Eastern District of California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Zalathiel Aguila, 45, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty last Friday to conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, from September 2004 through February 2008, Aguila and co-conspirators Sergio Roman Barrientos and Omar Anabo operated an entity named Capital Access LLC, in Vallejo. Capital Access preyed on homeowners nearing foreclosure, convinced them to sign away title in their homes, spent any equity those homeowners had saved, and used straw buyers to defraud federally insured financial institutions out of millions of dollars in home loans obtained under false pretenses. The equity stripped from the properties was then used for operational expenses of the scheme and personal expenses of the conspirators. Vulnerable homeowners across California lost their homes and savings as a result of the scheme, and lenders lost an estimated $10.47 million from the fraud.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Yelovich and Todd A. Pickles are prosecuting the case.

Barrientos and Anabo are scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2018, and April 26, 2019, respectively.

Aguila is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on November 16, 2018. Aguila faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Edward Paul Cragg, 38, of Turlock, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 20 years in prison for one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

The prison term will be followed by 10 years of supervised release during which Cragg will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted. Cragg was also ordered to pay $3,000 to $5,000 in restitution to multiple victims whose images Cragg obtained and made available to others.

Evidence introduced at trial established that from approximately August 1, 2015, through March 1, 2016, Cragg used a file-sharing program to search for and save more than 130 child pornography videos. Some of the videos depicted images of infants or toddlers being subjected to sadistic or masochistic abuse.

In sentencing Cragg, Judge O’Neill found that Cragg had completely failed to acknowledge what he had done was wrong or criminal and described the defendant’s conduct as “beyond destructive” to the victims whose images were involved in the offense.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Turlock Police Department with assistance from the Ceres Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gappa and Ross Pearson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

As part of a multi-agency operation, more than 20 individuals associated with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were arrested in Mendota and Los Angeles, California on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, two federal indictments were unsealed today: one charging two MS-13 members with kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering and another charging three MS-13 gang members with conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, and Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for northern California and northern Nevada.

The investigation leading to yesterday’s arrests began following reports that MS-13 had established a presence in Fresno County, California.  The investigation centered in and around the City of Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity.

“MS-13 is a brutal transnational criminal organization that has wreaked havoc in communities across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “The gang engages in indiscriminate and senseless acts of violence, as demonstrated by the charges announced today, which allege murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the State of California.  Dismantling MS-13 and other violent gangs that terrorize our streets will remain a top priority of the Department of Justice.  Today’s announcement is the result of comprehensive and coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement action, and I commend the Eastern District of California and all of our partners for their hard work on this case.  It is precisely this kind of coordinated effort that allows us to most effectively protect our communities and hold MS-13 members accountable for their heinous crimes.”

“The operation leading to today’s arrests reflects the incredible teamwork between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe from violent criminal gangs like MS-13, said U.S. Attorney Scott.  “This investigation had a strong impact not only in Fresno County, but across the state and country as we were able to provide information and leads to law enforcement in Los Angeles, Nevada, Texas, New York, and elsewhere to help prevent and solve serious crimes, including murder. Criminal enterprises like MS-13 will not be tolerated in any of our towns, no matter how small.”

“Global criminal organizations like the MS-13 strike fear into our local communities here in the United States by committing violent and often brutal crimes in our backyards; but by all levels of law enforcement working together, their vicious and dangerous acts will not go unpunished,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Spradlin. “While transnational gangs may have tentacles that reach globally, Homeland Security Investigations does as well and is well‑equipped to intercept these threats to our national security.”

“The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and disrupting gang activity,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Ragan.  “Through the Safe Streets Task Force and the Transnational Anti-Gang Initiative, the FBI leverages resources to target MS-13--the first and only street gang to be designated by the U.S. government as a transnational criminal organization--by focusing on the gang’s structure and leadership.  To ensure success, the FBI it committed to working in close cooperation with federal, state, local and foreign law enforcements partners to coordinate operations and share information.”

The first federal charges filed as a result of the investigation were filed in January but were not unsealed until today.  That indictment alleges that on Dec. 18, 2017, two MS-13 gang members operating out of Mendota – Israel Rivas Gomez and John Doe, aka, “Marcos Castro,” “Seco,” “Calakas,” and “Flaco,” – kidnapped and murdered a man in Fresno County in furtherance of MS-13’s criminal gang enterprise.  Another indictment filed in April and unsealed today alleges that on May 5, 2017, Luis Reynaldo Reyes Castillo, aka “Molesto,” Jose Audon Reyes Barrera, aka “Calacas,” and Nilson Israel Reyes Mendoza, committed an assault with dangerous weapons for the purpose of maintaining MS-13’s presence in the community and to gain status within MS-13.

Several other MS-13 gang members were arrested yesterday based on a complaint filed this week and unsealed today.  The complaint charges 16 individuals affiliated with MS-13 in Fresno County with various crimes, including two separate, gang-related assaults and drug trafficking activity to support the gang’s activity.  Those documents allege that on Aug. 12, Lorenzo Amador, aka Catracho, along with two others, stabbed a rival gang member in the back at an intersection in Mendota.  The victim was transported to the hospital, underwent surgery, and survived.  Court documents also allege that on May 14, Denis Barrera-Palma, aka Gunner, Ever Membreno, aka Canecho, and Edgar Torres-Amador, participated in a gang-related assault of a man walking near an elementary school, which ended after school employees arrived on the scene while one gang member beat the victim with a metal pipe. 

Additionally, the complaint alleges that between May 2017 and August 2018, 16 members of the MS-13 enterprise participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy in both Fresno County and Los Angeles.  These defendants allegedly obtained, sold, and profited from street level drug dealing, and used the proceeds to further MS-13’s criminal objectives.

As part of this operation, 19 federal and four state search warrants were served in Mendota, Kerman, and Los Angeles. Additionally, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted searches of 37 cells in 11 state prisons in California on individuals related to this investigation. Among the items seized were cellphones, drugs and weapons.

Amongst the 21 charged federally include:

• Henry Castro aka “Marcos,” 20, of Mendota, is charged with kidnapping and murder;
• Israel Rivas Gomez, aka “Pirra,” 23, of Mendota, is charged with kidnapping and murder;
• Ever Membreno, aka, “Canecho,” 18, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe and drug conspiracy;
• Edgar Torres-Amador, 21, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe;
• Lorenzo Amador, aka, “Catracho,” 20, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a stabbing instrument and drug conspiracy;
• Denis Barrera-Palma, aka “Gunner,” 24, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe and drug conspiracy;
• Luis Reyes, aka Molesto, 24, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
• Jose Audon Reyes-Barrera, 21, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
• Nelson Hernandez, 20, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
• Mario Garcia-Villanueva, aka “Ton,” 31, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Francisco Lizano, aka, “Javi,” and “Activo,” 24, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Jefferson Guevara, aka “Chino,” 19, of Los Angeles, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Jose Wilson Navarette-Mendez, aka “Wilson,” 21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Denis Alfaro-Torres, aka Payin, 22, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Santos Bonilla, aka Cuervo, 26, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Henry Bonilla, aka “Repollo” and “Repollin,” 18, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Marvin Villegas-Segovia, aka, “Chaparro,” 21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Christian Hidalgo, aka “Guero,” “Hero,” “Werito,” and “White Boy, “21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Brenda Yajaira Morales, aka “Yari,” 25, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
• Claudia Lizaola, aka “Maniaka,” 39, of San Bernardino, is charged with drug conspiracy; and
• Oscar Reyes, aka “Tamagas,” 29, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy.

Six additional MS-13 members were charged with state crimes.

The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the FBI, HSI, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers.

Assisting in the arrests were the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Clovis Police Department.

Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Justice Department, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez, Kathleen A. Servatius, Ross Pearson and Angela Scott of the Eastern District of California  and Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis are handling the prosecutions.

The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Murder, Kidnapping, and Assault Indictments Against MS-13 Members also Unsealed

FRESNO, Calif. — As part of a multi-agency operation, 25 individuals associated with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were arrested in California on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, two federal indictments were unsealed today: one charging two MS-13 gang members with kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering and another charging three MS-13 gang members with conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Brian Benczkowski, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, and Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

The investigation leading to today’s arrests began after reports that MS-13 had established a presence in Fresno County. The investigation centered in and around the City of Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity.

