Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former local police officer sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for conspiring to traffic drugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 65 months in prison for conspiring with another police officer to traffic more than eight kilograms of fentanyl and for conspiring with a confidential informant to traffic 40 kilograms of cocaine.
John J. Kotchkoski, 36, of Marengo, Ohio, conspired to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
“Failing to uphold his oath to serve the residents of this great community, Kotchkoski forever stained his badge, not the badge of all the incredible men and women of the Columbus Division of Police. He should be held accountable for his misdeeds. This sentence of more than five years in prison for conspiring to distribute this poison in our community should send a message to every member of law enforcement that any such failure to uphold our oath to the community will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
According to court documents, from at least June 2021 through his September 2021 arrest, while assigned to investigate drug crimes, Kotchkoski conspired with a fellow Columbus police officer and with a confidential informant to illegally traffic drugs.
Kotchkoski provided the confidential informant approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine to be sold and then kept most of the proceeds.
The defendant conspired with the other officer to receive a portion of the drug proceeds made from selling kilogram quantities of fentanyl. For example, on at least three occasions, the coconspirator distributed fentanyl to another individual and accepted $32,500 for approximately one of the kilograms of fentanyl. Kotchkoski received a portion of these drug proceeds.
In late August 2021, Kotchkoski expected to receive an additional portion of drug proceeds for more than eight kilograms of fentanyl being provided by his coconspirator but was arrested before he was able to do so.
Kotchkoski pleaded guilty to a bill of information in April 2022.
As part of his conviction, Kotchkoski will forfeit a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Corvette, more than 20 firearms and a money judgment totaling half a million dollars.
Coconspirator Marco R. Merino was sentenced in February 2023 to nine years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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New York man pleads guilty to money laundering crimes related to nearly half million dollars stolen from local business through computer malwareRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New York man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes related to laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Columbus strength training equipment manufacturer.
Aleksandr Bogomolny, 53, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit and committing money laundering.
According to court documents, in May 2021, the FBI received a complaint to its Internet Crime Complaint Center from Rogue Fitness, which is headquartered in Columbus. The company had identified 78 outgoing transfers from a PayPal account between March 29 and April 29, 2021, totaling nearly half a million dollars.
The FBI discovered a banking Trojan that had infected the computer of a customer service employee just prior to the transfers. The specific Trojan found on the employee laptop is known by the FBI to steal banking credentials and usually targets corporate victims.
The stolen money was transferred to 22 different card numbers, including to Bogomolny’s Bank of America card.
Further investigation of Bogomolny’s bank account revealed that between December 2019 and July 2021, he laundered more than $247,000 in criminal proceeds through his account.
While executing a search warrant at the defendant’s Brooklyn residence, agents found documents that included more than 341,000 unique identifiers like names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. The search also discovered images of driver’s licenses, U.S. passports and full lists of full credit card numbers.
Bogomolny also used the online gambling site FanDuel to conspire to launder money. He and others would steal a victim’s identity and use it to create a FanDuel account. Then criminal proceeds were deposited into the account and later withdrawn. In total, Bogomolny and others used this scheme to deposit nearly $572,000 and withdraw more than $485,000 of the criminal proceeds.
Finally, Bogomolny’s plea documents detail that, in 2023, the defendant met with undercover FBI agents and agreed to launder $20,000 for a six percent fee. The funds were represented as proceeds of illegal drug activities.
Between November 2023 and March 2024, Bogomolny sent $18,800 of the original $20,000 back to the undercover FBI agents through multiple ACH transactions.
Bogomolny later agreed to accept another $50,000 from the undercover agents. He met up with the agents in April 2024 and accepted the money, at which point he was arrested.
Money laundering and conspiring to launder money are federal crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
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Jury finds Columbus man guilty of leading narcotics, sex trafficking & financial fraud conspiraciesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury found a Columbus man guilty on all counts for leading drug, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies and then attempting to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses.
The United States proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ricco Lamonte Maye, 42, used threats, violence and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes.
Maye was found guilty on all 14 counts as charged. The verdict was announced on Nov. 21 following a trial that began on Oct. 31 before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
“The jury correctly found today that Ricco Maye is a dangerous man who used violence and threats of drug withdrawal to coerce victims into engaging in illegal activity for his own profit,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “As the government proved at trial, Maye oversaw a variety of criminal endeavors, victimizing vulnerable populations, causing the death of one addicted person, and obstructing justice in an ill-fated attempt to avoid accountability. After today’s conviction, he will no longer be able to manipulate and control victims to enrich himself.”
Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant.
Beginning in at least 2018, Maye’s drug trafficking organization primarily distributed narcotics to addicts in street-level quantities. He regularly purchased narcotics from supply sources both inside and outside of Ohio and used addicts to help sell the drugs in Columbus. In addition to cash, Maye would accept stolen goods, gift cards, Social Security numbers and other items as payment for the drugs.
Maye initially gave drugs to women for free and later manipulated their addiction by requiring them to earn drug money through prostitution. Maye provided the means for the women to engage in prostitution – frequently obtaining hotel rooms, having the women driven to the hotels, providing cell phones, and directing Internet prostitution ads. Maye collected the prostitution proceeds, enforced specific rules on the women and punished the women through physical violence.
Maye was also found guilty of providing fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. In November 2018, Maye communicated with the victim in the hours before his death. The victim had been obtaining cocaine from Maye off and on for years and sought to obtain cocaine from him again in this instance but received a fatal dose of fentanyl instead.
Trial testimony detailed that Maye used violence against victims as part of overseeing his drug trafficking organization, including “stomping victims out,” smacking them, punching them, breaking their bones and knocking out their teeth.
In a financial conspiracy, Maye and other defendants filed for and received more than $30,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye kept all or a portion of the others’ benefits.
Maye was originally charged by indictment in November 2020 and has remained in federal custody since. After his initial arrest, Maye attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation into his sex trafficking and other criminal activities and conspired to tamper with witnesses. Maye’s obstruction of justice included his directing the threatened murder of a potential government witness.
Due to Maye’s prior federal drug trafficking conviction, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for distributing a controlled substance that resulted in death and the drug conspiracy charged in his case is punishable by a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. The sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion conspiracy is punishable by at least 15 years and up to life in prison. Conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiring to tamper with a witness carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison. Obstructing a sex trafficking investigation is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other officials with the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, announced the guilty verdicts. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case.
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Grand jury indicts Pennsylvania man who allegedly sexually exploited Ohio teenager he met onlineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury charged a Pennsylvania man with sexually exploiting a minor victim and traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the victim.
Dustin Combs, 30, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, allegedly traveled to central Ohio on numerous occasions to engage in sex acts with a 13-year-old girl he met online.
Combs was arrested in Pennsylvania and was arraigned in federal court today in Columbus.
According to the 10-count indictment returned on Nov. 8, for at least 10 months, Combs sexually exploited the minor victim by producing child pornography that depicted the victim and filming their sex acts at various locations including at Columbus area hotels.
It is alleged that Combs traveled to Ohio on least five occasions in July, October and November 2023 and April 2024 to engage in illegal sex acts with the victim.
Sexual exploitation of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor is a federal crime that carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Miami County man pleads guilty to possessing unregistered destructive devicesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Troy, Ohio, man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing unregistered destructive devices.
Steven J. Werling, 54, admitted that, in April, he knowingly possessed two improvised explosive devices.
According to court documents, on April 4 and 5, law enforcement officials executed a court-authorized search warrant at Werling’s residence on Barnhart Road in Troy. Prior investigation revealed that Werling had researched and made purchases related to the construction of improvised explosive devices.
Specifically, Werling possessed two plastic cylinders that had an explosive mixture of contents within. The cylinders and their contents are firearms under the National Firearms Act, specifically, destructive devices.
The plea includes a sentence recommendation of up to 24 months in prison.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas A. Dingeldein is representing the United States in this case.
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Butler County man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting infant, childRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – David John Frahm, 63, of Trenton, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court to 300 months in prison for sexually exploiting children. Frahm committed a hands-on offense against an infant victim and a five-year-old victim and then shared photographs of the sexual abuse via an encrypted instant message application.
Frahm used the app to gain access to chat rooms where people discussed child sexual abuse and shared photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. In March and April 2023, Frahm shared three images of the abuse he committed.
Agents arrested Frahm in April 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. As part of his sentence, the Court ordered Frahm to a lifetime of supervised release.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; and the Lebanon Police Department announced the sentence imposed on Nov. 15 by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Grand jury indicts 6 defendants in straw purchasing conspiracy involving firearms bought online with stolen credit card informationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury indicted six individuals with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by making false statements on federal firearms forms. The individuals allegedly conspired to use stolen credit card information to place orders online for straw purchase firearms.
