Eastern District of Kentucky
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Flemingsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Flemingsburg, Ky., man, Wesley A. Miles, 28, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, on June 1, 2018, Miles was involved in an altercation at a restaurant in Paris, Ky. Miles admitted that, during the altercation, he exited the restaurant and retrieved a firearm from his vehicle. Prior to leaving the scene, Miles fired a single shot in the air., Miles then fled the scene and disposed of the firearm by throwing it out of his vehicle’s window. Miles admitted that, at the time, he had been convicted of a crime and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Miles was indicted in June 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Myron Thomas, Paris Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Paris Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
Miles is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2021. He faces up to 10 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Cocaine and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington, Ky., man, Oscar Bustamante, 29, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 120 months in federal prison, for trafficking in cocaine and heroin, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, on November 7, 2019, law enforcement found Bustamante in possession of 104 grams of heroin and 113 grams of cocaine. Additionally, law enforcement found $4,792 in cash and digital scales with residue on them in the cabinet, along with three firearms in the top of his bedroom closet.
Bustamante pleaded guilty to the federal charge in September 2020.
Under federal law, Bustamante must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
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Danville Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Danville, Ky., man, Lenoard Riley, 45, pleaded guilty on Friday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to transporting child pornography using the Internet.
According to Riley’s plea agreement, he admitted that on July 30, 2017, he was in possession of 23 images and two videos of child pornography on his smart phone. These images depicted children under 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Riley further admitted that he knew the images he received, possessed, and transported through his computer involved minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Riley was indicted in March 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Steven L. Igyarto, Resident Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations; and Lt. Colonel Phillip Burnett, Acting Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by DHS-HIS and KSP-Electronic Crime Branch. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye.
Riley is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, April 23, 2021. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 144 Months for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Cincinnati man, Gilbert Cole, 45, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 144 months in federal prison, for cocaine trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, from September to December 2019, law enforcement used an informant to conduct eight controlled buys from Cole, in Covington. Cole had two prior convictions for first degree trafficking of cocaine, in Kenton County Circuit Court, in December 2002 and February 2011.
Cole pleaded guilty to the federal charge in October 2020.
Under federal law, Cole must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Robert Nader, Covington Police Department, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and Covington Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Owner of Bitcoin Exchange Sentenced to Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Bulgarian national who was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a transnational and multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud American victims was sentenced today to 121 months in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General David P. Burns of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. of the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Resident Agent in Charge John Oldham of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Weir sentenced Rossen G. Iossifov, 53, formerly of Bulgaria, for conspiracy to commit a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) offense and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to trial evidence, Iossifov owned and managed RG Coins, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. According to the evidence at trial, Iossifov knowingly and intentionally engaged in business practices designed to both assist fraudsters in laundering the proceeds of their fraud and to shield himself from criminal liability. At least five of Iossifov’s principal clients in Bulgaria were Romanian scammers, who belonged to a criminal enterprise known in court records as the Alexandria (Romania) Online Auction Fraud (AOAF) Network.
More specifically, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Iossifov and his co-conspirators participated in a criminal conspiracy that engaged in a large-scale scheme of online auction fraud that victimized at least 900 Americans. Romania-based members of the conspiracy posted false advertisements to popular online auction and sales websites — such as craigslist and eBay — for high-cost goods (typically vehicles) that did not actually exist. Once victims were convinced to send payment, the conspiracy engaged in a complicated money laundering scheme wherein domestic associates would accept victim funds, convert these funds to cryptocurrency, and transfer proceeds in the form of cryptocurrency to foreign-based money launderers. Iossifov was one such foreign-based money launderer who facilitated this final step in the scheme.
According to evidence at trial, Iossifov designed his business to cater to criminal enterprises by, for instance, providing more favorable exchange rates to members of the AOAF Network. Iossifov also allowed his criminal clients to conduct cryptocurrency exchanges for cash without requiring any identification or documentation to show the source of funds, despite his representations to the contrary to the major bitcoin exchanges that supported his business. Evidence submitted during trial and his sentencing hearing revealed that Iossifov laundered nearly $5 million in cryptocurrency for four of these five scammers in a period of less than three years. This represented over $7 million in funds defrauded from American victims. In return, Iossifov made over $184,000 in proceeds from these transactions.
Iossifov was convicted after a two-week trial in front of Judge Weir in Frankfort, Kentucky in September 2020.
Under federal law, Iossifov must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.
Thus far, 17 members of the AOAF Network have been convicted for their role in this scheme, including Iossifov. Seven others have been sentenced, including Livui-Sorin Nedelcu to 82 months in prison, Marius Dorin Cernat to 50 months in prison, Stefan Alexandru Paiusi to 31 months in prison, Eugen Alin Badea to 40 months in prison, Florin Arvat to 30 months in prison, Alin Ionut Dobric to 37 months in prison, and Austin Edward Nedved to 96 months in prison. Three members are fugitives.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and supported by the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). Assistance was provided by the Romanian National Police (Service for Combating Cybercrime), the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (Agency for Prosecuting Organized Crime), and the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant support. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Frank Lin and Senior Trial Attorney Timothy Flowers of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn M. Anderson and Kenneth R. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Individuals believing they may be victims of the advanced fee and online auction fraud or brute-force attack schemes described herein are encouraged to visit the following website to obtain more information: https://justice.gov/usao-edky/information-victims-large-cases.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Terrico W. Williams, 29, was sentenced on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 100 months in federal prison, after previously being convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to testimony at trial, on September 11, 2019, officers with the Lexington Police arrested Williams, on an outstanding warrant. Williams was searched and found to have a loaded, .22 caliber handgun concealed inside his pants. Williams has a previous felony conviction from the Fayette Circuit Court, from 2016, for Manslaughter Second Degree.
Williams was convicted in August 2020.
In addition to the prison time, Williams will also be required to pay a $2,000 fine. Under federal law, Williams must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the verdict.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also a part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
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U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. Announces ResignationRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. has announced his resignation, effective midnight, Sunday, January 24, 2021. Following his resignation, he will enter the private practice of law in Lexington.
“It has been a true honor and privilege to lead this Office, an office that has a demonstrated commitment to fairness and justice, and a long history of handling tough and important cases,” stated Duncan. “I began my career in this Office nearly sixteen years ago as an Assistant United States Attorney and have been blessed to work with many talented and dedicated men and women along the way. I would like to thank my colleagues in the Office for their hard work and commitment in support of our mission. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated and professional attorneys and support staff, who make our Office successful.”
“Throughout my career, I have also been privileged to work with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels. These brave men and women selflessly serve and protect the citizens of the Eastern District of Kentucky and beyond. I have been honored to partner with them in the protection of the public and the pursuit of justice.”
“I am proud of the work we have undertaken during my tenure as United States Attorney – important work on behalf of the citizens of the Eastern District of Kentucky. In partnership with our law enforcement colleagues, we have implemented efforts to reduce violent crime; we have fought to disrupt the flow of deadly drugs, including opioids and methamphetamine, into our communities; we have combatted fraud and public corruption; we have sought justice for victims; and we have endeavored to faithfully enforce the law.”
“We’ve implemented these efforts despite several challenges, including the longest federal government shutdown in history and a global pandemic that has upended our lives. While there is always more to be done, I am proud of what we have accomplished.”
Under Duncan’s leadership, the Office marked noteworthy achievements in violent crime enforcement, controlled substances enforcement, combatting public corruption and fraud, and its significant change in staff. Some of these achievements include the following:
Violent Crime – The Office worked in conjunction with federal, state, and local partners, to reinforce its commitment to holding offenders accountable for the commission of violent criminal acts and unlawful possession of firearms, including armed drug trafficking, armed robberies, and shootings. From Fiscal Year 2018 through Fiscal Year 2020, the Office prosecuted a total of 525 defendants throughout the District, as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods or Project Guardian programs. Critically, the majority of those convicted of federal firearms related crimes received a federal sentence of greater than five years in prison.
As part of the commitment to address violent crime, Duncan spearheaded the creation of the Fayette County Violent Crime Task Force, a joint, multi-jurisdictional effort to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in Lexington. The Task Force was formed as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and coordinates with locally-based prevention and reentry programs in an effort to achieve lasting reductions in crime. From January 2018 to the present, 70 cases have been prosecuted federally as part of the Fayette County Violent Crime Task Force, along with countless prosecutions by state authorities.
Controlled Substances – The Office prioritized the controlled substance enforcement, aggressively prosecuting transnational criminal organizations supplying drugs to eastern Kentucky, continuing its aggressive prosecution of overdose cases caused by drugs (particularly opioids), and targeting opioid related healthcare fraud for prosecution.
Included in this effort, the Office participated in several Department of Justice initiatives, including the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, aimed at identifying medical professionals who commit acts of opioid related healthcare fraud, and the Synthetic Opioid Surge program, which provided resources to combat fentanyl trafficking in Fayette County. In eastern and southeastern Kentucky, the Office partnered with federal, state, and local law enforcement to vigorously prosecute methamphetamine trafficking and its related violence.
