Northern District of Georgia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Meridian Man Sentenced in the Northern District of Georgia for Computer Hacking and Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Robert Purbeck, 45, of Meridian, who hacked into the computer servers of the City of Newnan, a Griffin, Georgia, medical clinic, and 17 other victims across the United States, and stole personal information belonging to more than 132,000 people, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison. Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist for payment in Bitcoin, threatening to disclose stolen patient records and other personal information.
“Purbeck’s crimes reflect the efforts of a callous and brazen cybercriminal who not only hacked into numerous computer servers and stole sensitive personal information from both private and public actors, but also threatened to extort many of his victims and disclose their data,” said Northern District of Georgia’s U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement, Purbeck’s time of hiding behind a computer to steal, threaten, and intimidate is over.”
“Cyber extortion is unfortunately a rapidly growing threat and highlights the ever-growing need for corporations to remain vigilant in cybersecurity efforts,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing is just one example of the FBI working together to hold criminals that hide behind their computers accountable, regardless of their location.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In June 2017, Purbeck purchased access to the computer server of a Griffin medical clinic on a darknet marketplace. He then used the stolen credentials to illegally access the computers of the medical clinic and removed records that contained the sensitive personal information of more than 43,000 individuals, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers.
In February 2018, Purbeck purchased access to a City of Newnan Police Department server on a darknet marketplace. Purbeck used the stolen credentials to hack into the City of Newnan’s computer systems and stole police reports and other documents, including personal information of more than 14,000 individuals.
Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in July 2018, demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin in return for his stolen patient files, threatening to sell the patient and personal information unless the orthodontist paid the ransom. Additionally, Purbeck threatened to sell the personal information of the orthodontist’s minor child. Purbeck harassed the orthodontist and his patients for 10 days with numerous threatening emails and text messages.
On August 21, 2019, FBI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Purbeck’s home in Meridian, Idaho. During the search, agents seized multiple computers and electronic devices, which contained personal information of over 132,000 individuals, obtained through Purbeck’s numerous data breaches, including the City of Newnan, the Griffin medical clinic, and at least 17 other victims throughout the United States. Many of these victims incurred substantial expenses, including remediation costs and disruption to business operations because of Purbeck’s conduct.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. also sentenced Purbeck to serve three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,048,702.98. Purbeck was convicted of two counts of computer fraud and abuse on March 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Boise (Idaho) Resident Agency.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herskowitz, Nathan Kitchens, Alex R. Sistla, from the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho also assisted with this case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Justice Department Finds Conditions at Fulton County Jail in Georgia Violate the Constitution and Federal LawRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today its findings that conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail (the Jail) in Georgia violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The department’s report details its findings from a comprehensive investigation of the Jail, funded and operated by Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation included the Main Jail in Atlanta and three annex facilities: the Marietta Annex in Atlanta, the North Annex in Alpharetta, and the South Annex in Union City. The Jail currently houses around 2,000 people and in recent years has surpassed 3,000 people.
“Lashawn Thompson’s horrific death was symptomatic of a pattern of dangerous and dehumanizing conditions in the Fulton County Jail,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department’s report concluded that Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office allowed unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Jail. As a result, people incarcerated in the Fulton County Jail suffered harms from pest infestation and malnourishment and were put at substantial risk of serious harm from violence by other incarcerated people — including homicides, stabbings and sexual abuse. The unconstitutional and unlawful conditions at the Fulton County Jail have persisted for far too long, and we are committed to working with Fulton County and the Fulton County Sherrif’s office to remedy them.”
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the inhumane, violent, and hazardous conditions that people are subjected to inside the Fulton County Jail," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Detention in the Fulton County Jail has amounted to a death sentence for dozens of people who have been murdered or who died as a result of the atrocious conditions inside the facility. It’s not just adults but also children who are subjected to conditions and treatment that violate the constitution and defy federal law. Many people held in jails in our country have not been convicted — they are awaiting hearings, trial dates or are serving short sentences for misdemeanors. At the end of the day, people do not abandon their civil and constitutional rights at the jailhouse door. Jails and prisons across the country must protect people from the kind of gross violations and unconstitutional conditions that we have uncovered here. We hope our findings report sounds an alarm that will prompt Fulton County officials to work with the Justice Department to implement the reforms necessary to ensure constitutional conditions going forward.”
“In Fulton County, people in custody awaiting formal charges or trials frequently must protect themselves from brutal physical attacks, endure frequent excessive force, manage their wellbeing with inadequate food and unsanitary living conditions, and hope they can find access to a strained medical and mental health care program. This is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “Our Constitution requires humane conditions while incarcerated that, at a minimum, ensure people in custody are safe. The findings regarding the Fulton County Jail reveal grave and diffuse failures to safeguard the men and women housed in its facilities, including a disturbing frequency of deaths among incarcerated people. We expect Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to share our sense of urgency about the seriousness of the violations described in this report and to work cooperatively with our office and the Justice Department to remedy these systemic deficiencies in the Jail.”
Following an extensive investigation, the department concludes that Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office routinely violate the rights of people incarcerated at the Jail. Specifically, the department found that the Jail:
- Fails to protect people from the substantial risk of serious harm from violence by other incarcerated people, including homicides, stabbings, and sexual abuse.
- Houses incarcerated people in unconstitutional living conditions that are unsanitary and dangerous.
- Fails to provide adequate medical and mental health services to incarcerated people.
- Uses solitary confinement in discriminatory and unconstitutional ways that exposes incarcerated people, including 17-year-old children and those with mental health disabilities, to substantial harm.
- Fails to provide special education services to 17-year-old boys and girls who are entitled to those services while they are incarcerated at the Jail.
The unlawful and dangerous practices identified in the report are long-standing and have contributed to multiple deaths and other serious harm. From 2022 to the present, six incarcerated people have died in violence at the Jail. In 2023, there were more than 300 stabbings in the Jail which involved uncontrolled contraband and makeshift weapons. There have been four deaths from suicide in the past four years, including as recently as April.
The Justice Department conducted its investigation of the Fulton County Jail under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 34 U.S.C. § 12601, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. These statutes authorize the Attorney General to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking court-ordered remedies to eliminate a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct. The department provided Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office with written notice of the supporting facts for its conclusions and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations. The County will work with the Justice Department toward a cooperative resolution.
The findings announced today are the result of the Justice Department’s civil investigation and are separate from any criminal cases brought by the Justice Department.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia investigated the case.
The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize unconstitutional conditions and violations of federal law in correctional and juvenile justice facilities. It opened new investigations into prisons and jails in Tennessee, California, South Carolina, and juvenile justice facilities across Kentucky. The division also issued findings in its investigations of Mississippi prisons, Texas juvenile justice system’s facilities, and the Georgia Department of Corrections. The division is also litigating the constitutionality of conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men.
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/. To provide information related to the department’s investigation of the Fulton County Jail, please call 1-888-473-4092 or email the department at [email protected].
Idaho Man Sentenced for Computer Hacking and Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
An Idaho man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for hacking into the computer servers of 19 victims across the United States, stealing personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to more than 132,000 people, and attempting to extort a Florida orthodontist for payment in Bitcoin by threatening to disclose stolen patient records and other PII.
According to court documents, in June 2017, Robert Purbeck, 45, of Meridian, purchased access to the computer server of a Griffin, Georgia, medical clinic on a darknet marketplace. He then used the stolen credentials to illegally access the computers of the medical clinic and removed records that contained sensitive PII for over 43,000 individuals, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers. In February 2018, Purbeck purchased access to a City of Newnan, Georgia, Police Department server on a darknet marketplace. Purbeck used the stolen credentials to hack into the City of Newnan computer systems and stole police reports and other documents, including PII for over 14,000 people.
Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in July 2018, demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin in return for his stolen patient files, threatening to sell the patient and personal information unless the orthodontist paid the ransom. Additionally, Purbeck threatened to sell the PII of the orthodontist’s minor child. Purbeck harassed the orthodontist and his patients for 10 days with numerous threatening emails and text messages.
On Aug. 21, 2019, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Purbeck’s home in Meridian. During the search, the FBI seized multiple computers and electronic devices, which contained personal information of over 132,000 individuals, obtained through Purbeck’s numerous data breaches.
On March 19, Purbeck pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally accessing and obtaining information from a protected computer without authorization.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Purbeck was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,048,702.98.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Boise Resident Agency.
Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herskowitz, Nathan Kitchens, and Alex R. Sistla for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho also provided valuable assistance in this case.
Idaho Man Sentenced for Computer Hacking and Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Robert Purbeck, who hacked into the computer servers of the City of Newnan, a Griffin, Georgia, medical clinic, and 17 other victims across the United States, and stole personal information belonging to more than 132,000 people, has been sentenced to federal prison. Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist for payment in Bitcoin, threatening to disclose stolen patient records and other personal information.
“Purbeck’s crimes reflect the efforts of a callous and brazen cybercriminal who not only hacked into numerous computer servers and stole sensitive personal information from both private and public actors, but also threatened to extort many of his victims and disclose their data,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement, Purbeck’s time of hiding behind a computer to steal, threaten, and intimidate is over.”
“Cyber extortion is unfortunately a rapidly growing threat and highlights the ever-growing need for corporations to remain vigilant in cybersecurity efforts,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing is just one example of the FBI working together to hold criminals that hide behind their computers accountable, regardless of their location.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In June 2017, Purbeck purchased access to the computer server of a Griffin medical clinic on a darknet marketplace. He then used the stolen credentials to illegally access the computers of the medical clinic and removed records that contained the sensitive personal information of more than 43,000 individuals, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers.
In February 2018, Purbeck purchased access to a City of Newnan Police Department server on a darknet marketplace. Purbeck used the stolen credentials to hack into the City of Newnan’s computer systems and stole police reports and other documents, including personal information of more than 14,000 individuals.
Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in July 2018, demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin in return for his stolen patient files, threatening to sell the patient and personal information unless the orthodontist paid the ransom. Additionally, Purbeck threatened to sell the personal information of the orthodontist’s minor child. Purbeck harassed the orthodontist and his patients for 10 days with numerous threatening emails and text messages.
On August 21, 2019, FBI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Purbeck’s home in Meridian, Idaho. During the search, agents seized multiple computers and electronic devices, which contained personal information of over 132,000 individuals, obtained through Purbeck’s numerous data breaches, including the City of Newnan, the Griffin medical clinic, and at least 17 other victims throughout the United States. Many of these victims incurred substantial expenses, including remediation costs and disruption to business operations because of Purbeck’s conduct.
Robert Purbeck, 45, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,048,702.98. Purbeck was convicted of two counts of computer fraud and abuse on March 19, 2024,after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Boise (Idaho) Resident Agency.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herskowitz, Nathan Kitchens, Alex R. Sistla, and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho also provided valuable assistance in this case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Used-Car Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for $3 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Mitchell C. Simpson, who stole $3 million from companies that provided floor-plan financing to his used-car dealership, has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud.
“Simpson abused his position of trust and hurt the companies that enabled him to operate his business,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals who take advantage of others under false pretenses.”
“Simpson lied to the very people who were the lifeline to his small business,” said FBI Atlanta Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Mitchell Jackson. “We value our partnerships with local and state law enforcement to ensure these offenders are held accountable and the victims get justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: From early 2012 through early 2019, Simpson operated Mitch Simpson Motors, a used car dealership in Cleveland, Georgia. Three floor-plan lenders, Dealer Financial Holdings LLC, Americash Advance, Inc., and Floorplan Xpress, LLC-OK, each provided Simpson with a revolving line of credit. Commonly known as floor-plan financing, this credit line allowed Simpson to purchase an inventory of vehicles to re-sell to customers. Each line of credit was governed by a written contract, also known as a floor-plan financing agreement. Simpson was required to abide by the terms and conditions of the agreements, and he was required to provide the floor-plan lenders with complete and truthful information concerning all matters related to the agreements.
