy previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

On February 14, 2021, Woolboy discharged a rifle at an occupied vehicle on the Navajo Nation. A passenger in that vehicle was struck by the bullet, causing extensive injuries. Woolboy and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation. Woolboy will be placed on supervised release upon completion of her federal prison sentence.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR 21-08074-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 046_Woolboy

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today that federal criminal charges have been filed against 11 individuals for theft of government property in connection with an investigation into stolen Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit payments.

The SSA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation to locate and collect SSA benefit payments that were disbursed to individuals later determined to be deceased. In some cases, these payments continued for years, with no one notifying the SSA of the beneficiary’s death. In addition to the criminal cases listed below resulting in the theft of more than $1.3 million, the SSA was able to use its debt collection and reclamation authority to recover $1,195,333 in nine other matters that were resolved without criminal charges.

The investigation also uncovered evidence of fraud and misuse of SSA benefit payments—often by relatives of the deceased beneficiaries—resulting in felony and misdemeanor charges in the following cases:

United States v. Patricia Munson, Case No. CR-21-00622-PHX-JZB

United States v. Douglas Pasley, Case No. CR-21-00683-PHX-MTM

United States v. Tamara Head, Case No. CR-21-00693-PHX-ESW

United States v. Marva Martin, Case No. CR-21-00716-PHX-SMB

United States v. Dennis Diaz, Case No. CR-21-00842-PHX-MTL

United States v. Kristy Schlueter, Case No. CR-21-00843-PHX-MTL

United States v. Freda Hunt, Case No. CR-21-00844-PHX-DLR

United States v. Karen Hardesty, Case No. CR-21-00919-PHX-MTL

United States v. Joseph McCullough, Case No. CR-21-00950-PHX-ESW

United States v. Carol Harmon, Case No. CR-21-01051-PHX-MHB

United States v. Diana Fast, Case No. CR-22-00279-PHX-JJT

A conviction for theft of public money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

RELEASE NUMBER:           2022-045_SSA Fraud

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Wednesday, Vincent Roy Tsosie, Jr., 28, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to concurrent life sentences. A jury previously convicted Tsosie of arson, first-degree felony murder, and second-degree murder. 

In November 2019, Tsosie entered a home in Tuba City, tried to assault one of the residents, and then set the home on fire. The homeowner woke up during the fire but could not find his way through the flames and smoke and died.

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Services, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-08014-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-044_Tsosie

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Christopher Mann, 44, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mann previously pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

On November 11, 2019, Mann stabbed a victim in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Mann chased the victim after stabbing him and only ceased his pursuit when the victim entered a restaurant to seek help. Mann is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Goldberg and Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-08021-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-043_Mann

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Javier Rafael Haro-Aguilar, 24, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Haro-Aguilar previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. 

A federal search warrant executed at Haro-Aguilar’s residence revealed multiple firearms and ammunition, as well as evidence of narcotics trafficking and the use of a Snapchat account to traffic drugs and sell firearms. As a citizen of Mexico who lacks legal status in the United States, Haro-Aguilar was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-02592-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 042_Haro-Aguilar

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles King Jr., 49, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. King Jr. previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.

On February 20, 2020, King Jr. entered the United States from Mexico through the DeConcini Nogales, Arizona port of entry. A Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to the vehicle that King Jr. was riding in, and officers discovered nearly 11 pounds of fentanyl carefully hidden in the drive shaft of the vehicle.

Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction and Homeland Security Investigations - Nogales conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-1559-TUC-SHR (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-041_King Jr.

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Jahara William Byfield, 23, of Sunrise, Florida, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 60 months in prison. Byfield previously pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Pornography and Threatening to Assault or Murder a Federal Employee. 

Byfield was a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona for training when he was arrested on August 28, 2020, after an investigation revealed he had used his cellphones to obtain images and videos depicting children, including pre-pubescent minors, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After his arrest, Byfield was placed on pretrial release with conditions that included computer monitoring. On December 3, 2020, Byfield pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography.

On April 15, 2021, while on release pending sentencing, Byfield threatened to kill everyone involved with the computer monitoring program. His pretrial release was subsequently revoked, and on June 23, 2021, Byfield was charged in an indictment for the threats he made towards those supervising him. On December 20, 2021, Byfield pleaded guilty to a charge of Threatening to Assault or Murder a Federal Employee.

Upon release from prison, Byfield will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program.

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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. 

Homeland Security Investigations, Sierra Vista Police Department, Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigations in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Brian E. Kasprzyk, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-02748-TUC-JGZ; CR-21-01461-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 040_Byfield

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Feinberg, 73, and Betsy Feinberg, 80, both of Tucson, Arizona, were found guilty by a jury of all charges related to a scheme to defraud investors out of approximately $5 million. The charges included one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and five counts of securities fraud. The Feinbergs are scheduled for sentencing on June 15, 2022.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Michael and Betsy Feinberg operated Catharon Software Corporation as husband and wife. The Feinbergs claimed to have produced revolutionary software called VDelta that would generate enormous returns for investors and philanthropists. For almost 15 years, the couple enticed investors with false promises about the software’s completion, release date, and capabilities. Their victims included friends and associates recruited through various community organizations in Sedona, Arizona, where the Feinbergs resided at the time. In addition to paying themselves salaries, the Feinbergs used investor money for a wide variety of personal expenses, including their home mortgage.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-01786-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-038_Feinbergs

PHOENIX, Ariz. – James Theodore Polzin, 48, of Gilbert, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution. Polzin pleaded guilty in October 2021 to fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES”) is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, including PPP loans.  

