Eastern District of Michigan
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Contractor for Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency Was Sentenced Today in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Semaje Reffigee, a former employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment today arising from her participation in a $313,000 pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.
Reffigee, 26, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud arising out of her participation in a wide-ranging fraud scheme designed to provide Reffigee and her co-conspirators with pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits to which they were not entitled.
United States Attorney Ison stated, “Corrupt public servants compromise the ability of the government to function effectively and undermine confidence in all public programs. Semaje Reffigee – an employee of the state – stole money from a program intended to help our most vulnerable citizens during an unprecedented national crisis. This prosecution reflects the seriousness with which my office takes corruption and fraud in the public sector, and we hope that today’s sentence deters other government employees from lining their pockets at the expense of the public.”
“Former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency contract employee Semaje Reffigee violated the public trust afforded to her for personal gain. She abused her position by using her access to sensitive employment information and state data systems to approve fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims submitted by her co-conspirators. Today’s sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to pursuing UI fraud, particularly when an insider threat is involved,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“It’s shocking and discouraging when someone hired by the UIA uses the cover of a global economic crisis to scheme with others to steal taxpayer money for their own gratification,” said Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan UIA. “Michigan’s unemployment program is an important lifeline for workers who lose their jobs and despicable actions by bad actors such as Semaje Reffigee damage the trust workers have in the system. Reffigee is one of nearly 50 criminals so far who have been convicted of unemployment insurance fraud, and she won’t be the last. We won’t tolerate such shameful behavior and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters, both within and outside of the UIA, and strengthen the program’s integrity.”
“Semaje Reffigee blatantly stole taxpayer money meant to help individuals meet day to day living needs during unprecedented adverse circumstances,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “The outcome today is due to the dedicated efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents, Reffigee began working as an Unemployment Insurance Examiner (UIE) with the MUIA in October 2020, and as such, had electronic access to the MUIA claims database. Reffigee used her credentials to access and approve specific UI claims submitted to the agency.
Court documents indicate that between October 2020 and June 2021, Reffigee conspired with others to obtain benefits through the submission of false UI claims. Reffigee’s co-conspirators electronically submitted fraudulent claims to MUIA. Reffigee then abused her position as a UIE to (1) re-activate claims that had previously been flagged for fraud, and (2) go outside her assigned workflow to approve fraudulent claims in the first instance. In total, Reffigee re-activated or approved over 35 fraudulent claims valued at more than $300,000. In exchange, Reffigee received kickback payments from her co-conspirators.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Particka and Sarah Youngblood. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the IRS, with substantial assistance from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Ferndale Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ChildreRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Ferndale man who trafficked and had sex with children in metro-Detroit motels while on bond from a federal drug case in North Dakota was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
Toriano Davis, 34, pled guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor in February 2023. Davis was sentenced today by United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.
Law enforcement first began investigating Davis while attempting to locate two minor females who had run away from the Lansing area in late 2020. A relative of one of the minors contacted law enforcement with information and expressed fears that the minors were being trafficked in the Detroit area. Law enforcement recovered the minors from a motel room in Southfield, Michigan, in December 2020. After subsequent investigation, law enforcement located Davis in a motel in Roseville, Michigan. In the room with Davis was a nude 15-year-old girl. Additional investigation uncovered that Davis had trafficked at least two minor victims, had rented motel rooms for them to engage in commercial sex, and had assisted them with advertising online for commercial sex dates. Davis also took proceeds from the minors’ commercial sex dates for his own use, including to purchase drugs and to rent expensive cars. Davis also had sex with the minors and had recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on a cellular phone.
“The sexual abuse and trafficking of children is a scourge on our community that leaves an indelible mark on victims,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “The video recording of that abuse only perpetuates the abuse. This defendant committed these heinous acts while on bond in a federal drug case. The lengthy sentence imposed today will protect the public from this defendant and help keep our community safe for children.”
“This defendant callously sold minors to other men for his own financial benefit,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Combating sex trafficking and violence in our communities is of the highest priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners across Southeast Michigan.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Division, SEMTEC (Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes), the Detroit Police Department and State of Michigan Children’s Protective Services.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Sweeney Bean and Eaton Brown.
One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership to host Second Annual Peacenic at Heilmann Recreation CenterRead the Press Release
DETROIT - More than thirty community organizations and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies will gather with residents for a second Peacenic at Heilmann Recreation Center on July 15. This follows a very successful Peacenic that was held on July 8th at O’Hair Park. The events on Saturday at Heilmann will run from 3pm to 7pm.
The Peacenics are part of the One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership’s – Unified Summer Enforcement Strategy, a targeted strategy aimed at reducing gun violence in Detroit’s neighborhoods with the highest incidence of violent crime – Detroit’s 8th and 9th Precincts. The strategy has three components—enforcement, prevention, and reentry. One Detroit is a coalition of community and law enforcement partners working together to develop and execute the best strategies to reduce violent crime which was announced in May.
As part of the enhanced enforcement this summer, certain crimes committed in the “hot spot areas” are subject to immediate federal enforcement. On the reentry front, the One Detroit Partnership is holding community roundtables pairing individuals living in the hot spot communities who are on state probation with housing, mental health, and employment resources and giving them the opportunity to engage with individuals who have successfully transitioned from prison back into society. Finally, the Peacenics are a collective gathering of the community and law enforcement to share in food, fellowship and fun in the name of peace that signals the start of our One Detroit prevention efforts.
The Peacenics will feature vendors offering a variety of resources including job training, literacy programs, mental health and medical screenings, utility assistance, educational and vocational opportunities, tutorial and career development programs, expungement assistance and more. Several law enforcement agencies will also be present to engage with the community and recruit to fill vacancies in their organizations.
In addition to the resources, there will be bounce houses, face painting, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Tracey Walker, II, from the Detroit Lions will be passing out book bags and doing drills. Adults will be able to join in the fun with Hustle Dance lessons, chess games, and a Spades tournament. New this year is the Thrift Clothing Boutique where residents can shop for gently used clothing. There will also be pizza, sliders, and ice cream available for free for residents at the Peacenics.
“I am so excited to be partnering again with so many organizations and individuals who are dedicated to helping improve the lives of the residents of Detroit, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “Our first step is making the city peaceful, and the Peacenics are a celebration of the One Detroit Partnership’s multifaceted approach to reducing violence in the city.”
“The Peacenic and One Detroit Partnership shows what we can do when we all work together to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in our city,” said Chief James E. White. “This is a great time in the city of Detroit as law enforcement, government, community organizations and residents are coming together to stop violent crime and increase access to resources that can help Detroiters.”
Heilmann Recreation Center is located at 19601 Brock Street (9th Precinct). Members of the media are welcome to attend the event and should contact Gina Balaya at the above email address or contact her directly at (313)226-9758.
Participating OrganizationsCity of Detroit •Detroit Police Department •Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office •U.S. Attorney’s Office •8th Precinct Community Relations Council •Black Family Development, Inc. •Brilliant Detroit •Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives •Ceasefire Detroit •Ceasefire Outreach •Delta Dental •Detroit at Work •Detroit Health Department •Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department •Detroit Lions •Detroit Pistons •Detroit Public Library •Detroit Public Schools Community District •Detroit Reconnect •Detroit Training Center •Detroit Wayne Integrated Health •Drug Enforcement Administration •Families Against Narcotics •Federal Bureau of Investigations •Goodwill Industries •I Teach Chess •Matrix Human Services
- Michigan Army National Guard •Michigan Department of
Corrections •Michigan Secretary of State •Project Clean Slate •Salvation Army •Team Wellness Center •U.S. Department of Homeland Security •Wayne County Sheriff’s Department •Wayne Metro Hope Program •Wayne State Health Mobile •Youthbuild Detroit
Former Birmingham Art Dealer Pleads Guilty to $1.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A former Birmingham, Michigan art dealer pleaded guilty to defrauding more than 10 customers who had entrusted her with the sale of their art of over $1.5 million, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Joining in the announcement was Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Scott Grewe, Chief of the Birmingham Police Department.
Wendy Halstead Beard, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge Judith E. Levy. The crime arose from a multi-year scheme in which Beard received fine art photography prints on consignment, sold the artwork without the knowledge of the owners, kept the profits for her own personal gain, and continually deceived the owners about the status of their photographs.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in approximately March 2019 and continuing through October 2022, Beard executed a scheme to defraud a number of her customers. The purpose of the scheme was for Beard to embezzle the proceeds from the sale of multiple fine art photographs that had been provided to her by her customers on a consignment basis.
Throughout the scheme, Beard attempted to lull her victims into a false sense of security by offering excuses for her unwillingness or inability to promptly return the victims’ photographs after the expiration of the operative consignment agreements. These excuses consisted of, among other things, exaggerating the severity of her own health problems, including claiming (1) to have recently been in a coma and (2) to have received a double-lung transplant. In other instances, Beard told her victims that there was a lack of interest among potential purchasers—despite having already sold the photographs in question. Beard also created fake “employee” identities which she used to correspond with her victims in a further effort to deceive them.
In the plea agreement, Beard acknowledged defrauding more than ten victims over the course of her scheme. She further admitted that at least one victim was vulnerable due to the victim’s advanced age. According to court records, the government asserts that the losses associated with the scheme are at least $1.5 million.
Sentencing is set for December 12, 2023 before Judge Levy.
“This defendant swindled numerous families out of valuable artwork and lied to them repeatedly in order to keep her fraud scheme afloat,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “She did this for no reason other than to line her own pockets at the expense of her victims. There is no place for this kind of criminal deceit in our community, and today’s conviction holds this defendant accountable for her conduct.”
“With today’s plea, Ms. Beard has taken a first step towards accepting responsibility for her criminal behavior,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to investigating art fraud and to seeking justice for those affected by this type of scheme.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Adriana Dydell. The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Birmingham Police Department
U.S. Attorney’s Office Brings “United Against Hate” Initiative to DetroitRead the Press Release
DETROIT - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan partnered with the Urban League of Detroit and Southeast Michigan to host “United Against Hate,” the first of a series of community forums designed to educate the public about civil rights enforcement tools available to address hate crimes, bias incidents, and discrimination. The event, held today at the Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, featured presentations from Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Office’s Civil Rights Unit and an FBI Special Agent who investigates civil rights crimes.
“Combatting hate crimes and bias incidents is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice and one of my top priorities as United States Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We are excited to bring this new training to the Eastern District of Michigan and thankful to the Urban League and Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church for facilitating our first United Against Hate event.”
The United Against Hate Community Outreach Program aims to improve hate crime reporting by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes. The program also aims to build trust between law enforcement and diverse communities in the region. United Against Hate shares resources to combat hate and encourages discussion between representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public. United Against Hate emphasizes that while some hate-fueled incidents—standing alone—may not be a crime, people should still report those incidents to local law enforcement and the FBI. Through using hypothetical scenarios and video clips depicting real-life hate crime cases and stories, the presenters emphasized the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate. They also highlighted differences between hate crimes versus bias incidents and provided options for responding to bias incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or constitutes criminal threats.
As part of its United Against Hate Community Outreach Program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will engage with communities across the Eastern District of Michigan by hosting additional events in the coming months to deepen connections with those communities, further hate crimes prevention efforts, and encourage more people to report hate crimes, bias incidents, and discrimination.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Former State Contractor to Steal $550,000 in Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit resident pleaded guilty today to engaging in an extensive unemployment fraud conspiracy with a former State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency contract employee, whereby they stole over $550,000 in public funds, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; Devin Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office; and Julia Dale, Director of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
William Haynes, 26, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. Haynes admitted to engaging in a criminal conspiracy with Autumn Mims, a former contract Unemployment Insurance Examiner for the State of Michigan. Mims’s duties included reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.
Mims previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and is currently awaiting sentencing before Judge Goldsmith.
According to court records, shortly after Mims began working with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency in August 2020, she began using her insider access to fraudulently process claims in the names of third parties without their knowledge or authorization. As part of the scheme, Haynes (1) altered direct deposit information for third-party unemployment insurance assistance; (2) accessed third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information without authorization; (3) completed false and fraudulent certifications for third-party unemployment insurance assistance benefits; (4) opened unauthorized bank accounts in the names of third parties; (5) provided stolen personal identifying information to his co-conspirator, Mims; (6) conducted cash withdrawals of unemployment insurance assistance issued in the names of third parties; (7) conducted financial transactions utilizing unemployment insurance assistance funds issued in the names of third parties; and (8) received non-cash benefits from his involvement in the conspiracy, including rent payments made by his co-conspirator Mims.
According to court records, as a result of the conspiracy, over $550,000 in fraudulent unemployment assistance payments were made by the State of Michigan. Haynes has agreed to be held accountable for $448,614 in restitution.
Sentencing is set for November 28, 2023, before Judge Goldsmith. Haynes faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
“We are committed to prosecuting those who engage in schemes to steal public funds,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice, whether they are insiders who abuse their positions of trust or outsiders who enable that abuse.”
"William Haynes conspired with former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency Examiner Autumn Mims to defraud the state of Michigan. Haynes worked with Mims to certify Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) unemployment insurance (UI) claims he knew were fraudulent. The proceeds from the fraudulent claims were deposited into bank accounts that Haynes and Mims controlled. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to protect the integrity of the UI system," stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Haynes used his co-defendant’s official position at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency to steal money from people who were struggling through pandemic-related economic challenges,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will continue working alongside our state and federal partners to investigate this type of scheme and bring to justice those who defraud the unemployment system.”
“Add William Haynes to the growing list of fraudsters that UIA’s investigators have identified as brazenly violating the trust Michiganders put in an unemployment system that is their lifeline when they lost work,” said Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. “That Mr. Haynes found a willing accomplice within the UIA to help carry out his devious scheme is also appalling. Today’s guilty plea should put bad actors on notice that the UIA won’t tolerate the theft of public funds. Our nearly 50 convictions so far prove they won’t get away with defrauding taxpayers.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Former Warren Police Officer Charged with Using Excessive Force Against A Jail PrisonerRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former Warren police officer has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with violating a jail prisoner’s civil rights by assaulting the prisoner without justification, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Peter J. Lucido, Macomb County Prosecutor, and Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Matthew J. Rodriguez, 48, a former Warren Police Officer, was charged in the complaint with deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to the complaint, Rodriguez was working as a jail officer on June 13, 2023, at the Warren Police Department, when the victim was brought to the department after being arrested. While Rodriguez was processing the victim, Rodriguez repeatedly assaulted the prisoner without justification. The surveillance video inside the police department shows that while the victim was standing with his hands down at his sides, Rodriguez struck him in the head with enough force to cause the victim to stumble backwards. Rodriguez then shoved the victim against a wall, and threw him to the floor. While the victim was laying on the floor, Rodriguez used his closed fist to punch the victim repeatedly in the head. Rodriguez also slammed the victim’s head into the floor.