Public Corruption and Fraud – The Office maintained its longstanding commitment to prioritizing public corruption, partnering with the FBI and others to identify and prosecute cases of corruption involving federal, state, and local offices. Notable cases included the prosecution of Gerald Lundergan and Dale Emmons, for illegal campaign contributions; Beth Sallee, the former Jackson County Treasurer, for wire fraud and identity theft; and Lexington businessman Wayne Wellman, for obstruction of justice related to a bribery investigation.
Similarly, the Office prosecuted many complex fraud schemes, including cases involving the exploitation of elderly individuals and romance scams, and used affirmative civil enforcement efforts, under the False Claims Act (a federal law that prohibits the submission of false or fraudulent claims to the federal government), to hold individuals and entities accountable for committing fraud against the government, including healthcare fraud and other efforts to defraud, waste, and abuse federal funds.
Office Administration – The Office also hired 16 new Assistant United States Attorneys, to prosecute cases and represent the government in civil litigation, and nearly twenty support staff personnel, to support the Office’s litigation efforts. These hires represent approximately a third of the Office’s total employees.
More generally, the Office saw increases in federal prosecutions during Duncan’s tenure. The Office saw increases in the total number of criminal defendants prosecuted (by more than 18 percent from Fiscal Years 2017 to 2018, and 27 percent from Fiscal Years 2018 to 2019) and continued to prosecute significant numbers of defendants, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office has also achieved meaningful recoveries for the government and victims of crime. Over the past three years, the Office has collected and received judgments for more than $92 million in criminal penalties, civil recoveries, forfeited assets, and restitution.
Duncan was appointed by President Trump as the twenty-third presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Duncan was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate, on November 9, 2017, and he was sworn in as United States Attorney on November 21, 2017.
As United States Attorney, Duncan also served nationally, as the Chairman of the Heroin-Opioid Working Group for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, providing advice and recommendations about policy initiatives to combat the opioid crisis across the country. He also served on the Controlled Substances Subcommittee; the Management, Budget, and Personnel Subcommittee, and the Law Enforcement Coordination Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. More recently, he served as a member of the Department of Justice’s eLitigation Steering Committee, working to enhance discovery practices and procedures across the federal law enforcement community, as a representative for United States Attorneys across the country.
Prior to his nomination, Duncan had served for more than a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney, in the Eastern District of Kentucky. Beginning in 2011 and continuing until his appointment as United States Attorney, Duncan focused on the prosecution of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases, working with federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel to disrupt and dismantle complex drug trafficking and money laundering organizations operating in eastern Kentucky and elsewhere. From 2007 to 2013, Duncan also served as coordinator of the office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program. During his career as a federal prosecutor, Duncan handled a wide array of criminal and appellate matters, including violent crime, immigration offenses, public corruption, white-collar offenses, environmental crime, and child exploitation offenses. Duncan also served as the Professional Responsibility Officer for the office.
Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Duncan served as a law clerk to Senior United States District Court Judge Henry R. Wilhoit, Jr., in Ashland. Duncan grew up in Inez, in Martin County, along the Commonwealth’s border with West Virginia. Duncan graduated from Sheldon Clark High School, in 1996. He then graduated from Centre College in Danville, in 2000, with a B.A. in English and minor in History. Duncan received his J.D., in May 2003, from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
“I was raised in Kentucky, went to school in Kentucky, and have spend the majority of my legal career working with law enforcement and prosecuting cases in Kentucky,” said Duncan. “Having the opportunity to serve Kentucky, as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, has been an enormous honor and privilege.”
Law enforcement officials offered the following comments about U.S. Attorney Duncan’s leadership of the Office.
“I have had the pleasure of working with USA Rob Duncan since my appointment as United States Marshal in February of 2018,” said Norman E. Arflack, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Rob’s dedication to law enforcement and to the citizens of the Eastern District of Kentucky is unparalleled. As a result of his leadership many of the most violent offenders in the Eastern District of Kentucky have been successfully prosecuted. His professionalism and leadership will be greatly missed. I wish him the best in his next undertaking whatever that may be.”
“Throughout my time serving in the FBI's Louisville Field Office, the collaborative efforts of USA Duncan and his entire office have been nothing short of extraordinary. I want to personally thank USA Duncan for his steadfast commitment to justice and his unwavering partnership in effectively leading the Eastern District of Kentucky,” said James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure serving with Rob Duncan; as the United States Attorney for Kentucky’s Eastern District, he’s been a great partner to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the people of the Eastern District are safer for his efforts,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “Rob’s more than just a professional colleague, he’s also become a personal friend.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served,” said Duncan. “While leaving the Office is definitely bittersweet, I am excited to start a new chapter. I am confident that the Office will continue its outstanding work, enforcing the law and pursuing justice on behalf of the people of the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
The Eastern District of Kentucky encompasses the 67 easternmost counties in the Commonwealth, has a population of approximately 2.2 million, and includes the cities of Lexington, Covington, Frankfort, Ashland, Pikeville, Somerset, and London. The United States Attorney oversees a staff of approximately 110, including 49 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes and defending the United States in civil litigation, in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
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Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 268 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. - A Montgomery County, Ky., man, Scotty Allen Jones, 48, was sentenced on Thursday to 268 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for distributing a fentanyl and heroin mixture, possessing acetylfentanyl with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
As part of his plea agreement, Jones admitted that, in September 2018, he sold quantities of heroin and fentanyl mixtures to a confidential informant, who was working with law enforcement. During one of the drug transactions, Jones admitted to possessing a firearm for the purpose of furthering his drug trafficking
Jones also admitted to pawning at least two firearms, at a local pawn shop in Mt. Sterling, Ky., in February 2019. Jones has prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and burglary, and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
In March 2019, officers with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to arrest Jones on several outstanding warrants, while Jones was at a gas station in Jeffersonville, Ky. Jones fled from the officers, and after vehicle and foot pursuits, Jones was apprehended. Upon his arrest, Jones was found in possession of 10 grams of acetylfentanyl, a dangerous Schedule I controlled substance. As part of his plea agreement, Jones admitted that intended to distribute the acetylfentanyl in his possession.
Jones further admitted to possessing eight firearms, which were discovered by law enforcement during a search of barn in Jeffersonville, in April 2019.
Jones pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Jones must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Acting Commissioner Lt. Colonel Phillip Burnett, Kentucky State Police; and Colonel Eric Gibson, Law Enforcement Director, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, KSP, and the KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Duncan, coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
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Former Bank President Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former bank president, Thomas Hinkebein, 59, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, by Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after previously pleading guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer.
According to his plea agreement, Hinkebein admitted that, between January 12, 2016 and August 13, 2018, while he was the President of Whitaker Bank, he willfully misapplied assets of the bank. Specifically, he admitted stealing golf carts and other property of Andover Country Club, an asset owned by Whitaker Bank, and seeking reimbursement from Whitaker Bank for a variety of personal expenses, including cell phone plans, gym memberships, fuel purchases, vehicle repairs, technology purchases for his family members, shipping expenses, and landscaping at his home. To hide the personal nature of these expenses, the Defendant falsely reported many of the expenses to Whitaker Bank to make them appear to be legitimate work expenses.
Hinkebein pleaded guilty in September 2020.
In addition to the prison sentenced, Hinkebein will be required to pay a $5,500 fine and $50,739.56 in restitution owed. Under federal law, Hinkebein must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Crawford, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Investigations, Chicago Region; and Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FDIC and the Federal Reserve. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith.
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Eastern Kentucky Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
A Kentucky doctor and his former office manager were sentenced to 60 and 32 months respectively in prison Wednesday for their roles in unlawfully distributing controlled substances during a time when the defendants did not have a legitimate medical practice.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. of the Eastern District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Field Office, Special Agent in Charge D. Christopher Evans of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Detroit Field Division, and Executive Director W. Bryan Hubbard of the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
Scotty Akers, M.D., 48, a licensed physician, and Serissa Akers, 33, his wife and former office manager, both of Pikeville, Kentucky, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier of the Eastern District of Kentucky. Judge Wier also ordered Scotty Akers to forfeit $12,275. Both defendants pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2020 to charges of unlawfully distributing controlled substances.
As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to using Facebook messenger and other messaging applications to sell prescriptions for opioids. According to their plea agreements, Serissa Akers exchanged prescriptions written by Scotty Akers for cash in parking lots around Pikeville. The defendants also admitted that Scotty Akers performed no physical examinations that would justify these parking-lot prescriptions, and failed to engage in other measures that prevent the abuse and diversion of opioids. The defendants continued operating their opioid-delivery scheme even after they came under investigation and up until the moment when Scotty Akers’s medical license was suspended.
