District of Oregon
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Hoover Criminal Gang Members Indicted for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Two known Hoover Criminal Gang members have been arrested in Portland after being charged with illegal firearm possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
On April 6, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Samuel Deoshay Marquise Mason, Jr., 24, and Cocoa Dalonta Taplin, 26, both residents of Portland, with illegally possessing firearms after previous criminal convictions.
According to court documents and testimony, law enforcement obtained several images of Mason posing with numerous firearms, leading investigators to obtain and execute a search warrant on his residence. Investigators located an assault rifle and 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. Both firearms were fully loaded with rounds in the chamber. A subsequent search of Mason’s mobile phone revealed photos of Taplin holding and posing with two firearms three days prior to the search. Mason confessed to possessing the seized firearms. He also admitted to being shot at the week prior and firing one round in return from a third unknown gun.
Mason and Taplin made their initial appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, and FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hoover Criminal Gang Member Faces Drug and Gun Charges in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Aumontae Wayne Smith, 27, a known Hoover Criminal Gang member and resident of Portland, is facing federal drug and gun charges for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
On April 6, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Smith with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and testimony, Smith and an unnamed accomplice conspired with one another to distribute fentanyl disguised as oxycodone pills in and around Portland. Smith advertised selling the fake oxycodone pills and guns via Snapchat posts that were observed by law enforcement. Investigators seized six firearms from Smith and his accomplice and, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Further investigation revealed Smith purchased 16 firearms since 2019 that linked to 17 different shootings in the Portland area between April and December 2020.
Smith voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement today and made his initial appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. A three-day jury trial is scheduled to begin on June 15, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, FBI, and ATF. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Portland Area Mail Thief Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Identity Theft, and Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington County, Oregon man pleaded guilty today for using stolen bank checks and debit cards to defraud local residents and illegally possessing distribution quantities of methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
William Anthony McCormack, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to a superseding criminal information charging him with one count each of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between June and September 2020, McCormack devised a scheme whereby he would steal bank checks and debit cards from community mailboxes, primarily in Washington County, and use them to make unauthorized withdrawals from victims’ bank accounts. On at least five separate occasions, McCormack deposited stolen checks into victims’ Rivermark Community Credit Union accounts and immediately made unauthorized withdrawals from the same accounts.
On September 29, 2020, during a traffic stop for speeding and driving with a suspended license, a Tualatin Police officer arrested McCormack pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. At the time of his arrest, McCormack possessed 30 small plastic baggies containing at least 5 grams of methamphetamine and two 9mm handguns in the glove compartment of his vehicle. Officers also found several driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, and pieces of mail that did not belong to him in McCormack’s trunk and hotel room.
McCormack faces a maximum sentence of 72 years in prison, a $6.25 million fine, and five years’ supervised release. He is subject to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years. McCormack will be sentenced on July 27, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.
As part of his plea agreement, McCormack has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victims as ordered to the court.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Meredith Bateman and Scott Bradford, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
If you or someone you know are the victim of or witness a mail-related crime, please contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by visiting www.uspis.gov/report.
Former Weyerhaeuser Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Susan Tranberg, 62, of Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced to federal prison today for defrauding her former employer, the Weyerhaeuser Company, out of more than $4.5 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Tranberg was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning as early as June 2004 and continuing to January 2019, Tranberg defrauded Weyerhaeuser out of more than $4.5 million by submitting fraudulent invoices for payment to a fake vendor she created. Tranberg had worked for Weyerhaeuser in Springfield, Oregon in various positions for more than 40 years. A financial analysis determined that the vast majority of the money was used to fund a lavish lifestyle of expensive dinners, vacations, six-figure wedding expenses, and shopping sprees.
At some point in or before June 2004, Tranberg created a fake timber contract between the company and a vendor she named after her mother, who was unaware of the scheme. Over the next 10 years, Tranberg would use her positions in the company’s accounting and finance departments to request cashier’s checks, which she then cashed into her own bank account. During this time period, Tranberg requested and received more than $2.6 million.
In June 2014, Weyerhaeuser transitioned to a new payment processing system. To continue her scheme, Tranberg set up a fake vendor account in the new system and attached a letter purportedly from her mother describing the documentation provided to set up the account. This documentation included a Form SSA-1099 Social Security Statement and a forged Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. At the time Tranberg sent the letter and documentation, Tranberg’s mother had been deceased for five years.
After setting up the fake vendor account, Tranberg continued her scheme by forging colleagues’ signatures on check requests and using her colleagues’ computer login credentials without authorization to create requests and approve fraudulent payments. All requested cashier’s checks were sent via private or commercial interstate carrier directly to Tranberg. During these final five years, ending in January 2019, Tranberg requested and received nearly $1.9 million.
On January 29, 2020, Tranberg was charged by superseding criminal information with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion. On January 30, 2020, she waived indictment and pleaded guilty to all three charges.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane also ordered Tranberg to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution, to include $775,984 to Weyerhaeuser, $3,805,223 to the Crime Victims Fund, and $807,033 to the IRS.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and FBI, and prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Portland Woman Sentenced for Selling Pangolin Scales Illegally Imported into the U.S.Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland resident and purveyor of Chinese homeopathic remedies pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for selling pangolin scales illegally imported into the U.S., announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Agnes Yu, 53, was sentenced to three years’ federal probation and a $5,000 fine.
“Illegal trafficking poses a grave and persistent threat to wildlife populations across the globe. The purchase or sale of these animals is a serious crime and priority for federal law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug.
“We commend the Department of Justice and all other agencies that played a role in aiding this investigation and prosecution,” said James Ashburner, a Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Trafficking of pangolins, and other protected species, is a huge part of global illegal wildlife trade. The Service will continue to use every tool at its disposal to fight wildlife trafficking and bring to justice the individuals who are depriving our planet of these magnificent creatures for their own profit.”
According to court documents, Yu and her husband operated Wing Ming Herbs, a store selling Chinese homeopathic remedies and other merchandise in Southeast Portland. On December 7, 2003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel screened Yu and her husband at the U.S.-Canada border. The inspection recovered 10 dried sea snakes and 49 dried big-toothed sea snakes. As a result of this encounter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent the Yus a letter informing them about federal laws and regulations governing the import and export of wildlife into and out of the U.S, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES lists each of the wildlife species whose trafficking it regulates under one of three appendices, with the most endangered and protected listed in Appendix I.
On November 14, 2017, an undercover Postal Inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service went to Wing Ming and spoke with Yu in Chinese. The inspector covertly recorded and videotaped the meeting. In the course of their transaction, Yu sold the inspector thirty grams of pangolin scales for approximately $165. Personnel at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory later confirmed the scales had been taken from a pangolin, a species of scaled anteater-like mammals endemic to Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. All species of pangolins (which form the genus Manis) are listed in CITES Appendix I, meaning that all commercial trafficking in pangolins is prohibited by the Convention.
Yu was aware of U.S. and foreign restrictions on the import, export, and sale of CITES-listed plants and wildlife but did not comply with those restrictions. Yu repeatedly exported American ginseng to customers in China in 2017 and 2018. American ginseng is listed on CITES appendix II, requiring exporters to obtain and ship such ginseng with a valid CITES certificate. Neither Yu nor Wing Ming Herbs procured such certificates.
On July 24, 2018, an undercover agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service went to Wing Ming Herbs and purchased giant sea horses, which are protected by CITES appendix II and fourteen shark fins, four of which originated from scalloped hammerhead sharks, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). On the same date, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a search warrant at Wing Ming Herbs and seized additional pangolin scales, ground Asian elephant ivory which is protected by CITES Appendix I and ESA, eleven penises and fifteen gall bladders of red deer which are protected by ESA, and giant devil ray which is protected by CITES Appendix II. Yu agreed to abandon all the wildlife seized in the search warrant, which included thousands of additional wildlife items.
On March 22, 2021, Yu was charged by criminal information with recklessly selling pangolin illegally imported into the U.S. in violation of CITES.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Quarantine, and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for protecting America’s wildlife from poaching, illegal commercialization, and other kinds of wildlife crime. If you have information related to a wildlife crime, please call 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477) or email [email protected].
Click here for a Simplified Chinese translation of this press release Confiscated dried sea horses Confiscated fried pangolin scales Confiscated Asian elephant ivory powder Confiscated dried shark fins
Former Nike Marketing Manager Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Errol Andam, 49, of Beaverton, Oregon, a former marketing manager at Nike, Inc., pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements on a loan application as part of a scheme to defraud his former employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
According to court documents, from 2001 until his termination in 2018, Andam was employed by Nike at its headquarters in Beaverton. Most recently, Andam worked as a manager in the company’s North American Retail Brand Marketing division wherein he managed the design, build-out, and operation of “pop-up” retail venues, temporary Nike shops situated near and tailored to sports competitions and other special events around the U.S.
In the summer of 2016, Andam recruited a childhood friend to establish a company to design and build the pop-up venues as an independent contractor for Nike. Andam used his authority as a manager at Nike to ensure that his friend’s company was consistently awarded the contracts for these jobs. Though he had no formal role in his friend’s company, Andam assumed control of much of the company’s financial operations, managing financial accounts and issuing invoices to Nike.
To conceal his role in the scheme, Andam used an alter ego, “Frank Little,” to invoice Nike and manage the contract company’s account with Square, Inc., a California-based provider of mobile credit-card-processing services. In 2016, Andam also renewed the lapsed registration of an Oregon-based limited liability corporation (LLC) he owned so that he could use the defunct entity as a shell company to funnel the proceeds diverted from Nike and his friend’s company to accounts under his personal control.
Beginning in September 2016, Andam caused credit-card sales at various pop-up venues around the U.S. to be run through card readers associated with a Square account owned by his friend’s company. These proceeds were transferred to Square in California and then to Andam’s LLC bank account in Oregon. Andam represented to both Nike and his friend that the proceeds of these sales were credited against the total amount Nike owed to his friend’s company. In truth, Andam simply pocketed the proceeds and, as “Frank Little,” invoiced Nike for the full cost of the contracted services.
From September 2016 through December 2018, Andam diverted and embezzled nearly $1.5 million in Nike proceeds for his own use. In July 2018, Andam submitted a fake financial statement from his LLC in support of a residential mortgage loan application. The financial statement falsely reflected as revenue checks for $194,000 drawn on a bank account owned by his friend’s business. Andam forged his friend’s signature on one of the checks and withdrew much of that money without his friend’s knowledge.
On February 4, 2021, Andam was charged by criminal information with wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements on a loan application.
Under the terms of Andam’s plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a sentence of 37 months in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 12, 2021. Andam will ask for a sentence of not less than 24 months. He has also agreed to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution and forfeit $212,838 in criminally-derived proceeds.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Lincoln City Felon Sentenced to More than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Lincoln City, Oregon man with multiple felony convictions was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing methamphetamine in and around Lincoln City, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Jerad Joseph White, 39, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and 5 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2018, White and an accomplice, Patricia Rose Hendrick, 25, of Lincoln City, Oregon, arrived in a vehicle to the parking lot of the Lincoln City Outlets. As had been previously arranged, White sold three ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover agent for $900.