“MS-13 is a brutal transnational criminal organization that has wreaked havoc in communities across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “The gang engages in indiscriminate and senseless acts of violence, as demonstrated by the charges announced today, which allege murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the State of California.  Dismantling MS-13 and other violent gangs that terrorize our streets will remain a top priority of the Department of Justice.  Today’s announcement is the result of comprehensive and coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement action, and I commend the Eastern District of California and all of our partners for their hard work on this case.  It is precisely this kind of coordinated effort that allows us to most effectively protect our communities and hold MS-13 members accountable for their heinous crimes.”

U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott stated, “The operation leading to today’s arrests reflects the incredible teamwork between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe from violent criminal gangs like MS-13. This investigation had a strong impact not only in Fresno County, but across the state and country as we were able to provide information and leads to law enforcement in Los Angeles, Nevada, Texas, New York, and elsewhere to help prevent and solve serious crimes, including murder. Criminal enterprises like MS-13 will not be tolerated in any of our towns, no matter how small.”

“When you terrorize communities, you must pay the price,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Today’s announced operation will lead to the vigorous prosecution and, I believe, conviction of violent criminal gang members. Operation Blue Inferno is a successful display of the dedication and hard work of our combined law enforcement personnel. We will continue working alongside our federal and local law enforcement partners to ensure safety and security for every California family.” 

Fresno County District Attorney Smittcamp stated: “Operation Blue Inferno is an example of what happens when law enforcement agencies from the federal, state and local levels work together to eradicate criminal street gangs. MS 13’s cell in Fresno County is now destroyed, and we will continue to work together to keep them out of our communities. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office is proud to have been an essential part of Operation Blue Inferno and is grateful to all our law enforcement partners who made these arrests possible.”

Fresno County Sheriff Mims stated: “This multi-agency operation will result in the disruption of MS-13 activity across the Nation. I appreciate the cooperation of all agencies involved to work together to help dismantle this extremely violent transnational gang. I am confident that our work will restore a stronger sense of safety for people living in the communities these gang members have been terrorizing.”

“The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and disrupting gang activity. Through the Safe Streets Task Force and the Transnational Anti-Gang Initiative, the FBI leverages resources to target MS-13 — the first and only street gang to be designated by the United States government as a transnational criminal organization — by focusing on the gang’s structure and leadership,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “To ensure success, the FBI it committed to working in close cooperation with federal, state, local and foreign law enforcements partners to coordinate operations and share information.”

“Global criminal organizations like the MS-13 strike fear into our local communities here in the United States by committing violent and often brutal crimes in our backyards; but by all levels of law enforcement working together, their vicious and dangerous acts will not go unpunished,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, HSI Special Agent in Charge for northern California and northern Nevada. “While transnational gangs may have tentacles that reach globally, Homeland Security Investigations does as well and is well‑equipped to intercept these threats to our national security.”

The first federal charges filed as a result of the investigation were filed in January but were not unsealed until now. That indictment alleges that on December 18, 2017, two MS-13 gang members operating out of Mendota – Israel Rivas Gomez and John Doe (aka Marcos Castro) – kidnapped and murdered a man in Fresno County in furtherance of MS-13’s criminal gang enterprise. Another indictment filed in April and unsealed now alleges that on May 5, 2017, Luis Reynaldo Reyes Castillo and Nilson Israel Reyes Mendoza committed an assault with dangerous weapons for the purpose of maintaining MS-13’s presence in the community and to gain status within MS-13.

Several other MS-13 gang members were arrested today based on a complaint filed this week. The complaint charges 16 individuals affiliated with MS-13 in Fresno County with various crimes, including two separate, gang-related assaults and drug trafficking activity to support the gang’s activity. Those documents allege that on August 12, 2018, Lorenzo Amador, along with two others, stabbed a rival gang member in the back at an intersection in Mendota. The victim was transported to the hospital, underwent surgery, and survived. Court documents also allege that on May 14, 2018, Denis Barrera-Palma, Ever Membreno, and Edgar Torres-Amador participated in a gang-related assault of a man walking near an elementary school, in which one gang member beat the victim with a metal pipe.

Additionally, the complaint alleges that between May 2017 and August 2018, 16 members of the MS-13 enterprise participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy in both Fresno County and Los Angeles. These defendants allegedly obtained, sold, and profited from street‑level drug dealing, and used the proceeds to further MS-13’s criminal objectives.

As part of this operation, 19 federal and four state search warrants were served in Mendota, Kerman, and Los Angeles. Guns, knives, and machetes were found and seized as a result of these searches. Additionally, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted searches of 37 cells in 11 state prisons in California on individuals related to this investigation. Among the items seized in the prisons were cellphones, drugs and weapons.

The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers.

Assisting in the arrests were the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Clovis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez, Kathleen A. Servatius, Ross Pearson, Angela Scott; Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey from the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Gang Section; and Fresno County Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis are handling the prosecutions.

The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Marco Lizandro Duarte-Beltran, aka Marco Antonio Duarte-Beltran, 32, an undocumented alien from Mexico, charging him with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, damaging public lands and natural resources, being an alien in possession of firearms, and being a previously deported alien found in the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers located 1,865 marijuana plants in the Millwood Creek area of the Sequoia National Forest after a two-month investigation. Duarte-Beltran was apprehended at the marijuana cultivation site. He was armed with a loaded revolver and had access to a loaded rifle at his campsite where he was living while growing the marijuana.

The marijuana cultivation operation caused significant damage to the land and natural resources. Native vegetation and tree limbs had been cut and thinned out to make room for the plants. Three areas had been terraced for the campsite. Water had been diverted from a water source on federal land to irrigate the plants. Throughout the grow site, law enforcement officers found irrigation tubing, trash, seed trays, seed pots, fertilizers, and pesticides.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), California National Guard, Fresno Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy and manufacturing offense, Duarte-Beltran faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The environmental, firearms, and immigration crimes all carry a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, Duarte-Beltran may be liable for restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for damage sustained to the land and natural resources as a result of the cultivation activities. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Today, federal, state, and local leaders joined with experts to announce the results of Operation Forest Watch, a coordinated effort to address the devastating damage done to our national forests by illegal, public-land marijuana grows. This months-long effort, led by U.S. Forest Service and joined by various federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the California National Guard, focused on the eradication of marijuana grows on public lands and sought to remediate the environmental damage caused by such activity.

Making the announcement today were Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Chief Forester Vicki Christiansen, U.S.D.A. Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations Tracy Perry, U.S.D.A. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore, Integral Ecology Research Center Director Mourad Gabriel, Bureau of Land Management California State Director Jerry Perez, Major General Matthew P. Beevers Deputy Adjutant General of the California Military Department, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Commander and Coordinator Colonel Robert Paoletti, and Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

“Marijuana cultivation on our nation’s public lands is unlawful and is causing significant harm to communities across the West,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “The clear evidence shows that this dangerous activity is polluting our streams and rivers with toxic pesticides, harming protected fish and wildlife, and endangering the health and safety of the American people who otherwise look to our national forests and national parks for recreation and conservation. The Justice Department, including our Environment and Natural Resources Division, is providing full support to fighting this illegality, in close cooperation with other federal, state, and local partners. By joining together to oppose the illegal growth of marijuana on public lands, we are working to enforce the rule of law in our conservation areas and to protect the environment and natural resources upon which we all depend.”

“Large-scale, clandestine illegal marijuana grows pose a serious threat to our national forests and public lands,” said U.S. Attorney Scott.   “Those who plant and tend the marijuana grows leave a path of destruction: clearcutting vast amounts of timber, diverting thousands of gallons of water, and using deadly and illegal pesticides that seep into the ground and harm wildlife. These types of grows are illegal under any law, and the destruction of our shared national treasures in its cultivation will not be tolerated. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to working with all of our law enforcement and community partners to fight this ongoing threat to our public lands.”

“This joint law enforcement operation underscores that we will not tolerate illegal cannabis operations harming our communities and damaging our public lands,” said California Attorney General Becerra.