Polzin submitted materially false loan applications that claimed non-existent employees and revenues for business entities he owned and operated. From April 2020 to August 2020, Polzin applied for loans totaling over $3.5 million. Polzin then used a portion of the proceeds for his own personal benefit, which included purchasing a Porsche, a home, and stashing money offshore.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Rapp, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:       CR-21-00264-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-039_Polzin

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jesus Osvaldo Aguilar Rosas, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by criminal complaint with four counts of possession of controlled substances for distribution. Aguilar was arrested on April 5 and had his initial appearance in federal court today.

The complaint alleges four violations of United States law related to Aguilar’s possession and intended distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. It further alleges that, on April 5, 2022, Aguilar was observed participating in a suspected drug transaction in Phoenix, Arizona. United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and Task Force Officers later determined that a bag Aguilar had been carrying contained methamphetamine and blue pills that are suspected to contain fentanyl. Aguilar was also in possession of a handgun. A subsequent search of Aguilar’s apartment led to the seizure of approximately 150,000 blue pills of suspected fentanyl, over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, over three kilograms of cocaine, over one kilogram of powdered fentanyl, approximately one kilogram of heroin, a second firearm, and over $30,000 in cash.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

CASE NUMBER:            22-3103MB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-037_Aguilar

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Oliver Lee Hurley, 48, of Inscription House, AZ, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 156 months in prison. Hurley previously pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor. 

In 2018, Hurley sexually abused the minor victim while she visited his residence on the Navajo Nation. Hurley is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After Hurley finishes serving his term in federal prison, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Crowley and Sharon Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-08085-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-036_Hurley

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WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.

The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.

“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”

“I am extremely honored and humbled by my appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” said U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory Harris. “I will do my best to represent the United States Attorneys’ community, and I look forward to working with Attorney General Merrick Garland and the other members of the AGAC.”

A brief bio on each appointee is below:

Damian Williams (Chair)

The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)

The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.

Darcie McElwee

The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.

Trini Ross

The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.

Sandra Hairston

The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.

Brandon Brown

The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.

Dawn Ison

The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.

Gregory Harris

The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.

Andrew Luger

The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Gary Restaino

The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.

Cole Finegan

The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.

Matthew Graves

The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.

The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.

“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”

“I am honored to have been selected by Attorney General Garland for this role and I am excited for the opportunity to work collaboratively with other U.S. Attorneys across the country, and to lend my voice to prosecution policy and the rule of law,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “I appreciate the ability to amplify the excellent work of our team here in the District in engaging with our sovereign tribal partners, in interdicting contraband on the border, and in addressing the other unique issues we face in Arizona.”

A brief bio on each appointee is below:

Damian Williams (Chair)

The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)

The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.

Darcie McElwee

The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.

Trini Ross

The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.

Sandra Hairston

The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.

Brandon Brown

The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.

Dawn Ison

The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.

Gregory Harris

The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.

Andrew Luger

The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Gary Restaino

The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.

Cole Finegan

The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.

Matthew Graves

The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-035_Advisory Committee Appointment

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jesse Don Moquino, 39, of Phoenix, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

On September 11, 2019, Moquino stabbed the victim with a sharp object and then hit her on the back of the head with a blunt object multiple times, killing her. Moquino pleaded guilty on February 26, 2020 to Voluntary Manslaughter. 

The Salt River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-01199-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-034_Moquino

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Joseph John Marak, 62, of Surprise, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months of supervised probation and fined $2,400. Marak previously pleaded guilty to one count of Submission of a Materially False Voter Registration Application, a felony offense. 

Johnson pleaded guilty in January 2022 to submitting a voter registration application in which he falsely certified that “I am not a convicted felon.” Marak’s certification was false because in August 2011, he was convicted of 18 felony counts in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina and was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Marak further admitted that based upon his fraudulent registration, he voted in six federal elections from 2016 to 2020.

“This is the second voter fraud case we’ve charged in the last year, and the first arising out of the 2020 election cycle,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Voting is a crucial civil right, and exercising one’s voice is a key part of a felon’s reentry to society. But there are rules: If you wish to vote in Arizona following a felony conviction, please speak first with your local County Recorder to fully understand the process for restoring your voting rights.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Galati handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00021-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-032_Marak

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Susan Irene Romero, 64, of Gilbert, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 26 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,360,000 in restitution. Romero pleaded guilty in May 2021 to embezzlement of credit union funds.