“The allegations in the complaint demonstrate a shocking abuse of authority by this officer which cannot be ignored, or go unpunished, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We are grateful for Prosecutor Lucido’s cooperation in this case, and his willingness to dismiss the state charges so that this federal case can go forward where the defendant now faces a felony charge.”
“We are cooperating with the U.S. Attorney to ensure that when fundamental liberties are threatened, justice prevails. Together, we will strive to bring about justice and ensure righteousness in the legal system, reminding everyone that the protection of civil rights is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.
“One of the FBI’s most important missions is to protect the civil rights of all people, including those in police custody,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This defendant’s alleged conduct is not reflective of the honor and professionalism with which the men and women of the Warren Police Department perform their duties. I am grateful for the collaboration with the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office and the Warren Police Department which has been essential to this investigation.”
The defendant faces up to ten years in prison on the civil rights charge.
A criminal complaint is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moran.
Macomb County Prosecutor Lucido originally brought misdemeanor charges of assault and battery and willful neglect of duty against defendant Rodriguez. Prosecutor Lucido intends to dismiss these charges so that the federal felony charge against Rodriguez can go forward.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Carfentanil, Heroin, and CocaineRead the Press Release
DETROIT – An armed drug trafficker selling a fentanyl analogue advertised as “heroin” was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Branden Smith, 38, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs and for possessing carfentanil. According to court records, Smith was identified by federal agents as a multi-state distributor of illegal drugs, including heroin. Following several months of investigation, undercover law enforcement agents purchased what Smith had advertised as “heroin,” but was in fact carfentanil, a dangerous fentanyl analogue. Investigators ultimately executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Smith. They found distribution quantities of multiple controlled substances (including carfentanil), multiple electronic scales, vacuum sealers, face masks, and rubber gloves. Smith was arrested on the scene, and investigators recovered a Glock 23 pistol in his waistband, as well as an AK-47 extended pistol in the driver’s side door of the vehicle he was observed exiting.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 alone, more than 56,000 deaths involved synthetic opioids in the United States, which accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. Carfentanil is one of the most potent fentanyl analogues and is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
“Deadly drugs like carfentanil are lethal by themselves, but even more dangerous when they are marketed as another drug. Adding guns to that mix increases the harm and risk to the community exponentially,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “That’s why federal law provides for sever penalties for armed drug trafficking, and we will not hesitate to insist on those penalties when necessary to keep this community safe.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the commitment of the men and women of the DEA, the USAO EDMI and the Warren Police Department, to hold accountable, anyone who chooses to distribute deadly drugs like Carfentanil in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Greene. “Mr. Smith intentionally misrepresented the fact he was selling a fentanyl analogue, 100 times more potent than fentanyl and which is normally used to tranquilize elephants and other large mammals. Mr. Smith’s possession of firearms further compounded the danger he posed to the community and today he was held to account for his actions.”
The case was investigated by federal agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside task force officers from the Warren Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin Casey and Robert White prosecuted the case for the United States.
18 Firearms Seized After Domestic Violence Incident Leads to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A domestic violence shooting in Detroit has led to the recovery of 18 firearms, including a machine gun, and a federal criminal complaint against one man, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Saliah Algahmi, 37, of Melvindale, Michigan, was charged in a criminal complaint with being unlawfully in possession of firearms and knowingly in receipt of counterfeit federal law enforcement badges. He was ordered detained by visiting United States Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen.
According to court records, the charges stem from an incident on May 19, 2023, when Algahmi’s wife reported that Algahmi had fired a gun at her while she sat in her vehicle. Fortunately, she was not injured. This incident led police to search a residence in Melvindale on June 8, 2023. In the residence, police found 18 firearms, various ammunition, and two fake police badges. The ongoing investigation has preliminarily determined, through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), that the firearm used during the domestic assault on May 19, 2023, was one of the 18 firearms recovered from the residence. Several of the firearms were stolen and or unregistered, one had an obliterated serial number, and at least one firearm is classified as a machine gun. Algahmi also was in possession of a counterfeit badge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and a fake Department of Defense federal law enforcement badge.
For unlawful possession of firearms, Algahmi faces a maximum of 15 years imprisonment.
“Through his illegal possession of an arsenal of 18 firearms, including a machine gun, and his willingness to use a firearm against a family member, this defendant represented an ongoing threat to the community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “This threat has been stopped by the swift actions of law enforcement, and we are thankful this case did not result in someone being injured or killed.”
“All people deserve to feel safe in their relationships. Alhahmi’s repeated use of firearms to commit domestic violence is unacceptable” said, ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir “ATF and our law enforcement partners remain resolute in holding violent offenders who threaten the safety of their family and our community accountable.”
The United States Attorney’s Office and the ATF are focused on prosecuting those individuals who are using firearms to commit violent acts against people in the Eastern District of Michigan. The strategy is a part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
A complaint is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by ATF with the assistance from the Detroit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cowen, assigned to the Violent and Organized Crime Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Investment Firm Operator Charged with Running $100 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - The operator of a supposed foreign exchange trading firm has been charged with running a Ponzi scheme which obtained $100 million from investors, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
Darren Anthony Robinson, 53, a U.S. citizen who has operated out of the country of Panama, was charged in a criminal complaint with committing wire fraud. Robinson appeared today in federal court in Detroit to make his initial appearance.
According to the complaint, which was unsealed today, Robinson operated a supposed trading firm known as “QYU,” which was located in Panama and the Cayman Islands. QYU represented to investors that it was consistently generating stellar investment results. For example, in one QYU document, the firm claimed that a $100,000 investment into its fund in 2014 would have grown to over $2 million by 2021. That same document claimed the fund did not have a single losing month over that same period. QYU investors were promised guaranteed returns and told the firm was only paid on trading profits, not investor principal.
The complaint alleges that QYU was simply a Ponzi scheme. Investor funds were largely not used for trading activity. Instead, new investor funds were used to pay other investor distributions, cover QYU business expenses, compensate QYU employees, and fund Robinson’s lifestyle. QYU investors were provided with false account statements and fictious trading data. The complaint indicates that QYU obtained an estimated $100 million from investors.
“The complaint alleges a brazen investment fraud that victimized investors around the world. My office will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who defraud others and undermine the financial system,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
“This defendant allegedly orchestrated a large-scale, multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme with victims across the globe,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Investment fraud can be crippling for its victims, and the FBI is committed to identifying and working with anyone impacted by this scheme.”
"Illegal activity involving the investment industry, especially Ponzi schemes, has brought financial ruin to many Americans, said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, using our financial investigative expertise to help put a stop to this and other types of white-collar crime in Michigan."
Law enforcement has identified many apparent QYU investors from southeast Michigan. Potential victims are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.fbi.gov/QYU_holdings_victims (Please note that the link to the website is case sensitive).
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment on the charges brought in the complaint. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The defendant faces up to twenty years in prison on the charge of wire fraud.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for its assistance in this matter.
robinson_complaint.pdfFlint-Area Medical Practice to Pay $200,000 and Establish a Victim Fund to Resolve Disability Discrimination CaseRead the Press Release
FLINT, MI –Flint Neurological Centre P.C. has agreed to pay up to $200,000 and to establish a victim fund to resolve a disability discrimination case that alleged the medical practice violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide auxiliary aids and services required to ensure effective communication with patients and their companions who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In the March 2022 complaint which started this litigation, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan alleged the medical practice had a long history of ADA violations, including a prior investigation by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) that resulted in the practice entering into a 2018 settlement agreement with MDCR that included compensation to a patient.
“Effective communication is paramount for the deaf and hard of hearing, especially in the context of providing medical services,” said Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The ADA guarantees that patients who are deaf or hard of hearing have the ability to exchange critical information with medical providers,” she added. These guarantees are a longstanding provision of the ADA, and our office will aggressively enforce the ADA to protect individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Under the terms of the three-year Consent Decree, Flint Neurological Centre, P.C. will pay a total of $150,000 in damages to ten patients and companions. It will also establish a $40,000 victim fund for additional individuals who may have been harmed by its past practices, and it will pay a $10,000 civil monetary penalty to the government. The Consent Decree requires Flint Neurological Centre to adopt a policy statement which notifies patients and their companions of their right to obtain sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services free of charge. The medical practice is also required to train its staff on various topics, including how to provide effective communication to members of the deaf community.
Patients and their companions of Flint Neurological Centre, P.C. who believe that the practice failed to provide them with an effective means of communication may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine if they are entitled to compensation. They can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling (313) 226-9151 or sending an email to [email protected].
The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Ackenhausen, Acting Chief of the Civil Rights Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nedra Campbell, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael El-Zein, and Executive Assistant United States Attorney Luttrell Levingston.
Department of Justice Allocates Eight Additional Attorneys to the U.S. Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The U.S. Department of Justice has allocated eight additional attorney positions and two support staff positions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan to meet the district’s needs and the priorities of the Office and the Department, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
U.S. Attorney Ison had requested the additional resources over the past three months to meet her priorities of rebuilding community trust, reinvigorating civil rights enforcement efforts, and restructuring the office’s approach to violent crime. The eight additional attorneys and two support staff personnel will be hired over the coming months and will serve in the Detroit, Flint, and Bay City offices.
Two additional prosecutors and a new support staff employee will be hired to focus on violent crime and national security cases, including counter-terrorism efforts. One of the additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys will be dedicated to prosecuting criminal civil rights violations and bringing civil enforcement actions to protect civil rights. Two new prosecutors will be focused on prosecuting violent crime on the Isabella Reservation in Indian Country from the Office’s Bay City Branch. Two new attorneys, in term positions, will be detailed to fight fraud on Covid-19 pandemic relief programs through criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions. A new Assistant U.S. Attorney, as well as a new information technology specialist, will work on the Office’s eLitigation operations and improving the use of technology to manage electronic discovery in our civil and criminal cases.
As part of the process, the Department of Justice received requests for new resources and new prosecutors from U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department’s top leadership evaluated the requests, made final decisions, and recently notified the Offices of these decisions.
On June 21, 2023, at 4:00 p.m., the Office will be holding a recruitment event in preparation for the hiring of these additional eight attorneys.
“These additional resources will further invigorate our efforts to protect the District’s citizens and communities and to protect taxpayer dollars from fraud,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “I am grateful
to Attorney General Garland for awarding our Office with these new positions to better combat violent crime, defend civil rights, and fight fraud.”
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Providing Material Support to A Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Dearborn resident was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison after having been convicted at trial earlier this year on charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and attending an ISIS training camp.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan, office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 32, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. Musaibli was convicted after a 9-day trial conducted in Detroit in January 2023.
Musaibli, a natural-born U.S. citizen, was convicted on charges of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, and attending an ISIS training camp.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Musaibli, born in Detroit, began looking into ISIS while in Michigan in 2015. He then traveled to Yemen in April 2015 and continued to research ISIS—including downloading ISIS propaganda and an ISIS book on how to get into Syria. From Yemen, he traveled to Syria in the fall of 2015, where he attended an ISIS-run religious training camp before undergoing ISIS military training where he learned to shoot, carry, and otherwise handle an AK-47 assault rifle. Upon graduation from the ISIS military training camp, Musaibli swore allegiance to ISIS and its leader. Musaibli remained with ISIS for over two and a half years. During that time, Musaibli fought for ISIS against the United States and its allies, where he was wounded in battle. Musaibli was eventually apprehended by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018, turned over to the FBI, and flown back to the United States to face terrorism charges.
“This defendant chose to join a brutal, foreign terrorist organization and then to fight against the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “For his betrayal of our nation and his fellow citizens, he is deserving of a long sentence.”
“This case is a reminder of the danger posed by those who travel overseas to join forces with terrorist groups,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The sentence imposed on Mr. Musaibli is a clear reminder to others of the consequences of providing material support to ISIS or any foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security, US Customs and Border Protection, Michigan State Police, and the Hamtramck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Michael Martin of the Eastern District of Michigan with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.Drug Kingpin Sentenced to More than 24 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Drug Kingpin Sentenced to More than 24 Years in Prison
DETROIT – The leader of a 13-member conspiracy to distribute cocaine, opioid pills, and other drugs was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison today, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Ray Guerrero, age 50, of Waterford, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman. Evidence at Guerrero’s October 2022 jury trial showed that he supplied drugs to family members, friends, and others for sale, mostly in Oakland County, from 2009 through April 2017. He owned a house on Virginia Street in Pontiac, and he supplied drugs to relatives at that house for frequent sales, turning the Virginia Street house into a “trap” or drug house. Guerrero also provided drugs for sale at other Oakland County residences and properties. He used minors as well as adults to sell drugs, and the organization he led sold drugs at and near a school in Oakland County.
Twelve other defendants in the case had previously pleaded guilty; only Guerrero proceeded to trial. The jury found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine, pills, including Norcos and Valium, and other drugs) and being a felon in possession of firearms.
"Today’s sentence highlights the impact that collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has on our communities when it comes to combatting drug trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Drug dealers who use minors to help them distribute poison in our communities should know that we are committed to stopping them and ensuring that they face serious consequences.”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment, free from illicit narcotics and the violence that goes hand in hand with these criminal activities,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This large-scale investigation conducted by the FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crimes and Gangs Task Force is a great example of how law enforcement agencies at every level can work together to positively impact a community
flooded with dangerous drugs. Mr. Guerrero’s sentence should serve as deterrent to anyone who thinks they can traffic drugs in Southeast Michigan without consequence.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
The FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crime Task Force was the investigating agency. The Task Force includes FBI agents and other law enforcement partners such as Deputies of the Oakland County Sheriff, Madison Heights Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, Novi Police, Ferndale Police and officials from the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Portelli.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Issues 2022 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
DETROIT –The United States Attorney’s Office made significant strides in 2022 in rebuilding community trust, reinvigorating our protection of civil rights, and restructuring our approach to violent crime, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. The details of the office’s work in 2022 are set forth in a 33-page annual report highlighting prosecutions, community outreach, trials, convictions, systemic change, and community impact. The document is available here for review by the public.