“The USDA Forest Service aggressively strives to address marijuana cultivation on National Forests, an illegal occupancy and use of National Forest System lands,” said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Marijuana growers endanger our visitors, employees and nearby communities. The Forest Service is committed in this joint effort to eradicate, reclaim and rehabilitate our public lands to preserve our natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.”

“The environmental deprivation caused by criminal organizations to our public lands should be intolerable for everyone,” said Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA).  “Bringing law enforcement from across the spectrum of local, state and federal agencies together in Operation Forest Watch is a testament to our combined resolve to protect our pristine public lands for the future.”

“The California National Guard has been a key partner with many local, state and federal agencies over the last quarter-century, combatting illegal marijuana grows on public lands with federal funds,” said Major General Beevers. “This combined effort and support helps protect the environment while adding safety to our communities."

“This year’s unprecedented use of illegal pesticides on federal lands is deeply alarming to the scientific community on both the environmental and human health fronts,” said Director Gabriel.

Sheriffs from the California counties involved in Operation Forest Watch also joined the announcements: Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon E. Lopey, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt, Trinity County Sheriff Bruce Haney, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

Operation Forest Watch officially began on October 1, 2017, and will end September 30, 2018. So far, over 80 investigations have been conducted on suspected and active marijuana cultivation on federal public lands. U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers and federal, state and local counterparts have conducted interdiction, eradication and reclamation efforts to restore public lands back to normal. Over 118,000 pounds of infrastructure and trash and over 20,000 pounds of fertilizer, pesticides and chemicals were removed in eradication and reclamation efforts.

Grow sites were found with both aerial and ground reconnaissance.  Numerous warrants were served, resulting in the arrest of over 77 people and the seizure of 82 firearms, approximately 638,370 plants, and 25,334 pounds of processed marijuana and various other drugs. Night interdiction teams in the past week have also been successful in conducting traffic stops and seizing over 10,000 plants, $225,000 in cash, multiple firearms and other illegal drugs.

Much work lies ahead in order to undo the damage caused by these grows. Only 160 grow sites have been reclaimed this year, and from those sites alone over 103,603 pounds of trash were removed along with toxic and illegal pesticides and other chemicals used by the growers. There are 766 sites still left to be reclaimed from various grow sites, some of which date back to 2010.

Eighty-nine percent of sites have been confirmed or strongly suspected to have carbofuran or methamidophos present, up from last year the running total of 75 percent.

Incorporated in the Forest Service results are the results to-date for the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which is the largest marijuana eradication program in the nation. This year CAMP has eliminated 488,502 plants in over 164 illegal growth sites across the state. Agents have made 35 arrests and seized 87 weapons. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, federal, state, and local leaders joined with experts to announce the results of Operation Forest Watch, a coordinated effort to address the devastating damage done to our national forests by illegal, public-land marijuana grows. This months-long effort, led by U.S. Forest Service and joined by various federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the California National Guard, focused on the eradication of marijuana grows on public lands and sought to remediate the environmental damage caused by such activity.

Making the announcement today were U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Chief Forester Vicki Christiansen, U.S.D.A. Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations Tracy Perry, U.S.D.A. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore, Integral Ecology Research Center Director Mourad Gabriel, Bureau of Land Management California State Director Jerry Perez, Major General Matthew P. Beevers Deputy Adjutant General of the California Military Department, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Commander and Coordinator Colonel Robert Paoletti, and Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

“Marijuana cultivation on our nation’s public lands is unlawful and is causing significant harm to communities across the West,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “The clear evidence shows that this dangerous activity is polluting our streams and rivers with toxic pesticides, harming protected fish and wildlife, and endangering the health and safety of the American people who otherwise look to our national forests and national parks for recreation and conservation. The Justice Department, including our Environment and Natural Resources Division, is providing full support to fighting this illegality, in close cooperation with other federal, state, and local partners. By joining together to oppose the illegal growth of marijuana on public lands, we are working to enforce the rule of law in our conservation areas and to protect the environment and natural resources upon which we all depend.”

U.S. Attorney Scott stated, “Large-scale, clandestine illegal marijuana grows pose a serious threat to our national forests and public lands.  Those who plant and tend the marijuana grows leave a path of destruction: clearcutting vast amounts of timber, diverting thousands of gallons of water, and using deadly and illegal pesticides that seep into the ground and harm wildlife. These types of grows are illegal under any law, and the destruction of our shared national treasures in its cultivation will not be tolerated. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to working with all of our law enforcement and community partners to fight this ongoing threat to our public lands.”

“This joint law enforcement operation underscores that we will not tolerate illegal cannabis operations harming our communities and damaging our public lands,” said California Attorney General Becerra.

“The USDA Forest Service aggressively strives to address marijuana cultivation on National Forests, an illegal occupancy and use of National Forest System lands,” states Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Marijuana growers endanger our visitors, employees and nearby communities. The Forest Service is committed in this joint effort to eradicate, reclaim and rehabilitate our public lands to preserve our natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.”

Maj. Gen. Beevers stated: “The California National Guard has been a key partner with many local, state and federal agencies over the last quarter-century, combatting illegal marijuana grows on public lands with federal funds. This combined effort and support helps protect the environment while adding safety to our communities.”

Sheriffs from the California counties involved in Operation Forest Watch also joined the announcements: Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon E. Lopey, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt, Trinity County Sheriff Bruce Haney, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

Operation Forest Watch officially began on October 1, 2017, and will end September 30, 2018. So far, over 80 investigations have been conducted on suspected and active marijuana cultivation on federal public lands. US Forest Service law enforcement officers and federal, state and local counterparts have conducted interdiction, eradication and reclamation efforts to restore public lands back to normal. Over 118,000 pounds of infrastructure and trash and over 20,000 pounds of fertilizer, pesticides and chemicals were removed in eradication and reclamation efforts.

Grow sites were found with both aerial and ground reconnaissance.  Numerous warrants were served, resulting in the arrest of over 77 people and the seizure of 82 firearms, approximately 638,370 plants, and 25,334 pounds of processed marijuana and various other drugs. Night interdiction teams in the past week have also been successful in conducting traffic stops and seizing over 10,000 plants, $225,000 in cash, multiple firearms and other illegal drugs.

Much work lies ahead in order to undo the damage caused by these grows. Only 160 grow sites have been reclaimed this year, and from those sites alone over 103,603 pounds of trash were removed along with toxic and illegal pesticides and other chemicals used by the growers. There are 766 sites still left to be reclaimed from various grow sites, some of which date back to 2010.

Eighty-nine percent of sites have been confirmed or strongly suspected to have carbofuran or methamidophos present, up from last year the running total of 75 percent.

Dr. Gabriel stated, “This year’s unprecedented use of illegal pesticides on federal lands is deeply alarming to the scientific community on both the environmental and human health fronts.

Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) stated, “The environmental deprivation caused by criminal organizations to our public lands should be intolerable for everyone. Bringing law enforcement from across the spectrum of local, state and federal agencies together in Operation Forest Watch is a testament to our combined resolve to protect our pristine public lands for the future.”

Incorporated in the Forest Service results are the results to-date for the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which is the largest marijuana eradication program in the nation. This year CAMP has eliminated 488,502 plants in over 164 illegal growth sites across the state. Agents have made 35 arrests and seized 87 weapons.

FRESNO, Calif. — As part the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following recent indictments for previously convicted felons being found in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

On August 23, 2018, James Escandon Jr., 34, of Bakersfield, was charged in an indictment with two-counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Escandon possessed a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Rock Island Armory .45‑caliber handgun. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department.

On June 7, 2018, Marcus Ivey, 35, of Bakersfield, was charged with one-count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Ivey possessed a Heckler & Koch 9 mm pistol. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bakersfield Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the above cases.

On August 16, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Felipe Barajas, 23, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, a police officer saw two rounds of ammunition in Barajas’s lap. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment Thursday against Cody Patrick Cannon, 30, and Candice Nicole Freitas, 31, both transients, charging them with a scheme involving mail theft, aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, and possessing stolen credit and debit cards and stolen driver’s licenses and passports, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to the indictment, between January 2018 and August 2018, Cannon and Freitas engaged in a scheme in which they used counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys to open apartment complex mailboxes in Vacaville and steal mail. They then harvested personally identifiable information, financial information, and credit and debit cards. They defrauded banks by using the stolen cards to purchase goods and withdraw cash from ATMs in Vacaville, Folsom, Rocklin and Rancho Cordova.

According to court documents, on August 2, 2018, Cannon and Freitas were arrested at their RV parked in a hotel parking lot in Rancho Cordova. They were found to be in possession of stolen mail, checks, multiple stolen and fake California driver’s licenses, at least two passports bearing the names of others, and at least seven counterfeit U.S. Postal Service mail keys.

This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, Folsom Police Department, and Vacaville Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of bank fraud, Cannon and Freitas face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, they face a mandatory sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The maximum sentence for possession of stolen mail is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for possession of USPS keys and possession of unauthorized access devises is 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. The maximum sentence for unlawful possession of identification documents is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

REDDING, Calif. — U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett joined forces today to raise public awareness of the potential for fraud in the wake of the wildfires currently plaguing Northern California. The public is urged to be vigilant in reporting suspected fraudulent activity relating to recovery and cleanup operations, fake charities claiming to provide relief for victims, individuals submitting false claims for disaster relief, and any other disaster fraud related activity.

U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “While most people respond to tragic events like the Carr Fire with compassion and generosity, others take advantage of such disasters to fraudulently enrich themselves. I strongly encourage the public to report any suspected fraudulent activity occurring in the aftermath of our state’s devastating wildfires. With the combined resources of federal and local law enforcement, we will aggressively pursue and prosecute fraud and abuse.”

Shasta County DA Bridgett stated: “Since the day the Carr Fire blew into our community we have been working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure you are not further victimized by fraud. We believe these cases are a priority and will ensure maximum resources are directed to the investigation and prosecution of each offender.”

The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.

Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims, and to be especially cautious of anyone who contacts you seeking personal identifying information or financial information. Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, or who believe that they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected]. Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement here.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Elfego Alcala, 46; Aida Corona, 37; Tamilene Cisneros, 48; and Lupita Cisneros, charging them with conspiracy, production and transfer of false identification documents, and fraud and misuse of visas, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. 

According to court documents, from approximately February through August of 2018, in Tulare County and Visalia, the defendants conspired to manufacture and sell false identification documents, including Social Security cards and green cards. During the relevant time period, the defendants allegedly arranged for the production and sale of green cards and Social Security cards to a confidential informant on two occasions. 

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Donald Threatt, age 67, of Fairfield, California, pleaded guilty today to attempted online enticement of a minor, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. 

According to court documents, in April of 2017, Threatt began conversing through the Kik messenger service with an individual who identified herself as “Sarah,” a 15-year-old girl who was interested in online games, soccer, and track. Off and on over the course of many days, Threatt used Kik to tell “Sarah” the various sexual things he wanted to allow him to do to her. The defendant discussed and agreed with the purported minor that he would visit her residence on Beale Air Force Base while her mother was away. According to the Kik chat, the defendant suggested blindfolding her and tying her up with rope.  He stated that he would engage in various sexual acts with her and proposed that they take photos and a video of their sexual activity. Threatt arranged to meet her at her residence on May 12, 2017, after her mother had left for the weekend. 

Unbeknownst to Threatt, the minor was actually an undercover law enforcement agent.  On the day of the planned meeting, law enforcement personnel surveilled Threatt as he left his home in Fairfield, purchased rope from a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, and drove to the house where the meeting with the minor was to occur. Threatt was arrested after he pulled into the garage of the house. In Threatt’s car, agents found a GoPro camera, a Nikon camera, a Samsung camcorder, a tripod, rope, and various sexual items. 

According to court documents, this was not the first time Threatt attempted to prey on a child. Agents searched Threatt’s residence and seized a computer hard drive containing approximately 800 internet chats from 2008. Together, those communications showed the defendant had been communicating with several girls under the age of 18.  In those communications, Threatt discussed how he wanted to have sexual relations with the underage girls and repeatedly solicited and received nude photographs from at least one minor. In addition, in 2013, Threatt was arrested after he used email to attempt to persuade someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl to meet with him to have sex. In reality, the defendant was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew D. Segal, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Katherine T. Lydon are prosecuting the case.

Threatt remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on December 6, 2018. Threatt faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison as well as a $250,000 fine.  The actual sentence, however, will be determined by the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — George B. Larsen, 56, formerly of San Rafael, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison and ordered to pay $1,759,100 in restitution for his role in a fraudulent mortgage elimination scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

On December 6, 2017, Larsen was convicted following trial on one count of conspiracy and four counts of bank fraud.

According to court documents, between April 22, 2010, and November 18, 2011, Larsen was a member of a conspiracy that ran a mortgage elimination program purporting to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. The conspirators fraudulently altered the chain of title on residential properties, sold the properties, and received the sales proceeds.

As a requirement for participation in the “mortgage elimination program,” the conspirators enrolled homeowners as members in a Nevada City-based church named Shon-te-East-a, Walks With Spirit, or its successor entity Pillow Foundation. The conspirators indicated to the homeowners these entities would offer protection against the banks.

Larsen ran a branch of the mortgage elimination program, recruiting homeowners into the scheme, marshalling the necessary recorded documents, and guiding the sale of the homes. Once the homeowner enrolled with Shon-te-East-a or Pillow Foundation, Larsen would have a sham deed of trust created and recorded, giving the impression that the homeowner had refinanced the mortgage loan with a new lender. In reality, the new lender was a fake entity controlled by the conspirators, and the homeowner owed no money to the purported new lender.

The next step in the process was also a recorded document. The conspirators caused a fake deed of reconveyance to be recorded, giving the appearance that the true mortgage loan had been discharged and that the true lienholder no longer had a security interest in the home.

With title appearing to be clear, the conspirators caused the sale of the home, with the proceeds split between the co-conspirators and the homeowners.

In total, 37 properties were sold through the Shon-te-East-a conspiracy. The conspirators recorded fraudulent documents on an additional approximately 100 homes, but were unable to sell these before the scheme unraveled.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Todd A. Pickles are prosecuting the case.

One co-defendant, Larry Todt, formerly of Malibu, was convicted at trial along with Larsen. Three other co-defendants have previously entered guilty pleas: Remus A. Kirkpatrick, formerly of Oceanside, Michael Romano, of Benicia, and Laura Pezzi, of Roseville. Tisha Trites and Todd Smith, both of San Diego, pleaded guilty in related cases. All are awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendants John Michael DiChiara, of Penn Valley, and James Castle, of Santa Rosa, are awaiting trial. The charges against DiChiara and Castle are only allegations: both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jerry Lyle Andrews Jr., 35, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr., to five years in prison for being a felon in possession a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on July 26, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Andrews’ home in Vallejo and at a hotel in Fairfield where Andrews was staying. When officers arrived at the hotel parking lot, they confronted Andrews, who discarded a .40‑caliber semi-automatic handgun under a car before he was arrested. The gun was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, including seven rounds of hollow point ammunition. Andrews cannot lawfully possess firearms because he has previously been convicted of felony offenses, including a January 2016 conviction in Solano County for assault with a firearm on a police officer.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marc C. Turner, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement agents searched Turner’s apartment in September 2016. Review of Turner’s computer located 90 videos and 171 still images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors. At the time of the search, Turner was a registered sex offender based on a prior conviction in federal court in Sacramento for distributing child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Morris prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brittany Maunakea, 29, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Maunakea was also ordered to pay $139,071 in restitution.

According to court documents, beginning in February 2015, Maunakea entered a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), using the stolen identities of over 250 California workers. In total, the conspirators filed at least 269 false claims seeking over $2.5 million in fraudulent benefits. EDD’s actual overpayment was $898,899. Maunakea participated in the scheme by receiving and facilitating EDD documents at her home and using debit cards issued in the names of identity-theft victims to withdraw the fraudulently obtained benefits.

“Ms. Maunakea’s crime victimized citizens whose stolen identities were used in furtherance of her personal enrichment. The Office of Inspector General will continue to make it a priority to work with our law enforcement and state workforce agency partners to protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance program and to seek justice on behalf of the victims of these identity theft schemes,” said Abel Salinas, Special Agent-in-Charge, Los Angeles Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Employment Development Department, Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schuller Hitchcock is prosecuting the case.

Maunakea is the first of five defendants charged in the scheme to be sentenced. Co‑defendant Sergio Reyna has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and is set to be sentenced on September 6, 2018. The charges against co-defendants Pamela Emanuel, Gregory Lee, and Russell White III remain pending. The charges against Emanuel, Lee and White are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Omar Ameen, 45, an Iraqi national, wanted on a murder charge in Iraq, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento today in connection with proceedings to extradite him to face trial in Iraq. Ameen settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee and attempted to gain legal status in the United States.

The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office.

An arrest warrant charging Ameen with the 2014 murder of an Iraqi police officer was issued on May 16, by a judge of the Baghdad Federal Al-Karkh Inquiry Court.

In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan issued the warrant on Tuesday, and Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento today. At his initial appearance today, a new court date was set for August 20 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Brennan.

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request allege that after the town of Rawah, Iraq fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) on June 21, 2014, Ameen entered the town with a caravan of ISIS vehicles and drove to the house of the victim, who had served as an officer in the Rawah Police Department. On the evening of June 22, 2014, after the caravan arrived at the victim’s house, Ameen and other members of the convoy allegedly opened fire on the victim. Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him.

Ameen, originally of Rawah, in the Anbar province of Iraq, fled Iraq following the alleged murder, and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee. It is alleged that Ameen’s family supported and assisted the installation of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Rawah, and that Ameen was a member of AQI and ISIS. It is also alleged that he participated in various activities in support of those terrorist organizations, including helping to plant improvised explosive devices, and committing the murder that is the subject of the extradition request. Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States.

Today’s arrest and the subsequent extradition are the product of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation—in particular the FBI Sacramento Field Office, which provided considerable resources to further this investigation and ensure the safety of the American people throughout — and ICE-Homeland Security Investigations. The details contained in the charging document are allegations and have not been proven in court.

Omar Ameen, 45, an Iraqi national, wanted on a murder charge in Iraq, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento, California today in connection with proceedings to extradite him to face trial in Iraq.  Ameen settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee and attempted to gain legal status in the United States. 

The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office. 

An arrest warrant charging Ameen with the 2014 murder of an Iraqi police officer was issued on May 16, by a judge of the Baghdad Federal Al-Karkh Inquiry Court.  In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan issued the warrant on Tuesday, and Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento today. 

The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request allege that after the town of Rawah, Iraq fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) on June 21, 2014, Ameen entered the town with a caravan of ISIS vehicles and drove to the house of the victim, who had served as an officer in the Rawah Police Department.  On the evening of June 22, 2014, after the caravan arrived at the victim’s house, Ameen and other members of the convoy allegedly opened fire on the victim.   Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him. 

Ameen, originally of Rawah, in the Anbar province of Iraq, fled Iraq following the alleged murder, and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee.  It is alleged that Ameen’s family supported and assisted the installation of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Rawah, and that Ameen was a member of AQI and ISIS.  It is also alleged that he participated in various activities in support of those terrorist organizations, including helping to plant improvised explosive devices, and committing the murder that is the subject of the extradition request.  Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States. 

The details contained in the charging document are allegations and have not been proven in court.  

Today’s arrest and efforts to initiate the extradition process are the product of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Department of Justice — in particular the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, which played a significant role — the U.S. Department of State, the FBI — in particular the FBI Sacramento Field Office which provided considerable resources to further this investigation and ensure the safety of the American people throughout it — and ICE-Homeland Security Investigations.

FRESNO, Calif. — On Monday, Devone Johnson, 32, and Anthony Thomas, 26, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on October 9, 2016, Johnson and Thomas possessed an Uzi Model A, 9 mm rifle. Thomas was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous felony conviction. Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.

Johnson and Thomas were arrested on November 3, 2016, along with 18 other defendants following a year-long multi-agency investigation that targeted criminal street gangs in Fresno. Other defendants also have pleaded guilty to various firearms and drug offenses, including:

• Garry Sampson, 40, pleaded guilty on August 1, 2018, to unlawfully possessing a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22, 2018.
• Raymond Jones, 61, pleaded guilty on August 6, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
• Danny Valenzuela, 51, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
• Stephen Hill, 28, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On December 18, 2017, Hill was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
• Rashad Halford, 31, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 12, 2018, Halford was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.

These cases are the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit (SOU). The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, Fresno County Probation, and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Christopher D. Baker are prosecuting the cases.

Johnson and Thomas are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on October 29, 2018, and November 5, 2018, respectively. They face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Michael Galloway, 63, of Bakersfield, to 21 months in prison for tax evasion, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Galloway was ordered to surrender to serve his sentence beginning on November 14, 2018.

On March 21, 2018, a jury in Fresno returned a guilty verdict today, convicting on four counts of tax evasion. Galloway owns and operates the website, Catholic Online. According to court documents, Galloway generated revenue by selling advertising and hosting to faith-based businesses.

“No matter what the source of income, all income is taxable,” said Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Galloway received income from many sources, however, he failed to disclose his true income to the IRS. This sentence should send a clear message: tax evasion is a violation of federal law and can have severe consequences that can result in jail time.”

For tax years 2003 through 2006, Galloway improperly deducted personal expenses as business expenses, including his homeowner’s association fees for his personal residence, car payments and insurance, utilities and cable service for his personal residence, tile work, and personal legal fees.

For the four charged years, Galloway reported an income of $13,241 (2003); $28,846 (2004); $-60,438 (2005); and $23,053 (2006). During this time the defendant owned a 4,600 square-foot residence on a golf course in Bakersfield that he had purchased for $850,000. He made mortgage payments those years totaling $81,943 (2003); $78,694 (2004); $79,372 (2005); and $80,411 (2006). For the four years in question, these figures amounted to a claim by the defendant that he earned only $4,702 and yet was able to make $320,420 in mortgage payments.

Cumulatively, he underreported his and his spouse’s taxable income during those years by at least $671,755, resulting in an additional tax due and owing of over $102,000. The jury also found that he falsely claimed to IRS agents during a 2010 interview that he made his mortgage payments from cash that he had saved over 40 years. The jury found that this statement was an attempt to evade income tax.

This case was the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. S. Richards and Michael Tierney prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Sandra Haar, 57, of Merced, pleaded guilty today to health care fraud and conspiracy to receive kickbacks, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Haar was the founder and chief executive officer of Horisons Unlimited, a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provided health and dental services in Merced and surrounding communities. According to court documents, between January 1, 2014, and March 2017, Haar orchestrated a scheme to bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for services she knew were not reimbursable, and she profited by over $3.7 million from her fraud. For example, Haar billed Medi‑Cal for health and dental services that were not rendered and for unnecessary health care services. She also billed Medi-Cal for office visits with purportedly licensed doctors when the patients instead were dispensed Suboxone, an opioid medication, in the parking lots of McDonald’s and Rite Aid in baggies.

According to the plea agreement, Haar also received thousands of dollars in kickbacks in cash from an account executive at a laboratory in exchange for using it for Horisons patients’ laboratory testing.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), the California Department of Health Care Services, and the California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee S. Bickley and Michael Tierney are prosecuting the case.

Haar is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on January 28, 2019. Haar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of twice the value of Haar’s gain. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Starsheka Mixon, 35, of Pinole, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and one month in prison for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“The defendants used taxpayer information to enrich themselves by submitting false tax returns to the IRS,” said Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This scheme went on for three years and victimized innocent taxpayers and the government.  Identity theft can have a negative financial impact on taxpayers and can take years to repair.  Taxpayers must be careful who they share their personally identifiable information with when choosing a tax return preparer.”

According to court documents, between January 2011 and June 2013, Mixon and co‑defendant Denna Chambers, 35, of Fairfield, conspired together and with others to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false tax returns in the names of other people with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns included false statements about the taxpayers’ income, dependents, and occupations in order to obtain refunds and tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. Some of the fraudulent tax returns used the name and personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent.

The fraudulently obtained refunds were typically placed on prepaid debit cards controlled by Chambers, Mixon, or their associates. In their respective plea agreements in February 2018, Chambers and Mixon both admitted that in all, approximately 174 false federal income tax returns were filed seeking over $880,000 in tax refunds, of which approximately $477,348 was paid out by the IRS.

