District of Arizona
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cibecue Man Sentenced for Domestic Violence AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 26, 2020, Gregg Henry, 54, of Cibecue, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Henry previously pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On April 6, 2018, Henry punched the victim in the face one time, breaking her jaw. The victim and defendant were dating partners. Henry is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the crime occurred on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 19-08005-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-095_G. Henry# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces More Than $2.6 Million to Combat Violent Crime in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey today announced more than $2.6 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Arizona. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations in the District of Arizona received funding:
- Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of ASU - $203,939
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (2 Awards) - $675,614; $1,810,569
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-094_Violent Crime Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ the
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of ASU - $203,939
Tucson Man Sentenced to 108 Months for RobberiesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. - Marco Antonio Flores, 28, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to serve 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Flores previously pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery.
On June 10, 2017 and on October 21, 2017, Flores committed robberies against separate victims at residences on Pascua Yaqui land using force and violence. Flores is an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00487-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-093_Flores# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Cibecue Man Sentenced to Prison for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 8, Corey Chrispin Henry, 25, of Cibecue, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 24 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release.
Last November, Henry pleaded guilty to the felony offense of Assault by Strangling or Suffocating for the September 30, 2018 assault on his significant other. The assault took place on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Henry is a registered member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08089-PCT-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-092_Henry# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces $1.2 Million for Arizona Research that Supports Public Safety PracticesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced over $1.2 million in Department of Justice grants for Arizona, part of more than $43 million total awarded to more than 50 institutions, agencies, and organizations for research and evaluation projects that identify data-driven programs for reducing crime and promoting justice. The awards span research topic priorities such as prisoner reentry, terrorism prevention, human trafficking and police officer safety and wellness.
The awards are part of a strategic plan developed by OJP’s National Institute of Justice to advance technology, strengthen scientific research and translate knowledge to practice. They represent NIJ’s broader effort to include more diversity of disciplines, such as physical and social sciences, to link areas of research that have not previously been connected.
“The more we know about crime—the better we understand its causes and consequences—the greater our chances of finding sustainable solutions to the public safety problems confronting our communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The research supported by these awards will expand our knowledge about what works to reduce crime, curb reoffending and protect our criminal justice professionals, and this new knowledge will put us a step closer to achieving a more just and lawful society.”
The research addresses critical needs such as prisoner reentry, emphasizing innovative strategies to reintegrate offenders into communities and reduce recidivism. Today’s announcement includes three projects that will study reentry initiatives, including those in rural communities. The research will advance the body of knowledge on promising practices in the field of offender reentry.
In Arizona, the Board of Regents, on behalf of Arizona State University received two research awards:
- Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women – $203,939
- Research on the Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Elderly Individuals - $1,035,328
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-091_Research Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women – $203,939
United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona September 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
318 individuals were charged in September with illegal reentry
A. 194 of those 318 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 194 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 32 had violent crime convictions, including:
0 individuals had homicide convictions
3 individuals had sex offense convictions
12 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 7 had property crime convictions
3. 38 had DUI convictions
4. 102 had drug crime convictions
B. 146 of those 318 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
25 individuals were charged in September with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in September with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information is based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-089_September Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $3 Million to Advance Forensic Science in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced over $3 million in Department of Justice grants to Arizona to fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
The following organizations in Arizona received funding:
- City of Tucson - $252,900
- City of Mesa - $250,025
- Arizona Department of Public Safety - $754,606
- City of Phoenix Police Department (2 awards) - $576,697; $74,413
- Scottsdale Police Department Crime Laboratory - $250,025
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission - $392,583
- Mayo Clinic Arizona - $462,240
- Arizona State University - $150,000
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-090_Forensic Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Appoints Election Officer for the District of ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. - United States Attorney Michael Bailey announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Sean Lokey will lead the efforts of his office related to the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the general election on November 3.
As the District Election Officer (DEO) for Arizona, AUSA Lokey is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election fraud complaints and voting rights concerns in consultation with the Justice Department in Washington, DC.
“The integrity of the voting process is vital to our democracy,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “My office stands ready, alongside our law enforcement partners and the entire Department of Justice, to ensure that integrity is protected and preserved. It is imperative that citizens report any concerns promptly so that we can address them fully and effectively.”
The Justice Department has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. Actions designed to interrupt or intimidate a voter at a polling place by questioning, challenging, filming, or photographing the voter under the pretext of trying to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice if needed.
Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the process are brought to justice.
AUSA Lokey will be on duty in Arizona on Election Day to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns. AUSA Lokey can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 602-514-7516 or 602-361-6516.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also have agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The FBI in Arizona can be reached by phone at 623-466-1999 or online at https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, call 911 immediately. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-087_District Election Officer
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $3.5 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Addiction CrisisRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey today announced awards of over $3.5 million in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction in Arizona. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.
“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”
Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.
“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”
Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The following organizations in Arizona received funding:
- County of Yuma - $262,164
- Gila River Indian Community - $500,000
- Superior Court in Pima County - $499,524
- Judiciary Courts of the State of Arizona - $750,000
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission - $817,487
- Arizona Youth Partnership - $690,553
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-088_Opioid Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- County of Yuma - $262,164
Ganado Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Harlan Billie, 30, of Ganado, Arizona, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 50 months in prison for sexually abusing a minor. Billie was also sentenced to lifetime supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. Billie previously pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Billie sexually assaulted the teenage victim at a home in Sanders, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. Both Billie and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation Indian Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Christine Ducat Keller, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-08237-PCT-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-086_Billie# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $2 Million to Address School Violence in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced over $2 million in Department of Justice grants to address violence occurring at our nation’s schools. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $87 million to bolster school security, support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident, and conduct research on school safety.
STOP School Violence, a program of OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, improves school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to and help prevent acts of violence. In addition to STOP School Violence Act funding, OJP’s National Institute of Justice is investing in research on school violence.
“Only by removing the threat of violence from our schools can we expect our kids to reap the full benefits of their education, and only after making our places of learning safe can we ask our teachers to instruct and inspire as they are trained to do,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Department of Justice is committed to securing our schools from danger and giving our kids the support they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
The following organizations in the District of Arizona received funding:
- Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office - $672,024
- Wickenburg Unified School District 9 - $231,907
- Casa Blanca Community School - $93,558
- Page Unified School District 8 - $709,293
- Tempe Union High School District 213 - $492,632
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-085_School Safety Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office - $672,024
U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $1.6 Million to Help Arizona Track Sex Offenders and Protect Young AthletesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced awards of over $1.6 million in Department of Justice grants to develop and improve systems to register and track sex offenders in Arizona. Awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, these grants help states, U.S. territories, and tribal communities register and track sex offenders and enable them to meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Funds also help maintain the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.
“Citizens are better protected from sexual violence when jurisdictions follow SORNA’s standards,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving state, territory and tribal officials the resources they need to register and track sex offenders and prevent known threats in one community from posing new dangers to others.”
OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART Office) is awarding approximately $16 million to jurisdictions across the country to develop and enhance programs designed to implement the provisions of SORNA. The SMART Office is awarding almost $800,000 to provide training and technical assistance to jurisdictions implementing SORNA standards. The U.S. Center for SafeSport will receive the $2.3 million Keep Young Athletes Safe grant to continue developing a comprehensive training and prevention program to prevent abuse in the athletic programs of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and related sports organizations. The SMART Office will award nearly $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to support maintenance, operations and technological improvements for the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, NSOPW.gov, which links state, territorial and tribal public registry websites and allows the public to search for registered sex offenders on a national scale.