HHS-OIG, DEA and Kentucky MFCU investigated the case. Trial Attorney Dermot Lynch and Assistant Chief Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 50 million pills. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Berea Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Berea, Ky., man, Larry Dale Foley, Jr., 49, was sentenced to 360_months in federal prison on Thursday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, after previously pleading guilty to producing child pornography.
According to Foley’s plea agreement and other court records, a tip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from Tumblr, showed that a blog that Foley owned had distributed 46 images and two videos of child pornography. On January 6, 2020, law enforcement searched Foley’s residence and seized electronic devices that contained child pornography. Foley was arrested and has been held in federal custody since that time.
The devices seized were processed and showed that Foley had produced child pornography of himself and a female minor, in the form of videos and still images. In his guilty plea agreement, Foley admitted to knowing that the images and videos he created with the minor victim were produced using materials that were shared via computer and cell phone.
Foley pleaded guilty in September 2020.
Under federal law, Foley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
“Producing child pornography is a crime of violence – subjecting the victim to continued abuse each time the file is shared or downloaded,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The defendant’s sentence was well deserved based on his criminal conduct. I commend the work of the FBI and the Berea Police Department in conducting this investigation.”
“Today's sentencing is just one example of how seriously the Department of Justice takes crimes against children. For children who endure abuse of any kind, their lives are oftentimes irreparably damaged. The FBI is dedicated to protecting our most fragile population, and we and all our law enforcement partners will not stop until those who attempt to prey on the vulnerable are brought to justice." said James Robert Brown Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office.
U.S. Attorney Duncan; SAC Brown, and Eric Scott, Chief of the Berea Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Berea Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Toxicology Lab Owner and Marketer Sentenced for Payment of Kickbacks; Doctor Pleads Guilty to Receipt of KickbacksRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Several defendants were recently convicted or sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. On December 4 and December 7, 2020, Uday Shah, 66, of Houston, Texas, and Timothy Andrews, 57, of Deer Park, Texas, were sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 24 and 15 months’ imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in a conspiracy to pay kickbacks to a physician, Dr. Ghyasuddin Syed, in exchange for Dr. Syed’s referral of urine drug testing to laboratories operated by Shah. On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, Dr. Syed pleaded guilty to soliciting and accepting kickbacks as part of the same scheme.
According to their plea agreements, Shah owned and operated several toxicology laboratories, including Pinnacle Laboratory in Lexington. Andrews worked as a marketer on behalf of Shah’s labs. Shah and Andrews admitted that between November 2014 and August 2017, they paid $475,992 in kickbacks to Dr. Syed, a Houston-area physician, and Dr. Syed’s wife, Shazana Begum. The kickbacks were often disguised as lease payments for office space owned by Dr. Syed and Begum. In his plea agreement, Dr. Syed disputed the exact amount of kickbacks, but acknowledged receiving them from Shah and Andrews, and referring urine drug testing for his patients to Shah’s labs in exchange. All of the defendants agreed that Pinnacle and Shah’s other labs billed the Medicare program for the urine drug testing tainted by these kickbacks, and that Medicare paid the labs $325,739 to which they were not entitled.Andrews pleaded guilty in June 2019, and Shah pleaded guilty in October 2019. In addition to their respective terms of incarceration, Shah and Andrews were ordered to pay $325,739 to the Medicare program in restitution, jointly and severally. Under federal law, Giles and Wallace must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Dr. Syed is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2021, in Lexington. He faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes.
Dr. Syed’s wife, Shazana Begum, has entered into a pretrial diversion agreement wherein she admitted her role in the offense, and agreed to be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 12 months, to pay restitution of $325,739 along with Shah and Andrews, and to perform community service.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Atlanta Field Office, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Frankfort Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempting to Entice a Minor OnlineRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. - A Frankfort man, Ricky Joe Cornish Jr., 33, was sentenced to 120 months in prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, after previously pleading guilty to using the internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to his guilty plea agreement, on May 16, 2019, Cornish contacted an individual, who self-identified as a 15-year-old female living in Franklin County, Kentucky, using the MeetMe/Skout messenger application over the Internet, on his cellular telephone. The person Cornish contacted was, in reality, an investigator with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Branch. The investigator communicated that they were also with a 17-year-old female, and Cornish expressed interest in having sex with the 17-year-old.
Later that same day, Cornish drove to an agreed-upon hotel, in order to meet the minor and engage in criminal sexual activity. When Cornish arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place in Franklin County, he was arrested by law enforcement officers. An examination of Cornish’s cell phone revealed the conversation with the investigator, as well as a similar conversation with another individual, who is believed to be a minor female.
Cornish pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Cornish must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Ralph Gerds, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Louisville Field Division; and Daniel Cameron, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by United States Secret Service and Kentucky Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Branch. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Tashena Fannin.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov
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U.S. Law Enforcement Takes Action Against Approximately 2,300 Money Mules in Global Crackdown on Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—The U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and six other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the third annual Money Mule Initiative, a coordinated operation to disrupt the networks through which transnational fraudsters move the proceeds of their crimes. Money mules are individuals who assist fraudsters by receiving money from victims of fraud and forwarding it to the fraud organizers, many of whom are located abroad. Some money mules know they are assisting fraudsters, but others are unaware that their actions enable fraudsters’ efforts to swindle money from consumers, businesses, and government unemployment funds. Europol announced a simultaneous effort, the European Money Mule Action (EMMA) yesterday.
Over the last two months, U.S. law enforcement agencies took action against over 2,300 money mules, far surpassing last year’s effort, which acted against over 600 money mules. This year, actions occurred in every state in the country. The initiative announced today targeted money mules involved in a wide range of schemes including lottery fraud, romance scams, government imposter fraud, technical support fraud, business email compromise or CEO fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud. Many of these schemes target elderly or vulnerable members of society.
“Money mules fuel fraud against some of America’s most vulnerable populations. Without the help of these money mules, many foreign fraud enterprises find it difficult to profit off of U.S. victims,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “As this initiative demonstrates, the Department of Justice is committed to disrupting money mule networks, taking actions against more money mules this year than ever before, in an effort to cut off the flow of funds from American consumers and businesses to transnational criminal organizations.”
“Detecting and disrupting the work of money mules is critically important, as money mules are integral components of many organized criminal groups, including international fraud rings and transnational drug trafficking organizations,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of illegal money and cutting off the lifeblood of these criminal organizations.”
“While some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises, others are unaware that they are helping criminals profit,” said James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge for FBI, Louisville Field Office. “Regardless, money mules add layers between the true criminal and the victim oftentimes making it more difficult for law enforcement to trace the money trail. To protect yourself, always be suspicious of someone asking for your bank account information or requesting that you move money for them.”
Eight federal law enforcement agencies participated in this year’s effort. Led by the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the participating agencies include the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Some highlights from this year’s efforts are:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of approximately 2,300 money mules, spanning 92 federal districts.
- Law enforcement served approximately 2,000 money mules with letters warning the money mules that they were facilitating fraud and could face civil or criminal consequences for continuing their actions. Agents conducted over 450 interviews.
- On approximately 30 instances, agents seized assets or facilitated the return of victim funds. Among the asset seizures was a 2019 Lamborghini, which was seized as part of an investigation into a business email compromise scheme.
- The U.S. Postal Inspection Service filed 14 administrative actions requiring money mules to cease facilitating fraud.
- U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Consumer Protection Branch filed 17 civil injunctive actions seeking court orders requiring money mules to stop facilitating fraudulent activity.
Over the past year, the Eastern District of Kentucky has worked in conjunction with federal, state, and local partners to dismantle two money mule schemes operating in the District.
- U.S. vs. Fafunmi et al.- Ismaila Fafunmi admitted that, beginning in June 2018, he worked in conjunction with others, who communicated through online chats, about a scheme to defraud U.S. citizens through a romance scheme. In furtherance of this scheme, Fafunmi and his co-conspirators would set up fake profiles on dating websites profiling American men, often military members. Fafunmi’s co-conspirators would engage in conversations with victims, typically women older than 50, through the dating website, making the victims believe they were in a romantic relationship with the individual in the fictitious profile. Fafunmi and his co-conspirators would then convince these unsuspecting women to send money for various reasons. One victim of the scheme lived in Kentucky, and sent more than $200,000 to a person she believed to be her boyfriend. In another scheme, Fafunmi received funds from another female over 50, who believed she was being awarded a large grant and had to pay fees up front in order to receive her award. Fafunmi is pending sentencing on May 13, 2021.
- U.S. vs. Inkoom et al.- Baaki Abdul Majeed conspired with Kahad Wuupini and Thomas Inkoom, in a money laundering conspiracy. Evidence revealed that the conspirators agreed to aid in and launder $757,000 in funds, which were defrauded from a victim of an online romance fraud scheme. After receiving cashier’s checks, personal checks, and cash from the victim, Majeed and his co-conspirators laundered the money from Washington and New Jersey, back to Ghana, by purchasing cars that were shipped to Ghana, obtaining cashier’s checks, and wiring funds to each other or other individuals in the United States and Ghana. The purpose of these transactions was to conceal and disguise the proceeds of their online romance fraud. Majeed is pending sentencing on January 29, 2021.
