District of North Dakota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
St. Michael, ND, Man Convicted of Multiple Counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Discharge of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence, and Brandishing of a Firearm in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that after a seven-day trial, a jury found Nathaniel Patrick Azure, age 21, from St. Michael, ND, guilty of three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Brandishing of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury convicted Azure for his role in a non-fatal shooting in Fort Totten, ND, on January 6, 2021. Azure was also convicted for assaulting another person while brandishing a firearm in St. Michael, ND, on May 21, 2022, and for a non-fatal shooting of a third person in St. Michael, ND, on May 22, 2022.
Sentencing of Azure will be April 16, 2024, in the District of North Dakota, Fargo.
Michael Al-Jerome Denne, the 25-year-old brother of Azure, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the January 6, 2021, shooting and has been sentenced. Dantae Jerome Whitetail, aged 23, Minnewaukan, ND, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the May 21, 2022, brandishing assault and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2024. Skyla Kay Cavanaugh, aged 23, St. Michael, ND, previously pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the May 22, 2022, shooting and providing false statements to federal agents after the shooting, as well as later retaliating against a witness to the shooting.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to combatting violent crime in Indian country,” Schneider said. “This guilty verdict is a credit to the dogged determination of our career prosecutors and their colleagues in federal law enforcement. As we work to be a strong federal partner in promoting public safety in North Dakota, we will continue ensure that individuals who engage in violence face justice in United States District Court.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Benson County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Rodenbiker and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl, District of North Dakota.
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St. Michael, ND, Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Cody James Belgarde, age 36, from St. Michael, ND, was found guilty of the charges of Second-Degree Murder and Arson.
In January of 2021, Belgarde shot and killed a boy who was two weeks past his seventeenth birthday. Belgarde then set fire to the house where the murder took place. After eight days of trial and over thirty witnesses, the jury reached a verdict and found Belgrade guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Arson within Indian country. The jury acquitted Belgarde on a charge of First-Degree Murder.
Belgarde faces a sentence of up to life in prison at his sentencing hearing set for March 6, 2024, at 02:30 PM in Fargo Courtroom 1 before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to combating violent crime in Indian country,” Schneider said. “This verdict is a credit to our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners at the FBI, BIA, and ATF who relentlessly pursued justice in this tragic case.”
“During this investigation, ATF certified fire investigators conducted fire scene examinations, made the origin and cause determination, and provided technical analysis of the fire scene during trial testimony,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert, of the St. Paul Field Division. “Collaboration between law enforcement partners was tremendously effective and lead to the successful conclusion of this case. Hopefully, with this verdict, the family and loved ones of the victim can have some closure.”
“The FBI will not tolerate someone committing such abhorrent violence,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Jr. “Mr. Belgrade proved he has no regard for the law or for human life when he brutally murdered an innocent victim. I’m proud of the collective efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to ensure this dangerous individual is held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The prosecutors for this case were Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori H. Conroy and U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota.
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Former North Dakota State Senator Indicted for Child Sex Tourism and Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fargo - A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Raymon Everett Holmberg, a/k/a Sean Evans, for Child Sex Tourism and Receipt of Child Pornography. Holmberg, age 79, from Grand Forks, ND, a former North Dakota State Senator, was indicted on October 26, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota and appeared for an initial appearance and arraignment today.
The Indictment alleges that beginning in June 2011 through November 2016, Holmberg repeatedly traveled from North Dakota to Prague, Czech Republic, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts (Child Sex Tourism) with a person under the age of 18 years. It also alleges that on November 24, 2012, and continuing until March 4, 2013, Holmberg received and attempted to receive child pornography depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Holmberg has entered a not guilty plea to matters alleged in the Indictment and an initial trial date has been scheduled for December 5, 2023.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges announced today are the result of a federal investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For additional resources for survivors or victims, help is available at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) and CyberTipline URL https://report.cybertip.org.
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 515, Associate Deputy Attorney General at Department of Justice Bradley Weinsheimer has directed and authorized the First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota to have the status and perform all the authorized functions of a United States Attorney with respect to the matter. This case will be prosecuted by the First Assistant US Attorney, and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the United States Department of Justice. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the case.
Anyone with information concerning this investigation is encouraged to contact the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 866-347-2423. Tips can be anonymous.
NOTE: Because this investigation is ongoing, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota will have no additional statements or comment at this time.
Former North Dakota State Senator Charged for Traveling with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A former North Dakota state senator made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota yesterday to face charges for traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, from June 2011 through November 2016, Raymon Holmberg, 79, of Grand Forks, is alleged to have repeatedly traveled from North Dakota to Prague, Czech Republic, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts with a person under the age of 18 years. Holmberg is also charged with receiving material depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, Holmberg faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul made the announcement.
HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Puhl are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with ICAC, marshals federal, state, and local law enforcement resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces focused on investigations of online child sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Anyone with information concerning this investigation is encouraged to contact the HSI Tip Line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 866-347-2423. Tips can be anonymous.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Minnesota Man Pleaded Guilty to the Theft of the “Ruby Slippers” from the Classic 1939 Film “the Wizard of Oz”Read the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Terry Jon Martin, age 76, of Grand Rapids, MN, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, to one count of theft of major artwork, an object of cultural heritage from the care, custody, or control of a museum.
Investigation revealed that in 2005, Martin stole an authentic pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz,” from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. At the time of theft, the slippers were ensured for $1 million but current fair market appraisal value the slippers at $3.5 million. The ruby slippers, which were recovered by the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department in July 2018, are one of the four remaining pairs and are widely viewed as among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history.
Sentencing date for Terry Martin has not been scheduled, as a result, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota will have no additional comment or statements until sentencing has been completed. A press release announcing the sentencing is forthcoming.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grand Rapids, MN, Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley, District of North Dakota.
This matter was assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 515(a).
Previous News Release for this investigation can be seen at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/fbi-recovers-stolen-ruby-slippers-wizard-oz
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Detroit, MI, Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for His Leadership Role in a Drug Trafficking Organization Targeting two of North Dakota’s Native American ReservationsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Devonsha Dabney a/k/a Kemell, age 29, of Detroit, Michigan, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, on October 10, 2023, for his leadership in a drug trafficking organization targeting two of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations. Dabney pled guilty to Continuing Criminal Enterprise and admitted to forfeiture allegations involving US Currency, jewelry, and more. Dabney was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, 4 years of supervised release, and $100 special assessment.
This case is part of “Operation Letter to Reub,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone and fentanyl laced pills. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement revealed that Dabney and his co-conspirators targeted areas with fewer law enforcement resources where they could distribute controlled substances at a premium price. Dabney and his coconspirators used local residences and people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities for monetary gain. In total, forty-one defendants were charged in the case including members of 5674 Reub Gang, IUR (Iced Up Records), and CCL (Chicken Chaser Loyalty).
Law enforcement learned of a drug trafficking organization affiliated with the 5674 Reub Gang, a violent street gang operating out of Michigan, which was involved in transporting thousands of oxycodone/fentanyl pills to North Dakota for distribution, in Bismarck, ND, Minot, ND, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. As part of this organization, in approximately 2015, Reuben Rambus began trafficking oxycodone pills from Detroit, MI, to North Dakota. After he died, his brother, Romel Rambus, took over operations and worked with the Devonsha Dabney, to distribute narcotics in North Dakota. Multiple individuals identified Devonsha as the leader of the pill operations in North Dakota beginning in approximately 2017. He recruited individuals from the Detroit, MI, area, as well as local users, to distribute pills for him and oversaw their activities.
Pill supplier turned trafficker, Jonathan B. Walker, a/k/a Jay, was sentenced on October 2, 2023, to 180 months incarceration, 5 years of supervised release, and $500 in special assessment fees. Walker pled guilty to various drug trafficking offenses including Continuing Criminal Enterprise. Jonathan Walker entered the drug trafficking organization initially as a supplier of opiate pills to Dabney and others but began trafficking pills in North Dakota himself after concerns of money coming up short. Walker collaborated with others and had several individuals working under his direction. These individuals would transport shipments of pills utilizing rental vehicles to assist in the distribution and sales of pills in North Dakota and other states, as well as collect drug proceeds that were returned to Walker.
“Drug traffickers who think Indian country is a soft target because of a perceived lack of law enforcement resources ought to think again,” Schneider said. “This sentence shows that if you prey on tribal communities, you will be doggedly pursued by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and you will face justice as a defendant in federal court. The success in this case is a product of the determination of our career prosecutors and the cooperative, multi-agency approach taken by our law enforcement partners.”
"We are grateful to the US Department of Justice and all other agencies. This includes our own MHA Division of Drug Enforcement, who also played a role in this investigation leading to the arrests of these individuals,” said Chairman Mark N. Fox, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Fort Berthold, ND. “We will continue to fight against illegal drug traffickers that are entering our boundaries and are extremely dangerous to our people."
“Today as tribal and state citizens of North Dakota, we at Spirit Lake Tribe are grateful for the determined work by all agencies to combat the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse in our communities,” said Chairwoman Lona J. Street, Spirit Lake Nation, Fort Totten, ND. “This is a result of excellent teamwork displayed by all local, state, and federal agencies.”
“Devonsha Dabney thought he could come out unscathed while plaguing our streets with poison,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division. “This multi-state collaborative effort with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our federal, tribal and local partners in North Dakota resulted in Mr. Dabney finding out about accountability.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (Detroit), the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Metro Area Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, and Minot Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Alex Stock assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
Lisbon, ND, Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Craig Gregor, age 29 of Lisbon, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for the charges of Sexual Exploitation of minors, distribution of materials containing child pornography, and possession of materials containing child pornography.
Investigation revealed that Gregor repeatedly filmed himself sexually abusing a 6-year-old child and later shared the videos with others using the internet. During a search of the Gregor’s electronic devices, law enforcement found thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul special agents work tirelessly to combat child predators like Gregor,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services. Well done to the special agents and law enforcement community partners for bringing Gregor to justice for his reprehensible crimes.”