When Simpson wanted to borrow money to purchase a vehicle to add to his dealership’s inventory, he would contact one of the floor-plan lenders and provide that lender with a description of the vehicle, including the vehicle identification number, and the amount of the loan requested. If the vehicle was subject to any other liens or security interests, Simpson was required to disclose that fact to the floor-plan lender. If Simpson led the lender to believe that the vehicle was not subject to any other liens or security interests, the lender would transfer the requested funds to Simpson’s custody and control. In return for the loan, the dealership would grant the floor-plan lender a purchase-money security interest in the vehicle. Simpson was also required to keep the vehicle free from all other liens and security interests until sold.
Simpson defrauded the floor-plan lenders by using a single vehicle as collateral for more than one floor-plan loan, which is a deceptive and illegal practice referred to in the used-car industry as double floor-planning and triple floor-planning – a practice expressly prohibited by the floor-plan financing agreements.
To hide the double and triple floor-planning, Simpson made false and misleading statements and omitted material facts in his communications with the floor-plan lenders. In addition, whenever Simpson sold a vehicle in which one of the floor-plan lenders held a security interest, Simpson was required to hold the proceeds from the sale of that vehicle in trust for the secured lender and promptly pay the secured lender all amounts due under the applicable floor-plan financing agreement.
But Simpson did not always pay the floor-plan lenders, as required. Instead, he engaged in a shell game with vehicle titles and did not always provide truthful information to lenders concerning the location of vehicles and concerning whether vehicles had been sold. This is an illegal practice referred to in the used-car industry as operating “out of trust,” which was expressly prohibited by the floor-plan financing agreements. Simpson’s fraudulent scheme resulted in a loss of more than $3 million to the floor-plan lenders.
Mitchell C. Simpson, 56, of Cornelia, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $105,803.70. Simpson was convicted of wire fraud on July 2, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Russell Phillips and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. O’Neal prosecuted the case.
For further information, please contact [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Four Defendants Sentenced for Attempted Armed Robbery of Dunwoody Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Four multi-convicted felons, each of whom was on probation or parole when they joined an interstate robbery crew led by a south Georgia prison inmate, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the attempted smash-and-grab armed robbery of a Dunwoody, Georgia, jewelry store.
“These defendants posed a significant threat to public safety when they terrorized innocent victims during their crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The successful prosecutions of these armed career criminals resulted from the tenacious and collaborative work of our federal and state law enforcement partners who disrupted the defendants’ violent activities and helped to prevent them from targeting other members of our communities.”
“These defendants clearly showed no regard for the law as they continued their crimes even while on parole. All four were willing to put innocent civilians at risk during the commission of these armed robberies and it is fortunate no one was hurt because of their selfish desire for wealth,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hopefully this federal sentence will send the message that the FBI will not tolerate the behavior of repeat violent offenders.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2023, FBI special agents began investigating jewelry store robberies throughout the southeastern United States. During the investigation, agents discovered that the robberies were being orchestrated by Deuntria Lyons, who was at the time serving six life sentences at Valdosta State Prison for planning other robberies from behind bars.
In November 2023, the FBI intercepted dozens of telephone conversations and text messages between Lyons and his associates, including Melvin Asbury, Mark Oliver, and Santino Parks. In those communications, Lyons and Oliver discussed the date, location, and other details of Lyons’s plan to rob a jewelry store in Dunwoody, Georgia, including plans for two of the robbers to enter the store armed with handguns while a third accomplice waited in a getaway car.
On December 1, 2023, agents observed three of the robbers park a car near the jewelry store that Lyons discussed in his previous communications. Agents arrested Oliver, Parks, and Jamaury Marshall at the scene, and recovered masks, gloves, trash bags, two sledgehammers, two loaded Glock pistols, and a loaded high-capacity magazine from the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Georgia State Patrol troopers arrested Asbury in another vehicle.
On December 12, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina obtained an indictment charging Lyons and a second person with conspiracy to commit robbery and other offenses.
At the time of their arrests, Asbury, Marshall, Parks, and Oliver were all on probation or parole with the state of Georgia following convictions for violent crimes. Asbury was granted parole in 2022 after serving nearly 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, and weapons-possession offenses. Marshall was on probation after having been imprisoned for burglary, aggravated assault, and weapons-possession offenses. Similarly, Parks was on probation for robbery by force, aggravated battery, and burglary. Oliver was on probation for robbery and acts of violence while in prison.
U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Melvin Asbury, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
- Jamaury Marshall, 29, of Johns Creek, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 7, 2024, to possession of a firearm, which he was prohibited from possessing due to his status as a convicted felon.
- Mark Anthony Oliver, 23, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
- Santino Demarco Parks, 29, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Leanne M. Marek prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Defendant Charged After Fleeing Before TrialRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roscoe McMillan, also known as “Roscoe McMillian” and “Ross McMillan,” has been indicted after he failed to appear for trial on wire and mail fraud charges related to a fraudulent life insurance scheme.
“Every defendant has a right to a fair trial by a jury of his or her peers, but no one is entitled to refuse to appear for trial,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “McMillan promised to appear for his court dates after the district court released him on bond. His alleged failure to appear indicates a disregard for the rule of law and cannot be tolerated.”
“McMillan has taken a criminal allegation and created an even more serious situation,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “Our special agents will not rest until McMillan is in custody and appearing in court like he promised to do last month.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In September 2023, Roscoe McMillan was charged with wire fraud and mail fraud related to a scheme to defraud seven life insurance companies. Under the guise of a sham company called Chosen Outreach Ministries, McMillan allegedly provided false and fraudulent information to obtain group life insurance policies. These group life insurance policies were predicated on Chosen Outreach Ministries being the employer of the insured individuals, but the indictment alleges that none of these individuals were actual employees.
The indictment further alleges that Chosen Outreach Ministries never conducted any legitimate business or paid wages to these individuals. In fact, many of the insured individuals were suffering from serious health problems and died within a year of being added to Chosen Outreach Ministries’ group policies. McMillan allegedly submitted more than 30 fraudulent claims for life insurance benefits after the insured individuals passed away. The defrauded insurance companies disbursed approximately $2.7 million in benefits based on the fraudulent claims.
On October 29, 2024, McMillan failed to appear for his trial on these fraud charges. He was granted pretrial release from custody on October 11, 2023, and is now a fugitive.
Roscoe McMillan, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, and failure to appear in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 4, 2024.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Russell Phillips and Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case.
If you know Roscoe McMillan’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to his arrest, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (770) 216-3000 or submit information at https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta VA Doctor Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Female Veteran PatientRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Following an eight-day trial, Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a primary care physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, was found guilty by a jury of violating a patient’s constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under color of law and for engaging in unwanted sexual contact.
“Dr. Patel violated the cardinal rule of a physician to do no harm to patients under his care,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Veterans who consulted him for treatment, like the victim in this case, trusted Dr. Patel and he violated that trust. His conviction hopefully provides a measure of healing for those impacted by his crimes.”
“The verdict is an important step in seeking justice for a sexual assault committed against a veteran seeking care at a VA medical center,” said Michael J. Missal, Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “VA employees are entrusted with keeping our nation’s veterans safe while receiving care. Acts of violence against veterans in VA facilities are reprehensible and shatters that trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold anyone who would commit these crimes accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was charged with sexually assaulting four of his female patients during routine exams, where he groped their breasts and improperly touched their vaginal area between 2019 and 2020. The jury acquitted him of charges related to three victims and found him guilty of violating the fourth victim.
Rajesh Motibhai Patel, 69, of Lilburn, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II. Dr. Patel was found guilty by a federal jury on November 5, 2024.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin N. Spritzer and Jennifer Keen are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Six Individuals Indicted for Conspiring to Murder Fulton County Detention OfficersRead the Press Release
Wayne Alford, Latasha Baker, Matthew Freeman, also known as “Coach Poker,” “Pokerface Matt,” and “Gotti Freeman,” Jaheim Arnold, also known as “Slime” and “Toppslime,” Carlos Pearson, also known as “Rico Reflection” and “Rice Rico,” and Jayden Barnes, also known as “Swipe” and “El Swiper,” have been indicted for conspiracy to murder two Fulton County Jail detention officers in exchange for payment, and for other drug and firearms offenses.
“These defendants demonstrated a callous disregard for human life when allegedly plotting to murder detention officers who threatened their illegal drug and contraband activity at the Fulton County Jail,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is especially proud of the critical federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships that made this successful investigation and indictment possible. Prosecuting threats of violence against law enforcement officials during the performance of their duties is a top priority for the Department of Justice and those who engage in such offenses will be held accountable.”
“No law enforcement officer should have to be fearful for their life simply because they are carrying out their sworn duties,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are extremely grateful that this plot was foiled before harm could come to either of the targeted individuals. The FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue the harshest punishment for the individuals involved in this crime.”
“It is unthinkable and deplorable that one of our detention officers would conspire to have one or more of her co-workers killed,” said Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. “This indictment underscores the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of accountability. We must ensure that those who are entrusted with public safety adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and any breach of that trust will be met with swift justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Wayne Alford, a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Jail - South Annex, allegedly conspired with others, both in and out of prison, to kill at least two detention officers who had interfered with his contraband and narcotics trafficking operations.
Latasha Baker, a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail and Matthew Freeman, who was serving a sentence for armed robbery at Valdosta State Prison, allegedly agreed with Alford to hire and pay individuals to kill the detention officers. The conspirators communicated using contraband cell phones from inside the jail and prison.
Carlos Pearson and Jayden Barnes allegedly agreed to commit the murders for $1,000 each. The plot was thwarted when the targeted detention officers detected tracking devices attached to the bottom of their vehicles. Several of the conspirators are known to be members of the GoodFellas gang.
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment on October 22, 2024, that was unsealed on November 4, 2024. The defendants were charge in the indictment as follows:
- Wayne Alford, 27, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
- Matthew Freeman, 26, of Glennville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
- Latasha Baker, 38, of Hampton, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
- Jaheim Arnold, 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
- Carlos Pearson, 33, of College Park, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
- Jayden Barnes, 19, of Atlanta, Georgia was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. LaGrone and Teresa M. Stolze are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Monitor Voting Procedures in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett CountiesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Department of Justice announced plans for voting rights monitoring in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties for the November 5, 2024, general election.
“Free and fair elections are critical to the democracy of our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Every eligible voter is entitled to cast a ballot without fear of intimidation, interference, or discrimination. Our office will dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that this fundamental right is protected for all voters.”
The Department of Justice enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.
The Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the Department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (404) 581-6001.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the Department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the Department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Indicted for over $800,000 Worth of Retail TheftRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Yasin Saleem has been arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with defrauding Home Depot of more than $800,000.
“Saleem and a crew of conspirators allegedly used fictitious driver’s licenses and fraudulent debits cards to exploit vulnerabilities within Home Depot’s equipment and tool rental service by stealing more than $800,000,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to partnering closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement investigators to disrupt these kinds of criminal schemes and to prosecute the individuals who perpetrate them at the expense of corporations.”
“Saleem’s retail theft scheme not only resulted in substantial financial loss for Home Depot but highlights the complex and widespread nature of organized retail crime,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment demonstrates the need for strong and collaborative efforts between the FBI and private-sector partners, to combat such threats effectively.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Yasin Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly presented fictitious driver’s licenses to Home Depot to conceal their true identities in connection with fraudulent equipment and tool rentals. They also used debit cards with account holder names matching the fictitious licenses in these rentals. These debit cards were frequently issued prior to their use in the fraud scheme and carried the minimal amount of funds sufficient to commit the fraud.
The co-conspirators then failed to return the rented equipment and tools. Nor did the fraudulent debit cards carry sufficient funds to replace the stolen materials. Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly disabled the GPS devices attached to the rental equipment in an effort to avoid detection. They also allegedly used stolen license plates to conceal their involvement in the scheme. In total, Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly stole over $800,000 worth of equipment from Home Depot.
Yasin Saleem, 45 of Macon, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Christopher C. Bly on October 25, 2024. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 25, 2024.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Alabama Man Sentenced for Threatening Fulton County Sheriff and District AttorneyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Arthur Ray Hanson, II has been sentenced to federal prison for transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because of their connections to the Fulton County, Georgia investigation and prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
“Public servants have a responsibility to enforce our criminal laws, and anyone who threatens to harm or intimidate them will face the consequences of their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who diligently worked to ensure public officials are free to perform their essential work without the threat of physical attack.”