To find public education materials, as well as information about how fraudsters use and recruit money mules, please visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In January 2020, the department designated “Preventing and Disrupting Transnational Elder Fraud” as an Agency Priority Goal, one of its top four priorities. In March 2020, the department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 400 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The department has also conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
The department’s extensive efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the billions of dollars seniors lose each year to fraud schemes, including those perpetrated by transnational criminal organizations. The best method for prevention, however, is sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
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Kentucky Horse Park Improves Access for Individuals with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. –The U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky has resolved its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance review of the Kentucky Horse Park’s Covered Arena. The United States Attorney’s Office initiated the compliance review after receiving a complaint from a private citizen about barriers to access at the Covered Arena for individuals with disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky operates the Kentucky Horse Park, which is a public entity subject to Title II of the ADA. Title II requires public entities to operate services, programs, and activities so that they are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. After receiving notice of the compliance investigation, the Kentucky Horse Park conducted its own investigation and worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove identified barriers to access in the Covered Arena’s restrooms.
“Everyone should be able to access basic necessities without barriers, regardless of any disabilities,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office will continue to make sure that everyone has equal access to facilities. We appreciate Kentucky Horse Park’s cooperation in being proactive to address the issues in their Covered Arena.”
As outlined in the Letter of Resolution informally resolving the compliance investigation, the Kentucky Horse Park installed grab bars, repositioned toilet compartment doors and toilet paper dispensers, and relocated existing flush controls or installed automatic flush controls in the accessible stalls in the Covered Arena’s restrooms to ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Pond, as part of the Department of Justice’s civil rights enforcement efforts.
The year 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. The Justice Department will continue to use its enforcement and technical assistance tools to eliminate unlawful discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Individuals wishing to file an online complaint of potential violations of the ADA can do so on the ADA’s website at www.ada.gov.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 108 Months for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Josh Gregory Taylor, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for his conviction for distributing fentanyl.
According to his plea agreement, on August 26, 2019, law enforcement responded to a report of an unresponsive person and discovered a package that contained fentanyl at the scene. Taylor admitted to selling the unresponsive person what Taylor said was heroin on August 25. Testing of the substance confirmed that the substance contained fentanyl.
Taylor pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Taylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jeffrey Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Johnson County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Sean Tharp, 36, of Hager Hill, Ky., pleaded guilty in federal court Monday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins, for his role in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, between April 2020 and September 2020, Tharp conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Tharp admitted that he developed a relationship with a supplier of methamphetamine outside of Kentucky, from whom he obtained pound quantities of methamphetamine on multiple occasions. Tharp admitted to traveling to Georgia to obtain the methamphetamine, which he brought back to the Johnson County area to sell. In his plea agreement, Tharp admitted that his conspiracy involved 1.5 to 5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Tharp was indicted in September 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jeffrey Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Doug Saylor, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble.
A date for Tharp’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Tharp faces a minimum sentence of ten years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Los Angeles Woman Sentenced to 29 Months for Cocaine and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Los Angeles woman, Nancy Santos, 30, was sentenced in federal court last week, to 29 months in prison, before U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money.
According to her plea agreement, Santos admitted that she conspired with others to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Lexington. Santos admitted that her role in the conspiracy was to transport loads of Cocaine, from locations in Colorado, to Lexington. Santos was not involved in the later, street-level distribution; but her other conspirators, Alberto Santos and another conspirator, were responsible for that distribution. The drug proceeds were collected by Adalberto Santos and another conspirator, who would load it into hidden compartments of vehicles. Santos would then transport the vehicles to Colorado.
Santos pleaded guilty in June 2020. Her co-conspirator was sentenced earlier this year. Adalberto Santos was sentenced in October 2020, receiving 162 months.
Under federal law, Santos and her co-conspirators must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon her release, Santos will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J.T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and IRS. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 192 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Cincinnati man, Dontez Justice, 33, was sentenced to 192 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to Justice’s plea agreement, on October 17, 2019, a cooperating source working with law enforcement arranged a purchase of methamphetamine from Justice. Justice admitted that he was on the way to deliver the methamphetamine when law enforcement found the methamphetamine during a traffic stop. Law enforcement seized 26.3 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Justice further admitted in his plea agreement that he has two, prior drug trafficking convictions, having previously been convicted of trafficking in cocaine in both Campbell and Kenton counties.
Justice pleaded guilty to the federal charge in August 2020.
Under federal law, Justice must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years, following his release
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Two Whitley County Men Indicted on Federal Kidnapping ChargesRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - Jake Messer, 37, and George Oscar Messer, 61, of Rockholds, Kentucky were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in London on Thursday, on federal kidnapping charges.
The indictment alleges that, in April of 2018, in Clay and Whitley Counties, the Messers used a means, facility, and instrument of interstate commerce to kidnap two individuals.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted jointly by the ATF and the Kentucky State Police.
Both Defendants are awaiting initial appearances before the United States District Court. If convicted, both men face a maximum of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.
An indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial, at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Former Rockcastle Deputy Jailer Sentenced to 39 Months for Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A former Rockcastle County Deputy Jailer, Derek Steven Clark, 25 ,was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, for violating the civil rights of an inmate in his custody.
Clark was convicted by a federal jury, in July 2020. According to testimony at trial, Clark and others placed an inmate victim into a restraint chair. Clark then aided and commanded the assault of the victim by another inmate, which resulted in bodily injury. Afterwards, Clark completed an official incident report, to document the incident; but in completing that report, Clark falsely stated that, after he and others placed the victim in the restraint chair, the victim began spitting at deputy jailers, causing two inmates to intervene. Clark’s false report indicated one inmate instinctively slapped the victim, which caused the victim’s lip to bleed, and the victim then spit blood, causing the inmate to punch the victim.
The evidence established that, in truth, Clark and others placed the victim into the restraint chair, and the victim did not become physically combative or spit at deputies, before being punched by the inmate.
Under federal law, Clark must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Somerset Man Sentenced to 408 Months for the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Somerset, Kentucky man, Bradley D. Hall, 38, was sentenced to 408 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, after being convicted of two counts of production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on September 15, 2019, Hall engaged in a conversation with an undercover FBI employee, using the Kik messenger application. Hall admitted to operating a Kik messenger group that focused on child exploitation, and to recording, live streaming, and sending videos of child pornography to the undercover FBI employee.
Hall pleaded guilty in June 2020.
Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Somerset Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London man, Andrew Dick, 29, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, for possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on March 28, 2019, Dick admitted to possessing sexually explicit images of nude prepubescent minors on his computer devices. He also acknowledged that he downloaded child pornography images from particular website, via the Internet, and that he possessed explicit images of minors that appeared to be as young as six years old.
Dick had previously been convicted, in a military court martial, in February 2013, of wrongful possession of child pornography and wrongful receipt of child pornography.
Dick pleaded guilty the federal charges in July 2020.
Under federal law, Dick must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Former Big Sandy Prison Employee and Inmate Indicted for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A former Cook Supervisor at United States Penitentiary Big Sandy, Hank Williams, 56, of Weeksbury, Kentucky, was indicted on Thursday in federal court for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of money laundering, two counts of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of accepting a bribe by a public official, one count each of attempting to provide and providing contraband, and three counts of using a communication device to facilitate a felony offense.
A former Big Sandy inmate, Librado Navarette, 34, was also charged with one count of bribery of a public official and one count of possession of contraband.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in March 2016 and continuing through September 27, 2019, Williams conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspired with others to money launder. The indictment further alleges that Williams, a public official, accepted a bribe from Navarette. Williams was also indicted for aiding and abetting the use of the U.S. mail to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted jointly by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, FBI, the United States Postal Service, and the Georgetown Police Department.
William’s appearance before the United States District Court has not been scheduled. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Middlesboro Man Convicted of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Middlesboro firefighter was convicted late Monday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of receiving and possessing child pornography, on a Middlesboro Fire Department laptop.
The jury convicted Robert Christopher England, 35, after 30 minutes of deliberations, following a five-day trial.
According to the evidence at trial, England received child pornography on three separate occasions and possessed a collection of over 600 images, between April of 2017 and June 23, 2018. England’s fire department laptop was seized, on June 23, 2018, by the Middlesboro Police Department. At the time, England was serving as a Lieutenant within the Middlesboro Fire Department. A forensic review conducted by the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch showed evidence of dark web access via Tor Browser and child pornography “playlists” created in ManyCam, a web conferencing program.