The report sets forth the work done in service of the richly diverse Eastern District of Michigan. The lawyers and support professionals in our Detroit, Flint, and Bay City offices, along with our partner agencies, had significant accomplishments this year. Among them:
• In fiscal year 2022, our office collected more than $289 million in judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture, more than ten times our operating budget of $25 million. These funds are being returned to victims and taxpayers.
• Our efforts to target the most violent offenders who are harming public safety resulted in numerous federal convictions. We used traditional organized crime statutes, such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), to attack violent street gangs. The best example of our focused approach is the reduction of violence in the City of Pontiac. Federal and local law enforcement identified two violent street gangs terrorizing the citizens of the city. So far, fifteen gang members have been charged federally, and fourteen gang members have been charged in state court in a coordinated action. Since these arrests, shots fired calls in Pontiac are down 64%, and assault with intent to murder cases are down 56%.
• Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith was sentenced to 21 months in prison for obstructing justice in connection with a federal investigation of Smith’s embezzlement of money from his political campaign account. Smith sought to have two of his subordinate Assistant Prosecutors lie to the FBI and to a federal Grand Jury, who were investigating Smith’s embezzlement. As part of his conviction, Smith admitted that he had embezzled $94,000 from his campaign account by falsely claiming the money was used to pay rent on a campaign office and for a political consultant. In fact, Smith used the money for personal expenses. Smith had served as the elected county prosecutor from 2004 through 2020.
• We obtained a summary judgment victory against the City of Troy in our lawsuit alleging that it violated federal law when it denied the Adam Community Center’s efforts to establish an Islamic place of worship in Troy.
• A ranking member of the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel was found guilty by jury after trial. The defendant facilitated the importation of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the District. He faces a significant sentence.
• The office has charged 39 defendants with participating in pandemic fraud schemes, ranging from unemployment insurance fraud conspiracies to fraud in pandemic loan programs. Of the individuals charged in such cases, the United States has thus far obtained more than 20 guilty pleas and one trial conviction.
• A Saginaw man pleaded guilty to hate crime charges for willfully intimidating citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. The man had called nine Starbucks stores in Michigan and told the employees answering his calls to relay racial threats to Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts. He also threatened to kill black people, using a racial slur to refer to his intended victims. In addition, the man placed a noose inside a victim’s car with a threatening note.
• As a result of the Consent Decree governing the United Auto Workers union, the UAW had conducted a referendum of its members and was ordered to alter its constitution to provide for the direct election of UAW leaders. This year, in an historic election, eight independent and dissident members were elected to UAW leadership positions in contested elections.
• FCA US LLC (now known as Stellantis) paid a $300 million fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States as part of a scheme to cheat U.S. regulators and customers by making false and misleading representations about its emissions control systems on diesel vehicles.
The work detailed in the 2022 Annual Report demonstrates the commitment that the 220 men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office make each day to protect the citizens of the District and to advance the goals of the country.
Four Michigan Pharmacies Settle Alleged Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
DETROIT–Four Michigan pharmacies have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government to resolve allegations that they violated certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Joining in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
In 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating HealthPlus Pharmacy of Ann Arbor, HealthPlus Pharmacy of Brighton, HealthPlus Pharmacy of Howell, and All Care Pharmacy in Allen Park (collectively, Health Plus Pharmacies) for potential violations of the CSA. The DEA’s investigation revealed that Health Plus Pharmacies committed several significant recordkeeping violations, including failing to maintain a complete and accurate record of all Schedule II controlled substances dispensed by the pharmacies. The DEA also determined that Health Plus Pharmacies failed to maintain effective controls to guard against the diversion of controlled substances. As a result, DEA concluded that Health Plus Pharmacies could not properly account for more than 30,000 hydrocodone and oxycodone pills over an approximate 18-month period.
As part of the settlement agreement, Health Plus Pharmacies will collectively pay civil penalties of $180,000. Health Plus Pharmacies has also entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA requiring, among other things, that the pharmacies hire an external auditor to conduct unannounced audits of highly abused controlled substances over the next two years and to institute a broad-based educational program for its employees that focuses on prevention of drug diversion in the workplace.
“Our Office is committed to combatting the opioid crisis and will seek to hold accountable participants at every level of the distribution chain who fail to comply with their obligations under the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Pharmacies play a critical role in preventing drug abuse and diversion, and this settlement helps ensure these four pharmacies comply with the law.”
“The failure to adhere to regulations by medical professionals adds fuel to the inferno that is the opioid crisis. We will protect our community by vigorously pursuing pharmacies and pharmacists that fail to follow proper procedures as they relate to controlled substances," said Special Agent in Charge Greene.
Congress passed the CSA to combat the illegal distribution and abuse of controlled substances. Under the CSA, entities registered with the DEA who purchase, distribute, dispense, transfer, or sell controlled substances must comply with strict inventory and documentation requirements. Regulations promulgated under the CSA require that each DEA registrant, including pharmacies, maintain complete and accurate records of each substance manufactured, received, sold, delivered, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of by the registrant. These requirements play a vital role in ensuring the appropriate handling, accounting, and distribution of controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by Diversion Investigators from DEA’s Detroit Field Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Canadian Company Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Harp Seal Oil in the United StatesRead the Press Release
FeelGood Natural Health Stores Ltd. (FeelGood) pleaded guilty today to one count of violating the Lacey Act by knowingly transporting and selling harp seal oil capsules in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA makes it unlawful to transport or sell any marine mammal, including harp seals, or products thereof, for any purpose other than public display, scientific research, or enhancing the survival of a species or stock.
According to the plea agreement, FeelGood is a Canadian corporation located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Between at least April 2019 and May 2021, FeelGood offered harp seal oil capsules for sale in the United States on both its own webpage and a third-party platform. It did so even though its website on the third-party platform acknowledged, “NOT ship to USA,” and though FeelGood received a notice that some shipments had been seized by the federal government for violation of the MMPA. Nevertheless, FeelGood shipped at least 936 bottles of capsules valued at over $10,000. FeelGood either shipped purchased items directly from Canada to the customer in the United States (in some instances a covert U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent) or shipped the items from or through fulfillment centers run by a third party in the United States.
“Our wildlife laws were passed to ensure the continued existence and enjoyment of these natural resources for future generations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Those who deliberately exploit marine mammals for commercial purposes in U.S. markets in violation of our wildlife laws will be criminally prosecuted.”
“This office takes the security of our borders very seriously. The illegal importation of marine mammal products not only violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act but also jeopardizes the safety of protected species such as harp seals,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan.
FeelGood faces a maximum sentence of a fine of $500,000 and five years’ probation. Pursuant to the plea agreement the parties agree to recommend a fine of $20,000 and three years’ probation during which FeelGood must create and implement a compliance plan, train its employees, obtain any necessary licenses, and cooperate fully with the government. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 28.
The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in fish and wildlife, or plants taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of underlying federal, state, foreign or Indian Tribal law. The Lacey Act also prohibits making or submitting a false label, record, or account of fish, wildlife, or plant that has been or is intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commence.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
Canadian Pastor Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Canadian pastor was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for using the internet to entice of a 15-year-old girl to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Office.
Timothy Milley, 69, of suburban Toronto, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge Judith E. Levy. In October 2022, Milley was convicted of the online enticement of a metro-Detroit minor. The investigation revealed that in the spring of 2013, Milley had communicated with the minor over the internet and shared text exchanges with her when she was 15 years old. After months of grooming, Milley traveled to the United States from Canada, and he convinced the minor to meet with him in front of her school in the Detroit area, where he picked her up. He took her to a hotel and had sexual intercourse with her there, before returning her to her school and abandoning her in front of the building. Milley’s crime was discovered years later when the minor victim—now an adult—looked up Milley online and found out that he had been charged and convicted in his native Canada for similar online solicitation of an undercover agent he thought was a minor. Following this discovery, the minor victim in the United States reported the incident to law enforcement agents at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who investigated and soon arrested Milley for his online solicitation of the minor victim here.
“This defendant groomed the vulnerable minor victim and preyed upon her youth and inexperience. Thanks to her bravery in coming forward years later, we were able to arrest him and prevent further victimization of other minors,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Individuals who prey on children, especially those in positions of public trust, should expect to be held fully accountable for their actions,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie. M. Salazar. “I commend the victim for her courage in coming forward to ensure that Milley is unable to continue to victimize and exploit children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Princ.
A Native of Iraq and Citizen of the Netherlands Was Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms and Ammunition UnlawfullyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A native of Iraq and citizen of the Netherlands, who has prior criminal arrests for Assault and Battery, Domestic Violence, Drug Possession, Malicious Destruction of Property, and Larceny, was sentenced this week to 5 years in federal prison for being an unlawful alien in possession of firearms and ammunition, announced United State Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley, United States Border Patrol, Detroit Sector.
Sentenced was Vires Al-Hakiem, age 43. Al-Hakiem was sentenced in federal court in Detroit on May 31 before United States District Judge Laurie Michelson.
According to court records, in June 2021, Al-Hakiem sent a text message containing a video to his then spouse threatening her with a gun. A subsequent search of Al-Hakiem’s bedroom found six firearms, 34 handgun magazines (7 of which were high capacity), 53 long-gun magazines (4 with extended capacity for ammunition) and over 2,600 rounds of ammunition. Al-Hakiem has prior criminal arrests for Assault and Battery, Domestic Violence, Drug Possession, Malicious Destruction of Property, and Larceny. In January 2023, Al-Hakiem pleaded guilty in federal court to being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Al-Hakiem will be deported to the Netherlands when his sentence is finished.
“Our office is dedicated to enforcing our immigration laws. This defendant who already had a lengthy criminal history was both illegally present in the United States and illegally possessed a large number of guns and ammunition. “Today’s sentence makes our community safer,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison.
“Protecting our Nation’s borders goes beyond patrolling an imaginary line on the ground or water, as this case clearly shows. The United States Border Patrol is dedicated to protecting all our communities from dangerous people such as this, and I’m proud of our Detroit Sector agents and their task force partners for the great work that made this conviction possible,” said Chief Patrol Agent Danley.
This case was investigated by agents of the Border Patrol with the assistance of the FBI Macomb County Gang and Violent crime task force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Fairchild.
Three Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Three Macomb County residents were charged for their alleged roles in a multi-million-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar, United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and Julia Dale, Director, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Rita Shaba, 37, of Macomb and Samer Kammo, 43 of Shelby Township were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; bank fraud; false statements in connection with a bank loan; and, aggravated identity theft.
Christina Anasi, 33, of Shelby, was charged in a related criminal complaint with the same offenses, as well as money laundering.
According to the indictment and complaint, the defendants caused fraudulent PPP applications to be submitted for several business entities. Those applications are alleged to have misrepresented payroll information for the business entities and falsely certified that PPP loan funds would be used for permissible business-related purposes. The defendants are also alleged to have caused fictitious payroll, health insurance, bank, and tax records to be submitted in connection with the PPP loan applications.
According to court records, the defendants received over $3 million in fraudulent PPP loan funds. To date, law enforcement has seized and recovered over $2.1 million of those funds.
Anasi is also alleged to have engaged in unemployment insurance fraud.
The Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress to provide assistance to businesses harmed by the economic dislocations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
U.S. Attorney Ison stated, “If you stole government funds designed to help other Americans make it through the global pandemic, my office—along with our law enforcement partners—is coming for you.”
“These defendants are charged with defrauding American taxpayers and stealing from businesses that were in desperate need of support during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI and are law enforcement partners remain committed to finding people who commit fraud and holding them accountable for their crimes.”
“The pandemic took a toll on our communities and local businesses, yet some saw that suffering as an opportunity to steal from their fellow citizens,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “Our agents will continue to investigate instances of PPP fraud and help hold offenders accountable to the people we serve.”
“The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency’s Investigations Division has a long, successful record of identifying bad actors who steal money from hard-working Michiganders and Michigan businesses,” said UIA Director Julia Dale. “The close partnership that we have with federal law enforcement ensures fraudsters receive the justice they rightly deserve for violating the integrity of the state’s unemployment insurance program.”
The defendants face up to twenty years in prison based on the wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges, and they face a maximum of thirty years in prison on the bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy charges. Each of the defendants face consecutive two-year prison sentences for aggravated identity theft.
An indictment and a complaint are both only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment on the charges brought in the complaint. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has also provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. Related forfeiture matters are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael El-Zein.
Holly, Michigan Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison After Threatening Bar Patrons with an AR-15-Style RifleRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Holly, Michigan man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a weapon after he pointed an AR-15-style rifle at patrons inside the Holly Inn Bar in March 2022, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Joshua Allgeyer, 40, was sentenced by United States District Judge George Caram Steeh after having previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a Springfield Armory Saint AR-15-style rifle. Witnesses told investigators that after Allgeyer left the Holly Inn Bar following a verbal fight inside, he returned with the rifle and pointed it through a side window at patrons inside, causing them to run for cover and fear for their lives. Allgeyer then fled the scene and hid inside his local residence, refusing to exit once officers arrived to arrest him. After a barricade was set up and the SWAT team was called in, Allgeyer eventually exited the residence. Inside, law enforcement recovered the rifle, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and seven rifle magazines. Allgeyer had prior convictions for armed robbery and home invasion and had previously served 14 years in prison for these crimes.
“This individual posed a great danger to members of our community who were just trying to enjoy an evening at a local bar when he pointed an assault rifle at them. We work continuously to keep dangerous felons off the streets and away from deadly firearms,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Allgeyer’s reckless disregard for human life has real consequences. The use of an illegal firearm to intimidate people by a previous repeat offender in our community is reprehensible,” said, ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir “The women and men of the ATF are steadfast in their commitment to hold violent felons accountable for criminal misconduct involving illegal firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Detroit Field Office of the ATF and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin Casey and Diane Princ.