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. We take this responsibility very seriously and seek to punish those who engage in this type of criminal behavior, and to send the message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 6, 2023, Hanson called the Fulton County Government customer service line twice and left two voicemails—the first for Sheriff Labat and the second for District Attorney Willis. During both calls, Hanson threatened violence against these officials.
In his message for Sheriff Labat, Hanson made statements that included the following:
- “If you think you gonna take a mugshot of my President Trump and it’s gonna be okay, you gonna find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you;”
- “If you take a mugshot of the President and you’re the reason it happened, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you;”
- “I’m warning you right now before you [expletive] up your life and get hurt real bad;” and
- “Whether you got a [expletive] badge or not ain’t gonna help you none;” and “you gonna get [expletive]ed up you keep [expletive]ing with my President.”
In Hanson’s message for District Attorney Willis, he made statements that included the following:
- “Watch it when you’re going to the car at night, when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going;”
- “I would be very afraid if I were you because you can’t be around people all the time that are going to protect you;”
- “There’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable;”
- “When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder;” and
- “What you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder, and don’t ever forget it.”
Arthur Ray Hanson, II, 59, of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to one year, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. Hanson was convicted on these charges on July 3, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Enticing Teenager to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. – Jeffrey Farneski, a repeat sex offender who was released from state prison earlier this year, has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing a child to produce child pornography.
“Farneski is a serial predator who used the internet and social media apps as tools to lure and sexually exploit a vulnerable child,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners, this habitual sex offender has been prosecuted and returned to prison, helping to achieve a measure of justice for his victims and prevent him from exploiting others.”
“Jeffrey Farneski’s predatory actions against a vulnerable teenager are a stark reminder of the dangers posed online by offenders who exploit technology to prey on children,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI remains committed to pursuing these criminals relentlessly, working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure they face justice and no longer pose a threat to our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents searched Jeffrey Farneski’ s home after learning that he used a social media application to distribute and receive child pornography. At the time of the search, Farneski was a registered sex offender serving a 10-year term of probation. Farneski admitted that he distributed child pornography via the internet while on probation, and agents recovered child pornography from his cell phone. Farneski’s probation was revoked and he was returned to state prison after pleading guilty to additional child exploitation crimes.
While Farneski was incarcerated, HSI reviewed text messages stored on his cell phone and those messages revealed that he had cultivated a sexual relationship with a Coweta County high school student while he was on probation. The student was under 18 years old when Farneski began communicating with her in a social media chat group. Farneski persuaded the student to send him sexually explicit images and to also meet him at various places in the metro Atlanta area to engage in sexual acts.
After Farneski returned to state prison, he used contraband cell phones to maintain his relationship with the student. In January 2024, two months after his release from state custody, Farneski was arrested and taken into federal custody by HSI agents.
Jeffrey Farneski, 50, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to 15 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Farneski was convicted of enticement of a minor after he pleaded guilty on July 9, 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Truist Bank Pays over $9 Million to Resolve Allegations Concerning SunTrust Bank’s Administration of Trust AccountsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Truist Bank (Truist), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has agreed to pay the United States $9,125,000 to resolve claims under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA). These claims relate to the administration of certain trust accounts by SunTrust Bank (SunTrust) from December 2011 through December 2015. SunTrust was acquired by Branch Banking and Trust Company in December 2019, and the combined entity was renamed Truist.
“Our financial institutions occupy a special place of trust in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This settlement demonstrates our office’s commitment to hold accountable any bank that violates its fiduciary duties to beneficiaries, especially in situations involving vulnerable clients.”
“Our federally insured financial institutions must act in accordance with the law, including meeting their obligations to beneficiaries when they serve as trustees,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement makes clear that the Department will hold banks accountable when they knowingly run afoul of applicable legal requirements.”
The settlement announced today resolves claims arising from SunTrust’s management of certain trust accounts it administered as part of its relationship with a New Jersey company doing business as The Halpern Group (Halpern). Halpern served as a “structured settlement facilitator” in matters involving individuals who received settlement awards in personal injury litigation and referred those individuals to SunTrust. These individuals then established trusts at SunTrust that were intended to help them preserve their recoveries by protecting against unwise disbursements. Both SunTrust and Halpern collected fees in exchange for their agreement to provide these services.
In or around December 2011, SunTrust began administering a group of trust accounts, known as the “Doe Run Accounts,” that were referred to the bank by Halpern and resulted from the settlement of lead poisoning cases near Herculaneum, Missouri. Those accounts involved beneficiaries who claimed various health and cognitive issues from lead poisoning. The United States contends that, rather than helping these beneficiaries avoid unwise disbursements, Halpern requested and SunTrust frequently approved imprudent disbursements that were not in the beneficiaries’ best interests, including disbursements for the benefit of third-parties (e.g., relatives). The United States also contends that SunTrust’s approval of these disbursements violated its fiduciary obligations as the trustee of these accounts.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel David W. Tyler from the Commercial Litigation Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin M. Hall from the Northern District of Georgia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Armen Adzhemyan from the Northern District of Georgia.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan Issues Press Release Relating to the November 2024 General ElectionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan announced today that an Assistant U.S. Attorney will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) and lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Department of Justice’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. The DEO is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with the Department of Justice’s Headquarters in Washington.
“Every eligible citizen must be free to vote without interference or discrimination and have that vote counted as part of a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Critical to the preservation of this sacred right is our duty to ensure that election officials and staff, many of whom are elder members of our communities, be permitted to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice performs an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney Buchanan added, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We must all endeavor to guarantee that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise this right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt or interfere with this right are brought to justice.”
To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the District’s AUSA/DEO will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. The DEO can be reached by the public at (404) 581-6001.
In addition, the FBI will assign special agents to be available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 770-216-3000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC via a complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Buchanan. “It is important that anyone aware of specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud makes that information available to the Department of Justice.”
But please note that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, you should call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
CEO of Nigerian Airline and Co-Defendant Indicted for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Allen Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government in an effort to end an investigation of him that resulted in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering. Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, was also charged for participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.
“After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The diligence of our federal investigative partners revealed the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation.”
“These cases represent the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in fraud and money laundering,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.
“Allegedly, Onyema and his accomplices fraudulently used the U.S. banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “Today’s superseding indictment is indicative of the dedication IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners have, as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, to neutralize threats to the United States from criminal organizations.”
“The charges announced today demonstrate the criticality of diligence and truth in criminal justice proceedings,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our partners are committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit our nation’s financial system and any efforts to cover up illegal activity.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the superseding indictment, and other information presented in court: Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline founded in 2013. Between 2010 and 2018, Onyema travelled frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. More than $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.
Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema. The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals. The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.
However, the supporting documents were allegedly fake – Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business, and Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft. The company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.
In May 2019, upon discovering that he was under investigation in the Northern District of Georgia for bank fraud, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly directed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a key business contract, but also specifically told her to not date the document. In October 2019, Onyema allegedly caused his attorneys to present that same contract, now falsely dated as being signed on May 5, 2016 (prior to the bank fraud that began in 2016), to the government in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts.
Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 61, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 42, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud. Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. On October 8, 2024, they were both charged in a superseding indictment alleging an additional count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case is criminal action number 1:19-CR-464.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Christopher J. Huber are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Operating Methamphetamine LabsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Genaro Davalos-Pulido has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute multiple kilograms of methamphetamine and for illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.
“Methamphetamine manufacturers and traffickers like Davalos-Pulido pose a tremendous threat to the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the relentless investigative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, he’s facing the consequences of his crimes.”
“Guns, drugs, and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug traffickers operating in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates DEA’s emphatic commitment to attacking the violent drug dealers responsible for the devastation.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between March 2019 and October 2021, Davalos-Pulido and a co-conspirator operated two clandestine methamphetamine conversion laboratories in the Atlanta area. One methamphetamine lab was located in Morrow, Georgia. DEA special agents discovered the site after receiving information that Davalos-Pulido, who had been previously convicted in the Southern District of Texas in 2013 of importing methamphetamine from Mexico, and his co-conspirator were bringing supplies, known to be used in meth conversion labs, to a home in a Morrow.
On April 23, 2019, DEA agents saw Davalos-Pulido and his co-conspirator driving two vehicles, including a Saturn hatchback, back and forth from this Morrow residence. Davalos-Pulido was seen loading the hatchback with several buckets, colanders, and a plastic pitcher at the house. They then returned the hatchback to a restaurant parking lot and left in another vehicle. A few minutes later, a third individual drove away in the hatchback. Clayton County, Georgia police stopped the vehicle and located the buckets, colanders, and pitcher in the trunk. Several of the paint buckets contained liquid methamphetamine mixed with paint, totaling over 156 kilograms. Davalos-Pulido and his co-conspirator fled the area after the seizure.
In October 2021, DEA agents located Davalos-Pulido and his co-conspirator at a second meth lab at a home in Norcross, Georgia. On October 21, 2021, agents arrested the co-conspirator. Agents and law enforcement then executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered a loaded firearm on the center armrest of a couch that also concealed thousands of dollars in cash. Agents also found a large .50 caliber rifle, three buckets of liquid methamphetamine mixed with paint, containers, strainers, acetone, propane tanks, and other materials used for cooking methamphetamine. Investigators also found smaller amounts of crystal methamphetamine, heroin, a digital scale, and a money counter inside the home. Davalos-Pulido was arrested following the search.
Genaro Davalos-Pulido, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Davalos-Pulido was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime on June 26, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Lawrenceville Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Long Beach (California) Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Alerts Public to Charity Scams in Wake of Hurricane HeleneRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan advises the public to be cautious about hurricane relief fraud in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
“Natural disasters unfailingly prompt members of our communities to respond with an outpouring of compassion and support for impacted family members, neighbors, friends and strangers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Unfortunately, these occurrences also attract scammers who capitalize on such calamities to exploit affected fellow citizens when they are most vulnerable. By this public notice, we do not aim to deter you from offering assistance but caution you to do so with the awareness of how to detect and avoid common charity scams.”
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation in that area and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters target victims of such storms along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by these natural disasters. Unfortunately, criminals exploit these incidents for personal gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or via social media and by creating deceptive websites designed to solicit contributions.
The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, email, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before donating to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should follow these and other guidelines:
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
- Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
- Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
- Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
- Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
- Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in “.org” rather than “.com.”
- Be cautious of emails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Department of Justice Awards City of Atlanta with Grant to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The Department of Justice announced it has awarded nearly $700,000 to the City of Atlanta in support of the Atlanta Police Department’s (APD) initiative to establish an Atlanta Crime Gun Intelligence Center to address violent crime.
“Reducing violent crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice, our office, and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Gun violence in particular remains a pervasive threat to our communities. This grant to the City of Atlanta will strengthen our ongoing collaborative efforts with the Atlanta Police Department and reflects the long-standing and successful partnerships our offices have forged to reduce and prevent violent crime.”
“The creation of the Atlanta Crime Gun Intelligence Center will significantly enhance our ability to combat gun violence in the metro-Atlanta area,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones, ATF. “This collaboration will bring advanced forensic tools and innovative strategies to the forefront of our efforts, allowing us to swiftly identify and apprehend violent offenders.”
“We are profoundly grateful for the grant that will establish the Atlanta Crime Gun Intelligence Center. This initiative will equip the Atlanta Police Department with advanced technology and critical resources to combat gun violence, disrupt drug trafficking, and dismantle gang activity,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum more effectively. “Through innovation and strategic partnerships, we are committed to enhancing the safety and security of our communities.”
This grant awards $699,539 in funding to support APD’s initiative to establish an Atlanta Crime Gun Intelligence Center (ACGIC) to better respond to gun violence in the metro-Atlanta area. Specifically, this initiative enables the creation of a standalone ACGIC forensic ballistic lab for prioritized and swift processing of ballistic evidence in gang and repeat offender involved cases and expands the use of National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) technology by other law enforcement jurisdictions in conjunction with APD’s program. APD will also partner with Georgia State University to develop, implement, and monitor agreed upon performance measures and conduct process and outcome evaluations of ACGIC efforts.
This award is the first in the state of Georgia and is made through the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration (CGIC) Initiative, which is administered by Bureau of Justice Assistance in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The grant provides funding to state and local government organizations to equip them with the resources needed to reduce violent crime and the illegal use of firearms within their jurisdictions by enabling them to integrate with their local ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs).