Those charged include:
NameAlso Known AsAgeCity of ResidenceKeith Davenport IIIKeefy21ColumbusEllyson Jeffries 23ReynoldsburgJavohn GarciaJG23ReynoldsburgD’andre Beasley 31ColumbusJohna McCoy 27AtlantaVincent IrvinV33ColumbusThe indictment was returned on Oct. 30 and all six defendants have been arrested since that time. The case was unsealed on Nov. 15.
According to the 14-count indictment, members of the conspiracy allegedly placed orders with online firearms retailers, and then had the guns transferred to firearms retailers for in-person pick-up in Reynoldsburg, Columbus, New Albany, Pataskala and Pickerington, as well as in Atlanta and Smyrna, Georgia. Coconspirators allegedly used stolen credit card information to place the orders and lied on the federal firearms forms saying they were purchasing the firearms for themselves. It is alleged that defendants then sold or intended to sell many of the firearms that were acquired illegally.
Each of the six defendants is charged in the conspiracy that allegedly occurred from approximately May until September 2022 and involved the illegal purchase of at least 50 firearms.
Davenport is also charged with aggravated identity theft.
Conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to five years in prison. Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Columbus man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for role in conspiracy involving drugs mailed from ArizonaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ontario M. Yarbrough, 26, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison for his involvement in a narcotics conspiracy involving kilogram quantities of drugs being mailed from Arizona to Columbus.
According to court documents, from April until October 2023, Yarbrough received and accepted at least five packages of narcotics. In addition to receiving five packages himself, Yarbrough tracked on the USPS website nine additional packages which were sent from Arizona to Columbus. Yarbrough maintained a property on South Burgess Avenue in Columbus where he received the drugs, re-packaged them and distributed them. One intercepted package contained approximately half a kilogram of fentanyl.
When a search warrant was executed at his home, agents discovered fentanyl, cocaine and firearms.
The defendant was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in October 2023. Yarbrough pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the sentence imposed on Nov. 12 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.
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Jackson County volunteer fire chief sentenced to year in prison for mail fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The chief of the Coalton volunteer fire department was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 12 months in prison for using more than $200,000 in fire department funds for personal expenses.
Johnny Baker, 38, of Wellston, Ohio, used his position as manager of the fire department’s finances to build up cash via pull tab sales. Baker raised funds from the local community through the legal form of gambling, which he initially implemented as a fundraiser. Several local businesses sold pull tabs to the community and sent the proceeds to Baker. Initially, Baker used proceeds to buy needed supplies for the department, but eventually supplemented his own income and spent money on cruises, resorts, sporting events, an ATV, firearms and more.
Baker began working for the volunteer fire department in 2009, filling various roles over the years including secretary/treasurer, assistant fire chief, and as of January 2023, fire chief.
He pleaded guilty in April to one count of mail fraud for the embezzlement, which included using fire department money to have items for his personal use shipped to his house via UPS. As part of his sentence, Baker will pay approximately $226,000 in restitution.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Butler County man sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for narcotics conspiracy involving at least 11 kilograms of fentanyl & cocaineRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Butler County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 200 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for conspiring to traffic at least 11 kilograms of narcotics.
In February 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett found Eric Jason Clark, 42, of Fairfield, guilty of participating in a narcotics conspiracy. Judge Barrett announced the verdict following a bench trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clark was dealing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in Cincinnati and had criminal contacts in the Los Angeles area.
In May 2021, The DEA received intelligence that Clark had expressed interest in purchasing 10 kilograms of cocaine from a source in Los Angeles for $33,000 per kilogram. Later that month, Clark met locally with a confidential source to arrange a drug transaction after being contacted by an undercover agent. Clark told the source he wanted to obtain a shipment of fentanyl, calling it “China.”
During his arrest in August 2021, Clark had five kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, more than $204,000 in cash and five cell phones in his car. At his stash house – a luxury apartment on Freedom Way in Cincinnati – agents found three more kilograms of fentanyl and three more kilograms of cocaine. At the residence in which Clark resided in Fairfield, agents discovered more than $15,000 in cash and two firearms.
Clark was on federal supervised release when he was arrested for the instant offense in August 2021. He was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A Jones; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the sentence imposed today. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette are representing the United States in this case.
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U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announces election day program to protect voting rightsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today that Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. Deputy Criminal Chief Knight has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Ohio, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Parker said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
Deputy Criminal Chiefs Emily Glatfelter and Brent Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate are also serving as District Election Officers. To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Ms. Knight and Mr. Glenn-Applegate can be reached in Columbus at 614-469-5715. Ms. Glatfelter can be reached in Cincinnati at 513-684-3711. Mr. Tabacchi can be reached in Dayton at 937-225-2910.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. Please direct allegations of election fraud and other election abuses to the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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Cincinnati man who structured financial transactions from pandemic fraud proceeds sentenced to 4 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Nii A. Tei, 47, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. Tei was also ordered to pay approximately $161,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and forfeit bank account balances, currency, watches and other items seized by law enforcement pursuant to warrants obtained during the investigation.
According to court documents, Tei held himself out as someone who could prepare PPP loan applications for others for pay. In the PPP loan applications Tei prepared, he inflated the average monthly payroll and number of employees associated with each business. Tei charged substantial fees for preparing PPP applications.
In total, Tei submitted more than 60 PPP loan applications and lenders funded 30 of them, with a total value of more than $1.2 million. Tei earned between $1,500 and $7,000 per loan and spent his proceeds on travel, luxury goods and foreign remittances.
In August 2020, Tei structured proceeds from this scheme at his bank in Cincinnati in an attempt to conceal the source of these funds and evade reporting requirements to the federal government.
He was charged federally in September 2022 and pleaded guilty in April 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; and other members of the Financial Crime Working Group Pandemic Fraud Subcommittee announced the sentence imposed on Oct. 31 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Perry County man sentenced to 23 years in prison for soliciting pornography from hundreds of minors while pretending to be teen girl on SnapchatRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Junction City, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court in Columbus today to 276 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography.
Since 2018, Clay Thomas Wolfe, 28, solicited child pornography from more than 300 victims via the mobile application Snapchat. Approximately 100 exploitation victims who provided sexual content to Wolfe have been identified by law enforcement as minors thus far from across multiple states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
Wolfe pretended on Snapchat to be a 15-year-old female named “Ally” who lived in Ohio and used this persona to solicit child pornography from primarily middle school and high school aged boys. Wolfe’s Snapchat account also contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of minor males as young as 10 and 11 years old.
The investigation was initiated in April 2022, when law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania learned that a sixth-grade student was sharing a nude photograph of a classmate that he had received from Wolfe while Wolfe was pretending to be “Ally.”
As part of his online persona, Wolfe sent the male victims photos and videos of pubescent female’s naked breasts and genitalia that he found on adult pornography sites or public social media accounts. He would use that content to entice the minors he chatted with to send content of their own including image and video files of primarily minor males, some as young as twelve-years-old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct such as bestiality, masturbation, and sexual acts including oral and anal penetration. Wolfe would also extort the victims by threatening to send the nude images of his victims to their friends and family unless they sent him additional images.
In total, Wolfe received approximately 850 images and 570 videos depicting child pornography.
Wolfe was arrested and charged federally in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Iatarola commended the cooperation of the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and Perry County Prosecutor. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch and are representing the United States in this case.
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Hamilton man pleads guilty to illegally possessing firearms, Glock switchRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing firearms, including a fully automatic weapon.
Justin Ervin, 35, of Hamilton, admitted to possessing a machinegun-conversion device, known as a switch. The device converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon.
Ervin’s plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 60 months in prison.
According to court documents, in May 2024, Hamilton police officers executed a search warrant at a residence in which Ervin had been living. Officers were originally called to the house in response to a strangulation incident, for which Ervin has pleaded guilty in state court. Officers discovered seven firearms, one conversion device and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition at the residence.
As a previously convicted felon for robbery and arson, Ervin is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Ervin was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in June 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Hamilton Police Chief Trent Chenowith announced the guilty plea entered on Oct. 30 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe and Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati woman sentenced to 2 years in prison for defrauding insurance company of $200,000 through fake rental insurance applicationsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Erlisa King, 37, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for committing wire fraud by submitting hundreds of untrue applications for rental insurance.
According to court documents, in May and June 2022, King defrauded an insurance company by submitting 247 applications for rental insurance for apartments in which she did not reside. King applied online for the insurance and used fraudulent bank information so the insurance company could not collect the initial premium. She then immediately canceled the policy and directed the insurance company to refund the premium to a different bank account. In total, King received more than $212,000 in fraudulent refunds.
When she was arrested in March 2023, King’s cell phone contained multiple bank applications for lines of credit and Target debit cards, as well as stolen identity information for numerous victims.
King pleaded guilty in February 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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Defendant pleads guilty to throwing incendiary device, causing fire in local grocery storeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A local man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to damaging a Spring Grove Village grocery store with an incendiary device in the style of a Molotov cocktail.
Donald Donatelli, 28, currently of Batavia, admitted to causing malicious damage and destruction of a building in interstate commerce. The plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 66 months in prison.
According to court documents, at approximately 10pm on Nov. 26, 2023, Donatelli threw the incendiary device into the store while the store’s owner and his wife were inside. The store was open at the time of the fire.
Donatelli had traveled to the grocery store on Gwinnet Drive with a co-defendant. Donatelli approached the front glass doors of the grocery store and had a bottle of gasoline with a rag inside. He lit the rag and threw the bottle inside the front doors while the co-defendant filmed a Snapchat video of the crime.
A federal grand jury indicted Donatelli and the co-defendant in April 2024. Charges remain pending against Angela Schweitzer, 35.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge McCormick acknowledged the assistance of the Cincinnati Fire Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Union Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case.
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Columbus man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for drug & gun crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man known as “Philly” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 130 months in prison for narcotics and firearms crimes.
Bernard Clark McMillon, 32, conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl and five grams or more of methamphetamine. McMillon also possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from fall of 2022 through February 2023, McMillon and a co-defendant used a series of different houses in central Ohio to traffic fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine. Their stash houses included residences on South Terrace, Doren, Columbian, Floral and Springmont avenues and McCarley Drive West.
McMillon and the co-defendant took advantage of people with addictions who were using the defendants’ residences to make drug sales on their behalf.
Law enforcement seized two pistols and a 12-gauge shotgun as part of this investigation.
A federal grand jury indicted McMillon in February 2023 and he pleaded guilty in June 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Micheal H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Tyler Aagard are representing the United States in this case.
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Man who sold methamphetamine, firearms with conversion devices, sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jamal Rashad Frazier, 32, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 144 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine and weapons with auto-conversion devices.
An auto-conversion device, or a Glock switch, turns a firearm into a fully automatic weapon, allowing the entire magazine of bullets to be released in seconds with one pull of the trigger.
According to court documents, in April and May 2023, Frazier sold methamphetamine and firearms with auto-conversion devices to undercover agents on multiple occasions. In total, Frazier possessed more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. He sold four firearms, two of which had conversion devices, and possessed three other firearms when he was arrested.
Frazier was charged federally and arrested in June 2023. He pleaded guilty in June 2024 to possessing a machinegun and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed on Oct. 23 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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U.S. Attorney Parker honors community, law enforcement efforts in third annual awards ceremonyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, presented the 2024 Law Enforcement and Community Awards, honoring individuals and groups for their work to reduce gun violence and provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and exploitation.
“The recipients of this year’s awards embody the spirit and dedication of what it means to come together and work hard for the greater good,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “These fine individuals exemplify being part of a positive community every day. They deserve our recognition and gratitude.”
The awards include:
Kaia Grant Badge of Bravery and Sacrifice Award
Springboro Police Officer Christopher Heath Martin
Officer Heath Martin, a 20-year veteran of the Springboro Police Department, was first to the scene of a fire inside a home in June 2023. Officer Martin rescued a 36-year-old man, who uses a wheelchair, from a back bedroom of the home. The victim’s battery-operated wheelchair is believed to be the cause of the fire and had exploded. The officer’s body worn camera captured his life-saving actions of finding the victim and bringing him to safety.
Law Enforcement Excellence Award
FBI Special Agent Robert Buzzard
Special Agent Buzzard serves as the lead agent on the FBI's Southern Ohio Safe Streets Task Force (SOSSTF) and is known throughout the Miami Valley for his law enforcement excellence and expertise. The depth of his drug trafficking investigations often leads to the sources of supply outside of the United States. Examples of cases in which he was the lead agent include U.S. v. Walton et al – in which the United States successfully dismantled a sophisticated long-running drug trafficking organization led by two brothers – and U.S. v. Goddard et al – a case involving two Dayton men who were convicted on all counts for crimes related to the 2019 death of Dayton Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio. The defendants were each sentenced to life in prison.
Project Safe Neighborhood’s Guardian Award
ATF Special Agent Derek Graham
Special Agent Graham has effectively and creatively investigated a significant number of firearms-related crimes in the Southern District of Ohio. He has developed a special expertise in investigating straw purchasing cases. In recent months, Special Agent Graham has investigated and solved cases involving more than 20 defendants and approximately 100 firearms. One case involved a murder and five armed robberies across jurisdictions. The shooter and getaway driver have since been sentenced to 40 years and 23 years in prison respectively. In 2024 alone, Special Agent Graham has also either completed or assisted with 57 call detail records, 61 pen registers, 92 ping orders, 69 location mappings and 21 forensic extractions for agents and task force officers, as well as local police departments.
The Project Safe Childhood Shield of Innocence Award
HSI Special Agent Sara Sellers
Since joining Homeland Security Investigations Columbus in December 2020, Special Agent Sellers has initiated more than 80 criminal investigations. Special Agent Sellers joined the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force in July 2023 and has developed the reputation as an extremely hardworking and diligent investigator. An example of her unwavering commitment to the investigation and prosecution of child predators around the world occurred in December 2023, when Special Agent Sellers was called after hours with an investigative referral from Australia regarding a potential minor victim currently being sexually abused in Ohio. Special Agent Sellers left the restaurant at which she was dining to begin the task of locating the victim and perpetrator immediately. Within 24 hours, Special Agent Sellers had confirmed the identity of the suspect, located her and the minor victim and secured warrants to arrest the suspect and execute a search warrant to obtain additional evidence in this investigation that also spawned new leads. Special Agent Sellers continues to dedicate her efforts to protect minor victims and is helping lead an investigation abroad into an international ring of exploiters who create and distribute child sexual abuse material.
Polaris Community Service Award
Department of Veteran Affairs’ Mobile Evaluation Team, Columbus Division of Police Mobile Crisis Response Team & Columbus Public Health
The partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police, Veterans Evaluation Team, and the Columbus Division of Police's Mobile Crisis Response Team exemplifies exceptional innovation, collaboration, and dedication in community service. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized VMET’s Clinical Director Dr. Heather Robinson, Investigator Jesse King, Benjamin Stark and Alexandra Woodruff, Columbus Police Lt. Michael Voorhis, Sgt. John Cheatham and Officers Francis Scalfani, Veronica Poehler, Robert Heinzman and Anthony Roberts, and Columbus Public Health Supervisor Kerith Palletti and Social Workers Kierstin Dettmers, Kevin Kincaid, Zach Simmons and Jason Cole for the collaboration that has created a vital connection between law enforcement and the Veteran community, addressing the unique challenges faced by veterans in crisis.
By merging the specialized expertise of the VA Police Veterans Response Team with the crisis intervention skills of the Columbus Division of Police Mobile Crisis Response Team, they have established a comprehensive support system that is both empathetic and effective. Together, these teams have introduced innovative crisis intervention strategies. Through joint protocols and training sessions, they have ensured both teams are well-prepared to handle the complexities of veteran-specific mental health crises. This partnership has pioneered the integration of mental health professionals into crisis response scenarios, leading to more informed and compassionate interactions with veterans in distress.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Columbus)
Center for Family Safety & Healing and the Columbus Division of Police’s ACT-DV program
U.S. Attorney Parker recognized Center for Family Safety & Healing’s Interim Director Nancy Cunningham, President Melissa Graves, Justice System In-Research Supervisor Amber Howell and Sheronda Paramore, as well as Columbus Police Assistant Chief Greg Bodker and Commander Joseph Curmode for their work developing bridges to effectively link justice, advocacy and health systems and to build trust between residents and law enforcement.
Through ACT-DV, trained victim advocates respond with police officers at the scene of domestic violence crimes. This important public safety and victim services partnership increases access to support resources by offering safety planning, shelter and linkage to health/ mental health services immediately after a traumatic incident. Advocates also prepare victims for what to expect through the criminal prosecution process. Having advocates and officers work side by side supports the victims’ best interest and builds trust between community and law enforcement. This effort also helps police officers develop a deeper understanding of domestic violence and the complexity, power and danger that far too often keeps women in abusive homes.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Dayton)
Ms. Lisa Lucchesi, CareSource Health Plan
Ms. Lucchesi serves as the National Human Trafficking Project Manager for CareSource Health Plan, and her passion is to advocate for children who are being trafficked or at high risk of trafficking. She coordinated with local law enforcement agencies and service providers to organize a highly successful CareSource Human Trafficking Awareness Summit in Dayton. Ms. Lucchesi continues to host meetings with local and national stakeholders to focus on the crime of the sexual trafficking of minors, how to identify the victims, what resources are available for them and how to help these minor victims to improve their lives. Thanks to Ms. Lucchesi, the Dayton Police Department, Montgomery County Childrens Services and Montgomery County Juvenile Court have improved their processes in looking below the surface in identifying youth victims of sex trafficking who sadly sometimes don’t see themselves as victims.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Cincinnati)
John McConnaughey, Cincinnati Citizens Police Association
Mr. McConnaughey’s service to his community has included serving on the Board of Directors for the FBI Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association, as an Associate Member of the Hamilton County Police Association and as the President of the Cincinnati Citizens’ Police Association (CCPA), which provides support to the Cincinnati law enforcement community. He was one of the founders of the Gang Initiative Project and the Southern Ohio Chapter of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association. Both organizations work with the Cincinnati public schools to combat gang activity. Mr. McConnaughey is a dedicated advocate for reducing crime and violence amongst youth.