Eight Arrested in Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Eight residents of Michigan and California were charged for their alleged roles in a $6 million fraud scheme targeting multiple pandemic relief programs, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Irene Lidlow of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the Central Region of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Deangelo Jackson-Portwood, 40, of Livonia; Anton Greenwood, 37, of Detroit; Adartha Tillman, 39, of Eastpointe; Timothy Boyle, 55, of Los Angeles County, California; Tyrone Boyle, 55, of Los Angeles County, California; Christopher Lindsay, 36, of Detroit; Taurean Davis, 41, of Detroit; and Maurice Brown-Portwood, 33, of Van Buren Township, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, the defendants caused fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications, and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to be submitted for numerous individuals and business entities. Those applications are alleged to have misrepresented applicant information, including the identity of the applicant and eligibility for relief. Many of the applications were submitted in the names of identity theft victims. According to court records, the defendants received over $6 million in fraudulently obtained funds as a result of the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Ison stated: “Today’s indictment alleges a massive scheme to defraud taxpayers across a number of pandemic relief programs. The conduct as alleged is brazen and targeted programs designed to help our nation through an unprecedented public health crisis. My Office is fully committed to prosecuting all of those who lined their pockets at the expense of the public.”
"An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations," said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"The defendants arrested today include the leaders of this criminal conspiracy that targeted relief programs during the pandemic," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue this investigation until those who participated in this scheme are brought to justice."
“Providing false information to fraudulently gain access to pandemic relief funds is a theft of taxpayer funds,” said SBA OIG’s Central Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The defendants face up to twenty years in prison based on the wire fraud conspiracy charge and a consecutive two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Alyse Wu
Real Estate Agent Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Sexually Exploit ChildrenRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A real estate agent was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to sexually exploit children, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Field Office.
Dennis Michael Putman, age 60, of Warren, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sean F. Cox. As part of his guilty plea, Putman had admitted that he used the WhatsApp messaging application to conspire with another individual to produce sexually explicit images of minors, with his co-conspirator producing and sending to him at least one video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement officers discovered this offense when searching Putman’s residence as part of a drug investigation. Putman cooperated regarding his role in the drug offense and directed officers to look at his WhatsApp account for drug-related messages. In the application, officers found sexually explicit conversations with his co-conspirator regarding the exploitation of children and a sexually explicit video of a minor.
An investigation later determined that these conversations continued for nearly two months, with Putman frequently demanding that his co-conspirator produce sexually explicit images of young minors that frequently were in her care. Putman—who was employed as a real estate agent—secured his drug-addicted and impoverished co-conspirator’s involvement in part by frequently paying her small sums of money.
“This defendant took advantage of his co-conspirator’s drug addiction and mental health issues to cause the exploitation of children. This sentence reflects his role in this disturbing crime,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Predators who seek to exploit children, whether by themselves or through others, will be caught and brought to justice,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “I’m proud of the law enforcement partners and prosecutors who helped remove this threat to our communities.”
This case was investigated by the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (COMET) and Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Detroit Medical Center, Vanguard Health Systems, and Tenet Healthcare Corporation Agree to Pay over $29 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Detroit Medical Center, Vanguard Health Systems, and Tenet Healthcare Corporation Agree to Pay Over $29 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsWASHINGTON – VHS of Michigan Inc., doing business as, The Detroit Medical Center Inc. (DMC), Vanguard Health Systems Inc. (Vanguard), and Tenet Healthcare Corporation (Tenet), has agreed to pay $29,744,065 to the government to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by providing kickbacks to certain referring physicians.
DMC operates hospitals in and around Detroit, including Sinai Grace Hospital and Harper University Hospital. In October 2013, Tenet acquired Vanguard owned-and-operated hospitals and outpatient facilities, including DMC.
The settlement announced today resolves the government’s allegations that DMC, Vanguard, and Tenet caused the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare. Specifically, the government alleged that from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2017, Sinai Grace Hospital and Harper University Hospital provided the services of DMC-employed mid-level practitioners to 13 physicians at no cost or below fair market value in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). The government further alleged that the physicians were selected because of their large number of patient referrals to Sinai Grace Hospital and Harper University Hospital and that the purpose of these arrangements was to induce the physicians to refer additional Medicare patients to DMC facilities.
The AKS prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
“The Justice Department will pursue improper arrangements that have the potential to compromise physicians’ medical judgment,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael D. Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Physicians should evaluate where to send patients for medical services based on the quality of care the patients will receive, not the financial benefits that the physicians will reap.”
“This outcome makes clear that when doctors refer patients for care at hospitals, they must do so based on their own professional judgment and the medical needs of their patients, not personal financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office stands ready to scrutinize even the most complicated financial arrangements and to pursue justice wherever appropriate.”
“Paying and accepting kickbacks encourages providers to put personal financial gain before the needs of their patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As this case demonstrates, those who enter into such improper arrangements and put the safety of their patients at risk will be held accountable.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Jay Meythaler, a former employee of Wayne State University Medical School, which is affiliated with DMC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, Dr. Meythaler will receive $5,205,211.37 as part of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Meythaler v. Detroit Medical Center, Inc., et al., No. 5:15-cv-12333 (E.D. Mich.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the HHS-OIG and the FBI.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Kristen Murphy of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner for the Eastern District of Michigan handled the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Michigan Vascular Surgeon Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conviction and Agrees to Pay up to $43.419 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Vasso Godiali, a vascular surgeon from Bay City, Michigan, was sentenced on May 3 to 80 months in prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud health care programs by submitting claims for the placement of vascular stents and for thrombectomies that he did not perform and was ordered to pay $19.5 million in restitution collectively to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). Additionally, Godiali agreed to pay the United States up to $43,419,000 to resolve related civil allegations that his fraudulent billings to federal health care programs violated the False Claims Act (FCA).
According to a plea agreement that Godiali entered on Feb. 8, 2022, Godiali began to knowingly defraud medical insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, in approximately 2009. Godiali billed for the placement of multiple vascular stents in the same blood vessel and prepared medical records purporting to document the medical necessity justifying that billing. In fact, however, Godiali did not place those stents and admitted to billing for services never rendered while preparing materially inaccurate medical records to justify the fraudulent billings.
Godiali also billed for arterial thrombectomies and created medical records that stated he encountered occluded arteries that would justify the performance of the procedures. However, he admitted that he often encountered no such occlusions, performed no such thrombectomies, and thus billed insurers for services never rendered while preparing false medical records to justify the fraudulent claims. Godiali’s fraudulent practices resulted in $14,473,000 in damages to the federal government, and a total of $19.5 million across Medicare, Medicaid, and BCBSM, which he agreed to repay as restitution as part of his plea agreement.
In the related FCA action, in addition to alleging that Godiali submitted false claims for procedures that he never performed, the United States alleged that Godiali improperly used Modifier 59 to “unbundle” services that should have been billed together in a single claim to increase his reimbursements from federal health care programs.
A civil forfeiture case resulted in the seizure of approximately $39.9 million from financial accounts controlled by Godiali. Except for $7.5 million, which will be released to Godiali’s wife pursuant to an agreement with the United States, all of the seized funds will be used to pay the criminal judgment or the FCA settlement.
“We will not tolerate the use of federal health care programs as a source of personal enrichment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of those programs and the taxpayer funds used to support them.”
“A priority of my office is protecting our district against unscrupulous health care providers.” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Dr. Godiali stole an enormous amount of money from both public and private health insurers over a number of years, and falsified medical records to cover up his scheme to defraud. We hope that today’s sentence and substantial civil recovery deter any other physicians likewise inclined to line their pockets at the expense of the public.”
“This provider egregiously stole millions of dollars from taxpayers by billing federal health care programs for services that were neither medically necessary nor rendered to his patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As this case demonstrates, HHS-OIG and our partners remain committed to ensuring that vital taxpayer dollars are used lawfully and for their intended purposes, not for the illegitimate financial gain of an individual provider.”
“The scope of Godiali’s fraud is truly stunning,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This investigation proves the collective resources of law enforcement and the private sector can successfully combat fraud in our health care system.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Innovative Solutions Consulting, LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of the civil resolution, Innovative Solutions will receive up to $4,341,900. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Innovative Solutions Consulting LLC v. Vasso Godziachvili Godiali, M.D., Case No. 1:15-cv-14150-TLL-PTM (E.D. Mich.).
The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Neal, Philip Ross, and Craig Wininger for the Eastern District of Michigan. The FCA matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Postulka for the Eastern District of Michigan. The civil forfeiture action was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Ross for the Eastern District of Michigan. These matters received assistance from HHS-OIG, the FBI, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Except as to conduct admitted in connection with the criminal resolution, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
One Detroit Partnership Announces a Unified Summer Enforcement, Prevention, and Reentry Strategy Targeting Designated High Crime Areas in DetroitRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Today, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym Worthy, and Detroit Police Chief James E. White, announced a targeted strategy aimed at reducing gun violence in Detroit’s neighborhoods with the highest incidence of violent crime – Detroit’s 8th and 9th Precincts. The strategy has three components—enforcement, prevention, and reentry—and is a part of the One Detroit partnership announced last month. One Detroit is a coalition of community and law enforcement partners working together to develop and execute the best strategies to reduce violent crime.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Special Agent in Charge James Dier, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division, Beverly Smith, Assistant Deputy Director, Operations Office, Michigan Department of Corrections, Bishop Edgar Vann, II, Second Ebenezer Church, Alvin Stokes, President, Citywide Citizens Police Community Relations and Kenyatta Stephens, CEO Black Family Development.
As temperatures rise, so too does violent crime. With summer approaching, the One Detroit Partnership has launched an effort to strategically focus resources on the most dangerous neighborhoods of the city. These neighborhoods in the 8th and 9th Precincts are among the highest in the city in fatal and non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings in 2023.
One part of the effort is an enforcement strategy designed to prosecute the most violent individuals and crimes in federal court when that is possible. Under the strategy, violent felons arrested for illegally possessing firearms and those arrested with fully automatic firearms and firearms with obliterated serial numbers in select areas of Detroit’s 8th and 9th Precincts will be subject to immediate federal prosecution. In addition, any individual who commits an armed carjacking or robbery of a business in the targeted areas will be prosecuted federally. Finally, any individual with a meaningful connection to the targeted areas, who commits this type of crime elsewhere in the city, will be prosecuted federally. The “hot spot” strategy for federal enforcement will begin on Memorial Day and will last until Labor Day in September.
The One Detroit partnership is also engaged in preventing crime in the targeted areas. In an effort to deter violence and illegal gun possession, last week, letters were sent to 200 individuals on probation, parole, or supervised release in the targeted areas, warning them of the enforcement strategy. But the letter—which was signed by the entire executive team of One Detroit—did more than warn. The letter asked the recipient to be a part of the solution and to help make their neighborhood a safer place. And it invited the recipient to participate in a Peacenic in their neighborhood. Peacenics are community events where residents can come for fun, engage with law enforcement, and obtain resources to improve the quality of their lives. This year’s Peacenics will take place on Saturday, July 8, at O’Hair Park, and Saturday, July 15, at Heilmann Park from 3 PM to 7 PM. The events will feature vendors offering a variety of resources, including job training, literacy programs, mental health and medical screenings, utility assistance, educational and vocational opportunities, tutorial, career development programs, and more. Several law enforcement agencies will also be present to engage with the community and recruit to fill vacancies in their organizations.
Finally, the One Detroit partners also intend to invite returning citizens who live in the “hot spot” areas to meet with service providers to help them directly address any barriers that are preventing them from fully reintegrating in society.
As part of our unified strategy, and to spread the word about the One Detroit partnership, billboards will be strategically placed in areas of the 8th and 9th Precincts which encourage residents to join the partnership by taking a pledge to put down the guns and be an agent of change in their community. The pledge can be found by going to the U.S. Attorney’s Office web page at www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/one-detroit-peace-pledge. The web page will be a resource residents can go to learn of upcoming events related to One Detroit.
“Our summer enforcement strategy will target the most dangerous areas of Detroit,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will federally prosecute carjackings, robberies, and gun crimes in these areas. At the same time, we will reach out and engage with the community to prevent crime from occurring in the first place. We will not stop until the people of Detroit and those who visit Detroit feel safe to go about their business on its streets.”
“We know that the summer months bring a lot of great activities to our city, but also can bring a higher rate of violent crime,” said Mayor Duggan. To help make sure we all have a safe summer, DPD will be focusing on the 8th and 9th precinct where we typically see the largest spike in gun related crime. I'm grateful for the leadership and support of our US Attorney Dawn Ison and Chief White, as well as our many local, state, and federal law enforcement and community partners.”
“We know that violent crime usually increases in the warm weather months. One Detroit will do everything possible to combat this problem, but we can’t do it alone. To do better we all collectively have to be better,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
“The Detroit Police Department and One Detroit partners will strategically deploy our resources to these neighborhoods most impacted by violent crime in order for residents to have a safer summer,” said Chief James E. White. “Together, we will work to continue fighting violent crime to secure a better quality of life for our residents, visitors, and officers.”
One Detroit Won’t Stop Fighting for a Better, Safer DetroitRead the Press Release
On April 19, a broad coalition of community partners announced the creation of “One Detroit,” the comprehensive violence reduction initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The core of the initiative is partnership. One Detroit is a formal alliance that brings together leaders of the community and those with subject matter expertise in the areas of enforcement, prevention, and reentry—the three pillars that serve as the foundation for One Detroit—to develop and execute the best strategies to reduce violent crime. Our goal is ambitious: we are setting our sights on cutting gun violence in half in the district’s largest city. But it can be done. We must do it. We will do it as One Detroit.
Although the One Detroit partnership was announced in April, this was not the start of our work. For the last year, we have learned about the violent crime problems in Detroit and elsewhere; we have identified individuals and groups working hard to address it; and, we have begun to implement anti-violence practices that have worked in other cities. We learned that urban violence is often perpetrated in clusters by a small number of people and groups, and we can be most effective if we focus on these violent people. We also learned that responses to violence can be overbroad and negatively affect community relationships. Most importantly, we learned that violence is best addressed together, as one community, as One Detroit.
The One Detroit partners come from all aspects of our city, and they include Bishop Edgar Vann of the Second Ebenezer Church, Kenyatta Stephens, the CEO of Black Family Development, Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Detroit Police Chief James White, and Heidi Washington, Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The One Detroit partnership’s enforcement efforts will involve close coordination between federal and local law enforcement to identify emerging violent offenders or trends within particular neighborhoods. We will draw on the expertise of local officers, who have deep experience in the communities they serve. And we will pair that personalized knowledge with technology like the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN), ShotSpotter, and evidence-based tools that will help us focus on the small number of people perpetrating violence.