Romero worked for the Winslow Santa Fe Credit Union for more than 30 years, mostly in leadership roles, including as manager, president, and chief executive officer. During a routine audit, the credit union found discrepancies in the financial records. A subsequent investigation showed that, over the course of many years, Romero embezzled more than $2.2 million from the credit union. In her plea agreement, Romero admitted that she stole the money through unauthorized cash withdrawals, checks issued with forged signatures of other employees, and transfers from the credit union account to her family members’ accounts. She covered her tracks through false entries in the financial statements, such as falsifying the amount of cash stored in the vault and offsetting the stolen money with fictitious assets.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-08057-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 033_Romero

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Reyes Luis Holguin, 29, of Phoenix, Arizona, agreed this week to pay $6,103 in restitution to the family of a young mother whose life was taken by fentanyl she bought from Holguin in August 2019. In December 2021, U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich sentenced Holguin to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Holguin previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl for selling the pills that led to the young woman’s death.

The victim communicated with Holguin via an online messaging application about the purchase of three “blues,” a common street term for fake prescription oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl. After consuming the pills, the victim overdosed and died. The victim was discovered the next morning by her mother. Holguin also sold 67 fentanyl pills to law enforcement and negotiated the future sale of an additional 100. At the time of his arrest, Holguin had a loaded firearm, more fake pills, and $2,285 in cash.

“These dangerous pills are flooding Arizona communities, and studies show that 40% contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “This sentence should serve as a  warning message to sellers, and as a reminder of the need for compassion and creative solutions in protecting Arizonans from these pills. We are grateful to our partners at DEA and Phoenix PD for their vigilance in fentanyl investigations and prosecutions.”

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

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-01077-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-031_Holguin

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Angel Joe Valenzuela, 50, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to eight years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

On February 4, 2021, Valenzuela was found in possession of more than five grams of actual methamphetamine, several small baggies, multiple scales, cell phones, and a Ruger pistol. This was the first of three occasions in 2021 where Valenzuela was caught on the Gila River Indian Community with illegal drugs in quantities consistent with distribution. On December 21, 2021, Valenzuela pleaded guilty to possession of five grams or more of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. 

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

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00682-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-029_Valenzuela

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PHOENIX, Ariz. - Joshua John Todecheene, 30, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 17.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Todecheene previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder.  

In February 2020, after an argument with the victim, Todecheene left the scene of the argument, returned with a rifle, and shot the victim in the chest, killing him. Todecheene and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiyoko Patterson, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-8038-PCT-DJH   
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-030_Todecheene

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Michelle Krystal Mendez, 36, of Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.

On November 21, 2020, Mendez was returning to the United States from Mexico through the Nogales, Arizona port of entry when a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to her vehicle. Officers then conducted a search and found nearly five pounds of fentanyl and two pounds of heroin carefully hidden inside the battery compartment under the hood of  Mendez’s car.

Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction and Homeland Security Investigations-Nogales conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-0689-TUC-JGZ (LAB)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 028_Mendez, Michelle

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesenia Isabel Mendez, 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez was convicted of one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of any Person. 

On August 1, 2020, Mendez was arrested for carrying nearly half a pound of fentanyl hidden on her body while she was a passenger on a commercial shuttle van inbound from Mexico. With no prior criminal history, she was released pending resolution of her case. On October 23, 2020, Mendez pleaded guilty to the charge; however, in January 2021, she absconded from her pretrial supervision, before her sentencing could take place. Three months later, on March 21, 2021, Mendez was again arrested, this time for Alien Smuggling. During the attempted traffic stop in that offense, she and her co-defendant tried to flee from Border Patrol but instead crashed into a concrete wash, resulting in injuries to herself, the co-defendant, and the undocumented noncitizen they were smuggling. She subsequently pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021, to the Alien Smuggling Offense. Her sentence included a mandatory enhancement due to the multiple offenses that she committed.

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

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-2157-TUC-JGZ (LCK); CR-21-1408-TUC-JGZ (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 027_Mendez, Yesenia

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sito Aeroplan Nalwood, 33, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to nineteen years in prison. Nalwood previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.

On July 26, 2018, Nalwood attempted to take a bag from the victim by threatening her with a rifle. When the victim refused, Nalwood began firing shots around her. One of the shots hit the victim in the pelvis, which ultimately killed her. At the time he committed this crime, Nalwood was serving a term of supervised release, which had been imposed after Nalwood was convicted of an assault. The Court sentenced Nalwood to fifteen years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and an additional four years in prison for committing that crime while on supervised release.

Both Nalwood and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation, and the offense occurred in Chinle, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William G. Voit and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-08328-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-026_Nalwood

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a four-count indictment against Cesar Alberto Palomares, 23, of Somerton, Arizona.

The indictment alleges four violations of United States law related to Palomares’ importation and intended distribution of methamphetamine. On January 27, 2022, Palomares is alleged to have entered the United States through San Luis, Arizona. At the Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered over a hundred packages containing a white crystal-like substance that were hidden in Palomares’ car. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine and the combined weight of the packages was over 150 pounds.