On December 12, 2018, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging White and Hedrick with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
By December 2020, White and Hendrick had both pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 29, 2020, Hendrick was sentenced to time served in prison and five years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Lincoln City Police Department; and the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Leader of Darknet Drug Distribution Conspiracy Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The leader of and final defendant in a darknet drug distribution conspiracy was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in operating a narcotic vendor site that facilitated thousands of purchases of MDMA and generated nearly $200,000 in drug trafficking revenue, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
James Campbell Cardwell, 28, of Tigard, Oregon, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, Cardwell operated a large MDMA darknet vendor site called “The Collective.” Cardwell, through The Collective, distributed nearly six kilograms of MDMA in one and ten-gram quantities. Cardwell oversaw and ran the operation from his Tigard residence. Cardwell’s three co-conspirators, Gordon Filemu Cady, 35, of Portland; Heidi Gravier, 31, of Portland; and Ruth Lacy Gloe, 38, of Salem, Oregon, conspired to import and possess with intent to distribute MDMA, ketamine and cocaine.
During a search of Cardwell’s residence in May 2018, investigators located drug packaging paraphernalia, numerous pills, digital scales, mailing envelopes, an unknown white powder, a grinder containing an unknown white powder, 11 baggies containing 21 grams of MDMA, $1,670 in cash, several cell phones and computers, and a loaded 9mm firearm. Based on a review of records seized, Cardwell was involved in more than 3,000 transactions generating more than $197,000.
In August 2018, following Cardwell’s arrest and while he was on pretrial supervision, federal agents learned he was attempting to sell the login credentials for two darknet vendor accounts that he had operated during the charged offense. Later, in November 2018, Cardwell arranged to purchase a counterfeit Canadian passport and British Columbia driver’s license so he could leave the country.
On June 26, 2018, Cardwell, Cady, Gravier, and Gloe were all indicted on drug trafficking offenses. By February 2021, all of Cardwell’s co-conspirators had pleaded guilty and been sentenced to time served in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by a HIDTA Interdiction Task Force comprised of Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The Oregon HIDTA program was established by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in June of 1999. In 2015, the program expanded into Idaho and was renamed the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA consists of 14 counties and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Counties in the HIDTA include Oregon’s Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla and Washington counties, and Idaho’s Ada, Bannock and Canyon counties.
Washington State Man Pleads Guilty After Traveling Across State Lines for Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Vancouver, Washington man pleaded guilty today to sending sexually explicit emails and text messages to an undercover law enforcement officer posing online as a 13-year-old girl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Daniel Lee Baldie, 34, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, in January and February 2020, Baldie sent emails and text messages to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputy posing online as a 13-year-old girl. Baldie’s emails included requests for a nude photo and descriptions of sexual acts he could engage in with the child. Baldie also sent the deputy a photo of his genitals. As part of the email and text message exchange, Baldie arranged to meet the purported child and bring her back to his residence in Vancouver for a sexual encounter.
On February 7, 2020, law enforcement officers followed Baldie from his residence to a meeting location in Corvallis where he was arrested. Baldie admitted he intended to meet the child and take her back to his residence as planned.
On February 11, 2020, Baldie was charged by criminal complaint with traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, attempted production of child pornography, and coercion and enticement.
Baldie faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence, a $250,000 fine, and a life term of supervised release. He will be sentenced on July 8, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken.
Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Baldie will be required to register as a sex offender in any state in which he resides.
This case was investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Jeffrey Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud Scheme Involving MinorsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for a bank fraud scheme whereby he would recruit others, including minors, to deposit fraudulent checks into their personal bank accounts and withdraw cash, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Marcus Raiford, 22, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $75,681 in restitution.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2017 and continuing until at least September 2018, Raiford and others recruited individuals, primarily minors, young adults, and students at various local high schools, to deposit counterfeit checks at banks and credit unions throughout the Portland Metropolitan Area. Raiford and his accomplices used social media platforms, including Snapchat and Instagram, to recruit the minors and young adults, promising significant cash payments in exchange for their participation in the scheme.
Individuals recruited by Raiford and his accomplices were instructed to open accounts at various banks or use existing accounts to deposit counterfeit checks made payable to the recruits. The recruits were told they worked for a company that held inactive investments and accounts in need of liquidation, thereby concealing the scheme. In some instances, the recruits were told they needed to deposit the counterfeit checks to help the company avoid tax liability.
Raiford and others requested the recruits’ identification, ATM card, and pin number so counterfeit checks could be made payable to them and deposited into their accounts. Raiford and his accomplices then withdrew the money from ATMs or made point of sale purchases with the ATM cards at various commercial businesses. Over the course of the conspiracy, Raiford and his accomplices deposited more than $150,000 in counterfeit checks.
On December 19, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 14-count indictment charging Raiford and his accomplices with conspiring to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. On August 26, 2020, Raiford pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Vancouver Police Department. It was prosecuted by Rachel K. Sowray, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Convicted Child Molester Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man who previously served 12 years in California state prison for sexually abusing a child was sentenced to federal prison today for enticing an adolescent boy to produce sexually explicit videos of himself and share them via Facebook Messenger, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Scott Andrew Lawrence, 57, was sentenced to a total of 17 years in federal prison and a life term of supervised release after pleading guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.
“Scott Lawrence is a sexual predator who posed online as a woman to prey on a vulnerable teenager,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug. “Online sexual exploitation is a grave threat to children and families, even older children. We implore parents and guardians everywhere to talk frankly with their children about the risks posed by online predators, and to monitor their children’s use of social media.”
“Seventeen years is a rightfully long sentence for a man who has repeatedly abused children. The victims targeted by Scott Lawrence, however, are the ones who will pay a higher price as they must live with the effects of that exploitation for a lifetime,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
According to court documents, in April 2001, Lawrence was convicted in San Diego County Superior Court of sexually abusing a child and sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison. He was paroled in 2013 and completed his parole term three years later. In September 2018, Lawrence was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon of failing to register as a sex offender and, at the end of February 2019, was sentenced to time served plus five years of supervised release.
Three months into his supervised release term, Lawrence began communicating via Facebook Messenger with a 16-year-old boy from South Dakota whose family Lawrence lived with previously. During one exchange, Lawrence confirmed the boy’s age. In online conversations with the boy, Lawrence posed as an adult female named “Mary,” sent the boy several sexually explicit images, and repeatedly asked for videos of the boy masturbating in return. During at least three separate chat conversations, the boy sent Lawrence a total of six videos and one image of himself masturbating. Lawrence sent the image to at least two other people.
FBI agents arrested Lawrence on October 24, 2019. He admitted to chatting with the boy while posing as a woman and asking him for sexually explicit images and videos. He also admitted sending an image of the boy to two other people.
On November 19, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a nine-count indictment charging Lawrence with production, receipt, and distribution of child pornography, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while registered as a sex offender. On December 21, 2020, he pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud Schemes Targeting Family and FriendsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for perpetrating two separate fraud schemes targeting his family and friends, resulting in losses exceeding $650,000, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Joseph D. Galvan, 46, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $658,060.39 in restitution.
According to court documents, between January 2018 and August 2020, Galvan devised a scheme to defraud his ex-wife’s family and friends, most of whom had emigrated to the U.S. from Romania or were of Romanian descent. Galvan posed as a savvy, high-rolling investment trader and promised his victims he would invest their money and help them achieve financial security, retire early, and live a good life. He also promised to teach his victims, many of whom were elderly and spoke English as a second language, how to successfully navigate the stock market.
Once victims transferred their funds into an account controlled by Galvan, he failed to open investment accounts on their behalf as promised. Galvan used an app called StockMaster to create false investment profile accounts for each victim and would periodically send them phony screen shots of their profiles. Galvan subsequently spent victims’ money on various personal expenses including rent, car payments, travel, dining, food, guns, and voluntary cosmetic procedures. Total losses incurred by these victims exceeded $518,000, which, for many, constituted their entire life savings.
During this same time, Galvan engaged in a separate scheme targeting his own family and friends. In July 2019, he told a victim he had purchased a house in Lake Oswego, Oregon for $900,000, despite the home being worth approximately $2 million. He further told the victim that he sued the owners of the house after they refused to leave. According to Galvan, a court judgment allegedly required the owners to pay him a large settlement that was placed into an escrow account. Galvan falsely claimed the settlement had grown in escrow to $1 million, but that the court would not release the funds until certain conditions with Galvan’s bank account were met.
Galvan convinced the victim to pay for various fees and costs associated with the house purchase while he awaited the settlement funds. Galvan told the victim he would pay him $250,000 if the victim agreed to provide these funds. Galvan also promised to pay the victim an additional $100,000 every time the victim provided more funds toward house purchase expenses. Galvan encouraged the victim to convey a similar offer to several of the victim’s relatives and a family friend. Based on Galvan’s false promises, the victim and several others paid him more than $130,000. In reality, Galvan had never purchased a home in Lake Oswego and there were no settlement funds in escrow.
On August 19, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seventeen-count indictment charging Galvan with wire fraud and money laundering for the scheme perpetrated on his ex-wife’s family and friends. For the scheme targeting his own family and friends, on November 19, 2020, Galvan was charged by criminal information with wire fraud. On November 23, 2020, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering to resolve both cases.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Idaho Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Darknet Drug Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Boise, Idaho resident was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a darknet drug distribution scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug. Kevin Marc Crotteau, 25, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in July and August 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted several packages containing MDMA and ketamine shipped from France to Crotteau’s co-conspirator, Brandon Paul Bart, 25, of Portland, at four different Portland addresses. On August 30, 2018, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) assigned to a federal drug interdiction task force detained Bart after he attempted to retrieve two of the parcels, and executed search warrants on the parcels and Bart’s residence.
Investigators seized approximately eight kilograms of MDMA and two kilograms of ketamine. They determined that the packages had been imported from France to Bart’s addresses by Crotteau. The following day, August 31, 2018, investigators from HSI and PPB traveled to Boise and executed a search warrant at Crotteau’s residence.
Crotteau’s drug trafficking scheme generated significant proceeds. Investigators determined that Crotteau had sold Bitcoin valued at more than $108,000 and deposited the proceeds into a personal bank account. Crotteau used proceeds to purchase a Tesla valued at $136,200. Federal agents seized the Tesla.
On October 3, 2019, Crotteau was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. On August 4, 2020, he pleaded guilty to the same charge.
On June 26, 2019, Bart was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. On August 27, 2019, he pleaded guilty to the same charge. Bart was sentenced to five years’ probation on September 13, 2020.
This case was investigated by the HIDTA Interdiction Task Force comprised of HSI and PPB with assistance from CBP and the Boise Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The Oregon HIDTA program was established by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in June of 1999. In 2015, the program expanded into Idaho and was renamed the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA consists of 14 counties and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Counties in the HIDTA include Oregon’s Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla and Washington counties, and Idaho’s Ada, Bannock and Canyon counties.
Acting U.S. Attorney and FBI Special Agent in Charge Condemn Anti-Asian Bias and DiscriminationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the FBI Portland Field Office condemn recent acts of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“Recent acts of violence targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a tragic reminder that our country has much work to do to achieve the promise of equal protection and justice for all,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Hate-motivated crimes against anyone will not be tolerated. Federal law enforcement will continue to use every available tool and resource to identify and prosecute these crimes whenever and wherever they occur.”