This award is also made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Sentenced for Attempting to Traffic Firearms InternationallyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sourivahn Phonthepsone, a Canadian citizen, has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to traffic 50 firearms to Ontario, Canada.
“Firearm traffickers present a danger to communities everywhere, both nationally and internationally,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We remain resolute in our unwavering commitment to work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle gun trafficking operations and to prosecute those who jeopardize the safety of our communities by funneling firearms to criminals.”
“The arrest and conviction of this individual represent a significant victory in the fight against international firearms trafficking,” said ATF Assistant Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “Our agents executed a meticulously planned operation, ensuring that dangerous weapons never made it into criminal hands. ATF will continue to be relentless in its pursuit of those who endanger public safety.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Over a three-month period in 2023, Phonthepsone conspired with multiple individuals to purchase 50 firearms for $40,000 from a source in Atlanta, Georgia, with the intent of transporting the firearms to Canada for resale. In August 2023, Phonthepsone resided in Ontario, Canada and began communicating with a source in the United States about acquiring firearms. Phonthepsone asked the source to provide a quote for the price of each firearm. He also offered to travel to the United States to meet the source in person.
In September 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto, Canada to Dallas, Texas and met with the source and an undercover federal agent. During the meeting, Phonthepsone and the two individuals discussed the types and prices of firearms for purchase. Phonthepsone indicated that his associates would transport 20 firearms into Canada at a time. He agreed to pay $800 per firearm and estimated they would resell for approximately $2,000 each in Canada. At the end of the meeting, Phonthepsone gave the undercover agent a $1,000 down payment. Phonthepsone returned to Canada the next day.
On October 6, 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto to Atlanta and arranged to meet with the undercover agent on October 11, 2023, to make a deal to purchase the firearms. Phonthepsone met the undercover agent at a storage unit in Fairburn, Georgia, where he gave the agent $40,000 in cash for the firearms. After Phonthepsone initiated the transfer for some of the 50 firearms, ATF special agents arrested him without incident.
Sourivahn Ed Phonthepsone, 24, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to seven years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Phonthepsone was convicted of the firearms trafficking conspiracy charge on April 29, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Decatur Man Sentenced for Attempting to Sell Thousands of Counterfeit Pills Containing FentanylRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Gregory Buckner has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and attempting to sell thousands of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone tablets.
“Fentanyl and heroin pose an especially insidious danger to the public because they are so often disguised as counterfeit pills,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This investigation and prosecution are the product of our collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners to remove these deadly drugs from our communities and hold accountable individuals, such as Buckner, who attempt to distribute and profit from them.”
“Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The investigation and subsequent conviction of this drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight drug traffickers who have no regard for the citizens of our community.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In April 2023, Buckner attempted to sell 10,000 pills that purported to be oxycodone, but actually contained fentanyl. When investigators confronted Buckner in a vehicle just prior to this drug transaction, he jumped out of his car and fled on foot. DEA special agents then searched a storage unit rented by Buckner and found a kilogram of fentanyl and more than a kilogram of heroin. Buckner was arrested three months later as part of a fugitive operation.
Gregory Buckner, 48, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May to six years, 11 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Buckner was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, after he pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric J. White and John T. DeGenova prosecuted the case.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov; www.operationprevention.com/; and www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Russian Man Sentenced for Running an Illegal Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Feliks Medvedev has been sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business which transferred over $150 million in Russian money.
“Medvedev threatened our national and economic security by illegally transferring and laundering illicit Russian money,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Medvedev’s sentencing is a warning to others that our office is committed to pursuing and prosecuting individuals, both foreign and domestic, who promote the illegal transfer of foreign proceeds.”
“Medvedev used the American banking system to illegally transmit over $150 million,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing should serve as a notice to others who seek to undermine the security of American financial institutions, the FBI will continuously work to uncover the truth and push those committing criminal acts to be held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing is a testament to the coordinated efforts between our federal partners effectively targeting illegal financial transactions and money laundering schemes,” said John Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of OEE’s Miami Field Office. “Unlawful use of our financial system undermines the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Feliks Medvedev is a Russian citizen who resides in North Georgia. He registered eight companies in Georgia that were used to transmit more than $150 million in over 1,300 transactions. The companies were purportedly headquartered in Buford, Georgia, and Dacula, Georgia, but they did not have typical business expenses or employees. The money was used, in part, to purchase over $65 million in overseas gold bullion. Medvedev transferred millions of dollars overseas from multiple bank accounts in the United States.
As part of the conspiracy, Medvedev worked with a Russian company and was directed by multiple Russian nationals at that company to make illegal transfers of funds. Subsequent to Medvedev’s indictment, on September 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, acting pursuant to Executive Order 14024, sanctioned two of Medvedev’s alleged co-conspirators: Russian national Alexey Chubarov and his company KSK Group. Earlier this year, on February 13, 2024, Chubarov, KSK Group, and Russian national Lev Solyannikov were separately indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for conspiring with Medvedev.
Feliks Medvedev, 43, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to three years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Medvedev was convicted of the charges on February 7, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security with valuable assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Norman L. Barnett prosecuted the case.
This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta Man Sentenced for Million-Dollar Money Order SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jeremiah Carbon has been sentenced to federal prison for depositing nearly $1.5 million in fraudulent money orders into accounts at several metro Atlanta banks and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Carbon took advantage of a monetary instrument intended to serve as a secure means for transferring funds and used it for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Maintaining the security of our banking systems is paramount as millions of Americans rely on these institutions to protect and grow their finances. Thanks to the investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Secret Service, Carbon will be held accountable and will face the consequences for his crimes.”
“Carbon believed he could evade law enforcement when he resumed his criminal ways,” said Frederick D. Houston, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “What he learned is that the Secret Service consistently adapts our methods to uncover illicit financial schemes. We are mandated to safeguard our nation’s critical financial infrastructure and will continue to deploy every asset to do just that.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between December 2019 and September 2022, Carbon purchased nearly 1,500 money orders from retail stores in Georgia and at least two other states using fake names and fake driver’s licenses, many of which were legitimate driver’s license numbers of individuals. Carbon made copies of the blank money orders, completed those money orders with fictitious purchasers’ names, and then deposited the copied money orders into one of multiple bank accounts in at least five different federally insured banks. Some of the bank accounts were in Carbon’s name, and others were in the names of his conspirators. After Carbon deposited the copied money orders into the bank accounts, he returned all of the originally purchased blank money orders to the various retail stores and received refunds. Carbon purchased, copied, deposited, and then returned almost 1,500 money orders totaling nearly $1.5 million.
Carbon was also recorded on surveillance cameras at the various retail store locations buying and returning the money orders. In some instances, after using a fake driver’s license to purchase money orders, Carbon made additional purchases from the retail store using his actual debit card.
On February 22, 2022, deputies with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop while Carbon was driving due to an unrelated traffic violation. During the stop, deputies discovered multiple blank money orders, a receipt for the recently purchased money orders, a printer/copier, and a paper cutter. Additionally, Carbon was found to be in possession of a semi-automatic firearm, which he was prohibited from possessing due to his status as a convicted felon.
Jeremiah Carbon, 36, of Lithonia, Georgia was sentenced by U.S District Judge Victoria M. Calvert to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Carbon was convicted on charges of bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, after he pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Alison Prout prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Justice Department Finds Conditions in Georgia Prisons Violate the ConstitutionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Today the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced its findings from a multi-year investigation concluding that the Georgia Department of Corrections is violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from widespread physical violence and harm. The 94-page report details how the violence in Georgia prisons has become increasingly worse over the past several years.
“Individuals incarcerated by the Georgia Department of Corrections should not be subjected to life threatening violence and other forms of severe deprivation while serving their prison terms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our constitution requires humane conditions in prisons, that, at a minimum, ensure that people in custody are safe. The findings of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act investigation of the Georgia Department of Corrections reveal grave and diffuse failures to safeguard the men and women housed in its facilities, including disturbing and increasing frequencies of deaths among incarcerated people. We expect the State of Georgia to share our sense of urgency about the seriousness of the violations described in this report and to work cooperatively with the Department of Justice, our office, and our U.S. Attorney partners in the Middle and Southern Districts to remedy these systemic deficiencies in Georgia prisons.”
“Our findings report lays bare the horrific and inhumane conditions that people are confined to inside Georgia’s state prison system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our statewide investigation exposes long-standing, systemic violations stemming from complete indifference and disregard to the safety and security of people Georgia holds in its prisons. People are assaulted stabbed, raped and killed or left to languish inside facilities that are woefully understaffed. Inmates are maimed and tortured, relegated to an existence of fear, filth and not so benign neglect. These dangerous conditions not only harm the people Georgia incarcerates — it places prison employees and the broader community at risk. The Justice Department is committed to using its authority to bring about humane conditions of confinement that are consistent with contemporary standards of decency and respect for basic human dignity.”
As described in the report issued today, Georgia has the fourth-highest state prison population in the country, with almost 50,000 people incarcerated in 34 state-operated prisons and four private prisons. Beginning in 2016, the United States conducted a thorough investigation of Georgia’s prisons, with a focus on medium- and close-security facilities. The report found that critical understaffing and systemic deficiencies in physical plant, housing and classification, contraband control, and incident reporting and investigations, all contribute to the widespread violence. The United States also determined that gangs exert improper influence on prison life with impunity, including controlling entire housing units and operating unlawful and dangerous schemes in and from the prisons, harming both incarcerated people and the public. The report concludes that the GDC’s procedures constitute a pattern or practice of violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by failing to protect those housed at the medium- and close-security levels from widespread physical violence and harm.
The United States also concluded that Georgia unconstitutionally subjects incarcerated persons to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse across its facilities. Specifically, Georgia fails to protect incarcerated persons, including persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (“LGBTI”), from harm caused by sexual violence or abuse. Individuals who are LGBTI are subjected to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse in Georgia prisons due to inadequate sexual safety screening and classification practices, problematic and ineffective housing assignments, and other systemic deficiencies.
The United States launched its investigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act in 2016. At that time, the investigation focused on whether Georgia adequately protected incarcerated persons who are LGBTI from sexual abuse. In 2021, the United States expanded the investigation to also investigate protection from violence and harm for all incarcerated persons in facilities housing those at the medium- and close-security levels. The Northern District of Georgia’s United States Attorney’s Office joined together with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia, and the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, to conduct the investigation.
The case is being handled by Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity & Civil Rights Section.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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cover_letter_for_georgia_cripa_findings.pdf findings_report_-_georgia_department_of_corrections_2024_final.pdfSouth Carolina Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Shipping Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl to North GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Onesepherous L. Grissette has been sentenced to federal prison for shipping thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from South Carolina to North Georgia using the U.S. Mail.
“The danger posed by counterfeit pills and fentanyl is a real and continuing threat to our citizens and has claimed many lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office and agency partners are continually developing new and innovate investigative strategies for identifying traffickers who peddle these dangerous drugs and to hold them accountable for causing irreparable harm to our communities.”
“The US Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We remain steadfast to seek justice to the end and to keep communities safe through continued collaborative investigative efforts with our law enforcement partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In July 2022, investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service seized a shipment of pills mailed from South Carolina that were addressed to an individual who resided in Chickamauga, Georgia. The pills resembled the prescription drug oxycodone, but testing confirmed that the tablets contained fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Grissette shipped more than 4,500 pills to this individual for nearly two years and that the individual paid Grissette approximately $85,000.
Onesepherous L. Grissette, 43, of Conway, South Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to five years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Grissette was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance on June 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with valuable assistance provided by the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force and the Horry County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov; www.operationprevention.com/; and www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Cartersville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Ian Alicea Prewett has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing children to perform sexual acts for the purpose of producing child pornography.
“Prewett is a sexual predator who enticed and victimized innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His prosecution and sentence are examples of our office’s steadfast commitment to engage with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals like Prewett who seek to exploit the anonymity of the internet to sexually abuse vulnerable children.”