This strategy is backed by evidence and experience. It works. It is already having an impact in communities throughout the district, including Detroit. Over the course of the last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its state, local, and federal partners have focused enforcement on the drivers of violence throughout the Eastern District of Michigan. And in 2022, shootings in Saginaw were down 57%; down 70% in Pontiac; down 42% in Flint; and down 53% in Jackson. Detroit’s numbers—a 10% reduction in non-fatal shootings—were not as significant. One Detroit is committed to changing that.
But One Detroit is much more than just another enforcement effort. We are focused on crime prevention in ways this community has never seen before. For instance, next week we will send out over one hundred letters warning those on probation and parole about our upcoming summer enforcement in an effort to deter those individuals from illegally possessing guns. We will turn on its head the historical paradigm of arrest first and advise later so that we can prevent crime rather than punish it.
And we will assist returning citizens to transition peacefully to the community by connecting them to housing, mental health, and employment assistance. We recently hosted a “Second Chance” reentry symposium that was attended by over one hundred returning citizens and service providers.
This combined approach—enforcement, prevention, and reentry—recognizes the need for prosecution of those who are the most violent, but also the collateral impacts that often accompany aggressive law enforcement efforts. We are committed to balancing our investigative and prosecutive efforts with outreach strategies designed to prevent violent crime from happening. For the past year, federal prosecutors have been assigned to five precincts in Detroit to work with federal and local law enforcement partners to identify violent offenders. But they are not just involved in enforcement. Our prosecutors also attend community meetings in those precincts where they communicate about our work and learn about things like blight and abandoned buildings where violence and crime often concentrate. This type of partnership has a direct impact on violence and the quality of life for Detroit’s citizens. For instance, last summer, a prosecutor learned from the community about an abandoned house that had become a hotspot for violence. The prosecutor shared that information with the Mayor’s office, which was able to prioritize the house for demolition.
We understand that law enforcement cannot simply target communities for enforcement to reduce crime but must engage with those communities in a positive manner. Last summer, before we implemented our enhanced enforcement strategy in two precincts most affected by violent crime in Detroit, my team and I addressed the Community Relations Councils in those precincts. We explained the data we used to determine the areas in need of the enhanced enforcement. We shared our strategy. We asked the community leaders in those areas to help us deter violence by providing information about the enhanced enforcement. They welcomed the information and readily joined the effort.
In addition, during the summer enforcement period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the City of Detroit and some of our One Detroit partners, hosted community engagement events called “Peacenics” in those same areas in the city. These community gatherings included everything from cookie decorating, face painting, and basketball giveaways, to literacy programs, expungement assistance, vocational programs, employment opportunities, and other community-level services. The positive reactions from the community to these gatherings inform our belief that outreach and trust are crucial components of crime reduction. Our Peacenics will be returning to O’Hair Park and Heilmann Park this July.
Reducing violent crime is my highest priority as U.S. Attorney. People in Detroit need to feel safe when they go about their business on our streets. And I recognize that we need a more mindful approach to violence reduction that acknowledges law enforcement cannot be the only solution to keeping our communities secure. We need to change hearts and minds through trust and transparency.
The One Detroit partners don’t have all the answers to reduce violent crime in the City of Detroit, but we won’t stop trying to find solutions. We won’t stop trying to make Detroit safe for its residents and the people who come to Detroit to work and play. We won’t stop trying to partner with individuals and groups willing to put their efforts into making our community safe. We won’t stop trying to end the cynicism that sees violent crime in cities like Detroit as intractable. Finally, as U.S. Attorney, I won’t stop trying to bring an end to the senseless killings in my treasured hometown of Detroit and throughout the Eastern District of Michigan. I WON’T STOP!
Defendant on Ten Most Wanted List Extradited from Canada to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A dual citizen of Laos and Canada on Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Ten Most Wanted list was extradited this week by the government of Canada to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in Detroit, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Field Division.
According to court records, Khaophone Sychantha, age 41, was first indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2005. Further investigation by agents of HSI Detroit led to charges in a superseding indictment returned in October 2013, charging Sychantha and three additional defendants. Sychantha is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, ecstasy, BZP, and marijuana between 2003 and 2011. He is also charged with three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and ecstasy.
Following these American indictments, Sychantha was also charged and arrested in Canada on three separate Canadian criminal cases. In 2014, Sychantha fled while under house arrest in Canada. HSI Detroit subsequently added Sychantha to the Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Ten Most Wanted List and offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
In 2017, Sychantha was arrested in the Montreal, Canada area following an assault on a police officer and a short pursuit. Since his 2017 arrest, Sychantha has remained in Canadian custody while he contested his extradition to the United States along with two Canadian co-defendants. Sychantha made his initial appearance in federal court in Detroit yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti.
“I commend the work of the agents from HSI and Canadian law enforcement for pursuing this long-time fugitive and significant drug trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our international partners, Sychantha will now face justice in the United States.”
“HSI will continue to work with our partners both in the United States and across the globe to hold criminals accountable,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “More than a decade has passed since this investigation began. I am proud of the HSI special agents, prosecutors, and law enforcement who did not let the passage of time prevent them from bringing the defendant to justice.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carl D. Gilmer-Hill. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Canada.
sychantha_firstsupersedingindictmentfiledcopy_oct162013.pdfA Mexican Citizen Previously Convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct Arrested for Being in the United States UnlawfullyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A citizen of Mexico, who had been convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct and was previously removed from the United States, was recently arrested on a criminal complaint by U.S. Border Patrol Agents for unlawfully being in the United States, announced United State Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This case is the latest example of 26 individuals prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this year who were illegally in the United States, most of whom had previously been convicted of serious criminal offenses.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley, United States Border Patrol, Detroit Sector.
Arrested was Pedro Zarate-Banos, age 49. Zarate appeared in federal court in Detroit yesterday and has a detention hearing scheduled for May 10.
According to court records, Border Patrol agents from the Detroit station received information that Zarate-Banos was illegally present in the United States. After further investigation, they discovered that Zarate-Banos was previously removed from the United States as an aggravated felon. Agents located Banos and conducted a vehicle stop in Macomb, Michigan. After a brief interview, Zarate-Banos admitted to being illegally present in the United States. Zarate-Banos was convicted on December 2, 2002, in 22nd Circuit Court in Ann Arbor, of 3rd Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, and was formally removed from the United States on September 20, 2005.
“Our office is dedicated to enforcing our immigration laws prohibiting deported non-citizens, particularly those who commit serious felony offenses, from re-entering the United States without first seeking prior authority and approval,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
““I’m proud of our agents’ hard work and investigative skills that led to this arrest. Their actions have made our community safer,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley, U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector.
Since January 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has prosecuted 26 individuals unlawfully in the United States, most of whom have prior criminal convictions for violent crimes, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, drunk driving, or theft/larceny offenses. Most of these defendants have previously been removed from the United States by immigration authorities multiple times. Some of these cases include:
United States v. Bullard
Alfred Bullard, age 40, a citizen of the Bahamas, was convicted in February 2023 of being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm. Bullard had been arrested by Detroit police officers after federal agents conducting surveillance observed him firing a gun into the air. Bullard admitted to firing the gun in order to frighten away unknown cars traveling in his neighborhood. Bullard has pleaded guilty in federal court and is awaiting sentencing.
United States v. Pena-Moreno
Nolbed Y. Pena-Moreno, age 25, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested by Detroit police officers in March 2023 after he fired a .40 caliber pistol in a Detroit neighborhood. Pena-Moreno was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 for being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm. This case is set for trial on May 23, 2023.
United States v. Al-Hakiem
Vires Al-Hakiem, age 43, is a native of Iraq and citizen the Netherlands, who was unlawfully in the United States. In June 2021, he sent a text message containing a video to his then spouse threatening her with a gun. A subsequent search of Al-Hakiem’s bedroom found six firearms and over 2,600 rounds of ammunition. Al-Hakiem has prior criminal arrests for Assault and Battery, Domestic Violence, Drug Possession, Malicious Destruction of Property, and Larceny. In January 2023, Al-Hakiem pleaded guilty in federal court to being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2023.
United States v. Chilel-Lopez
Bairon Chilel-Lopez, age 24, is citizen of Guatemala, who was arrested in 2021 by the Detroit police after he shot a female victim in an alley in southwest Detroit, and he pushed her from the vehicle. Chilel-Lopez was charged in state court with Assault with Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm and firearms offenses. Those charges remain pending. Chilel-Lopez was unlawfully in the United States and had been removed on multiple occasions. He also has prior convictions for immigration offenses and driving while intoxicated. Chilel-Lopez was sentenced in federal court on January 5, 2023, to 57 months in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States and for being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm.
United States v. Garcia-Zecena
Cesar Augusto Garcia-Zecena, age 32, is a citizen of Guatemala who had illegally entered the United States multiple times and had been removed from the country on three prior occasions. In 2022, Garcia-Zecena was convicted in state court of assault with a dangerous weapon after he attempted to rape an Ann Arbor woman. On May 9, 2023, Garcia-Zecena pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful re-entry after removal, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2023.
United States v. Solis-Pena
Emilio Solis-Pena, age 47, is a citizen of Mexico, who had six prior removals from the United States and a lengthy criminal record. His prior convictions included a 2007 conviction in Texas for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and for conspiracy to launder money, for which he received a sentence of 87 months. In 2019, Solis-Pena was convicted in Michigan of delivery/manufacture of 1000 grams or more of controlled substances, and he was sentenced to 7 to 40 years. On May 4, 2023, Solis-Pena was indicted in federal court for the crime of unlawful re-entry into the United States.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
Taylor Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting an InfantRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Taylor woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting an infant and another child and for distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Rheanna Rose Salyer, 26, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson.
According to court documents, Salyer admitted creating images sexually exploiting an infant, and that she had sent an image of herself performing inappropriate sexual contact with an infant to another individual over the internet in February 2022. Later that month, Salyer met an undercover officer online who pretended to have a sexual interest in children. During a conversation with the undercover officer, Salyer sent the officer sexually explicit images of the infant, bragged about sexually assaulting the infant, and discussed her desire to engage in sex acts with the undercover officer and the infant together.
Once the FBI was able to confirm Salyer’s identity, agents executed a search warrant at her residence. They discovered additional images of horrific child sexual abuse, including one Salyer created only hours before they entered her home. Salyer’s phone contained numerous conversations with other individuals online discussing her sexual interest in children, and her phone had other sexually explicit images of minors. Salyer also possessed other images of child pornography that she downloaded from the internet or received from others during chats.
“I am thankful for the FBI agents who acted so quickly to save this infant from continued abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “This defendant not only abused an infant in an unimaginable manner, but she also shared that abuse with others over the internet. This sentence demonstrates that those who harm our most vulnerable will be held responsible.”
“Rheanna Salyer admitted to sexually exploiting an infant. I can think of nothing more appalling, and today’s sentencing sends an unequivocal message that predatory acts by criminals like her will not be tolerated,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I commend the work of the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force in this investigation. Their quick and decisive action ensured Salyer will be unable to victimize children for years to come.”
The case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Detroit Street Gang Leader Sent to Prison for 25 Years for Murdering Two People as Part of a Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A leader of a Detroit street gang was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for murdering two people, one of them an innocent 13-year-old bystander, as part of a racketeering conspiracy, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Edwin Mills, aka “Edboy,” age 33, of Detroit, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. Mills had pleaded guilty to his crimes before Judge Goldsmith in October 2022.
Mills and ten other members of the “6 Mile Chedda Grove” gang were indicted in 2016 for racketeering offenses. According to court records, Mills admitted to being a member of the street gang, which operated on the eastside of Detroit. 6 Mile Chedda Grove was a violent organization responsible for murders, assaults, robberies, and narcotics trafficking in the Detroit metropolitan area and in other states. All eleven charged members of the gang have now been convicted and sentenced.
As a part of his guilty plea, Mills admitted to participating in the 2015 murder of two people. According to plea documents, Mills was with another gang member, Carlo Wilson, when they saw an individual with whom they had been feuding in a car outside of a market on the eastside of Detroit. Mills and Wilson then shot into the car, killing the individual and a 13-year-old passenger. Mills and Wilson also seriously injured two children who had been sitting on the hood of the car. Wilson pled guilty to the murders, and he was previously sentenced by Judge Goldsmith to 25 years in prison.
“Today’s sentence closes the book on a violent gang that terrorized an entire neighborhood,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “The community is safer with these men off the streets.”
“Guns and drugs take the lives of far too many people in our communities, and Edwin Mills - as a leader of the ‘6 Mile Chedda Grove’ gang - contributed to the devastating impact of both on Detroit’s Eastside,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. "The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to address the threat of gang violence in our neighborhoods. The lengthy sentence Mills received today sends a strong message that we will not tolerate criminal enterprises using violence to further their agendas.”
The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Moran and Andrew R. Picek.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
DETROIT -- The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2023 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. Responding to the unacceptable levels of violence that have led to the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) is a priority of the Department of Justice every day.
The department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort that takes many forms. One year ago today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to launch the Not Invisible Act Commission, a joint Commission established by the Not Invisible Act with an essential mission — to reduce violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives. In February, they welcomed the first in-person plenary meeting of the Not Invisible Act Commission. Since then, the department’s representatives on the commission—who are department leaders and subject matter experts—have participated in the Commission’s field hearings, which will continue through the summer. Later this year, the Commission will deliver recommendations for addressing the MMIP crisis to the Attorney General and the Secretary. In addition to supporting the Not Invisible Act Commission, the department remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis.
“The Justice Department is marshalling the full strength of its resources to confront the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has devastated the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Addressing this crisis requires a whole-of-government approach, and we are grateful for the partnership of Tribal and other law enforcement agencies across the nation that are working alongside the Justice Department to help reduce crime and support victims in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”
“Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day calls on our nation to pause and honor the loved ones who have gone missing or who have been the victims of violent crime,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Acknowledging the many American Indian and Alaska Native people who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the pain of a missing loved one or of violent crime serves as an important reminder of the urgency and importance of the department’s work to respond to the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous persons. The Justice Department—including our dedicated agents, analysts, and prosecutors—remains steadfast in our pledge to work as partners with Tribal governments in preventing and responding to the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities.”