England was indicted in October of 2018.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, James R. Brown, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville Division; and Acting Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnette, Jr., Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
England will appear for sentencing, before U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, on March 16, 2021. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing the sentence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Two Martin County Men Plead Guilty to Violating Federal Law Governing Ginseng SalesRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Two Lovely, Kentucky men, Sherman Jude, 73, and Johnathon Jude, 40, pleaded guilty on Thursday, October 30, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward Atkins, to violations of the Lacey Act regarding ginseng purchases and record keeping of said purchases.
The harvesting and sale of ginseng is governed by state regulations, and includes record keeping requirements and a limited harvest season. According to their plea agreements, Sherman Jude was a dealer of wild American ginseng; and his son, Johnathon Jude, worked with him to keep records of the ginseng purchased from diggers and harvesters.
The investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service revealed that over a period of years, the Judes had falsified the required Kentucky Ginseng Purchase Forms for multiple purchases of wild ginseng, including not keeping records of all the purchases, and purchasing ginseng that was known to have been harvested from another state, without being properly certified before entering Kentucky. Sherman Jude also acknowledged that, as of August 2019, he had purchased 12.5 pounds of ginseng that had been harvested improperly, out of season.
The Judes were indicted in June 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
The Judes are scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2021. Sherman Jude faces a maximum of five years in prison. Johnathon Jude faces up one year in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years
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California Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A California man, Michael John Davidson, 31, was sentenced to 120 months in prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, after previously being convicted by a federal jury of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The jury reached its verdict after approximately one hour of deliberations, following a day and a half trial.
According to testimony at trial, on February 20, 2019, Davidson contacted an individual, who self-identified as a 15-year-old female living in Franklin County, Kentucky, using the KiK messenger internet application on his cellular telephone. The person Davidson contacted was, in reality, an investigator with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Branch. From February 20-22, 2019, a conversation between Davidson and the investigator took place on the KiK messenger. Eventually, the Defendant turned the conversation sexual activity, and transmitted several images of himself.
The conversation between the Davidson and the investigator resulted in a planned meeting for sex, on February 22, 2019. On February 22, 2019, Davidson drove from Jamestown, Kentucky, to Frankfort, Kentucky, in order to meet the investigator and engage in criminal sexual activity. When the Davidson arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place, he was arrested by law enforcement.
Davidson was convicted in May 2020.
Under federal law, Davidson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years, following his release. In addition to the prison sentence, Davidson was also ordered to pay $5,100 in special assessments.
“The importance of the law enforcement efforts to protect children from online sexual predators cannot be overstated,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The defendant used the internet to knowingly plan to have sex with someone he believed was a 15 year old girl. Fortunately, because of the excellent work of law enforcement, he was identified and arrested. His federal prison sentence is deserved, and serves as a warning for those who would engage in similar conduct.”
“Investigators with our Cyber Crimes Unit work to stay one step ahead of cyber predators who target children,” said Attorney General Cameron. “As children spend more time online during the pandemic, these efforts and partnerships with law enforcement are more important than ever. I appreciate the work of our Department of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Attorney Duncan, and the Louisville Field Division of the U.S. Secret Service in this case.“
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Ralph Gerds, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Louisville Field Division; and Daniel Cameron, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and Kentucky Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Branch. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Roth and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Kenton County Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Bromley, Ky., man, Brandon Daunt, 33, was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Daunt’s plea agreement, on February 13, 2020, law enforcement arrested him on an existing warrant, after he exited his apartment. Upon searching his backpack, they found 25.6 grams of methamphetamine, 7.1 grams of crack cocaine, 5.3 grams of fentanyl, 184.8 grams of marijuana, two cell phones, and $1,157 in cash. Law enforcement then searched his apartment, finding three firearms, which Daunt admitted he possessed to protect himself, his drugs, and his proceeds, and later admitted acquiring in exchange for drugs.
Daunt pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Daunt must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; and Christopher Conners, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade Napier.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Duncan coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
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Boyle County Man Sentenced to over 26 Years for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking in Floyd CountyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Christopher Francisco, 30, of Boyle County, Kentucky, was sentenced last week to 322 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Robert Wier, for possession with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, law enforcement stopped Francisco’s vehicle in Floyd County, Kentucky, on February 11, 2020, and found approximately three pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Francisco admitted in his plea agreement that he had been regularly delivering methamphetamine to drug dealers in Floyd County. During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that Francisco was responsible for the introduction of between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine into Floyd County, between November 2019 and February 2020. Before this latest conviction, Francisco had twice been convicted of state drug trafficking charges, resulting his designation as a “career offender,” for the purposes of the federal sentencing guidelines.
Under federal law, Francisco must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following his release.
“The defendant was responsible for trafficking an enormous amount of a dangerous, illegal drugs,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We are committed to reducing the availability of these dangerous drugs, and the violence that often accompanies armed methamphetamine trafficking. This case reinforces a simple point: dealing meth with a gun invites a long stay in a federal prison.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and John Hunt, Floyd County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 162 Months for Cocaine and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Los Angeles, CA. man, Adalberto Pineda Santos, 50, was sentenced in federal court last Friday to 162 months in prison, before U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money.
According to his plea agreement, Santos admitted that he conspired with others to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Fayette County. Santos admitted that he would fly into the United States from Mexico to oversee the collection of money from the sale of cocaine and to distribute loads of cocaine at the direction of other co-conspirators. In the plea agreement, Santos admitted that couriers were used to transport drugs into Fayette County for distribution and to transport drugs out of Fayette County to locations in Colorado. In total, Santos admitted that the total amount of drugs attributable to him is 5 to 15 kilograms of cocaine.
Santos pleaded guilty in March 2020.
Under federal law, Santos must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J.T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and IRS. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Last of Three Convicted, and Two Sentenced, in International Money Laundering and Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two defendants were sentenced in federal court today, for their roles in an international money laundering conspiracy; a third was convicted last Friday, by a federal jury in Lexington, for his role in the scheme.
Last week, after an hour of deliberations, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted 34 year old Baaki Abdul Majeed of wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and five counts of transactional money laundering.
According to testimony at trial, Majeed conspired with Kahad Wuupini, 35, and Thomas Inkoom, 42, in a money laundering conspiracy. Evidence revealed that the conspirators agreed to aid in and launder $757,000 in funds, which were defrauded from a victim of an online romance fraud scheme. After receiving cashier’s checks, personal checks, and cash from the victim, Majeed and his co-conspirators laundered the money from Washington and New Jersey, back to Ghana, by purchasing cars that were shipped to Ghana, obtaining cashier’s checks, and wiring funds to each other or other individuals in the United States and Ghana. The purpose of these transactions was to conceal and disguise the proceeds of their online romance fraud.
Majeed, Wuupini, and Inkoom were indicted in August 2019.
Wuupini and Inkoom pleaded guilty to the money laundering conspiracy in March 2020 and were sentenced today, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves. Wuupini was sentenced to 79 months in prison and Inkoom was sentenced to 19 months. Under federal law, both must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years, following their release. Wuupini was ordered to pay $757,000 and Inkoom was ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution.
“The scheme, using fraud and deceit, preyed upon the victim’s hopes and took advantage of her kindness, ultimately stealing over $750,000 of her money,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Unfortunately, internet-based romance scams are becoming more and more prevalent. It is important for people to be cautious about sending money to someone they have only met online. If something seems too good to be true, it often is. I commend the hard work of FBI personnel and members of my Office, to hold the defendants accountable for their crimes, and to bring a measure of justice to the victim.”
“Romance scammers use promises of love and romance to entice victims online often persuading them to send money, personal and financial information, and items of value to the perpetrator,” said James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “The defendants in this case not only deceived a vulnerable individual, but then proceeded to engage in multiple money laundering schemes in order to conceal their original scam. The FBI will not stand for fraudsters who seek to gain financially by preying upon the “heartstrings” of Americans.”
United States Attorney Duncan and SAC Brown jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith.
Majeed will appear for sentencing on January 29, 2021. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Fort Thomas Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Ft. Thomas, Kentucky man, James Hamilton, 52, was sentenced to 90 months on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, between January 31, 2018 and March 1, 2018, an investigator with the Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force traced a computer, which had connected to Bit Torrent and downloaded files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to a computer in Hamilton’s possession. After a search warrant was obtained, Hamilton’s laptop was seized by law enforcement, who later found the suspected files, along with over 600 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Hamilton pleaded guilty in June 2020.
Under federal law, Hamilton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Craig Sorrell, Campbell County Police Department, jointly announce the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HIS and the Campbell County Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade Napier.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Nicholasville Compounding Pharmacy and Its Owner Plead Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. –A compounding pharmacy based in Nicholasville, and its owner, admitted on Thursday in federal court to unlawful distribution of compounded prescription drugs.