“This four-decade sentence is more than justified considering the defendant’s breathtakingly abhorrent crimes,” Schneider said. “Keeping children safe is a priority of the highest order for the United Sates Attorney’s Office. I congratulate our federal and state law enforcement partners for their successful efforts to ensure this individual faced justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee, District of North Dakota.
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Canadian Woman Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison for Her Role in Fentanyl Overdoses across Several StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Marie Um, 42, from Montreal, Québec Canada, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison, $11,048.43 in restitution, and $300 special assessment for the charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues resulting in serious bodily injury and death; conspiracy to import controlled substances and controlled substance analogues resulting in serious bodily injury and death; and international money laundering conspiracy.
On April 11, 2023, the trial of Marie Um commenced, in Fargo, North Dakota. Marie Um was part of an organization that was receiving fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China and importing them into the United States. After 2 weeks of trial and 3 ½ days of deliberation, the jury found Marie Um guilty of conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances into the United States and money laundering conspiracy. The jury found that 9 overdoses (4 deaths and 5 serious bodily injuries) were reasonably foreseeable to her. The overdoses were in North Dakota, Oregon, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota, on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly $1 million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
In 2021, Um was extradited from Canada to the United States with substantial assistance from the Office of International Affairs, a component of the Department of Justice.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Internal Revenue Service – CID; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division; Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutor for this case was Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota.
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Warwick, ND, Man Charged with Sexual Abuse and Materials Involving Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Jordain Jaden Smith, aka Jordain Thompson, age 23 of Warwick, ND, for Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force, Sexual Abuse of an Incapacitated Victim, Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, and Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Smith appeared for an initial appearance and arraignment today. Smith is charged with five counts alleging Smith sexually abused two minor females and possessed materials involving the sexual exploitation of one of the minors. The sexual abuse alleged in the Indictment occurred within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation. If convicted, the two highest charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Smith has entered not guilty plea to matters alleged in the Indictment and an initial trial date has been scheduled for October 3, 2023.
Grand jury indictments are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), helps federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from: Bureau of Indian Affairs North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Grand Forks Police Department, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Directing Drug Conspiracy from inside the Grand Forks County JailRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on August 10, 2023, Timothy Edward Eason, age 57, Minneapolis, MN, was sentenced to 204 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release and $200 Special Assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
On October 18, 2021, Eason was arrested on state drug charges and was held in the Grand Forks County Jail. The investigation revealed that from October 2021 to February 2022, Eason used communication facilities in the jail to arrange shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Arizona to distributors in Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota and elsewhere. Eason and other co-conspirators arranged payment for these controlled substances through cash applications such as Cash App and Chime.
Eason and Tiffany Marie Johnson were indicted by a Grand Jury in North Dakota on February 16, 2022. A Superseding Indictment was returned on March 16, 2022, adding additional defendants, Alfonso Demond Patrick and Ashtyn Lenea Gladue.
The investigation resulted in the identification and prosecution of the source of supply in Arizona. The other sentences handed down in this case include:
Alfonso Demond Patrick, 47, Phoenix, Arizona - 96 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
Tiffany Marie Johnson, age 43, Moorhead, Minnesota - 54 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
Ashtyn Lenea Gladue, age 26, Rolla, North Dakota - 42 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
“Distributing dangerous drugs like fentanyl and meth puts lives at risk in our communities,” Schneider said. “Arranging shipments of these drugs from a county jail, as today’s sentence shows, is a surefire way to land an even longer stay in a federal prison. This result is a real credit to the teamwork of our local, state, and federal partners.”
This case was investigated by the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, the Grand Forks Police Department, Grand Forks Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Cass County Drug Task Force and Moorhead Police Department.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers
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Cavalier, ND, Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography and Failure to Register as a Sexual OffenderRead the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Cody John O’Hara, age 35 of Cavalier, ND, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, to 29 years’ imprisonment for Receipt of Materials Containing Child Pornography and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Specifically, O’Hara was sentenced to 27 years on the above-mentioned charges and a consecutive two years for a supervised release violation.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement after a United States Probation Officer discovered child pornography on O’Hara’s cellphone. O’Hara was previously convicted of Possession and Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors in U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota in 2012. He was sentenced to 78 months incarceration followed by a five-year term of supervised release and was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act
( SORNA).
Following his period of incarceration, O’Hara began residing Fargo during which time he was subject to the supervision of a U.S. Probation Officer. Beginning in the summer of 2021 and continuing through early 2022, the U.S. Probation Officer made several unannounced visits to O’Hara’s registered address, but she was unable to locate him there. The U.S. Probation Officer eventually discovered that he was living at a girlfriend’s residence in Moorhead, Minnesota. Thereafter, O’Hara was ordered to report to the U.S. Probation Office, after which his probation officer requested to view his cellphone. O’Hara initially lied about having his cellphone with him, but upon further questioning O’Hara eventually admitted that it was in his car hidden under the seat.
The cell phone was later searched by the U.S. Probation Officer pursuant to his conditions of supervised release. During this search, the U.S. Probation Officer located child pornography and O’Hara’s cell phone was later forensically examined by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations. This examination revealed nearly 500 images and videos of child pornography. Following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, it was discovered that one of the children depicted in the child pornography images recovered from O’Hara’s phone was a child located in Minnesota, whom O’Hara was sexually abusing.
“This decades-long sentence protects children in North Dakota and beyond,” Schneider said. “As this case shows, criminals who exploit children will be swiftly dealt with by law enforcement, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, and sent to federal prison. Keeping kids safe is a priority of the highest order for our state and federal law enforcement partners.”
“Exploitation of children is a reprehensible crime we at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) work tirelessly to combat,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “O’Hara’s sentencing highlights the fact that predators will inevitably face significant penalties for their crimes that leave victims and families traumatized. HSI St. Paul will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services.”
This case was investigated by North Dakota BCI, Homeland Security and Investigations and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with First Assistant United States Jennifer Klemetsrud-Puhl assigned to the case.
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St. Cloud Woman Apprehended in Mexico Faces Narcotics Trafficking Charges in North DakotaRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that a fugitive wanted in North Dakota, Deanna Marie Gerads, age 33, appeared in Federal court in Houston, Texas on August 3, 2023, on a warrant and Indictment from North Dakota charging Gerads with Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances into the United States. Gerads was ordered detained by United States Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to North Dakota for an initial appearance.
Gerads was apprehended in Mexico on August 1, 2023, by Mexican immigration authorities and deported from Mexico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was instrumental in providing information that led to the apprehension of Gerads, who has been a fugitive for over a year.
This case is part of “Operation Unfinished Business II,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
This case is being investigated by the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force (CMVOTF), Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Cloud Police Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Sartell Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – CID, Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers and Alex Stock, District of North Dakota.
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St. Michael Woman Pleaded Guilty to Three Counts of Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on July 27, 2023, Trina Lily Hunt, age 20, of St. Michael, ND, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, to three counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
On August 11, 2021, Bureau of Indian Affairs patrol officers responded to a call of a two-vehicle crash along Heart Road on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Hunt was driving one of the vehicles and had two passengers. A second driver, Winter Skye Bigtrack, was driving a vehicle and had four passengers. Of those passengers, two fatalities were identified at the scene – an adult male and a juvenile male. A third passenger, a minor female, later died. A fifth passenger, another minor female, suffered injuries that required her to be transported to Fargo for treatment where she was admitted to the intensive care unit.
The investigation revealed that both Hunt and Bigtrack were driving recklessly, without licenses, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance at high speeds exceeding the posted speed limit. Bigtrack previously pled guilty and was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Sentencing of Hunt is scheduled for November 7, 2023, at 2:30 PM.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Operating an International Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Three foreign nationals were sentenced in the District of North Dakota for their roles in an international fentanyl distribution conspiracy.
Daniel Vivas Ceron, 43, of Colombia, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison. According to court documents, Ceron – while in prison in Quebec, Canada – was the leader and organizer of an international criminal enterprise that distributed large amounts of fentanyl. Using a contraband cell phone from inside the prison, Ceron and co-conspirator Jason Joey Berry, 40, of Montreal, Canada, arranged shipments of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China to Canada and the United States as part of the criminal enterprise. The distribution of these substances in the United States led to 15 overdoses, four of which were fatal, and 11 of which caused serious bodily injury.
On July 24, Berry was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Berry coordinated the acquisition of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China, the receipt the drugs in Canada, and the further distribution of fentanyl products to the United States.
On July 17, co-conspirator Xuan Cahn Nguyen, aka Jackie, aka Jackie Chan, 43, of Point-Aux-Tremble, Quebec, Canada, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Nguyen assisted Berry and Ceron in acquiring fentanyl, distributing the drugs to the United States, and collecting the narcotics proceeds.
“The defendants whose sentences we are announcing today purchased fentanyl from global suppliers in China and elsewhere and conspired to sell it here in the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These cases reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to going after every link in this global supply chain and to holding accountable those who profit from this deadly drug at the expense of families in North Dakota and across the country.”
“The sentences announced in these cases are the result of partnerships across the U.S. government and with allies around the world to disrupt and dismantle the global supply-and-delivery chain flooding fentanyl across borders,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s sentences also represent hard-won justice for the victims of this international trafficking enterprise, their loved ones, and their communities. The Department of Justice is grateful to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their invaluable assistance in this case. We must continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners in Canada and Mexico to fight the deadly threat posed by fentanyl in North America.”
“These defendants are responsible for fentanyl poisoning deaths in North Dakota and several other states, and today’s strong sentence ensures accountability for those crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider for the District of North Dakota. “This result is a credit to the tireless work and seamless cooperation exhibited by our office’s prosecution team and their law enforcement partners in North Dakota, across the country, and in Canada.”
“Disrupting large drug trafficking networks, like the Ceron Network, is vitally important to our ongoing effort to combat the fentanyl crisis in America and save innocent lives,” said U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight for the District of Oregon. “Networks like these span jurisdictions and stopping them requires robust coordination among many domestic and international partners.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plays a pivotal role in disrupting the flow of illicit narcotics at every point in the drug supply chain – we will continue to work collaboratively and aggressively with our partners wherever transnational criminal organizations source and manufacture these deadly substances that earn substantial profit by selling this poison across the communities we seek to protect,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of HSI. “HSI continues to advance its broad strategy to combat illicit opioids and today’s sentencings are one more testament to that commitment.”
Operation Denial has led to 31 defendants charged in the District of North Dakota and three defendants charged in the District of Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly $1 million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization. In addition to Ceron, Berry, and Nguyen, defendants sentenced or convicted in this case include[1]:
District of North Dakota
- Jameson Robert Sele, 20, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was sentenced on July 27, 2015, to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Ryan Jon Jensen, 20, of Grand Forks, was sentenced on Feb. 2, 2016, to 20 years federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death; two counts of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death; distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury; and money laundering conspiracy.
- David Todd Noye Jr., 18, of Grand Forks, was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2016, to three years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Joshua Tyler Fulp, 20, of Grand Forks, was sentenced on Jan. 26, 2016, to 12 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death.
- Kain Daniel Schwandt, 19, of Grand Forks, was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2016, to three and a half years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Brandon Corde Hubbard, 40, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced on Sept. 14, 2021, to 22 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death; distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death; and money laundering conspiracy.
- Braden James Foley, 28, of Olympia, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 21, 2016, to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Amanda Schneider, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was sentenced on Jan. 17, 2019, to one year and three months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Danny Gamboa, 21, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was sentenced on Feb. 27, 2019, to two years and one month in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Keveen Nobre, 29, of Providence, Rhode Island, was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Robinson Gomez, 35, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- David Campbell, 58, of Plantation, Florida, was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Elizabeth Ton, 27, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was sentenced on March 8, 2019, to three years and five months in prison for money laundering conspiracy.
- Louis Bell, 31, of Port St. Lucie, was sentenced on April 18, 2019, to 17 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.
- Anthony Gomes, 34, of Woonsocket, was sentenced on July 30, 2021, to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and death, and money laundering conspiracy.
- Jose Pinto, 64, of Pawtucket, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2022, to time served and two years of supervised release for tampering with evidence.
- Eugenia Pinto, 64, of Pawtucket, entered into a pre-trial diversion agreement on Nov. 18, 2021, for a term of one and a half years after admission to obstruction of justice and evidence tampering.
- Steven Pinto, 40, of Pawtucket, was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2021, to 33 years in prison for continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances, and obstruction of justice.
- Vannek Um, 45, of Montreal, pleaded guilty on March 14 to money laundering conspiracy. Vannek Um is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8.
- Marie Um, 42, of Montreal, was convicted in April of conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death and money laundering conspiracy. Marie Um is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5.
District of Oregon
- Channing Lacey, 30, of Portland, was sentenced on Aug. 28, 2017, to 11 years and three months in prison for one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury to three individuals and one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
- Carissa Marie Laprall, 25, of Portland, was sentenced on Jan. 30, 2020, to time served with five years of supervised release for three counts of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury.
- Steven Fairbanks Locke, 41, of Portland, was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2017, to time served and a term of supervised release for use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug offense.
On Aug. 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation. Additional fugitives from China include Na Chu, 37, Pulandian City, Liaoning Province, China; Yeyou Chu, 36, Pulandian City, Liaoning Province, China; Cuiying Liu, 62, Dezhou City, Shangdong Province, China; and Keping Zhang, 62, Dezhou City, Shangdong Province, China.
Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS-Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department investigated the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing foreign evidence and the extradition of four Operation Denial defendants: Nguyen, Berry, Vannek Um, and Marie Um.
Assistant Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni and Trial Attorney Imani Hutty of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
Operation Denial is an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation started on Jan. 3, 2015, with the overdose death of Bailey Henke in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and eventually led to the indictment, and subsequent conviction, of multiple defendants.
[1] Ages reflected are ages at the time of sentencing.
Colombian National Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for His Leadership Role in Operating a Fentanyl Enterprise from a Canadian PrisonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Daniel Vivas Ceron, age 42, Columbia, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 27 years imprisonment, 5 years supervised release, and $11,048.43 in restitution for his role in ‘Operation Denial’.
Ceron was extradited from Panama to the United States on January 25, 2017, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On July 12, 2019, Ceron pled guilty to Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death, and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
As part of that plea, Ceron acknowledged that he and Jason Berry led an international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec. Using a cell phone from inside the prison, Ceron and Berry arranged shipments of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China to Canada and the United States as part of this criminal enterprise. The distribution of these substances led to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in North Dakota, Oregon, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
"The sentences announced today, and the suite of related prosecutions that preceded them, reflect the impressive cooperation and dedication of state, local, and federal law enforcement, along with our Canadian partners, to take down a pernicious and deadly network of fentanyl distributors,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those like Ceron, Berry, Nguyen, and members of their network who injected fentanyl and fentanyl analogues into American society with deadly results. Concerted efforts like Operation Denial demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to eliminating the influx of fentanyl into our communities at their points of origin."
“These defendants are responsible for fentanyl poisoning deaths in North Dakota and several other states, and today’s strong sentence ensures accountability for those crimes,” Schneider said. “This result is a credit to the tireless work and seamless cooperation exhibited by our office’s prosecution team and their law enforcement partners in North Dakota, across the country, and in Canada.”
“Disrupting large drug trafficking networks, like the Ceron Network, is vitally important to our ongoing effort to combat the fentanyl crisis in America and save innocent lives. Networks like these span jurisdictions and stopping them requires robust coordination among many domestic and international partners,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“Illicit fentanyl is one of the greatest dangers we’re facing as a country,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “The conviction and sentencing of Ceron highlights the strength of our international and state partnerships and the dedicated professionals who spend countless hours combatting a poison that is harmful to many communities and families. HSI St. Paul is steadfast in its efforts to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and combat the flow of illicit opioids into the United States.”
“This international investigation is an excellent example of the results that can be achieved when multiple law enforcement partners combine their efforts and expertise, and it has had a significant impact for our communities. Thanks to the collaboration of the various stakeholders, we have successfully neutralized a criminal network involved in major trafficking of a highly dangerous substance between Canada and the United States.” – Superintendent Karine Gagné, Acting Criminal Operations Officer, RCMP in Quebec
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization. Defendants sentenced or convicted in this case include:
District of North Dakota:
- Jameson Robert Sele, 20, Grand Forks, ND – Pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and was sentenced on July 27, 2015, to 36 months’ in federal prison.
- Ryan Jon Jensen, 20, Grand Forks, ND – Pled guilty on July 27, 2015, to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death; two Counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death; Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury; and Money Laundering Conspiracy; and was sentenced on February 2, 2016, to 20 years in federal prison.
- David Todd Noye Jr., 18, Grand Forks, ND – Pled guilty on May 4, 2015, to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and was sentenced on January 25, 2016, to serve 3 years and 3 months in federal prison.
- Joshua Tyler Fulp, 20, Grand Forks, ND – Pled guilty on June 23, 2015, to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and was sentenced on January 26, 2016, to 12 years in federal prison.
- Kain Daniel Schwandt, 19, Grand Forks, ND - Pled guilty on July 24, 2015, to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and was sentenced on annuary 25, 2016, to serve 3 years and 6 months in federal prison.
- Brandon Corde Hubbard, 40, Portland, OR – Pled guilty on March 7, 2016, to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death; Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death; and Money Laundering Conspiracy. He was sentenced on September 14, 2021 to 264 months in federal prison.
- Braden James Foley, 28, Olympia, WA - Pled guilty on August 11, 2016, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on November 21, 2016, to serve 30 months in federal prison.
- Amanda Schneider, Port St. Lucie, FL – Pled guilty on September 17, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on January 17, 2019, to serve 15 months in federal prison.
- Danny Gamboa, 21, Pawtucket, RI - Pled guilty on September 19, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on February 27, 2019, to 25 months in federal prison.
- Keveen Nobre, 29, Providence, RI - Pled guilty on October 10, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to serve 30 months in federal prison.
- Robinson Gomez, 35, Charlotte, NC - Pled guilty on November 8, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to serve 15 years in federal prison.
- David Campbell, 58, Plantation, FL - Pled guilty on January 10, 2019, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on April 17, 2019, to serve 10 years in federal prison.
- Elizabeth Ton, 27, Woonsocket, RI - Pled guilty on June 18, 2018, to Money Laundering Conspiracy and was sentenced on March 8, 2019, to 41 months in federal prison.
- Louis Bell, 31, Port St. Lucie, FL – Pled guilty on November 8, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on April 18, 2019, to serve 17 years in federal prison.
- Anthony Gomes, 34, Woonsocket, RI - Pled guilty on May 4, 2018, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance resulting in Serious Bodily injury and Death and Money Laundering conspiracy. On July 30, 2021, Gomes was sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison.
- Jose Pinto, 64, Pawtucket, RI – Pled guilty to Tampering with Evidence and was sentence on January 20, 2022, to time served and two years supervised release.
- Eugenia Pinto, 64, Pawtucket, RI – On November 18, 2021, the parties entered into a pre-trial diversion agreement for a term of 18 months after admission to Obstruction of Justice and Evidence Tampering.
- Steven Pinto, 40, Pawtucket, RI, was found guilty of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances, and Obstruction of Justice in June 2021 after a five-week trial. Pinto was sentenced on October 14, 2021, to 33 years imprisonment.
- Xuan Cahn Nguyen, age 43, Montreal, Quebec, pled guilty on March 14, 2023, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy. Nguyen was sentenced on July 17, 2023, to 22 years imprisonment.
- Jason Joey Berry, age 40, Cornwall, Ontario - pled guilty on July 29, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death. Berry was sentenced on July 24, 2023 to 24 years imprisonment.
- Vannek Um, age 45, Montreal Quebec – pled guilty on March 14, 2023, to Money Laundering Conspiracy. Vannek Um is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2023.
- Marie Um, age 42, Montreal Quebec, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy in April 2023, after a 2 ½ week trial. Marie Um is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2023.
District of Oregon:
- Channing Lacey, 30, Portland, Oregon - Pled guilty on March 28, 2017, to one Count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury to three individuals and one Count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and was sentenced on August 28, 2017, to 135 months imprisonment.
- Carissa Marie Laprall, 25, Portland, Oregon - Pled guilty on March 28, 2017, to three Counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and and was sentenced to time served with five years of supervised release on January 30, 2020.
- Steven Fairbanks Locke, 41, Portland, Oregon - Pled guilty on June 14, 2017, to Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense and was sentenced on September 4, 2017, to time served and a term of supervised release.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation. Additional fugitives from China include:
1) Na Chu, 37, Pulandian City, Liaoning Province, China
2) Yeyou Chu, 36, Pulandian City, Liaoning Province, China
3) Cuiying Liu, 62, Dezhou City, Shangdong Province, China
4) Keping Zhang, 62, Dezhou City, Shangdong Province, China
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case were Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief, and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
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Ages reflected are ages at the time of sentencing.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 24, 2023, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz age 41, from New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States.
According to court documents, Gonzalez-Resendiz and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying.
Gonzalez-Resendiz’s two co-defendants, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, were sentenced by Judge Welte to 24 months and 18 months, respectively, on July 13, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
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Cornwall, Ontario Man Sentenced to 24 years in Federal for His Leadership Role in Operating Fentanyl Enterprise from Canadian PrisonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Jason Joey Berry, age 40, Cornwall, Ontario, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 24 years imprisonment, 5 years supervised release, $200.00 special assessment and $11,048.43 in restitution for his role in ‘Operation Denial’.
Berry was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On July 29, 2022, Berry pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death. As part of that plea, Berry acknowledged working with Daniel Vivas Ceron in running an international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec. Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
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Canadian National Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in ‘Operation Denial’Read the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Xuan Cahn Nguyen, age 43, Point-Au-Tremble, Quebec, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 22 years imprisonment for his role in ‘Operation Denial’ and 3 years of supervised release.
Nguyen was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On May 31, 2022, Nguyen pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy. As part of that plea, Nguyen acknowledged assisting Daniel Vivas Ceron and Jason Berry with their international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation that they were running from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec.
Jason Berry is scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2023, in Fargo. Daniel Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief, and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
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Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 13, 2023, Armando De Dios-Carrillo, age 38 and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, age 35, Mexican Nationals, were sentenced to federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States. De Dios-Carrillo was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a $100 special assessment and Perez-Aguilera was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $100 special assessment. The third co-defendant, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz, is set for a change-of-plea and sentence hearing on July 24, 2023.
According to court documents, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying.
“These strong sentences are another reminder to smugglers: If you think the northern border is a soft target, think again,” Schneider said. “Smugglers who put human lives at risk at the northern border will be caught by our partners in law enforcement, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, and face jail time.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Arrest and Indictment of a Canadian Man for Destruction of an Energy Facility and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BISMARCK –United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Cameron Monte Smith, a citizen of Canada, with 1) Destruction of an Energy Facility; 2) Possession of Firearm by an Illegal Alien; and 3) Possession of Ammunition by an Illegal Alien.
As stated in the indictment, Smith is alleged to have damaged the Wheelock Substation in an amount exceeding $100,000.00 in May of 2023. The substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith is also alleged to have illegally possessed a .450 Bushmaster rifle and 9mm Sig Sauer pistol knowing that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
The charge of destruction of an energy facility is punishable by a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The firearm offenses are each punishable by a maximum imprisonment term of 15 years and a $250,000 fine.
On July 12, 2023, Smith appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Clare R. Hochhalter for an initial appearance and arraignment where he entered a not guilty plea to these charges. Judge Hochhalter ordered that Smith be detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 17, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. A trial has been scheduled for September 12, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. in Bismarck, ND.
An indictment is an accusation and notice of charges. The defendant is presumed innocent under the law unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Williams County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Lieutenant for the Arellano-Felix Mexican Drug Cartel pleads Guilty in North Dakota to Leading a Major Drug Trafficking Enterprise and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Furtherance of the EnterpriseRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 13, 2023, Juan Sillas-Rocha, age 45, of Tijuana, Mexico, plead guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Continuing Criminal Enterprise, and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Furtherance of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise before Chief Judge Peter Welte in Fargo, North Dakota. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later time.
On March 31, 2011, Sillas-Rocha was indicted by a grand jury in North Dakota in a Superseding Indictment alleging three counts: 1) Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance; 2) Continuing Criminal Enterprise; and 3) Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Furtherance of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise.
Sillas-Rocha was arrested on November 4, 2011, in Tijuana, Mexico and served with a provisional arrest warrant issued by a court in Mexico which started the extradition process. On September 8, 2022, after 11 years of litigation in Mexico, Sillas-Rocha was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in North Dakota on September 9, 2022. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the U.S Attorney’s Office in North Dakota played a significant role in securing this extradition.
As outlined at the plea hearing today before Judge Welte, an investigation was initiated in 2004 in Fargo, North Dakota, into the drug-trafficking activities of local drug dealers. This was designated an OCDETF case named “Operation Speed Racer.” The investigation revealed that from January 2002 until December of 2005, Jorge Arandas, a/k/a Sneaky, supervised a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for transporting large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana to North Dakota and Minnesota from Washington, California, and Mexico. Arandas was supplied by Juan Sillas-Rocha or employees of Sillas-Rocha.
Sillas-Rocha was a distributor for the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO) and was supervised directly by Arturo Villareal Heredia, a/k/a El Nalgon, who worked for Javier Francisco Arellano-Felix, a/k/a El Tigrillo. Both Villareal Heredia and Arellano-Felix were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. In 2005, Arandas arranged a 10-pound shipment of methamphetamine into the United States. Five pounds landed in Washington state and 5 pounds were delivered to Lee Avila at the West Acres Mall in Fargo. Lee Avila failed to pay for the drugs and members of the Arandas organization murdered Lee Avila in June of 2005, shooting him nine times in the presence of two small children. All five participants in the homicide pled guilty for their roles in this murder in furtherance of the continuing criminal enterprise. The participants in the homicide received the following sentences:
1. Gabriel Martinez - Life
2. Jorge Arandas - 40 years
3. Michael Petzold - 30 years
4. Alan Wessels - 23 years
5. Martin Carrillo - 20 years
After the murder, Arandas read the article in the Fargo Forum newspaper about the homicide to Sillas-Rocha and he gave Arandas an extension to pay for the shipment.
After the arrest of Javier Arellano-Felix in 2006, his nephew, Fernando Sanchez-Arellano, a/k/a El Ingeniero, assumed control of the AFO. Under the leadership of Fernando Sanchez-Arellano, Sillas-Rocha became a very powerful lieutenant in the cartel, controlling cells that were responsible for drug trafficking, armed conflicts with rival cartels, kidnappings and numerous murders. Some of the people Sillas-Rocha was supervising are listed in the Superseding Indictment and establishes “5 or more people supervised”. This AFO enterprise generated millions of dollars and would meet the definition of “substantial income.” The enterprise moved more than 15 kilograms of a mixture of methamphetamine, in excess of 5,000 grams of cocaine and in excess of 1000 kilograms of marijuana.
Sillas-Rocha continued his work for the cartel until his arrest in November 2011 but would acknowledge committing overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy and CCE after 2011, while incarcerated in Mexico.
In February 2011, Sillas-Rocha ordered two individuals in California to be murdered for retribution for the alleged kidnapping and murder of a drug smuggler associated with Sillas-Rocha. Agents of the California Department of Justice/California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) through the use of a confidential informant, were able to obtain recorded phone calls and controlled meetings with Sillas-Rocha and co-conspirators. During the course of the investigation, Sillas-Rocha ordered the murder of at least two intended victims who are identified by initials in the Superseding Indictment. After providing the confidential informant with photos and the address of the intended victims, three co-conspirators were arrested and charged in San Diego County with Conspiracy to Commit Murder. Arrested were Jorge Sillas, the brother of Sillas-Rocha, Victor Magana, and Danny Cepallo. All three defendants plead guilty in state court in San Diego and received the following prison sentences:
- Jorge Sillas – 21 years
- Victor Magana – 15 years
- Danny Cepallo – 5 years
As part of “Operation Speed Racer”, 66 defendants were charged on 18 separate indictments and with the defendant’s guilty plea today it brings this19-year investigation to a conclusion.
“The crimes that led to this guilty plea affected public safety in North Dakota, and it is therefore fitting that this individual now faces justice in a federal courthouse in Fargo,” said Mac Schneider, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota. “This result is a great example of what can be achieved when local, state, federal, and international law enforcement work together across jurisdictional lines. I congratulate our prosecution team and their law enforcement partners on this outcome, which would not have been possible without their perseverance and determination.”
“The prosecution, extradition, and now conviction, of Juan Sillas Rocha, brings to an end over a decade of tireless, coordinated effort by investigators and prosecutors from Fargo, North Dakota and San Diego, California and sends a powerful message that violence perpetrated or orchestrated by persons at the highest levels of Mexican drug trafficking organizations against persons in the United States will not go unanswered,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. “I want to express my appreciation for the commitment to public safety and the pursuit of justice demonstrated by our colleagues in North Dakota. “
“Today’s guilty verdict by an individual indicted 12 years ago demonstrates that regardless of the amount of time lapsed, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its state, local and fellow federal partners, will hold drug traffickers accountable for the significant damage they have inflicted on our communities,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said.
“The West Fargo Police Department is proud to have been a partner agency in the investigation of ‘Operation Speed Racer,’” said Denis Otterness, Chief of Police. “This case exemplifies the power of mutual aid between multiple law enforcement agencies in helping to bring drug traffickers to justice and the additional benefit of removing large quantities of controlled substances from our communities. I would like to thank all of the law enforcement officers involved for their hard work, perseverance and dedication over the course of this 19-year investigation.”