“This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing battle to protect our most vulnerable citizens — our children. This predator, who has perpetrated unspeakable horrors on minors, will now face justice for the seriousness of his crimes,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to find, arrest and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On various dates between 2020 and 2022, Ian Alicea Prewett uploaded sexually explicit digital images of minors to Instagram. Although Prewett tried to conceal his online identity, federal agents identified him as the individual who uploaded the images and, in May 2023, obtained a warrant to search his home. During the search, agents discovered a cell phone associated with the Instagram accounts that Prewett used to distribute child pornography.
At the time agents executed the search warrant, Prewett was already awaiting trial in Cobb County, Georgia, for statutory rape, child molestation, and child enticement. Those charges resulted from Prewett chatting with a 14-year-old girl on Instagram, asking her to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself, and then engaging in sex acts with her.
Prior to his arrest in May 2023, Prewett used social media to entice numerous minors to create sexually explicit material and engage in sexual acts. One of his victims was a minor under eight years old living in the United Kingdom. Prewett directed her to send him pictures and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Prewett also instructed a minor from Mobile, Alabama to do the same and he later traveled to Alabama to meet, photograph, and engage in sex acts with the minor.
Ian Alicea Prewett, 31, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to 20 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Prewett was convicted of sexual exploitation of children after he pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Wiltshire Police (United Kingdom).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Sex Offender Returned to Prison for Manufacturing Ghost Guns and Possessing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Richard Eric Greeson has been sentenced to federal prison for manufacturing and selling unserialized and untraceable rifles, commonly referred to as “ghost guns,” and possessing methamphetamine.
“Greeson threatened the safety of our community by illegally possessing, manufacturing, and selling illegal firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This joint investigative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers helped achieve Greeson’s prosecution and conviction, which makes our community safer.”
“Criminals must understand that there are serious repercussions for the illegal possession, manufacturing, and selling of firearms,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
“The Carroll County Sheriff's Office is thankful for our strong partnership with the ATF and is proud that our Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) Unit played a key role in assisting with the investigation and safely apprehending Mr. Greeson. This collaboration has led to the removal of dangerous drugs and illegal firearms from the streets of Carroll County, helping to make our community safer.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2008, Richard Eric Greeson received a state court sentence of imprisonment followed by 10 years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated child molestation, and six counts of child molestation, involving a six-year-old girl. In September 2022, Greeson’s probation officer learned Greeson was allegedly manufacturing firearms at his home in Carroll County, Georgia.
During a subsequent search of Gresson’s truck, his probation officer discovered firearm trigger components, cleaning parts, and ammunition. The probation officer also found evidence that Greeson had ordered gun parts from vendors on the internet. Law enforcement then searched Greeson’s home and discovered a firearms workshop in one of his bedrooms. The investigators recovered an industrial drill, a jig, and a partially milled firearm receiver in the home. In addition, buried in a wooded area behind Greeson’s home, the officers uncovered a gun case containing a fully assembled, unserialized semiautomatic rifle, a milled out lower AR receiver, more than 400 rounds of ammunition, and eight high-capacity magazines.
On December 12, 2023, a grand jury indicted Greeson for violating federal firearms laws. Two days later, during a traffic stop, special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Greeson with the assistance of local law enforcement officers. During the arrest, officers seized a bag of methamphetamine, a small quantity of marijuana, and two glass pipes from inside Greeson’s truck.
Richard Eric Greeson, 47, of Carrollton, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Greeson was convicted of engaging in the business of manufacturing and dealing firearms without a license and possession of methamphetamine, after he pleaded guilty to the charges on June 11, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Carrollton Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
United States Reaches Settlement Agreement with Cobb County Board of Elections to Make Voting Accessible for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has entered into a settlement agreement with the Cobb County Board of Elections to resolve a multi-year compliance review that identified physical barriers at many polling sites. Cobb County has agreed to make certain corrections in time for the November 2024 general election, and to conduct a systemic review and ensure accessibility for all future polling locations.
“During this election year, it is appropriate to remember that voting is a fundamental right and hallmark of our democracy; therefore, a person with a disability should have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot in person on Election Day,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We applaud the commitment of the Cobb County Board of Elections to work closely with our office to ensure that citizens with disabilities in Cobb County can vote alongside their family, friends, and neighbors at their local precinct, and do so with the same ease and convenience as nondisabled voters.”
From 2016 to 2024, the United States conducted a compliance review of Cobb County’s polling sites and surveyed more than 50 polling locations through three election cycles. Based on these surveys, the United States found numerous polling sites with physical barriers. The Cobb County Board of Elections expressed its commitment to ensure all polling locations are accessible to people with disabilities and worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout the entire compliance review.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Cobb County Board of Elections will employ temporary measures to make polling places accessible for the November 2024 general election. They will also train their poll workers on the County’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to use the temporary measures on Election Day. Cobb County Board of Elections will also survey all remaining polling locations for accessibility throughout the term of the Agreement. When selecting future polling sites, the Cobb County Board of Elections will ensure that new locations are ADA accessible. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the Agreement and provide technical assistance.The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Fallica, Rahul Garabadu, and Aileen Bell Hughes.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Settlement Cobb County Board of Elections_0.pdfMan Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud Factoring CompaniesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Micky Lee Wagner, also known as “Clifton Leigh Wagner Martin,” “Mickey Lee Wagner,” “Leigh Wagner,” “Michy Wagner,” “Lee Wagner,” and “Dr. Leigh,” has been sentenced to federal prison for operating a scheme to defraud factoring companies of more than $5 million while using stolen identities.
“Wagner has an extensive history of devising schemes to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses and individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the diligence of our federal law enforcement partners at FBI, a measure of justice has been achieved that will also prevent Wagner from victimizing others.”
“Wagner took great measures to create the fraudulent billing scheme to use these companies like his personal ATM,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. “His actions not only harmed businesses, but also the victims of his identity theft. Wagner will now have several years behind bars to consider the impact of his actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Wagner was the owner and CEO of Right Step Staffing, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia. Right Step Staffing was purportedly a personnel staffing company that provided temporary employees to other businesses. Wagner used stolen identities to create a false impression that he had workers; then he falsely claimed that his staffing company provided temporary workers to major businesses, including Kroger Distribution, Material in Motion, Duracell, and Clorox. But Right Step Staffing had no relationship with those businesses.
Based on Wagner’s misrepresentations, a factoring company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida entered into a contract with Right Step Staffing to purchase its accounts receivable to collect money on outstanding invoices that businesses supposedly owed to Right Step Staffing for temporary workers. Factoring companies advance funds through these kinds of arrangements so that staffing companies can meet their payroll obligations in a timely fashion.
To further the fraud, Wagner deceived the factoring company by providing them with fraudulent customer contracts, when in fact, Right Step Staffing had no agreements with the businesses. Wagner also provided the factoring company with email addresses that supposedly belonged to representatives of the businesses, as a means to confirm that Right Step Staffing supplied employees to their businesses. The email addresses appeared similar to the real businesses’ email addresses but were deceptively created by Wagner to defraud the factoring company.
After entering into the agreement, Right Step Staffing sent fraudulent invoices to the factoring company claiming that it had provided temporary workers to the businesses. These invoices totaled over $6 million during a several-month period, resulting in actual payments of more than $5 million to Wagner.
Wagner spent the fraudulent proceeds from the scheme to purchase real estate, a café, multiple luxury vehicles, plastic surgery, and a Royal Caribbean cruise, and he also diverted a substantial amount of cash for his personal use.
After his indictment in July 2022, Wagner fled to Kansas City, Missouri, where he evaded arrest for nearly a year. In July 2023, FBI agents arrested Wagner as he was leaving a residence in Kansas City. Also after his indictment in July 2022, Wagner defrauded another factoring company based in Minnesota. He stole more than $750,000 from that business. Wagner unsuccessfully attempted to defraud other factoring companies around the same time. Wagner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior federal fraud conviction from 2001. He fled Kansas City while on supervised release for that conviction.
Micky Lee Wagner, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to seven years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,092,512.88. Wagner was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on April 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Sekret T. Sneed prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sanjay Patel, an attorney who formerly operated a Georgia-based real estate law firm, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining nearly $300,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to using his attorney escrow account to launder more than $250,000 from unrelated investor fraud schemes.
“This office will remain steadfast in coordinating with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who defrauded the government’s COVID relief programs,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “It is especially aggravating that Patel, an attorney, not only used his professional standing to commit money laundering, but he also defrauded the American taxpayer out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to ensure fraudsters who sought to enrich themselves with funds from pandemic-assistance programs are held accountable,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “This case serves as a reminder to individuals that engage in unlawful activity that law enforcement will spare no resource to bring you to justice for your criminal activity.”
“This guilty plea is a testament to our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in financial fraud,” said Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent in Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Southeast Region.
“Even after four years, the FBI and our partners will continue to seek out anyone who abused their positions to defraud the government during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This plea proves that no matter how much time has passed, if you commit financial crimes and steal from American taxpayers, you will be held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between August 2020 and March 2021, Patel submitted four fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) seeking at least $421,000 to purportedly operate his business, including his law practice, Worden & Associates.
In the fraudulent applications, Patel repeatedly misrepresented the number of employees his law firm employed, its gross revenues, and in at least one application, the existence of his business. In reliance on Patel’s fraudulent misrepresentations, the SBA funded two of his loans totaling approximately $300,000.
After receiving the loan proceeds, Patel misused the funds for unauthorized purposes. EIDL loans are intended to be used for a business’s working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, as well as to pay business debt incurred at any time. But Patel spent the fraudulent EIDL loan proceeds he received on various things, including spending the funds at casinos, personal expenses, and to make payments toward non-business loans.
Separately, Patel used his Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) to launder the proceeds from various investment frauds. For example, on May 14, 2020, Patel received $350,000 from an investor who believed the funds were going to be used for an energy project. But after receiving those funds, Patel immediately wired $250,000 to another entity, unrelated to the investment. Similarly, in June 2020, Patel received another $350,000 as part of a different energy investment. After receiving this investor money, Patel laundered over $132,000 by conducting a series of wire transfers to other accounts unrelated to the investment. Although Patel was not involved in the underlying fraudulent activity, he knew that these funds were derived from various investor fraud schemes.
Sanjay Patel, 45, of Mobile, Alabama, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Chinese National Charged for Multi-Year “Spear-Phishing” CampaignRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Song Wu, a Chinese national, has been indicted on charges for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), research universities, and private companies.
“Efforts to obtain our nation’s valuable research software pose a grave threat to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “However, this indictment demonstrates that borders are not barriers to prosecuting bad actors who threaten our national security.”
“Once again, the FBI and our partners have demonstrated that cyber criminals around the world who are seeking to steal our companies’ most sensitive and valuable information can and will be exposed and held accountable,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this indictment shows, the FBI is committed to pursuing the arrest and prosecution of anyone who engages in illegal and deceptive practices to steal protected information.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons.
In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the United States government, including NASA, the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access.
According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (“AVIC”), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing, China. AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world.
Song Wu, 39, of China is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. Song faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Song faces a mandatory, two-year consecutive sentence in prison if convicted of aggravated identity theft.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NASA – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case. Within the National Security Division, this matter is being handled by Trial Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the National Security Cyber Section with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
This case is being coordinated by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia to Coordinate with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic Firearm ViolenceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announce its partnerships, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Division and DeKalb County, Georgia, to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders.
“In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 to combat crimes against women associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our close partnerships with law enforcement agencies, local stakeholders, organizations, and others, is critical to combat the scourge of domestic violence to safeguard families and make our communities safer.”
The Department of Justice utilized data to identify DeKalb County and other communities throughout the United States that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources. Our office had previously implemented a domestic violence firearm case referral program with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. In 2018, our offices launched this partnership to identify individuals for federal prosecution who possess a firearm following a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
This referral protocol resulted from the development of an innovative framework, by the District Attorney’s Office, for identifying such cases within their office, involving the input of felony and misdemeanor prosecutors, probation officers, and victim advocates. (See e.g. DeKalb County criminal justice partners set out to save lives with a firearm reduction initiative, https://www.preventdvgunviolence.org/community-spotlight/spotlight-dekalb-county-ga.html.) In September 2019, our partnership was highlighted in a workshop at the Georgia Commission on Family Violence’s Annual Conference. Through this strategic enforcement initiative, we expect to continue to identify and prosecute the most serious perpetrators of domestic violence – including offenders who use and possess firearms, which greatly increases the risk of serious injury or death to the victim.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta Promoter, Entrepreneur, and Former NFL Player Sentenced for Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Travis Lee Harris has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud stemming from his fraudulent acquisition of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for nearly $1,000,000, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Harris falsified a loan application to obtain PPP funds for his business that he then blatantly used to fund a lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Harris has now been held accountable for his crime. Our office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who defrauds taxpayers out of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.”