Tailor Made Compounding LLC (TMC) pleaded guilty to one count of distributing unapproved new drugs throughout the United States, from October 25, 2018 through April 1, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove. Specifically, TMC pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of selective androgen receptor modulators (“SARMS”) and other substances that the FDA had not approved for distribution in the United States. SARMS are synthetic chemicals designed to mimic the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids. Products containing SARMS were often marketed and sold for body-building purposes. According to the plea agreement, TMC also unlawfully distributed other unapproved new drugs, including BPC 157, Cerebrolysin, CJC 1295, DSIP, Epitalon, GW 501516, Ipamorelin, LGD-4033, LL-37, Melanotan II, MK 677, PEG-MGF, Selank, and Semax. In connection with the plea, TMC agreed to forfeit $1,788,906.82, representing its 2019 sales for these products.
Jeremy Delk, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully engaging in wholesale distribution of a prescription drug, without licensing TMC as a wholesale distributor with the Board of Pharmacy for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. According to the plea agreement, from October 23, 2018 through May 14, 2020, TMC sent 112 vials of Methylcobalamin 10mg/ml 10mL, a prescription form of vitamin B12, to Doctor 1, a licensed physician who operated an anti-aging/wellness clinic in the Greater Los Angeles area. Rather than sending individualized, patient-specific prescriptions to TMC, as is required by law, Doctor 1 made bulk orders of Methylcobalamin 10mg/ml 10mL without issuing prescriptions or providing accurate patient names. Delk, as owner and chief executive officer of TMC, knowingly caused TMC to fill and ship bulk, wholesale distributions of Methylcobalamin to Doctor 1, knowing that TMC had never applied for permission from the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy for TMC to act as a wholesale distributor of prescription drugs. When authorities from the FDA and the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy inspected TMC between August 20 and October 24, 2018, Delk took steps to hide records of TMC’s wholesale distributions of Methylcobalamin, as well as other records.
Tailor Made and Delk were charged by way of information, waiving their right to indictment by a federal grand jury.
“The safety and efficacy of prescription medications is of paramount importance to us all,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “When pharmacies intentionally evade the FDA requirements, they are placing their own interests above those of the patients they are supposed to be serving. The community deserves better, and I commend the work of our law enforcement partners in their diligent efforts to protect the public and disrupt this criminal conduct.”
“Compounded drugs can serve an important role for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug product. But pharmacies will be held responsible for failing to follow the laws intended to protect patients, including requirements for licensure and limitations on what drugs can be appropriately compounded,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above a patient’s health.”
United States Attorney Duncan; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FDA and the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith.
Delk and Tailor Made Compounding are scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2021. Delk faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes.
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Mt. Sterling Crop Insurance Agent and Adjuster Plead Guilty to Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Mt. Sterling, Kentucky husband and wife, Michael McNew, 49, and Karen Ann Nickell, 64, pleaded guilty on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and crop insurance fraud, respectively.
According to his plea agreement, McNew admitted that, in late 2013, he devised a scheme to defraud the federal government, on federal crop insurance policies, and ARMtech Insurance Services, on private crop-hail insurance policies. As to the federal policies, this scheme involved making material misrepresentations on crop insurance applications and claim of loss forms on a large scale, including knowingly misrepresenting ownership stakes, farm acreage, farming activity on the farms covered, and the consent of the parties in whose name the policies are taken out. McNew also admitted to submitting false claims of loss on the private crop-hail policies, knowing that the claims falsified acreage, percentage of damage, and photographs of the damage. McNew admitted to receiving a kickback from the farmers in the form of cash in exchange for these favorable adjustments. As a result of his conduct, fraudulent insurance policies were issued and paid, resulting in approximately $23,618,351 worth of insurance indemnity payouts distributed to producers under false pretenses.
In her plea agreement, Nickell admitted that while acting as an independent insurance adjuster for ARMtech Insurance Services, she aided and abetted others in knowingly making false statements and reports for the purpose of making a false claim of loss on a federal crop insurance policy belonging to an individual identified as E.L.P. She admitted that on three occasions, she adjusted tobacco crops on a property insured under E.L.P.’s name, when in reality that specific claimed property was a wooded lot, incapable of growing tobacco.
Michael McNew was indicted in November 2019. Karen Ann Nickell was indicted in February 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jason M. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Juan Garrett, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly made the announcement.
The investigations were conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Roth and Kathryn Anderson.
McNew is scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2021. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Nickell is also scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2021. She faces probation for two years, a $15,000 fine, and a payment of restitution of $58,486. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
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Richmond Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Acetylfentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY. - A Richmond, Ky., man, Terry Smith, 44, was sentenced in federal court on Monday, to 72 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of acetylfentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to Smith’s plea agreement, on September 4, 2018, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Smith’s vehicle and located a chip can with a false bottom that contained 17.43 grams of acetylfentanyl and 27.99 grams of methamphetamine. Smith admitted to possession of the narcotics for further distribution.
Smith pleaded guilty in July 2019.
Under federal law, Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and James Ebert, Chief of Police, Richmond Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the ATF, Madison County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and Richmond Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Former Harrison County Constable and Paris Firefighter Sentenced to 420 Months for Using a Minor to Produce Sexually Explicit Images and VideosRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- A Cynthiana, Kentucky, man, William Michael Fields, Jr., 37, was sentenced to 420 months on Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for the production of child pornography.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Fields, then 36, exercised his positions as a Harrison County Constable and Paris Fire Department firefighter to form a relationship with a 17-year-old victim, who was interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or emergency medicine. The victim became acquainted with Fields in early 2019 while visiting a fire station in Harrison County, and began communicating with the victim through the social media platform Snapchat.
On March 17, 2019, Fields sent the victim a text message asking her to meet him. Fields met with the victim that night and provided her with alcohol. Fields then had sexual intercourse with the victim in the back of an ambulance in Paris. Fields used the victim’s cellphone to video record the encounter, and then sent the video to himself. A thumbnail image from the video was later found on Fields’ cellphone.
The evidence at trial also revealed that Fields again had sexual intercourse with the underage victim at the Emergency Medical Training Facility in Bourbon County on March 23, 2019. Fields again used the victim’s cellphone to record the encounter.
Law enforcement performed a forensic examination of Fields’ cellphone and discovered screen shots from the videos of Fields’ sexual encounters with the victim.
Fields was convicted in June 2020 by a jury in Lexington after a two-day trial.
Under federal law, Fields must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
“This conduct is simply inexcusable – the defendant abused his positions of trust and authority, as a firefighter and constable, and used them to sexually exploit a minor victim,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “He further victimized her by knowingly using her to create images of child pornography. This despicable conduct warrants significant punishment, both to hold him accountable and to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.”
United States Attorney Duncan; Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations; Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky, and Chief E. Douglas Robinson, Cynthiana Police Department, jointly announce the sentence..
The investigation was conducted by HIS, the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, and the Cynthiana Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Mary Melton.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Ashland Couple Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A couple from Ashland, Ky., Franklin Certain, 38, and Rikki Wurts, 24, were sentenced in federal court on Friday, to 120 months and 70 months in prison respectively, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to Certain and Wurts’ plea agreements, on April 21, 2019, law enforcement responded to an animal complaint at a residence shared by Certain and Wurts. There, law enforcement found Certain and Wurts in possession of 1,189.3 grams of methamphetamine inside the residence. While in custody, Wurts spoke to a relative about the incident and confirmed that she and Certain were selling the methamphetamine.
Certain and Wurts pleaded guilty in March 2020.
Under federal law, Certain and Wurts must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, Certain will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, and Wurts will be under supervision for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J.T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; Chief W. Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department; and Chief Scott Gillum, Flatwoods Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, Ashland Police Department, and Flatwoods Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Versailles Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Versailles, Ky., man, Kashajuan Kalil Lyvers 24, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to Lyvers’ plea agreement, he admitted that, on October 2, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle and found him in possession of more than six grams of fentanyl that he planned to distribute. Furthermore, Lyvers was found with a stolen, loaded.40 caliber pistol. Lyvers admitted that he possessed the firearm unlawfully because he was a convicted felon.
Lyvers had previously been convicted of Fleeing or Evading Police First Degree, Wanton Endangerment First Degree, and Receiving Stolen Property in Fayette County in February 2015. Lyvers was also convicted of Trafficking a Controlled Substance First Degree in Fayette County in February 2015.
Lyvers pleaded guilty to the federal charges in June 2020.
Under federal law, Lyvers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years, following his release
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Duncan coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
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U.S. Attorney Duncan Promotes 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY – U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. wants to ensure that everyone knows how to rid their homes of unused and unwanted medications.
The DEA is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 at locations across the country. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“I strongly support the DEA’s Tack Back Day; among its many benefits, it dramatically assists the DEA and our other law enforcement partners in reducing unlawful access to prescription drugs,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “In 2019, we lost 1,316 Kentucky residents to overdose deaths, with a significant number of those overdose deaths caused by opioids. Take Back Day provides a vital opportunity to fight against the opioid problem in Kentucky. Far too often, the path to addiction starts with experimentation with legitimately prescribed prescription opioids found in the home. By participating in Take Back Day and disposing of unused pills, you can help prevent a loved one from misusing or abusing prescription drugs.”
“With America in the grips of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we’re seeing an alarming rise in overdose deaths,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “There’s never been a more important time to rid our homes of medicines we’re not using and keep them away from those who might abuse or misuse them.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
The Take Back Day Collection sites for the Eastern District of Kentucky are below. Click on each hyperlink to get directions to the collection site.
Eastern Kentucky
KY State Police at Kentucky State Police Post 14 in Ashland, KY
Ashland KY Police at King’s Daughters Medical Center
Ashland KY Police at Ashland KY Police Department
Flemingsburg Police Department at Flemingsburg Police Department
Kentucky State Police at Kentucky State Police Post 8 in Morehead, KY
Morehead Police Department at Morehead Police Department
Mt. Sterling Police Department at Mt. Sterling Police Department
Mt. Sterling Police Department at Kroger in Mt. Sterling, KY
Northern Kentucky
Bracken County Sheriff’s Office at Bracken County Fiscal Courthouse
Boone County Sheriff’s Office at Boone County Sheriff’s Office
Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force at Covington Police Department
Fort Wright Police Department at Walmart- Fort Wright, KY
Kentucky State Police at Kentucky State Police Post 6 in Dry Ridge, KY
Florence Police Department at Florence Police Department
Florence Police Department at Kroger Pharmacy in Florence, KY
Fort Thomas Police Department at Fort Thomas Police Department
Grant County Sheriff’s Office at Grant County Sheriff’s Office (from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.)
City of Ft. Mitchell Police Department at Fort Mitchell Police Department
City of Covington Police Department in Kroger in Covington, KY
Central Kentucky
Kentucky State Police at Kentucky State Police Post 15
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office at Harrison County Sheriff’s Office
Cynthiana Police Department at Cynthiana Police Department
Danville City Police Department at Danville Police Department/City Hall
Eminence Police Department at Eminence Police Department
Pendleton County Sheriff’s Office at Pendleton County Sheriff’s Office
Frankfort Police Department at Frankfort Regional Medical Center
Tpr. Stuart Jackson and Monica Dockery at Kentucky State Police Post 12 in Frankfort, KY
Frankfort Police Department at Franklin County Health Department
Lexington Police Department at Kentucky American Water Company in Lexington, KY
Nicholasville Police Department at Walmart in Nicholasville, KY
Owingsville Police Department at Owingsville Police Department
Paris Police Department at Walmart in Paris, KY
Richmond Police Department at Richmond Police Department
Kentucky State Police at Kentucky State Police Post 7 in Richmond, KY
Shelby County Coroner’s Office at Walmart in Shelbyville, KY
Shelby County Coroner’s Office at Shelby County Coroner’s Office
Woodford County Sheriff’s Office at Woodford County Sheriff’s Office
Winchester Police Department at Walmart in Winchester, KY
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/
DEA also encourages the public to reach out to their local law enforcement to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations throughout their local community.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com
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Bracken County Woman Sentenced to 36 Months for Theft by a Bank Employee and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.- A Brooksville, Ky., woman, Rebecca Teegarden, 58, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday, to 36 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for theft by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft.
According to her plea agreement, Teegarden was a bank teller at the First National Bank of Brooksville. Between 2013 and 2019, Teegarden admitted to repeatedly using customers’ names and account numbers to make miscellaneous debit cash withdrawals from the customers’ bank accounts, without the customers’ consent. Teegarden held the cash in her teller drawer and later converted the money to her own use, by depositing it into her or her mother’s bank accounts.
In total, Teegarden admitted that she stole $79,086.00 from victims who were customers at the Bank. She further admitted that she selected the accounts of her victims because those customers were elderly and did not regularly monitor their accounts.
Teegarden pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Teegarden must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon her release, Teegarden will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office, made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Harris.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission, focusing on identifying and prosecuting those who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The initiative is carried out locally through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. Anyone who knows of someone who may be a victim of elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., Appoints Election Officer for the Eastern District of KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.– United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., announced on Thursday that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Ken Taylor will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election.
AUSA Ken Taylor has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Kentucky and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Duncan said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Duncan stated that AUSA/DEO Taylor will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 859-685-4874 (office); 859-338-9509 (cell).
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. For all Kentucky based complaints, FBI personnel can be reached by the public at 1-844-596-6721 or [email protected].
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please 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.
United States Attorney Duncan said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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U.S. Attorney Duncan Announces over $2 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Addiction CrisisRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., announced on Monday the awarding of $2,011,078 in Department of Justice grants, to fight drug abuse and addiction in eastern Kentucky. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.
“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”
Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.
“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”
“Opioid abuse continues to have a devastating impact on eastern Kentucky and the Department of Justice remains committed to continuing the fight against this scourge,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “These important grant awards to entities in the Eastern District of Kentucky will allow criminal justice officials to better allocate resources toward addressing the critical health issues associated with opioid abuse.”
Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The following organizations received funding:
- Floyd County Fiscal Court- $600,000
- Kenton County Fiscal Court- $900,000
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government- $511,078
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years
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Seventeen Tobacco Farmers Settle Civil Claims in Widespread Crop Insurance Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Seventeen tobacco farmers throughout eastern Kentucky have agreed to resolve civil allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, a federal law that prohibits submitting false or fraudulent claims for payment to the government. As part of their civil settlement agreements, all of the defendants admitted that they submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to a federally-backed crop insurance program.
The United States Department of Agriculture administers its crop insurance program through approved private insurance companies, who sell federally-backed multi-peril crop insurance (“MPCI”) policies to farmers. MPCI policies provide insurance coverage for harvests that are at risk from inclement weather or other naturally occurring events. Under the crop insurance program, eligible farmers are paid benefits based, in part, on factual representations as to the amount of crop harvested and sold and the cause of loss.
As part of their civil settlement agreements, all 17 defendants admitted that they submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims for MPCI indemnity payments to federally-funded approved crop insurance providers. Several defendants submitted claims for damaged tobacco crop in order to receive indemnity payments, but in fact sold the same tobacco for cash under fictitious names at Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse. Other defendants claimed ownership of the crops on their insurance applications, despite having partial or no ownership, in order to hide the identity of the crop owner and receive a cut of the indemnity payment. With assistance from crop insurance agents and adjusters, the defendants also inflated crop loss amounts and submitted falsified documentation about the quality of the tobacco crop to the insurance company. The 17 defendants acknowledged that they made these false statements and false claims in order to secure indemnity payments to which they were not otherwise entitled.
Collectively, these defendants received nearly $900,000 in indemnity payments as a result of their false claims. The defendants all have agreed to pay the United States as part of their settlement agreements. Several of the defendants also have agreed to sell farmland, vehicles, and other property and remit the net sale proceeds to the federal government.
The government’s work in this investigation illustrates its commitment to combatting crop insurance fraud through civil enforcement under the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud can be reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General at http://www.usda.gov/oig/hotline.htm.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Juan Garrett, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly announced the civil settlements.
These investigations are conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Stubblebine and Christine Corndorf.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: United States Attorney Robert Duncan Jr. holds Press Conference to Discuss Violent Crime and Firearm ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr., will be joined by federal, state, and local partners to discuss violent crime efforts and prosecutions of firearm-related charges in FY2020.
Who: Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department
Sheriff Kathy Witt, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department
Where: U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Kentucky
260 W. Vine Street, Suite 300
Lexington, Kentucky, 40507
When: Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 at 10 a.m
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U.S. Attorney Duncan Announces $1.5 Million to Support Testing, Tracking of Sexual Assault Kits and an Additional $1.49 Million to Advance Forensic Science in KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., announced on Monday two separate grants of Department of Justice funds that were awarded to recipients in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Duncan announced $1.5 million in Department of Justice grants to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, to help law enforcement agencies and crime labs process sexual assault evidence and increase the number of sexual assault kits submitted to crime labs in order to solve more crimes, including cold cases, in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $45 million in funding to support the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 36 grants to strengthen jurisdictions’ capacity to act on evidence resulting from rape kits, and three grants to the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence ‒ Inventory, Tracking and Reporting (SAFE-ITR) program.
“Far too many people endure the physical and emotional trauma of a sexual assault only to have evidence of the crime remain unanalyzed,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. “These grants will help investigators get these kits to labs, where they can be tested, used to solve crimes and ultimately bring justice to victims.”
“The grant funding provided to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet helps further the interests of justice, by providing critical support to law enforcement and prosecutorial activities related to the testing and use of evidence in sexual assault investigations,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “With the additional funding, more sexual assault kits can be tested, potentially leading to evidence to assist in holding offenders accountable and providing justice to the victims of the crime.”
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Duncan also announced $993,018 was awarded to help fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. These grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
“The award of these grant funds will help the Commonwealth utilize the tools necessary to further investigations, solve crimes, and bring justice to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan.