“The Justice Department is committed to using every resource at its disposal to combat the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “In addition to our core law-enforcement work, we are providing grant funding and guidance to help Tribes develop response plans for missing-persons cases, partner effectively with local law enforcement, and provide resources for victims of crime.”
“Native American communities, especially Native American women, excessively high rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We are committed to partnering with tribal governments in preventing and responding to the violence that has disproportionately harmed tribal communities.”
Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
In July 2022, Deputy Attorney General Monaco issued a memorandum reiterating that it is a priority of the Department of Justice to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives, and relatedly, the high rates of indigenous persons reported missing. The memorandum directed each United States Attorney with Indian country jurisdiction — along with their law enforcement partners at DOJ — to update and develop new plans for addressing public safety in Indian country.
The Department of Justice has established a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) program coordinator for Michigan housed in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan that supports the indigenous community across the state.
If you or someone you know has information about missing or murdered Indigenous persons in Michigan, please contact the FBI Detroit Field Office by calling (313) 965-2323, or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. If you have questions about the MMIP program, please contact Michigan’s MMIP program coordinator Joel Postma by calling 616-808-2113.
Publication of Updated Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance
In October 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. The revised guidelines, which was updated for the first time in a decade, address when and how department employees work with victims and witnesses of crime to ensure that their voices are heard and that they are protected during criminal justice proceedings. For the first time the guidelines include cultural and linguistic considerations for victims from American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
National Native American Outreach Services Liaison
Last year, the department announced the creation of a new National Native American Outreach Services Liaison. Since that announcement, the Liaison has begun to help amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families across the department as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. In the coming months, the Liaison will meet with survivors and family members of MMIP to learn more about the current challenges in MMIP cases and to make recommendations about the department’s continued response.
Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and Respond to the MMIP Crisis
In July 2022, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior submitted a report pursuant to Sections 2 and 4(a) of Executive Order 14053, which called for “coordinated and comprehensive Federal law enforcement strategy to prevent and respond to violence against Native Americans, including to address missing or murdered indigenous people where the federal government has jurisdiction.” The report was published late last year and is available on the department website here.
Guide for Tribal Community Response Plans for Missing Persons Cases
In December 2022, the department published a Guide to Developing a Tribal Community Response Plan for Missing Persons Cases. This Guide is a resource for Tribes interested in developing a plan to respond to missing person cases that is tailored to the specific needs, resources, and culture of Tribal communities.
Launch of the COPS Office Tribal MOU/MOA Resource Library
On Monday of this week, the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) published its Tribal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Sample Resource Library. This library provides users with the resources to research and successfully draft agreements that will help agencies develop and solidify partnerships to address missing or murdered Indigenous persons cases.
Expanded Scope of the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Grant Program
The department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) expanded the scope of allowable activities under its Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) grant program to permit Tribal communities to pay for costs related to generating awareness of individual missing persons cases involving American Indians and Alaska Native persons, supporting private search efforts for missing American Indians and Alaska Native persons in certain circumstances, and supporting efforts to coordinate the Tribal, state, and federal response to MMIP cases.
Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation on Violence Against Women
In September 2022, the department’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) held the 17th Annual OVW Government-to Government Tribal Consultation on Violence Against Women in Anchorage, Alaska. OVW is responsible for conducting annual government-to-government consultations with the leaders of all Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments on behalf of the Attorney General. The 2022 Tribal consultation report is available here.
National Institute of Justice Study of MMIP Cases in New Mexico
Last year, the department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded a study that will provide vital information regarding the prevalence and context of cases of MMIP in New Mexico and, importantly, will inform long-term data collection, analysis, and reporting strategies on MMIP cases. These improvements will support data-driven decision-making regarding MMIP in New Mexico moving forward.
Additional Department of Justice Resources
For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Drug Traffickers Plead Guilty to Execution-Style Murders of Two MenRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Texas drug trafficker pleaded guilty yesterday to charges related to the murder of two men in Detroit and to conspiring to distribute over 50 kilograms of cocaine, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. An Alabama co-conspirator pleaded guilty last week to the same charges.
Joining in the announcement were James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
Mariano Garcia, age 53, of Brownsville, Texas, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg. Co-defendant Michael Griffin, age 40, of Birmingham, Alabama, pleaded guilty before Judge Berg on April 28, 2023. Both men pleaded guilty to (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, (2) interstate travel with the intent to kill or injure where death resulted, and (3) interstate travel in aid of illegal activity where death resulted.
At their plea hearings, both Garcia and Griffin admitted to engaging in a long-term drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine supplied by Garcia in Texas and distributed by Griffin and others in Birmingham, Alabama, and Detroit, Michigan. At his plea, Garcia admitted to encouraging Griffin to travel from Alabama to Detroit to collect a drug debt from a Detroit-based member of the conspiracy. In December 2016, Griffin and another individual came to Detroit for the purpose of killing that member of the conspiracy. After coming to the conspirator’s home, Griffin and the other individual tied up and shot to death the Detroit-based co-conspirator and another man. They used pillows to muffle the sounds of the gunshots. At his plea, Garcia, who remained in Texas, also admitted he encouraged Griffin to hurt the co-conspirator to collect the drug debt. After the murders, Griffin and Garcia returned to their drug business. Garcia and Griffin also admitted that they had distributed between 50 and 150 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.
“These two men murdered two people in cold blood in Detroit to further their cocaine trafficking conspiracy,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated. “We will not stop fighting until this kind of senseless violence is ended.”
Sentencing for Griffin and Garcia is set for September 21, 2023. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Griffin faces a sentence of 30 years in prison. Garcia faces a sentence of 25 years.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajesh Prasad and Robert Moran.
Child Predator Charged with Conspiring to Produce Child Pornography as part of an International Sex Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Canton, Michigan man who texted instructions to a known sex trafficker in the Philippines detailing the type of child sexually abusive material he wanted to watch live over a webcam, was charged yesterday in a seven count indictment for conspiring to produce child pornography and related offenses, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Lowe is the 112th person arrested as part of an international sex trafficking investigation which has spanned nearly 10 years.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Field Office.
Charles Calahan Lowe, age 49, exchanged over 1,600 text messages with the known sex trafficker and paid her $30 to $40 for live “shows” of young girls, some as young as three, who were abused in real time to create sexually explicit videos and images shared over Skype. Law enforcement learned of Lowe’s existence when they executed a federal search warrant on the trafficker’s Skype account and unearthed the detailed text messages. Lowe sent wire payments for the child sexually abusive material over Western Union at Rite Aid stores near his residence in order to avoid detection by his wife. The trafficker has since been arrested and charged overseas.
Lowe is charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, attempted production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Conspiracy to produce child pornography and production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to 30 years. Receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to 20 years. Possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor victim or a minor who has not reached the age of 12 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
“The live sexual abuse of children over the internet is a heinous crime. We will continue to prosecute those who perpetrate these crimes against the most innocent and vulnerable members of society, wherever it is produced, to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“The work to hold these predators accountable requires international cooperation at multiple levels as well as with our U.S. law enforcement partners,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “HSI is committed to identify and investigate U.S. citizens who seek to exploit children in the United States or abroad and will work with partners to ensure they face the consequences of their actions.”
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by HSI Portland, Maine, HSI Detroit, and the Michigan State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosemary Wummel Gardey and Cassie Resposo.
Five Charged in an $11 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Five individuals, including a physician and a certified social worker, were charged in a Second Superseding Indictment for their alleged roles in an $11 million health care fraud scheme, which involved submitting false claims to Medicare for purported psychotherapy services that were induced by kickbacks and/or never rendered, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Mohammad Kazkaz is also charged with six counts of money laundering for engaging in monetary transactions exceeding $10,000 including transferring more than $1.4 million dollars in fraudulent health care fraud proceeds to a national restaurant chain.
Joining in the announcement were James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
Charged as members of the conspiracy in the indictment are:
Mohamed Kazkaz, 54, of Farmington Hills, Michigan;
Ziad Khalel, 52, of Rochester Hills, Michigan;
Dr. Mustafa Hares, 76, of West Bloomfield, Michigan;
Geraldine Letman, MSW, 70, of Phoenix, Arizona; and
Gamela Ali, 33, of Dearborn, Michigan.
The indictment alleges that Kazkaz was the owner and operator of Centre HRW, a psychotherapy agency in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Kazkaz offered and provided kickbacks and bribes to Khalel, who was a patient recruiter, as an inducement to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Centre HRW for psychotherapy services, even though such services were medically unnecessary and were never rendered. Khalel would require the recruited Medicare beneficiaries to sign blank Centre HRW sign-in sheets to allow Kazkaz to submit claims to Medicare, through Centre HRW, for psychotherapy services that were never provided.
Ali, as the office manager of Centre CRW, was responsible for obtaining information regarding the patients’ legitimate medical visits to ensure Kazkaz did not submit claims for a psychotherapy appointment on the same date the patient had a legitimate appointment with another medical provider. Dr. Hares and Letman would complete fraudulent patient charts indicating they had seen the patient, when in fact, such psychotherapy services were never rendered and/or were induced by kickbacks. As a result of the false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, Centre HRW billed Medicare more than $11 million and Medicare made payments to Centre HRW in an amount more than $5.3 million.
Kazkaz and Khalel were originally charged in a January 11, 2023 indictment. Dr. Hares, Letman, and Ali were added as new defendants in today’s Second Superseding Indictment.
“My office is committed to prosecuting any individual, especially medical professionals, who exploits Medicare, a taxpayer-funded program that provides essential services to seniors and disabled individuals,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
“The payment of kickbacks to induce referrals for medical services in Federal health care programs, as well as billing for services not rendered, can undermine the trust we place in our nation’s providers and results in costly reductions to our federal health care programs," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit fraud and pay kickbacks are held accountable.”
“Health care professionals who fraudulently bill Medicare for services never actually provided divert taxpayer money meant to pay for medically necessary services for people enrolled in Medicare,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to eradicate schemes that defraud government-sponsored health care programs.”
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Regina R. McCullough and Philip A. Ross. Assistant United States Attorney K. Craig Welkener, of the Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Unit, is handling related forfeiture matters. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI and HHS-OIG
Former State Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Detroit woman pleaded guilty today to stealing over $550,000 as part of an extensive unemployment fraud and identity theft conspiracy while working for the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Julia Dale, Director of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency
Autumn Mims, 30, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.
Mims was a contract employee for the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), working as an Unemployment Insurance Examiner. Her duties included reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.
According to court records, shortly after Mims began working with the MUIA in August 2020, she began using her insider access to fraudulently process claims in the names of third parties without their knowledge or authorization. As part of the scheme, Mims personally (1) altered third-party contact information for unemployment insurance assistance; (2) accessed third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information without authorization; (3) authenticated unauthorized access attempts for third-party unemployment insurance assistance information; (4) dismissed fraud prevention triggers and information requests relating to third-party unemployment insurance assistance; (5) conducted cash withdrawals of unemployment insurance assistance issued in the names of third parties; and, (6) conducted financial transactions utilizing unemployment insurance assistance funds issued in the names of third parties.
Mims also admitted that while she was working with the MUIA and executing her fraud, she was also fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits for herself by falsely claiming that she was unemployed.
As a result of the conspiracy, over $550,000 in fraudulent unemployment assistance payments were made by the State of Michigan.
Sentencing is set for September 6, 2023 before Judge Goldsmith. Mims faces a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment for having engaged in aggravated identity theft. She also faces up to 20 years in prison for having conspired to engage in wire fraud.
“Far from being unemployed as she claimed, Autumn Mims worked hard to abuse her position with the State of Michigan and steal taxpayer money. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to working even harder to ensure that Mims and others who choose to engage in similar frauds are held fully accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Autumn Mims, while working as an Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency examiner, abused her access to unemployment insurance (UI) data systems to defraud the state of Michigan and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Mims violated the public’s trust by knowingly approving fraudulent unemployment claims, the proceeds of which were deposited into bank accounts that she controlled. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to protect the integrity of the UI system,“ stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Autumn Mims used her position at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency to steal money from people who were suffering pandemic-related economic challenges,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “The FBI, along with our state and federal partners, will investigate this type of scheme and bring to justice those who defraud the unemployment system."
“It’s especially galling when someone employed by UIA and who was entrusted in a time of statewide crisis with helping the residents of Michigan instead violates that trust to satisfy her own greed,” said UIA Director Julia Dale. “Let this case put bad actors on notice: We will continue to work with law enforcement at the local, state, and federal level and use every tool we have to see that justice is served. That is our pledge as we strive to transform the UIA into a national model for fraud-free, fair and fast service.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
U.S. Attorney’s Office Settles Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against Three Michigan State AgenciesRead the Press Release
Detroit, MI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has reached a settlement with the Michigan Department of Treasury, the Michigan Civil Service Commission, and the State of Michigan’s Office of State Employer to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit.
The lawsuit is based on a disability discrimination claim made by an employee of the Michigan Department of Treasury. In the lawsuit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office describes how the employee needed to complete a medical treatment during work hours and submitted a reasonable accommodation request to use an empty office space for a short time each day. After initially allowing the employee to do so, the Michigan Department of Treasury revoked the accommodation, denying her subsequent requests and requiring the employee to travel back and forth from home during the workday to complete the procedure, until she filed a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit also describes the roles that the Michigan Civil Service Commission and the Office of State Employer play in the reasonable accommodation process for numerous other state agencies.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Michigan Department of Treasury will pay $40,000 in damages to the employee’s estate. As noted in the settlement agreement, the Michigan Civil Service Commission recently revised statewide rules and regulations for employees’ reasonable accommodations. Additionally, the settlement agreement requires the Michigan Department of Treasury, the Michigan Civil Service Commission, and the Office of State Employer to review and revise their respective ADA policies, practices, procedures, and documents. Supervisors at the Michigan Department of Treasury must receive periodic training on the ADA and these revised policies. Staff at the Michigan Civil Service Commission and the Office of State Employer who are involved in reviewing, evaluating, or making decisions on reasonable accommodation requests must attend the same training programs.
“At the heart of this case are the experiences of one employee, who found herself struggling with both a serious health condition and her employer,” said Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Unfortunately, the employee passed away before the case resolved, but we commend the state agencies involved for taking steps to address her individual case and their commitment to revising broader policies and procedures that will help protect the rights of other state employees who have disabilities.”