Judge England also ordered Mixon to serve two years of supervised release. She was ordered to self-surrender on October 18, 2018, to begin serving her sentence. Chambers is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018.

This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.

For 2018, the IRS, the states, and the private-sector tax industry are working together to identify and apply safeguards to better protect taxpayers and fight identity theft. You can find identity theft protection for prevention, detection, and victim assistance at: www.irs.gov/identity‑theft-fraud-scams.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Kalif Eban Bess, 43, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on May 5, 2018, a .357 revolver with six live rounds was discovered in Bess’s backpack. Bess was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on prior felony convictions.

This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Bess faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Loch, 29, of Stockton, and Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to five years in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms without a license, possessing an unregistered automatic weapon, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between January and June 2016, Loch was one of several Stockton-based conspirators who sold about 47 guns to an undercover agent. Loch personally owned and sold three of these weapons, including a machinegun with a partially obliterated serial number. Several other firearms were automatic, carried extended magazines, or had obliterated serial numbers. Agents saw Loch removing several of these serial numbers himself. In total, Loch was present as 31 firearms changed hands at 10 transactions in Stockton and Las Vegas, Nevada. During several of these meetings, the undercover agent said that he could not legally purchase weapons and that he would introduce the guns to the black market. Loch and others completed the purchases nonetheless.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck and Richard Bender prosecuted the case.

Loch has been in custody since October 18, 2017. Nearly all of his co-defendants have been sentenced for gun-related crimes: Jason Prom received 12 years in prison. Ronnie Dethvongsa received four years and nine months in prison. Kenny Prach received three years and six months in prison. Ariana Diaz received two and a half years in prison. Sean Chaichanhda and Hilberto Arevalos received 18 months each. Charges are still pending against co-defendant Adam Nhem, who is scheduled to appear in court on September 17, 2018. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hector Jonathan Hernandez, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to eight years and one month in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, in May 2016, in a series of recorded calls, Hernandez negotiated with a DEA confidential source about selling methamphetamine. On May 25, 2016, Hernandez met with the source at a Lowe’s parking lot in Elk Grove and sold him one pound of methamphetamine for $3,500. The substance was tested later at laboratory, and it tested at 100 percent purity for methamphetamine.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Everitt Aaron Jameson, 27, of Modesto, today to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott made the announcement.

“There is no place in the United States for terrorists and terrorist sympathizers who threaten innocent people, and the National Security Division will relentlessly seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Jameson put his fellow Americans at risk by supporting ISIS and planning an attack on behalf of the terrorist organization. This is unacceptable, and I am grateful for the hardworking agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert stated: “Protecting our communities from terrorist threats is the Department of Justice’s highest priority. With the assistance of our investigative partners, we will continue to work to prevent such attacks and to vigorously prosecute those who seek to provide material support to terrorist organizations. We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and the DOJ’s National Security Counterterrorism Division for their teamwork in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”

“This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and disrupting plots to harm the American public. With assistance from our state and local partners, we completed a thorough investigation while ensuring that Jameson would not be able to carry out his plans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ragan, “The public also plays an active role in ensuring the safety of our communities. We encourage members of the public to always say something if they see or hear anything that raises concerns about a possible attack.”

Jameson pleaded guilty on June 4, 2018. According to the plea agreement, between September 2017 and December 20, 2017, Jameson voiced support for ISIS knowing that the organization was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism. Among other things, he had several online interactions with a confidential source, and during those interactions, he stated that he was committed wholeheartedly to “the cause.” Jameson also expressed support online for the October 31, 2017, terrorist attack in New York City, as well as other terrorist attacks. In subsequent communications with an undercover agent, Jameson stated that he was ready to do whatever they needed done here and noted that his time in the military had trained him for combat and war. According to court documents, Jameson joined the Marine Corps and received basic training, including earning a sharpshooter rifle qualification, but was ultimately discharged for failing to disclose his asthma history.

Later, Jameson met with another undercover agent whom he believed to be associated with, and working for, the senior leadership of ISIS and offered to carry out violent acts and provide financial support for the terrorist organization.

According to court documents, on December 16, 2017, Jameson discussed what he could offer to the cause. Among other things, Jameson stated that he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, and explained his desire to use explosives in an attack. He also noted that he could get PVC pipe, nails, and powder for explosive devices, and he asked for remote timing devices from that person. Jameson identified Pier 39 as a target location of an attack, noting that it was crowded and that explosives could be used to funnel people into an area so that he could inflict casualties by shooting people trying to escape. Jameson also offered to provide money to the cause.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawrence W. Rice Jr. and Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case with Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carlos Gutierrez Gonzalez, 23, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to four years and two months in prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for growing marijuana on the National Forest and for depredation of Public Lands and Resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Gutierrez Gonzalez along with several other men, were growing marijuana in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to the west of Weaverville, near Limedyke Mountain at an elevation of approximately 2,500 feet. On August 7, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search of the grow. When they arrested Gutierrez Gonzalez, a loaded .45-caliber handgun was found near him and a bullet for that gun was in his pocket. Over 2,500 marijuana plants were found and eradicated. A camp site was found where the men had camped.

The environmental damage to the grow site was investigated and documented by Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems which has investigated over 100 of such public land marijuana grow sites.

The report of the investigation was filed with the court, and it found that at this grow site they found a half-full 33.8 oz. bottle of carbofuran hidden among the fertilizer bags and a bag containing an estimated 20 pounds of powder carbofuran. A food bottle found at the site had been reused and contained a mixture of refried beans and carbofuran (suspected bait for animals). Four cisterns were discovered with stopped-up mountain streams for use in the marijuana grow’s irrigation system with an estimated 4,500 feet of plastic water lines and over 1,500 pounds of soluble fertilizer. The report estimates that the operation used over 15,000 gallons of water per day. Open campsite latrines were found in proximity to waterways which would cause watershed contamination from fecal matter after the next substantial rain. About 1,000 pounds of trash and 500 pounds of plastic pipe were hauled out of the site. Tests on samples of the marijuana plants determined that carbofuran was present in the plant material.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with the assistance of agents from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the North State Marijuana Investigation Team and deputies of the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Bender prosecuted the case.

Co-defendant Sebastian Martinez Arreola, who had been in the grow site approximately 11 days at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to marijuana cultivation charges and was sentenced to 20 months in prison on February 28, 2018. Charges are pending against Armando Mayorga Garcia. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 27, of Modesto, California, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, and a life term of supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.  The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill.

“There is no place in the United States for terrorists and terrorist sympathizers who threaten innocent people, and the National Security Division will relentlessly seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “Jameson put his fellow Americans at risk by supporting ISIS and planning an attack on behalf of the terrorist organization. This is unacceptable, and I am grateful for the hardworking agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”

“Protecting our communities from terrorist threats is the Department of Justice’s highest priority,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.  “With the assistance of our investigative partners, we will continue to work to prevent such attacks and to vigorously prosecute those who seek to provide material support to terrorist organizations.  We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and the DOJ’s National Security Counterterrorism Division for their teamwork in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”

“This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and disrupting plots to harm the American public. With assistance from our state and local partners, we completed a thorough investigation while ensuring that Jameson would not be able to carry out his plans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ragan.  “The public also plays an active role in ensuring the safety of our communities. We encourage members of the public to always say something if they see or hear anything that raises concerns about a possible attack.”

Jameson pleaded guilty on June 4.  According to the plea agreement, between September 2017 and Dec. 20, 2017, Jameson voiced support for ISIS knowing that the organization was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism.  Among other things, he had several online interactions with a confidential source, and during those interactions, he stated that he was committed wholeheartedly to “the cause.”  Jameson also expressed support online for the Oct. 31, 2017, terrorist attack in New York City, as well as other terrorist attacks. 

In subsequent communications with an undercover agent, Jameson stated that he was ready to do whatever they needed done here and noted that his time in the military had trained him for combat and war.  According to court documents, Jameson joined the Marine Corps and received basic training, including earning a sharpshooter rifle qualification, but was ultimately discharged for failing to disclose his asthma history.

Later, Jameson met with another undercover agent whom he believed to be associated with, and working for, the senior leadership of ISIS, and offered to carry out violent acts and provide financial support for the terrorist organization.