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
The following organizations received funding:
- Commonwealth of Kentucky- $993,018
- Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet- $264,698
- Eastern Kentucky University- $241,305
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Twenty-Four Defendants, Including Alleged Aryan Circle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Firearms, and Drug Charges in Multiple StatesRead the Press Release
Five indictments in three different states were unsealed today indicting a total of twenty-four defendants, including alleged Aryan Circle (AC) gang members and associates, on charges of racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug conspiracy, and unlawful firearms trafficking.
The indictments were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. of the Eastern District of Kentucky, and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi. These indictments are part of a larger investigation into the AC, Operation Noble Virtue, that has targeted AC leadership and has resulted in seventeen federal convictions in six jurisdictions to date.
One of the indictments in the Eastern District of Texas charges six alleged AC members and associates with a racketeering conspiracy that includes acts involving murder, five alleged AC members with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, and two alleged AC members with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in aid of racketeering. Among those charged are alleged current and former high-ranking gang leaders including William Glenn Chunn, aka “Big Head,” 38, of Texas; Michael Martin, aka “Aryan Prodigy,” aka “AP,” 37, of Texas; Kevin Kent, aka “Big Kev,” 35, of Indiana; and Malachi David Wren, 51, of Texas. Other alleged AC members charged include Jesse Paul Blankenship, aka “JP,” 39, of Missouri; Timothy Long, aka “Timmy,” 41, of Arkansas; Jeremy Chad Dennis, aka “JD,” 43, of Texas; Becky Westbrook, 49, of Mississippi; Rodney Holt, aka “Turbo,” 48, of Texas; Bobby Dayle Boney, aka “Bear,” 50, of Texas; and Glynnwood Derrick, 46, of Texas. One additional defendant remains at large.
Another indictment in the Eastern District of Texas charges Rodney Holt, aka “Turbo”; as well as his associate who is not known to be an AC member, Eric Hoccheim, 39, of Texas, with five counts including firearms trafficking and conspiracy. Operation Noble Virtue also resulted in a third indictment in the Eastern District of Texas, which charges Jeremy Klintman, aka “Shamrock,” 37, of Texas; Eulalio Torres-Cadenas, aka “Yayo,” 43, of Mexico; Shane Louque, 45, of Louisiana; and Breanna Beckley, 39, of Texas, with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. These defendants are not known to be afilliated with the AC.
The indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi charges William Glenn Chunn, aka “Big Head”; Aaron Matthew Rentfrow, aka “Mongo,” 40, of Indiana; Jeremy Chad Dennis, aka “JD”; and Johnathon Aaron Reynolds, 38, of Tennessee with violent crimes in aid of racketeering relating to the stabbing of an inmate at USP Yazoo. That indictment also charges Daniel Wade Holler, aka “Knucklehead,” 34, of Texas, with accessory after the fact relating to the same attack.
The indictment in the Eastern District of Kentucky charges Mitchell Leon Farkas, aka “Lifter,” 51, of Louisiana; Jonathan Tucker Gober, aka “Tucker,” 36, of Texas; James Matthew Poole, aka “Redwood,” 35, of Texas; and Andrew Dwayne Tinlin, aka “Tin,” 39, of Iowa, with violent crimes in aid of racketeering relating to the stabbing of an inmate at USP Big Sandy.
According to court documents, the AC is a violent, race‑based organization that operates inside federal prisons across the country and outside prisons in states including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC was established in the mid‑1980s within the Texas state prison system (TDCJ) after a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) resulted in rejected and ex-ABT members creating the AC. The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison‑based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike. In recent years, the AC’s structure and influence expanded outside of prisons to rural and suburban areas in numerous states.
Court records further indicate that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question. The criminal acts charged in the indictments described above include shootings, stabbings, beatings, and “patch-burnings,” which are violent attacks that result in removal of a victim’s gang tattoo.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
This case is being investigated by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct One Constable’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith (AR) Police Department; Arkansas Department of Corrections; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Waller (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Smith County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; McCurtain County (OK) Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Liberty County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Harris County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Mercer County (NJ) District Attorney’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) District Attorney’s Office; and the Sebastian County (AR) District Attorney’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Bethany Lipman, Rebecca Dunnan, Lakeita Rox-Love, and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp of the Eastern District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah Johnson of the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael FiggsGanter of the Southern District of Mississippi, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
U.S. Attorney Duncan Announces $1.9 Million in Grants to Address School Violence in KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. announced Monday over $1.9 Million in Department of Justice grants, to address violence occurring in our nation’s schools. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $87 million that has been awarded to bolster school security, support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident, and conduct research on school safety.
STOP School Violence, a program of OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, improves school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence. In addition to STOP School Violence Act funding, OJP’s National Institute of Justice is investing in research on school violence.
“Only by removing the threat of violence from our schools can we expect our kids to reap the full benefits of their education, and only after making our places of learning safe can we ask our teachers to instruct and inspire as they are trained to do,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Department of Justice is committed to securing our schools from danger and giving our kids the support they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
“The safety of our kids is always foremost in minds of a community,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “We send our kids to school trusting that they will be safe and that they are able to learn in a positive environment. As we have experienced far too often, there are times when that is simply not the case. These grants award critical funds to address this tragic issue, and I and pleased that three Kentucky communities will directly benefit from these valuable resources and the ongoing effort to help our kids learn safely.”
The following organizations received funding:
- Fayette County Public Schools - $750,000
- Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services - $750,000
- Fleming County Schools - $430,150
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in FY20Read the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Department of Justice announced on Monday that it has charged more than 14,200 defendants nationally with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process.
These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
Of the more than 14,200 defendants charged, 184 defendants have been brought by Eastern District of Kentucky, announced U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr.
“Combatting violent crime remains a fundamental priority for our Office,” said U.S Attorney Duncan. “Strong partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement have resulted in numerous violent offenders being removed from our communities, making us all safer. While we certainly recognize there is more work to be done, we are resolute in our commitment to protecting the public through enforcement and prosecution of federal firearms violations and violent crime.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories, including being a convicted felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase – firearms, if the buyer is a prohibited person or is illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the people of this country safe from gun crime.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
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Afghan Man Sentenced to 106 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Commit Murder for HireRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - An Afghan man, known as “John” Sadiqullah, 32, was sentenced in federal court on Thursday, to 106 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, following his convictions for conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the evidence presented at his trial, Sadiqullah believed that the victim, L.E., owed him a substantial amount of money. After repeated attempts to try to get his money back, through persistent visits to L.E.’s place of business, Sadiqullah contacted Mahmoud Shalash, a local religious leader, to help him get his money back. Shalash had been working with an individual known as Thomas Smith, for whom Shalash had laundered approximately $100,000. Shalash then introduced Smith to Sadiqullah, as an individual who could collect debts by any means necessary.
The evidence also established that Sadiqullah and Smith agreed to kidnap L.E., or his son, in an attempt to retrieve the money; and then, if necessary, they would kill L.E. Three days later, when Sadiqullah learned that L.E. was in Lexington, Sadiqullah, along with others, cornered L.E. at his place of business and called Smith to carry out the plan. Smith, who had been working for the FBI during this entire period of time, reported the incident to the FBI, which then took L.E. and his son into protective custody.
Shalash was sentenced on June 22, 2020, for conspiring to commit kidnapping and committing money laundering. Shalash received two years in prison and five years of supervised release, including one year of home incarceration. Shalash was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and forfeit $81,861.99 in illegally laundered proceeds.
Under federal law, Sadiqullah must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Following his release, Sadiqullah will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Louisville Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew T. Boone and Kathryn M. Anderson.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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DOJ Charges More Than 500 Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.
A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Locally, since October 2017, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky has brought eleven cases, including two cases in 2020, against defendants charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm after a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or who were subject to a qualifying protective order. In 2020, two defendants have been sentenced for domestic violence and firearms related convictions.
Shawn Lee Perkins, of Montgomery County, was sentenced in August 2020 to serve 78 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, among other charges. Perkins admitted in his plea agreement that in 2018 and 2019 he knowingly possessed several firearms after being convicted of Assault Fourth Degree-Domestic Violence in Fleming County, Kentucky in 2011. After serving his sentence, Perkins will serve a period of supervised release for 3 years.
Scott Kirk Koehler, of Lexington, was sentenced in May 2020 to the equivalent of 18 months in prison, after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence order. In his plea agreement, Koehler admitted that on April 30, 2018, he possessed five firearms while he was subject to an Emergency Protection Order, a domestic violence order issued by the Fayette County District Court in July 2015. Koehler was arrested by ATF in September 2018 and ordered to be held in custody pending resolution of his federal charges. Koehler is on supervised release for a period of 18 months.
“A firearm unlawfully possessed by a domestic abuser is a recipe for deadly violence and tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “Reducing gun violence, including domestic violence related firearms offenses, is a fundamental priority for my Office and the Department of Justice. I am proud to serve as a member of the Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Working Group, to help further the Department’s efforts to use federal firearms prosecutions to prevent domestic violence.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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