The case was brought by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Ackenhausen, Acting Chief of the Civil Rights Unit. The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the court’s opinion and order, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.
Registered Nurse Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Tampering with and Stealing Painkillers from Detroit HospitalRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A registered nurse was sentenced today to four years in prison after having pleaded guilty to tampering with vials and syringes of a liquid painkiller at the Detroit hospital where she worked, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining Ison in the announcement was Ronne Malham, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office.
Mary Cheatham, 42, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark Goldsmith.
According to court records, in 2020, Cheatham was employed as a licensed registered nurse at a local hospital in Detroit. Cheatham admitted she tampered with vials and syringes containing the painkiller hydromorphone, which she knew were intended to be administered to patients for the purpose of pain relief in the critical care unit of the hospital. She removed the hydromorphone from the vials and syringes, replaced the hydromorphone with saline solution, and returned the adulterated containers knowing they could be administered to patients at the hospital. In total, Cheatham stole 116 vials and syringes of hydromorphone, which she then used on herself.
“Patients in a hospital should be able to rely on receiving their needed medications,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will not hesitate to prosecute health care workers who steal drugs and put patients at serious risk of harm.”
The investigation was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough.
Marijuana Vending Machine Owner Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A man who owned and operated a marijuana vending machine in Detroit has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James M. Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Detroit Division.
Marcellus Cornwell, 44, of Detroit, entered his guilty plea in front of United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.
An anonymous tip alerted ATF agents to Cornwell’s marijuana vending machine last spring. Cornwell had been operating the marijuana vending machine for about four years. After an investigation, ATF agents executed a search warrant at Cornwell’s then-residence and discovered ammunition, marijuana, and 18 firearms in a basement gun safe. Cornwell had been previously convicted of identity theft, felony firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and armed robbery, which are all felonies. Three of the guns that Cornwell possessed had had been reported as stolen.
Cornwell faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000.
“Firearms pose a danger to our community. These weapons should not be in the hands of convicted felons. The number of weapons this defendant possessed despite being a prohibited person combined with his drug dealing makes his conduct even more egregious,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates ATF’s steadfast commitment to ensuring public safety in Michigan by identifying and holding anyone accountable who illegally acquires and/or possesses a firearm.” ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir “Our highly experienced Special Agents, utilized unique information and intelligence programs working side by side our local law enforcement, and U.S. Attorney partners which was critical to the success of today’s case.”
Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Hindelang and Catherine Morris.
Dearborn Heights Doctor Pleads Guilty to $925,000 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Dearborn Heights doctor pleaded guilty today to defrauding Medicare of more than $925,000 in health care payments, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fares Yasin, age 59, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. According to court records, Yasin operated Michigan Home Visiting Physicians, in Dearborn, Michigan. Beginning in January 2015, Yasin was suspended from submitting claims to Medicare for any services that he rendered. However, during his suspension, Yasin continued to treat Medicare beneficiaries, and then he fraudulently submitted claims to Medicare utilizing the names and identification numbers of other doctors, including co-defendant Nura Yasin, in order to receive reimbursement for the services he rendered.
As part of the guilty plea, Yasin agreed to forfeit approximately $367,000 in cash seized by federal agents during the course of the investigation.
A sentencing hearing is set for September 14, 2023. Yasin faces up to ten years in federal prison.
“After being banned from submitting claims to Medicare, this doctor defrauded the government to continue receiving Medicare reimbursements.” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Physicians occupy a position of trust in our community, and my office remains committed to prosecuting medical providers who abuse that trust and steal taxpayer dollars.”
“Fares Yasin abused his position of trust by treating patients while on suspension and continuing to file claims with Medicare,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to pursuing providers who disregard medical and regulatory requirements in order to line their own pockets.”
"Not only did this provider continue to submit claims to Medicare after being suspended from Federal health care programs; he also used his patients' information to try and steal from those programs," said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG will continue in our efforts to identify and investigate those who violate the privacy and trust of their patients and steal from taxpayers for selfish financial gain."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Wayne Pratt and Alison Furtaw.
FBI Disrupts Virtual Currency Exchanges Used to Facilitate Criminal ActivityRead the Press Release
DETROIT - On April 25th, the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, with assistance from the Virtual Currency Response Team (VCRT), the Cyber Police Department and Main Investigation Departments of the National Police of Ukraine, and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine conducted coordinated, court authorized activity involving nine virtual currency exchange services.
Domain names offered by organizations which were engaged in cryptocurrency conversions and provided assistance to cyber-criminals were seized, and related servers were shut down. U.S. based servers used in the scheme were taken offline by U.S. authorities. These nine seized domains, 24xbtc.com, 100btc.pro, pridechange.com, 101crypta.com, uxbtc.com, trust-exchange.org, bitcoin24.exchange, paybtc.pro, and owl.gold offered anonymous cryptocurrency exchange services to website visitors.
Noncompliant virtual currency exchanges, which have a lax anti-money laundering program or collect minimal Know Your Customer information or none at all, serve as important hubs in the cybercrime ecosystem and are operating in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1960 and 1956. Many of these services are advertised on online forums dedicated to discussing criminal activity. By providing these services, the virtual currency exchanges knowingly support the criminal activities of their clients and become co-conspirators in criminal schemes.
Much of the criminal activity occurring at the affected exchanges involved cyber actors responsible for ransomware, but also other scammers, and cybercriminals. The service’s website offered support in both Russian and English.
The investigation is ongoing. Visitors to the sites will now find a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain name has been seized by federal authorities and operating an unlicensed money service business and facilitating money laundering is a federal crime.
United States Attorney’s Office Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
DETROIT, MI – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 23-29, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan will be recognizing crime victims and those who have dedicated their lives to serve and assist victims of crime.
“My office affirms our unwavering commitment to serving victims of crime,” stated United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Our staff of professionals are dedicated to ensuring that victims’ rights are protected, and that their voices are heard in every case.”
“The rights of crime victims are critically important. They have been victimized, traumatized, injured, and some are surviving family members of a loved one that has been killed,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “Hopefully, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will not only bring awareness of crime survivors and will make others think about their plight beyond this week.”
Each year in April, the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by raising awareness of victims' rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” Partner organizations are committed to engaging with victims of crime; learning from their lived experiences; amplifying their voices; and fostering an environment where they are heard, believed, and supported.
This year Crime Stoppers of Michigan, in partnership with the Detroit Crime Victims Action Team (DCVAT), which is comprised of special agents and victim advocates from federal and local law enforcement agencies in the Detroit area, will honor the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit-Interim House Domestic Violence Shelter for their work with domestic violence victims and their children. For years, the YWCA has provided safe housing and counseling for women and children who are seeking shelter from an abusive situation.
This year’s Crime Victims’ Rights Week event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, 1441 St. Antoine, Detroit, Michigan. Katrina Carmichael, Founder/CEO of Sister2Sister Connection, LLC, a mentoring program for young women and Founder/Executive Director of SADA’s House, a non-profit organization providing assistance for victims of domestic violence, will be the guest speaker and share her emotional story of how she lost her sister as a result of an act of domestic violence. There will also be a butterfly release following the presentation to honor those who have been victimized by crime.
Following the event, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will be hosting a Wellness Event featuring vendors, food trucks, resources, and more. For more information about the wellness event, contact Mechelle Donahoo at 313-224-5626 or Pat Little at 313-559-6624.
All are welcome to attend this event.
According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2021, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes, the latest year for which such information is available. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.
Readout from the Symposium for Returning Citizens Hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office and Wayne State UniversityRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Transitioning formerly-incarcerated individuals back into their communities requires a team effort, which is why the United States Attorney’s Office, along with Wayne State University, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and other community partners organized a symposium that brought together returning citizens and support networks to share ideas and best practices for improving the success for citizens returning to the community. The symposium was part of Second Chance Month where we raise awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction and help individuals who have completed their sentences make the best of their second chance.
“Our justice system must be vigilant in holding individuals accountable when they commit crimes, but we must be equally vigilant in helping those who want to take advantage of their second chance by becoming contributing members of society,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Helping returning citizens effectively reintegrate into society is a matter of public safety. This work helps us carry out our obligation to make our community safer. I salute the individuals who are here today making the best of their second chance and helping others to successfully reenter our communities.”
“This is a full circle moment for me to be a part of helping to empower the lives of our brothers and sisters returning back to our community,” said Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight.
“While preventing recidivism and crime remains a key priority for the MDOC, under the direction of Director Heidi Washington, the department has been focused on supporting the success of those impacted by this system with goals such as fostering employment and self-sufficiency,” said Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator. “Access to high quality vocational and post-secondary programs is just one way that we are working to prepare people for success, and that work continues in the community with our reentry, education, and community partners. The value of this type of event is the ability to bring all those groups together, along with men and women impacted by the criminal justice system, to have an open dialogue about how we can have a great impact.”
Raising awareness of and finding solutions for the barriers that exist for individuals who have either served time in prison or have otherwise been impacted because of criminal convictions was the focus of today’s symposium at Wayne State University.
Detroit Pistons Assistant Coach Jerome Allen spoke about his own experience in the criminal justice system and how taking responsibility for his own mistakes helped him find peace and take advantage of his second chance. Coach Allen directly addressed the returning citizens in the audience and offered them an inspirational message that you do not have to be defined by your mistakes.
More than 115 returning citizens attended the symposium, along with parole and probation officers, law enforcement officials, service providers, and other community leaders. Vendors from Project Clean Slate, City of Detroit Skills for Live, Blast Detroit, Recovery 4 Detroit, Goodwill Industries, Genesis House, Team Wellness, and Detroit Rescue Mission were in attendance to provide guidance, resources, and assistance to symposium participants.
The symposium addressed breaking through the obstacles to successful re-entry, such as housing barriers, employment, mental health and trauma, child support debt, and family obligations. Speakers addressed how each of these issues impact successful reintegration into society.
Additional speakers included U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison; Shirley Stancato, Vice Chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors; Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight; and, Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator for Michigan Department of Corrections.
Bingham Farms Physician Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Illegally Distributing over One Million Opioid Pills and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Bingham Farms physician David Jankowski was sentenced today to 20 years in prison based on his conviction following a jury trial of thirty charges related to the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs and for health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. He was also ordered to forfeit over $35 million which represents the proceeds of drug-trafficking, property that facilitated the commission of the offense, and proceeds of the health care fraud conspiracy. In addition, Jankowski was also ordered to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount $5.2 million.
Joining Ison in the announcement were James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
Jankowski, age 63, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Bernard Friedman. The charges on which he was convicted stemmed from the operation of Summit Medical Group, a purported medical clinic formerly located in Dearborn Heights and Southfield, Michigan and owned by Jankowski. Federal agents first executed search and arrest warrants against Jankowski and Summit in June 2017. According to court records, Jankowski gave the Summit Medical Group the false appearance of a legitimate medical center, when in reality Summit was a pill mill supplying narcotics to drug-seeking customers.
In July 2022, a jury found Jankowski guilty of thirty criminal counts, including conspiracies to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and health care fraud, the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, and multiple counts of health care fraud.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Jankowski wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for drugs like Oxycontin, Oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and Xanax. Jankowski persuaded one patient to receive unnecessary shoulder surgery in return for prescribing medically unnecessary controlled substances. He also prescribed controlled substances after receiving cash from patient recruiters who brought their own patients to his practice. Trial testimony demonstrated that Jankowski issued or authorized the issuance of more than 1 million opioid pills to individuals outside the course of professional medical practice and for no legitimate medical purpose in exchange for compensation.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony that Jankowski sent out an unlicensed medical school graduate to perform home visits to Medicare beneficiaries and issue them prescriptions for controlled substances with had been pre-signed by Jankowski. Jankowski, who was not present during the visit, directed that the fraudulent claims to Medicare be submitted as if he himself had performed the service.
Jankowski induced patients into his practice by providing medically unnecessary controlled substances that were subsequently diverted to the illicit street market. In return, Jankowski submitted false and fraudulent claims to Michigan auto insurance companies, private health care insurers, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Based upon this fraudulent scheme, Jankowski received more than $35 million from insurance companies and approximately $5 million from Medicare and Medicaid.
“Michigan communities have seen devastating losses relating to opioid overdoses in the last five years,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Doctors who illegally dispense powerful prescription drugs bear some of the responsibility for this harm to our community. We hope prosecutions like this one will stop medical professionals from abusing their positions by dealing drugs and stealing from insurance companies and taxpayers. .”
“By prescribing medically unnecessary prescription medications and defrauding health insurance programs, this defendant put vulnerable patients at risk and contributed to the high cost of medical care for all of us,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to any medical professional willing to engage in this type of health care fraud that agents from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General will work diligently and collaboratively to bring them to justice.”
“Medical providers who prescribe powerful controlled substances without regard for medical necessity and submit fraudulent claims for unnecessary services, place their patients at risk and waste valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto. “We will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who endanger patients through their prescribing practices and commit fraud against our federal health care programs are held accountable.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Regina R. McCullough, Wayne F. Pratt, Philip A. Ross, Jessica Nathan and Peter Schneider.
Former School Board President of Madison District Public Schools Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The former School Board President of the Madison District Public Schools pleaded guilty today to taking bribes from a local school contractor in a pay-to-play scheme and to tax evasion, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division; Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.
Albert Morrison, age 62, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Laurie Michelson to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery from 2014 through 2018 and tax evasion. Morrison was the elected President of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education from 2012 through 2018. While Morrison was President, co-defendant John David was one of the owners of a building maintenance and reconstruction company, Emergency Restoration (a/k/a Emergency Reconstruction), that was awarded over $3.1 million in maintenance and construction projects in the Madison District Public Schools.
David, who was a long-time friend of Morrison, wrote over $550,000 in checks from his company to Morrison’s company, Comfort Consulting, from 2014 through 2018. Morrison deposited the checks from David into his own bank account. The investigation uncovered $561,667 in payments from David to Morrison. David admitted he had to “pay to play” in the school district, and David’s companies received approximately $3,167,275 from the Madison District during the bribery conspiracy. Morrison spent the money from David on personal luxuries such as vacations in Florida and a boat slip. David pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy and bribery on April 13, 2023.