“Fraudulent exploitation of SBA’s pandemic relief programs diverts critical resources from the small businesses that truly need them,” said Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA OIG’s Eastern Region. “Our office is committed to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring that individuals who attempt to defraud SBA programs are brought to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their collaboration and dedication to justice in this case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In June 2020, Travis Harris, a former NFL player, signed a PPP loan application for his business, Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC, in the amount of $968,405. Harris provided fraudulent information on his application about the number of employees, payroll, and revenue for the business. Based on Harris’ fraudulent representations, the lender deposited $968,405 into the bank account for Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC. Harris soon began transferring the PPP loan funds into his personal bank accounts. In the following months, Harris posted to social media pictures of him holding a large stack of cash, buying a Rolex watch and other jewelry, and renting a room at a luxury hotel. Harris also used a portion of the PPP loan funds to finance other start-up businesses.
Travis Lee Harris, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Victoria M. Calvert to one year, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $997,457.15. Harris was convicted on these charges on February 14, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth III and Alison B. Prout prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Convicted Felon Who Shot at a Cartersville Police Officer Returned to PrisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Jose Rivera has been sentenced to federal prison for the possession of a stolen firearm, which he discharged at a Cartersville police officer, and for the possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Rivera’s reckless criminal behavior placed the citizens of Cartersville at serious risk,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The sentencing of this dangerous felon is an example of our office’s commitment to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”
“The complete disregard shown by Rivera for the safety of civilians, and the law enforcement officer who was shot at, is inexcusable,” said Mitchell Jackson, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Cartersville Office. “This disturbing trend of attacking law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by the FBI and we will continue to work with our partners in these cases to successfully prosecute dangerous repeat offenders.”
“Those that break the law and disregard the safety of our communities in Georgia will be held accountable,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The GBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate these reckless criminal acts that place Georgia communities in danger. This case represents our commitment to upholding the safety of citizens across the state.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On November 17, 2022, Rivera threw a cinderblock through the front door of a local store in Cartersville, Georgia, after which he entered the store and stole a 9mm pistol. He then went to a Circle K in Cartersville, where he pointed the gun at customers and fired the weapon.
An officer with the Cartersville Police Department arrived at the scene and Rivera fled behind the Circle K. As the officer pursued the suspect, Rivera turned and fired at the officer. The officer returned fire, striking Rivera in the leg and foot. Rivera was arrested and provided with medical treatment. A subsequent investigation revealed that Rivera was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Jose Rivera, 46, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to 18 years, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300. Rivera was convicted on these charges on April 26, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Motocross Coach Sentenced for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ryan Meyung, a motocross instructor who traveled the country building motocross tracks and mentoring children, has been sentenced for multiple child exploitation offenses.
“Meyung is a predator who sexually abused numerous children while working as a motocross coach,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This office remains steadfast in our determination to closely coordinate with our law enforcement partners across state lines to ensure justice is served to those who commit these heinous crimes against children.”
“This coach violated his position of trust and profound responsibility to protect and mentor those in his care,” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “HSI, alongside our partners at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Chattanooga Police Department, is fully committed to investigating and removing people who seek to harm our children. Our primary concern is ensuring justice for the victims and supporting their needs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between July 2019 and December 2021, Ryan Meyung caused six minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce images and videos of child sexual abuse. At the time, the victims were between six and 13 years old. Meyung also possessed and transported images and videos of child sexual abuse produced by other sex offenders. Additionally, he sexually abused and recorded other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Ryan Meyung, 33, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 40 years in prison to be followed by supervised release for life. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $193,500. Meyung was convicted of six counts of producing child pornography on April 26, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation - Chattanooga (Tennessee) with joint assistance from Homeland Security Investigation – Dalton (Georgia), the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (Tennessee), the Chattanooga (Tennessee) Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigation field offices throughout the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin N. Spritzer and Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and James E. Burke IV of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Motocross Coach Sentenced for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A motocross instructor who mentored children was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay at least $193,500 in restitution for sexually exploiting numerous children.
According to court documents, Ryan Meyung, 33, of no fixed address, sexually exploited multiple young children that he met and befriended while traveling the country as a motocross instructor between July 2019 and December 2021. As part of his predatory behavior, Meyung produced images and videos of six different minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sex acts with him and with each other. The victims were between 6 and 13 years old at the time. Meyung also possessed and transported images and videos of child sexual abuse produced by other sex offenders and sexually abused and recorded other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Meyung pleaded guilty in April to six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (producing child sexual abuse material) and has been in custody since his arrest in December 2021.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
HSI Chattanooga investigated the case, with assistance from HSI Dalton, the Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Police Department, and HSI field offices throughout the country.
Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin N. Spritzer for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pediatric Dentist Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Paul Kim, a pediatric dentist, has pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of images and videos of minors, including some 12 years old and younger, engaging in sexually-explicit activity.
“Kim possessed materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors at the same time that parents were entrusting their children to his pediatric care,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Possessing child pornography exploits and abuses children, essentially creating lasting effects for the victims each time the images are distributed online.”
“Every time child exploitation imagery is shared, it re-victimizes innocent and vulnerable children. Our office is focused on using all the resources needed for the very important work of protecting children in Georgia and beyond,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This plea demonstrates that no person is above the law. Regardless of employment, wealth, or social status, the FBI will continue to seek out all individuals who seek to abuse children and victimize them through the downloading and possession of child pornography.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: An FBI investigation of Paul Kim resulted from a broader investigation into a commercial sexual exploitation ring which advertised and sold child pornography on several online platforms. FBI Special agents identified Kim as one of the suspected purchasers of the material.
In December 2023, the agents executed a search warrant for Kim and his residence in Sandy Springs, Georgia, seizing approximately 30 electronic devices. The agents located about 1,948 images and 798 videos of child pornography on these devices. Several videos in Kim’s possession depicted prepubescent females engaged in sexual acts with adult males or objects.
Paul Bogeun Kim, 31, of Sandy Springs, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on August 23, 2024. Kim’s sentencing is scheduled for November 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Carrollton Businessman Sentenced for Failing to Pay over Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Barry Lee White has been sentenced to federal prison for willful failure to pay more than $2.4 million in payroll taxes.
“Payroll taxes fund important social insurance programs, including Social Security and Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “White refused to pay payroll taxes after withholding those funds from his employees’ paychecks for years – stealing from his employees and United States taxpayers. Employers who fail to comply with their legal obligations will be held accountable.”
“Employment tax evasion is stealing from the government and the American taxpayer,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Business owners are entrusted to collect and turn over IRS withholding taxes; not doing so may affect employees’ future social security and Medicare benefits. Investigating employment tax fraud is very important to IRS Criminal Investigation. Our special agents will work hard to ensure those who engage in this criminal activity are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between 2012 and 2019, Barry Lee White owned and operated, at different times, two construction maintenance and electrical companies: I-Barr Construction, Inc. and T-Line Construction, LLC. As an employer, White’s companies were required to withhold from employees’ gross pay Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, which represent Social Security and Medicare taxes, and federal income taxes. Collectively, these withheld taxes are referred to as “payroll taxes.”
As the sole operator of the companies, White had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay the IRS the payroll taxes. From at least 2015 to 2018, White withheld over $1.8 million in payroll taxes from his employees but failed to pay the taxes to the IRS. In addition, White was required to pay a certain portion of Social Security and federal unemployment tax for the companies; however, he failed to pay more than $600,000 for the employer’s portion of the payroll taxes.
Barry Lee White, 59, of Carrollton, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,499,473.07. White was convicted of these charges on May 7, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta’s Former Chief Financial Officer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The City of Atlanta’s former Chief Financial Officer, Jimmie “Jim” A. Beard, has been sentenced to federal prison for a multi-year scheme involving theft of funds, purchase and possession of two machine guns, and obstructing federal tax laws using altered documents and a fake business.
“Jim Beard abused the trust and confidence placed in him by the people of the City of Atlanta when he decided to steal tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayers to support his lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Beard’s sentencing is a demonstration of our commitment to hold accountable public officials who trade their position of power for greed and personal gain.”
“As this prosecution shows, the Department of Justice will work vigorously to protect the integrity of federal funds. Today’s sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to prevent fraud and theft from state and local governments receiving federal benefits,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri.
“Beard’s actions eroded public trust in government. As one of the most powerful people in Atlanta city government, he stole tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayers so he could go on luxurious trips and even buy custom-made machine guns,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities and we continue to work to protect citizens against officials who abuse that trust.”
“Public officials are entrusted by the citizens they serve to conduct the business of government on their behalf,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Jim Beard failed in his responsibilities to the community and utilized public tax dollars to satisfy his greed. The sentence today reinforces IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to investigating and forwarding for prosecution those who commit financial fraud.”
“Beard repeatedly abused his position, broke the law he was sworn to uphold and betrayed the trust of the people of Atlanta,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “This case demonstrates the partnerships of law enforcement to enforce the law and hold individuals accountable, regardless of their position or status.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately November 2011 to May 2018, Beard served as the Chief Financial officer (“CFO”) of the City of Atlanta (the “City”). As CFO, Beard directed and managed the Department of Finance, with primary responsibility for oversight and management of the City’s financial condition, earning a salary of over $260,000 per year.
During his tenure, Beard devised and executed a scheme to obtain money and property from the City for private use, including using City funds to: (1) pay for personal luxury travel expenses for himself, his family, and his travel companions; (2) buy items for personal use, including two machine guns; (3) pay for travel to conferences or meetings for which the conference or meeting host reimbursed Beard, with Beard pocketing the reimbursements instead of giving them to the City; and (4) pay for travel that Beard falsely claimed as business deductions on his taxes for a non-existent personal consulting business.
In total, Beard stole at least tens of thousands of dollars from the City. By way of example only:
•In the summers of 2015 and 2016, Beard charged nearly $4,000 to the City for weekend stays at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. However, Beard was not in Chicago those weekends and the hotel rooms were actually for his stepdaughter to attend the Lollapalooza music festival.
•In December 2015, Beard ordered two custom-built machine guns using a purchase order and $2,641.90 check from the City, telling the manufacturer that the machine guns were for the exclusive use of the Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) – even though Beard took the guns to his own home and APD had no knowledge of them.
•In April 2016, Beard charged more than $2,600 to the City for airfare and hotels for two weekend trips to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Beard had no City business in New Orleans during either trip, and took his wife one of the weekends and a different personal companion the other.
•In June 2016, Beard charged $975.52 to the City for travel to Washington, D.C. for a meeting with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”). Even though Beard had the City pay for this travel, Beard asked the MSRB to reimburse him personally for these costs and submitted copies of his receipts to the MSRB. As a result, the MSRB issued a check to Beard, which he kept and deposited into his personal bank account.
•In April 2017, Beard charged more than $10,000 to the City for a four-day stay for him and his wife at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, in a deluxe suite with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
Beard exploited his position and power to execute his scheme. When lower-level City staff members responsible for processing travel reimbursements asked him for receipts or work justifications for his trips, Beard refused and ordered the staff (who worked for him) to process the reimbursements without the requisite documentation. A City employee described the culture under Beard as, “if the [] CFO asks you for something, you do not ask questions.”
While CFO, Beard also submitted years of fraudulent tax returns in which he claimed personal business expenses to lower what he owed in taxes. During a 2015 audit of one of those returns, Beard lied to the IRS and obstructed auditors by submitting receipts for transactions that were actually paid by the City in connection with Beard’s official duties. The investigation later revealed that Beard did not operate a personal business, and years of tax deductions were based on a lie.
Jimmie “Jim” A. Beard, 60, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Beard was also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and restitution in the amount of $177,197.48. Beard was convicted on these charges on April 8, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett Bradford and Tiffany Johnson, Department of Justice Trial Attorney Trevor Wilmot, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Davis prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
United States Files Suit Against the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech Research Corporation Alleging Cybersecurity ViolationsRead the Press Release
The United States joined a whistleblower suit and filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) asserting claims that those defendants knowingly failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with government agencies for work to be performed at Georgia Tech. The whistleblower suit was initiated by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity team.
“Government contractors that fail to fully implement required cybersecurity controls jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive government information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was designed to identify such contractors and to hold them accountable.”
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that until at least February 2020, the Astrolavos Lab at Georgia Tech failed to develop and implement a system security plan, which is required by DoD cybersecurity regulations, that set out the cybersecurity controls that Georgia Tech was required to put in place in the lab. Even when the Astrolavos Lab finally implemented a system security plan in February 2020, the lawsuit alleges that Georgia Tech failed to properly scope that plan to include all covered laptops, desktops, and servers.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges until December 2021, the Astrolavos lab failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at the lab. Instead, Georgia Tech approved the lab’s refusal to install antivirus software — in violation of both federal cybersecurity requirements and Georgia Tech’s own policies — to satisfy the demands of the professor who headed the lab.
The lawsuit further alleges that in December 2020 Georgia Tech and GTRC submitted a false cybersecurity assessment score to DoD for the Georgia Tech campus. DoD requires contractors to submit summary level scores reflecting the status of their compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements on covered contracting systems that are used to store or access covered defense information. The submission of this score was a “condition of contract award” for Georgia Tech’s DoD contracts. The lawsuit alleges that the summary level score of 98 for the Georgia Tech campus that Georgia Tech and GTRC reported to DoD in December 2020 was false because (1) Georgia Tech did not actually have a campus-wide IT system and (2) the score was for a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that could or would ever process, store or transmit covered defense information.
“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats posed by malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved. Our office will hold accountable those contractors who ignore cybersecurity rules.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat not only to our national security, but also to the safety of the men and women of our armed services who risk their lives daily,” said Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the DoD's Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors and expect them to meet the strict standards our service members deserve.”
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, who were previously senior members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity compliance team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to liability for three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties.
On Oct. 6, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
Senior Trial Counsel Jake M. Shields of the Justice Department's Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Melanie D. Hendry for the Northern District of Georgia are handling the matter.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corp, et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.). Investigative support is being provided by the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations and Air Force Material Command.
The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
ComplaintUnited States Files Suit Against the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech Research Corporation Alleging Cybersecurity ViolationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States has filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) raising claims under the False Claims Act and federal common law alleging that those defendants failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.
GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with government agencies for work to be performed at Georgia Tech and its related entities. On February 20, 2024, the United States intervened in a whistleblower suit brought by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity team against Georgia Tech and GTRC.
“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats posed by malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved. Our office will hold accountable those contractors who ignore cybersecurity rules.”
“Government contractors that fail to fully implement required cybersecurity controls jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive government information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was designed to identify such contractors and to hold them accountable.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat not only to our national security, but also to the safety of the men and women of our armed services that risk their lives daily,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors and expect them to meet the strict standards our service members deserve.”
The United States’ complaint alleges that, from at least as early as 2019 and extending for multiple years, Georgia Tech essentially had “no enforcement” of federal cybersecurity regulations in connection with DoD contracts and fostered a “culture of somebody up the line is going to overturn me . . . [so] I might as well go ahead and ignore the policy” with respect to cybersecurity compliance. Georgia Tech, the suit alleges, routinely acquiesced to the demands of “star researchers”—who were treated like “star quarterbacks” because they secured large government contracts—when those researchers “pushed back” on cybersecurity compliance because the researchers found it troublesome.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that from at least May 2019 until at least February 2020, the Astrolavos Lab at Georgia Tech failed to develop and implement a required system security plan that set out the cybersecurity controls that were put in place in the lab to comply with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements. Nor, until August 2019 at the earliest, did Georgia Tech undertake to implement the required DoD cybersecurity controls at the lab the suit alleges. Even when the Astrolavos Lab finally implemented a system security plan in February 2020, the lawsuit alleges that Georgia Tech failed to properly scope that plan to include all covered laptops, desktops, and servers, and then in the ensuing years failed to monitor and update that plan as required by applicable cybersecurity rules and regulations.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that from at least as early as May 2019 until December 2021, the Astrolavos lab failed to install, update, or operate anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers, and networks at the lab. Georgia Tech allegedly approved the lab’s refusal to install antivirus software—in violation of both federal cybersecurity requirements and Georgia Tech’s own policies—to satisfy the demands of the professor who headed the lab. In connection with contracts that DoD entered into with GTRC on behalf of Georgia Tech, defendants were obligated to implement these and other cybersecurity controls at the Astrolavos Lab.
The lawsuit further alleges that in December 2020, Georgia Tech and GTRC submitted a false and fraudulent cybersecurity assessment score to DoD for the Georgia Tech campus. DoD requires contractors to submit summary level scores reflecting the status of their compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements on covered contracting systems that are used to store or access covered defense information. The submission of this score is a “condition of contract award” for most DoD contracts. The lawsuit alleges that the summary level score of 98 for the Georgia Tech campus that Georgia Tech and GTRC reported to DoD in December 2020 was false and fraudulent because: (1) Georgia Tech did not have, nor could it ever have, a campus-wide IT system; (2) the score was for a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment that was a “construct” since it was not “specifically associated to any active research at Georgia Tech” and was “not actually describing something that exists;” and (3) the score was not for any covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that could or would ever process, store, or transmit covered defense information.
On October 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the Department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put United States information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here. This lawsuit is the first matter the United States has litigated as part of the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative.
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, who were previously senior members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity compliance team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The act allows private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery. The act also permits the United States to intervene and assume responsibility for litigating these cases, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to liability for three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties.
This case is being handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corp, et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.). Investigative support is being provided by the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Air Force Material Command.
This matter is being handled by Senior Trial Counsel Jake M. Shields and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Melanie D. Hendry.
The claims in which the United States has intervened are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Environmental Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing from EmployerRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Michael Mayfield, who orchestrated a more than one-million-dollar scheme to defraud his employer by stealing rebate checks and submitting false invoices to his company, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“Mayfield stole over one million dollars from his employer related to environmental and recycling programs,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “After being entrusted with a fiduciary role, he betrayed that trust and demonstrated that he cared more about his personal gain than the faith his employer placed in him.”
“Michael Mayfield not only betrayed his employer, but his actions ultimately increased the costs of business not only for the company but it’s customers too,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “The FBI is committed following every lead to bring white-collar criminals like Mayfield to face justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Around early December 2016, Michael Mayfield was employed as an environmental manager at the Mars Wrigley factory in Flowery Branch, Georgia. In that role, he oversaw the Health, Safety, and Environmental and Recycling Programs.
The recycling waste produced at the factory was valuable and companies often made direct payments or sent Mars Wrigley rebate checks after disposal of the material. But unbeknownst to Mars Wrigley, Mayfield diverted the checks to his own company, WWJ Recycling. The fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000. Mayfield used the funds to pay for hunting trips worth more than $100,000, a donation to his church for more than $80,000, and more than $200,000 in personal checks.
Mayfield also directed his co-conspirator to create false invoices from ASA Safety Supply, a supplier to Mars Wrigley. The co-conspirator sent the invoiced items to Mayfield for his personal use and then submitted false invoices from ASA Safety Supply to Mars Wrigley for payment. The purchased items included football supplies for the Flowery Branch High School football team, such as cleats and clothing, improvements to the stadium, tickets to a University of Georgia football game, and gift cards. These false invoices totaled over $199,000.
Mayfield also sent invoices from WWJ Recycling to ASA Safety Supply. His co-conspirator directed ASA Safety Supply to pay those invoices and then submit the false invoices to Mars Wrigley for payment for work that was not done. The WWJ Recycle invoices totaled over $750,000.
Michael Mayfield, 55, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on August 19, 2024. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story in Gainesville, Georgia.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Duluth Man Sentenced for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jorge Rodriguez-Martinez has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in distributing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine in the metro-Atlanta area.
“Methamphetamine traffickers pose a grave threat to our communities and peddle these dangerous drugs in total disregard of the lives they place at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the coordinated and tireless efforts of our federal and state partners, Rodriguez-Martinez will now be held accountable for his crimes.”
“Our communities remain under attack by drug traffickers with no regard for the harm and destruction they cause,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will continue to bring to justice the drug traffickers who drive addiction and destroy our communities.”
“Under DEA leadership, the federal, state and local agencies assigned to the Atlanta Carolinas work tirelessly to thwart this poison from impacting so many communities in North Georgia,” said Dan Salter, Director of the Atlanta Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. This investigation, culminating with the sentencing of Rodriguez-Martinez, exemplifies that good always prevails and the effort and commitment by agents and task force officers is noble.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On October 7, 2020, a confidential source (CS) working with agents from the DEA, made multiple recorded phone calls to Rodriguez-Martinez to purchase several kilograms of methamphetamine. After the phone calls, Rodriguez-Martinez, who was being surveilled by federal law enforcement agents, travelled to a location in the metro-Atlanta area to meet with a drug supplier at a Dunwoody apartment complex. Rodriguez-Martinez traveled to the CS’s residence where he dropped off his truck containing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, switched vehicles, then drove away.
The CS placed additional recorded phone calls to Rodriguez-Martinez, during which Rodriguez-Martinez confirmed that the drugs were in the truck and agreed to return to the CS’s residence to pick up the drugs. Rodriguez-Martinez next travelled to the CS’s residence, picked up the methamphetamine, and quickly departed. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia State Patrol stopped Rodriguez-Martinez’s vehicle and located approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine on the front passenger floorboard.
Jorge Rodriguez-Martinez, 56, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones on August 16, 2024, to 10 years in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, followed by four years of supervised release. Following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Rodriguez-Martinez on April 25, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Atlanta Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McClellon D. Cox, III, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra E. Strippoli prosecuted the case. This case was previously prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Previously Convicted Felon Returns to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mamadou D’Jire, a previously convicted felon, has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a firearm while illegally selling drugs, damaging a government vehicle while fleeing from law enforcement, and for violating the terms of his supervised release.
“D’Jire is a dangerous felon who resumed his criminal activity shortly after being released from prison,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This successful prosecution is the result of the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose investigation and apprehension of D’Jire make our community safer.”
“Criminals must understand that there are serious repercussions for the illegal possession of firearms,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “The ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On June 14, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) special agents, and law enforcement officers with the DeKalb County, Georgia, Police Department, surveilled a gas station on Hairston Road in Stone Mountain, Georgia, when they saw Mamadou D’Jire make several marijuana sales.
As D’Jire departed the gas station driving a white Nissan Altima, a Dekalb County police officer pulled behind the Altima and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. D’Jire pulled into an apartment complex where children were playing outside, but he refused to come to a complete stop. ATF agents then used their government vehicle to block the Altima. As the agents exited their vehicle, D’Jire accelerated, crashed into the agents’ vehicle, and smashed the driver’s side door, causing extensive damage.
D’Jire then fled the scene but was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest. Agents searched the vehicle D’Jire was driving and found a semi-automatic 9mm caliber pistol with an extended magazine, ammunition, marijuana packaged for sale, and a federal supervised release identification card. D’Jire, a convicted felon, was released from prison approximately a month prior to committing these offenses. He had been previously convicted of three violent felonies, including two burglaries and an armed robbery.
Mamadou D’Jire, 29, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to 12 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,631.99. D’Jire was convicted of destruction of government property and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 14, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with valuable assistance provided by the DeKalb County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia Trucker Sentenced for PPP FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roderick Billingslea has been sentenced to federal prison for obtaining a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and operating illegal trucking businesses.
“Billingslea falsified documents in order to receive PPP funds to operate illegal and unsafe businesses that he was ordered to stop operating,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “He has now been held accountable for his crimes. But our office’s work continues in collaborating with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who defraud the United States Government, including by stealing funds from PPP and other important programs.”
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message that, along with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will tirelessly pursue individuals who compromise trucking safety by intentionally ignoring or circumventing federal orders and regulations,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region. “We encourage the public to contact OIG’s Hotline at www.oig.dot.gov/hotline to report suspected PPP loan fraud or other illegal activities that affect the integrity of DOT programs or operations.”
“This case underscores the critical role of oversight in safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring that pandemic relief programs are not exploited by those who seek to commit fraud,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “Our office will remain steadfast in pursuing those who use such vital resources for personal gain. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their collaboration and dedication to justice in this case.”
“Billingslea chose to commit fraud and steal limited pandemic relief funds designated to help businesses struggling to survive,” said Frederick D. Houston, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “This case signifies our commitment to protect citizens and businesses from fraud and identity theft. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these programs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2020, the Department of Transportation (DOT) ordered Billingslea’s trucking business, Billingslea’s Inc., to cease all operations due to multiple safety violations. Billingslea was also prohibited from creating any successor trucking entities.
Despite this order, Billingslea filed multiple registrations with DOT for new trucking entities that listed false owners and fake addresses. Billingslea controlled and operated these illegal businesses by stealing the corporate identities of legitimate trucking businesses. He then employed unsuspecting truck drivers who were unaware that they were hired by an illegitimate business. Billingslea used the drivers until they incurred DOT violations, after which he hired new drivers and moved on to another illegal entity.
Billingslea funded this illegal trucking enterprise with money he obtained from a PPP loan that he received through false pretenses. In June 2020, Billingslea applied for and received a PPP loan for $564,363 on behalf of Billingslea, Inc. He lied on his application, claiming that he was not barred from operating a trucking business. Billingslea also inflated the number of employees and monthly wages for the business. In April 2022, he obtained forgiveness of the loan by submitting false tax documents with the forgiveness application.
Roderick Bashon Billingslea, Jr., 30, of Dacula, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May on August 13, 2024, to two years, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $591,668.89 and the cost of his incarceration, or $49,770 annually. Billingslea was convicted on these charges on April 11, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records.
This case was investigated by the Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General, Small Business Administration – Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia Man Indicted for Pandemic-Related Fraud and Stolen Identity Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mycheal Arnell Brady, also known as “Michael Brady,” has been indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, for stealing COVID-19 relief funds and submitting fraudulent federal tax refunds using the stolen identities of multiple individuals. Brady has also been charged with possession of unauthorized access devices that contained dozens of the identity theft victims’ personal information, including their Social Security numbers.
“Brady’s alleged scheme defrauded programs designed to support legitimate businesses struggling during the COVID-19 relief pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “To further perpetrate his fraud, he also allegedly used stolen personal information from unsuspecting victims to file fraudulent tax returns and obtain refunds.”
“This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of COVID-19 relief programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “Fraudulent activities undermine the purpose of these essential programs, designed to support legitimate small businesses struggling during the pandemic. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to ensuring that those who exploit federal programs are held accountable.”
“Mycheal Brady’s alleged theft of funds under the CARES Act and other criminal activity led to his indictment today,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “It is only a matter of time before IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners uncover the crimes of many others who defrauded the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Mycheal Brady allegedly submitted several fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to authorized lenders and the Small Business Administration. The applications contained fraudulent information regarding gross revenues and fake employees at his various companies and sought over $1.9 million in funding. He also allegedly submitted fraudulent tax forms and bank statements to support his loan applications. Brady allegedly received more than $330,000 from the fraudulent EIDL and PPP loans, which were not used for authorized business purposes.
In connection with his fraudulent schemes, Brady also allegedly possessed dozens of Social Security numbers belonging to the stolen identity theft victims, which Brady then used to apply for federal tax refunds. The victims were not aware of Brady’s use of their personal identifying information nor did they consent to his filing of their federal tax refunds on their behalf.
Mycheal Arnell Brady, also known as “Michael Brady,” 36, of Peachtree City, Georgia was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Christopher C. Bly on August 5, 2024. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2024. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Cooper and Samir Kaushal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud Insurance CompanyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Dwayne Davis has been indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud his business partner, Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO), of more than $5 million.
“Davis occupied a position of trust in his relationship with his business partner and allegedly abused that trust to facilitate and conceal his fraudulent conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His alleged diversion of his business partner’s funds to pay personal expenses has resulted in Davis potentially facing decades in federal prison.”
“This defendant allegedly took advantage of his business partners, violating their trust and deceiving them for his own personal gain,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “Actions like these ultimately impact customers through higher insurance costs. The FBI will continue to partner with law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit financial crimes and steal from trusting individuals.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: GEICO was the majority owner, and Davis was the minority owner, of a limited partnership called PIS QOZ Fund 2018-A, LP. In November 2018, GEICO contributed $26 million to the Partnership as an investment in Riverside Village, a commercial development in North Augusta, South Carolina.
In April 2021, GEICO agreed to contribute another $5.91 million to the Partnership to resolve a multiparty dispute involving unpaid taxes, a construction lawsuit, and foreclosure proceedings. GEICO wire transferred the $5.91 million to the Partnership’s account—an account that Davis controlled—with the understanding that Davis would use the money solely to pay the taxes, settle the lawsuit, and stop the foreclosure proceedings. GEICO did not authorize Davis to use the money for any other purpose.
But almost immediately after taking control of the $5.91 million, Davis allegedly began siphoning off money from the Partnership’s account and secretly transferring it to accounts that he controlled at other banks—accounts that were not related to the Partnership. In all, Davis surreptitiously transferred $5,898,000 out of the Partnership's account. Those transfers served no legitimate Partnership purpose and were allegedly made with the intent to defraud GEICO and the Partnership.
Davis eventually used some of the diverted money to pay taxes owed by the Partnership, but he never made the payments to settle the lawsuit or stop the foreclosure proceedings. Instead, Davis used the remaining money to pay his personal debts and expenses and to pay expenses related to business ventures that did not involve the Partnership or GEICO.
Dwayne Peterson Davis, 54, of Atlanta, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2024. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Russell Phillips is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Georgia Jailer Who Strangled Detainee into State of Unconsciousness Sentenced for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A former detention officer with the Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for intentionally depriving a detained woman of her civil rights by using unreasonable force.
Monique Clark, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty last March to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. According to court documents, Clark strangled a handcuffed arrestee into unconsciousness while processing her for intake at the Fulton County North Annex Jail. As part of his plea, Clark admitted that he knew the woman posed no threat to officers and knew that Sheriff’s Office policy prohibited placing detainees in chokeholds or neck restraints except in life-or-death situations.
“This defendant’s violent assault on a handcuffed arrestee rendered her unconscious and is simply inexcusable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we have seen too many times, chokeholds and neck restraints can prove deadly. Using high-level force against a person in custody who poses no threat is plainly illegal, but using such a dangerous technique gratuitously is especially disturbing. The Justice Department is committed to holding law enforcement officers accountable for use of excessive force and to protecting the rights of people in custody.”
“Instead of carrying out his mission to ensure the safety and security of detainees in his custody at the Fulton County Jail, Clark abandoned his oath of office when he used excessive force to strangle a pre-trial detainee without cause,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “Law enforcement officers who violate their professional duties are not above the law. It is now Clark who will serve time in prison as a result of his reprehensible conduct.”
“Mr. Clark took a sworn oath as a detention officer to uphold the rights of others,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “He violated that oath when he abused and strangled a female inmate. Today’s sentencing is a reminder that the FBI will relentlessly work to hold accountable anyone who takes an oath to protect others.”
The FBI Atlanta Field Office and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office’s Office of Professional Standards investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bret Hobson for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Fulton County Detention Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former Fulton County Detention Officer Monique Clark has been sentenced for using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Jail.
“Instead of carrying out his mission to ensure the safety and security of detainees in his custody at the Fulton County Jail, Clark abandoned his oath of office when he used excessive force to strangle a pre-trial detainee without cause,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Law enforcement officers who violate their professional duties are not above the law. It is now Clark who will serve time in prison as a result of his reprehensible conduct.”
“This defendant’s violent assault on a handcuffed arrestee rendered her unconscious and is simply inexcusable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we have seen too many times, chokeholds and neck restraints can prove deadly. Using high-level force against a person in custody who poses no threat is plainly illegal, but using such a dangerous technique gratuitously is especially disturbing. The Department of Justice is committed to holding law enforcement officers accountable for use of excessive force and to protecting the rights of people in custody.”
“By violating his sworn oath as a detention officer to protect people, Clark betrayed every honest, hardworking officer, and crossed the line to criminal behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Let this sentence be a reminder that the abuse of inmates by prison staff will not be tolerated by the FBI and will always be pursued for prosecution.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, information presented in court and other public information: At the time of the crime, Monique Clark was employed as a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail. On June 5, 2023, while Clark was working at the North Jail Annex in Alpharetta, Georgia, he strangled a pretrial detainee without any legal justification. The detainee lost consciousness and suffered bodily injury as a result of the assault.
Monique Clark, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to using excessive force on March 26, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Alec C. Ward prosecuted the case.
Zimbabwe National Found Guilty of Laundering More Than $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Following a five-day trial, Sherlyn Sims, a/k/a “Sherlyn Dzinzi,” was found guilty by a jury of conspiring to launder, and laundering, proceeds generated from numerous romance fraud scams and business email compromise schemes. These computer-enabled crimes resulted in more than $1.2 million being diverted to bank accounts controlled by Sims, after which she quickly transferred, withdrew, and spent the funds.
“The fraud schemes that Sims perpetrated in this case have become an epidemic in this country,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our vulnerable elderly population are often targeted in these crimes, resulting in significant financial loss and unimaginable emotional suffering. The jury’s verdict has ended Sims’s attempts to evade culpability for the role that she played in carrying out these schemes.”
“This case serves as a reminder of the sophisticated methods employed by criminals and the need for vigilance in the digital age,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. “The consequences of this type of fraud scheme are far-reaching, affecting not only people here in Georgia, but also around the world.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Sherlyn Sims was charged with conspiracy and money laundering related to the receipt of funds stolen from dozens of victims between December 2019 and August 2020. Sims and her co-defendants registered sham businesses, including Grace Trading, LLC, a company Sims registered in the state of Georgia. Grace Trading and the other sham businesses had no legitimate earnings, did not have physical premises, and did not pay wages to employees.
Once the businesses were registered, business bank accounts were opened in the companies’ names at various financial institutions. For instance, two days after Grace Trading became registered with the Georgia Secretary of State, Sims opened business bank accounts at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and Bank of America. Shortly after the accounts were opened, fraud victims were duped into depositing approximately $200,000 into Grace Trading’s bank accounts. Sims quickly wired the fraud proceeds to China and other foreign countries, withdrew cash from the accounts, and transferred or spent the remaining funds.
Over the following seven months, more than $1.2 million in fraud proceeds were deposited into these accounts from romance scams and business email compromise schemes. One of the incidents involved a scam that tricked a victim into sending the earnest money deposit for the purchase of a new home to Sims’s Grace Trading account. Sims was not deterred when the banks closed Grace Trading’s accounts, as she would open a new bank account in the sham business’s name. Sims also used Grace Trading to obtain a fraudulent COVID-loan from the Small Business Administration.
Multiple romance fraud victims testified at trial. The victims recounted how they met male strangers online and were soon convinced they were in a romantic relationship with the men, even though the victims were in communication with the individuals for months without meeting in person. Often these men claimed that they wanted to start a life with the victims and were eager to live with them as soon as some kind of issue was resolved. For example, one romance fraud victim was persuaded to send nearly $100,000 to one of Sims’s accounts because her boyfriend (one of the men online) claimed that he was traveling to Boston but had been detained by customs officials and would not be released until his taxes were paid. This victim depleted her life savings and borrowed from friends and family trying to help the man pay his taxes and be released from detention.
Sherlyn Sims, a/k/a “Sherlyn Dzinzi,” 33, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones. Sims was found guilty by a federal jury on July 31, 2024.
Co-defendant Bright Eigbedion, 36, of Kearns, Utah, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Jones. Eigbedion was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering on March 27, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
Co-defendant Presley Ihimekpen, 37, of Duluth, Georgia, was previously sentenced by Judge Jones on August 1, 2024, to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims. Ihimekpen was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering on March 27, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.