According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2017, Jameson discussed what he could offer to the cause.  Among other things, Jameson stated that he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, and explained his desire to use explosives in an attack.  He also noted that he could get PVC pipe, nails and powder for explosive devices, and asked for remote timing devices from that person.  Jameson identified Pier 39 as a target location of an attack, noting that it was crowded and explosives could be used to funnel people into an area so that he could inflict casualties by shooting people trying to escape.  Jameson also offered to provide money to the cause.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawrence W. Rice Jr. and Christopher D. Baker of the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case with Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Elmer Daniel Iglesias Lucatero, 23, of Yuba City, charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on February 12, 2018, Lucatero sold an undercover source about 430 grams of pure methamphetamine. Later, on February 26, 2018, Lucatero sold this source about 500 pills advertised as oxycodone. Laboratory analysis later showed that heroin was their active ingredient and, thus, that the pills were counterfeit. Finally, on April 5, 2018, agents executed a search warrant on Lucatero’s Yuba City apartment. There, they found about 13,000 more pills pressed to look like legitimate oxycodone. In reality, the pills contained fentanyl, a powerful and potentially lethal opioid pain reliever. The agents also found about 3,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills in a car that Lucatero had been driving. Laboratory analysis showed that these pills contained heroin.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lucatero faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $26 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — John Lamont Winn, 53, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and nine months in prison for passing counterfeit $100 bills, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Winn was convicted by a jury on May 3, 2018 after a four-day trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 13, 2017, Winn and two associates passed approximately $6,600 over six transactions in less than one hour at a casino in Lincoln. Those bills were detected as counterfeit by the casino’s bank. On June 16, 2017, Winn and another associate passed approximately $29,200 in counterfeit currency at two banks in Vallejo. The bills were held aside by the bank on the basis of their appearance, and they were later determined by the Secret Service to be counterfeit. Winn was also ordered to pay a total of $16,600 in restitution to the casino and bank.

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Quinn Hochhalter prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Domingo Ene, 27, of Roseville; Joshua Hopoi, 22, of Sacramento; and Raymond Su, 29, of Sacramento, charging them with a conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and possession of stolen U.S. mail, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, from April 2018 to July 2018, the three men conspired to steal mail that was passing through Sacramento International Airport. All three defendants worked at Sacramento International Airport as employees of a company that provided ground services. They were responsible for loading U.S. mail from the Sacramento area onto departing flights, as well as unloading incoming mail from arriving flights. The indictment alleges that they opened containers of mail and stole items, especially greeting cards. The defendants removed cash and gift cards from the stolen mail items, and they used the gift cards to make purchases.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Narcotics and Economic Crime Investigations Task Force, Roseville Police Department, Citrus Heights Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ruben Valdez, 26, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegal possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on November 13, 2017, Valdez was found in possession of a stolen Glock, Model 20 handgun, with a selector switch designed to convert a semi‑automatic firearm to a fully automatic machine gun. Valdez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior felony convictions.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Cameron L. Desmond are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Rodger Riquez Rodriguez, 33, of Riverdale, charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, Rodriguez was found in possession of a silver Kel-Tec P-3AT handgun. On July 24, 2018, he was found in possession of a weapon made from a rifle, Izhmash, Model SVD. Rodriguez was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction and prior misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thongchone Vongdeng, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to time served, which was three years in custody, for his participation in a scheme that involved hundreds of fraudulent transactions on Target REDcard accounts and at least 1,000 victims across the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “Postal inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for thefts of mail and identity theft crimes committed against the public.”

According to the court documents, between March 2014 and September 2015, Vongdeng and eight co-conspirators stole personal information from victims and created unauthorized accounts in order to purchase merchandise. Part of the scheme involved using Target REDcard account numbers to buy large amounts of electronics, prepaid gift cards, and other goods at Target locations throughout the Sacramento area, northern California, and elsewhere.

In all, more than 300 counterfeit accounts were used or trafficked by members of the conspiracy, and over 1,000 victims have been identified as having had their identities compromised as a result of the conspiracy. All defendants are residents of Stockton. All of defendants pleaded guilty, and their sentences are as follows:

Boone B. Khoonsrivong, 41, was sentenced to five years and five months in prison.

Daisy Sysengrat, 32, was sentenced to two and half years in prison.

Vuthiya Tim, 33; was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

Meghan Paradis, 34; was sentenced to two and half years in prison.

Sequoia Valverde, 35; was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.

Amber Collins, 33; was sentenced to two and half years in prison.

Somaly Siv, 32; and was sentenced to two and half years in prison

Jaffrey Brown, 34, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Stockton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys André M. Espinosa and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Three citizens of Mexico were sentenced on Monday for immigration offenses related to their prior deportations, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

U.S. v. Julio Cesar Delgadillo (1:18-cr-050) Delgadillo, 47, Mexican national residing in Visalia, was sentenced Monday to five years and three months in prison for being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on March 8, 2018, and pleaded guilty on June 18, 2018. According to court records, Delgadillo was deported on December 1, 2016, following a prior conviction and sentence for being a deported alien found in the Unites States. According to the 2012 indictment, Delgadillo was convicted in Tulare County in 2003 of assault with a firearm and sentenced to three years in prison.

U.S. v. Ramon Quintero (1:18-cr-127) Quintero, 48, Mexican national residing in Kern County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Quintero was previously deported on November 14, 2008, after being convicted of second degree robbery in 1999 and serving a six-year sentence.

U.S. v. Bernardo Guzman-Cruz (1:18-cr-128) Guzman-Cruz, 45, Mexican national residing in Kings County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Guzman-Cruz was previously deported on July 14, 2012, after being convicted of a domestic violence offense in 2003 and sentenced to two years in prison.

These cases were the product of investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Raul Cardenas-Solis (Cardenas), 22, a citizen of Michoacán, Mexico, today to three years and 10 months in prison for conspiring to cultivate marijuana on public land, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Drozd ordered Cardenas to pay $11,195 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service to defray the costs of cleaning up the area damaged by the cultivation operation.

On March 12, 2018, Cardenas pleaded guilty to the charges. According to court documents, in July, 2017, law enforcement officers found Cardenas checking water lines at a marijuana cultivation site in the North Meadow Creek area in Tulare County in the Sequoia National Forest. Cardenas resided at the site, which contained 10,488 marijuana plants. The cultivation operation caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources as a result of deforestation, pesticide and fertilizer use, the diversion of natural water sources, and trash dumped at the site.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Roberto Alvarez-Rivera, 84, a Mexican citizen residing in French Camp, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, in 1954, Alvarez obtained the birth certificate of his cousin, who was a U.S. citizen, and used it to create a false identity to obtain a Social Security number and residence and employment in the United States. In 1996, Alvarez filed for Social Security retirement benefits under his false identity and collected approximately $221,210 in Social Security retirement benefits from 1996 to 2017. This money was the property of the United States, and Alvarez collected the money knowing he was not entitled to it.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

Alvarez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on October 22, 2018. Alvarez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against David Donald Savage, 44, of Sacramento, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Savage was arrested after a search of his vehicle revealed a backpack containing a loaded .45-caliber Springfield XD pistol, 120 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of heroin, and a scale.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quinn Hochhalter and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Savage faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Russell Valenzuela, 42, of Sacramento, charging him with unlawful possession of unregistered firearms, prohibited possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Valenzuela was found to be in possession of two fully automatic submachine guns and 55 grams of methamphetamine following a search of the house where he was residing.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quinn Hochhalter and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Valenzuela faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Brian Baptiste Formiconi, 39, of Roseville, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated a series of groups of users who were trading child pornography using Kik Messenger. Eventually, it was discovered that a user, whose account was traced to Roseville, was trading child pornography with at least three members of these groups. Further investigation lead to a search warrant for Formiconi’s home. During the search, at least one child pornography video was found on a laptop in the home.

This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Hemesath and Roger Yang are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Formiconi faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Everado Cuadro Campos, 49, of Michoacán, Mexico, charging him with conspiracy to grow marijuana with the intent to distribute it and damaging public lands and natural resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on July 17, 2018, Campos was arrested in a marijuana garden in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Shasta County. Water to irrigate the marijuana plants was diverted from the Rock Creek drainage area, and there was an extensive waterline and trail system in the forest to tend to the marijuana plants.