“Asian American and Pacific Islander families in Oregon make up an important part of our cultural identity and heritage, past and present,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “They—like every other community in our state—deserve respect and the ability to live, work, and raise their children without fear. The people of the FBI stand with them, and we will thoroughly investigate any violations of federal law, including threats or acts of violence based on race or ethnicity.”
Recent reports of hate-related activity in our state are deeply concerning to members of our law enforcement community. Beyond local reports, Oregonians have likely seen an increase in news reports and social media posts about alleged hate crimes and harassment across the country. These reports have caused many in our community to fear for their safety.
Under federal law, acts of bias are unlawful if they involve violence, threats, or deprive people of their civil rights. A hate crime is a violent act against a person committed because of the person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Victims and witnesses of crime are not responsible for determining whether an action rises to the level of a hate crime, and we encourage reports to law enforcement officers trained to investigate.
Federal law also protects against discrimination based on race and national origin in several important areas of daily life, including but not limited to:
- Housing, see www.justice.gov/crt/fair-housing-act-1.
- Immigration and Employee Rights, see www.justice.gov/crt/immigrant-and-employee-rights-section.
- Public Accommodations, see www.justice.gov/crt/title-ii-civil-rights-act-public-accommodations.
- Educational Opportunities, see www.justice.gov/crt/types-educational-opportunities-discrimination.
These basic civil rights take on special significance during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. More information about these and other federal civil rights protections is available at www.civilrights.justice.gov/#your-rights.
If you or someone you know have been physically harmed or otherwise believe you are the victim of a crime, please call 911. You can also contact the FBI Portland Field Office by calling (503) 224-4181, or by submitting a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of unlawful discrimination in housing, employment, places of public accommodation, educational opportunities, or other areas, the Department of Justice may be able to help. You can report violations online via the Civil Rights Reporting Portal at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon at (503) 727-1000.
State Department Employee Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods from U.S. EmbassyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse were sentenced today for their roles in an international conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gene Leroy Thompson Jr., 54, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Thompson Jr.’s wife, Guojiao “Becky” Zhang, 40, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release to include 8 months of home detention. Thompson Jr. and Zhang were also ordered to forfeit a combined total of $229,302 and pay $740 in restitution.
Thompson and Zhang previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods on Dec. 20. 2020.
According to court documents, Thompson Jr. was an Information Programs Officer employed by the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, a position that required him to maintain a security clearance. Zhang resided with him in Seoul. Between September 2017 and December 2019, Thompson Jr. and Zhang sold counterfeit goods on a variety of e-commerce platforms.
Thompson Jr. and Zhang conspired with one another to sell counterfeit Vera Bradley handbags from e-commerce accounts to persons throughout the United States. Thompson Jr. used his State Department computer to create numerous accounts on a variety of e-commerce platforms. Once Thompson Jr. created these accounts, Zhang took primary responsibility for operating the accounts, communicating with customers, and procuring counterfeit merchandise to be stored in Oregon. Thompson Jr. and Zhang also directed a co-conspirator in Oregon to ship items to purchasers across the United States.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon; and Assistant Director Ricardo Colón of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the DSS Office of Special Investigations with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Potter of the District of Oregon.
Former State Department Employee Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods from U.S. EmbassyRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic hundreds of thousands of dollars in counterfeit goods through e-commerce accounts operated from State Department computers at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gene Leroy Thompson Jr., 54, and Guojiao “Becky” Zhang, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods on Dec. 20. 2020. Thompson Jr. was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Zhang was sentenced to three years of supervised release, the first eight months of which will consist of home confinement. Thompson Jr. and Zhang were also ordered to forfeit a combined total of $229,302.
According to court documents, Thompson Jr. was an Information Programs Officer employed by the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea, a position that required him to maintain a security clearance. Zhang resided with him in Seoul. Between September 2017 and December 2019, Thompson Jr. and Zhang sold counterfeit goods on a variety of e-commerce platforms. Thompson Jr. used his State Department computer at the embassy to create numerous e-commerce accounts, including additional accounts under aliases to continue the conspiracy and avoid detection after several e-commerce platforms suspended the couple’s other accounts for fraudulent activity. Zhang took primary responsibility for operating the accounts, communicating with customers, and procuring merchandise to be stored in the District of Oregon. Thompson Jr. and Zhang also directed a co-conspirator in the District of Oregon to ship items to purchasers across the United States.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon; and Assistant Director Ricardo Colón of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the DSS Office of Special Investigations with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Potter of the District of Oregon.
Romanian National Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Role in Credit Card Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Romanian National was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a bank fraud scheme wherein he and an accomplice used counterfeit credit and debit cards to withdraw money from local banks, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Ciprian Simion, 35, of Romania, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison followed by five years’ supervised release. Simon was also ordered to pay more than $27,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Simion is an experienced credit card skimmer. In April 2018, he was arrested in New York City after using fake ATM cards and pins to withdraw cash from an ATM. After his arrest, Simion consented to a search of his hotel room where officers found nearly 100 forged debit cards and three forgery devices. He was later indicted by a New York grand jury on more than 200 counts related to his fraud activity. The New York court issued a warrant for his arrest in August 2018.
At some point after being charged in New York, Simion relocated to Oregon. His precise movements in the months leading to his arrest in Oregon are unknown. On or about March 16, 2019, Simion and an accomplice, Gabriel Tigmarau, 51, also of Romania, installed a credit card skimmer on a Rivermark Community Credit Union ATM in Newberg, Oregon. Simion and Tigmarau later removed the device to obtain stolen account information and pins, damaging the ATM in the process. Around the same time, the pair installed skimming devices on several other area ATMs.
Simion and Tigmarau used the stolen account information to produce counterfeit credit and debit cards and withdraw cash from local ATMs. On April 27, 2019, officers from the Portland Police Bureau arrested Simion and Tigmarau after they were caught tampering with an IBEW Credit Union ATM on SE Washington Street in Portland. Officers seized several counterfeit bank cards and a skimming device from the pair. While in Oregon, Simion stole at least 354 account numbers.
On July 24, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an eleven-count indictment charging Simion and Tigmarau with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, counterfeit access device fraud, illegal possession of device-making equipment, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. On July 29, 2020, Simion pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Simon’s New York state charges are still pending.
On November 4, 2020, Tigmarau pleaded guilty to the same charges. He was sentenced on February 17, 2021 to 42 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Bank card skimming occurs when devices are illegally installed on ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps to capture cardholders’ bank account information or PINs. Criminals use the stolen data to create fake debit or credit cards and steal from victims’ accounts. It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year. Consumers are encouraged to look carefully at ATMs and POS terminals before using them. If you observe evidence of tampering or anything unusual, do not use the machine. If you suspect you’ve been the victim of skimming, please contact your financial institution immediately.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Coachella, California man pleaded guilty today to transporting five pounds of methamphetamine from Coachella to Aumsville, Oregon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Gerardo Figueroa-Felix, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on January 7, 2019, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call that squatters had returned to a foreclosed property in Aumsville and that there was methamphetamine inside the house. Deputies had locked the property four days prior in response to a court order. Two deputies approached the house together and spotted a white Chevrolet pickup truck with a California license plate backed into the driveway. As they approached, the deputies saw Figueroa-Felix tying up a tarp near the back of the vehicle.
One of the deputies approached Figueroa-Felix and asked why he was on the property. Figueroa-Felix produced three identification cards with his name and photograph on them. The deputy watched as Figueroa-Felix began to reach his hands into the front pockets of his jacket and ordered him to remove them. The deputy then proceeded to search Figueroa-Felix’s person and located a loaded semi-automatic Ruger 9mm handgun in his left-front pants pocket. The deputy discovered a second loaded handgun tucked into Figueroa-Felix’s waistband. Figueroa-Felix also had a double magazine pouch attached to his belt.
The investigation revealed Figueroa-Felix was a drug mule from Coachella and was paid to transport five pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon. He previously sold two pounds of methamphetamine on the Aumsville property and returned that day to sell more. Deputies seized three pounds of methamphetamine and large quantities of live .45 caliber ammunition from his truck along with another handgun.
On March 20, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Figueroa-Felix with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Figueroa-Felix faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, and four years of supervised release. With Figueroa-Felix’s continued acceptance of responsibility, the government has agreed to a recommended sentence of 70 months in prison and four years’ supervised release. Figueroa-Felix will be sentenced on June 7, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Hannah Horsley and Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Lincoln City Felon Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Lincoln City, Oregon man with multiple felony convictions was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Lincoln City and illegally possessing a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
Felix Daniel Garcia-Mendoza, 28, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing everything we can to reduce drug trafficking and violent crime across Oregon. A key pillar of our strategy is to reduce illegal gun ownership and use by drug traffickers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their persistence in bringing Mr. Garcia-Mendoza to justice and making our coastal communities safer in the process.”
“The brazenness of Garcia-Mendoza’s actions clearly warrant this significant sentence,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathan E. Blais. “He showed a complete disregard for the law and jeopardized the community as a whole. The removal of Garcia-Mendoza and his co-conspirators from the streets will help make Lincoln City and Lincoln County safer.”
According to court documents, beginning in March 2018, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began infiltrating the Lincoln City methamphetamine market. Soon after, one of Garcia-Mendoza’s co-conspirators brokered the sale of a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Garcia-Mendoza to an undercover agent. At their initial meeting, agents purchased 113 grams of methamphetamine from Garcia-Mendoza.
Garcia-Mendoza met repeatedly with undercover agents and sold them increasingly larger quantities of methamphetamine. On one occasion, in June 2018, Garcia-Mendoza sold the agents more than one and half pounds of methamphetamine. Garcia-Mendoza also sold the undercover agents a handgun later determined to have be stolen from a Lincoln City gun shop. He wore a Glock pistol prominently in his waistband during various transactions and displayed it by raising his shirt and pulling it out during deals.
On December 12, 2018, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an 11-count indictment charging Garcia-Mendoza with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested on January 5, 2019 and pleaded guilty to all but three of the charges on January 20, 2020.
Three other co-defendants—Billy Jack Reese, Jr., 42, of Lincoln City, Oregon; James Levi Boyer, 51, of Springfield, Oregon; and Patricia Rose Hedrick, 25, of Newport, Oregon—were charged and have pleaded guilty to conspiring with Garcia-Mendoza to distribute methamphetamine. All were sentenced to time served in federal prison and are serving five-year terms of supervised release.
This case was investigated by ATF, the Lincoln City Police Department, and the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik and William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former Eugene Elementary School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing 15-Year-OldRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A former Eugene elementary school teacher was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually abusing a minor female, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
William Hamann, 38, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison and ten years supervised release. Hamman was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim.
According to court documents, on several occasions beginning in 2018 and continuing until July 2019, Hamann paid a minor female for oral sex and recorded the minor performing the sex acts. The minor female was 15 years old during the first encounter with Hamman. Eugene Police Department detectives and FBI agents arrested Hamann on July 26, 2019, when he came to meet the minor a fourth time. Agents searched his mobile phone and found a recording of one of the sex acts. Hamman used social media to arrange the meetings with the minor.
A search of Hamman’s residence and digital devices revealed that he had previously approached several other females online who said they were minors. Investigators uncovered evidence that Hamman had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them even after they said they were underage.
On August 21, 2019, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Hamann with sexual exploitation and trafficking of a child, possession of child pornography, and attempted sex trafficking of a child. On January 19, 2021, he pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Eugene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Katherine Green, Lane County Deputy District Attorney.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Arizona Accountant Charged with Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former certified public accountant and former chief financial officer of a McMinnville, Oregon company faces federal criminal charges after allegedly evading $99,000 in personal income taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Kent Jensen, 58, a resident of Gilbert, Arizona, has been charged by criminal information with two counts of felony tax evasion.
According to court documents, in 2014 and 2015, Jenson, who also previously worked as an auditor with an international accounting firm and a financial consultant for a business in Milwaukie, Oregon, allegedly set up several nominee companies and nominee bank accounts to conceal most of his personal income from the IRS. Jensen arranged for his financial consulting clients to pay his consulting fees to these nominee companies. He then deposited the funds into nominee bank accounts and used the proceeds for personal expenses. In 2014 and 2015, Jensen submitted fraudulent personal income tax returns that substantially underreported his personal income and the taxes owed.
“Now that the tax filing season has begun, and tax revenues are right now being used to assist Americans through the COVID pandemic, cases like this are a reminder that all taxpayers have a lawful duty to file accurate tax returns and pay their fair share of taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This office and the IRS will aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who criminally abuses the tax system.”
Jensen faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release for each of two counts of tax evasion. He will be arraigned on March 18, 2021 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
This case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Grass Seed Company Manager Charged in Scheme to Defraud Simplot and Its CustomersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that Christopher Claypool, 52, of Spokane, Washington, the former general manager of the Jacklin Seed Company, a producer and marketer of grass seed and turfgrass based in Liberty Lake, Washington, has been charged by criminal information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering as part of multiple schemes to defraud Jacklin’s former owner, the J.R. Simplot Company, and its customers.
As general manager of Jacklin, Claypool oversaw the company’s product sales to domestic and foreign distributors. Jacklin contracted with independent growers in Oregon for the production of proprietary grass seed varieties and fulfilled orders from a distribution facility in Albany, Oregon. Differences in grass seed yield rates resulted in the over-delivery of some varieties and underproduction of others.
At some point between 2013 and 2015, Claypool and other Jacklin employees realized that growers’ preference for higher-yield grasses was creating substantial shortages of lower-yield varieties Jacklin had contracted to deliver to its customers. Claypool and a colleague who oversaw product fulfillment at the company’s Albany distribution facility recognized that these shortages would either cause Jacklin to fail to deliver on its existing contracts or require Jacklin to pay a premium to growers to acquire necessary inventory, substantially eroding company profits. Claypool and his colleague anticipated that either result would negatively affect their careers.
From January 2015 and continuing until at least the summer of 2019, Claypool and his colleague directed Jacklin employees, at the Albany facility and elsewhere, to fulfill customer orders with different varieties of grass seed than the customers had ordered, to conceal such substitutions from the customers, and to invoice the customers as though no substitutions had taken place. Claypool and his colleague referred to this scheme as “getting creative.”
To conceal the unauthorized substitutions, Claypool and his colleague directed Jacklin employees to package the substitute seed varieties with false and misleading labels. They also directed employees to invoice the customers under the original terms of their contracts, notwithstanding the unauthorized substitutions. As a result of this scheme, Jacklin invoiced customers for more than $1.1 million of grass seed the company never delivered.
In addition to the undisclosed seed substitutions, Claypool engaged in several other fraudulent schemes while serving as Jacklin’s general manager. In one scheme, he directed an accomplice to create a limited-liability corporation (LLC) to pose as an independent grass seed broker. Claypool and a colleague conspired to route a portion of Jacklin’s overseas sales through a competing grass-seed seller based in Jefferson, Oregon. The company would, in turn, add its own mark-up to the sales and kick back outsized commissions to Claypool through his accomplice’s LLC. From December 2018 through August 2019, Claypool generated more than $369,000 in fraudulent commissions.
In a third scheme, Claypool conspired with the owner of an independent travel agency in Spokane to inflate the purported costs of Claypool’s international business travel. Claypool traveled overseas extensively for business and had authority to approve his own travel expenses. In lieu of using Simplot’s contract travel agency, Claypool booked his flights through the independent travel agent. The agent booked economy and other lower-cost fares for Claypool, but created fake first-class bookings on the most expensive comparable itineraries in order to generate inflated invoices that he transmitted to Simplot, through Claypool, for payment. In total, the agent overbilled more than $500,000 for international airfare, the majority of which Claypool ultimately received in kickbacks from the agent.
In the most lucrative fraud scheme, Claypool directed Simplot’s payment of more than twelve million dollars in “rebates” and “commissions” to entities that were posing as foreign sales partners but were, in fact, fronts for Claypool’s coconspirators in embezzling those funds. The coconspirators then transmitted part of their ill-gotten gains from accounts in Hong Kong to real estate investments in Hawaii under Claypool’s control. Years later, Claypool sold the real estate and wired the proceeds to investment accounts in Spokane as part of an elaborate money laundering operation.
Claypool faces a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison, fines of more than $15 million, and 5 years’ supervised release. His arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney's Office Releases First Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Program ReportRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon released its first annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) program report today, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. The report is the first of its kind produced by a U.S. Attorney’s Office since the Justice Department launched a new national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans in November 2019.
“For generations, American Indians and Alaskan Natives have suffered from disproportionately high levels of violence. Tragically, this is not a crisis of the past; it’s a crisis of the present,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “In this report, we look back and forward, summarizing what is known about missing and murdered Indigenous people in Oregon and outlining our plans and goals for the year ahead. While we won’t solve this problem overnight, our office is working closely with Oregon law enforcement partners, other U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and the U.S. Department of Justice to end endemic violence in Indian Country.”
The District of Oregon report provides tribal communities, law enforcement and the public with an overview of current MMIP cases connected to Oregon and the U.S. Attorney Office MMIP strategy for 2021. As outlined in the report, an initial analysis of available MMIP data conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicates there are eleven missing and eight murdered Indigenous persons connected to Oregon.
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will conduct formal tribal consultations with Oregon’s nine tribal governments to discuss MMIP issues, develop MMIP community response plans, create a District of Oregon MMIP Working Group, further develop data surrounding Oregon MMIP cases, and increase collaboration among all involved entities who interact with MMIP cases.
MMIP is an important and sensitive issue to tribal communities. Addressing MMIP in Indian Country is particularly challenging due to jurisdictional issues, lack of coordination and inadequate resources. However, for the first time in U.S. history, a national federal strategy—formalized by legislation, executive order, and departmental directive—is in place to address MMIP issues.
If you or someone you know have information about missing or murdered Indigenous people in Oregon, please contact the FBI Portland Field Office by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please contact MMIP program coordinator Cedar Wilkie Gillette by emailing [email protected] or by calling (503) 727-1000.
Federal Officials Close Investigation into February 2017 Arrest of Michael FesserRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Oregon announced today that the federal criminal investigation into the arrest of Portland resident Michael Fesser on February 25, 2017 has been closed after finding insufficient evidence to support federal criminal prosecution.
In February 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fesser’s arrest following media reports that the West Linn Police Department had settled a civil lawsuit with Mr. Fesser. This federal investigation sought to determine whether the evidence of events leading to Mr. Fesser’s arrest was sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any officers’ actions violated federal criminal civil rights or public corruption statutes.
The FBI conducted an independent investigation of the facts surrounding Mr. Fesser's arrest. It interviewed 18 people, including Mr. Fesser, current and former police officers, current and former City of West Linn City employees, and community members. The FBI received approximately 28,000 pages of material in response to 24 subpoenas, including investigative records, training and disciplinary records, phone records, and financial records.
After examining the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fesser’s arrest and the evidence gathered, the FBI and career Justice Department prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division concluded that they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that officers involved in Mr. Fesser’s arrest willfully violated Mr. Fesser’s civil rights or federal public corruption statutes. In this case, under the applicable federal criminal civil rights laws, the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Fesser’s constitutional rights were violated and, if a violation occurred, the actions taken by law enforcement officers were willful.
Willfulness requires proof that an officer acted with the specific intent to do something the law forbids. It is not enough to show that an officer made a mistake, acted negligently, acted by accident or mistake, or even exercised bad judgment. Here, the government cannot prove that the manner in which Mr. Fesser was arrested violated a federally protected right, or that the actions taken by law enforcement officials were willful as defined above.
To the extent that the criminal investigation into Mr. Fesser’s arrest raised issues concerning the broader policies and practices of the West Linn Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has taken steps to connect West Linn and its police department to national community oriented policing technical assistance.
The Justice Department remains committed to investigating wrongful arrest allegations and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that all allegations of civil rights violations are thoroughly examined. The department aggressively prosecutes criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so and pursues alternatives when there is not.
Malheur County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Carlos Alberto Berrios, Jr., 30, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine in and around Malheur County, Oregon, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
According to court documents, on April 24, 2018, Berrios was riding in a vehicle when it was stopped for a traffic violation by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy. Berrios was seated in the vehicle with a backpack on the floor between his legs and a gun holster between his left leg and the vehicle’s center console. After determining that Berrios had an outstanding felony arrest warrant and the driver did not have a license or insurance, the deputy called for a tow truck and began impounding the vehicle. An Ontario Police Officer on scene identified Berrios as a suspect in a recent firearm theft. The deputy searched Berrios’ backpack and found a .45 caliber firearm and approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine.
On June 19, 2019, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging Berrios. On January 23, 2020, he pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Ontario Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that, effective February 28, 2021, he will step down as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Today’s announcement marks the end of Williams’ 20-year career in the Department of Justice, which began in October 2000. During his tenure with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Williams has held multiple leadership positions, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division Chief, Violent Crimes Unit Chief, and Indian Country Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison.
“It has been an incredible honor to serve the people of Oregon as U.S. Attorney. In more than 20 years with this office, I have had the distinct privilege to engage with countless colleagues, friends, community members, law enforcement partners, litigants, and others committed to making our communities better, safer places to live and thrive. There is still much work to do in our collective pursuit of justice and equity for all, but I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Most of all, I am grateful to have worked with so many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers who daily put themselves at risk to protect Oregonians. You have and always will be a great inspiration to me.”
Williams has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in Oregon since May 2015. With the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Williams was nominated by former President Donald J. Trump on November 17, 2017 to serve a four-year term and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 7, 2018.
As U.S. Attorney, Williams has served on several Attorney General Advisory Subcommittees. In November 2018, he was appointed chair of the Attorney General’s Marijuana Working Group, part of the Controlled Substances Subcommittee. He also served on the Native American Issues Subcommittee, Civil Rights Subcommittee, Border & Immigration Subcommittee, and Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.
Prior to his federal service, Williams served as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Multnomah County where he supervised the Career Criminal Unit. As a state prosecutor, Williams handled major crimes of violence, including aggravated murder, adult and child sex offenses, domestic violence, narcotics trafficking, vehicular homicide, and officer-involved shootings.
Williams, a native of Goldendale, Washington, received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Washington State University in 1981 and his law degree from the Willamette University College of Law in 1989.
Following Williams’ departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug will become Acting U.S. Attorney pending the senate confirmation of a presidential nominee.
Klamath Falls Man Pleads Guilty for Sending Threatening Cards Containing White Powder to Former CoworkersRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Klamath Falls, Oregon man pleaded guilty today for sending cards to former coworkers containing a white powdered pesticide threatened to be anthrax, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Kelly Michael Burns, 71, pleaded guilty today to eight counts of mailing threatening communications.
According to court documents, on or about December 19, 2019, Burns mailed four Christmas cards, postmarked in Medford, to former coworkers containing a white powder pesticide later identified as carbaryl. The cards were addressed to the victims’ workplace and contained violent threats such as “Merry Anthrax (obscenity)! Eat (obscenity) and die more to come.” Three people at Burns’ former workplace were exposed to the carbaryl, forced to undergo an extensive physical decontamination process, and were administered a high-dose antibiotic. One of the victims exposed was ten weeks pregnant at the time of exposure. As a result of the contamination, law enforcement ordered company employees out of the building and the company was closed for further decontamination.
Later, on February 13, 2020, Burns again mailed cards containing carbaryl to the same four victim recipients. This second wave of cards also contained violent statements with added threats directed at the victims’ families.
On February 26, 2020, an FBI laboratory completed a chemical analysis of the powder found in the December cards and confirmed that it was carbaryl, a known pesticide toxic to humans. A few days later, FBI handwriting analysts presumptively matched the handwriting on the envelopes and cards mailed in December to Burns’ own handwriting obtained from a job application and recent tax documents.
In March 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Burns’ residence. They found handwritten notes in which Burns threatened to kill a former coworker, sabotage his former workplace, and conduct a drive-by shooting. Agents also recovered several books including, “The Poisoner’s Handbook,” “The Joy of Cold Revenge,” “U.S. Army Guide to Boobytraps,” and “Silent Death.”
On March 5, 2020, Burns was charged by criminal complaint with mailing threatening communications and false information or hoaxes. Later, on January 15, 2021, he was charged by criminal information with eight counts of mailing threatening communications.
Burns faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on May 6, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
As part of the plea agreement, Burns has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victims as identified by the government prior to sentencing and ordered by the court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
White City Man Sentenced for Poaching in Crater Lake National ParkRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—On February 4, 2021, a White City, Oregon man was sentenced for violating the Lacey Act by illegally poaching a trophy bull elk in Crater Lake National Park, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Adrian Duane Wood, 44, was sentenced to five years’ federal probation to include a six-month stay at a residential reentry center. The court also ordered that Wood be banned for life from Crater Lake National Park, be restricted from hunting for the duration of his probation, and pay $42,500 in restitution to the National Park Service.
“Our nation’s environmental laws are in place to protect vulnerable wildlife populations and ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy these animals as we do today. Mr. Wood preyed on elk and deer who were unaccustomed to being hunted and thus uniquely vulnerable to poaching,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Beyond the depravity of his crimes, Mr. Wood further engaged his minor son in his illegal acts and bragged about his criminal behavior to others. Thanks to the hard work of federal and state investigators, justice has been served and Mr. Wood has been permanently banned from Crater Lake.”
“Our public lands are special places for both people and wildlife,” said James Ashburner, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The defendant's blatant disregard for the law caused great harm to the elk herd in the park. This joint case demonstrates the resolve of National Park Service, Oregon State Police, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in protecting our nation’s natural resources. A special thank you goes out to the Service's National Wildlife Forensics Lab for their incredible work on this case, as well as to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon for placing an emphasis on environmental crimes that impact the natural world we all enjoy.”
According to court documents, in July 2014, the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Oregon State Police (OSP) began a multi-year investigation into Wood’s illegal hunting activities based on reports that he was poaching wildlife in Crater Lake National Park. At least two sources stated that Wood had killed several deer and elk on the west side of the park after baiting them into meadow with rock salt. OSP received further reports that Wood was illegally poaching wildlife at night.
On August 31, 2014, an OSP trooper observed Wood and his son leaving the national park after dark. When the trooper approached him, Wood hurried toward his vehicle and acted as if he were trying to hide something. After speaking with Wood, the trooper located a loaded AR-15 semi-automatic rifle outfitted with night optics beneath his truck. Wood initially claimed the rifle was for bear hunting, but after the trooper pointed out that the rifle was not lawfully equipped to hunt any wildlife, Wood then claimed it was for personal protection. The trooper cited Wood for being a felon in possession of a firearm and seized the rifle. Wood was convicted in state court of the charge and placed on probation.
Throughout 2015, NPS and OSP continued receiving reports of Wood’s illegal poaching. NPS rangers found carcasses and piles of rock salt in an area of the park frequented by Wood. In October 2015, an NPS ranger found an elk skull, jaw, and vertebrae in the national park. The remains were determined to be near a custom track log found on Wood’s GPS unit. Investigators later learned Wood entered and won second or third place in a Sportsman’s Warehouse Big Bull elk hunting contest.
In August and September 2016, Wood engaged in several incriminating text conversations. On August 28, 2016, Wood texted his wife about his attempt to locate a bleeding elk he had shot. A photo later discovered on Wood’s phone, taken on August 28, appeared to depict a trail of blood. Investigators also found a custom waypoint named “Hit” on Wood’s GPS device created the same morning as the date-stamped photo. The “Hit” location was within the boundaries of the national park.
On September 7, 2016, Wood texted another individual, bragging about his hunting activities: “I’ve been in the elk since opening season and passed up 5 last Sunday because I have a problem shooting a small 5 point when there is a monster 50 yards away screaming at me…I’m pretty good at finding elk around here, I’ve killed 24 and get one every year.”
On September 22, 2016, OSP contacted Wood in his vehicle as he was pulling a horse trailer near the boundary of the national park. Although Wood stated he had not been hunting in 2016, the trooper observed blood on Wood’s hands and clothing. Wood then gave the trooper a partially validated Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) archery elk tag, which also had blood on it. The next day, an OSP trooper returned to the area where they had contacted Wood, walked a short distance into the national park, and discovered a freshly killed and partially butchered elk. The carcass was in the same meadow wherein Wood was previously reported to have hunted elk. The trooper noted that the elk’s head was sawed off and some meat was removed. Shortly thereafter, Wood texted photos of himself posing with the elk. OSP obtained the photos and matched them to the carcass.
On October 4, 2016, FWS agents executed a federal search warrant on Wood’s residence. They located multiple firearms, assorted ammunition, and several wildlife specimens. FWS special agents later searched Wood’s GPS units and confirmed he was in the national park when he killed the bull elk on September 22 and had marked the location of the kill. They further confirmed that the majority of his GPS hunting waypoints and track logs between 2011 and 2016 were within the boundaries of the national park.
Forensic scientists at the FWS National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab, conducted forensic examinations and genetic analyses of the wildlife specimens taken from Wood’s residence and compared them to animal remains recovered in the national park. DNA analyses revealed that Wood possessed parts of at least 13 elk, 12 deer, and one black bear, and the blood found on Wood’s ODFW archery tag matched the DNA of the elk poached on September 22. A forensic pathologist further determined the elk killed on September 22 had been killed by a gunshot. In total, investigators definitively linked six seized specimens to elk or deer poached by Wood in the national park in 2015 and 2016.
On May 1, 2019, Wood was indicted by a federal grand jury in Medford, Oregon for violating the Lacey Act by unlawfully taking and transporting a trophy bull elk from Crater Lake National Park and illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. On August 17, 2020, Wood pleaded guilty to the Lacey Act charge and agreed to pay restitution to NPS for the wildlife illegally taken from the national park.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, National Park Service, and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for protecting America’s wildlife from poaching, illegal commercialization, and other kinds of wildlife crime. If you have information related to a wildlife crime, please call 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477) or email [email protected].
Former Nike Marketing Manager Charged in Scheme to Defraud CompanyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that Errol Amorin Andam, 49, of Beaverton, Oregon, a former marketing manager at Nike, Inc., has been charged by criminal information with wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements on a loan application as part of a scheme to defraud his former employer.
According to the information, from 2001 until his termination in 2018, Andam was employed by Nike at its headquarters in Beaverton. Most recently, Andam worked as a manager in the company’s North American Retail Brand Marketing division wherein he managed the design, build-out, and operation of “pop-up” retail venues, temporary Nike shops situated near and tailored to sports competitions and other special events around the U.S.
In the summer of 2016, Andam recruited a childhood friend to establish a company to design and build the pop-up venues as an independent contractor for Nike. Andam used his authority as a manager at Nike to ensure that his friend’s company was consistently awarded the contracts for these jobs. Though he had no formal role in his friend’s company, Andam assumed control of much of the company’s financial operations, managing financial accounts and issuing invoices to Nike.
To conceal his role in the scheme, Andam used an alter ego, “Frank Little,” to invoice Nike and manage the contract company’s account with Square, Inc., a California-based provider of mobile credit-card-processing services. In 2016, Andam also renewed the lapsed registration of an Oregon-based limited liability corporation (LLC) he owned so that he could use the defunct entity as a shell company to funnel the proceeds diverted from Nike and his friend’s company to accounts under his personal control.
Beginning in September 2016, Andam caused credit-card sales at various pop-up venues around the U.S. to be run through card readers associated with a Square account owned by his friend’s company. These proceeds were transferred to Square in California and then to Andam’s LLC bank account in Oregon. Andam represented to both Nike and his friend that the proceeds of these sales were credited against the total amount Nike owed to his friend’s company. In truth, Andam simply pocketed the proceeds and, as “Frank Little,” invoiced Nike for the full cost of the contracted services.
From September 2016 through December 2018, Andam diverted and embezzled nearly $1.5 million in Nike proceeds for his own use. In July 2018, Andam submitted a fake financial statement from his LLC in support of a residential mortgage loan application. The financial statement falsely reflected as revenue checks for $194,000 drawn on a bank account owned by his friend’s business. Andam forged his friend’s signature on the check and withdrew much of that money without his friend’s knowledge.
Andam faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, fines of up to $4.5 million, and 5 years’ supervised release. He will be arraigned on March 5, 2021, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Leader of Portland-Area Prescription Drug Trafficking Scheme Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone fraudulently obtained from local pharmacies.
Chase Adam Conway, 36, was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in June 2018, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating Conway. They learned that Conway, who had a long history of committing drug frauds, was enlisting female runners to fraudulently obtain oxycodone from pharmacies in the Portland area. Conway would deliberately seek out runners who were heavily addicted to oxycodone and willing to risk criminal liability in exchange for a portion of the prescriptions filled or a small amount of cash.
Conway obtained medical prescription paper and used a home printer to place the names and DEA registration numbers of real doctors on the prescriptions. He would then provide his co-conspirators with fraudulent identification to use in conjunction with the fake prescriptions at various pharmacies. After obtaining the oxycodone pills, Conway redistributed to them for profit to large quantity vendors and street customers.
In the fall of 2018, agents tracked Conway’s car and obtained evidence from several pharmacies where he and his accomplices filled prescriptions. In February 2019, agents executed a search warrant on Conway’s rented room and mobile phone, seizing prescription paper, lists of runners and pharmacies, doctors’ names and DEA numbers, and dozens of communications call logs and text messages with various co-defendants.
On October 6, 2020, Conway was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and, one week later, he pleaded guilty. As part of his plea agreement, Conway is also subject to a $10,000 money judgement.
This case was investigated by the DEA. It was prosecuted by Kemp Strickland, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Statement by U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams on Racist and Threatening Letters Sent to Community Leaders, ActivistsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy. J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, released the following statement on racist and threatening letters sent to Portland area community leaders and activists:
“We are aware that some Portland area community leaders and activists have, in recent months, received racist letters threatening violence against them, their families, or people they know. I want to reassure the community that the U.S. Attorney’s Office takes these threats very seriously and, together with our partners at the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, are engaged in an active investigation to determine who is responsible for creating and sending these letters and to evaluate criminal wrongdoing.
We need the public’s help to keep our communities safe and protect all Oregonians. To that end, we urge you to submit any information you have about these or other threats of violence. Tips can be submitted directly to the FBI’s Portland Field Office by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. While our investigation is ongoing, we must respectfully decline further comment.”
Washington State Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Absconding Supervision and Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Vancouver, Washington man was sentenced to federal prison today for failing to comply with sex offender supervision and registration requirements designed to protect the community from predatory acts, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Joseph Alonzo Lugo, 50, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. As a condition of his post-prison supervision, Lugo will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and mental health counseling.
According to court documents, Lugo was required to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in state court, in August 2017, to communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and, less than a year later, pleading guilty to second-degree child molestation. In the latter case, Lugo sexually abused a family member younger than five and served 11 months in prison. He was released in September of 2019 and stopped registering as a sex offender in December of 2019.
On December 31, 2019, Lugo absconded from Washington State supervision and took up residence in Eugene. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Marshals Service deputies began investigating Lugo’s whereabouts and, on April 14, 2020, located him at a house in Eugene. The deputies’ investigation revealed that Lugo had interacted with several children at the house while in non-registration status, though the investigation revealed no evidence of additional sexual offenses. Lugo was arrested on April 14, 2020.
On April 13, 2020, Lugo was charged by criminal complaint with failing to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on October 15, 2020.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren and Certified Law Student Kara Greenaway.
The United States Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary law enforcement agency for sex offender and fugitive investigations. The United States Marshals Service has implemented an aggressive strategy across the nation, including complex sex offender investigations and multiagency enforcement operations. Protecting children in our communities is a critical part of the multiagency sex offender mission in Oregon.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) is Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The act provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA strengthens the nationwide network for the protection of the community.
Former Eugene Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty for Sexually Abusing 15-Year-OldRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A former Eugene elementary school teacher pleaded guilty today for sexually abusing a minor female, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
William Hamann, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child.
According to court documents, on several occasions beginning in 2018 and continuing until July 2019, Hamann paid a minor female for oral sex and recorded the minor performing the sex acts. The minor female was 15 years old during the first encounter with Hamman. Eugene Police Department detectives and FBI agents arrested Hamann on July 26, 2019, when he came to meet the minor a fourth time. Agents searched his mobile phone and found a recording of one of the sex acts. Hamman used social media to arrange the meetings with the minor.
On August 21, 2019, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Hamann with sexual exploitation and trafficking of a child, possession of child pornography, and attempted sex trafficking of a child.
Hamann was also charged with multiple counts in Lane County Circuit Court, including sodomy and sex abuse.
Hamann will be sentenced on March 1, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a sentence of 160 months in federal prison to be served consecutively to a 20-month prison sentence in Lane County.
As part of the plea agreement, Hamann has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victim.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Katherine Green, Lane County Deputy District Attorney.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Statement by U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams on Recent Political ViolenceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy. J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, released the following statement on recent political violence:
"Like most Americans, I watched in disgust and anger as radical insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol in a shocking display of political violence. There is no question these violent acts were domestic terrorism aimed at disrupting Congress’ Constitutional duty to certify the electoral victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country are working tirelessly to investigate and prosecute all forms of domestic terrorism including this attack on our government, and those responsible will be brought to justice.
As we approach next week’s inauguration, the threat of similar political violence around the country and here in Oregon remains. Our office is working closely with the FBI, Federal Protective Service, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Bureau, and other local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt anyone intent on engaging in violence here in Oregon.
We need the public’s help to keep our communities safe and protect all Oregonians’ First Amendment rights. We urge you to submit any information you have about real or potential threats of violence at any upcoming demonstrations or events throughout the state. Tips can be submitted directly to the FBI by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.”
Hoover Criminal Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Jaelan Sarray Reid, 26, a known Hoover Criminal Gang member and resident of Portland, was sentenced today to 58 months in prison and three years’ supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
According to court documents, on June 18, 2020, a Morrow County sheriff’s deputy received a tip that several people with outstanding criminal arrest warrants were traveling west on Interstate-84 in a black Range Rover. The deputy located the vehicle with three occupants and conducted a traffic stop. Reid identified himself as “Charles Benton” and gave the deputy a false date of birth. The deputy identified Reid using a DMV photo and detained him.
During the traffic stop, the deputy noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle pursuant to a state warrant issued in June 2020 and located a backpack behind the driver’s seat. Inside the package was a prescription bottle in Reid’s name and a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Reid was arrested and held at the Umatilla County Jail on state charges. During record jail calls, Reid made several incriminating statements about possessing the firearm in his backpack.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Lewis Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Beavercreek Man Arrested, Charged After Firing Handgun into the Hatfield Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beavercreek, Oregon man has been arrested and charged for discharging a firearm into the Hatfield Federal Courthouse on January 8, 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Cody Melby, 39, has been charged by criminal complaint with destruction of government property.
According to the complaint, at approximately 7:35pm on January 8, Melby allegedly jumped over a security fence at the Hatfield Courthouse and, using a 9mm handgun, fired several rounds into the building’s exterior. Two courthouse security officers exited the building and approached Melby after observing him on a closed-circuit security camera. Melby told the officers he had a gun and the officers placed him in handcuffs without further incident.
Federal Protective Service officers dispatched to the scene located five spent 9mm bullet casings, three spent bullets, three bullet holes in plywood affixed to the building’s stone columns, and damage to the metal soffit above the building’s main entrance.
Melby will make his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Portland.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service and FBI. It is being prosecuted by Paul Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Criminal complaints are only accusations of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Items seized from Melby after arrest. Bullet hole in plywood sheathing affixed to U.S. Courthouse. Melby walking inside U.S. Courthouse security fencing. Melby discharging firearm in front of U.S. Courthouse.U.S. Attorney's Office Joins in Recognizing Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, January 9, 2021Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Every January, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joins communities around the state in observing Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to honor the distinguished service and tremendous personal sacrifice of Oregon’s law enforcement officers. This year’s observance takes place on Saturday, January 9, 2021.
“This past year has brought several unprecedented challenges to our country and the law enforcement profession. Working in law enforcement is, now more than ever, one of the hardest and most important jobs in our country. The thousands of men and women who fill these roles do so not for personal accolade or attention, but out of an unwavering sense of duty to the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “On behalf of everyone at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we offer our sincere and humble gratitude to law enforcement officers in Oregon and beyond. You play a critical role in keeping our communities safe and working to create a fairer and more equal justice system.”
On January 9, please take a moment to honor those who protect and serve our communities. Your support can be shown in many ways, including:
- By wearing blue clothing;
- Sending a card of support to your local police department or sheriff’s office;
- Sharing a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media;
- Asking children in your household to write letters in support of law enforcement;
- Organizing an event or rally in support of law enforcement officers; or
- Donating to a charitable organization that supports law enforcement.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day also affords our community the opportunity to raise awareness of officer safety and wellness issues. Law enforcement as a career path is mentally taxing and subjects its members to disproportionate levels of trauma. Studies have shown that law enforcement officers are at greater risk of heart disease, alcohol abuse, major psychological illnesses, and divorce as compared to other professions.
In September 2020, the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced $4.5 million in grants for the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program. These funds are used to improve the delivery of mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training, demonstration projects, peer mentoring, and suicide prevention.
The COPS Office and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have collected a long list of resources to support local agencies’ officer safety and wellness efforts. To view these resources, click here.
Two Oregon Men Face Federal Charges for Pocketing Millions in Covid-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Two Oregon men are facing federal charges for fraudulently converting to their personal use loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Andrew Aaron Lloyd, 50, of Lebanon, Oregon, and Russell A. Schort, 38, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, have been charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.
Lloyd and Schort took advantage of economic relief programs administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans and small businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the complaint, the FBI began investigating Lloyd and Schort after discovering suspicious financial transactions indicating that the pair may have fraudulently obtained PPP loans. A review of bank records revealed that between April 7, 2020 and May 8, 2020, Lloyd and Schort applied for and received at least three PPP loan payments using three separate entities, totaling more than $2.2 million. The loan application packages included some of the same information across the different business entities, including the businesses’ physical locations and the names of several dozen employees.
After receiving the funds, Lloyd transferred at least $1.8 million to a personal online brokerage account and purchased various securities. In the months that followed, these investments substantially increased in value. On the date of the seizure, the securities purchased with the fraud proceeds and with a loan secured by equities purchased with fraud proceeds, were valued at over $10 million.
Schort was arrested on January 6, 2021 by FBI agents and made his initial appearance in federal court the same day. Lloyd was arrested today FBI agents and will make his initial appearance tomorrow, January 8, 2021, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Eugene.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Small Business Association and IRS. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Criminal complaints are only accusations of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Eastern Oregon Medical Practice Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax Crimes, Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Anndrea D. Jacobs, 49, the former office manager and bookkeeper for a La Grande, Oregon medical practice was sentenced to federal prison today for defrauding two separate employers and filing false tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Jacobs, a resident of La Grande, was sentenced to four years in federal prison and five years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to filing a false personal income tax return, falsely impersonating an IRS employee, aggravated identity theft, and bank fraud.
According to court documents, beginning on or about January 2011 and continuing until her termination in December 2015, Jacobs used her position and access to a medical practice’s finances to steal money from the practice by, among other means, writing business checks to herself or for her own benefit. Jacobs used the stolen funds to make payments on personal credit cards and pay other personal expenses unrelated to the medical practice.
In an attempt to hide her illicit actions, Jacobs prepared and maintained false business financial records, overstating expenses and estimated tax payments. Further, without the knowledge or consent of the medical practice owner, she opened a business bank account in his name; deposited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own personal account; gave the practice owner falsified property tax statements with total due balances of zero; and convinced the practice owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the practice’s pending IRS tax-collection action.
In perhaps her most brazen attempt to conceal her embezzlement activity, Jacobs created a fictitious identity as an IRS Taxpayer Advocate named “Linda Gibson”; established a phone number and voicemail account for the fictitious identity; and purported to assist the medical practice owner with his IRS tax collection issues while purporting to be “Linda Gibson.”
On September 12, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 15-count indictment charging Jacobs with wire fraud, filing false tax returns, aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns, falsely impersonating an employee of the U.S., and aggravated identity theft. On June 5, 2020, Jacobs’ pre-trial release was revoked for committing bank fraud while embezzling from a second employer: a dental practice in Hood River. On June 9, 2020, Jacobs was indicted a second time for the new scheme.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Marco A. Hernandez ordered Jacobs to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to two former employers, Wells Fargo Bank, and the IRS.
The cases were investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bounds.
U.S. Attorney Statement on the Passing of Dr. T. Allen BethelRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, released the following statement on the passing of Dr. T. Allen Bethel:
“Today we mourn the loss of Dr. T. Allen Bethel, a true civil rights icon. Dr. Bethel was a visionary leader who reminded us all that the first duty of society is justice. He was a leader with incredible strength, courage, faith, and dignity. His words stirred passion and his work stirred action. People listened when he spoke because of his impeccable character, poise, and passion for change. I deeply respected Dr. Bethel and will miss him.”
Two Oregon Men Face Federal Charges for COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—In separate criminal cases, two Oregon men are facing federal charges for fraudulently converting to their personal use loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
David Unitan, aka Danny Cohen, 46, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and money laundering. Jeremy Clawson, 30, of Baker City, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with theft of government property.
Both men took advantage of economic relief programs administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans and small businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. v. David Unitan
According to court documents, in July 2020, a small business owner contacted the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office to report that an unknown person had obtained and used personal information belonging to himself, his wife, and their business to establish accounts at a bank in Boston, Massachusetts. Sometime later, IRS Criminal Investigation independently opened an investigation into EIDLs and PPP loans obtained under suspicious circumstances by someone purporting to be Daniel Cohen but was in fact Unitan.
A review of SBA records revealed that six EIDL applications had been submitted using the small business owner’s social security number. Of the six applications, two were funded for a total of $295,000. These funds were disbursed into the Boston bank account in June and July of 2020. Investigators soon discovered that a transfer of $100,000 was made from the Boston account to another bank account on June 24, 2020, and that, on the same day, a wire transfer of $77,898 was made to Mackenzie Motor Company in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Investigators contacted the general manager of Dick’s Mackenzie Ford in Hillsboro and learned that an individual named Danny Michael Cohen had recently purchased a 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat truck for $77,898 using a counterfeit California driver’s license. The general manager also told investigators that the individual had shown up at the dealership driving a 2020 Tesla Model X and provided his insurance card for the Tesla as part of the truck purchase. A review of law enforcement records revealed that the Tesla had recently been impounded by the Lake Oswego Police Department because the driver, David Unitan, had been operating the vehicle with a suspended license.
Investigators compared Unitan’s Oregon DMV photo with the photo on the California driver’s license provided to dealership and confirmed the likenesses appeared to match. The small business owner who had originally reported the fraud later confirmed that his company had previously contracted with David Unitan for video production. The business owner also confirmed the photo on the counterfeit California driver’s license used to purchase the Ford pickup was indeed David Unitan.
Federal agents and Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Unitan at his home this morning pursuant to a warrant issued by the federal district court. Agents also seized the Ford pickup and Tesla sedan as proceeds of loans Unitan obtained through fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications.
This case was investigated by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
U.S. v. Jeremy Clawson
According to court documents, on August 11, 2020, the proceeds of an SBA EIDL totaling $145,200 were deposited into an Umpqua Bank account owned by Jeremy Clawson and his girlfriend. Shortly after receiving the deposit, Clawson began making multiple large cash withdrawals at the drive-through window of an Umpqua Bank in Baker City, Oregon. On August 17, 2020, Clawson withdrew $49,905 in the form of a cashier’s check to purchase a 2016 Dodge Challenger. Umpqua Bank investigators detected the unusual activity and reported it to the SBA.
SBA loan documents showed that the loan was made for the benefit of Halperin Manufacturing Company in San Diego, California. Though there is no record of any such company, the loan application listed the company’s owner and claimed it employed 350 people. Investigators contacted the person listed as the owner, but that person denied owning or being affiliated with any such company. The purported owner further stated that the company’s supposed address in San Diego was that individual’s personal residence and not a commercial property with 350 employees.
In early September 2020, investigators learned that, in late August, Clawson had been arrested by the Baker City Police Department for driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, and attempting to allude police. Clawson was driving the 2016 Dodge Challenger at the time of his arrest. Clawson later told authorities that he had received a large inheritance from his father, including $30,000 in cash he had on his person during a subsequent arrest.
On September 11, 2020, investigators interviewed Clawson at the Baker County Jail where he was incarcerated on an unrelated charge. Clawson claimed to have received the $145,200 from a woman with whom he had an online dating relationship. He further claimed that he didn’t know what to do with the money and, after he stopped communicating with the woman, began spending the money himself. Clawson admitted to using the SBA money to purchase the Dodge Challenger and several other vehicles.
The United States District Court issued a warrant for Clawson’s arrest, but he is currently serving a criminal sentence at the Snake River Correctional Institution following his convictions for felony driving under the influence and attempting to elude the police stemming from his August 2020 arrest. Federal agents also seized the Dodge Challenger and approximately $50,000 in cash derived from the fraudulent EIDL pursuant to seizure warrants issued by the federal court and voluntary abandonment of funds in third parties’ possession.
This case was investigated by SBA and the U.S. Secret Service.
Both cases are being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Criminal complaints are only accusations of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the department’s history at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Madras Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Ronald Wayne Thrasher, 50, a prolific drug dealer from Madras, Oregon with a decades-long criminal history, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison followed by five years’ supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
On August 8, 2019, Thrasher, whose previous convictions include drug manufacturing and distribution, burglary, and illegal firearm possession, was found guilty of conspiring to distribute controlled substances and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine by a federal jury in Eugene.
“Ronald Thrasher is a dangerous criminal whose drug dealing threatened communities throughout Central Oregon. Despite several previous convictions and significant prison sentences, Thrasher repeatedly returned to drug trafficking to provide income for himself, supply his own drug addiction, and bolster his status among rivals,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The significant sentence imposed today cuts off a major source of methamphetamine supply in Central Oregon, aiding our collective effort to reverse the state’s addiction crisis.”
“DEA is committed to working with our state, local and federal partners at curbing the violence in our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. He further added, “This sentence is an important step in our joint mission to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy violent drug trafficking organizations who threaten the very communities we aim to protect.”
“Mr. Thrasher’s sentence is fitting for the illegal actions he has taken,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “ATF will always work to bring to justice those who cause harm in their communities.”
Thrasher was convicted alongside his supplier, Russell Marvin Jones, 54, of Gresham, Oregon. Both men conspired with one another and others to traffic methamphetamine from Southern California to Central Oregon and the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area for distribution. For his role in the scheme, Jones was sentenced to 200 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. Nine other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiring with Thrasher.
According to court documents and testimony produced at trial, in the spring of 2016, Thrasher became acquainted with multiple co-defendants who were engaged in trafficking methamphetamine from Santee and San Diego, California, and Portland for resale in Central Oregon. Thrasher used these connections to establish a source of supply for his own methamphetamine use and distribution.
In early 2017, after his primary supplier was arrested in Redmond, Oregon, an associate introduced Thrasher to Jones, a methamphetamine manufacturer and dealer in the Portland area. On or about February 17, 2017, Thrasher traveled to Portland with his associates to meet Jones and Jones sold Thrasher several pounds of methamphetamine. On March 20, 2017, after several more deals, Jones sold Thrasher a stolen firearm.
By April 2017, Thrasher was distributing methamphetamine via multiple associates throughout Central Oregon. On April 9, 2017, he was introduced to new California-based methamphetamine suppliers. Two weeks later, Thrasher and an associate drove to Santee to meet with his new suppliers. During this meeting, Thrasher purchased approximately 13 pounds of methamphetamine.
In May 2017, a Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team investigation identified Thrasher as a high-volume methamphetamine supplier and distributor. On May 29, 2017, CODE detectives assisted by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent arrested Thrasher and seized approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine, $16,000 in cash, drug sale records and the stolen firearm from his residence in Madras.
This case was investigated by CODE, DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted Frank R. Papagni Jr. and Judi Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with the assistance of the Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes County District Attorney’s Offices.
Portland Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing false and fraudulent tax returns for clients and for herself, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Elizabeth Munoz, 37, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of preparing and filing false income tax returns for clients and to four counts of filing false income tax returns for herself.
According to court documents, from 2015 to 2018, Munoz operated a federal and state income tax return preparation business from her home in Southeast Portland. Munoz advertised on business cards that she would obtain for her clients the “Biggest Refund Guaranteed.” Munoz allegedly prepared 1,196 false and fraudulent individual income tax returns for about 629 clients, resulting in an approximately $3 million tax loss through fraudulent refunds. The exact tax loss will be determined at Munoz’s sentencing on March 16, 2021.
Munoz’s allegedly used fraudulent tax schedules, tax credits, and filing statuses to carry out the refund fraud. Though Munoz charged her clients up to $150 per tax return, she reported no business income on her own personal income tax returns from 2014 through 2017.
On August 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 25-count indictment charging Munoz with filing false income tax returns and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns.
Each count of conviction carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a one-year term of supervised release. Munoz will also be ordered to pay full restitution to the IRS.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Morrow County Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Distribution and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Morrow County, Oregon man with a decades-long criminal history who was on probation following his recent release from federal prison was ordered to return to prison today for illegally possessing a firearm and distributing methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Jeremy Michael Carroll, 39, of Boardman, Oregon, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release. Carroll previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Methamphetamine abuse and addiction continues to plague rural communities throughout Oregon and across the country,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “I applaud the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team and its member agencies for their steadfast work to protect communities in Eastern Oregon from the deadly scourge of illegal drug trafficking. Their hard work saves lives and prevents violent crime.”
“The Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT) appreciates the working relationship our detectives have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. FBI and U.S. Marshals Service deputation allows our state and local detectives to work seamlessly with federal law enforcement,” said Oregon State Police Lieutenant and BENT Board Chairman Karl Farber. “In this case, federally-deputized BENT detectives from the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office and Boardman Police Department worked closely with federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
According to court documents, in July of 2019, BENT detectives were investigating Carroll, a known drug trafficker in Morrow County. During the investigation, officers conducted two separate controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Carroll. In late July, officers obtained and conducted a search warrant on Carroll’s Boardman residence. Inside the residence, officers located a .243 caliber rifle, a .22 caliber revolver, assorted ammunition, 35 grams of methamphetamine, 3 grams of heroin, scales, drug packaging, and drug ledgers.
In August of 2019, investigators learned that Carroll was staying at a hotel in Hermiston, Oregon. Officers surveilled the hotel, located Carroll, and arrested him. A search of Carroll’s hotel room returned a second .22 caliber pistol, a box of .22 caliber long rifle ammunition, a loaded .22 caliber long rifle magazine, brass knuckles, laser sights, scope mounts, and glass smoking pipes, among other items.
Carroll’s criminal history spans two decades with prior convictions for criminal mischief, carrying a concealed weapon, theft, strangulation, resisting arrest, attempted burglary, driving under the influence of intoxicants, felon in possession of a firearm, and felon in possession of a destructive device.
This case was investigated by BENT with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Ashley Cadotte, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
BENT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force comprised of detectives from the Pendleton Police Department, Hermiston Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Oregon State Police, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Umatilla Tribal Police Department.
Final Defendant Sentenced for Role in Series of Robberies Targeting Marijuana TraffickersRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—The fifth and final member of a robbery crew that stole drugs and money from marijuana traffickers operating in Oregon in a series of violent robberies was sentenced to federal prison today, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Marcus Cox, 38, of Eugene, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The crew’s leader, Jorge Rubio, 37, of Reedsport, Oregon, was sentenced on October 29, 2020 to 121 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for the same charges. Three other crew members have also been sentenced for their roles in the robbery scheme. Shawn Dunaway, 39, of Veneta, Oregon and Jason Brooks, 37, of Eugene were each sentenced to 101 months in federal prison. Antonio Vizcaino, 30, of Austin, Texas was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison. All three are subject to three years of supervised release after they complete their prison sentences.
“In a misguided attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement, Jorge Rubio and his gang of thugs preyed on people they believed would not report their crimes. In doing so, they callously threatened the lives of their targets and risked the safety of the entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “These violent crimes are the direct result of an illegal and thriving marijuana black market. I commend the hard work and dedication of law enforcement for bringing this gang to justice.”
“These defendants targeted drug dealers while hiding in the dark underworld of illegal marijuana production and distribution. Using death threats and violent attacks against their targets, they stole weapons, tens of thousands of dollars in cash, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
According to court documents, in March 2017, law enforcement began investigating a group using assault rifles and other firearms to violently rob individuals set up to sell or purchase large quantities of marijuana or invest in marijuana operations in Oregon. On March 6, 2017, the crew robbed two individuals who had traveled from Austin to Eugene to purportedly meet with Rubio to discuss investing in a marijuana grow operation and to purchase marijuana for resale in Texas. One of the robbery targets, who had purchased pound quantities of marijuana from Rubio several times prior, traveled to Oregon with approximately $50,000 in cash.
Rubio arranged to meet the two individuals at a motel in Eugene. Shortly thereafter, Dunaway, Cox, and Vizcaino barged into the room with guns drawn and ordered the targets onto the floor. When one of the individuals tried to fight back, Vizcaino struck him in the head with his firearm. The assailants bound the individuals with zip ties and duct tape, and demanded to know where the money was located. They searched the room and found the $50,000 hidden under a seat cushion. At one point during the robbery, Dunaway told the targets that he was going to kill them. The crew left the individuals restrained in the motel room. After the targets freed themselves and summoned help, the target assaulted by Vizcaino was transported by Life Flight to Portland for medical treatment.
In August 2017, the crew orchestrated two separate robberies. First, the crew set up a group of individuals who sought to do business with Rubio. As part of the transaction, Dunaway instructed the individuals to follow him to a marijuana grow. On the way, Cox and an accomplice robbed the targets at gun point, seizing their cash, wallets, cell phones, and keys. The individuals were then abandoned in a nearby field after being warned not to cooperate with law enforcement.
In a second heist, Brooks posed as a marijuana buyer from New York who knew Rubio. Brooks agreed to purchase 200 pounds of marijuana and up to 15 pounds of a marijuana concentrate known as “crumble” from drug traffickers in Medford, Oregon for $260,000. Instead of purchasing the drugs, Brooks, Dunaway, and Vizcaino robbed the individuals at gun point in a Medford-area residence, stealing the drugs, a handgun, and the targets’ wallets and cell phones.
In September 2017, Dunaway and Cox robbed another individual who believed they were arranging a marijuana deal with Rubio. While meeting in a car, Dunaway beat the individual as Cox, from the backseat, held him in a choke hold at gun point and threatened to kill him. After Dunaway and Cox stole the individual’s money, phone, and 43 pounds of marijuana, the individual jumped from the moving vehicle to escape the assault. Dunaway later led police on a high-speed chase and crashed the vehicle. Dunaway and Cox tried to flee on foot, but were arrested nearby.
This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Eugene Police Department, and Austin Police Department. It was prosecuted by Joseph Huynh; Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
State Department Employee and Spouse Plead Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods from U.S. EmbassyRead the Press Release
A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The guilty pleas took place before U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane, who has scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2021, for both defendants.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon, and Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director Ricardo Colón of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement.
According to the plea agreements, Gene Leroy Thompson Jr., 54, was an Information Programs Officer employed by the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea, a position that required Thompson Jr. to maintain a security clearance. Guojiao “Becky” Zhang, 40, is married to Thompson Jr. and resided with him in Seoul, Korea.
Between September 2017 and December 2019, the two conspired to sell counterfeit goods, primarily Vera Bradley products. Thompson Jr. used his State Department computer to create numerous accounts on a variety of e-commerce platforms. Once Thompson Jr. created these accounts, Zhang took primary responsibility for operating the accounts, communicating with customers, and procuring counterfeit merchandise to be stored in the District of Oregon. Thompson Jr. and Zhang also directed a co-conspirator in the District of Oregon to ship items to purchasers across the United States.
The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service Office of Special Investigations with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Potter of the District of Oregon.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
State Department Employee and Spouse Plead Guilty for Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods from U.S. EmbassyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The guilty pleas took place before United States District Judge Michael J. McShane. Both defendants will be sentenced on March 18, 2021.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ricardo Colon of the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement.
According to the plea agreements, Gene Leroy Thompson Jr., 54, was employed by the U.S. Department of State as an Information Programs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea, a position that required Thompson Jr. to maintain a security clearance. Guojiao “Becky” Zhang, 40, is married to Thompson Jr. and resided with him in Seoul.
Between September 2017 and December 2019, the two conspired to sell counterfeit Vera Bradley handbags from e-commerce accounts to persons throughout the United States. Thompson Jr. used his State Department computer to create numerous accounts on a variety of e-commerce platforms. Once Thompson Jr. created these accounts, Zhang took primary responsibility for operating the accounts, communicating with customers, and procuring counterfeit merchandise to be stored in Oregon. Thompson Jr. and Zhang also directed a co-conspirator in Oregon to ship items to purchasers across the United States.
The case was investigated by the DSS Office of Special Investigations with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Potter of the District of Oregon.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Bend Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon resident was sentenced to federal prison today for possessing and distributing child pornography, chatting online about having sex with minors, and engaging in a campaign of online harassment and threats, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Pierce Matthew Morrow, 25, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and ten years’ supervised release.
“The pursuit of individuals who post sexual images of children online is one of our highest priorities”, said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “There was significant emotional harm inflicted by this defendant on the people he pursued, harassed and impersonated and the children whose images he posted online.”
"This case is disturbing. Morrow's relentless, aggressive, and threatening behavior toward his victims - locally and in other parts of the country - shows the depths to which he would go to hurt others," said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "If you are a victim of a sexual predator or sextortion scheme, please reach out to us. We want to help you and protect other potential victims."
According to court documents, during the period of July 2017 to January 2018, Morrow participated in the “Kid Porn Trade” Kik group, whose members posted images, videos and links containing child pornography. Morrow started Kik and Grindr chats by sharing an image of a 12-16 year old nude boy – who Morrow sometimes pretended to be in order to bait the other person. Using his knowledge of his peers from growing up in Bend, Morrow harassed multiple people online, sometimes managing to acquire nude images of them and making threats to obtain more.
Morrow openly assumed the identity of another person in making online threats, resulting in a victim believing that person, not Morrow, was harassing them. Morrow’s victims made reports and complaints to the police and to social media providers about the continuous threatening messages. Morrow skillfully inflicted harm on others, preying on young men’s fears and vulnerabilities, embarrassing them, threatening them, exposing and hurting them.
In a January 2018 chat between Morrow and a young adult male, Morrow sent unsolicited images of child pornography and encouraged the other man to consider sex with children. Morrow mixed child pornography with online stalking, solicitation and enticement of others with similar interests.
On July 1, 2020 Morrow was charged by criminal information with distributing child pornography, and on September 2, 2020 Morrow pleaded guilty to the charge.
The FBI investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Bend Resident Sentenced for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon resident was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment today for running an illicit Butane Honey Oil (BHO) extraction lab on rural Bend property, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Sean Paul Wyrsch, 32 years old, was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release. This sentencing follows the sentencing of his brother and co-defendant Jacob Genaro Robe, on October 27, 2020, who also received a sentence of three years imprisonment.
According to court documents, Wyrsch and his brother created a vertical operation growing marijuana, manufacturing BHO and distributing it in other states for significant profit. On March 27, 2018, an Oregon State Police trooper stopped Jacob Robe for a traffic violation near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The officer recognized signs of drug trafficking and eventually located more than $20,000 in cash, BHO, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team had previously received information regarding defendant and his brothers having a BHO lab and selling BHO in other states, and detectives served a search warrant on the brothers’ rural property in Bend, Oregon. Also found were freezers with marijuana, drying racks with sheets of BHO and jars with their logo “THE BHOys.”
In an unattached two-story structure approximately 179 large, mature, marijuana plants were located along with around 280 starter plants. Law enforcement located an indoor marijuana grow with hundreds of plants, a closed-loop BHO lab, 18 pounds of BHO, 200 pounds of marijuana and thirteen firearms..
On November 25, 2019 Wyrsch was charged by information, and on January 29, 2020 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and Oregon State Police investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.
Bend Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Phoning in a Hoax Threat of a Bomb in the Deschutes County CourthouseRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon resident was sentenced to federal prison today for crafting a hoax bomb and phoning in a threat to blow up the Deschutes County Courthouse on July 29, 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Kellie Kent Cameron, 32 was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. As part of his sentence, Cameron was also ordered to pay $43,620.18 in restitution to the Deschutes County Circuit Court, Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office, First Interstate Bank in Bend, and Bend Fire & Rescue.
“Constructing a hoax bomb and threatening to blow up a courthouse to interfere with a judicial proceeding, is beyond reprehensible” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “Courthouses are the very symbol of justice, safety and fairness in a functioning society, and this unconscionable act not only caused fear, panic and disruption in this community, it jeopardized their sense of safety.”
"Hoax devices cause real-world damage. They cost money for first responders and businesses, and they create fear for those who live and work in the area. The device that Cameron built - and the 911 calls he made - did both. If you become aware of a potential threat, we encourage you to contact the FBI or local law enforcement right away," said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.*
According to court documents, on or about July 28 to July 29, 2019, Cameron and co-defendant Jonathan Tyler Allen, also of Bend, conspired with one another to shut down the Deschutes County Courthouse in Bend by planting a fake bomb and calling in a bomb threat. Around the same time, Cameron constructed a realistic looking fake bomb using batteries, wiring, a circuit board, and a fuel filter, among other materials.
Early on the morning of July 29, 2019, Cameron and Allen drove to the courthouse and placed the hoax device on a ramp near the building. Cameron used a cell phone to call 911 and told the operator, “I just want to let you know that there are two bombs, one’s in the courthouse and good luck finding the other one.” Less than an hour later, Cameron called 911 and repeated his threat using more urgent and profanity-laden language. As a result of defendant’s threat, the Deschutes County Courthouse, the Deschutes County District Attorney’s office, a bank, and other nearby businesses were shut down and evacuated while first responders rushed to the scene and investigated the threat. When the device was discovered, a bomb squad, used disabling techniques to prevent an explosion. The device was later dismantled and found to be a hoax.
On August 7, 2019, Cameron and Allen were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to make a threat to damage property and conveying false information and hoaxes. Cameron plead guilty in federal court on August 21, 2020 to using a telephone to make a threat to damage a building by means of an explosive.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bend Police Department, and was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik and William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
*For more information on what to do if you become aware of a potential threat, check out the FBI's webpage on hoax threats. (https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/hoax-threats-awareness-100518) Those wishing to report a tip to the FBI can do so by calling the nearest office or submitting information online at tips.fbi.gov
Components of the hoax bomb device