To keep the payments secret from the school board and the community in the Madison Schools, Morrison, when publicly confronted at a Madison District school board meeting, denied having any financial ties to David or Emergency Restoration. Morrison and David also failed to disclose to State of Michigan auditors the payments Morrison received from David.
Morrison did not declare to the IRS David’s payments to Comfort Consulting as income in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, or 2018. In a further effort to conceal the payments from David, Morrison did not file a federal income tax return in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. By not declaring to the IRS the payments from David as income, Morrison avoided paying approximately $118,200 in taxes.
“This pay- to -play scheme damaged the Madison District Public Schools and undermined the community’s trust in the education system, ,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This prosecution demonstrates we will not allow the greed of corrupt school officials to harm the interests of our children.”
"Today, Mr. Morrison admitted to accepting bribes while he was president of the Madison District Public School Board. His actions intentionally betrayed the public's trust that he would act in the best interest of the school district and children. Further, his actions destroyed the public's trust that contracts would be awarded through a fair and transparent process." said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “We thank the IRS and Department of Education Office of Inspector General for working alongside the FBI to investigate these allegations and expose Mr. Morrison’s corruption.”
“The citizens of our community deserve trustworthy public officials, instead of an elected individual who abuses their power to enhance their own lifestyle," said Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. "IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make sure everyone pays their fair share of taxes, especially those individuals in positions of trust like Morrison."
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Education. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, Karen Reynolds, and Gjon Juncaj.
Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Visit to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of MichiganRead the Press Release
On Friday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan as well as federal and local law enforcement partners.
In Detroit, Attorney General Garland met with U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison, along with attorneys and the staff at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Attorney General Garland was briefed on a community partnership named “One Detroit” designed to reduce violent crime in the City through a multi-faceted program of crime prevention, services for the re-entry of returning citizens, and focused law enforcement.
One Detroit is the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s comprehensive violence reduction initiative that links evidenced-based strategies with a coalition of stakeholders in the community, government, and law enforcement. The core of the initiative is partnership. By bringing together leaders in government, the community, and law enforcement, and aligning their work, the One Detroit partnership will work to reduce violence through engagement, coordination, and action.
One Detroit includes aggressive investigation and prosecution of the relatively small number of individuals responsible for the most violence. But the One Detroit partners recognize that violence must be prevented and not just punished. And so, the One Detroit partners will also develop and foster meaningful community relationships, promote prevention and intervention programs, and emphasize prisoner reentry programs that involve the community.
Attorney General Garland praised the One Detroit community partnership as critical to addressing violent crime in Detroit. He shared his support for the work that U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison and the Office’s attorneys and staff are doing to combat violent crime through prevention, intervention and fostering community relationships.
After the briefing, Attorney General Garland met with federal law enforcement officials in Detroit and spoke about the importance of tackling the problem of fentanyl in both the U.S. and Mexico. Attorney General Garland also met with local law enforcement and commended the strong working relationship between local, state, and federal law enforcement. His visit to Detroit concluded with an address to the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Detroit Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT, MI - A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to a wire fraud scheme in which he stole $297,000 of pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits from the State of Michigan, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge John Marengo of the United States Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office.
Terrell Heard, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman.
According to court records, Heard committed fraud by obtaining pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) to which he was not entitled. The plea documents indicate that in approximately April 2020, Heard began to submit electronic applications for PUA benefits to the State of Michigan in the names of various individuals without those individuals’ authorization. In some instances, the PUA benefits were sent to bank accounts Heard controlled. In other instances, the PUA benefits were loaded onto Bank of America debit cards which were then mailed to addresses to which Heard had access.
According to the plea papers, Heard continued submitting false claims to the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency until approximately July 2020. He managed to obtain approximately $297,000 from the agency as a result of this fraud, and has agreed to a money judgment forfeiting that amount as part of his plea agreement. He also agreed that his criminal conduct involved more than ten identity theft victims.
Sentencing is set for August 21, 2023 before Judge Leitman. Heard faces a maximum of twenty years in prison.
“Fraud involving COVID-19 relief programs is sadly widespread, both in our community and nationally,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated. My office alone has charged over 100 defendants with such crimes since the pandemic began. Today’s guilty plea marks another positive step in our ongoing effort to bring to justice those who defrauded pandemic assistance programs.”
“Terrell Heard engaged in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme targeted at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. Heard conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of other individuals. Today’s guilty plea affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the unemployment insurance program. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Thank you to the Department of Labor and the US Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting COVID relief fraud. The U.S. Secret Service will continue to work cases that impact our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Marengo.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John K. Neal. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the Secret Service, with assistance from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Hate Crimes Targeting Black Lives Matter SupportersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington to 10 months in federal prison and one-year supervised release for a series of hate crimes he committed in June and July of 2020.
According to court records, Kenneth D. Pilon, 62, previously pleaded guilty to willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. Specifically, Pilon admitted to calling nine Starbucks stores in mid and southeast Michigan and telling the employees answering his calls to tell Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts that “the only good n***er is a dead n***er.” Pilon also admitted to telling one employee, “I’m gonna go out and lynch me a n***er.” Additionally, over the course of the next month, Pilon left four nooses in parking lots and a fifth noose inside of a 7-Eleven store. Pilon attached each noose to a handwritten note, reading: “An accessory to be worn with your ‘BLM’ t-shirt. Happy protesting!”
“The nooses, the threat letters, and the calls to Starbucks were all intended to terrorize the targeted victims solely because of their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will always stand up to race-based threats of violence, which have no place in civilized society.”
“A noose is a symbol of hatred that evokes the darkest days of our country’s past. Its placement is meant to terrorize a part of our community, but we will not tolerate these race-based threats. Our office stands ready to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminal violations of our civil rights laws,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“Pilon’s hateful conduct, motivated by racial intolerance, was intended to intimidate the victims as well as create fear within the African-American community,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will ensure that if a crime is motivated by bias, it will be investigated as a hate crime and the perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.”
The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Turkelson for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case
Man Indicted for Attempted KidnappingRead the Press Release
FLINT– A Mount Morris Township man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for his role in the attempted kidnapping of a woman and his illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement was James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division and Chief Terence Green, Flint Police Department.
Lugene Maxie, II, age 44, was charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment and other court records, Maxie and two other men in a car approached the female victim as she was walking. The men made sexual remarks towards the victim and told her to come with them. When the victim refused, one of the men got out of the vehicle and began following the woman on foot. Maxie and the other man picked up the man on foot who was following the victim. The three then drove past the woman, turned on a side street and stopped. After the vehicle stopped, Maxie got out and began walking towards the victim. As Maxie approached the victim, he grabbed her. The victim pulled away from Maxie and began running from him. As the woman ran away from Maxie, he pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired two to three gunshots. Maxie continued to follow the victim as she ran away.
The incident came to the attention of the Michigan State Police who were conducting aerial observation in a Michigan State Police helicopter. The helicopter radioed to Flint Police who responded to the scene. When Flint Police arrived, Maxie took off running. Police pursued Maxie and took him into custody a short distance away. The Michigan State Police helicopter saw Maxie drop his gun as he was running from the police. Police recovered the firearm after detaining Maxie.
“I applaud the teamwork of the Michigan State and Flint Police,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “They prevented a brazen kidnapping and likely saved the victim from a sexual assault.”
“The arrest of Maxie is another fine example of area law enforcement working in partnership to increase public safety in the Flint community. The Flint Police Department, along with our local federal and state agencies are making the message clear, if you commit crime in Flint, arrest and incarceration is in your future,” said Chief Green.
Based upon the charges in the indictment, Maxie faces up to life in prison if convicted. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and the Flint Police Department, with assistance from special agents of the ATF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony P. Vance.
Law Enforcement and Community Leaders Announce One Detroit Partnership to Reduce Violent Crime in the City of DetroitRead the Press Release
DETROIT — Today, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym Worthy, Kenyatta Stephens, CEO Black Family Development, Detroit Police Chief James E. White, Alvin Stokes, Citywide President, Detroit Citywide Police Community Relations Council, Heidi E. Washington, Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections and Bishop Edgar Vann, Second Ebenezer Church, announced a community partnership named “One Detroit” designed to reduce violent crime in the City through a multi-faceted program of crime prevention, services for the re-entry of returning citizens, and focused law enforcement.
Joining in the announcement were Kenyatta Stephens, the Chief Executive Officer of Black Family Development, Inc.; Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge James M. Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; and Sheryl Jones, Director, Detroit Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and Ceasefire Detroit.
One Detroit is the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s comprehensive violence reduction initiative that links evidenced-based strategies with a coalition of stakeholders in the community, government, and law enforcement. The core of the initiative is partnership. By bringing together leaders in government, the community, and law enforcement, and aligning their work, the One Detroit partnership will work to reduce violence through engagement, coordination, and action.
The One Detroit partnership is an effort to reinvigorate and augment the Detroit One initiative by incorporating the lessons we have learned since that effort was announced 10 years ago. One Detroit, like the earlier effort, includes aggressive investigation and prosecution of the relatively small number of individuals responsible for the most violence. But the One Detroit partners recognize that violence must be prevented and not just punished. And so, the One Detroit partners will also develop and foster meaningful community relationships, promote prevention and intervention programs, and emphasize prisoner reentry programs that involve the community.
One Detroit will focus on leveraging the resources, skills, and capacities of the program’s stakeholders to reduce crime and to make our residents and city safer.
A key aspect of this strategy is to boost efforts at crime prevention. The One Detroit prevention effort, which is led by the City of Detroit, along with community leaders such as Bishop Vann and Black Family Development, will seek to reduce crime through blight elimination, community engagement, job training, and collaboration. The partnership includes community members, faith leaders, law enforcement, and representatives from intervention/outreach organizations. Through open dialogue with these partners, we will better understand the underlying causes of violent crime in the community and collaborate to develop comprehensive solutions to address them. The partners will deter violence through open communication about law enforcement strategies with the community and with those most at risk of becoming involved in violence. And the partners will work to provide alternatives to crime to those in neighborhoods most affected by violence.
Importantly, One Detroit will also be focused on providing opportunities and assistance to those citizens who are returning to our community from incarceration. Led by the Michigan Department of Corrections, One Detroit will work to ensure that returning citizens have the employment, job training, and support they need to fully reintegrate into society. Helping those who have served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most effective means to reduce crime in Detroit and across the Eastern District of Michigan.
The third aspect of One Detroit is an enforcement strategy aimed at the most dangerous offenders in those areas of the city suffering the most from violent crime or that face the prospect of increased crime. The One Detroit partnership will work collaboratively to focus its law enforcement efforts on the relatively few individuals and groups inflicting the most violence, rather than the entire community. It will involve close coordination between federal and local law enforcement to identify emerging violent offenders or trends within particular neighborhoods. The partnership will also draw on the expertise of local officers, who have deep experience in the communities they serve. And it will pair that personalized knowledge with technology like the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN), and evidence-based tools like Gunstat. By implementing this data-driven and intelligence-led approach, law enforcement will be able to focus on the small number of people perpetrating violence.
This strategy is a part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“One Detroit seeks to disrupt violence in our neighborhoods by focusing law enforcement resources on the drivers of violent crime, supporting community-based solutions to prevent crime, and ensuring that individuals returning from prison have sufficient supports to take full advantage of their second chances, “stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “We need a more mindful approach to violence reduction that acknowledges that law enforcement cannot be the only solution to keeping our communities safe. Through this partnership we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who refuse to stop the violence, but we also endeavor to empower communities and provide opportunity in order to make our community and residents safer,” continued Ison.
"The most sustainable way to reduce violent crime is to get the people committing it to change their own behavior," said Mayor Duggan. "For some, being provided a pathway to an opportunity after being incarcerated may lead to that change. For others it may be the certainty of being arrested and incarcerated if they reoffend. Effective crime reduction has to be a communitywide effort and I'm grateful to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for her leadership in forming this partnership between law enforcement agencies and community organizations."
“As a One Detroit partner, Black Family Development, Inc. commits to provide basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), mental health and substance use treatment, mobile health services, a young men of color support network and social-emotional counseling as prevention and re-entry supports to Detroit residents and families impacted, or at-risk of being impacted, by gun violence,” said Kenyatta Stephens stated.
“I have always known and understood that we must work collaboratively with law enforcement, community stakeholders, and faith leaders, if we want to address crime and keep our citizen’s safe. The One Detroit Initiative is important because it is taking an approach which includes intervention programs, as well as prisoner reentry programs to effectively combat crime,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
“It still takes a village,” said Alvin Stokes.
“The Detroit Police Department looks forward to being a part of the One Detroit partnership and will continue to strategically target the dangerous offenders who victimize our community and work to ensure they are held accountable for their actions,” said Detroit Police Chief James E. White. “Combining the hard work of our officers, our data-driven technology-aided approach and this partnership will assist us in our mission to make Detroit a safer place.”
“We are proud to share our expertise and the time and talents of our agents as partners in this type of focused and targeted action on those perpetrating violence in Detroit,” said Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington. “We are also focused on our efforts to provide reentry resources, education and training so individuals have a way to support themselves and their families, rather than feel the need to resort back to a life of crime so we can create true long-term public safety in this great city.”
“One Detroit is a powerful collaboration of government, the US Attorney’s Office, branches of law enforcement agencies, community activists and stakeholders, and the latest cutting-edge technology. But let this initiative also send a strong message to "heads and hearts" throughout this city and region as this becomes a movement. Think before you act. Inhumanity has consequences. "Stop the violence. Increase the peace,” said Bishop Edgar Vann.
“ATF’s core priority is to protect our communities from violent criminal acts,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir, “We are proud to participate in One Detroit a collaborative crime-abatement initiative between our federal, state, and local partners.”
“Law enforcement and community partners are working together to combat crime in the most violent areas of Detroit,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI contributes to that effort by not only targeting those who commit armed robberies of businesses, along with the leadership of gangs and criminal enterprises, but also by engaging with schools, youth groups, and community groups. By doing so, we are working collaboratively to ensure our neighborhoods are safer places for everyone to live and work.”
“The enforcement aspect of One Detroit is focused on the few bad actors who are causing the most harm, and often these individuals are drug traffickers who use violence and intimidation to broaden their markets. DEA will work with federal, state, and local partners to pursue the worst offenders and make metro-Detroit a safer community,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene.