District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades Statement After Airline Group IAG Abandons Acquisition of Air EuropaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division after International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (IAG) announced that it would abandon its proposed acquisition of sole control of Air Europa Holding S.L. (Air Europa):
“The Antitrust Division is committed to protecting competition in the airlines industry. As a result of this abandonment, travelers between the United States and Europe will benefit from an industry rivalry that lowers prices, boosts quality and promotes choice. I am grateful to our enforcement partner, the European Commission, for its close and constructive collaboration with our staff on this important matter to safeguard competition.”
IAG, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is the parent company of Iberian, Vueling and British Airways, among other air carriers. Air Europa is headquartered in Spain.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Importing Internationally Protected Reptiles from AustraliaRead the Press Release
A Texas man made his initial appearance in court and pleaded guilty today to violating the Endangered Species Act by importing protected Australian reptiles into the United States on behalf of a fake zoo which he represented as legitimate.
According to court documents, Don Church imported 165 native Australian reptiles by providing false information to Australian and U.S. authorities. The imported reptiles included three Rusty Monitor (Varanus Semiremex) lizards, which are protected internationally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Church imported the reptiles on behalf of the “Austin Reptile Center,” a non-existent facility. He submitted documents to Australian authorities containing misrepresentations about the facility, including photographs of reptile exhibits, employee names and positions, floor plans, location and financial information. But Church knew no facility suitable for reptile care existed.
To gain purported legal authority to import the reptiles, Church submitted documentation containing misleading and erroneous information about the fictious Austin Reptile Center to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). He then imported the reptiles on behalf of the Austin Reptile Center, knowing that import was unlawful.
To protect species against over-exploitation, CITES regulates trade in endangered and threatened species through permit and quota requirements. The U.S. and 183 countries are signatories to the CITES treaty. The United States implements CITES through the Endangered Species Act, and the USFWS enforces it.
Church pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging violation of the Endangered Species Act. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $50,000.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS’ Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The USFWS is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah M. Brown of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case.
Readout of OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo’s Trip to Unveil Comprehensive Initiatives to Address the Intersection of Domestic Violence and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Director Rosemarie Hidalgo of the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) met with representatives yesterday from 12 pilot sites across the country that receive funding and support through the Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) and announced a comprehensive strategy to address the lethal intersection of domestic violence and firearms. Meeting with FTAP grantees, Director Hidalgo emphasized the urgent need to enhance efforts to prevent and address this dangerous issue, which increases the likelihood of death for victims of domestic violence.
FTAP, an OVW grant program funded by appropriations through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), provides communities with the tools and support needed to develop and implement effective strategies for preventing the use of firearms in domestic violence incidents and for strengthening a coordinated community response to increase access to safety and support for victims. OVW has awarded a total of $5.99 million to 12 FTAP sites across the nation, including one Tribal nation. These initiatives are part of the Justice Department’s broader strategy to reduce violent crime and enhance community safety.
The convening, coordinated by the Battered Women’s Justice Project, which runs the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms, brought together grantees from the following sites: Tucson, Arizona; Georgia Department of Community Supervision; Detroit; Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; Yakima, Washington; Birmingham, Alabama; Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Columbus, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; State of Vermont; and Spokane, Washington.
In her opening remarks, Director Hidalgo highlighted a startling statistic: over half of the women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and the presence of firearms increases the risk of homicide by 500%. This heightened threat to individuals and public safety necessitates a coordinated community response involving law enforcement, prosecutors, civil and criminal courts, victim service providers, and community-based organizations. Effective intervention and support can mean the difference between life and death for victims, as well as for law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence incidents. In addition to increased lethality and serious injuries, firearms are used by abusive partners to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control.
Director Hidalgo noted the statement by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following the Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision in United States v. Rahimi, in which he stated that the decision, “upholds Congress’s longstanding prohibition on the possession of firearms by people subject to domestic violence restraining orders. That law protects victims by keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals who pose a threat to their intimate partners and children.” The Attorney General also said, “The Justice Department will continue to enforce this important statute, which for nearly 30 years has helped to protect victims and survivors of domestic violence from their abusers. And we will continue to deploy all available resources to support law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim advocates to address the pervasive problem of domestic violence.”
Director Hidalgo delivers remarks while meeting with representatives from 12 FTAP pilot sites.To support community efforts, Director Hidalgo unveiled OVW initiatives that are part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at raising awareness of federal laws that prohibit firearm possession by domestic abusers and bolstering partnerships across federal, state, Tribal, and local levels. She highlighted the increased collaboration among key Justice Department components, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (FBI/NICS), Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), OVW, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and other Justice Department components. The Justice Department is dedicated to forging strong collaborations between federal partners with state and local prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and victim advocates to enhance our collective response to this critical issue.
DOJ recently released the Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence Resource Card. This resource explains the tools available under existing federal law to prevent the purchase of firearms and prosecute DV offenders who illegally possess them — including through implementation of the new dating-relationship provisions recently enacted through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) that narrow the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” This resource is designed to ensure that law enforcement, courts, and the public understand the domestic violence firearm prohibitions to increase effective implementation.
Justice Department representatives recently conducted a training at the Conference on Crimes Against Women, held in Dallas in May, and shared information on the role played by different Department components in firearms relinquishment, and ways to strengthen implementation by law enforcement and courts at the local level. Next month, DOJ will launch new roll call videos for law enforcement to ensure accurate documentation of relationships in FBI/NICs records to properly implement the dating violence prohibitions that were recently enacted through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
To support communities in accessing federal resources and strengthening a coordinated community response, OVW and OJP have developed the Resource Guide for Addressing the Intersection of Domestic Violence and Firearms. This guide details the Justice Department’s funding, training and partnership opportunities aimed at enforcing firearms laws and strengthening efforts at the local, state, Tribal and federal levels to keep guns out of the hands of adjudicated abusers.
To complement department resources and training, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms (NRCDVF), an OVW-funded national training and technical assistance provider, will conduct additional virtual trainings. These trainings will focus on best practices for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers, ensuring communities receive the latest and most effective tools when implementing surrender or relinquishment protocols.
Efforts also include expanding outreach to raise awareness about OVW grant funding that can support community initiatives to remove firearms from adjudicated abusers. This included recently sending a letter to grant administrators in every state and territory informing them about opportunities to use Services, Training, Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) formula grant program funds to prevent homicides by addressing the intersection of domestic violence and firearms, as well as providing information about additional training and support to STOP administrators to enhance state implementation plans to address these issues. Additionally, OVW is notifying state domestic violence coalitions about ways communities can leverage both OVW formula and discretionary grant funds to prevent domestic violence abusers from purchasing or possessing firearms.
Later in the day, Director Hidalgo conducted a listening session with representatives from the 12 FTAP pilot sites to explore each site's best practices and challenges in implementing their programs. The discussions provided valuable insights into effective strategies nationwide to address the intersection of domestic violence and firearms. Key topics included fostering trauma-informed approaches that center around survivors; best practices for enhancing partnerships between law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services providers, community-based organizations, courts and other system and community partners; identifying areas of support needed to increase the effectiveness of their programs; and ways OVW could further support partnerships at the local level with federal partners, such as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and ATF.
Director Hidalgo speaks with representatives from the 12 FTAP pilot sites.In particular, representatives of the FTAP pilot sites highlighted the progress they have made in their jurisdictions by forming multi-disciplinary teams to identify barriers and challenges to implementation and then developing collaborative strategies to address these barriers. This included: developing protocols and updating court forms in the civil and criminal courts for the relinquishment of firearms by adjudicated abusers; addressing issues with high rates of civil protection orders that were not being served; providing timely information to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System; improving training for law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and community partners; identifying storage facilities for relinquished firearms, which can be a particular challenge in rural areas; improving language access and partnerships with culturally-specific community-based organizations; developing co-responder models for advocates to respond to the scene and provide support for victims of domestic violence; and increasing access to advocates for victims to navigate complex systems and obtain trauma-informed services.
Director Hidalgo emphasized that these resources and efforts highlight the crucial role of a coordinated community response, a cornerstone of the Violence Against Women Act. By fostering effective partnerships, these initiatives seek to remove firearms from dangerous situations, ensure community safety, support survivors and their children, reduce community violence, and prevent the use of firearms to cause injury or instill fear and coercive control in domestic violence situations.
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Host First Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing MeetingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) virtually cohosted the first public meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing (Strike Force) to discuss Strike Force enforcement actions taken to lower prices for Americans.
DOJ Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Civil Division, and FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, along with other agencies on the Strike Force, assembled to highlight the following Strike Force enforcement actions:
- FTC Chair Khan highlighted the FTC’s recent work to stop corporate lawbreaking that raises prices for Americans, including uncovering evidence of corporate conduct that may raise the price of gas, working to lower the cost of many asthma inhalers to just $35 out-of-pocket, and making it easier for Americans to cancel online subscriptions they don’t want. Chair Khan announced that she will ask the Commission to launch an inquiry into grocery prices in order to probe the tactics that big grocery chains use to hike prices and extract profits from everyday Americans at the checkout counter.
- DOJ Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer described DOJ’s efforts to tackle unlawful behavior that affects the prices Americans pay for their groceries, transportation, and health care. Assistant Attorney General Kanter highlighted the historic and concrete actions Antitrust Division staff are undertaking to enforce the law and lower prices in higher education, housing, transportation, food, agriculture, live music, healthcare, and other vital industries. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Boynton highlighted the Civil Division’s work to combat fraudulent pricing schemes involving government agencies and financial institutions, as well as schemes designed to defraud consumers through unfair and deceptive marketing or billing practices.
- Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) highlighted the all-of-USDA approach to tackling food and agricultural pricing challenges for farmers and consumers alike, including an ongoing investigative study on retail concentration and market practices as well as landmark efforts to modernize the Packers & Stockyards Act rulebook and build a competition partnership with state attorneys general.
- Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spoke on HHS’ work to make health care affordable, transparent, and fair for everyone. Increasing competition and transparency, lowering prescription drug prices, and expanding access to health care are key ways to make sure our health care system is working for all Americans.
- Acting General Counsel Subash Iyer of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) spoke about DOT’s work to protect airline passengers from unfair practices that can make it more expensive to fly, including by proposing a ban on family seating junk fees and investigating Delta’s refund, reimbursement, and customer service problems during the recent IT meltdown.
- Chair Gary Gensler of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) spoke about the SEC’s work to address unfair, deceptive, and anticompetitive business practices. The SEC is the cop on the beat for the securities markets. The agency’s rulemaking projects promote transparency, access, and fair dealing in the markets. And through market oversight, including examining registrants and reviewing tens of thousands of filings each year, the SEC guards against fraud and deceptive practices and promotes competition.
- Chair Jessica Rosenworcel of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spoke about the FCC’s work to tackle unfair and deceptive pricing tactics in the communications sector, including by implementing new rules that will slash the exorbitant rates that incarcerated people and their families pay to stay connected.
- Director Rohit Chopra of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) spoke about the CFPB’s work on junk fees, highlighting a report on school lunch fees, and a recently launched inquiry into junk fees in mortgage closing costs. The CFPB continues its work on all aspects of the credit card market, including looking into bait-and-switch rewards tactics, curbing excessive fees, and ensuring competition, all against the backdrop of interest rate margins hitting an all-time high. Additionally, the agency announced further scrutiny on the role of private equity investors in price gouging.
In March, at the sixth meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Biden announced the launch of the Strike Force to strengthen interagency efforts to root out and stop illegal corporate behavior that hikes prices on American families through anti-competitive, unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent business practices.
Court Permanently Stops Mississippi Professionals and Business from Organizing and Selling “Tax Plans”Read the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi entered permanent injunctions yesterday against Thomas Walt Dallas, Jason Todd Mardis and Capital Preservation Services LLC to bar them from making statements about tax benefits for compensation, among other relief. The defendants consented to entry of the injunctions.
According to the complaint, Dallas, Mardis and Capital Preservation Services marketed a tax scheme at numerous professional conferences and media appearances targeting medical professionals and small business owners. They allegedly, falsely claimed that customers following their “Tax Plans” could claim multiple deductions to which they were not actually entitled. This included false claims that (1) customers’ businesses could take deductions for paying large, unnecessary “marketing fees” to newly-created, sham marketing companies; (2) the marketing companies could employ family members, including minor children, and take deductions for family meals, vehicle expenses and tuition, among other items; and (3) customers could “rent” their homes to their businesses on a short-term basis at exorbitant rates and avoid paying taxes on the rental income.
The complaint further alleges that Dallas, Mardis and Capital Preservation Services knew or had reason to know that their statements to customers about the supposed tax benefits of the tax plans were false. The alleged the harm from the scheme could be as much as $130 million in lost tax revenue since 2014.
Deputy Assistant General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Each year the IRS highlights some of the tax scams that put taxpayers at risk of losing money, personal information, data and more. In the IRS’ most recent list, it specifically warned taxpayers “to beware of promoters peddling bogus tax schemes aimed at reducing taxes or avoiding them altogether.”
Working with the IRS, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters over the past decade. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
CPS Consent Injunction.pdf Dallas Consent Injunction.pdf Mardis Consent Injunction.pdfFact Sheet: Justice Department Actions to Counter the Scourge of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic DrugsRead the Press Release
Over the past several years, the Justice Department has focused on breaking apart every link in the global fentanyl supply chain – from China to Mexico to the United States.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Justice Department has:
- Extradited over 50 cartel members from Mexico to the United States; and
- Charged a dozen Chinese chemical companies and two dozen of their executives for shipping fentanyl precursor chemicals into Mexico and the United States.
This effort has been spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States’ lead counter-narcotic law enforcement agency.
In 2024 alone, the DEA has:
- Seized over 30 million fentanyl pills and over 4,100 pounds of fentanyl powder, which represents over 208 million deadly doses; and
- Arrested over 2,100 individuals for fentanyl related charges working with its law enforcement partners.
As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has said, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”
Arresting and prosecuting cartel leaders, members, and their associates:
- In April 2023, the Justice Department announced charges against several leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, a transnational drug trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico, and its facilitators across the globe.
- In October 2023, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, from Mexico to the United States.
- In April 2024, the Justice Department charged 41 individuals in a 50-count indictment alleging cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and meth trafficking and related crimes, all operating under the control of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (the Jalisco Cartel or CJNG).
- In May 2024, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as El Nini, who the Department alleges was one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins.
- In May 2024, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Francisco Pulido after he allegedly supplied the Jalisco Cartel with precursor chemicals used to manufacture controlled substances.
- In July 2024, the Attorney General announced the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, another son of El Chapo. Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States.
- In the course of the investigation into the Chapitos network, the FBI and the DEA have arrested several high-profile targets, and the DEA has conducted operations in 10 countries and seized staggering amounts of illicit materials, including over 2.5 million fentanyl-laced pills, 105 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 37 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals, amounting to 22,747,441 potentially lethal doses.
Disrupting the chemical precursor supply chain:
- The Justice Department, DEA, and FBI have and will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute every link in the fentanyl supply chain, including the chemical companies and executives in the People’s Republic of China supplying the ingredients used to make this deadly drug.
- On Oct. 3, 2023, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of eight indictments charging China-based companies and their employees with crimes relating to fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals.
- In February 2024, the Department obtained a nearly 19-year sentence of a defendant responsible for importing tons of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into Mexico as part of the Jalisco Cartel’s fentanyl trafficking operations.
- In May 2024, the Department extradited another of CJNG’s alleged key chemical suppliers.
- In June 2024, the Justice Department announced a 10-count superseding indictment following a multi-year investigation, named “Operation Fortune Runner,” charging associates of the Sinaloa Cartel with conspiring with money laundering groups linked to Chinese underground banking to launder drug trafficking proceeds. Following the Department’s announcement, China and Mexico took law enforcement actions to arrest fugitives named in the indictment who fled the United States after they were initially charged last year.
Additional actions to counter fentanyl’s fatal impact:
- Over the past year, the Justice Department has convicted dozens of defendants of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of the victim, leading courts to impose lengthy terms of incarceration on these drug dealers, including:
- New York Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl That Contributed to Two Poisoning Deaths
- California Drug Dealer Sentenced to 78 Months in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose of U.S. Marine
- Texas Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Supplying Fentanyl and Other Drugs Sold on Darknet and Causing Fatal ODs
- Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life In Prison For Role In Fentanyl Overdose Death
- Florida Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Distributing Fentanyl Resulting In Death
- DEA started Operation OD Justice to devote resources to fatal poisoning investigations and provide training to federal, state, and local partners. DEA created Fentanyl Overdose Response Teams in 22 offices across the United States; the teams provide investigative support to fatal poisoning investigations. Every DEA division also has an Overdose Response Coordinator for DEA’s federal, state, and local partners. Since 2023, DEA has worked over 350 poisoning investigations with partners.
- DEA has launched the “One Pill Can Kill” enforcement effort and public awareness campaign. DEA and law enforcement partners have seized millions of fake illicit fentanyl-laced prescription pills and hundreds of pounds of illicit fentanyl powder — millions of potentially lethal doses. In 2024, DEA expanded the One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to include a partnership with the NFL Alumni Health Association and launching the One Pill Can Kill Game Over esports tournament.
Targeting criminal enterprises on the Darknet:
- The Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team is a Justice Department initiative led by the FBI with a mission to target and disrupt criminal enterprises utilizing the Darknet or online platforms to facilitate drug trafficking, specifically opioids. JCODE led Operation SpecTor, a coordinated international law enforcement effort that resulted in 288 arrests and the seizure of 117 firearms, 850 kilograms of drugs, and $53.4 million in cash and cryptocurrency.
- JCODE’s successes include the arrest of an individual operating under the name “Redlightlabs,” who sold approximately 3,800 drug transactions between May-Nov 2022, totaling over 123,000 potentially lethal fentanyl pills, approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics. After the FBI arrested the subject, a review of buyer data identified 15 drug overdose victims who purchased fentanyl-laced pills from “Redlightlabs.”
Building partnerships to combat transnational organized crime:
- The DEA is combating the availability of illegal pill presses by working with online retailers to educate them about the sale of pill presses and components used in the production of deadly fake pills. In February 2024, DEA issued a letter to e-commerce companies regarding their responsibility as regulated entities to comply with the recordkeeping, identification, and reporting requirements of the Controlled Substances Act as it relates to the distribution, importation, and exportation of pill press equipment.
- The FBI has dedicated additional resources to combat transnational organized crime on the front lines throughout Mexico and South and Central America, where the threat is emanating. Assistant Legal Attaches work with international partners to further investigations with U.S interests. The FBI also expands its presence in Mexico through Border Liaison Officers, a dedicated team of agents positioned in FBI Offices along the southwest border with unique authority to routinely work matters of U.S interests in Mexico. The FBI also works with nearly 3,000 task force officers across almost 300 task forces engaged in combating gangs and criminal enterprises that drive the fentanyl crisis.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) continues to work to choke off cartels’ access to weapons through Operation Southbound, the Department’s signature initiative to disrupt the trafficking of firearms from the United States to Mexico.
Alabama Chiropractor Indicted for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Birmingham, Alabama, returned an indictment today charging a Shelby County chiropractor with tax evasion, filing false tax returns and obstructing the IRS.
According to the indictment, Gary Forrest Edwards, of Shelby County, was a chiropractor and owned Hoover Health & Wellness Center. In 2015, Edwards allegedly agreed to file missing income tax returns for 2009 through 2013 with the IRS. The indictment further alleges that Edwards — despite filing the returns as agreed and accurately reporting millions of dollars in income — did not pay any of the $2.4 million in taxes he reported he owed.
When the IRS began trying to collect the unpaid taxes in 2015, and continuing until 2023, Edwards allegedly tried to impede the IRS’ collection efforts by transferring assets to his wife, submitting false information to the IRS about his assets, filing false tax returns and making false statements to IRS investigators. He also allegedly filed documents with a local court falsely claiming that Notices of Federal Tax Lien filed against him by the IRS him had been terminated.
If convicted, Edwards faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the tax evasion charge and three years in prison for the obstruction charge and each charge of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Canter for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woonsocket Man Convicted Three Times for Drug Trafficking is Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Woonsocket man convicted and sentenced twice previously in Rhode Island state court for trafficking narcotics was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison for trafficking significant quantities of fentanyl and for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Gregory Ortega, 34, of Woonsocket, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 96 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. Ortega pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.
As reflected in court documents, shortly after completing a term of incarceration at the Adult Correctional Institution in 2019, Ortega continued to operate a well-orchestrated narcotics business in the Woonsocket area. He stored drugs in various family members’ residences and used runners to deliver drugs he sold to his customers. Ortega’s trafficking activities included several thousand dollars’ worth of fentanyl to a person assisting the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in the investigation.
According to information presented to the court, on March 16, 2022, members of the Safe Streets Task Force executed court-authorized searches and seized approximately 575 grams of fentanyl from Ortega’s vehicle and 745 grams of fentanyl from his grandmother’s house, which he used as a “stash house.” Additionally, law enforcement seized a privately made firearm and 14 rounds of ammunition from Ortega’s residence.
This Project Safe Neighborhoods case was investigated by the Rhode Island FBI Safe Street Task Force, which consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Stacey A. Erickson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Religious Land Use Case Involving Arizona Food Ministry that Serves the HungryRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona explaining that a church’s claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) are ready for judicial review in federal court.
The statement of interest was filed in Gethsemani Baptist Church v. City of San Luis, a lawsuit alleging that the City of San Luis, Arizona, (the City) imposed a substantial burden on the religious exercise of Gethsemani Baptist Church (the Church) and treated the Church less favorably than secular institutions. The lawsuit alleges that the Church has operated a Food Ministry on its property as part of its religious exercise since 1999 and has provided food to thousands of people in need. The City recently became hostile to the Church, claiming that its use of its property and its use of semi-trucks to deliver food and supplies to the Ministry violated the City’s zoning code. The City took enforcement action to stop the Church from operating the Food Ministry, including by issuing multiple citations to the Church’s pastor.
“Churches have been on the front lines helping to alleviate hunger and meet the needs of those experiencing food insecurity across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Federal law provides broad protection to religious exercise, including for ministries that serve people who are hungry or in need of basic supplies. Once a municipality applies its zoning code to restrict religious exercise, impacted groups do not need to jump through procedural hoops to obtain relief in federal court. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that religious groups can properly exercise their rights under RLUIPA.”
The City filed a motion to dismiss the Church’s lawsuit, arguing in part that the Church’s RLUIPA claims could not proceed. The department’s statement of interest refutes this claim, asserting that the Church is not required to apply for a conditional use permit and that doing so would have been futile. The statement also argues that the Church has sufficiently shown the City’s ability to conduct an “individualized assessment” of the Church’s use of the property as required by RLUIPA.
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship. As part of this initiative, the department has filed statements of interest in other RLUIPA cases involving faith-based services to persons in need, including in Micah’s Way v. City of Santa Ana (Central District of California) and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church et al. v. City of Brookings (District of Oregon). Additionally, the department hosted outreach forums with religious leaders at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, New Jersey, and Chapman University Law School in Santa Ana, California, on combating religious discrimination under RLUIPA and also issued a letter to state, county and municipal leaders throughout the country to remind them of their obligations under RLUIPA.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section at (213) 894-2879 or the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Norfolk Southern to Stop Amtrak Passenger Train DelaysRead the Press Release
The United States filed a civil complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (collectively, Norfolk Southern) delays passenger trains on Amtrak’s Crescent Route in violation of federal law.
The Crescent Route, operated by Amtrak (also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation), is a 1,377-mile passenger line that stops at 33 towns and cities between New York City and New Orleans. Norfolk Southern controls 1,140 miles of rail line on the Crescent Route and handles dispatching for all trains along that segment, including freight trains it operates. Approximately 266,000 passengers traveled on the Crescent Route during 2023. That year, only 24% of southbound Crescent Route passenger trains traveling on Norfolk Southern-controlled track arrived at their destination on time.
According to the complaint filed on July 30, federal law requires Norfolk Southern to give Amtrak passenger trains preference over freight trains. The complaint alleges that Norfolk Southern regularly fails to do so, leading to widespread delays that harm and inconvenience train passengers, negatively affect Amtrak’s financial performance, and impede passenger rail transportation. The complaint includes several examples of how Norfolk Southern’s failure to give passenger trains the required preference causes many of these delays. For example, on Jan. 1, an Amtrak train 10 miles outside of New Orleans was delayed for nearly an hour when Norfolk Southern dispatchers required it to travel behind a slow-moving freight train. On another occasion, Norfolk Southern dispatchers forced an Amtrak train to wait over an hour while allowing three separate freight trains to pass. In many cases, Norfolk Southern runs freight trains along the Crescent Route that, due to track limitations, are so long they cannot move to the side for passenger trains to pass them.
“Americans should not experience travel delays because rail carriers break the law. Our action today alleges that Norfolk Southern violates federal law by failing to give the legally required preference to Amtrak passenger trains over freight trains,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to protect travelers by ensuring that rail carriers fulfill their legal obligations.”
“For half a century, federal law has required freight rail companies to give Amtrak passenger rail service preference on their tracks — yet compliance with this important law has been uneven at best,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We will continue to engage the railroad industry and work with Amtrak to ensure that freight railroads comply with their legal obligations and that Amtrak customers are not subjected to unacceptable, unnecessary, and unlawful delays.”
Trial Attorneys Max Goldman, Amber Charles, and Pauline Stamatelos of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
A complaint is merely a set of allegations that the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case went to trial.
ComplaintIllinois Man Convicted at Trial of Odometer Tampering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
After a week-long trial, a federal jury convicted an Illinois man last Friday of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, for agreeing with his brother and another man to alter the odometer readings on hundreds of used cars and sell those cars to unsuspecting consumer victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hussein Ghzo, 42, of Palos Heights, conspired with his brother Laith Ghzo, 38, and Musab Sawai, 36, to roll back the odometer readings on hundreds of used cars. The defendants purchased high-mileage cars at auto auctions, brought the cars to Chicago, had the odometer readings on those cars altered, falsified title documents to reflect the false low mileage, submitted those false titles to the Illinois Secretary of State and then sold the cars at other auctions with the false low mileage titles and false odometer readings. The evidence at trial revealed that Hussein Ghzo was warned on three separate occasions that the cars he was selling had rolled back mileage, but he nevertheless continued to participate in the scheme, including by attempting to pose as other people and hide his true identity. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah of the Northern District of Illinois presided over the trial.
“The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who prey on unsuspecting consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The scheme at issue here deprived consumers of important information relating to vehicle safety and future repair costs.”
“Odometer fraud endangers the public and keeps older, less-safe vehicles on our nation’s roads,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that consumers are purchasing vehicles with valid odometer readings.”
Ghzo is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ghzo and Sawai have previously pleaded guilty in connection with this matter and are awaiting sentencing. Ghzo will be sentenced on Oct. 31. Sawai’s sentencing date has not yet been set.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Odometer Tampering Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The matter was originally referred to the federal government by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.
Trial Attorneys Joshua D. Rothman and Thomas S. Rosso of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Sentenced for Tampering with Emissions Control Systems and Selling Tampering SoftwareRead the Press Release
Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, doing business as Gorilla Performance, and owner Barry Pierce were sentenced today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho. Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho sentenced Pierce to four months in prison. GDP Tuning and Gorilla Performance were sentenced to five years of probation. All defendants were ordered to jointly pay a $1 million fine. The companies and Pierce had previously pleaded guilty.
The charges in the case relate to illegal tampering with monitoring devices required under the Clean Air Act, specifically the on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems in diesel trucks. The first part of the tampering process is to physically remove the emissions control devices, known as “deleting” a truck. In part two, computer software is used to reprogram or tune the vehicle’s OBD to not recognize what has happened; this process is known as “tuning.”
An OBD normally detects any removal or malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment, recording a diagnostic trouble code and triggering a vehicle’s “check engine” light. If a malfunction is not remedied, a vehicle can, in some circumstances, be forced into “limp mode,” with a max speed of five-miles-per-hour. Tuning bypasses these checks even with the emissions control equipment removed.
According to court documents, from approximately 2016 to 2020, Pierce and GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance tuned and deleted hundreds of vehicles at the Gorilla Diesel Performance auto repair shop in Rexburg, Idaho. Through various distributors, GDP Tuning also sold tens of millions of dollars’ worth of tunes, tuners and equipment around the country, including what GDP Tuning described as “custom tunes.” GDP Tuning knew the tunes were being used to illegally reprogram vehicles.
Pierce told Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors in 2018 that his companies sold kits to delete trucks and products to tune them, including tunes and tuners. In response to EPA’s later follow-up, GDP Tuning produced sales data indicating that it sold over 20,000 tuning products for approximately $14 million in revenue from January 1, 2018, through approximately August 7, 2019.
EPA law enforcement agents conducted undercover operations to determine the extent of illegal activity at GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance. Employees told an uncover agent that the companies routinely “deleted” trucks at the Gorilla Diesel Performance location. Evidence gathered showed that Gorilla Diesel Performance conducted hundreds of deletes and used GDP Tuning products, with at least seven employees conducting deletes or obtaining tunes for the deleted vehicles. Pierce was aware of and directed the conduct.
“The defendants knowingly and repeatedly flouted Clean Air Act regulations even after being told that this conduct was against the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the law and holding individuals and businesses accountable.”
“Despite being warned by EPA that his conduct was illegal, Barry Pierce and his companies continued to flout the law for years, selling millions of dollars of products that defeated emissions controls on diesel trucks,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These products resulted in thousands of tons of excess pollutants being emitted into the air, putting our most vulnerable populations at risk. This brazen behavior must stop and EPA will continue to seek jail time for violations until it does.”
“Protecting Idaho’s environment and promoting public health are top priorities for my office, and the extreme amount of pollution emitted from illegally modified diesel trucks threatens both of these goals,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who purposefully and illegally pollutes our air.”
The EPA investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin prosecuted the case.
Canadian Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Millions of Dollars from Bank Accounts of Thousands of Victims in the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Canadian man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Vegas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal millions of dollars from thousands of victims in the United States.
According to court documents, Poupak Jannissar, 52, of Quebec, Canada, operated and controlled sham companies that used fake checks and other fraudulent debits to steal from victims’ accounts at banks in the United States. The defendant and his co-conspirators used various names for the sham companies, including Computer Run, EBooks, Joreeb, Memo Storage, Our Online Backup, You Can Fax Too and Your E-Library. These companies pretended to sell various internet-based services for consumers, such as cloud storage, internet faxing and online books. However, the sham companies did not actually provide any real products or services. Instead, the sham companies served to conceal the theft of money from bank accounts by Jannissar and his co-conspirators.
According to court documents, Jannissar and his co-conspirators bought lists containing misappropriated personal information belonging to thousands of potential victims. Jannissar and his co-conspirators then falsely represented to banks and others that individual victims had authorized debits from their bank accounts. If the individual victims did not notice and dispute initial charges made by the sham companies, the sham companies would fraudulently debit bank accounts multiple times. Jannissar and his co-conspirators transferred money they stole to accounts in Canada.
Jannissar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering in front of U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
Jannissar was arrested on Jan. 22, at the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Florida based on a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued in the District of Nevada by U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler. He was subsequently indicted on the charges to which he pled guilty today.
“Through various sham entities, the defendant and his accomplices stole consumers’ hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will use all of the tools at its disposal to apprehend and prosecute criminals, whether located inside or outside the United States, who steal from Americans.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to finding and prosecuting individuals who steal from consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Defrauding consumers and stealing their hard-earned dollars is a crime against the individuals but it also violates the trust we have in free commerce. With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to holding accountable those who violate federal law. We thank our partners for their investigative efforts to help bring justice for victims.”
“Mr. Jannisar and his co-conspirators used sham companies to steal from unknowing victims by accessing their bank accounts using personal identifiable information from illegally obtained lists, and sadly nothing more than a keystroke on a computer,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations (USPIS-CI). “His actions and those of his co-conspirators represent a crime of greed and opportunity but will not go unpunished thanks to the law enforcement community, who have dedicated their mission to uncovering and putting an end to devious schemes like these.”
"The defendant's guilty plea holds him accountable for perpetrating a fraudulent scheme that stole funds from thousands of victims' bank accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) Chicago Regional Office. “The FDIC OIG continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who cause financial harm to consumers and threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation's banking system."
Jannissar faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per charge. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
USPIS-CI and FDIC OIG are investigating the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided valuable assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney Daniel Zytnick of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in ArizonaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Maricopa County, Arizona, for the July 30 primary election.
The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
New Orleans Man Re-Sentenced on Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges Stemming from New Orleans Hotel ShootoutRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CLARENCE SANTIAGO (“SANTIAGO”), of New Orleans, was re-sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 280 months imprisonment for his participation in a December 28, 2020, shootout at the Jung Hotel on Canal Street.
On April 5, 2022, SANTIAGO pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the indictment, charging him with conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count 1); using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Count 2); conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana (Count 3); and, illegally maintaining a drug involved premises (Count 4).
On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry sentenced SANTIAGO to serve 360 months of imprisonment. SANTIAGO appealed that sentence to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction but remanded the case to the District Court for re-sentencing. At the sentencing hearing held on July 23rd, the Government played three video tapes of the shooting that took place on the 15th floor of the Jung Hotel.
After hearing the evidence presented the hearing, Judge Guidry imposed a total sentence of 280 months imprisonment. This consisted of 160 months as to Counts 1 and 4; 60 months as to Count 3; and 120 consecutive months as to Count 2. He was also placed on supervised release for a term of 5 years, after his release from prison. The Court also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime and Gang Unit.
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to Host First Public Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing MeetingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will virtually cohost the first public meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing (Strike Force) on Thursday, Aug. 1, to discuss Strike Force enforcement actions taken to lower prices for Americans.
The meeting will convene with an open-press session with remarks by Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Civil Division and FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. Senior officials from other agencies will then offer remarks as well. The remainder of the meeting will move to a closed-door, private discussion of enforcement-related matters.
The Strike Force meeting’s open session will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. The agenda for the public portion of the event will be posted on the FTC’s website prior to the event. A link to view the open virtual meeting will be posted on the FTC’s website the day of the event.
In March, at the sixth meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Biden announced the launch of the Strike Force to strengthen interagency efforts to root out and stop illegal corporate behavior that hikes prices on American families through anti-competitive, unfair, deceptive or fraudulent business practices.
The Strike Force’s membership also includes the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Communications Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Justice Department Publishes Final Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the ADA to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography machines. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care.
The final rule is available for review on the Federal Register’s website at www.federalregister.gov. A fact sheet that provides information about the final rule is available on ada.gov.
“Thirty-four years after passage of the ADA, people with disabilities should not have to forgo needed medical care due to inaccessible medical diagnostic equipment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “This rule marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to ensure that people with disabilities can get the medical treatment they need. Whether you are talking about access to mammograms or access to general OB/GYN services, it is critical that hospitals and doctors’ offices provide equipment that is accessible to patients with disabilities.”
The rule clarifies how public entities that use MDE, such as hospitals and health care clinics operated by state or local governments, can meet their obligations to ensure accessibility under the ADA. The department has heard from many individuals with disabilities who have been denied basic, critically important health care services because medical providers lacked accessible MDE. For example, patients with disabilities reported receiving only a cursory physical examination in their wheelchair because they could not be transferred to the examination table for a full examination. Other patients reported forgoing basic preventative health care, such as dental examinations and mammograms, because providers did not have accessible MDE.
The rule adopts a technical standard for accessible MDE. The rule also establishes requirements that will help make accessible examination tables and weight scales more available. This will make it easier for people with disabilities — especially people who use wheelchairs — to receive medical care.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit the department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt. For inquiries regarding the ADA, please contact the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or visit the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
El Departamento de Justicia publicará una norma final para mejorar el acceso a la atención médica para personas con discapacidadesRead the Press Release
En el 34º aniversario de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés), el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland firmó una norma final bajo el Título II de la ADA para mejorar el acceso a equipos de diagnóstico médico (MDE, por sus siglas en inglés) para personas con discapacidades. Los MDE incluyen equipos como mesas de reconocimiento médico, básculas, sillas dentales, máquinas de rayos X y máquinas de mamografía. Es primordial que los MDE sean accesibles para que las personas con discapacidades tengan el mismo acceso a la atención médica.
La norma final está disponible para su revisión en el sitio web del Registro Federal en www.federalregister.gov. Una hoja informativa que detalle la información sobre la norma final está disponible en ada.gov.
“Treinta y cuatro años después de la aprobación de la ADA, las personas con discapacidades no deberían renunciar a la atención médica necesaria debido a equipos de diagnóstico médico inaccesibles”, dijo Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. “Esta regla marca un hito significativo en nuestros esfuerzos continuos para garantizar que las personas con discapacidades puedan recibir el tratamiento médico que necesitan. Ya sea el acceso a mamografías o acceso a servicios generales de obstetricia/ginecología, es fundamental que los hospitales y los consultorios médicos proporcionen equipos accesibles para los pacientes con discapacidades”.
La norma aclara cómo las entidades públicas que utilizan MDE, tales como hospitales y clínicas de atención médica operadas por gobiernos estatales o locales, pueden cumplir con sus obligaciones de garantizar la accesibilidad en virtud de la ADA. El Departamento ha escuchado de muchas personas con discapacidades a las que se les han denegado servicios de atención médica básicos y de importancia crítica porque los proveedores médicos carecían de MDE accesibles. Por ejemplo, pacientes con discapacidades dijeron que habían recibido solo un reconocimiento físico superficial en su silla de ruedas porque no podían ser transferidos a la mesa de reconocimiento para un reconocimiento completo. Otros pacientes indicaron que no habían recibido atención médica preventiva básica, como exámenes dentales y mamografías, porque los proveedores no tenían MDE accesibles.
La norma adopta un estándar técnico para MDE accesibles. La norma también establece requisitos que ayudarán a que las mesas de reconocimiento y las básculas sean más accesibles. Esto hará que sea más fácil para las personas con discapacidades, especialmente las que usan sillas de ruedas, recibir atención médica.
Para obtener más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles, visite el sitio web del Departamento en www.justice.gov/crt. Para consultas relacionadas con la ADA, comuníquese con la línea gratuita del Departamento para información sobre la ADA al 800-514-0301 (voz) o al 833-610-1264 (TTY) o bien visite el sitio web de la ADA en www.ada.gov.
Barbados First in Caribbean to Implement Project Terminus Solutions, Boosting Security in the RegionRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington's Project Terminus team, with support from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), has deployed advanced technology, hardware, and software solutions in Barbados, significantly boosting the island nation's capabilities to detect and intercept transnational criminals and terrorists.
The newly installed software applications, the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) Workbench and the Stolen Motor Vehicles (SMV) Workbench, enable Barbados to seamlessly share, manage, and extend critical information from INTERPOL databases and its 196 member countries. Barbados is now CARICOM's first INTERPOL partner nation to implement these solutions.
“Barbados has just made history in CARICOM by implementing these innovative solutions, significantly advancing the safety and security of its citizens, the region, and the world,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey Grimming. “More nations are recognizing the benefits of leveraging INTERPOL resources in the fight against crime and terrorism. By enabling other governments to detect threats before they reach our borders, Project Terminus simultaneously protects partner nations and communities across America.”
The applications include 11,000 test records and 41 live records that have already been successfully uploaded to the INTERPOL SLTD database. INTERPOL National Central Bureau Barbados, which facilitated the partnership, also provided assistance for this initiative.
Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, stated that this is just one example of the Agency partnering to secure the region’s Member States from criminal elements and regional and international terrorism threats. “CARICOM IMPACS has been working and will continue to work assiduously to secure our nation’s borders,” he added.
INTERPOL Washington’s Project Terminus, a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of State, aims to enhance INTERPOL screening and record submission by member countries by providing cutting-edge computer hardware and custom software solutions. These initiatives are designed to streamline service adoption and maximize data usability and effectiveness.
Beyond its primary goal of capacity-building, Project Terminus is pivotal in supporting the broader U.S. government law enforcement mission. By fostering connections between U.S. government law enforcement agencies and partner nation entities, this project enhances the law enforcement capabilities of partner nations and helps build a safer world.
UnitedHealth Group Abandons Two Acquisitions Following Antitrust Division ScrutinyRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division released the following statement after UnitedHealth Group abandoned its proposed acquisitions of Stewardship Health Inc. and a related company following scrutiny from the Antitrust Division.
“When you ask Americans what keeps them up at night, affording and accessing quality health care is too often at the top of their list. These transactions are among UnitedHealth Group’s latest proposed provider-related acquisitions, and they raised questions about quality of care, cost of care and working conditions for doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. I am grateful for the Antitrust Division’s lawyers, economists, paralegals and professional staff who are tireless in their commitment to identify and address pressing antitrust problems in healthcare markets.”
United States Sues National General Holdings Corp. and Subsidiaries for Falsely Placing Insurance on Hundreds of Thousands of Borrowers’ VehiclesRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a civil complaint under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) against National General Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, National General Insurance Company, National General Lender Services Inc. and Newport Management Corporation (National General), alleging that, for over a decade, National General erroneously force-placed its Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI) product on vehicles financed through Wells Fargo, despite borrowers already having insurance through other carriers.
“Companies must deal fairly and honestly with consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s lawsuit demonstrates that the department will use all of the tools at its disposable to protect the American public against deceptive and fraudulent business practices.”
“Today’s complaint alleges a long-running scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of car buyers,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “For years, these defendants saddled ordinary Americans, including residents of this district, with allegedly unnecessary insurance, leading to dire real-world consequences like repossessed vehicles and other unwarranted collection activities. This enforcement action reinforces an important message: our office, together with our law enforcement partners, will take decisive action to combat fraud in the insurance industry, protect consumers and hold companies accountable for their wrongdoing under federal law.”
The government’s complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, alleges that, from at least 2008 and through the latter part of 2016, National General systemically failed to accurately track whether cars financed by Wells Fargo had the requisite insurance coverage from an outside carrier, and thereby knowingly or recklessly force-placed its own, much costlier CPI on at least 655,000 vehicles that already had outside insurance. In particular, the United States alleges that National General’s tracking efforts were deficient for a variety of reasons, including that National General repeatedly mailed letters seeking insurance information to borrowers at addresses that had previously been returned as undeliverable; in many instances, National General made no phone calls to insurance carriers, agents or borrowers to obtain outside insurance information, despite internal requirements to make a certain number of phone calls; and National General often failed to match insurance information in its possession to financed vehicles.
According to the complaint, National General knew for years that its so-called tracking system was wholly ineffective and that it was routinely imposing force-placed CPI on hundreds of thousands of borrowers in error. National General allegedly received thousands of complaints from borrowers and tracked and reported, both internally and to Wells Fargo, its high “false placements” rates throughout the relevant period.
The complaint further alleges that, as a result of falsely placing CPI, borrowers were charged duplicative and unnecessary CPI premiums in connection with their loans, often without adequate notification to the borrowers. The United States also contends that National General’s conduct had a range of additional negative consequences for borrowers, including improper charges for late fees and interest, negative effects on credit scores and improper repossession of some financed vehicles.
FIRREA authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action for penalties for violations of certain criminal predicate offenses — as established by a preponderance of the evidence — that involve financial institutions or particular government agencies. The United States’ complaint alleges that National General violated FIRREA by committing the predicate acts of mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud.
The Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania handled the matter. The United States is represented in this matter by Trial Attorneys Lindsay DeFrancesco and Laura Hill of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Fischer for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
ComplaintSubstance Use Disorder Treatment Clinics to Pay More than $850,000 to Resolve Allegations They Knowingly Overbilled Medicaid for Office VisitsRead the Press Release
The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have reached an $863,934 civil settlement with certain substance use disorder treatment clinics serving patients from Virginia to resolve allegations that these clinics submitted false and fraudulent claims to the Medicaid program. The clinics – Crossroads Treatment Center of Petersburg P.C., ARS Treatment Centers of New Jersey P.C., Crossroads Treatment Center of Greensboro P.C. and Starting Point of Virginia P.C. – are part of a chain called Crossroads, which is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.
The United States and the Commonwealth contended that, from 2016 through mid-2023, the clinics submitted claims to Virginia Medicaid containing code 99215, which signifies a meeting with a patient involving at least two of the following three components: a comprehensive medical history, a comprehensive medical examination, and medical decision making of high complexity. However, the clinics knew the meetings were regular check-ins during substance use disorder treatment and did not meet those criteria. Of the $863,934 civil settlement, the United States will receive $356,891 and the Commonwealth will receive $507,043.
“Providers may bill only for the services that they actually provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to protect the vital services provided by federal health care programs, including substance abuse disorder treatments, against those who seek to abuse them.”
“Submitting false claims to Medicaid undermines the integrity of the program and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG remains committed to investigating providers who allegedly defraud federal health care programs.”
The United States’ investigation was prompted by a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that defendants submitted false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. The settlement agreement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Diana France, a former Director of Network Management and Contracting for Crossroads, to receive $60,671 as her share of the federal recovery. The settlement agreement also provides for the whistleblower to receive a share of the Commonwealth’s recovery. The case is captioned United States ex rel. France v. Crossroads Treatment Ctrs., No. 6:21-cv-01263 (D.S.C.).
Senior Trial Counsel Albert P. Mayer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy G. Cote for the District of South Carolina handled the matter, with assistance from HHS-OIG and several state attorney generals’ Medicaid fraud control units.
The United States’ allegations described above were allegations only. There was no determination of liability.
SettlementAttorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Arrests of Alleged Leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman LopezRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez:
“The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Ismael Zambada Garcia, or “El Mayo,” cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas.
Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.
El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States. That includes the Cartel’s other cofounder, Joaquin Guzman Loera, or “El Chapo”; another of El Chapo’s sons and an alleged Cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the Cartel’s alleged lead sicario, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, or “El Nini.”
Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”
Readout of the Pardon Attorney’s FCI Thomson VisitRead the Press Release
On July 23, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Thomson, a low security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility for male inmates with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp, located in Thomson, Illinois. The Pardon Attorney and her team hosted a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from FBOP staff and incarcerated individuals.
During their visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team worked with FCI Thomson staff to make the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s commutation instructions and form available on TruLincs, a secure email service for inmates and their contacts.
The visit to FCI Thomson is the ninth in a series of educational events conducted by the Pardon Attorney for incarcerated individuals and staff at various FBOP locations.
These educational sessions within the FBOP are part of the initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Land Offenses
Robert Sherman, 55, of Holladay, Utah, was sentenced on July 23, for two separate cases of disorderly conduct. In the first case he was sentenced to 14 days of incarceration, with credit for the 14 days already served for making threatening statements in the Roosevelt employee dining room inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). According to court document, on July 5, Sherman was heard by multiple witnesses saying, “the next mass shooting will occur here.” Sherman made this statement just one day after gunman Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner was shot and killed by U.S. Park Rangers after he attempted to shoot at people inside the Canyon Lodge employee dining room.
In the second disorderly conduct charge, Sherman was sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation for making additional threatening statements. According to court documents, on July 7, witnesses said Sherman made several comments along the lines that he would be, “killing people around here.” As part of the terms of his probation, he will have to comply with all federal, state, and local laws; keep contact information current with the court; pay court costs as ordered by the court; and not be permitted to enter YNP during the probation term. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on July 23. This crime was investigated by the National Park Service and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes.
Child Pornography
Alan Dean Houghton, 63, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison with 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, subsequent offense. According to court documents, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) initiated a sexual exploitation of children investigation in October 2022. Heather Clark and April Burns were subsequently arrested in May of 2023 for production of child pornography, amongst other charges. Forensic analysis of Clark’s phone revealed that she was selling child pornography to various men around the country. The defendant was identified as having paid Clark $4,700 in multiple payments, over months, for what is believed to be Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) that Clark produced of her children. Houghton was indicted on March 13 and pleaded guilty on April 24. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on July 22. This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case.
Sexual Abuse of a Minor
Brian Reyes Rhodes, Jr., 24, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 15 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on July 22. According to court documents, between November 2018 and June 2022, the defendant sexually abused a minor multiple times at his grandfather’s residence. The minor victim eventually disclosed the abuse to a medical provider. Rhodes was indicted in November 2023 and pleaded guilty on April 17. This crime was investigated by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook.
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
West Virginia Business Owner Charged with Employment Tax Offenses and Not Filing Personal Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, returned an indictment today charging a West Virginia man with not paying employment taxes and not filing his personal tax returns.
According to the indictment, since 1994, Dean Dawson, of Hurricane, owned and operated Real Property Consulting Group LLC, a real estate appraisal business. The indictment charges that from the third quarter of 2018 to 2023, Dawson did not pay to the IRS the Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes that were withheld from employees’ paychecks or file quarterly tax returns reporting those withholdings, as required by law. Though Dawson allegedly provided his employees with Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, he did not file those forms with the Social Security Administration. Dawson allegedly used his business bank account to pay his personal expenses and directed funds to his wife who was not an employee. The indictment further alleges that Dawson did not file personal tax returns from 2018 to 2023.
Dawson was charged with 19 counts of failing to collect and pay over employment taxes and six counts of willfully failing to file personal tax returns. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failure to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian E. Flanaghan and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Storage for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Dominican Nationals Extradited in Connection with Grandparent ScamRead the Press Release
Two residents of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, were extradited to the United States last week and made their initial appearance in Newark federal court yesterday on charges relating to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.
Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, also known as Max Morgan, 59, and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, also known as Fili and Filly The Kid, 37, are among 11 Dominican Nationals charged in a 19-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey that was unsealed on April 29. Following their initial appearance yesterday, the court ordered both men detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, Rodriguez Guzman, Reynoso Ventura and their co-conspirators engaged in a long-running “grandparent” or “family in need of bail” scam against hundreds of seniors across the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Both Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura are alleged to have worked in the call centers in the Dominican Republic from which the scam operated, where they phoned elderly Americans and sought to steal their money.
As detailed in court filings, members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident and needed help.
Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers” — including Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura — allegedly impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones. The cash was typically retrieved by couriers sent to the victims’ homes or mailed by victims at the direction of the closers.
Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura each face multiple charges, including mail and wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count of the mail and wire fraud charges and a maximum fine of $500,000 for money laundering conspiracy.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue criminals who defraud victims through so-called ‘grandparent scams,’” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable Americans from abroad. We thank the government of the Dominican Republic for extraditing these defendants to the United States to face charges.”
“As alleged, these two defendants played a role in a scheme that relied on the love and devotion of elderly victims in order to cheat them out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “In this ‘grandparents’ scam,’ some of the defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming, for example, they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, and they needed immediate cash for bail or a lawyer. Conspirators like Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura allegedly impersonated a variety of people – police officers, lawyers and others – to convince the victims to pay up, which the panic-stricken grandparents often did. My office is committed to protecting the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings.”
“These defendants and their co-conspirators are accused of heartlessly robbing countless elderly victims of their precious time and often their life savings – all from more than 1,500 miles away, said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura were among the 16 individuals charged in this appalling scheme, which spanned at least four U.S. states and allegedly threatened hundreds of innocent Americans’ livelihoods. The merciless greed of perpetrators is boundless, but is no match for HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force, its Cyber Intrusion Group and the greater law enforcement community. I am proud to stand alongside our global partners in our relentless commitment to the safety and overall wellbeing of the vulnerable public."
“The grandparent scam is a cruel fraud scheme that deliberately preys on elderly and vulnerable persons within society. Perpetrators, often cowardly operating off-shore, cause extreme emotional and financial harm to the innocent people they target in commission of this crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) Boston New York Field Division. “SSA OIG proudly joined HSI, the FBI, the Justice Department and the NYPD in investigating these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding SSA beneficiaries and we appreciate the diligence of the U.S. Marshals Service in facilitating the extradition of these defendants from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey to hold them accountable for their actions.”
“We are now one step closer to holding accountable the alleged fraudsters who financially exploited hundreds of elderly Americans,” said Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). “This should serve as a reminder to other criminals about the extensive reach of New York law enforcement and our unwavering commitment to delivering justice to all victims. I applaud our NYPD investigators and all of our federal partners for their dedication to this important case.”
HSI, SSA-OIG, NYPD and the FBI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of the defendants with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Justice Department officials also recognized the critical cooperation of the Dominican government in effecting the extradition of Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura pursuant to the treaty between the two countries.
Trial Attorneys Jason Feldman, Joshua Ferrentino and Emily Powers of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane for the District of Jersey are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prysmian Cables Settles Allegations of Falsified Test Results and Failure to Test Cable Used in Military VehiclesRead the Press Release
Prysmian Cables and Systems USA LLC (Prysmian), located in Abbeville, South Carolina, has agreed to pay $920,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly falsifying test results and failing to conduct required testing on military cable, known as M13486 cable, that was used in vehicles manufactured for use by the military. The alleged misconduct took place from approximately 2005 to 2021 at a facility in Paragould, Arkansas. Prysmian acquired the Paragould facility in 2018. The settlement resolves allegations disclosed by Prysmian under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)’s mandatory disclosure rule that Prysmian and prior owners of the Paragould facility had failed to conduct several required tests and, instead, had prepared and submitted to the United States falsified test results and false certifications of compliance.
In early 2021, a Defense Logistics Agency employee noticed discrepancies between the cable manufacturing and testing dates on test data submitted by Prysmian and refused to accept the test data, which triggered an internal investigation at Prysmian. As a result of its investigation, Prysmian terminated four employees involved in the alleged misconduct, including its quality manager, quality systems coordinator, quality engineer and product development supervisor. Prysmian also repurchased all suspect cable that had been shipped to its distributor and made a mandatory disclosure under the FAR. Prysmian cooperated with the United States’ subsequent investigation.
“Companies who do business with the United States must comply with their contractual commitments,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable government contractors who knowingly fail to perform required services or misrepresent their performance of such services, including mandatory testing requirements.”
“The manufacturing of defective products, including ones intended for use in military vehicles, creates a significant risk to America’s warfighters,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department to hold accountable those who commit fraudulent activity that impacts the Department of Defense.”
DCIS and the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Senior Trial Counsel Alicia J. Bentley of the Civil Division handled the matter.
The claims against Prysmian resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Leaders of Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission and U.K. Competition and Markets Authority Issue Joint Statement on AI CompetitionRead the Press Release
Today, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Chair Lina M. Khan of the Federal Trade Commission, Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission and Chief Executive Sarah Cardell of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority issued a joint statement on competition in generative AI foundation models and AI products.
Through this joint statement, the four antitrust enforcers pledged to use their available powers to promote effective competition in AI to ensure the public reaps the full benefits of these technologies. The statement is available at www.justice.gov/atr/media/1361306/dl?inline.
Doctor Convicted for Illegally Distributing over 1.8M Doses of Opioids and $5M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Louisiana physician yesterday for conspiring to illegally distribute over 1.8 million doses of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone and morphine, and for defrauding health care benefit programs of more than $5.4 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Adrian Dexter Talbot, 58, of Slidell, owned and operated Medex Clinical Consultants (Medex), located in Slidell. Medex was a medical clinic that accepted cash payments from individuals seeking prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances. Talbot routinely ignored signs that individuals frequenting Medex were drug-seeking or abusing the drugs prescribed. In 2015, Talbot took a full-time job in Pineville, Louisiana, and although he was no longer physically present at the Slidell clinic, he pre-signed prescriptions, including for opioids and other controlled substances, to be distributed to individuals there whom he did not see or examine. In 2016, Talbot hired another practitioner who, at Talbot’s direction, also pre-signed prescriptions to be distributed in the same manner at the Slidell clinic in exchange for cash deposited into the Medex account.
The evidence also demonstrated that Talbot falsified patient records to cover up the scheme. With Talbot’s knowledge, individuals filled their prescriptions using their insurance benefits, thereby causing health care benefit programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to be fraudulently billed for prescriptions that were written without an appropriate patient examination or determination of medical necessity.
The jury convicted Talbot of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, four counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, VA-OIG, the FBI, and Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sara E. Porter and Gary A. Crosby II and Assistant Chiefs Justin Woodard and Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Sixth Nigerian National Sentenced for International Scheme That Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was sentenced today to 85 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, each of the six defendants connected with this matter has been sentenced.
According to court documents, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendant and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Spanish National Police, National Crime Agency and Portuguese Judicial Police for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“This investigation is a great example of the results the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners strive to achieve,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “We will continue to identify and dismantle transnational groups targeting American citizens and using the mail to further their schemes to defraud. Justice has no borders.”
“Targeting the elderly for pure financial gain is beyond shameful, it’s morally reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “Protecting such a vulnerable population is not just the responsibility of family members but also law enforcement agencies like HSI and our partners. Together, we are a force multiplier committed to apprehending those who scam our seniors. Let these lengthy sentences serve as reminders that HSI will not tolerate criminals who are motivated by greed.”
Each of Ezemma’s five co-defendants has been sentenced to prison for their roles in the scheme. On June 21, 2023, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison. On July 25, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison. On Aug. 29, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to 90 months in prison. On Oct. 20, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Kennedy Ikponmwosa to 87 months in prison. And on Nov. 2, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Peter Ezennia Neboh to 128 months in prison. Judge Williams also ordered Ezemma and his co-defendants to pay more than $6 million in restitution to their over 400 victims.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Europol all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Former CEO of Startup Software Company Pleads Guilty to Payroll Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today to not paying more than $14 million in employment taxes and not filing personal tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Andrew Park, 49, of Bedford, was the co-founder and CEO of a startup technology company. Park was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from the employees’ wages to the IRS, as well as the Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed.
He was also responsible for collecting and paying over state and local employment taxes to those respective governments. From the company’s founding in 2014 through the third quarter of 2021, Park withheld these federal, state and local taxes from the employees’ wages but did not pay them over as required by law. He also did not pay over the portion of the employment taxes that the company owed. Park did so even though a payroll service company that he hired to process the employees’ payroll regularly notified him that the taxes were due and in more than one instance was notified by an employee that the amount paid to Social Security listed on her W-2 did not match what was reported by the Social Security Administration.
From 2013 through 2020, Park also did not file individual tax returns as required by law, despite the fact that he paid himself a salary of approximately $250,000 each year.
In total, Park caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $14 million, as well as additional losses to state and local taxing authorities.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the charge of willful failure to account for and pay over payroll taxes, and one year in prison for the charge of willful failure to file a tax return. Park also faces additional penalties including supervised release and fines, as well as the payment of restitution to the IRS and other taxing entities. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter for the District of New Hampshire are prosecuting the case.
Alaska Doctor and Her Husband Charged with Health Care Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage doctor and her husband with health care fraud and tax evasion.
According to court documents, from 2010 to 2023, Claribel Tan, 60, a practicing rheumatologist, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 69, operated Claribel K. Tan MD LLC (CKTMD), a medical clinic in Anchorage. The indictment alleges that the couple defrauded health care benefit programs by causing the submission of false claims that misrepresented the type and dosage of medication, and the scope of medical services provided to patients. Further, the indictment alleges that both defendants deceived patients regarding the necessity of receiving medication at the clinic and created false medical records. The indictment also alleges that Claribel Tan deceived patients regarding what substances she injected into their bodies. In total, the Tans received over $10 million in fraudulently obtained funds. In a separate civil action, the Justice Department seized roughly $8.5 million of those funds from the defendant’s accounts.
The indictment also alleges that the Tans evaded income taxes for 2014, 2015 and 2017 by providing false information to their return preparer that overstated CKTMD’s expenses and filing false tax returns that understated their income. The indictment further alleges that Daniel Tan evaded income taxes for 2016 when he provided the Tans’ accountant with false information for that return. The accountant allegedly ceased preparing tax returns for them, and the Tans did not file tax returns for 2016.
The indictment further alleges that the Tans did not file tax returns for 2018 through 2021, despite being required to by law.
The defendants are each charged with one count of health care fraud and four counts of willful failure to file a tax return. Daniel Tan is charged with four counts and Claribel Tan is charged with three counts of attempting to evade and defeat tax. The defendants will make their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for health care fraud, five years for each count of tax evasion and one year for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Walker and Seth Beausang for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. GarlandRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland:
“From the beginning of his tenure, President Biden has made clear in both word and deed that he stands for the rule of law and for the Justice Department’s critical mission to protect the safety and the civil rights of everyone in our country. I am grateful for his leadership and for the enormous respect he has shown for the 115,000 public servants of the Justice Department over the past three and a half years. As President Biden has noted, there is critical governing work to be done in the months ahead, and the Justice Department will continue to work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights on behalf of the American people.”
USMS, ICE, and Interpol Washington Collaboration Leads to Apprehension of Fugitive and Rescue of Three Minors in TennesseeRead the Press Release
U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and INTERPOL Washington collaboration led to the arrest of a Bahamian man, Angelo McQueen, wanted in Nassau for sexual offenses against a minor, and the rescue of three children at his Pigeon Forge, Tennessee residence. McQueen was also employed at a Pigeon Forge amusement park at the time of his arrest.
“This joint operation underscores the vital importance of international cooperation and swift action to find dangerous fugitives and protect our most vulnerable,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey Grimming. “We thank our great USMS and ICE partners for their immediate response and will continue to offer our tools, resources, and global network in the fight for justice.”
McQueen, a native and citizen of the Bahamas, entered the U.S. on March 1, 2024, in Florida, as a B2 non-immigrant visitor. INTERPOL Washington learned that McQueen was suspected of having committed sexual offenses against a minor in his native Bahamas. Authorities also suspected that McQueen had abducted his biological daughter and brought her to the United States.
INTERPOL Washington was able to determine that McQueen was likely residing in Pigeon Forge. Upon relaying the leads to partners, the USMS Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force Eastern District of Tennessee, USMS Missing Child Unit, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested McQueen at his residence on July 5. During the arrest, three minors were encountered at McQueen’s residence, all of whom were turned over to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.
He is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Sextorting Numerous MinorsRead the Press Release
A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.
Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.
The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn R. Johnson for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pain Management Physician and Former Member of Kentucky’s Medical Board Convicted of Unlawfully Prescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.
Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.
The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Louisville, Kentucky, MayorRead the Press Release
A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign.
According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor.
Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Extend Public Comment on Request for Information Targeting Serial Acquisitions, Roll-Up Strategies Across U.S. EconomyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are extending the deadline for the public to comment on serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies that harm competition by 60 days. The joint request for information (RFI) seeks to learn more about how corporate actors, including private equity owned businesses, become larger — and potentially dominant — through acquisitions of several smaller firms in the same or related business sectors or industries. The new deadline to submit comments is Sept. 20.
Businesses do not have to report every deal to the federal antitrust agencies, but some non-reportable deals still allow firms to amass significant control over key products, services or labor markets without government scrutiny. These types of transactions can harm competition to the detriment of consumers, workers and innovation across an entire industry or business sector.
The agencies’ RFI seeks to understand more about these deals and strategies, and invites a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, workers, businesses and others to submit their comments. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov.
Readout of Justice Department Officials Participation in UN High Level Political Forum to Highlight UN Sustainable Development Goal 16Read the Press Release
This past week, Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer and Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice participated in the United Nations (UN) High Level Political Forum in New York as part of the official U.S. delegation to the Forum. The UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is a platform for the review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Goals of the Agenda at a global level. This year, the Forum focused on UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), among other goals. The Office for Access to Justice is mandated to assist the United States with the implementation of SDG 16, which focuses on establishing peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
On July 11, Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer delivered the United States National Statement on UN SDG 16, where he highlighted the efforts of the United States to advance equal access to justice. During his time at the Forum, Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer met with a range of stakeholders to discuss cooperation on access to justice, including foreign officials and civil society organizations working to advance equality for all.
On July 16, Director Rossi engaged in an informal listening session, convened by the Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at New York University School of Law. The listening session provided a unique opportunity for Director Rossi to connect with community leaders in New York and hear their reflections on how the goals of SDG 16 relate to their vision of peace and justice. Organizations participating in the listening session were the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU Law, Jailhouse Lawyer Initiative, Common Justice organization, Hour Children, Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice, Cardozo Law School, Women Who NEVER Give Up, Center for Institutional and Social Change, Columbia Law School, Defying Legal Gravity, Paralegal Pathways Initiative, Columbia Law School, Bronx Defenders, and the Columbia Center for Justice CUNY Law, Formerly Incarcerated Law Student Association.
Following the listening session, Director Rossi gave welcoming remarks for the official United States side event “Turning the Tide: Scaling SDG for the Future, Reinforcing Access to Justice, and Advancing Democracy.” This side event elevated the sustainable, resilient, innovative, and people-centered approaches that governments and stakeholders are employing to advance implementation of SDG 16.
The Office for Access to Justice also hosted a convening to initiate discussions on how the office can best serve as a connector of cross-sector stakeholders to better advance access to justice through the implementation of SDG 16. Convening attendees, including cities, counties, systems impacted individuals, civil society organizations, and federal government partners, discussed how regular engagement going forward can assist to generate knowledge, ensure visibility across efforts, inspire action, and connect data to policy to advance equal access to justice for all. Director Rossi provided remarks for the session which shaped the role of the Office for Access to Justice and the intention of the office in support of SDG 16.3, to promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure access to justice for all.
Director Rossi also met with the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers to discuss SDG 16 and legal empowerment in advancing human rights at the international level.
Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer delivered the United States National Statement on UN SDG 16. Director Rossi giving welcoming remarks for the official United States side event Turning the Tide: Scaling SDG for the Future, Reinforcing Access to Justice, and Advancing Democracy.
Director Rossi and participants of the informal listening session convened by the Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at New York University School of Law. Director Rossi engaging participants in discussion at the Access to Justice and SDG 16: Building Together Towards the 2030 Agenda in the United States.Justice Department and Department of Education Announce Continuing Success of Student-Loan Bankruptcy Discharge ProcessRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, in close coordination with the Department of Education, announced today the continued and growing success of a process instituted in November 2022 for handling cases in which individuals seek to discharge their federal student loans in bankruptcy. Data and information tracking the effectiveness of the process over the last year and a half demonstrate that it is achieving its goal of providing a more transparent, equitable, and streamlined mechanism for borrowers to request a discharge of their student loans in consumer bankruptcy cases. The process has translated into increasing numbers of eligible federal student loan borrowers seeking and obtaining debt relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
The Departments finalized new guidance in November 2022 that outlined a fairer, more accessible process to ensure consistent treatment of the discharge of federal student loans, reduce the burden on borrowers of pursuing such proceedings, and facilitate identifying cases where discharge is appropriate. At the time, both Departments committed to an ongoing assessment of the guidance’s effectiveness. As part of that commitment, the Justice Department surveyed all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices after the first year of implementation, and it recently repeated its survey to obtain updated information about use of the guidance.
The information that the Departments have collected from these surveys indicates that the new process continues to be a success, and that an increasing number of borrowers are seeking and receiving discharges of their federal student loan debts. In particular, since the process was announced a year and a half ago, the data collected by the departments reveals that:
- As anticipated, case filings have steadily increased as consumers have learned of the new process. A total of 588 new cases were filed from October 2023 to March alone, which is a 36% increase from the prior six-month period. And a total of 1,220 cases were filed from November 2022 through March, a significant increase from recent years. The departments expect this trend to continue.
- The vast majority of borrowers seeking discharge continue to benefit from the guidance. In cases decided by the courts from November 2022 through March, 98% have provided debt relief through full or partial discharge. And the overall number of court judgments providing full or partial discharge have continued to increase, with the number of such judgments over the last six months exceeding the number of judgments for the preceding 12 months.
- Borrowers continue to embrace the new process set forth in the guidance in large numbers. In filed cases, 96% of all borrowers are voluntarily using the streamlined process, which includes a standard attestation form that allows borrowers more easily to identify and provide relevant information in support of their discharge request.
- Multiple bankruptcy courts have adopted procedures recognizing the utility of the new process, aimed at further streamlining the procedures debtors must follow to obtain discharges.
“We are now able to evaluate the success of the student loan bankruptcy discharge guidance with a robust record of empirical information,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The results are clear: this guidance has helped make the promise of a fresh start in bankruptcy a meaningful option for individuals weighed down by student loan debt.”
“Our clear, fair, and practical standards are helping struggling borrowers find relief that was previously out of reach,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. “This data should puncture the myth that struggling borrowers cannot discharge their student loan debt through bankruptcy. We will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Justice to make it simpler and easier for borrowers to get much-needed relief in the way it was intended.”
In addition to the internal data surveys, the Justice Department has taken other measures to support and evaluate the new guidance. The Justice Department has been consulting closely with the Department of Education on the process. Since the implementation of the guidance, a dedicated group of experts within the Justice Department's Civil Division also has collected input on the new process from consumer law groups, including the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Finally, the Civil Division has conducted trainings for Justice Department attorneys as well as members of the public, including training events supported by regional bar associations and the courts. The Department of Education also participated in training events hosted by regional bar associations, the American Bankruptcy Institute and U.S. Trustee Program, as well as at the annual meeting of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, which included private attorneys as well as Chapter 13 trustees.
The Departments will continue to monitor the impact of the guidance to ensure that it is appropriately implemented and meets the goals it was designed to achieve.
Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Charged for Charity Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and current Nye County, Nevada, justice of the peace for her alleged scheme to defraud donors to a charity to memorialize police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
According to the indictment, Michele Fiore, 53, of Pahrump, Nevada, a then-Las Vegas city councilwoman, solicited donations to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers who were killed in the line of duty. Fiore allegedly promised donors that “100% of the contributions” would be used towards the creation of this statue. As alleged, Fiore did not use any of the tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations for the statue of the fallen officer and instead converted the money to her personal use. The donations were used to pay her political fundraising bills and rent and were transferred to family members, including to pay for her daughter’s wedding.
Fiore is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down New York Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
A federal court in the Eastern District of New York issued a permanent injunction yesterday against a Brooklyn, New York, tax return preparer.
Melinda Jacob, individually and on behalf of her business Melinda Jacob Tax Services LLC, consented to the injunction, which permanently bars her and her business from preparing federal tax returns for others.
On Feb. 5, Jacob pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. As part of her guilty plea, Jacob also agreed to be permanently barred from preparing or filing tax returns for others.
According to the Justice Department’s civil complaint, from 2019 through 2023, Jacob prepared more than 500 returns per year, which included returns that falsely claimed credits, deductions or refunds for customers which improperly reduced their tax liability or inflated their refund. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Jacob falsely claimed residential energy credits and education credits on her customers’ tax returns, even though those customers did not qualify for the credits. The complaint also alleges that Jacobs claimed false filing status and fictitious dependents on customers’ returns to generate a larger refund to which the customers were not entitled.
As a result of the court’s order, Jacob must send notice of the injunction to each person for whom she prepared federal tax returns, amended tax returns or claims for refund between Jan. 1, 2019, to the present.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jacob Order_0.pdfFact Sheet: Justice Department Improves Access to the Immigration Court SystemRead the Press Release
As part of its ongoing efforts to increase and improve access to the immigration court system, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is creating a new leadership position within EOIR’s Office of the Director focused on improving access to the immigration system and finding innovative ways to increase representation rates for noncitizens in immigration court. This new role will serve as EOIR’s public facing point of contact for government and public stakeholders with business before, or interest in, EOIR.
The new leadership role will also work to amplify interagency immigration access initiatives by proactively communicating information about available immigration services across government agencies as well as work with other government agencies to determine how best to increase access to the immigration court system as a whole. They will also serve as a central coordinator for feedback on access and representation concerns in the immigration court system and lead efforts to design responsive programming to address legal access concerns.
EOIR also continues to expand on its ongoing access initiatives, including:
- Respondent Access Portal:
- In July, EOIR announced the launch of the Respondent Access Portal, a secure online platform that allows unrepresented noncitizens with proceedings before EOIR to view case information and scheduled hearings, download their electronic case record, and file documents directly with the immigration court. The portal provides unprecedented ease of access to immigration court proceedings for unrepresented noncitizens, improving transparency and helping noncitizens better navigate the immigration court system.
- Attorney of the Day Program:
- In this program, licensed attorneys provide unrepresented noncitizens in immigration court with general information about immigration court proceedings and relief options and attend preliminary hearings. Attorneys of the Day may be volunteers, legal service providers, or law school clinicians assisted by student practitioners. Attorneys of the Day may also explain immigration court forms and how to seek pro bono legal resources.
- By the end of FY24, EOIR will expand the Attorney of the Day Program to three additional courts, Hyattsville, New York-Varick Street, and Atlanta-Peachtree. Attorney of the Day is currently available in San Francisco, New Orleans, and Chicago.
- Law School Working Group:
- EOIR’s Law School Working Group facilitates law school clinic representation in immigration court. The Working Group activities include holding merits hearings during academic semesters, and increasing student engagement at immigration court hearings, including as Friends of the Court and through limited representation.
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- Over the next few months, the Law School Working Group will meet with law school representatives in DC and surrounding areas, Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, in order to expand these efforts.
- Model Hearing Program:
- EOIR’s Model Hearing Program provides current and future immigration law practitioners with substantive and practical information about practices and procedures in immigration court.
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- The Model Hearing Program encompasses a wide range of resources and events, including live Model Hearing Program events at immigration courts, recorded model hearings and substantive law seminars available on demand, and information about the immigration court system available through the Immigration Court Online Resource website.
- Through the Model Hearing Program, EOIR has provided approximately 3,000 individuals with substantive training on immigration law as well as live practical training on representing noncitizens in immigration court.
- EOIR plans to hold another live Model Hearing Program session in September.
- Respondent Access Portal:
Court Orders West Virginia e-Cigarette Maker to Stop Selling Unauthorized Nicotine Vaping ProductsRead the Press Release
A federal court on July 2 enjoined a West Virginia company and its owner from manufacturing, distributing or selling unauthorized nicotine vaping products.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, the government alleged that Soul Vapor LLC and the company’s owner, Aurelius Jeffrey, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by causing tobacco products to become adulterated or misbranded while they were held for sale after shipment of one or more of their components in interstate commerce. According to the complaint, the defendants manufactured and sold finished electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products or e-cigarette products, including products under the Soul Vapor brand. The complaint alleged that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the defendants that their ENDS products were adulterated and misbranded.
The complaint also alleged that the defendants submitted materially false information to FDA. Under the FDCA, entities that manufacture tobacco products must annually register with FDA. The government’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely told FDA in their registration form that the company was “inactive” and “out of business” even while it continued to manufacture ENDS products. The complaint also alleged that Jeffrey told FDA that he would discontinue manufacturing and selling Soul Vapor-brand ENDS products that lacked FDA authorization, yet the products remained for sale.
The court previously granted the government’s motion for summary judgment against the defendants, finding that the defendants violated the FDCA and submitted materially false information to FDA. The order entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from directly or indirectly manufacturing, distributing, selling and/or offering for sale any new tobacco product that has not received marketing authorization from FDA. The court also ordered the defendants to destroy ENDS products that are manufactured by defendants and in their custody, control or possession.
The injunction against Soul Vapor is the most recent judicial enforcement action finalized since the Justice Department and FDA announced the creation of a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. To date, the FDA has authorized the sale of 27 specific tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products and devices. These are the only e-cigarette products that currently may be lawfully marketed and sold in the United States.
“Manufacturing and selling unauthorized vaping products is illegal and threatens public health,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the task force to bring enforcement actions against those who illegally manufacture, distribute or sell these dangerous products.”
“FDA has clearly outlined what manufacturers need to do to comply with the law, and we are committed to holding those who fail to do so accountable,” said Director Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H. of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “FDA will continue to work with our federal partners to identify and bring enforcement actions against these bad actors.”
Trial Attorney Michael J. Murali of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel William Thanhauser of FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if a case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Guam Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Kevin Mayberry, age 64, from Tamuning, was sentenced to 110 months imprisonment. He previously pled guilty to Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered two years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On August 14, 2017, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted a package containing methamphetamine hydrochloride. Law enforcement replaced the drugs with a sham product and conducted a controlled delivery. Mayberry attempted to receive the package. Upon arrest, he admitted that a friend in California sent him the methamphetamine which he intended to sell on Guam. The package contained D-methamphetamine hydrochloride with a net weight of 23 grams and a 95% purity level.
This was Mayberry’s third federal conviction for a drug offense.
“Repeat drug offenders are subject to enhanced penalties under federal law,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “These defendants are priority targets for our office as we continue to combat drug trafficking in an effort to keep our communities safe.”
“Sending methamphetamine in the mail endangers the community and postal workers. Postal inspectors will not allow the U.S. Mail to be used to traffic controlled substances. We work diligently with our law enforcement partners to remove contraband from the mail and hold suspects accountable,” said USPIS San Francisco Division Inspector-in-Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I want to thank our partner members of the Guam Interdictions Anti-Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (GIANT TF), including the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and our federal law enforcement partners for their dependable teamwork.”
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Copper Wire Thief Sentenced to 18 Months Federal Prison for Stealing from U.S. Department of the NavyRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Albert Benavente Taimanglo, age 69, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 641. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution of $44,567.90, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
In January of 2019, Taimanglo and others broke into a utility station at the United States Naval Communication Station known as Radio Barrigada. Taimanglo and his co-conspirators cut and removed copper cable. They later sold it as scrap to metal recycling facilities. The wire carried a live current, which electrocuted one of the co-conspirators. It also caused an emergency power outage and hampered important military communications capabilities.
“This case demonstrates the danger of stealing copper cable that is connected to a live grid,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The damage was beyond a simple repair, and potentially affected national security. The sentence imposed by the Court sends a strong message of deterrence. Recycling facilities are encouraged to report suspected copper theft to law enforcement at the earliest opportunity.”
This investigation was conducted by Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Shooting at Former President Donald J. Trump’s RallyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the shooting at former President Donald J. Trump’s rally:
“I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s rally, and have briefed the President. The FBI, ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Department’s National Security Division are currently working with the Secret Service as well as state and local law enforcement partners on the ground in Butler, Pennsylvania.
My heart is with the former President, those injured, and the family of the spectator killed in this horrific attack.
We will not tolerate violence of any kind, and violence like this is an attack on our democracy. The Justice Department will bring every available resource to bear to this investigation.”
U.S. Navy Reserve Officer Convicted for Bribery Scheme Impacting Department of State’s Approval Process for Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan NationalsRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a U.S. Navy Reserve commander today on multiple criminal charges related to a years-long bribery scheme involving Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan nationals.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, Florida, received bribe money from Afghan nationals in exchange for drafting, submitting, and falsely verifying false letters of recommendation for citizens of Afghanistan who applied for SIVs with the U.S. Department of State. Each year, the State Department offers limited SIVs to enter the United States for Afghan nationals employed as translators for U.S. military personnel. In connection with this program, Pittmann signed over 20 false letters in which he represented, among other things, that he personally knew and had supervised the Afghan national visa applicants while they worked as translators in support of the U.S. military and NATO; that the applicants’ lives were in jeopardy because the Taliban considered them to be traitors; and that, based on his personal knowledge of the applicants, he believed they did not pose any threat to the national security of the United States. In reality, Pittmann did not know the applicants and had no basis for recommending them for SIVs. In exchange, Pittmann received several thousands of dollars in bribes. To avoid detection, Pittmann received the bribe money through an intermediary and created false invoices purporting to show that Pittmann was receiving the money for legitimate work unrelated to his military service.
The jury convicted Pittmann of conspiracy to commit bribery and false writing, bribery, false writing, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21 and faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Inspector General Robert P. Storch of the Department of Defense; Inspector General John F. Sopko of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); and Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office made the announcement.
SIGAR, NCIS, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Theodore M. Kneller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen’s Trip to the HagueRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division traveled to The Hague, Netherlands, this week to address the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum (CTLEF) and to convene a high-level meeting with European partners on stopping the illicit flow of sensitive technology to foreign adversaries.
The CTLEF was held on July 10-11 at the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). Assistant Attorney General Olsen delivered opening remarks, along with U.S. Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ian Moss. In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Olsen discussed the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat heightened threats from domestic violent extremists in the United States, including those engaged in racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) and individuals who cite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as inspiration in targeting Jewish and Muslim Americans. He also highlighted the importance of international law enforcement cooperation to confront transnational connections among REMVE actors who spread violent ideologies across borders, including through social media and online gaming platforms.
On July 12, Assistant Attorney General Olsen cohosted a meeting at the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) aimed at enhancing transatlantic cooperation in the fight to keep sensitive western technology out of the hands of Russia and other foreign state adversaries. In addition to the Assistant Attorney General, keynote remarks were delivered by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, European Commissioner Didier Reynders (by video), and Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran. Representatives from more than 30 countries as well as several EU institutions participated in the meeting.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen (left), Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran (middle) and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin (right).In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Olsen described the threats posed by adversaries seeking sophisticated American technologies like semiconductors, quantum, hypersonics and artificial intelligence. Adversary regimes can exploit these tools to increase their military capabilities, engage in mass surveillance, and commit human rights abuses. He highlighted the success of the Department’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force – an interagency enforcement effort co-led with the Commerce Department to prevent critical technological assets from being unlawfully acquired and used by foreign adversaries. Citing recent criminal prosecutions, Assistant Attorney General Olsen emphasized the concrete impacts of criminal enforcement of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and the force-multiplier effect of international partners’ complementary efforts to deny malign actors these technologies.
“The countries represented here have a shared commitment to the common goal of combating the national security threat posed by the misuse of critical technology,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “International partnerships are critical to our work. Our adversaries’ efforts to obtain sensitive technology reach across the globe, and it demands an international response.”
Valuable insights were also shared by senior officials from the European Commission, Eurojust, Europol, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.