Mitch Morris, Cincinnati Works
Mr. Morris is a dedicated community servant leader, working to end gun violence in the community. He connects at-risk youth with mentors and helps them find work through Cincinnati Works. Cincinnati Works partners with people in poverty to assist them in advancing economic self-sufficiency. Mr. Morris oversees the organization’s Phoenix Program Outreach & Mentoring. His dedication to ending poverty and gun violence is unwavering.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s annual law enforcement awards, please contact Law Enforcement Coordinator Mitchell Seckman at 614-469-5715.
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Cincinnati man who was convicted at trial of sex trafficking, exploiting 2 teens sentenced to 40 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 480 months in prison and to a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking minors, sexually exploiting children and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
Kelly Richards, 43, was found guilty on all five counts following a six-day jury trial in April before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins.
“Richards drugged, raped, abused, photographed and sold two teenage girls. He held them for days in a one-bedroom apartment with multiple firearms he was forbidden to own, wantonly mistreating them for his own physical, sordid desires, financial gain, and the pleasure of others. He deserves to spend the next 40 years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
Richards is also known as “Scorpio” and has a tattoo of a scorpion on the left side of his face.
According to court documents and trial testimony, investigators were alerted in March 2023 that two juveniles had been screened as potential sex trafficking victims.
Richards picked up the two juveniles after they fled a group home in Dayton. Richards then drove them to his one-bedroom apartment in Cincinnati. At the apartment, Richards provided the minors with cocaine before sexually assaulting them.
Richards forced the juveniles to have sex with other men for money that was paid to Richards. The defendant created prostitution advertisements online with explicit pictures of the minor victims and used physical violence against them. Richards held the juveniles in his apartment for multiple days. Court documents detail that one victim was prostituted up to four times per day in hotels and homes.
Federal agents arrested Richards on May 16, 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and other members of the FBI’s Anti-Trafficking Task Force announced the sentence imposed today. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Megan Gaffney Painter are representing the United States in this case.
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Columbus man who fired weapon in parking lot of Polaris area golf entertainment venue sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Davon L. Rayford, 28, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for gun and drug crimes. The defendant opened fire in the parking lot of an area golf entertainment center during an altercation last winter.
“Escalating to gun violence is never the answer,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “People should be free to go about their daily lives and visit local businesses without fear. This case shows that if you break federal firearms laws and endanger others, you could face significant time in federal prison.”
According to court documents, in February 2023, Rayford went to the Topgolf near Polaris with several other people. An altercation began between Rayford and the other individuals with whom he was golfing, and at approximately 4:30pm, Rayford went to his car and retrieved a Glock 9mm pistol. Rayford fired several shots at the individuals in their car and fled. The business’s parking lot was full of other customers at the time.
A special duty officer was present and collected the shell casings. Rayford was also captured on the business’s surveillance video footage.
The next day, Rayford was involved in a car crash. When officers arrived, Rayford was intoxicated and trying to leave the scene of the crash. Upon arresting Rayford, officers discovered methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and Xanax, the Glock 9mm pistol and $5,000 in cash.
The crime lab determined the pistol was a ballistics match to the one used at the Topgolf shooting.
Rayford was charged federally and arrested in June 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024. He admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The Court ordered Rayford to serve his federal sentence consecutive to his current state sentence with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, which is due to end in August 2026.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case.
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Grand jury indicts 5 defendants in multi-state narcotics, nearly $25 million money laundering conspiraciesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury charged five defendants with narcotics and money laundering conspiracy crimes involving multiple kilograms of drugs in at least eight states and nearly $25 million of allegedly laundered proceeds.
Those charged include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceCharles Wooden46Pickerington, OhioGregory Fountain37Columbus, Ohio & Montgomery, IllinoisAlexis Ortega31Columbus, OhioCarl Campbell30Newnan, GeorgiaCourtney Musick37Pickerington, OhioAccording to the 25-count indictment, the defendants conspired to traffic five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl in a years-long multi-state narcotics operation.
From 2015 until 2024, it is alleged that defendants conspired to launder at least $24,848,490 in drug proceeds.
The indictment details that defendants allegedly used FedEx to ship drug proceeds from the Columbus area to California, Texas and other states to buy more narcotics for distribution. They also allegedly shipped the money in an attempt to conceal the nature of the drug proceeds. Some defendants are alleged to have purchased, renovated, rented, and sold real estate as a means of money laundering.
Coconspirators allegedly used drug proceeds to rent houses, buy airline tickets, pay for hotel rooms and facilitate travel to traffic the cocaine, fentanyl and cash between Columbus and California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and other states.
The narcotics conspiracy as charged in this case against Wooden, Fountain, Ortega and Campbell is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. The money laundering crimes carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Wooden, Musick and Ortega were arrested today. The indictment was returned on Oct. 15 and unsealed following the arrests today.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Owner of local ‘Raining Cash’ tax company pleads guilty to causing $1.2M in lossesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local tax preparer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to aiding in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
Ali Kasimu Alston, 48, of Columbus, offered his guilty plea during an arraignment today.
According to court documents, from at least 2015 through at least 2022, Alston owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Columbus named Overtime Ventures, LLC that did business as Raining Cash Tax Service.
Alston admitted to systematically falsifying client tax returns to maximize refunds from the IRS. He filed Schedule Cs with fake businesses to maximize tax credits. For example, one false tax return for calendar year 2021 reported false losses for a home healthcare company that did not exist. The false business losses reduced the client’s taxable income, thereby decreasing the tax due and increasing the client’s claimed tax refund.
The defendant also attempted to bribe one of his former employees with $4,000 in cash to provide false information to law enforcement, which he knew at the time was investigating his tax preparation business.
Alston was charged by a bill of information in September 2024. As part of his conviction, he will pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to the IRS. Alston will be sentenced at a future hearing.
Aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office, announced the guilty plea offered today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Licking County man sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for conspiracy crime involving videos of monkey torture & mutilationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Licking County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 54 months in prison for conspiring to create and distribute videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. The sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. is an upward variance from the sentencing guidelines in this case.
Ronald P. Bedra, 42, of Etna, pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to create and distribute “animal crush” videos and to distributing the videos.
According to court documents, Bedra conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Bedra also mailed a thumb drive containing 64 videos of monkey torture to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin.
The videos included depictions of monkeys having their digits and limbs severed and monkeys being forcibly sodomized with a heated screwdriver.
“We will punish participants of sadistic conspiracies like this one no matter their role in the crime,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker of the Southern District of Ohio. “As this case shows, even if you do not commit the torture firsthand, you will be held accountable for promoting this obscene animal abuse.”
“Defendant Ronald Bedra commissioned grotesque videos of torture of juvenile and baby monkeys,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Such appalling conduct has no place in our society. The Justice Department stands ready to prosecute individuals engaging in this activity to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s unwavering commitment to combating the exploitation of wildlife in any form,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “These monstrous crimes are indefensible. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who harm animals protected under federal and international laws and treaties will face serious consequences. We continue to work diligently with our partners to identify and prosecute individuals engaged in these cruel activities to the fullest extent of the law.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FBI and HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environmental and Natural Resource Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
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Registered sex offender arrested on federal charges alleging he targets & exploits local high school studentsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Law enforcement agents arrested a Columbus man this morning on federal charges alleging he sexually exploited high school girls and coerced them into engaging in commercial sex acts.
Terrance P. Cummings, 29, has a criminal history of unlawful sexual conduct with minors dating back to 2016. In this case, Cummings’s federal child exploitation charge carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison and the coercion and enticement charge pending against him is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI asks anyone with information related to the criminal allegations against Cummings to text 740-428-0739.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in July 2024, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received information about a 16-year-old victim allegedly receiving gifts and illicit substances from Cummings in exchange for sex acts.
The court documents allege Cummings had sex with numerous minor victims in exchange for drugs in addition to requesting nude images of them. On some occasions, Cummings would allegedly provide the drug to the minor victims before engaging in sex acts with them. It is alleged that Cummings sold or provided fentanyl, marijuana, Xanax, cocaine, acid and ecstasy.
While executing a search warrant at Cummings’s apartment in August, agents discovered a variety of narcotics, along with two iPhones submerged in the water tank on the back of the bathroom toilet, which Cummings had allegedly attempted to destroy after learning about the warrant.
Cummings’s electronics and other accounts contained more than 18,000 sexual images and videos including child pornography. The investigation revealed that Cummings requested sexually explicit content in exchange for money, gifts and drugs.
Cummings is charged with sexually exploiting a minor, distributing, receiving or possessing child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice. His case was unsealed today, and he appeared in federal court at 1:15pm.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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6 defendants sentenced to prison for trafficking nearly 12 kilograms of methamphetamine in Adderall lookalike pills via the dark webRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Six Texans convicted as part of a large-scale dark web drug trafficking organization have been sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati.
According to court documents, from July 2019 through December 2020, the co-conspirators distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine – pressed to look like legitimate Adderall pills – over the dark web. The defendants sold at least 11.98 kilograms total of methamphetamine in pills and laundered between $15,000 and $50,000 per month using cryptocurrency. The group shipped the drugs nationwide, including into the Southern District of Ohio, using the United States Postal Service.
The defendants used the vendor name “Loverbois,” along with several other usernames, and averaged 20 orders per day.
Those sentenced in this case include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceSentence ImposedHung Ahn Huy Phung26Houston, Texas84 months in prisonJohn G. Dang24Houston, Texas75 months in prisonBernardo Guzman31Houston, Texas72 months in prisonStephanie R. Pray35Houston, TexasFive years’ probationKevin Tran25Houston, Texas60 months in prisonChazton Harris29Houston, Texas74 months in prisonCourt documents detail that Phung created and ran the Loverbois account(s) for much of the conspiracy period. He took orders online and obtained pills from Tran and Guzman. Phung also coordinated the receipt of cryptocurrency in exchange for the pills and laundered those proceeds.
Guzman had a pill press and industrial mixer at his apartment in Houston, where Phung also lived for a period of time. Harris also lived in the Houston apartment, where he pressed his own pills for distribution. Pray aided Guzman by helping obtain, pack, and ship the pills.
Dang packaged pills for shipment and delivery and helped move and launder cryptocurrency. Dang laundered approximately $15,000 per month.
The Loverbois online drug trafficking organization sold and shipped pills to undercover law enforcement officers in the Southern District of Ohio in a series of transactions.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendants in June 2021. The final defendant, Kevin Tran, was sentenced on Sept. 30.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Charles L. Grinstead, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Kansas City Field Office; Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Mason Police Chief Levi Wells; Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz and the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. “Fritz” Shadley is representing the United States in this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Columbus man sentenced to 6 years in prison for conspiring to launder $9.5 million in drug proceedsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to 72 months in prison for conspiring to launder millions of dollars of drug trafficking money through a Columbus grocery store front business.
From at least 2016 until at least 2021, Alejandro Ventura-Santos, 45, conspired to launder upwards of $9.5 million in drug proceeds.
The defendant purported to help operate La Tiendita, a small grocery store in Columbus that actually served as a large-scale money-laundering hub. Drug traffickers would come into the store and drop off large amounts of cash to Ventura-Santos, who would then falsify sender names and addresses and wire the drug money to dealers in structured amounts.
According to court documents, Ventura-Santos wired the money to drug trafficking organizations in Mexico in aid of their drug trafficking in central Ohio. The defendant structured the amount and timing of transactions to avoid reporting requirements and detection.
As one example, Ventura-Santos accepted $9,900 from undercover agents who said they were heroin dealers. The defendant kept a 10 percent commission from the undercover agents and wired the money to the provided recipient names.
In total, Ventura-Santos personally obtained at least $1 million, which he will forfeit.
Ventura-Santos was charged federally in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Commission announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Timothy Prichard are representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man pleads guilty to conspiring to steal mail from USPS collection boxes, faces 4 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – DuJuane L. Samuels, 25, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit mail theft.
The plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 48 months in prison.
According to court documents, at 3am on March 11, Samuels unlawfully possessed a postal key, which he used to access mail collection boxes on Cornell Road in Cincinnati.
Samuels stole mail from the boxes, including a GPS device that was monitored by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The GPS data led investigators back to Samuels’s residence on Republic Avenue in Cincinnati.
During a subsequent search of the property, agents discovered a stolen USPS arrow key, a firearm and numerous stolen checks.
Samuels was indicted on March 25.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Columbus man pleads guilty to aiding and abetting armed postal robberyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A sixth co-conspirator in a network of defendants connected to six local armed robberies of postal carriers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.
Malachi S. Royster, 21, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated robbery of property of the United States and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Royster admitted that he helped pre-plan a May 11, 2023, robbery of a postal carrier. He accompanied co-conspirators that morning while they scouted for potential postal workers to rob; served as the getaway driver before, during and after the robbery on West Broad St.; and accompanied co-conspirators while they returned the firearm used in the robbery to other co-conspirators. Royster’s plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 60 to 84 months in prison.
Royster is one of six men charged in connection with six central Ohio postal robberies between November 2022 and May 2023.
Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was the gunman in a Nov. 9, 2022, postal carrier robbery. Williams committed the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams also admitted to planning a postal robbery and conspiring to commit the robbery on Christmas Eve 2022. Williams pleaded guilty in July 2024 and faces a sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.
Theirno S. Bah, 20, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. Cameron D. Newton, 20, of Westerville, aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.
Bah used a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys. Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with the robbery. Newton also arranged for Bah to use the handgun, which was provided by co-conspirator Jaemaun Evans, 20, of Columbus.
On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys. At this robbery, Newton provided surveillance from his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.
Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys. Newton again provided surveillance in the vicinity. He also worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal keys.
On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys. Newton obtained a firearm for Bah to use during this robbery from Kenan M. Lay, 21, of Columbus. Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of the elderly female postal worker in exchange for $100.
Bah faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison and Newton faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Lay was sentenced in April to 66 months in prison. Evans was sentenced in September 2024 to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 12-month term of house arrest.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.
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Cincinnati man pleads guilty to selling machinegun, possessing firearm within 1,000 feet of local high schoolRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Antonio White, 19, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three separate gun crimes.
White pleaded guilty to attempted firearm trafficking, illegal possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm in a school zone.
According to court documents, throughout the course of the investigation, White sold 11 firearms, one machine gun conversion device, a bulletproof vest, two extended pistol magazines and a 50-round drum.
For example, in April 2024, White sold undercover agents a pistol with a “switch” machine gun conversion device. The firearm was an untraceable “ghost gun” that had no serial number.
White believed the firearms were being trafficked out-of-state to have their serial numbers obliterated and sold to gang members.
White also exited Dohn Community High School on 4th Street in Cincinnati while possessing a pistol in April 2024.
White was arrested in May 2024.
He faces up to 15 years in prison and up to five years consecutive to that. Congress sets maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Micheal R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case.
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Previously convicted felon sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for fentanyl, firearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who illegally possessed kilograms of narcotics and multiple loaded firearms in the same residence as six young children was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 135 months in prison.
Shedrick Hawkins, 33, possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and illegally possessed firearms as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, in April and May 2023, investigators learned Hawkins was the source of supply for many undercover drug transactions they had conducted.
In June 2023, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Hawkins’s residence, where six children ranging from infancy to 9 years old were present. At the residence, investigators discovered nearly one kilogram of fentanyl, more than 1.7 kilograms of cocaine and four firearms. One of the firearms had a sear installed, which makes the firearm capable of acting as a fully automatic weapon. Investigators also discovered nearly $18,000 in cash, five cell phones and multiple rounds of ammunition in the residence.
Hawkins was charged federally in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Kevin W. Kelley, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Heidy T. Carr of the Columbus City Attorney’s Office are representing the United States in this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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16 defendants guilty in narcotics, firearms conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The leader of a drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty in federal court. He was the final of 16 individuals who have agreed to plead guilty in a narcotics and firearms conspiracies case.
Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
A federal grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.
In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.
The case originated with two individuals involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Mason Meyer, 32, and Kirsten Johnson, 26, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.
According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.
Additional investigation tied Meyer and Johnson to Haskamp’s drug trafficking organization. Haskamp was Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.
Haskamp faces a potential sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
Others convicted in this case include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceWilliam Keith Jenkins37CincinnatiMichael Alden Mobley42Ghent, Ky.Michael Tyler Boeh35CincinnatiVictoria Stauffer30CincinnatiQuincy Pemberton33CincinnatiDamon Gene Wade31California, Ky.Kelly Marie Smart35CincinnatiKevin Patrick Thiery44CincinnatiCrystal Randall37CincinnatiRory Hartmann30CincinnatiJulie Renae Wetzel34CincinnatiAshley Long30CincinnatiHaley Pennington26Moraine, OhioKenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the convictions. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
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Home health care companies owner convicted of Medicaid fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury convicted Sally Njume-Tatsing, 47, formerly of Pickerington, of Medicaid fraud. Njume-Tatsing was found guilty on all 13 counts as charged.
The verdict was announced following a trial that began on Sept. 9 before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2017, Njume-Tatsing owned and operated three home healthcare businesses named Labelle Home Health. The agencies were located in Reynoldsburg, Mt. Vernon and Parma.
Njume-Tatsing resided in California during the majority of the time she owned the businesses, and despite not being involved in Labelle’s daily operations, she did all of the Medicaid billing for nursing services.
While billing Medicaid for health aide services to individuals in their homes, the defendant inflated the hours of services provided, billed for registered nurses when licensed practical nurses completed the care, and billed for care for patients who were either deceased or ineligible to receive Medicaid.
Njume-Tatsing was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023 and charged with one count of health care fraud and 12 counts of making false health care statements.
Health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and making false health care statements carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the verdict returned on Sept. 16. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth A. Affeldt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office are representing the United States in this case.
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Jury finds local restaurant owner guilty of tax crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted a local fast-food chicken restaurant owner with tax crimes.
The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Sept. 16 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole.
Richard Bhoolai, 65, of Cincinnati, owned and operated Richie’s Fast Food Restaurants, Inc.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Bhoolai failed to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS during 2017 and 2018.
Bhoolai employed between 22 and 34 employees at the time. Bhoolai withheld federal taxes from employees’ paychecks but failed to transmit the funds to the IRS. Instead, Bhoolai spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal benefit, including using business proceeds to engage in more than $1 million of gambling activity.
Bhoolai was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 with eight counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar from the Department of Justice’s Tax Division are representing the United States in this case.
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Former emergency physician pleads guilty to possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography.
Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea.
According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old.
At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth.
In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio.
Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content.
Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant.
Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.
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Dayton men sentenced to life in prison for murder of DEA task force officerRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Two Dayton men were sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for their roles in the narcotics case that caused the 2019 death of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio.
While attempting to prevent federal agents from seizing approximately half-a-million dollars in fentanyl and other drugs, Nathan Goddard, 44, murdered Det. DelRio. Goddard was sentenced today to life plus 10 years in prison.
Goddard was convicted of murder following a jury trial in March 2024. He and Cahke Cortner, 44, were also convicted of multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Cortner was sentenced today to life plus five years in prison.
“Every day DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put their lives on the line to protect their communities against dangerous and violent drug traffickers who threaten the safety of the American people. On November 7, 2019, DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the city of Dayton,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Today’s sentences mean these two defendants will never walk free or hurt an innocent person again. DEA is as committed as ever to continuing this fight against violent drug traffickers. We do it in honor of TFO DelRio and all the other narcotics officers who have given their lives for the pursuit of justice.”
“We stand with the DelRio family and our law enforcement partners, and we recognize that DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio sacrificed his life to protect this community. As was stated by Deputy Criminal Chief Tabacchi at today’s sentencing, Task Force Officer DelRio ‘was a son of the Dayton community – serving with dignity and selflessness.’ We will never forget his ultimate sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This case is a reminder that, as public servants, law enforcement officers do a dangerous job every day. Today’s sentences should also serve as a reminder to perpetrators of violent crime that we see these matters through to the end and we will hold you accountable.”
“The Dayton Police Department is pleased to see the sentences imposed against Nathan Goddard and Cahke Cortner in the tragic shooting of Detective Jorge DelRio,” said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal. “They mark a significant step of closure for Detective DelRio's loved ones, our department, and our community. We extend our gratitude to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their diligent efforts throughout this case. It is imperative that those who inflict harm in our community are held accountable.”
“Every day, members of law enforcement put their lives on the line to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the public. Mr. Goddard’s actions resulted in the tragic loss of Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio. While this verdict does not bring him back, we hope his family and our community as a whole can find comfort in knowing that Mr. Goddard will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison,” said DEA Detroit Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.
“While the FBI is pleased that Goddard and his accomplice will be held accountable for this murder, nothing can make up for the loss of Detective DelRio,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to mourn his death and honor his legacy of service and sacrifice.”
“These individuals are responsible for the death of Detective Jorge DelRio, who was working to keep our community safe from dangerous drug traffickers,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “As a Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer, Det. DelRio was a selfless hero who gave his all, and ultimately his life, to protect the citizens of this nation. ATF is honored to have played a role in holding to account those responsible for Det. DelRio’s sacrifice. I hope these sentences bring some measure of closure to the family of Det. DelRio and send a message to criminals that law enforcement will be relentless in our pursuit of justice.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, on Nov. 4, 2019, Goddard murdered Det. DelRio while Det. DelRio and others were executing a federal search warrant at 1454 Ruskin Road in Dayton.
During the execution of the search warrant, Det. DelRio and other officials announced themselves and entered the home at approximately 6:50pm. Det. DelRio descended the stairway to the basement of the residence, immediately came under gunfire from the basement, and was struck and killed.
As the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, from 2018 until November 2019, Goddard and Cortner participated in a narcotics conspiracy involving kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana.
The defendants kept firearms – including handguns fitted with laser sights – to protect the illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds. Goddard and Cortner acquired handguns on the black market referred to as “cop killers” because the firearms discharge bullets that can penetrate body armor. The defendants fitted these guns with high-capacity magazines.
In the residence they used, officials discovered 10 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, 50 to 60 pounds of marijuana, and more than $55,000 in cash. As the government’s sentencing memorandum notes, the amount of fentanyl recovered from the basement represented millions of potential street sales of fentanyl – enough poison to cause the overdose of almost every person in the Miami Valley.
Goddard and Cortner were originally charged in this case on Nov. 6, 2019, and were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022.
Their co-defendant Lionel Combs III, 45, pleaded guilty just before the start of trial to maintaining a drug premises, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the critical assistance of the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma (CITCO).
Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi, Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Christina E. Mahy, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claypoole from the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office are representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man sentenced to 10 years in prison for fentanyl crime, money launderingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District today to 120 months in prison for crimes related to trafficking fentanyl and laundering the proceeds.
Nathaniel Williams, 45, possessed with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and committed money laundering.
According to court documents, in August 2023, Williams told an undercover agent that he had bulk amounts of cash from trafficking fentanyl and was looking for ways to transfer the money into the banking system.
Williams provided cash from his narcotics sales to the undercover agent, who then wired $15,120 of the funds into Williams’s bank account via a wire transfer. Williams withdrew $10,000 of the funds in cash a few days later.
On Oct. 18, 2023, agents discovered more than $44,000 in cash at Williams’s residence while executing a search warrant. Officials also recovered approximately 527 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl mixtures in a secret furniture compartment.
Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023 and pleaded guilty in March 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by IRS-CI and the Cincinnati Police Department Narcotics Unit.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Former Clermont housing official pleads guilty to federal program theftRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The former executive director of the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal program theft.
Timothy Holland, 57, of Williamsburg, Ohio, admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars intended to assist low-income residents of Clermont County, Ohio.
According to court documents, Holland served from 2012 until 2019 as the executive director for CMHA, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognized public housing authority for Clermont. CMHA received more than $5.9 million in annual federal funds in both 2018 and 2019 to operate and maintain public housing units as well as provide housing assistance to low-income families and individuals.
From at least 2016 until 2019, Holland caused a loss of at least $86,929. For example, in 2018, Holland used the CMHA credit card for purchases for himself totaling more than $9,500 at Amazon, Sirius Radio, LL Bean, Home Depot and elsewhere. The next year, he used the CMHA credit card for more than $25,000 of retail purchases for himself. Holland used the CMHA vehicle for non-business trips to Canada, using the CMHA credit card to pay for gas and hotels. In addition, Holland used CMHA funds to pay contractors for work done on his home and furnish an office ostensibly for CMHA’s nonprofit arm. His fraudulently funded “man cave” included a $900 game table from Amazon, a 65” TV and high-end furnishings, all paid for using CMHA funds.
“The defendant’s selfish and fraudulent actions not only put vital federal programs at risk, but also jeopardized the availability of HUD-assisted housing for those in our most vulnerable communities who rely on housing assistance programs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”
Holland’s plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of three months to 12 months and one day in prison. As part of his conviction, Holland has agreed to pay nearly $87,000 in restitution to CMHA.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor Keith Faber announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man admits to serving as ‘straw purchaser’ for at least 21 firearmsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to a crime related to the illegal straw purchases of at least 21 firearms.
Timothy Moorman, Jr., 32, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a federal firearm form.
Moorman admitted he bought firearms at Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees and then provided those firearms to co-conspirators the same day or within a few days.
According to court documents, the individuals to whom Moorman provided the firearms immediately trafficked them outside of Ohio. For example, at least nine firearms were recovered in connection with a crime in Canada less than two weeks after Moorman bought them. Two others were traced to crimes in Canada and Detroit within two months of purchase.
Court documents detail that in September and October 2023, Moorman purchased firearms at Bass Pro Shops, Range USA – Cincy West, Range USA – Blue Ash, Target World and North College Hill Gun Store.
Moorman falsely indicated on the required firearms forms that the firearms were for himself and no one else, when in fact he was acting as a straw purchaser.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati men sentenced to decades in prison for murder of convenience store owner, armed robberiesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Two Cincinnati men were sentenced in federal court here today to decades in prison for crimes involving the murder of the owner of Madeira Beverage in February 2021 and multiple armed robberies.
Willie James Attaway, 33, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murdering Roop C. Gupta and committing or attempting four other armed robberies on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9, 2021.
During the two-day crime spree, Attaway brandished a firearm to rob or attempt to rob:
- Feb. 8 – Shell on S. Mason Montgomery Road in Deerfield Township,
- Feb. 8 – Shell on Dixie Highway in Hamilton, Ohio,
- Feb. 9 – Madeira Beverage on Kenwood Road in Madeira, Ohio,
- Feb. 9 – Sunoco on Kenwood Road in Blue Ash, Ohio, and
- Feb. 9 – Marathon on North Broadway in Lebanon, Ohio.
At the first robbery, Attaway brandished a firearm at the two clerks and demanded that they empty the cash registers, which they did.
Later that night, at a second Shell gas station, Attaway brandished a firearm and said he was not afraid to shoot the clerk. The clerk gave Attaway money from the cash register.
The next day, Feb. 9, 2021, Attaway entered Madeira Beverage and confronted the store’s owner, Roop Gupta, who was working behind the counter. Attaway pointed a firearm at Gupta, and during the ensuing struggle he shot Gupta one time in the left abdomen. Gupta was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Later that evening, Attaway entered the Sonoco in Blue Ash, brandished a firearm, and demanded that the clerk give up the money in the cash register, which the clerk did.
During the final robbery on Feb. 9, Attaway pointed a firearm at the Marathon clerk and said, “Give me what you got.” The clerk reached under the counter, pretending he had a firearm, causing Attaway to flee.
The second defendant, Lamond Johnson, 38, who served as Attaway’s driver during the robberies, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of attempted robbery.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); announced the sentences imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie D. Garcia and Kyle J. Healey are representing the United States in this case.
The investigation was jointly conducted by ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Madeira Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Cincinnati, Lebanon, Blue Ash and Hamilton police departments, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Local man sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing mail carrier at gunpointRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Marvin Brown, Jr., 20, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for assaulting a postal carrier and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Brown assaulted a mail carrier in December 2023. He and a co-defendant drove around a Dayton neighborhood on Dec. 18, 2023, looking for a mail carrier to rob. Upon finding a postal worker, Brown approached the victim and brandished a handgun at him, demanding his mail bag. Brown discharged the firearm at least twice into victim’s postal vehicle. Brown and the co-defendant sped away with the mail bag and mail contained within it.
Brown was charged federally in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Cincinnati woman convicted of wire fraud related to pandemic relief fundsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal jury has found a former Cincinnati woman guilty on all counts as charged of crimes related to pandemic relief fraud.
Lashawnda Alexander, 40, currently of Katy, Texas, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud.
The verdict was announced following a trial that took place Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in June 2020, Alexander submitted several fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications.
Specifically, on June 23, 2020, Alexander applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for business “Lashawnda Alexander.” Alexander stated in the application that the business employed 10 employees and had $125,000 in gross revenue in the year prior to January 31, 2020. Minutes later using the same device another application was submitted in the name of a family member claiming that the business employed 10 employees and had $120,000 in gross revenue.
The next day, on June 24, 2020, Alexander applied for an EIDL for business “TressD LLC,” a hair and nail salon that she said employed 15 employees and made gross revenue of $175,000 during the prior year.
In total, Alexander attempted to obtain at least $137,500 and ultimately received $91,000 in EIDL funds. Alexander’s applications contradicted her 2019 tax return.
In the following months, Alexander bought a Mercedes Benz SUV and moved to Texas all while continuing to collect pandemic unemployment assistance from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.
Alexander was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Anthony Springer are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by members of the Financial Crimes Working Group Pandemic Fraud Committee.
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Columbus man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking womenRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Terrael A. Alls, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for sex trafficking and use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering.
According to court documents, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force first received a tip about Alls in February of 2022. Alls provided a business card advertising a modeling agency to a woman when she was staying at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. The woman found the interaction suspicious and called law enforcement. The business card was for a company called Elite Diamond Studios and the advertised phone numbers were ultimately linked to Alls and various online sex escort advertisements.
Alls, who is also known as “Rell” and “Ace,” recruited women under the guise of modeling for him as a photographer. He lured them in with promises of being “star players” who, as part of his team, would work with his marketing and advertising agency. In reality, Alls served as a manager for his victims, advertising them for sexual escort services on various websites and often filming their sexual exploitation.
Alls controlled some of his victims with drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, then later used their drug dependency against them to continue profiting from their sexual exploitation. For other victims, Alls controlled them with physical violence and threats. He fired a gun near one victim’s head and threatened to pistol-whip her, punched the victims and slammed them onto tables.
The defendant’s laptop had more than 42,000 sexually explicit images, videos and advertisements, including images and videos of the victims identified in this case. Alls used many of those videos to continue to earn money from the exploitation of his victims and revictimize them in the process.
Alls was arrested in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
The case was investigated by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Local attorney pleads guilty to child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local attorney pleaded guilty in federal court here today to receiving and possessing child pornography.
The plea agreement for Stephen Chinn, 40, of Columbus, includes a recommended sentence of 60 to 108 months in prison.
According to court documents, in May 2023, Chinn uploaded child pornography to the internet that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct including sex acts with adults and animals. These uploads were flagged by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
When investigators executed a search warrant in August 2023 at Chinn’s Grandview Heights residence, they discovered a desktop computer containing more than 4,000 child sexual abuse images.
In addition, a forensic analysis of Chinn’s computer revealed he had downloaded and saved other child sexual abuse material in August 2023. The material included prepubescent children engaged in bestiality and sexual intercourse with adults, as well as minor victims subjected to sadistic and masochistic abuse. Forensic data revealed that much of this content was downloaded from a Russian social media site known to be used for the download and exchange of child sexual abuse material.
At the time, Chinn was employed as a public defender in Franklin County.
Chinn was initially arrested charged locally with Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor and Pandering Obscenity. Chinn was released on bond in that matter. He was charged federally in September 2023, and the federal indictment superseded the charges in his local case.
The case was investigated by the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Grandview Heights Police Chief Ryan Starns; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack announced the guilty plea entered today. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Columbus police officer pleads guilty to stealing cocaine from crime scenes, police evidence roomRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes involving more than 10 kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.
Joel M. Mefford, 35, of London, Ohio, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of money laundering.
According to court documents, Mefford was a Columbus police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes. On three occasions between February and April 2020, Mefford worked with another officer to steal and traffic cocaine.
In February 2020, Mefford and the other officer were investigating a drug crime and unlawfully gained access to a detached garage belonging to the subject of the investigation. Without a warrant, they entered the garage and discovered two kilograms of cocaine in the rafters. They unlawfully seized one of the kilograms and left the other to be found during the execution of a search warrant the next morning. The other officer gave the stolen narcotics to another individual to sell.
Similarly, in February and March 2020, Mefford and the other officer were investigating drug-trafficking activity at houses on Ambleside Drive and Kilbourne Avenue in Columbus. On March 7, 2020, the officers took a bag containing multiple kilograms of cocaine from the house on Ambleside Drive and arrested an individual there. They then traveled to the house on Kilbourne Avenue and removed a kilogram of cocaine. That same day, Mefford turned in one kilogram of cocaine to evidence, and the officers stole the other kilograms to be sold.
In April 2020, Mefford and the other officer stole between 10 and 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Columbus police property room and replaced it with fake cocaine. Mefford transported the stolen cocaine in a police cruiser and the other officer later gave the drugs to another individual to sell. The drug proceeds were then given to the other officer, who provided Mefford his cut. Mefford personally received a total of approximately $130,000 from cocaine sales.
Mefford deposited more than $72,000 of the cash derived from the cocaine sales into his personal bank account.
Possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine carries a potential penalty of five to 40 years in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
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Columbus woman sentenced to more than 23 years in prison for kidnapping infant twinsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 280 months in prison for two counts of kidnapping a minor.
Nalah T. Jackson, 26, kidnapped two infants in December 2022 and traveled interstate with one of them.
“Jackson left one five-month-old twin baby alone and strapped in a car seat in an airport parking lot in subzero temperatures. Then, she left the other twin baby strapped in his car seat in an abandoned vehicle in another state. Even if her crime had started as a crime of opportunity to steal a running vehicle, Jackson’s blatant disregard for the lives of two helpless infants is heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Today’s sentence represents the serious and significant nature of harm Jackson caused to these children and our community.”
According to court documents, close to 10pm on the night of Dec. 19, Jackson walked out of Donatos Pizza on North High Street in Columbus and drove away in a black Honda Accord that had been left running in the parking lot. Two twin five-month-old infants were buckled in the back seat. The infants’ mother was inside Donatos to pick up a delivery order at the time.
Over the next several hours, Jackson drove from Columbus to Dayton and to various other locations in central and western Ohio.
Jackson arrived at the Dayton International Airport close to 3am. She parked in an economy lot and left the infants in the car while she entered the airport. Jackson attempted to hire an Uber to find the stolen car in the economy lot, but could not pay, and ultimately found the stolen car on foot. After finding the vehicle, Jackson left one of the infants in the parking lot at approximately 4am. A passerby parking their vehicle saw the baby in his car seat wrapped in a quilt between two vehicles and alerted security.
After Jackson left the Dayton International Airport parking lot at high speeds, she traveled to Indianapolis with the second baby still in the vehicle.
She arrived at a Papa Johns Pizza on Indiana Avenue near the university district at approximately 8am on Dec. 20, and exited the stolen car on foot. She never returned to the vehicle, leaving the second baby strapped in his car seat in the back seat of the car.
The baby remained strapped in the car seat for the next two-and-a-half-days while family members, concerned citizens and law enforcement officers continued to search for him.
By happenstance, an Indianapolis woman encountered Jackson after she abandoned the stolen vehicle on Dec. 20. Jackson was selling stolen merchandise outside of a local gas station. The woman gave Jackson a ride to a nearby shopping plaza and gave Jackson her cell phone number in case Jackson came across any more holiday gifts for resale.
That night, the woman noticed several social media posts regarding the kidnapping and recognized Jackson as the alleged kidnapper. The woman called her cousin, and together they formulated a plan to meet up with Jackson to confirm her identity, recover the infant if possible and lead Jackson to law enforcement.
On Dec. 22, the women met up with Jackson, whom they traced to a local residence through a phone number Jackson had previously used to call one of them. The women confirmed that Jackson was the same person identified as the kidnapping suspect and drove her to several shopping centers in Indianapolis, all-the-while surreptitiously attempting to contact law enforcement in Columbus and Indianapolis.
Eventually, one of the women was able to route local law enforcement to their vehicle over the phone by pretending that she was speaking with her boyfriend and providing updates on her location. The women tried to signal to Indianapolis police that Jackson was the kidnapping suspect, and eventually told officers when they were removed from Jackson’s immediate presence. Jackson provided a false name and another individual’s identification card to the officers. After some time, the officers confirmed Jackson’s identity and arrested her for kidnapping. After the arrest, they let the two women go without interviewing them about their time spent with Jackson.
The two women decided to continue searching for the missing infant. They discovered a bus schedule that Jackson left behind in the backseat of their vehicle and decided to focus their search on a bus route near the university district.
While driving around searching that area to no avail, and with driving conditions worsening quickly due to an impending snowstorm, the women decided to get something to eat before heading home. As they were pulling into a Blaze Pizza, they noticed a black Honda Accord at the nearby Papa Johns and noticed snow had already accumulated on the car.
They drove up to the stolen car and attempted to open the back door, which was locked. The driver’s door did open. Due to an overwhelming foul smell coming from the car, and the silence of the baby, one of the women screamed, assuming the baby was deceased. Upon hearing the scream, the baby alerted and began crying. One of the women removed the baby from his car seat and began comforting him.
The women then noticed an empty Indianapolis police cruiser parked nearby and began looking for officers, who they found on their lunch break inside the Blaze Pizza. Indianapolis police then relocated to Papa Johns Pizza and took custody of the baby, taking him to a local hospital. The infant was treated for dehydration, heart abnormalities due to the dehydration, extreme diaper rash and skin deterioration due to him being buckled in a car seat for three days while sitting in his own excrement.
Jackson was charged federally in January 2023.
U.S. Attorney Parker acknowledged the numerous law enforcement agencies who have assisted in this case, including FBI offices in Columbus, Dayton and Indianapolis; the Columbus, Dayton, Huber Heights, Riverside, Vandalia, Dayton International Airport and Indianapolis police departments; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Ohio State Highway Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service’s Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST).
Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati woman sentenced to 2 years in prison for laundering money for online romance scammersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for laundering money for online romance scammers.
Pamela Moore, 65, admitted in her guilty plea in February 2024 that she laundered more than $8 million in scam proceeds.
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Moore’s personal and business bank accounts with multiple banks received more than $8 million in criminally derived funds. Moore personally received approximately $1.7 million of the funds, which she used or converted to Bitcoin at the direction of the scammers.
For example, Moore maintained multiple business bank accounts for PSM Custom Designs and Jewelries and used the purported jewelry business accounts solely for money laundering.
As part of her sentence, Moore will pay $1,680,900 in restitution.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Ryan A. Keefe represented the United States in this case.
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Jury finds members of violent Third World Mob gang guilty of trafficking more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two members of the Third World Mob gang with conspiring to traffic more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana. Third World Mob is a violent criminal organization in Columbus.
After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding Klegewerges Abate, 35, and Abubakarr Savage, 34, both of Columbus, guilty on all counts.
Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
Savage was charged with and convicted of conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Savage is also known as “Sav” and “Savdripp.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs. Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds.
For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick.
During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms.
Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking.
Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation.
Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs.
In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021. Fellow member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Coconspirator Teddy Asefa entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and wire fraud just prior to trial. Another defendant stood trial with Abate and Savage and was acquitted of the single obstruction of justice charge against him.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the verdict. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the assistance from the Columbus, Whitehall and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.
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Three more plead guilty in connection with conspiracy to use stolen credit card information to buy firearms online and pick them up in ‘straw purchases’Read the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Three more people have pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to buy firearms online using stolen credit card information, and having the weapons shipped to Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees (FFLs) for pickup.
Members of the conspiracy falsely claimed on federal forms that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in fact they were picking up at least some of the firearms for the co-conspirators who had placed the fraudulent online orders. This illegal practice is known as straw purchasing.
Roderico “Rico” Allen, 27, pleaded guilty today to charges of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, Allen attempted to place dozens of online orders for handguns using stolen credit card information. He placed all the orders in the names of other individuals whom he had recruited to pick up the weapons for him. Fraud prevention systems stopped some of the orders, but Allen and his co-conspirators completed the sale of at least six of the firearms. Three others charged along with Allen have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Nehamiah Jones, 24, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to using stolen credit card information during the spring of 2022 to purchase nine handguns from online retailers for shipment to, and pickup from, Cincinnati-area FFLs. He successfully completed the purchase of three of the pistols ordered in his own name, but the FFLs denied the transfer of six other firearms he had ordered in the name of a co-conspirator. Jones also pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent application for a pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2021, falsely claiming that he owned a business called “massage on air,” when in fact no such business existed.
Aneesah Williams, 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of making false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, Williams successfully obtained eight firearms in illegal straw purchases and attempted to obtain three others.
Williams and Jones were charged along with four others in April 2023. One co-defendant, Zephaniah Jones, has been sentenced to 79 months in prison.
Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for aggravated identity theft requires a mandatory two-year prison term in addition to any other sentences imposed. Making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Jared Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced the pleas entered before U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia and Danielle Margeaux are representing the United States in these cases.
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Member of Russian cybercrime group charged in OhioRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A member of a Russian cybercrime group has been charged federally and appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today.
A federal grand jury indicted Deniss Zolotarjovs, 33, of Moscow, Russia, charging him with conspiring to commit money laundering, wire fraud and Hobbs Act extortion.
He was arrested by law enforcement in the country of Georgia in December 2023 and has remained in custody since. Georgia extradited Zolotarjovs to the United States this month.
According to court documents, Zolotarjovs is a member of a known cybercriminal organization that attacks computer systems of victims around the world. Among other things, the Russian cybercrime group steals victim data and threatens to release it unless the victim pays ransom in cryptocurrency. The group maintains a leaks and auction website that lists victim companies and offers stolen data for download.
It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was an active member of the Russian cybercrime group, communicating with other members, laundering cryptocurrency received from victims, and extorting victims. Zolotarjovs is the first alleged group member to be arrested and extradited to the United States.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. U.S. Attorney Parker and SAC Iatarola commend the FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Richmond and Salt Lake City for their vital roles in the investigation and officials in Georgia for their role in the extradition. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Zolotarjovs’s extradition from Georgia.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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