“Our mission at the SMART Office is to help our state, tribal and territorial partners register and provide notification to the public of sex offenders within their jurisdictions,” said Kendel Ehrlich, Director of the SMART Office. “We will continue to provide both law enforcement and the public with the tools they need to better inform and protect their communities and themselves.”
The following organizations in Arizona received funding:
- The Havasupai Tribe - $100,000.00
- Yavapai-Apache Nation - $150,000.00
- Colorado River Indian Tribes - $360,978.00
- The Hopi Tribe - $279,601.00
- Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community - $391,501.00
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White Mountain Apache Tribe - $385,208.00
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-084_SMART Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
“Convicted domestic abusers forfeit their right to own guns,” said United States Michael Bailey. “Home should be a place of peace, and never a place of fear. As prosecutors, we must keep these violent offenders from causing further harm.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
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18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-083_Domestic Violence
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
Owner of a Plumbing Company in Tucson Sentenced to Prison for Providing False Statements to the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 6, 2020, Kevin Cummings, 51, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to six months in prison. The court also ordered Cummings to pay $305,371.20 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and a $200,000 fine. Cummings must surrender to serve his prison sentence on January 7, 2021. Cummings previously pleaded guilty to Providing a False Statement Related to Social Security.
“Yet another example of someone trying to defraud the system, this time stealing benefits intended for the disabled,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “Thanks to our partners at the Social Security Office for putting the time and resources into investigating this matter.”
In his plea agreement, Cummings, admitted that in February 2003 he began to collect disability benefits from the SSA. In 2006, the SSA discovered that Cummings received employee wages during 2005 and 2006 while he also collected disability. When the SSA inquired about the wages, Cummings admitted that he caused one of his employees, on multiple occasions, to make false representations concerning his employment status with his plumbing companies. Cummings also admitted that he concealed from the SSA that he was working, while continuing to collect disability benefits from 2005 through January 2014. Cummings’ dishonesty resulted in a loss to the SSA totaling approximately $305,371.20.
“My office will continue to hold accountable those who defraud the Social Security Administration,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General of Social Security. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of our investigation and its efforts to bring this individual to justice and recover these funds for SSA.”
The Social Security Office of Inspector General, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Robb Stickley, San Francisco Field Division, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
Cummings Plea AgreementCASE NUMBER: CR-17-00518-TUC-RM (JR)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-082_Cummings# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces Intent to Seek Death Penalty Against Ryan SchlesingerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona filed an amended Notice of Intent to seek the death penalty against Ryan Phillip Schlesinger.
On November 29, 2018, deputies with the United States Marshals Wanted Task Force attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant on Schlesinger for allegedly stalking a Tucson police officer. As agents were trying to serve the warrant on Schlesinger at his Tucson residence, he began shooting at the officers, striking and killing a Deputy United States Marshal. After a standoff with law enforcement that lasted about an hour, Schlesinger was taken into custody.
In December 2018, Schlesinger was indicted on 13 counts, including First Degree Murder of a Federal Officer and Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence Resulting in Death, both of which carry a possible sentence of death. On September 30, 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a superseding indictment against Schlesinger. Schlesinger is set to be arraigned on the superseding indictment on October 22 before Magistrate Judge D. Thomas Ferraro.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Seger and Sarah Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
NOI to Seek Death Penalty for Schlesinger
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-02719-TUC-RCC (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-080_Schlesinger NOI# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tucson Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Causing Fatal Fentanyl OverdoseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Jocelyn Lopez-Sanchez, 23, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Frank R. Zapata to two concurrent sentences of 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Lopez-Sanchez previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and importation of fentanyl resulting in death.
On November 1, 2018, Lopez-Sanchez provided several blue “M-30” pills to individuals at a party in Tucson, one of whom died. Evidence showed that Lopez-Sanchez brought the pills into the United States from Mexico the day before the party in Tucson.
The Tucson Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
Lopez-Sanchez Plea AgreementCASE NUMBER: 19-CR-01166-FRZ-LAB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-081_Lopez-Sanchez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $4.1 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety, Serve Crime Victims in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey today announced over $4.1 million in Department of Justice grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime and support youth programs in tribal communities in Arizona.
“American Indian and Alaska Native communities experience rates of violent crime and domestic abuse that are among the highest in the nation,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The awards announced today underscore the Department of Justice’s deep commitment to improving public safety in tribal communities throughout the United States. This administration will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee that they have the resources they need to combat violence and bring criminals to justice.”
A total of more than $103 million is being awarded to tribes across the country under the Justice Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation. CTAS supports activities that enhance law enforcement and tribal justice practices, expand victim services and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts. CTAS grants are administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs ($41.5 million), Office on Violence Against Women ($39.1 million) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ($22.5 million).
An additional $113 million is being awarded to 133 applicants nationwide under the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program. This program, managed by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime, is designed to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime and promote other public safety initiatives.
“Public safety officials and victim service providers in Indian country face exceptional challenges, but they bring to their work an extraordinary array of skills and resources that enable them to meet and overcome any obstacle,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to help fulfill Attorney General Barr's strong commitment – and the federal government's long-standing responsibility – to our tribal partners in the matter of their citizens' safety and wellbeing.”
In addition to the CTAS and Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside awards, the Office on Violence Against Women is making additional tribal awards of more than $31 million to support a wide range of efforts to address the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking.
“OVW’s funding supports Native American and Alaska Native communities as they work across their communities to prevent and respond to gender based violence,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Laura L. Rogers. “These awards represent the strong commitment that OVW has made to help protect the most vulnerable members of tribal communities.”
Additional awards to support tribal public safety efforts are being made by OJP and the COPS Office. These grants will provide community policing training and other training and technical assistance. Awards will also address the needs of tribal youth, fund tribal reentry efforts, help tribes combat substance abuse and manage sex offenders, and support tribal research. In addition, funds support efforts in 17 tribal communities to address the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.
“Ensuring our nation’s tribal communities have the resources they need is paramount for the COPS Office and the Department of Justice,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “These awards are a critical component to the overall public safety strategy for tribal law enforcement and the COPS Office is honored to provide vital resources to hire more sworn officer positions, advance tribal training and procure equipment needed to keep communities safe.”
The following organizations in the District of Arizona received funding:
- Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (COPS) - $893,450
- Hualapai Detention and Rehabilitation Center (OVW) - $900,000
- Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (COPS) - $894,463
- San Carlos Apache Tribe (OJJDP) - $400,000
- The Hopi Tribe (OVW) - $900,000
- Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe (COPS) - $158,700
A full listing of all the announced CTAS awards is available here.
A full listing of all Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program awards is available here.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-077_Public Safety Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces $2.3 Million to Support Offenders Returning to Communities in the District of ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey this week announced over $2.3 million in Department of Justice grants to reduce recidivism among adults and juvenile offenders returning to their communities in the District of Arizona after confinement. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $92 million in funding to support reentry efforts throughout the United States.
These awards represent President Trump’s commitment to assisting people in America’s prisons and detention facilities who have earned the opportunity to take their places back in society.