This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Forest Service and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.

If convicted, Campos faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison and a $10 million fine for the marijuana conspiracy and manufacturing counts. If convicted of the environmental crime, Campos faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Scott Radtke, 56, of Clovis, was arraigned today on a nine-count indictment charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Radtke owned California Motoring Company, a car dealership in Clovis. Beginning as early as January 1, 2016, and continuing through June 2017, Radtke executed a scheme to defraud banks. When customers wanted to buy vehicles that Radtke’s dealership did not have in its inventory, Radtke offered customers the opportunity to buy them from other dealerships. Radtke received up-front payments from the customers or their banks, but did not give that money to the other dealerships. Instead, he spent it on business and personal expenses. Radtke then signed the customers’ names on sale documents and loan applications, which led banks to issue loans without the customers’ knowledge or authorization. Radtke’s actions involved at least 48 vehicles and over $2 million in fraudulently obtained goods and funds.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Radtke faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today charging Alfredo Sanchez, 39, of Madera, and Saybyn Borges, 27, of Sacramento, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Sanchez was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the indictment, between May 3, 2018, and June 7, 2018, in Placer, San Joaquin and Madera Counties, Sanchez and Borges conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the criminal complaint, Sanchez and Borges were involved in the sale of approximately 7,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills that were found to contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

A search warrant executed on Sanchez’s residence recovered four firearms: a Kel-Tec 12 gauge shotgun, Ruger .38-caliber revolver, Colt .38-caliber Mustang Pocketlite semi‑automatic pistol, and Colt Commander .38‑caliber pistol. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the fentanyl counts, Borges and Sanchez face a minimum five years and a maximum of life in prison and up to a $5 million fine. If convicted on the firearms possession charge, Sanchez faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on eradicating illegal firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the sentencing today of three federal firearms offenders.

U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Tony Hill, 25, of Stockton to seven years and two months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Hill was found in possession of a stolen Smith & Wesson pistol with a speed-loader. Hill, who has multiple prior felony convictions, was on parole at the time of his arrest from a prior offense, and had been out of prison for less than four months. This case is the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Stockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Desmond prosecuted the case. 2:17-cr-168 TLN

U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced Nicholas J. Lopez, 31, of Sacramento to seven years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in October 2016, Lopez was stopped for speeding on Interstate 5 in Glenn County. Because Lopez was driving with a suspended license, the car was seized and later searched. Inside the car the officers found a 9 mm handgun with a loaded 15-round magazine, two .40-caliber firearm magazines loaded with 10 rounds, and two 9 mm firearm magazines loaded with 10 rounds. Officers then executed a search warrant at Lopez’s residence where they found additional firearms. Because Lopez has previous felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth prosecuted the case.
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Judge Nunley sentenced Lavell McDonald, 38, of Stockton, to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 16, 2016, McDonald was stopped while driving a moped in Stockton for an outstanding warrant. Officers searched him and found a 9 mm handgun with a bullet in the chamber. They also found a loaded magazine that matched the handgun nearby. McDonald had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This case is the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth prosecuted the case. 2:17-cr-010 TLN

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

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Saul Arreola-Cardenas, 27, of Mexico, charging him with conspiracy to grow marijuana with the intent to distribute it and damaging public lands and natural resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Arreola-Cardenas was apprehended near Sawmill Road in the Sequoia National Forest after the U.S. Forest Service received a tip regarding a suspected marijuana grow in the area. Law enforcement agents scouted the area in an attempt to locate the site, and they eventually spotted part of the grow site. At that time, they encountered Arreola‑Cardenas walking along a trail near the site while carrying buckets and speaking on a cellphone.

Upon further investigation, law enforcement agents found approximately 1,402 marijuana plants, thousands of pounds of trash, irrigation hose, camping equipment, fertilizer and pesticides at the grow site. Native trees, brush and other vegetation had been cut down at and near the grow site, and dead native wildlife were found at the site as well.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Arreola-Cardenas faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. If convicted of the environmental crime, Arreola-Cardenas faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, Arreola-Cardenas may also be liable for restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for damages stemming from the marijuana cultivation activities. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment today against Fernando Hernandez-Hernandez, 58, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with production and sales of false identification documents, possession of document‑making implements with intent to make false identification documents, fraud and misuse of visas and related documents, and being a previously deported alien found in the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, in March and May 2018, Hernandez-Hernandez manufactured and sold false identification documents to buyers. He is also charged with possessing document-making implements primarily used to manufacture the false identification documents. These documents included social security cards and lawful permanent resident “green” cards. Hernandez‑Hernandez is also charged with being found in the United States following a prior deportation.

This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hernandez-Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Sarah Laray Sandoval, 40, of West Sacramento, today to three years and three months in prison for her participation in a scheme that involved stealing U.S. Mail and DMV data to commit bank fraud and identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “Postal Inspectors work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for fraud schemes committed against the public.”

On May 10, 2018, Sandoval pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, between December 2016 and June 2, 2017, Sandoval and co-defendant Anthony Andrew Zamarron, 38, of Elk Grove, and others, stole mail throughout Sacramento and Yolo Counties, including neighborhoods in West Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Sacramento. Then Sandoval and her associates cataloged the stolen mail, profiled victims for identity theft, and researched victims using DMV databases. Sandoval and her associates opened bank and credit accounts in the name of mail theft victims. They forged signatures and deposited the forged checks into accounts in Sandoval's name or into fraudulently opened accounts in victim names. They caused financial institutions to send debit and credit cards and related items to U.S. mail boxes under their control or to which they had access, including Sandoval's own residence.

Sandoval worked at the California DMV starting on June 26, 2000, and was in the DMV “Mandatory Actions Unit” from 2005 to July 14, 2017. She was responsible for making final decisions on reinstating the driving privileges for, among other offenses, driving under the influence. As a senior technician, Sandoval had access to statewide DMV records for license holders and databases containing license holders’ assigned driver license number and personal information, including name, date of birth, business, or residence mailing address. Sandoval accessed DMV data to assist the bank fraud and identity theft scheme.

Sandoval and her associates’ bank fraud and identity theft scheme involved over 100 different victims and intended loss of over $77,000.

Charges are pending against Zamarron, and he has not yet appeared in federal court on these charges. He is presently in custody in the state of Nevada for unrelated charges. The charges against Zamarron are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the California DMV Special Investigations Unit and the Elk Grove Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Porsha D. Dickens, 44, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to submit false claims for tax refunds to the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, from March 2011 through March 2013, Dickens and her co-defendant Dionna Bradshaw participated in a conspiracy to submit false tax returns to the IRS by obtaining personal identifying information of others, and then submitting returns seeking refunds to which the people listed on the returns were not entitled. To pursue the refunds, false statements were placed on the tax returns regarding employers, income, withholding from income, and eligibility for certain tax credits, among other things. The employers listed on most of the fraudulent returns were companies purportedly belonging to Dickens. The fraudulently obtained tax refunds were frequently directly deposited into the bank accounts of Dickens and Bradshaw. The total amount of refunds claimed in connection with the conspiracy was over $300,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hales is prosecuting the case.

Dickens is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on October 23, 2018. Bradshaw previously pleaded guilty and also awaits sentencing. Dickens faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — On April 12, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Angela Milton, 35, of Fresno, charging her with aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

The case was sealed until Milton’s arrest on Tuesday. According to court documents, between 2007 and 2014, Milton worked as a tax examining technician at the IRS in Fresno. Between 2010 and 2013, Milton allegedly prepared and filed false and fraudulent federal income tax returns for others and for herself. She added false information that she knew would increase the amount of the refund. For some tax returns, and without the authorization of the taxpayer, Milton claimed a split refund with part of the refund amount going to the taxpayer and the remaining refund directly deposited into accounts to which Milton had access. For other taxpayers, Milton filed a tax return without their knowledge or consent and caused the entire refund amount to be deposited into accounts to which Milton had access. As a result of her conduct, Milton is alleged to have defrauded the IRS of over $170,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Milton faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay over $353,000 in restitution for fraud involving a debit card, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores. Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.

Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.  

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay over $353,000 in restitution for fraud involving a debit card, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores. Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.

Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.  

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the case.