This case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Marshal’s Service, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, the East Grand Forks Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office (MN), California Department of Justice, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Fargo Police Department, Moorhead Police Department and the Polk County Attorney’s Office (MN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers with the assistance of Deputy District Attorney James Fontaine of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Sillas-Rocha.
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Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information DatabasesRead the Press Release
Washington: The Justice Department is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
“To improve public safety in Indian country, we must break down the barriers to criminal justice information that Tribal communities have faced for years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department is expanding Tribal communities’ access to national crime databases that enhance law enforcement efforts and coordination through the Tribal Access Program.”
“The Tribal Access Program has strengthened Tribal criminal justice agencies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “By using TAP, participating Tribes have shared information about missing persons, apprehended fugitives, registered sex offenders, enforced protection orders, and have made hundreds of entries into the FBI’s NICS Indices database to prevent prohibited persons from illegally obtaining access to firearms. The efficient and effective sharing of criminal justice information has improved public safety in Indian country and beyond.”
“Information is power, and TAP is a way to put information in the hands of tribes and their law enforcement partners to keep people safe,” United States Attorney, District of North Dakota, Mac Schneider said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with our tribal partners to increase public safety in Indian Country.”
“The Justice Department is committed to supporting Tribal law enforcement and protecting Tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “TAP empowers participating Tribes to take advantage of information from across the country to better investigate and prosecute crime, carry out background checks for potential foster parents, and keep their communities safe and secure from domestic violence and child abuse.”
The program provides training as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. There are currently 123 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 3 to Sept. 1. Tribes selected to participate will be notified later in September.
“The TAP program has allowed the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department to have cost-effective access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system,” said Chief Chris Rutherford of the Poarch Creek Tribal Police. “Now our officers have full NCIC access from their patrol vehicles, desk, or through our Emergency Tribal Dispatch Center. The value of this program to our reservation far exceeds the minimal effort required to be a participating partner in the TAP program.”
For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.
Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
“We cannot say enough about the efforts that have been made to get the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (KTTT) ready for this program,” said Director Cristina Collett-Jensen of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Legal Department. “Through these efforts, KTTT will have access to information that will substantially improve the KTTT Police Department’s operations, and thereby allow us to better protect and serve the KTTT community.”
The Department offers TAP services through one of the following two methods:
- TAP-LIGHT: Provides application that enables full access (both query and entry capabilities) to national crime information databases including the NCIC, the Interstate Identification Index, and the International Justice and Public Safety Network for criminal justice purposes.
- TAP-FULL: In addition to the basic access capabilities of TAP-LIGHT, provides a kiosk workstation that enables the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI’s Next Generation Identification system for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes.
Because of the program’s funding sources, eligible Tribes must have — and agree to use TAP for — at least one of the following:
- A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
- A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
- A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
- A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.
TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Unauthorized AliensRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on June 7, 2023, Rodolfo Arzola-Carrillo, age 39, Mexican National residing in Tifton, Georgia, pled guilty in Federal Court, Fargo, ND, before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, to the offense of Conspiracy to Transport Unauthorized Aliens. Chief Judge Welte imposed the sentence of 18 months in Federal Prison, one-year supervised release and $100.00 Special Assessment.
An investigation determined that Rodolfo Arzola-Carrillo conspired, coordinated, and partially carried out the smuggling of a group of seven undocumented noncitizens from Mexico, including two minor children, across the United States - Canada border into North Dakota and down to Georgia in November 2022. The plan fell apart when weather conditions deteriorated, putting lives at risk. The harsh temperature, snow, and wind caused the group to seek assistance from the Pembina County Sheriff’s Office, who responded to aid all nine individuals and then alerted U.S. Border Patrol.
Arzola-Carrillo’s co-defendant, Ernesto Falcon Jr., is set for a change-of-plea and sentence hearing on August 21, 2023.
“As this case and others have shown, attempting to smuggle human beings across the northern border is not just illegal and exploitative, it is also a threat to human life,” Schneider said. “The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue working with the U.S. Border Patrol and our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement to hold smugglers accountable, maintain the rule of law, and keep people safe.”
“The collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case was outstanding. This incident is a testament to our long-standing partnership with the Pembina County Sheriff’s Office. Human smuggling can be very dangerous and I’m glad that this came to a successful law enforcement resolution. As a reminder, anyone who puts their lives in the hands of a smuggler, is putting their life, and the lives of their family at risk.” Chief Patrol Agent Scott D. Garrett said.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, with assistance from the Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
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United States Attorney’s Office Announces Leadership PositionsRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider today announced that several criminal prosecutors and a civil litigator have been named to leadership positions in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
The office’s management team will continue to be led by Jennifer Puhl, First Assistant United States Attorney (FAUSA). Puhl, a career prosecutor who joined the office in 2002, was United States Attorney from June through mid-December of 2022 and previously served as Criminal Chief. She was named FAUSA on December 13, 2023. Dave Hagler, an Assistant United States Attorney who has been with the office since 1999, is the office’s Criminal Division Chief. Kent Rockstad, a civil litigator who has represented the United States in bankruptcy proceedings and other commercial litigation since 2002, will continue to serve as Civil Division Chief. The office’s Criminal Supervisor is Brett Shasky, who joined the office in 2003. Shasky also leads the office’s OCDEFT efforts.
Additional leadership positions include:
Chris Myers – Special Counsel to the United States Attorney for Law Enforcement: Since joining the office in 2002, Myers has served as both FAUSA and United States Attorney. Myers was previously a Chief Assistant Clay County Attorney and an Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney. He was also a Special Agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation before becoming a prosecutor.
Gary Delorme – Senior Litigation Counsel: Delorme joined the office in August 2008 after serving as a prosecutor in Cass County and Stutsman County. He was a Judge Advocate with the North Dakota Army National Guard before retiring with over 20 years of military experience. He also serves as the office’s Tribal Liaison.
Megan Healy – Appellate Chief: In addition to her role as Appellate Chief, Healy prosecutes federal civil rights and tax cases. A native of Rugby, North Dakota, she previously practiced law in Washington, DC, and served as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Healy joined the office in 2012.
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Former Tribal Official Sentenced for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, Randall Judge Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council – the governing body of the MHA Nation – from 2013 to 2020. Beginning around 2013 and continuing through 2020, Phelan solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $645,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for payments, Phelan used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding millions of dollars in contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
In October 2022, Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
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Former Tribal Official Sentenced for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, Randall Judge Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council – the governing body of the MHA Nation – from 2013 to 2020. Beginning around 2013 and continuing through 2020, Phelan solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $645,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for payments, Phelan used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding millions of dollars in contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
In October 2022, Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
Fargo, ND, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pointing a Loaded Handgun at Fargo Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Shawn Larkin, Age 40 of Fargo, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 57 months years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
In the early morning hours of September 9, 2020, Fargo Police stopped Larkin’s vehicle because his license was suspended. Larkin was uncooperative and fought with officers as they tried to take him into custody. As Larkin was on the ground with officers, he pulled a loaded handgun out of his waistband and pointed it at officers. Officers were able to subdue Larkin and take him into custody.
Officers found two loaded handgun magazines and multiple drugs and paraphernalia on Larkin and in his vehicle. Larkin was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to felony convictions for a 2001 theft in Wisconsin, a 2012 simple assault on a peace officer in Ward County, North Dakota, and a previous felon in possession of a firearm conviction prosecuted in the District of North Dakota in 2013.
“Felons with guns are a threat to our law enforcement partners and the safety of our communities,” Schneider said. “The U.S. Attorney’s office is committed to taking felons in possession of firearms off the street. This strong sentence is a reflection of that commitment.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fargo Police Department, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander J. Stock prosecuted the case.
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North Dakota U.s. Attorney’s Office Allocated Five Additional Prosecutors, Including Three for “Indian Country”Read the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota has been allocated five additional federal prosecutors by the Untied States Department of Justice. Three of these full-time Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) will be dedicated to addressing public safety needs on North Dakota’s reservations.
“For decades, the hallmark of the United States Attorney’s Office in North Dakota has been our role as a strong federal partner in promoting public safety across the state, especially in Indian Country,” Schneider said. “With this significant investment of additional resources from the Department of Justice, we will be able to play that role even more effectively.”
In addition to the three “Indian Country” prosecutors, the office will hire an additional AUSA to prosecute violent crime in Cass County and the surrounding areas. Another prosecutor will be charged with spearheading the office’s eLitigation efforts, an area that is increasingly important to all manner of criminal prosecutions.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota currently has 21 AUSAs working in its Criminal and Civil Divisions out of Bismarck and Fargo and an additional High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas prosecutor in Minot. The office is currently in the process of onboarding two criminal AUSAs to fill existing vacancies. When the additional five prosecutors are in place, a process expected to take several months, the office will have a total of 28 AUSAs.
The additional prosecutors assigned to “Indian Country,” a legal term defined by18 U.S. Code § 1151, will allow the United States Attorney’s Office to nearly double the prosecutorial resources currently dedicated to promoting public safety in North Dakota’s tribal communities.
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Alabama Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Whitehorse Ducharme, a/k/a Stanley Ducharme, age 51, of Huntsville, Alabama, formerly residing in Belcourt, North Dakota, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, this week and was sentenced to life in federal prison for abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Ducharme pleaded guilty to this offense on November 1, 2021.
“The Court reasonably sentenced this individual to life in prison based upon the facts, and that sentence ensures he will never abuse another child,” Schneider said. “This result is a testament to the courage of those who stepped forward to put an end to this abuse. It is also a credit to the professionalism of our law enforcement partners and career prosecutors who helped obtain a measure of justice in this case.”
"The FBI is fully committed to combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” said Michal Krause, Acting Special Agent in Charge with the FBI. “This life sentence sends a clear message to those who target kids - we will find you and hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
As charged by the United States Attorney’s Office, Ducharme engaged in sexual abuse of a Native American child under the age of 12 from about 2008 until approximately 2016. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Ducharme sexually abused a child from the ages of 3 to 11. The child was interviewed by the Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center during the investigative process.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn M. Deitz and Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
######Canadian Woman Convicted for Her Role in a Large-Scale International Fentanyl Trafficking Operation, Investigated Under “Operation Denial”Read the Press Release
FARGO –United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Marie Um, 42, from Montreal, Québec Canada, was found guilty for the charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues resulting in serious bodily injury and death; conspiracy to import controlled substances and controlled substance analogues resulting in serious bodily injury and death; and international money laundering conspiracy.
On April 11, 2023, the trial of Marie Um commenced, in Fargo, North Dakota. Marie Um was part of an organization that was receiving fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China and distributing them to the United States and Canada. After 2 weeks of trial and 3 ½ days of deliberation, the jury found Marie Um guilty of conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances into the United States and money laundering conspiracy. The jury found that 9 overdoses (4 deaths and 5 serious bodily injuries) were reasonably foreseeable to her.
A sentence date has not yet been scheduled.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota, on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly $1 million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
In 2021, three Canadian nationals, including Marie Um, were extradited from Canada to the United States. The defendants were detained awaiting trial scheduled in Fargo. On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement -Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division; Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and Grand Forks Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the three Canadian nationals.
The prosecutor for this case was Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota.
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Montana Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing $134,000 from Her Elderly Mother-in-law and Father-in-lawRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on April 13, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Carol Ann Feist, age 57, from Whitehall, Montana, to serve 65 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of $134,000.00 in restitution after she pleaded guilty for committing Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft against her elderly mother-in-law and father-in-law. As part of this sentence, Judge Hovland imposed a $134,000.00 money judgment against Feist.
On October 26, 2021, Feist called a customer service representative at a US Bank, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and pretended to be her elderly mother-in-law. Feist fraudulently provided US Bank Representatives with her mother-in-law’s personal identifying information and deceitfully initiated a $134,000.00 wire transfer from her mother-in-law and father-in-law’s US Bank checking account to a title company located in Helena, Montana. The $134,000.00 transaction represented the life savings of Feist’s mother-in-law and father-in-law, and Feist initiated this wire transfer without her mother-in-law or father-in-law’s knowledge or permission. Thereafter, Feist utilized the $134,000.00 wire transfer as a down payment on a home she purchased in Whitehall, Montana.
Prior to Feist stealing $134,000 from her mother-in-law, she also fraudulently impersonated her father-in-law by listing him as a co-borrower on the Whitehall, Montana property. Specifically, during the purchase of the property, Feist presented real estate closing documents which contained both her father-in-law’s forged signature and a fraudulent State of North Dakota notary stamp. Feist conducted the transactions without her father-in-law’s knowledge or permission. During the timeframe of Feist’s criminal actions, her father-in-law was in hospice care and has since passed away.
“Financial abuse of the elderly is a serious crime,” Schneider said. “Whether it is foreign-based scammers or a family member, federal law sets forth serious penalties for those who defraud senior citizens. Today’s strong sentence is a credit to our career prosecutors and partners in law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bismarck Police Department, and the Jefferson County (Montana) Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted this case.
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Department of Justice Distributes Compensation to People Harmed by Lack of Accessible Features at Residential Rental Properties Covered in Fair Housing Act LawsuitRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, through Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl, acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that the Department of Justice has started delivering payments to individuals harmed by the lack of accessible features at West Fargo and Grand Forks properties that were the subject of a recent federal lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those individuals were identified through a process established in a settlement between the United States and the defendants in the case.
The federal lawsuit, filed in March 2020 by the Department of Justice, alleged that Hampton Corporation Inc. and several other individuals and entities violated the FHA and ADA by failing to design and construct multifamily residential properties and an associated rental office so that they are accessible to people with disabilities. As part of settlement agreements resolving this lawsuit, the defendants agreed to contribute to a settlement fund totaling $120,000 for people who suffered harm due to the lack of accessible features at the properties; it is from this fund that the Department of Justice is distributing compensation to the individuals who suffered harm.
As required by the settlement agreement, the defendants are also in the process of correcting inaccessible features in the common areas of the properties and within the individual units, including: removing steps; installing handrails on ramps; replacing steeply-sloped walkways; adding accessible routes to mailboxes and site arrival points; ensuring that obstacles do not protrude into the circulation path; installing lever handles on doors; widening doorways; retrofitting bathrooms so they are accessible for wheelchair users; and relocating outlets and controls to within a wheelchair user’s reach range. The defendants have also attended fair housing training and agreed that any future housing they design or construct will comply with the FHA.
“The people receiving compensation as a result of this settlement were harmed by accessibility violations at these properties in profound ways,” said Assistant United States Attorney Tara Iversen. “Steps leading up to apartment building entrances forced some to use unsafe, homemade ramps to get into their homes, or rely on others to lift them and their wheelchair over a step. Too narrow doorways led some residents using walkers or wheelchairs to remove interior bathroom and bedroom doors entirely. And in addition to daily hardships, some individuals suffered real physical injury related to inaccessible features. While we applaud the defendants for their monetary contributions to the settlement fund, timely retrofits to the properties to ensure their accessibility are also critical. Those improvements already completed have positively impacted residents’ experiences at the properties. We encourage the defendants to continue to comply with the requirements of the settlement agreement so residents and their guests can safely enjoy their homes.”
The properties included in the settlement agreement include:
• Townhomes at Charleswood, located at 1908 Burlington Drive in West Fargo, North Dakota;
• Steeples Apartments, located at 2850 and 2950 36th Avenue South in Grand Forks, North Dakota;
• South Hampton Townhomes, located at 3174, 3274 and 3374 36th Avenue South in Grand Forks, North Dakota;
• Carrington Court Townhouse Apartments, located at 3383 Primrose Court in Grand Forks, North Dakota; and
• The rental office serving Carrington Court Townhouse Apartments, South Hampton Townhomes, and Steeples Apartments, located at 3001 36th Avenue South in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The Justice Department, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. Among other protections, the FHA requires that multifamily housing buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic physical accessibility features, including, among other things, accessible routes without steps to all single-story, ground-floor units and to all units in a building served by an elevator. The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in public accommodations, including the rental office at issue in this case. The full and fair enforcement of the FHA, the ADA, and their mandates to integrate individuals with disabilities are major priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and the Civil Rights Division.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
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Fargo, ND, Man Pleads Guilty to Preparation of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on March 14, 2023, Thompson B. Tarr, age 43, from Fargo, ND, pled guilty in Federal Court, Fargo, ND, before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, to the offenses of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Return. Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2023.
Investigation revealed that while living in Fargo, ND, Tarr prepared or assisted in the preparation of hundreds of tax returns for individuals. At the plea hearing, Tarr pled guilty to one violation of aiding and abetting the preparation of a false tax return. Tarr admitted that he claimed tax exemptions on behalf of a taxpayer who was not entitled to the exemption. IRS Criminal Investigations discovered 30 other false tax returns prepared by Tarr for 13 taxpayers, which resulted in the tax loss from false deductions and credits in the amounted of $105,474.00.
“Honest taxpayers are the ones hurt by deliberate violations of federal tax laws,” Schneider said. “Protecting those taxpayers and public funds are key priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office.”
“Mr. Tarr admitted to adding false information to the tax returns of his clients. That’s why it’s imperative that taxpayers review the information they submit to the IRS even when they have someone else prepare their return,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “This case shows how easy it is for dishonest return preparers to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers.”
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Greenley.
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United States Attorney’s Office Directed to Withdraw Death Penalty Notice in Rodriguez CaseRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced today that the United States Attorney General has directed him to withdraw the notice of intent to seek a sentence of death in the case of the United States of America v Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. This morning, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota followed that directive by filing a withdrawal notice indicating that the United States will no longer seek the death penalty in that case.
“My thoughts today are with Dru Sjodin’s family, particularly her parents, Linda Walker and Allan Sjodin,” said Mac Schneider. “They are genuinely good people and loving parents who in the wake of an unimaginable loss have worked closely with our office for nearly twenty years. We continue to wish them the greatest measure of peace possible.”
“I also want to commend the trial team, including former United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, as well as our office’s appellate attorneys and support staff. Over the last two decades, they have continuously upheld the high standards of the Department of Justice through their work on this tragic case. As a result of their efforts, Mr. Rodriguez is – and will remain – a convicted murderer.”
“The directive to withdraw the death notice has changed how the United States Attorney’s Office will proceed with this case. What will not change is that Mr. Rodriguez will draw his last breath in a federal prison.”
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St. Cloud, MN, Woman Pleads Guilty to Leading a Major Dangerous Drug Distribution Enterprise from MexicoRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on March 13, 2023, Macalla Lee Knott a/k/a Kayla, age 30, from St. Cloud, MN, pled guilty in Federal Court in Fargo, ND, before Chief Judge Peter W. Welte, to the offenses of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Money Laundering Conspiracy and Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE). Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2023.
At the plea hearing, Knott admitted to supervising, managing, and leading more than five people in the enterprise. Knott, who had been living in Mexico since March of 2020, directed shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to various distributors across the upper Midwest and arranged payments to sources of supply in Mexico.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl and was aided by coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota.
This investigation has led to eighteen (18) defendants charged in North Dakota. The investigation has been tied to seizures of over 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 9 pounds of fentanyl powder and 120,000 fentanyl pills. The investigation remains very active.
Sentenced in this case so far are:
Mary Thompson, 29, Moorhead, Minnesota – 100 months (8.3 years) imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
Melanie Quick, 28, St. Cloud, Minnesota – 108 months (9 years) imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
This case is being investigated by the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force (CMVOTF), Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Cloud Police Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Sartell Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – CID, Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers and Alex Stock, District of North Dakota, with the assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the Stearns County Attorney’s Office.
# # #Nigerian Man Sentenced for Mail Fraud Against a Dickinson, North Dakota CompanyRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on February 23, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Kolawole Bamidele Akande, age 37, from Nigeria, to serve 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $348,000 in restitution for committing the offense of Mail Fraud against a company located in Dickinson, North Dakota. On September 5, 2021, the defendant was arrested in the United Kingdom on this charge. Thereafter, on April 9, 2022, Akande was extradited from the United Kingdom to the District of North Dakota. On November 8, 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to Mail Fraud.
While living in Dallas, Texas, Akande, as well as other codefendants, fraudulently obtained checks from a Dickinson, North Dakota, company through the mail and deposited these checks in fraudulent accounts at financial institutions located within the State of Texas. The Dickinson company was the victim of a computer intrusion scam that tricked the company’s controller into issuing checks totaling $348,000, which were deposited by Akande and codefendant Olawale Sule. This computer intrusion scheme caused the Dickinson company to sustain a loss of $298,000.
As part of this scheme to defraud, in November 2018, Akande used a fraudulent United Kingdom passport containing the fictitious name “Patric Elis Ferguson” to open a bank account at a Dallas, Texas, branch of Bank of America. On March 27, 2019, the controller of the Dickinson company received emails appearing to come from the company’s principal owners. The emails instructed the controller to mail a $192,000 check to an address in Dallas, Texas, payable to “Patel Retail and Logistics.” The controller sent, via overnight United Parcel Service (UPS) mail, the $192,000 check to the Dallas, Texas, address requested in the email. On March 28, 2019, Akande deposited the $192,000 check made payable to “Patel Retail and Logistics” into the Bank of America account that he had opened utilizing the fictitious name of “Patric Elis Ferguson.” Shortly thereafter, Akande either withdrew or transferred the funds to conceal and disguise their nature, location, source, and ownership.
Law enforcement conducted an investigation, which revealed that the Dickinson company was a victim of computer intrusion. Specifically, an unknown individual obtained access to the company’s principal owners’ Outlook 365 email accounts and sent the emails to the company’s controller directing the controller to mail the check to “Patel Retail and Logistics.”
The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota previously sentenced:
- Co-Defendant Olawale Sule a/k/a Brand King Mohammed, a/k/a John Thomas, on February 17, 2021, to serve two years’ imprisonment and payment of restitution on a charge of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud.
- Co-Defendant Oluwafemi Elijah Olasode, on September 7, 2021, to time served imprisonment and payment of restitution on a charge of Misprision of Felony.
“Too often, swindlers believe they can evade justice because they are behind a computer or operating internationally,” Schneider said. “This sentence shows they should think again. This outcome is a credit to the skilled law enforcement investigators and prosecutors who patiently saw this case through.”
Link for Prior Press Release Unsealing the Indictment and Announcing Akande’s extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States are located below:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-nigerian-nationals-multiple-fraud-schemes-against-dickinson-nd
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/nigerian-man-extradited-united-states-united-kingdom-face-multiple-fraud-and-money
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Postal Inspection Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District and Eastern District of Texas; and by the Office of International Affairs, Department of Justice, assisting with securing the extradition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted this case.
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Former Beulah Bank President Sentenced to Two Counts of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on February 15, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Brady Daniel Torgerson, age 35, from Beulah, North Dakota, to serve 24 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $200.00 special assessment. On November 4, 2022, law enforcement arrested Torgerson for these offenses and, on August 12, 2022, Torgerson pleaded guilty to two separate counts of bank fraud against financial institutions located in Beulah, North Dakota, namely, First Security Bank-West and the Union Bank.
Between 2019 and 2021, while employed at separate times as the President of First Security Bank-West and as a loan officer at the Union Bank, Torgerson conducted banking transactions, which caused harm to both these banks and the banks’ individual customers. Specifically, while employed at First Security Bank-West, Torgerson funded loans without obtaining: 1) necessary financial information; 2) security interest documents; or 3) promissory notes. Additionally, Torgerson engaged in deceptive banking transactions by entering false information into the bank’s computer system, increasing loans so that they exceeded the original loan amounts, and extending loan maturity dates to conceal his activities. Most notably, while employed at the Union Bank, Torgerson created fraudulent loan obligations in the amounts of $225,487.44 and
$225,487.45 in the names of three separate individuals who neither knew about the creation of these loans nor received the funds described in these obligations.“Bank fraud is a serious crime that harms the honest financial institutions we have in North Dakota,” US Attorney Mac Schneider said. “This sentence is a credit to the skillful efforts of our career prosecutors and partners in law enforcement. It is also a reminder that there is a high price to pay for white-collar crime.”
“The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) continues to investigate allegations of fraud by bank executives and others in order to preserve the integrity of the banking system,” said Justin Bundy, Special Agent in Charge of the FDIC-OIG Kansas City Regional Office. “We are proud to have joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, as well as our law enforcement partners in conducting this investigation.”
“We are committed to investigating allegations of fraud committed against the Federal Home Loan Banks or their members, especially in cases where we find flagrant criminal conduct by officials at member banks,” said Catherine Huber, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General’s (FHFA-OIG) Central Region Office. “Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and our federal partners for helping us bring swift justice in this case.”
Co-Defendants for this investigation received the following sentences:
• Brent D. Torgerson (61 years old from Beulah, ND) received a sentence of time served (1 day in custody), 1-year supervised release, $5,000 fine, and a ban from participating in banking on a charge of Misapplication of Bank Funds
• Kelly Huffman (34 years old, from Beulah, ND) received a sentence of time served (1 day in custody), 1-year supervised release, and a $5,000 fine on a charge of Misapplication of Bank Funds
• Tyler Steven Hofland (35 years old, Rapid City, SD) received a sentence of time served (1 day of processing), 1-year of supervised release, and $98,163.40 in restitution on a charge of Aiding and Abetting Bank FraudThis case was investigated by the FDIC-OIG, the FHFA-OIG, and the Federal Reserve Board-Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek.
######Williston Man Sentenced for Threatening Department of Veterans Affairs EmployeesRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on February 8, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Curtis Lee Moran, age 41, from Williston, ND, to serve 12 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for committing the offense of Threatening Interstate Communications, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). On June 16, 2022, law enforcement arrested Moran for this offense. Subsequently, the District Court ordered that Moran be detained pending resolution of his case. On November 3, 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to the offense of Threatening Interstate Communications.
On June 14, 2022, Moran made several threatening phone calls to individuals employed with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Initially, Moran called the White House VA Call Center and stated that he was going to kill his doctor. Thereafter, Moran called the Fargo VA Medical Center and left voice messages stating he was going to stab and harm his Fargo VA Medical Center doctor. The next day, on June 15, 2022, Moran again called the Fargo VA Medical Center and left a voicemail stating that he was going to shoot up the hospital.
“VA personnel and the veterans they serve should feel safe while working and receiving care within VA facilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “The VA OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to identifying and stopping individuals who would threaten VA personnel and operations.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek.
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Fort Totten, ND, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Saunders Jamel Jackson, a/k/a Saunders Jackson-Buckles, age 23 of Fort Totten, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to a total of 27 years in federal prison followed by 25 years of supervised release for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Jackson pleaded guilty to these offenses on October 13, 2022.
Law Enforcement began investigating Jackson for sexual abuse of a 14-year-old female victim in August of 2020. As the investigation progressed, it was discovered that there were two additional female minor victims. Jackson sexually abused one victim who was between the ages of 9-12 at the time and a second who was 15. The investigation also revealed Jackson not only sexually abused the children, but also provided, and sometimes injected, them with methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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Last Defendant Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison for a Large Drug Distribution Enterprise Targeting the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on January 13, 2023, United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced 34-year-old Baquan Sledge, a/k/a Rell, a/k/a TJ, a/k/a Matthew Pierce, to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
In June of 2022, following a 12-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple counts against Sledge and another man from Detroit, Michigan, for their leadership in a drug trafficking organization targeting three of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations.
Baquan Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Sledge also forfeited his rights to more than $20,000 in seized United States currency.
Baquan Sledge and his trial co-defendant, Darius Sledge, a/k/a Ace, a/k/a Man Man, a/k/a Frank Love, a/k/a Gary, a/k/a Bill, were the leaders of a criminal enterprise
involving obtaining and transporting oxycodone from Detroit, Michigan to sell in the District of North Dakota in tribal communities.This case is part of “Operation Blue Prairie,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone. The multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement revealed that from 2015 to 2019 the Sledge defendants and their co-conspirators targeted areas with fewer law enforcement resources where they could distribute controlled substances at a premium price. The Sledge defendants and others used local residences and people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities for monetary gain. In total, twenty-six defendants were charged in the case.
Baquan Sledge and others involved in the enterprise came to the attention of law enforcement in 2015. While there were points of contact between the primary defendants and law enforcement throughout the intervening years, it was difficult to track their activities because of their intentional relocation of their distribution efforts and their use of different aliases in different locations. An additional challenge was the complicated myriad of jurisdictions involved, including state, tribal and federal agencies.
Following trial, Darius Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Darius Sledge was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
“This sentence is a final step in an extensive, successful effort to dismantle a drug trafficking ring that deliberately targeted North Dakota's tribal communities,” said US Attorney Mac Schneider. “It is also a warning: Those who distribute dangerous drugs on reservations will be caught, prosecuted, and sentenced to federal prison.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rolette County Sheriff’s Department, Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, Michigan State Police, Minot Police Department, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Lori Conroy assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
In total, 26 defendants were charged and convicted in the case. The additional 24 defendants were convicted and sentenced as follows:
Dondiago Jones, a/k/a “Ago”, “Dondi”, “Frank”, 34, Detroit Michigan (deceased) 129 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Derrick Walker II, a/k/a Country, a/k/a Kunt, 29, Louisville, Kentucky 94 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon; Distribution of Oxycodone; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Terrence Press Johnson Jr, a/k/a “T”, a/k/a Terrance Press Johnson Jr. 30, Detroit Michigan - 96 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
Deante Edwards, a/k/a “Tay”, 31, Detroit Michigan - 29 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Anthony Wade, a/k/a “Blue”, 33, Detroit Michigan - 30 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Lillian Lee a/k/a “Chasitiy Smith”, a/k/a “Let Let”, a/k/a “Lele”, 28, Detroit Michigan - 43 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Twon Stepfone Boyd, a/k/a Yo Boy, a/k/a D, 29, Detroit Michigan - 37 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Ira Mae Snell, 33, Fort Totten, North Dakota - 25 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Grayson Dye, 38, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota - 121 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Martina Whitetail a/k/a Tina Whitetail, 39, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota - 93 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Robert Touche, 45, Sheyenne, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Calvin Dubois, 39, Belcourt, North Dakota - 100 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Maintaining a Drug Premise;
Edward Dubois, a/k/a Baby D, 28, Dunseith, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Chantel Longie, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kerry Morin, 29, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kasondra Kaye Grant, a/k/a Kassie, 28, Rolla, North Dakota - 28 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;\
Constance Aiken, 39, Dunseith, North Dakota - 22 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanae Dubois, 25, Fargo, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Faith Liddell, 27, Bottineau, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Cheryl Lilley, 24, Belcourt, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Farron Michelle Delong, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota - 15 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Johnna Goodiron, 36, St. Michael, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanel Mudgett, 26, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; and,
Carleen Counts, a/k/a Big Car, 41, Mandan, North Dakota - time served sentence (in a related case) for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Maintaining a Drug Premise; and three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone.