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations-Yuma conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-158-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-024_Palomares

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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. – Keith Allan Bee, 56, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to six months in prison for filing a false tax return. Bee is a former Arizona state legislator and justice of the peace.

Bee, who owns a company providing school bus transportation, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of willfully filing a false tax return. Bee admitted that during each tax year from 2011 to 2013, to reduce his company’s profits and the taxes he owed on them, he inflated his business expenses by including personal expenses and the depreciation of personal assets as if they were costs incurred by his business. Those personal assets included several Ford Mustangs, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a Porsche. Bee agreed that the tax loss resulting from his conduct was $214,414.

“Reporting income and paying taxes are important aspects of patriotism,” observed U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Let this case serve as a reminder that all people, no matter their rank and circumstance, may face prison time when they cheat on their taxes. Thanks to our partners at the Internal Revenue Service for pursuing these cases fairly and comprehensively.”

Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-1793-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-025_Bee

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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. – Last week, Brian D. Lisanti, 51, of Weimar, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott Rash to 21 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to burglarize user fee collection sites on the Coronado National Forest in Southern Arizona.

Lisanti previously pleaded guilty to destruction of government property by breaking into a fee envelope collection tube on the Coronado National Forest near Safford, Arizona and to stealing $1,408 of government funds from a fee envelope collection tube on the Coronado National Forest near Green Valley, Arizona in 2020. In pleading guilty, Lisanti also admitted that between July 23, 2020 and November 8, 2020, he committed at least 42 burglaries and theft of government funds at fee collection sites on national recreation lands in Arizona, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah. Lisanti committed these acts by breaking the locks on fee collection tubes and stealing monies that recreational users had deposited as fees payable to the United States government.   

The U.S Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-01603-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-023_Lisanti

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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. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that extensive bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico resulted in Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), conducting a significant enforcement operation last week to dismantle a prolific transnational human smuggling organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The targeted human smuggling organization is alleged to be responsible for illegally smuggling large numbers of individuals from Mexico, Central America, and South America into the District of Arizona and other locations throughout the United States. The enforcement operation on March 2, 2022 included the execution of six arrest warrants in Mexico for smuggling coordinators: Arturo Tienda-Garcia, aka “Tuercas,” Jose Guadalupe Tienda-Garcia, aka “Pantera,” Gilberto Escalante-Osuna, aka “Mochomo,” Uriel Cruz-Tienda, aka “Quiqui,” Cristal Tolentino-Hernandez, and Alfonso Sotelo-Contreras, aka “Pajaro.”  

United States authorities provided assistance to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office through coordination under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.

To date, the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, has prosecuted U.S.-based coordinators and operators with alleged ties to the same smuggling organization including Benjamin Gallegos, Amalia Gonzalez-Lara, Sergio Vazquez-Flores, Macario Ulises Barragan-Cisneros, Jaziel Tienda-Ibarra, Daniel Garcia-Salgado, Cesar Bermeo-Diaz, Isamar Chaparro-Vizcarra, and Oswaldo Tienda-Castro. These nine individuals have been convicted of Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit. Additional alleged coordinators for the organization have been indicted by a federal grand jury on alien smuggling charges including Enrique Villalobos-Lopez and Ian Esteban Serrano.

“The Attorney General established Joint Task Force Alpha to address the threat posed by transnational human smuggling networks, and this operation is a prime example of its impact,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “JTFA marshals the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department, and its law enforcement partners, to target human smugglers and enhances coordination in transnational law enforcement efforts to better combat these criminal organizations.”

“Border security is less about erecting barriers between nations, and more about increasing cooperation among neighbors,” said Gary Restaino, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “This operation is a stellar example of what can be accomplished when U.S. and Mexican authorities work together across the border. For years, these individuals have violated the laws of the United States and Mexico with impunity, and their apprehension will make citizens of both countries safer.”

“HSI-Phoenix is grateful for its collaboration with HSI Mexico City and their partnership with the Government of Mexico. These joint efforts demonstrate the commitment of both of our nations to not let borders be barriers when it comes to confronting the transnational criminal organizations that negatively impact both of our nations,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for HSI-Phoenix.

HSI-Nogales led the investigation in the United States, working in concert with United States Border Patrol. Support by HSI-Mexico City, with the assistance of HSI's Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU)-Mexico, was critical in providing coordination between United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies. The Department of Justice, including the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson, the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and the Office of International Affairs, provided significant assistance in this matter.

CASE NUMBERS:         CR-21-1322-TUC-SHR-BGM (Gallegos)
                                 CR-21-0613-TUC-RCC-JR (Gonzalez-Lara/Vazquez-Flores)
                                 CR-21-2672-TUC-SHR-MSA (Barragan-Cisneros)
                                 CR-21-1882-TUC-JAS-MSA (Tienda-Ibarra)
                                 CR-21-1615-TUC-JAS-MSA (Garcia-Salgado)
                                 CR-21-1245-TUC-JCH-BGM (Bermeo-Diaz)
                                 CR-21-0869-TUC-RCC-BGM (Chaparro-Vizcarra/Serrano)
                                 CR-21-1038-TUC-SHR-LCK (Tienda-Castro)
                                 CR-21-1323-TUC-RM-LCK (Villalobos-Lopez)     

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-022_Pollos Hermanos  

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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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Extensive bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico resulted in the Mexico Attorney General’s Office’s “Fiscalía General de la República” (FGR) conducting a significant enforcement operation to dismantle a prolific transnational human smuggling organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The targeted human smuggling organization is alleged to be responsible for illegally smuggling large numbers of individuals from Mexico, Central America and South America into Arizona and other locations throughout the United States. The enforcement operation included the execution of six arrest warrants in Mexico for smuggling coordinators: Arturo Tienda-Garcia aka Tuercas, Jose Guadalupe Tienda-Garcia aka Pantera, Gilberto Escalante-Osuna aka Mochomo, Uriel Cruz-Tienda aka Quiqui, Cristal Tolentino-Hernandez, and Alfonso Sotelo-Contreras aka Pajaro. 

“The Attorney General established Joint Task Force Alpha to address the threat posed by transnational human smuggling networks, and this operation is a prime example of its impact,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “JTFA marshals the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the department, and its law enforcement partners, to target human smugglers and enhances coordination in transnational law enforcement efforts to better combat these criminal organizations.”

“Border security is less about erecting barriers between nations, and more about increasing cooperation among neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “This operation is a stellar example of what can be accomplished when U.S. and Mexican authorities work together across the border. For years, these individuals have violated the laws of the United States and Mexico with impunity, and their apprehension will make citizens of both countries safer.”

“HSI-Phoenix is grateful for its collaboration with HSI Mexico City and their partnership with the Government of Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI-Phoenix. “These joint efforts demonstrate the commitment of both of our nations to not let borders be barriers when it comes to confronting the transnational criminal organizations that negatively impact both of our nations.”

U.S. authorities provided assistance to the Mexico Attorney General’s Office through coordination under Joint Task Force Alpha, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The task force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit and endanger migrants, pose national security threats or are involved in organized crime.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has also prosecuted other U.S.-based coordinators and operators with ties to the smuggling organization, including Benjamin Gallegos, Amalia Gonzalez-Lara, Sergio Vazquez-Flores, Macario Ulises Barragan-Cisneros, Jaziel Tienda-Ibarra, Daniel Garcia-Salgado, Cesar Bermeo-Diaz, Isamar Chaparro-Vizcarra and Oswaldo Tienda-Castro. These nine individuals have been convicted of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit. Additional alleged coordinators for the organization have been indicted by a federal grand jury on alien smuggling charges including Enrique Villalobos-Lopez and Ian Esteban Serrano. For more information on individual cases, see the below case numbers:    

CR-21-1322-TUC-SHR-BGM (Gallegos)

CR-21-0613-TUC-RCC-JR (Gonzalez-Lara/Vazquez-Flores)

CR-21-2672-TUC-SHR-MSA (Barragan-Cisneros)

CR-21-1882-TUC-JAS-MSA (Tienda-Ibarra)

CR-21-1615-TUC-JAS-MSA (Garcia-Salgado)

CR-21-1245-TUC-JCH-BGM (Bermeo-Diaz)

CR-21-0869-TUC-RCC-BGM (Chaparro-Vizcarra/Serrano)

CR-21-1038-TUC-SHR-LCK (Tienda-Castro)

CR-21-1323-TUC-RM-LCK (Villalobos-Lopez)

HSI-Nogales led the investigation in the United States, working in concert with the U.S. Border Patrol. Support from HSI-Mexico City, with the assistance of HSI’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU)-Mexico, was critical in providing coordination between American and Mexican law enforcement agencies. The Justice Department, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson, the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and the Office of International Affairs, provided significant assistance in this matter.

WASHINGTON – La extensa cooperación bilateral entre Estados Unidos y México llevó a la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) a realizar un operativo de procuración de justicia significativo y desmantelar a una prolífica organización transnacional de traficantes de personas que operaba en Nogales, Sonora, y a lo largo de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México.

Esta organización de traficantes de personas es presuntamente responsable del contrabando ilegal de un gran número de individuos de México, Centroamérica y Sudamérica al estado de Arizona y a otros lugares a lo largo de Estados Unidos. La operación de procuración de justicia incluyó seis órdenes de arresto en México para los coordinadores de contrabando: Arturo Tienda-Garcia conocido como “Tuercas,” Jose Guadalupe Tienda-Garcia conocido como “Pantera”, Gilberto Escalante-Osuna conocido como “Mochomo”, Uriel Cruz-Tienda conocido como “Quiqui,” Cristal Tolentino-Hernandez, y Alfonso Sotelo-Contreras conocido como “Pájaro.”

“El Procurador General estableció la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa en respuesta a la amenaza de las redes transnacionales de tráfico de personas, y esta operación es un gran ejemplo de su impacto,” aseguró el Procurador General Adjunto General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. de la División Criminal del Departamento de Justicia. “La Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa utiliza los recursos procesales y de investigación del departamento, así como a sus aliados en procuracion de justicia, para detectar a traficantes de personas y mejorar la coordinación y los esfuerzos transnacionales de procuración de justicia para combatir de una mejor manera a las organizaciones criminales.”

“La seguridad fronteriza debe enfocarse en el incremento de la cooperación entre vecinos y menos en la edificación de barreras entre naciones, y más sobre el incremento de la cooperación entre vecinos,” dijo el Fiscal estadounidense Gary Restaino del Distrito de Arizona. “Esta operación es un gran ejemplo de lo que se puede lograr cuando autoridades de Estados Unidos y México trabajan juntas a lo largo de la frontera. Por años, estos individuos han violado las leyes de Estados Unidos y México con impunidad, y su aprehensión hará que los ciudadanos de ambos países se encuentren más seguros.”

“HSI-Phoenix agradece la colaboración con HSI-CDMX y su alianza con el gobierno de México,” dijo el Agente Especial al Mando Scott Brown de HSI-Phoenix. “Estos esfuerzos conjuntos demuestran el compromiso de ambas naciones de no dejar que las fronteras se conviertan en muros en lo que se refiere a la confrontación del crimen organizado transnacional que impacta de forma negativa a nuestras dos naciones.”

Autoridades de Estados Unidos proporcionaron apoyo a la Fiscalía General de la República a través de la coordinación bajo la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa, que fue establecida por el Procurador General Merrick B. Garland en junio de 2021 para utilizar los recursos de investigación y procuración del Departamento de Justicia, en alianza con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS), y mejorar los esfuerzos de procuración de justicia de Estados Unidos contra los peligrosos grupos de traficantes de personas que operan en México, Guatemala,  El Salvador, y Honduras. La Fuerza de Tarea se enfoca en trastocar y desmantelar las redes de contrabando y tráfico de personas que abusan, explotan, y ponen en peligro a migrantes, representan una amenaza para la seguridad nacional, o están inmiscuidos en el crimen organizado.

La Oficina del Fiscal Federal del Distrito de Arizona también ha procesado a otros cordinadores y operadores, dentro de EE.UU., con nexos a la organización de contrabando de personas, incluyendo a Benjamín Gallegos, Amalia González-Lara, Sergio Vázquez-Flores, Macario Ulises Barragán-Cisneros, Jaziel Tienda-Ibarra, Daniel García-Salgado, César Bermeo-Díaz, Isamar Chaparro-Vizcarra, y Oswaldo Tienda-Castro. Estos nueve individuos han sido condenados por los delitos de conspiración para transportar y albergar a personas extranjeras en situación irregular para fines de lucro. Otros supuestos dirigentes de esta organización han sido imputados por un gran jurado federal por cargos de contrabando de extranjeros incluyendo Enrique Villalobos-López y Ian Esteban Serrano. Para más información sobre casos particulares, consulte los números de casos que se muestran a continuación:

CR-21-1322-TUC-SHR-BGM (Gallegos)

CR-21-0613-TUC-RCC-JR (Gonzalez-Lara/Vazquez-Flores)

CR-21-2672-TUC-SHR-MSA (Barragan-Cisneros)

CR-21-1882-TUC-JAS-MSA (Tienda-Ibarra)

CR-21-1615-TUC-JAS-MSA (Garcia-Salgado)

CR-21-1245-TUC-JCH-BGM (Bermeo-Diaz)

CR-21-0869-TUC-RCC-BGM (Chaparro-Vizcarra/Serrano)

CR-21-1038-TUC-SHR-LCK (Tienda-Castro)

CR-21-1323-TUC-RM-LCK (Villalobos-Lopez)

HSI-Nogales coordinó las investigaciones en Estados Unidos, trabajando junto a la Agencia de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza. El apoyo de HSI-CDMX, así como la ayuda de la Unidad de Investigaciones Criminales Transnacionales de HSI (TCIU)-México, fueron cruciales para la coordinación entre las agencias de procuración de justicia de Estados Unidos y México. El Departamento de Justicia, incluyendo la Oficina del Fiscal del Distrito de Arizona en Tucson, la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Enjuiciamientos Especiales de la División Criminal, y la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales, proporcionaron apoyo significativo en esta materia.

En Ingles

TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sara Belen Coltz, 38, of Norfolk, Virginia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 120 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Coltz previously pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. After she is released from prison, Coltz will be required to register as a sexual offender.

In late 2017 through mid-2018, Coltz used a computer to communicate with the victim who was under the age of eighteen. In these communications, Coltz chatted with the victim about sexual acts she wanted to perform.

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 Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR 20-00678-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 021_Coltz

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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. – Jeffrey Patterson, 46, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 155 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Patterson previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

In early 2021, Patterson robbed six banks in Arizona. In each robbery, Patterson approached a teller and produced a note demanding money. During his last robbery, Patterson’s demand note included a threat to shoot up the bank. After the teller handed him some money, Patterson pointed a handgun at the teller and demanded more. In total, Patterson stole more than $28,000. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Phoenix Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Chandler Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department, Peoria Police Department, and Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00231-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 020_Patterson

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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. – Marcia Johnson, 70, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to one year of supervised probation and fined $1,000. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Voting More than Once, a felony offense. 

“Election integrity has two pillars: ensuring that only eligible voters cast ballots; and insisting that all eligible voters who choose to vote can do so easily and efficiently, with confidence that their vote will be counted,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.  “Prosecution is a key deterrent on the rare occasions when illegal votes are cast, and this prosecution comes with an important collateral consequence: as a result of her federal felony conviction, Ms. Johnson will lose the right to vote in Arizona until she completes her term of probation.”

Johnson pleaded guilty in December 2021 to casting two ballots in the November 2018 federal election. Johnson voted twice by casting her own mail-in ballot as well as the one that was sent to her father, who died in 2012 and whose name had remained on the Mohave County voter rolls. According to the charging document, mail-in ballots sent to Johnson’s deceased father were returned in seven other federal elections after his 2012 death.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Galati, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-08140-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-019_Johnson

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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. – Steven Arthur Martis, 77, of Bullhead City, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On November 18, 2021, a jury convicted Martis of one count of communicating an interstate threat to kill or harm Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

On January 17, 2021, Martis called Speaker Pelosi’s Washington District Office from his residence in Bullhead City, Arizona, and left two voicemails. In his first voicemail, Martis threatened, “I’m coming to kill you . . . .” Martis followed up with a second voicemail, in which he advised, “You’re dead . . . .” Martis made these two calls after the Federal Bureau of Investigation had approached him and warned him about making similar calls in the past.   

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the United States Capitol Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Brook and Joseph Koehler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-08140-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-018_Martis

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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. – Gabriel Isaac Leivas, 23, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 33 months in prison, followed by a term of lifetime supervised release. Leivas previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.

 

On March 30, 2019, Leivas sexually abused the minor victim in her home on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”) Indian Reservation. Both Leivas and the victim are members of the CRIT Tribe.         

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-01196-PHX-DLR

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-017_Leivas

 

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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. – Amalia Gonzalez-Lara, 43, of Oaxaca, Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 21 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Gonzalez-Lara pleaded guilty on November 18, 2021 to one count of conspiring to transport and harbor over 100 illegal aliens for profit. Gonzalez-Lara managed, supervised, and coordinated smuggling operations for a stash house located in Avondale, Arizona. On January 12, 2021, law enforcement agents located 20 undocumented citizens, all nationals of Mexico or Guatemala, inside the residence. Over the course of the conspiracy, the house was used to conceal large numbers of noncitizens who had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona and transported to the Phoenix area.

Co-conspirator Sergio Vazquez-Flores, 46, who operated the stash house on behalf of Gonzalez-Lara, will be sentenced on March 15, 2022.   

Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, with assistance from United States Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-0613-TUC-RCC-JR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-016_Gonzalez-Lara

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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. – Last week, Sean Christopher Hale, 33, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Hale previously pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person.

“This case is a stark reminder of how human smuggling organizations endanger and exploit noncitizens looking for a better life in America,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We must deter illegal transportation not only to vindicate our border laws, but also to protect the vulnerable among us, regardless of their immigration status.”

On June 19, 2021, Hale was stopped while driving a large water truck that was reported to be smuggling noncitizens in its tank. When Border Patrol Agents opened the steel tank of the vehicle, they found 26 individuals inside. While the individuals had only been in the tank for a short period of time, most were already sweating and having difficulty breathing. Some of the individuals rescued from the tank had fainted due to the heat and lack of oxygen.

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

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-02462-RM-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-015_Hale

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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. – Nina Maria Harrison, 36, of Sacaton, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Harrison previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter. 

On February 22, 2020, Harrison stabbed the victim multiple times, killing her. The attack took place on the Gila River Indian Community, where Harrison is an enrolled member.

The Gila River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00186-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-014_Harrison

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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. – On Monday, Marcus BlueCloud Querta, 39, of Peach Springs, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 48 months in prison. Querta previously pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer and admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release in a separate case. Judge Snow sentenced Querta to 37 months in prison for the assault and an additional 11 months for violating his supervised release.

On January 12, 2020, the victim, a law enforcement officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and another police officer were trying to detain Querta while he was on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Querta resisted arrest, kicked the victim, and bit the victim in the leg. At the time of the offense, Querta was on supervised release for another assault on a federal officer that he committed on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in 2016. Querta is an enrolled member of the Hualapai Tribe.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-08024-PCT-GMS; CR-16-08297-PCT-CMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-013_Querta

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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. – Kae Leen Nopah, 35, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Nopah previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

On June 6, 2020, Nopah assaulted the victim in the victim’s home using a knife. Nopah slashed both of the victim’s hands with the knife causing the victim to suffer significant bodily injuries. Nopah and the victim are enrolled members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”). This assault occurred on the Colorado River Indian Reservation.    

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00318-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-012_Nopah

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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. – Alejandro Valles, 27, of Aguila, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 15 months in prison for smuggling weapons from the United States into Mexico. Judge Soto previously sentenced David Alberto Duarte-Marquez, 21, a Mexican citizen and Valles’ co-conspirator, to 33 months in prison. Both men pleaded guilty to their offenses.

On October 22, 2018, Valles placed an online order for an M203 40mm grenade launcher barrel. Valles received the barrel and sent the package to another individual in southern Arizona, who then smuggled the barrel into Mexico.

Similarly, on November 26, 2018, Valles’ co-conspirator Duarte-Marquez placed an online order for an M203 40mm grenade launcher barrel with the intent to smuggle it into Mexico. Duarte-Marquez had the barrel shipped to Valles. Once Valles received the barrel, he intended to follow the same steps of sending the package to southern Arizona so it could be smuggled into Mexico. However, the second barrel was intercepted by law enforcement while it was en route to Valles.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            21-0543-TUC-JAS and 20-2414-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-011_Valles

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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. – Joshua William Scheu, 37, of Willcox, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 210 months in prison. Scheu previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor. 

In November 2004, Scheu pulled his vehicle over to the side of the road where the victim was waiting for some friends on the Gila River Indian Nation. Scheu then got out of his vehicle, chased the child, pushed her into a cornfield, and forcibly raped her. The case remained “cold” until 2019 when DNA led to the identification of Scheu as the perpetrator. The victim was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Nation.

Upon release from prison, Scheu will be placed on lifetime supervised release with stringent sex offender conditions. He also will be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program. 

“This case is another great example of the meaningful role that DNA testing has had in solving cold cases,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We are grateful for the tenacity of our law enforcement partners in continuing to pursue cases until the offenders are brought to justice.”

"This sentencing should send a clear message to those who sexually harm innocent children in our community," said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The FBI is committed to preventing violent crimes against children and to bring those who harm them to justice, no matter how long it takes. Thanks to the dedicated work from our agents and our law enforcement partners who aggressively pursue these heinous criminals, this individual will finally be held accountable for his actions."

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 DOJ 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Julie A. Sottosanti, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR 19-2615-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-010_Scheu

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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. – Travis Ray Preston, 27, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On June 25, 2021, a federal jury convicted Preston of one count of involuntary manslaughter. 

On September 18, 2016, near Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, Preston was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and driving at a high rate of speed. Preston lost control of the vehicle and caused it to roll multiple times off the road. During this roll, one of Preston’s three passengers was ejected and killed. Later testing revealed that Preston’s blood alcohol content was at least .096 and the vehicle was traveling 69 miles per hour just before the accident. Both Preston and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation. 

The Navajo Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Simon and Timothy Courchaine, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-17-08264-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-009_Preston

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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. – On Tuesday, Ryan Matthew Swick, 34, of Parker, Arizona was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 28 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Swick previously pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered weapon made from a shotgun. 

On May 26, 2020, Swick possessed a modified shotgun. The barrel of the shotgun had been shortened to just 13.5 inches, below the required 18-inch length. The overall length of the shotgun was also under the legally required length of 26 inches. Because the shotgun was shortened, Swick was required to register the weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, which he failed to do.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-00775-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-008_Swick

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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. – Benjamin Gallegos, 24, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty in federal court today in connection with his role as the coordinator for a human smuggling organization operating in the Nogales, Arizona area.

During a proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce G. Macdonald, Gallegos admitted that he conspired to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit. Specifically, Gallegos managed, organized, and coordinated other co-conspirators to drive, provide guide services, and operate stash houses for undocumented persons seeking to be smuggled into the United States. Over the course of the conspiracy, Gallegos coordinated smuggling operations for well over 100 undocumented persons entering the country from Mexico.

A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of ten years, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.

Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash on April 22, 2022.

The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, with assistance from United States Border Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.  The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.  The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-1322-TUC-SHR-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-007_Gallegos

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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. – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland yesterday released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on December 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the Department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.

“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”

“The new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking provides our office with an opportunity to bolster our commitment to prosecuting human traffickers,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Over the years we have worked with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases, and we have collaborated on task forces with energetic and compassionate non-profit partners across Arizona. We look forward to more opportunities to work together in the future to ensure traffickers are held accountable and victims are rescued and supported.”

Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:

• Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
• Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
• Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
• Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
• Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
• Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
• Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
• Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
   

The Department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.

In December 2021, as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat trafficking, the Office for Victims of Crimes awarded grants to two Arizona non-profits to assist victims of human trafficking. Our Family Services, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona was awarded $600,000 to provide safe, stable housing and individualized services to victims of human trafficking in Pima County, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24. The International Rescue Committee in Tucson (IRC) received $349,585 to develop, expand, and strengthen services for domestic and foreign victims of human trafficking, including programs that provide trauma-informed, victim-centered services in Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz Counties.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at  1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.

To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-006_Combat Human Trafficking

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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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