“Former offenders are ultimately responsible for their own successes and failures, but our criminal and juvenile justice systems have an important role to play in preparing them for the obstacles that lie before them,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m very pleased to make these resources available to help them get back on their feet and contribute to the prosperity of their communities and the betterment of our nation.”
The reentry and recidivism reduction grants awarded will help communities develop and implement comprehensive strategies to address the challenges posed by reentry and recidivism; support reentry services for detained juveniles and incarcerated parents with children under the age of 18; and support research and evaluation programs to advance understanding about reoffending.
The following organizations in Arizona received funding:
- Arizona Department of Correction, Rehabilitation Reentry - $1,873,822
- Navajo Nation Judicial Branch - $500,000
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/reentryfactsheet.pdf.
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-076_Reentry Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces $1.5 Million to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey today announced $1.5 million in Department of Justice grants to combat elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors across the Arizona. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), are part of over $9 million in funding to support these efforts throughout the United States. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. Attorney General William P. Barr announced the awards on the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons.
“Predators who target older citizens for fraud, financial scams and physical abuse are particularly despicable, turning the golden years of our nation’s seniors into a period of poverty and suffering,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice is taking aggressive action, pursuing all legal avenues to bring these criminals to justice and supporting law enforcement officials and service providers as they ferret out scam artists, arrest abusers, and bring aid and relief to victims.”
Under the direction of Attorney General Barr, the Department of Justice is attacking elder fraud and abuse from all sides. A National Elder Justice Coordinator oversees the department’s work to combat elder fraud, and each of the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices has a prosecutor dedicated to addressing elder justice issues. This past March, the Attorney General announced the results of the largest elder fraud sweep ever conducted, with prosecutors charging more than 400 defendants and the charged elder fraud schemes causing alleged losses of over a billion dollars. Also in March, he launched a national initiative to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care and a National Elder Fraud Hotline managed by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime.
“With lockdowns in place across the country, older adults are especially vulnerable to fraud, neglect and abuse, and criminals have not hesitated to take full advantage,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants, which build on previous Department of Justice investments, will help to turn the tide of deception and predation and restore victims to fiscal security and physical safety.”
The following organizations received funding in the District of Arizona:
- Apache Behavioral Health Services, Inc. - $499,252
- Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of ASU - $1,035,328
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-079_Elder Fraud and Abuse Grants
- Apache Behavioral Health Services, Inc. - $499,252
Tohono O'odham Nation Member Sentenced to 46 Months After Strangling His GirlfriendRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Merrell Derek Steve Felix, 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 46 months in prison. Felix previously pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangulation committed on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation.
On October 6, 2017, near Sells, Arizona, Felix, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, assaulted his girlfriend by strangling her. The investigation began after United States Border Patrol agents encountered Felix and the victim at an immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 just outside of Sells. A Border Patrol agent noticed that the victim had been crying and inquired about her well-being. Felix told the agents that the victim was fine, but the victim mouthed the word, “help.” The victim had visible bruising on her neck and face, and later told law enforcement that Felix had strangled her with both of his hands and a lanyard. The victim is also an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
The Tohono O’odham Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation into this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-1089-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-078_Felix# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 105 Months for CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Friday, Christopher Daniel Jones, 26, of Camp Verde, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 105 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jones previously pleaded guilty to Carjacking on February 26, 2020.
On July 27, 2019, Jones, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community and a convicted sex offender, snuck into the victim’s parked van at a gas station located on the Yavapai-Apache Nation. When the victim returned to the van, Jones was hiding in the back. Wielding a knife, Jones moved toward the front of the van and forced the victim to drive, holding the knife to the victim’s body. The victim jumped out of the van, and Jones drove it away, resulting in a law enforcement pursuit that ended with Jones’s apprehension about 75 miles away. Investigation revealed that Jones had an active warrant, was on supervised release in two separate Failure to Register as a Sex Offender cases, and had recently escaped from Behavioral Systems Southwest.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Yavapai-Apache Nation Police Department, the Phoenix Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault and Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-8265-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-075_Christopher Jones# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona August 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
301 individuals were charged in August with illegal reentry
A. 196 of those 301 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 196 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 29 had violent crime convictions, including:
2 individuals had homicide convictions
4 individuals had sex offense convictions
9 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 14 had property crime convictions
3. 44 had DUI convictions
4. 99 had drug crime convictions
B. 153 of those 196 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
24 individuals were charged in August with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in August with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information is based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-074_August Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement in Connection with Restaurant GroupRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gregory McClure, 42, of Willcox, Arizona, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge G. Murray Snow to just over six months in prison, followed by six months of home detention. After serving home detention, McClure must serve three years of supervised release. McClure was also ordered to pay $1,339,252.69 in restitution.
Last year, McClure pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from bank accounts owned by Boomtown Management, Inc., an enterprise that owned and operated various restaurants associated with popular music artists throughout the United States. Using his access as Boomtown’s in-house attorney, McClure took money from Boomtown bank accounts in order to gamble at local casinos.
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Monica Edelstein, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-00051-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-073_McClure# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Urgent Care Provider Convicted of Health Care Fraud and Ordered to Pay $12.5 MillionRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, UCXtra Umbrella, LLC, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi and ordered to pay $12,500,000 in restitution. UCXtra Umbrella, LLC, had previously pleaded guilty to health care fraud and engaging in monetary transactions derived from unlawful activity.
UCXtra Umbrella, LLC, which did business in Arizona under the name “Urgent Care Extra,” owned and operated a network of more than 30 urgent care centers, primarily in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. From 2012 through 2016, more than one million patient visits occurred at UCXtra clinics in Arizona.
As part of its guilty plea, UCXtra admitted that it intentionally created patient care practices and billing procedures that caused its providers and staff to overstate the complexity of the medical services provided to patients and claim falsely inflated reimbursement rates from health insurance companies. UCXtra also admitted that it encouraged providers and staff to order tests and procedures that may not have been medically necessary to justify higher billing codes and obtain higher reimbursement rates. The estimated loss to health insurance companies caused by UCXtra’s health care fraud scheme is $12,500,000.
“Greed-driven schemes like this one drive up health care costs and hurt all Americans,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “This excellent investigation by the FBI and IRS will send a clear message to health care providers that fraudulent billing will be held to account.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Sexton and Bridget Minder handled the prosecution.
United States Seizes Domain Names Used by Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
The United States has seized “Aletejahtv.com” and “Aletejahtv.org,” two websites, which were unlawfully utilized by Kata’ib Hizballah, a Specially Designated National and a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“Once again we see designated foreign terrorist organizations turning to the internet to push their message and recruit followers for their violent causes,” said John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “We will continue to fight terror recruitment and propaganda efforts in the digital world, as we do elsewhere.”
“Our system of commerce and our infrastructure, whether physical or electronic, is to be used by lawfully,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will not allow groups that have been rightfully prohibited from obtaining goods and services in the United States to use our internet services – especially to further their terrorist agenda. This seizure underscores national collaboration and a commitment to protecting our commerce and infrastructure.”
“The District of Arizona is home to many successful technology companies whose goods and services are capable of being used by individuals across the world,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey for the District of Arizona. “We will not allow members of terrorist organizations to illegally use those goods and services to further their propaganda and agenda.”
“The National Security of the United States is, and will always be, the top priority for the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement. Attempts to surreptitiously utilize U.S. based online networks and services to promote Iran backed terrorist propaganda will immediately be disrupted, disabled, and seized,” said P. Lee Smith, Performing the Non-exclusive Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce. “The Bureau of Industry and Security is committed to ensuring the stability of the Iraqi government and protecting our troops and Allied Forces against terrorist acts of violence”
On July 2, 2009, the U.S. Secretary of Treasury designated Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed terrorist group active in Iraq, as a Specially Designated National for committing, directing, supporting, and posing a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. On the same day, the U.S. Department of State designated Kata’ib Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization for committing or posing a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism.
“Aletejahtv.com” and “Aletejahtv.org,” acted as Kata’ib Hizballah’s media arm and published internet communications such as videos, articles, and photographs. These communications included numerous articles designed to further Kata’ib Hizballah’s agenda, particularly destabilizing Iraq and recruiting others to join their cause. They also functioned as a live online television broadcast channel, “Al-etejah TV.” Portions of the communications expressly noted that they were published by Kata’ib Hizballah.
Federal law prohibits designated entities like Kata’ib Hizballah from obtaining or utilizing goods or services, including website and domain services, in the United States without a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. “Aletejahtv.com” and “Aletejahtv.org” are domain names that are owned and operated by a United States company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Kata’ib Hizballah did not obtain a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control prior to utilizing the domain names.
On August 31, 2020, pursuant to a seizure warrant, the United States seized “Aletejahtv.com” and “Aletejahtv.org.” Visitors to the site received the following message:
This seizure was investigated by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Northern District of Georgia, Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the District of Arizona, and trial lawyers from the Department of Justice National Security Division prosecuted the seizure.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Refugee Convicted of Immigration Fraud and Removed to SomaliaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Mohamed Abdirahman Osman, aka, Mustaf Adan Arale, 29, of Mogadishu, Somalia, was sentenced to time served by District Court Judge Rosemary Marquez. Osman previously pleaded guilty to two felony counts of False Swearing in an Immigration Matter. Osman has been in custody for two years.
At the time of his refugee application, and again when seeking his permanent legal resident alien status, Osman failed to disclose to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that he also used another identity. Osman admitted that he knew that if he had disclosed the true information, he would have been denied entry into the United States.
“We will do everything we can to preserve the integrity of the refugee application process in the United States,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “There are individuals throughout the world who are being persecuted and seeking status in the United States. Osman undermined the system and those individuals with valid claims by lying his way into receiving entry.”
As a result of his convictions, Osman’s refugee status was revoked and a Judicial Order of Removal was issued requiring Osman be removed to Somalia. On August 28, 2020, Osman boarded a flight from Arizona to return to Somalia. Osman is prohibited from returning to the United States without proper legal authority.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to thoroughly investigate those who seek to undermine our nation’s security by compromising the integrity of our immigration laws,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “This case is a perfect example of how HSI and other federal agencies work together to combat those trying to defraud the government. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold those involved of these types of criminal schemes accountable.”
“USCIS is proud to play a critical role in preserving our nation’s rich history of lawful immigration,” said USCIS Tucson Field Office Director Julie Hashimoto. “Thus, we have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the system. This conviction demonstrates the severe consequences for using false information in order to gain an immigration benefit.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, HSI, and USCIS investigated this matter. Beverly K. Anderson, Assistant United States Attorney, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-1584-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-071_Osman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tax Fugitive ApprehendedRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kevin Scott Wynn, 59, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was apprehended last week by the United States Marshals Service after failing to appear for his scheduled sentencing.
A Phoenix jury convicted Wynn on December 5, 2019 of one felony count of tax evasion and three misdemeanor counts of failure to file a tax return. Before trial, Wynn had been on pretrial release, but subject to a curfew and electronic monitoring.
After his conviction, Wynn was released pending sentencing, but required to follow a curfew and wear an ankle monitor. In April 2020, Wynn filed a motion with the court, requesting to lift those restrictions on his release. The District Court sided with the government and refused to modify the conditions of Wynn’s release.
On June 30, approximately four weeks before his scheduled sentencing date, Wynn cut off his ankle monitor, and left it on the ground outside his office. United States Pretrial Services received a tamper alert, sought a warrant, and alerted law enforcement. Over the course of the next 53 days, the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Mexican law enforcement authorities worked together to trace Wynn’s movements, contacts, and money. In particular, in the months before he fled – and at a time when he was asserting in court filings that he intended to pay his past due tax obligations – Wynn withdrew more than one million dollars in cash from his business bank accounts.
Mexican law enforcement authorities apprehended Wynn in the wealthy Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City on Friday, August 21, and deported him to Houston the following day. At the time he was apprehended, Wynn had in his possession a Mexican voter identification card with his photograph and another person’s name.
Wynn currently remains in the custody of the Marshals Service following an initial appearance in Houston on August 24. He will be transported back to Arizona for a sentencing hearing currently scheduled for September 28. At sentencing, Wynn faces a maximum sentence of 96 months in prison, in addition to a restitution order of up to $765,429.22 to account for past due taxes, penalties, and interest.
“I applaud the tireless work of the United States Marshal Service and all of our law enforcement partners to ensure Wynn was caught and that he will face justice for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey.
“Wynn spent a lot of time and money preparing for his life as an international fugitive,” said United States Marshal David Gonzalez. “Unfortunately for him, his life on the run was for only 53 days. My special thanks to our partners in the Republic of Mexico for their assistance in the capture of Wynn.”
“IRS-CI thanks the U.S. Marshal and his staff for the apprehension of this fugitive,” said Ismael Nevarez Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Their efforts will ensure that Mr. Wynn is held accountable for his tax crimes.”
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations conducted the underlying investigation, and the United States Marshals Service led the fugitive apprehension efforts. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-1649-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-070_WynnUnited States Attorney's Office District of Arizona July 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
157 individuals were charged in July with illegal reentry
A. 135 of those 157 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 135 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 25 had violent crime convictions, including:
1 individual had a homicide conviction
7 individuals had sex offense convictions
10 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 26 had property crime convictions
3. 29 had DUI convictions
4. 66 had drug crime convictions
B. 81 of those 135 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
28 individuals were charged in July with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in July with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information is based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-069_July Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Rio Rico Resident Sentenced to Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Juan Diego Ibanez, 40, of Rio Rico, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Scott Rash to 15 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ibanez previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud.
In 2017, Ibanez provided fraudulently-created documents to 1st Bank Yuma and received $690,000 in loan proceeds based on the false documents. Upon learning of the fraud, the bank immediately investigated the illegal conduct and reported it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The FBI investigated this matter. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR19-01049-SHR-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-068_Ibanez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Ajo Border Patrol Agent Arrested and Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Carlos Victor Passapera Pinott, 53, of Buckeye, Arizona, was arrested on multiple counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Passapera was charged by complaint, and had his initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie A. Bowman of the District of Arizona.
According to the complaint:
Passapera is a Border Patrol Agent assigned to the Tucson Sector Ajo Border Patrol Station. On August 9, 2020, at approximately 3:15 AM, Passapera left his residence and drove south to a remote area of the border west of the Lukeville Port of Entry. Passapera then drove to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where he loaded two duffel bags into another vehicle. Law enforcement agents stopped the driver of that vehicle after it left the airport, and searched the duffel bags. The bags contained multiple packages of substances that field tested positive for the characteristics of cocaine (21 kilograms), heroin (1 kilogram), and fentanyl (1 kilogram). The bags also contained approximately 350,000 pills. A sample from the pills field tested positive for the characteristics of fentanyl.
Law enforcement agents took Passapera into custody later that day while executing a search warrant at his residence. During the search, agents found approximately $329,000 in U.S. currency in Passapera’s residence, and an additional $40,000 in the vehicle Passapera used to transport the illegal narcotics.
Convictions for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years, and up to a $10,000,000 fine.
A criminal complaint is simply the 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 charges resulted from an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force, the Homeland Security Investigations, NATIVE Task Force in Sells, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tucson is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 20-02951MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-067_Passapera# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Homeland Security Investigator Sentenced to over 10 Years for Money Laundering, False Statements, and Tax Evasion ConvictionsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Today, Tyrone Cedric Duren, 50, of Bonsall, California was sentenced by Judge John A. Houston to 130 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered the forfeiture of Duren’s primary residence, a money judgment of $275,000, and restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Duren previously pleaded guilty to 19 counts including charges of money laundering, making false statements, and tax evasion.
While working as a federal agent specializing in the investigation of bulk cash smuggling, Duren stole money from individuals smuggling drug proceeds to Mexico. Duren then laundered those funds by depositing them into personal and business accounts, and used the stolen cash for personal purchases. Over several years, Duren used his position as a federal agent to place GPS trackers on vehicles used to transport proceeds from drug sales. Duren then took some of the drug money after it was seized, laundered it into his own accounts, and spent it on real estate and international travel.
For example, during a July 2013 traffic stop, Duren stole money concealed in the hidden compartment of a vehicle on which he had previously placed a GPS tracker. In March 2014, Duren was tracking a vehicle he suspected to be loaded with cash as it headed toward Mexico. The vehicle was stopped and searched at a Border Patrol Checkpoint and found to contain a large amount of cash concealed in laundry detergent boxes. Duren took custody of the seized cash, but before putting it into evidence, Duren took over $100,000 for himself. He later admitted that he deposited the stolen money into business and personal accounts to conceal those thefts. Duren then failed to file taxes for 2013 to further hide his theft. Duren also lied numerous times to agents who were investigating his crimes.
Agents from the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Office of Professional Responsibility and Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations conducted this investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is recused. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Rapp, Abbie Broughton Marsh, and Mark Wenker of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona prosecuted this case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-02892-JAH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-066_Duren# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces More than $1.2 Million in Awards to Provide Housing to Victims of Human Trafficking in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey of the District of Arizona today announced that the state of Arizona received over $1.2 million from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“Victims who have suffered at the hands of human traffickers often feel trapped, with nowhere to go,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “These grants to well-deserving organizations in our state offer victims some hope of a way out.”
The grants totaling over $1.2 million were awarded to three Arizona organizations: New Life Center, Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., and Maggie’s Place, Inc. The grants will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, and obtain occupational training and counseling. New Life Center, Chicanos Por La Causa, and Maggie’s Place are among 73 organizations in 34 states receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflects. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such criminal activity. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients, including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-065_Housing Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Woman Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to Al QaedaRead the Press Release
John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Michael Bailey, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Jill Sanborn, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office, announced that on July 22, 2020, Jill Marie Jones was arrested for attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to the criminal complaint, the defendant was in communication with two FBI undercover employees, one of whom she believed to be a member of al Qaeda. During her conversations with the purported al Qaeda member, Jones agreed to send the employee money to purchase scopes for rifles that would be used by al Qaeda to kill American soldiers. In May 2020, Jones gave the purported al Qaeda member $500 using a prepaid gift card.
The communications with the undercover employees also revealed Jones’ desire to travel overseas to assist al Qaeda. Thereafter, Jones purchased tickets to fly overseas to join al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but due to airport closures, she changed her flights to go to Turkey instead. Jones planned to then travel on to Syria. On July 22, 2020, Jones traveled to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona to board a flight to begin her travel to join al Qaeda. FBI agents arrested Jones after she checked in for her flight at the airport.
The prosecution is being handled by Lisa Jennis, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Arizona and Katie Sweeten, Trial Attorney with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Members of the Hualapai Indian Tribe Sentenced to Federal Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Doncio Eagle Havatone, 35, of Peach Springs, Arizona was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Havatone previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Havatone’s co-defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan earlier this year. On July 6, Morgan Cook, 36, of Peach Springs, Arizona was sentenced to 38 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. On February 24, Dylan Dean Davis, 25, of Peach Springs, Arizona was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On March 1, 2019, Havatone, Davis, and Cook assaulted the victim, a member of the Hualapai Indian Tribe, causing her to sustain serious bodily injury. The assault happened on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. Havatone, Cook, and Davis are also members of the Hualapai Indian Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hualapai Nation Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08063-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-064_Havatone et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Last of 15 Defendants Convicted and Sentenced for Prescott-Area Heroin SalesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Jaime Rene Calderon, 28, of Prescott, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to three concurrent terms of 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2019, a federal jury found Calderon guilty of three counts of aiding and abetting the sale of heroin on three separate occasions.
“The nationwide epidemic of opioid overdoses impacts small and large communities alike,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “Collaborative investigations like Operation Blackwater that bring together state and federal agencies will make Prescott and Prescott Valley a safer place for everyone.”
The Department of Public Safety (DPS), with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), conducted “Operation Blackwater” over approximately two years. The operation focused on eliminating the heroin trade in the Prescott and Prescott Valley areas and in particular, to dismantling the criminal activities of the local Creekside Chicanos gang. Evidence at trial proved that Calderon, while incarcerated at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry in 2017 for an unrelated offense, recruited two associates outside the prison to sell heroin for profit. Calderon was the last of 15 defendants to be convicted and sentenced for heroin possession with the intent to distribute in connection with the investigation.
“We are grateful for the unwavering collaboration with our federal partners throughout Arizona,” said Heston Silbert, Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. “We successfully leveraged each other’s investigative resources and effectively displaced a dangerous criminal organization.”
In addition to Calderon, the following individuals were previously convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and sentenced as follows:
- Adrian Anderson, 38: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; September 9, 2019; CR-18-8125-PCT-SMB
- Erbey Balderaz, III, 34: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 31 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018; CR-17-8232-PCT-JJT
- Angela Blackwater, 46: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to time served followed by three years of supervised release; April 30, 2018; CR-17-8225-001-PCT-JJT
- Alisia Gamez, 26: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018; CR-17-8225-002-PCT-JJT
- Nicholas Cowan, 33: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; April 2, 2018; CR-17-8228-PCT-DLR
- John Delgado, 33: Sentenced to U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; October 29, 2018; CR-17-8223-PCT-GMS
- Andre Enciso, 37: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release; March 19, 2018; CR-17-1258-PHX-JJT
- Lisa Gazzam, 40: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; April 29, 2019; CR-18-578-PHX-SMB
- Veronica James, 39: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release; September 10, 2018; CR-17-8229-PCT-DLR
- Craig Livermore, 35: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to three years of probation; January 11, 2019; CR-17-8224-PCT-DGC
- Bryant Montoya, 26: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; June 4, 2018; CR-17-8231-001-PCT-DJH
- Marcos Ochoa, 24: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; August 22, 2018; CR-17-8226-PCT-DJH
- Yeni Guevara Solis, 28: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018; CR-17-8231-002-PCT-DJH
- Evangeline Wilson, 32: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 21, 2018; CR-17-8230-PCT-DGC
"We are thankful for the impact this collaborative, long-term investigation has made in the Prescott community," said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Division. "Working together, we were able to get dangerous drugs and dangerous individuals off the streets. The FBI is proud to work with our state, local, and federal partners and will continue to do so to protect the communities we serve in the fight against drugs."
Arizona DPS (Prescott) and the FBI conducted the investigation into these matters. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Covault, District of Arizona, Phoenix handled the prosecutions with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley on the Calderon case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-8126-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-063_Calderon# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Adrian Anderson, 38: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; September 9, 2019; CR-18-8125-PCT-SMB
Two Alleged Criminals – A Hezbollah Associated Narco-Money Launderer and a Computer Hacker - Extradited from Cyprus to the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Lebanese national wanted in Florida who is alleged to have conspired to engage in, and actually engaged, in the laundering of drug proceeds through the use of the black market peso exchange in support of Hezbollah’s global criminal-support network and a Cypriot national who is wanted in the Northern District of Georgia and the District of Arizona for cyber intrusion and extortion, were both extradited yesterday from the Republic of Cyprus to the United States.
“These successful extraditions demonstrate the commitment of the Department of Justice to support local, state and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and our strong working relationship with dedicated foreign partners who assist in apprehending foreign fugitives wherever they may be hiding,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners in Cyprus, Ghassan Diab and Joshua Polloso Epifaniou will now be held accountable in the United States for their alleged crimes.”
Ghassan Diab, 37, a citizen of Lebanon, arrived in Miami yesterday after being extradited from the Republic of Cyprus. Diab is charged in the State of Florida, Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, with two counts of money laundering over $100,000, two counts of conspiracy to launder over $100,000, two counts of unlicensed transmission of currency over $100,000, and two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communications device to further the commission of money laundering, all felonies under Florida law.
Diab was previously identified as an alleged Hezbollah associate and charges were announced by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in October 2016 as a part of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division’s “Operation reconquista,” a joint State/Federal partnership to attack money laundering which resulted in the arrest of two co-defendants. At that time, Ghassan Diab’s specific whereabouts were unknown.
Diab was provisionally arrested in Cyprus for purposes of extradition on March 9, 2019, at the Larnaca International Airport upon his arrival from Beirut, Lebanon, based on a request from the United States in accordance with the U.S.-Cyprus Extradition Treaty. On September 27, 2019, the court in Cyprus found him extraditable to the United States.
Joshua Polloso Epifaniou, 21, a resident of Nicosia, Cyprus, arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York yesterday after being extradited from the Republic of Cyprus, where he was arrested in February 2018. Epifaniou is the first Cypriot national extradited by Cyprus to the United States. Cyprus amended its Constitution in 2013 to allow for the extradition of Cypriot nationals to a European country or to a third country on the basis of a European arrest warrant or on the basis of a bilateral or multilateral treaty that the Republic of Cyprus has signed, with the understanding that the corresponding country would extradite its citizens as well. In 2003, the United States and the European Union entered into an extradition agreement. The articles of the U.S.-E.U. agreement were incorporated into the pre-existing bilateral treaty to create a new bilateral treaty with Cyprus, signed in 2006.
A five-count indictment filed in the Northern District of Georgia charges Epifaniou with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, and extortion related to a protected computer. According to the indictment, between approximately October 2014 and November 2016, Epifaniou worked with coconspirators to steal personal identifying information from user and customer databases at victim websites in order to extort the websites into paying ransoms under threat of public disclosure of the sensitive data. The indictment alleges that Epifaniou obtained confidential personal identifying information from these websites including from a free online game publisher based in Irvine, California; a hardware company based in New York, New York; an online employment website headquartered in Innsbrook, Virginia; and an online sports news website owned by Turner Broadcasting System Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, either by directly exploiting a security vulnerability at the websites and stealing user and customer data, or by obtaining a portion of the victim website’s user data from a co-conspirator who had hacked into the victim network. After obtaining the personal identifying information, Epifaniou allegedly used proxy servers located in foreign countries to log into online email accounts and send messages to the victim websites threatening to leak the sensitive data unless a ransom was paid. He is alleged to have defrauded the entities of $56,850 in bitcoin, and two victims incurred losses of over $530,000 from remediation costs associated with the incident.
Epifanou is scheduled for his arraignment on Monday, July 20, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman in the Northern District of Georgia.
Epifaniou is charged in the District of Arizona in a 24-count indictment with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, obtaining information from a protected computer, intentional damage to a protected computer, and threatening to damage a protected computer.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 30, 2016, Epifaniou obtained unauthorized access to the database of Ripoff Report (ROR), a company located in Phoenix, Arizona, through a brute force attack. A brute force attack is a trial-and-error method used to obtain information, such as a user password or personal identification number. Epifaniou allegedly used the attack to successfully override ROR’s login and password protection to access its database through an existing account for a ROR employee. On Nov. 18, 2016, Epifaniou emailed ROR’s CEO using an email address, threatening to publicly disseminate stolen ROR data unless the company paid him $90,000 within 48 hours. According to the indictment, Epifaniou emailed again the following day with a hyperlink to a video recording demonstrating Epifaniou’s unauthorized access to the ROR CEO’s account. The indictment additionally alleges that between October 2016 and May 2017, Epifaniou worked with an associate at “SEO Company,” which was a search engine marketing company based in Glendale, California, to identify companies that might be interested in paying for removal of complaints posted on ROR’s website, which Epifaniou would then illegally remove through unauthorized access to the ROR database. Epifaniou and his co-conspirator removed at least 100 complaints from the ROR database, charging SEO Company’s “clients” approximately $3,000 to $5,000 for removal of each complaint.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Diab case was investigated by DEA’s Miami Field Division and Special Operations Division. Assistant State Attorney Adam C. Korn, Executive Director of the South Florida Financial Crimes Strike Force of the Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle Office is prosecuting the case. The Epifaniou case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta and Phoenix Field Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Kitchens of the Northern District of Georgia is handling the prosecution in that District and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Knapp and Andrew Stone are handling the prosecution in the District of Arizona.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Cyprus for making the extraditions possible. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ extradition from Cyprus. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing them back to the United States.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona June 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
126 individuals were charged in June with illegal reentry
A. 114 of those 126 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 114 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 22 had violent crime convictions, including:
0 individuals had homicide convictions
5 individuals had sex offense convictions
4 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 9 had property crime convictions
3. 25 had DUI convictions
4. 76 had drug crime convictions
B. 64 of those 126 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
26 individuals were charged in June with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in June with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-062_June Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Montana Resident Found Guilty of Smuggling Bald Eagle Feathers into ArizonaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, United States District Court Judge James A. Soto found Dennis Raymond McPherron, 74, of Hamilton, Montana, guilty of illegally smuggling bald eagle feathers (and other feathers from protected species) into the United States, in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The case was tried before District Court Judge Soto in January. McPherron faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for October 9.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation in cooperation with United States Customs and Border Protection. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, prosecuted the case.
CASE NUMBER: CR17-00242-JAS-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-061_McPherron# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, Lodi Gene Bitsie II, 25, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 17.5 years in prison. Bitsie previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder.
On April 7, 2019, Bitsie began an argument with the victim, punched him, produced a large knife, and then stabbed the victim in the chest. The victim died as a result. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation promptly began an investigation, which led to Bitsie’s arrest and prosecution. Bitsie is a member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim, and the crime occurred in Fort Defiance on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 19-08082-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-060_Bitsie# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Kayenta Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Monday, Ervin Crank, 58, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 30 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Crank previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate partner or dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.
On July 1, 2019, Crank assaulted the victim by striking her multiple times with his hand. The assault occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation and both Crank and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08192-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-059_Crank# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Department of Justice Observes the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, United States Attorney Michael Bailey joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
"The Department of Justice has made protecting America's seniors a top priority, and our office shares that commitment," said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. "Our seniors deserve to be treasured and treated with respect and care, not targeted by fraudulent schemes. We encourage you to call the hotline today if you suspect abuse. Let's work together to protect our seniors."
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the virus are our senior citizens. Bad actors have exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly, who are vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, through a host of scams and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and targeting seniors by offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. Just last week, attorneys from the District of Arizona partnered with the FBI and AARP to give a telephonic town hall about current COVID-19 scams around the country. The town hall was attended by well over a thousand callers from the state who had the opportunity to ask questions and learn tips for avoiding scams.
On this day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, dedicated to recognizing our seniors who have been victims of scams and other forms of abuse, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we will continue the fight to keep seniors safe. Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. In recognition of that goal, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona also collaborated with the Pima Council on Aging and the FBI in January to offer an informational talk on scams for older adults.
Major strides have already been made toward the goal of preventing and disrupting elder fraud:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Attorney General Barr recently launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors, including 16 defendants charged in the District of Arizona.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-058_Elder Abuse Awareness Day
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona May 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
92 individuals were charged in May with illegal reentry
A. 86 of those 92 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 86 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 23 had violent crime convictions, including:
1 individual had a homicide conviction
5 individuals had sex offense convictions
9 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 13 had property crime convictions
3. 20 had DUI convictions
4. 51 had drug crime convictions
B. 39 of those 92 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
9 individuals were charged in May with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in May with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
*The April Immigration and Border Crimes Report that was issued on May 19 failed to include an additional charge of alien smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324). The total number should have been 15 individuals rather than 14 individuals.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-057_May Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Federal Prosecutors Team up with FBI and AARP to Host Telephonic Town Hall on ScamsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office, along with a special agent from the FBI, will participate in a telephonic town hall coordinated through the AARP to provide information to Arizona residents to help them identify and avoid fraudulent schemes, including scams related to COVID-19.
The telephonic town hall will happen on Tuesday, June 9 from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. PDT. During the event, an FBI special agent and two federal prosecutors will discuss various scams relating to COVID-19 and provide tips for avoiding them. A discussion about other scams targeting the elderly will also be highlighted. Participants from Arizona will be allowed to ask questions during the presentation.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network is providing the infrastructure for the event. Approximately 100,000 AARP member households will receive a phone call Tuesday morning inviting them to participate in the town hall. Those who wish to receive an invitation can sign up on this AARP registration page: https://vekeo.com/aarparizona/#.
On June 9 at 10 a.m., participants can join the call by dialing 877-299-8493 and entering the following ID: 114737#. Participants can also join the town hall via Facebook by going to @aarparizona to listen.
During the current health crisis, federal investigators and prosecutors continue to fulfill their critical mission of protecting public safety. Federal officials have prioritized the disruption, investigation and prosecution of crimes related to COVID-19, including fraudulent schemes, unapproved treatments, and scams related to stimulus money. During the virtual town hall meeting, federal officials will discuss the types of schemes currently being seen, along with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
The FBI continues to warn the public about these schemes, some of which have already been seen in Arizona and other parts of the country:
- Scammers are setting up websites, contacting people by phone and email, and posting disinformation on social media platforms.
- Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online.
- Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
- Seeking fraudulent donations for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
- Obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.
If you think you are a victim of COVID-19 fraud, immediately report it the FBI (visit ic3.gov, tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI).
In addition, the public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721).
To find out more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit: www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-056_AARP Town Hall
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Scammers are setting up websites, contacting people by phone and email, and posting disinformation on social media platforms.
Page Man Charged with Threatening to Burn Page Magistrate CourtRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Loren Reed, 26, of Page, Arizona, was arrested on Tuesday, June 2, and charged in a complaint with a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e) for using the internet and telephone to willfully threaten to unlawfully damage or destroy a building by fire. Reed appeared on the charges today before United States Magistrate Judge Camille Bibles of the District of Arizona.
According to the complaint:
On May 30, a concerned citizen called the Page Police Department and reported that Loren Reed had created a private Facebook chat group. In the chat, Reed was trying to convince people to join a meet up at the Page Courthouse and participate in a riot. Page Police Department officers then began monitoring the chat group in response to this report.
Between May 30 and June 2, Reed sent numerous messages in the chat group related to burning government buildings, including the Page Magistrate Courthouse and Page Police Department office. Reed suggested June 2 at 9:00pm as the date and time for carrying out the plan. Reed encouraged others in the chat group to bring gas and other flammables. He also discussed the use of Molotov cocktails.
Reed was arrested on June 2, at approximately 7:00 p.m. on the charge outlined in the complaint.
A conviction for using the internet and telephone to willfully threaten to unlawfully damage or destroy a building by fire carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
A criminal complaint is simply the 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 charges resulted from an investigation by the Page Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Allison and David Pimsner, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: 20-4089MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-55_Reed# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.DOJ Awards Nearly $400 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Department of Justice today announced nearly $400 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The Attorney General announced funding awards to 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which allows those agencies to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. The awards announced today are inclusive of the $51 million announced in May as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit.
In Arizona, grants were awarded to nine law enforcement agencies around the state:
• Apache Junction Police Department, receiving $1 million to hire 8 officers;
• Camp Verde Marshal, receiving $125,000 to hire 1 officer;
• Coconino County Sheriff's Department, receiving $500,000 to hire 4 officers;
• City of Maricopa, receiving $375,000 to hire 3 officers;
• Nogales Police Department, receiving $704,122 to hire 3 officers;
• City of Peoria, receiving $375,000 to hire 3 officers;
• Pima County Sheriff's Department, receiving $1.25 million to hire 10 officers;
• Town of Sahuarita, receiving $250,000 to hire 2 officers;
• City of Winslow, receiving $250,000 to hire 2 officers.
“The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police chiefs and sheriffs of our great nation with needed resources, tools, and support. The funding announced today will bolster their ranks and contribute to expanding community policing efforts nationwide,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “A law enforcement agency’s most valuable assets are the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities.”
The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. In addition to providing financial support for hiring, CHP provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to enhance local community policing strategies and tactics. In a changing economic climate, CHP funding helps law enforcement agencies maintain sufficient sworn personnel levels to promote safe communities. Funding through this program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.
CHP applicants were required to identify a specific crime and disorder problem focus area and explain how the funding will be used to implement community policing approaches to that problem focus area. 43 percent of the awards announced today will focus on violent crime, while the remainder of the awards will focus on a variety of issues including school-based policing to fund school resource officer positions, building trust and respect, and opioid education, prevention, and intervention. The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications requesting more than 4,000 law enforcement positions.
A complete list of awards can be found here. To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
United States Attorney's Office Announces Charges in Fraud Cases Related to COVID-19Read the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office unsealed three criminal complaints filed in Federal District Court charging multiple individuals with health care fraud associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now more than ever, the integrity of our healthcare system is paramount as we fight a global pandemic,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “We remain committed to rooting out and prosecuting any individual who would use this crisis as an opportunity to defraud individuals or the government.”
One complaint charges Jeremiah Faber, 45, of Gold Canyon, Arizona, the CEO of Harmony Healthcare, LLC dba Harmony Medical Care, with one count of health care fraud and one count of money laundering. The complaint alleges that Faber used Harmony’s Facebook and other social media sources to offer free COVID-19 testing if patients also completed Harmony’s Comprehensive Whole-Body Assessment. Harmony then fraudulently submitted claims for reimbursement to Mercy Care, Arizona’s health care benefit program, by billing for services that were medically unnecessary and for services provided in the names of physicians who had no role in the assessment.
Two other complaints charge a total of six individuals associated with five Phoenix-area businesses that purport to provide non-emergency medical transportation services on the Navajo Nation. The first complaint charges Abdul Raheem Abdul Jabbar, Nohad Loabneh, and Abedelhalim Lawabni with conspiring to commit health care fraud. The complaint alleges that Abdul Jabbar, Loabneh, and Lawabni falsely billed Arizona’s Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for more than 9,000 non-emergency medical transports in April 2020 when those transports never occurred. After the Arizona Governor and the President of the Navajo Nation both declared COVID-19 public emergencies, the need for non-emergency medical transports dramatically decreased. The complaint further alleges that their false billings in April 2020 generated a total of more than $2.75 million in fraudulent payments from AHCCCS to the three businesses. AHCCCS is Arizona’s Medicaid agency, offering health care programs to low-income Arizona residents. Loabneh, and Lawabni own and operate A&N Services, LLC. Abdul Jabbar owns and operates Freedom AZ, LLC, and is also affiliated with Desert Mobile, LLC.
The second complaint charges Miguel Denga, Husam Alsadi, and Tamarria Denga with conspiring to commit health care fraud. The complaint alleges that Alsadi and the Dengas falsely billed AHCCCS for more than 1,500 non-emergency medical transports in April 2020 when those transports never occurred. As noted above, after the Governor of Arizona and the President of the Navajo Nation both declared COVID-19 public emergencies, the need for non-emergency medical transports dramatically decreased. The complaint further alleges that their false billings in April 2020 generated a total of more than $450,000 in fraudulent payments from AHCCCS to the two businesses. Miguel Denga and Alsadi own and operate Philia Homecare, LLC. Tamarria Denga owns and operates COS 1, LLC.
“Fraudsters are using the uncertainty around COVID-19 to line their pockets,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “Thanks to the diligent work of Arizona’s COVID-19 Fraud Task Force, the FBI identified and dismantled fraud rings in Arizona which were trying to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Make no mistake, the FBI will actively pursue those seeking to fraudulently profit from the pandemic. The FBI thanks the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Office of the Inspector General (AHCCCS-OIG) for their partnerships and collaboration on these cases. Their work was vital to these investigations.”
Jeremiah Faber is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court on June 30, 2020. The other six defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances in court on June 11, 2020.
A complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. Individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-053_COVID Fraud
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona April 2020 Immigration and Border ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
74 individuals were charged in April with illegal reentry
A. 62 of those 74 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 62 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:1. 19 had violent crime convictions, including:
2 individuals had homicide convictions
2 individuals had sex offense convictions
8 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 17 had property crime convictions
3. 14 had DUI convictions
4. 28 had drug crime convictions
B. 32 of those 74 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
14 individuals were charged in April with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in April with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution in April coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-052_April Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest newsUnited States Attorney Michael Bailey Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Michael Bailey and the entire District of Arizona office recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. National Police Week will be observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not be taken for granted.”
“While most of us are apt to run or hide from danger, the men and women in law enforcement run toward it. They accept the risk of death or injury as part of their calling – to serve as a barrier between members of the public and victimization,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “We take this week to thank law enforcement officers, and their families, for their service and their sacrifice on our behalf.”In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019, including two officers here in the District of Arizona.
Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing most of the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2019.
The names of the fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil. Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm (EDT). The online event can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF.
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Attorney’s Office Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 19-25 and features the theme, “Seek Justice| Ensure Victims' Rights | Inspire Hope.”
“Every year, millions of Americans suffer the shock and trauma of criminal victimization, affecting their well-being and sense of security and dignity,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “To these victims, we affirm our unwavering commitment to supporting them in their hour of need. We also commend the thousands of victim advocates and public safety professionals who labor tirelessly to secure victims’ rights and support survivors.”
“As prosecutors, we get a close-up view every day of the damage crime does to its victims,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “This week of commemoration is an important reminder, especially during a time of public crisis, that we must identify and meet the needs of those who have been victimized. It’s also a time to celebrate the men and women who have devoted their time to advocating for victims.”
“While we have made tremendous progress driving down crime and violence across the country, far too many Americans continue to suffer the pain and loss of criminal victimization,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs, which oversees the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). “This week, we stand by these survivors and their families, and we pledge our ongoing support to the countless men and women who serve them with such extraordinary skill and compassion.”
Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
Some 3.3 million Americans age 12 and older were victims of violent crime in 2018, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. The OVC supports more than 7,000 local victim assistance programs and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory. Funds for these programs come from the Crime Victims Fund, which is made up of federal criminal fines, penalties and bond forfeitures.
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local and tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. This year, many communities are organizing virtual gatherings and online public awareness campaigns.
The commemoration for this year began yesterday, 25 years to the day when a truck bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, taking the lives of 168 people, including 19 children, as well as injuring hundreds of others. The mass murder remains the worst act of domestic terrorism in our nation’s history and led to the establishment of the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve, which is administered by OVC, and has been used to provide direct services to hundreds of victims of mass violence and terrorism.
“Crime victims deserve to know that they have the encouragement and support of the American people,” said OVC Director Jessica E. Hart. “I hope that citizens throughout the nation will take the opportunity this week to remember all victims of crime and their heroic stories of survival. I encourage everyone to also find meaningful ways to express their appreciation to the many committed and compassionate service providers across the country who work tirelessly supporting these survivors.”
The annual United States Attorney’s Office National Crime Victims’ Rights ceremony will be postponed this year until a time when we can honor this year’s award recipients in person. During the ceremony, United States Attorney Bailey will present awards recognizing individuals and organizations from around Arizona for their outstanding service on behalf of crime victims.
For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2020/overview.html
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-050_Victims’ Rights Week
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona March 2020 Immigration and Border ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
946 individuals were charged in March with illegal reentry
A. 359 of those 946 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 359 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:1. 74 had violent crime convictions, including:
2 individuals had homicide convictions
9 individuals had sex offense convictions
24 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 52 had property crime convictions
3. 98 had DUI convictions
4. 132 had drug crime convictions
B. 264 of those 946 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
69 individuals were charged in March with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
405 individuals were charged in March with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-049_March Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.