######California Man Convicted of Bismarck Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on January 11, 2023, following a 2-day trial, a jury returned a guilty verdict on a charge of Bank Robbery against Robert Andrew Wolter, age 38, from San Jose, California, who robbed the Expressway Avenue Branch of U.S. Bank in Bismarck, ND. U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor presided over the trial.
On January 15, 2019, shortly after 9:00 a.m., a man wearing a disguise, including a mask, wig, and hat entered the U.S. Bank Branch on Expressway Avenue in Bismarck, ND, and announced that this was a bank robbery and directed bank personnel to place money into a bag. After obtaining money from the employees, the man fled the bank.
Three weeks later, on February 5, 2019, Robert Andrew Wolter was at the Newark, New Jersey airport, intending to fly to Ghana, Africa. During an outbound examination conducted by Customs and Border Protection, Wolter underdeclared the amount of currency that he had in his possession. While Wolter was in custody in New Jersey, further investigation in San Jose, California, led to the discovery of evidence related to the Bismarck U.S. Bank robbery.
Wolter was indicted on the bank robbery charge in North Dakota on April 3, 2019.
The charge of bank robbery carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing of Wolter will be scheduled at a later date.
"The arrest and conviction of this bank robber is a product of cross-country cooperation," US Attorney Mac Schneider said. "I congratulate our federal and local law enforcement partners and our trial team for successfully administering justice in this case."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bismarck Police Department, United States Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection (New Jersey), and the San Jose Police Department (California), and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Hagler and Jonathan O’Konek
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison for a Large Drug Distribution Enterprise Targeting the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on January 6, 2023, United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced 32-year-old Darius Sledge, a/k/a Ace, a/k/a Man Man, a/k/a Frank Love, a/k/a Gary, a/k/a Bill, to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
In June of 2022, following a 12-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple counts against Sledge and another man from Detroit, Michigan, for their leadership in a drug trafficking organization targeting three of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations.
Darius Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Sledge also forfeited his rights to more than $20,000 in seized United States currency.
His trial co-defendant, Baquan Sledge, a/k/a Rell, a/k/a TJ, a/k/a Matthew Pierce, was also convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy,and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise as well as Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone. Baquan Sledge will be sentenced on January 13, 2023.
This case is part of “Operation Blue Prairie,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone.
“This sentence is a warning to anyone targeting our tribal communities for the distribution of dangerous drugs: You will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will serve a long sentence in federal prison”, said US Attorney Mac Schneider. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing our partnership with federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement to promote public safety in Indian country and across North Dakota.”
The multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement revealed that the Sledge defendants and their co-conspirators targeted areas with fewer law enforcement resources where they could distribute controlled substances at a premium price. The Sledge defendants and others used local residences and people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities for monetary gain. In total, twenty-six defendants were charged in the case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rolette County Sheriff’s Department, Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, Michigan State Police, Minot Police Department, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Lori Conroy assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
######Fort Totten, ND, Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of an Incapacitated PersonRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced Reese Anthony Ironshield, age 34 and Kyle Jordan Langstaff, Sr., age 32, both from Fort Totten, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and were sentenced to federal prison. On August 26, 2022, Ironshield plead guilty to Sexual Abuse of an Incapacitated Victim and Tampering with a Witness and Langstaff plead guilty to two counts of Sexual Abuse of an Incapacitated Victim. Judge Welte sentenced Ironshield to serve 87 months in prison with five years of supervised release to follow for both offenses. Langstaff was sentenced to serve 58 months in prison with five years of supervised release to follow for both offenses.
On November 7, 2021, while on the Spirit Lake Reservation in Fort Totten, ND, Ironshield and Langstaff engaged in sexual acts with a victim who was unresponsive and unaware. When they were interrupted by three juveniles, they ran away but returned a short time later to get personal items they left behind. One juvenile asked what they were doing and Ironshield pulled a black handgun from his waistband and threatened the juvenile never speak about what he had witnessed.
This case was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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A “Tango Blast” Gang Member (Texas Based Criminal Street Gang) Sentenced to Federal Prison in North DakotaRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Joel Alejandro Quinonez, age 34 of Puebla, Mexico, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon, and Reentry of Removed Alien Subsequent to a Felony Conviction. Judge Welte also sentenced Quinonez to four years of supervised release.
Investigation revealed that on April 21, 2021, Quinonez was deported from the United States back to his home country of Mexico. During the summer of 2021, Quinonez traveled back into the United States and in approximately November of 2021, Quinonez traveled to North Dakota and began to distribute drugs from local hotel rooms. Local narcotics investigators executed a search warrant on January 20, 2022, on a hotel room rented by Jamie Lynn Garcia and seized three firearms, approximately two pounds of methamphetamine, and $6,121 in cash from Quinonez and Garcia.
On September 26, 2022, Jamie Garcia was sentenced to 93 months in federal prison for her role in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Moorhead, MN Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and the West Fargo Police Department, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Chris Myers assigned to the case.
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Fargo, Nd, Man Convictied of Kidnapping and Attempted Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on December 9, 2022, following a three-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts against Sharmake Mohamed Abdullahi, age 31 of Fargo, ND, for Kidnapping and Attempted Witness Tampering.
On October 19, 2021, Sharmake Mohamed Abdullahi kidnapped an adult female at gunpoint as she was driving in Fargo, North Dakota. Abdullahi forced the victim to drive him to a bank in Moorhead, Minnesota where he forced the victim to try to take money out of an ATM. The victim was able to escape and take refuge in a Gate City Bank.
Abdullahi was convicted of attempted witness tampering for his efforts to influence and tamper with the victim’s testimony."
U.S. District Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, presided over the trial. Sentencing date has been scheduled for March 21, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
"The FBI stands with it's state and local partners across North Dakota and Minnesota in fighting violent crime. These partnerships continue to allow us to successfully investigate and bring prosecutions such as the case against Mr. Abdullahi," said Acting SAC Jamie E. Rohrbaugh.
"The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping Americans safe, and these verdicts are a product of the focus on reducing gun-related violent crime," Schneider said. "I congratulate federal law enforcement and Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lee for successfully ensuring that justice was served in this case."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fargo and Moorhead Police Departments prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lee and Trial Attorney Marihug Cedeño.
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Karlsruh, ND, Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Sexually Explicit Material of Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that on December 6, 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland sentenced Dwayne Gerard, Sr., Age 63 of Karlsruh, ND, to serve 60 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for eight counts of Sexual Exploitation of Minors, for which Gerard, Sr., pleaded guilty to on August 17, 2022. During the sentencing hearing, several family members provided statements regarding the tremendous impact the sexual abuse has had on the victims and their families. During the sentencing, Judge Daniel L. Hovland called the defendant "a parent’s worst nightmare" and one of the worst cases he has seen on the bench.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement after it was reported that Gerard, Sr., had been repeatedly sexually abusing two children. A search of his electronic devices revealed images and videos depicting his sexual abuse of these children.
"Homeland Security Investigations is committed to combatting child exploitation, and I’m proud of our agents and law enforcement partners who brought Gerard, Sr. to justice," said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge.
"This is truly a case that required a sentence sufficient enough to ensure the defendant never harms another child again," said Assistant United States Attorney Gary Delorme.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Delorme and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Minot Police Department, and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Former Tribal Official Sentenced to Prison for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for a bribery scheme involving soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through November 2018, Frank Charles Grady, 54, of Billings, Montana, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation. Beginning around 2016 and continuing through 2017, Grady solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $260,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Grady used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
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22-1246
Former Tribal Official Sentenced to Prison for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for a bribery scheme involving soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through November 2018, Frank Charles Grady, 54, of Billings, Montana, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation. Beginning around 2016 and continuing through 2017, Grady solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $260,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Grady used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
New Town, ND, Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of Minor Female ChildRead the Press Release
BISMARCK –United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that on November 3, 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor sentenced Richard Hall, Age 51 of New Town, ND, to 15 years in federal prison for the charges of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child and Abusive Sexual Contact of an Unconscious Person, for which Hall pleaded guilty to on August 3, 2022. Judge Traynor also sentenced Hall to 10 years of supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, the victim and several family members provided statements regarding the tremendous impact the sexual abuse has had on the victim and her entire family.
This case came to the attention of the law enforcement when it was reported that Hall, on one occasion, intentionally touched the clothed breast and inner thigh area of a minor female under the age of 12 years. Additionally, on another occasion, Hall touched the breast, buttocks, and genitals of the same minor child.
"In cases like this, a sentence of 15 years is warranted and will send a resounding message to the community that sexual abuse of a child will not be tolerated," said Assistant United States Attorney Gary Delorme.
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Former Tribal Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) pleaded guilty today to a bribery scheme in which he admitted to soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, Randall Jude Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation, from around November 2012 through the middle of 2020. Beginning around 2013 and continuing through 2020, Phelan solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Phelan used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
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