Western District of Washington
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Western Washington cities, county, and three tribes awarded nearly $6 million for drug treatment and family recovery programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs has awarded more than $5.9 million in federal grants to improve drug treatment and family recovery programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The funding is going to Mason County, the cities of Kirkland and Olympia, the Quinault Indian Nation, Tulalip Tribes, and the Puyallup Tribe.
“On this Red Ribbon Week when we celebrate living drug free, I am excited to see new programs aimed at ending drug addiction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Each of these entities has identified ways to improve their services and help those struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. Justice Department funding will help identify best practices that can be replicated elsewhere.”
The City of Kirkland, Washington, was awarded $1,286,400 to implement an opioid and substance abuse screening and treatment program in their jail. The program will include medication assisted treatment options both in custody and for those transitioning into the community.
The City of Olympia, Washington was awarded $1,000,000 to support training for first responders and to expand the capacity and the hours of operation for a diversion program. The grant will further support the creation of an adult mental health program. A research team from Washington State University will evaluate the project’s success.
Mason County’s Family Recovery Court was awarded $890,675 to enhance its support programs. The improvements are aimed at increased parent engagement, reduced substance use, and reduced mental health issues among parents.
Both the Quinault and Puyallup tribes are receiving about a million dollars to enhance drug treatment services for tribal members. The Quinault Adult and Family Healing to Wellness court will use $1 million to expand services to assist families in recovery. The three-year initiative will provide stabilizing services for those with drug use disorders.
Similarly, the Puyallup Tribal community was awarded $999,324 to reduce barriers to treatment services and increase the length of time a person is supported in treatment. Grant funds will also be used to strengthen family education and engagement in recovery.
The Tulalip Tribes were awarded $749,828 to expand the capacity of its Health and Wellness Court program by hiring additional staff and creating an alumni support network for those who have completed treatment.
To learn more about Red Ribbon week visit: https://www.redribbon.org/about
Convicted Ponzi schemer arrested in Florida after failing to show up for sentencingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federally convicted Ponzi schemer was arrested today in South Florida following an hours-long stand-off with FBI Miami, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. In December 2022, Volodimyr Pigida, a Miami area resident who previously resided in Bellevue, Washington, was found guilty by a jury in the Western District of Washington of 26 felony counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, and bankruptcy fraud, among other crimes.
In his $11 million Ponzi scheme Pigida defrauded thousands of victims. Pigida and his wife operated a ‘work-at-home’ email scheme named Trend Sound Promoter that ultimately crashed – but not before the two raided the company’s accounts to purchase homes, expensive cars, and a yacht.
On August 4, 2023, Pigida failed to appear at his sentencing hearing before the district court in Seattle. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Pigida is a naturalized U.S. Citizen who was born in Ukraine.
Pigida will appear in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. Prosecutors will ask that he be detained and transferred to the Western District of Washington by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The FBI wanted poster is here: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wcc/volodimyr-pigida
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski.
Snohomish County man sentenced to 8 years in prison in connection with three arrests over two years for possessing guns and drugsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old Snohomish County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 8 years in prison and three years of supervised release for persistently dealing drugs while armed, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jade Alexander Beavin was caught three different times, twice with distribution amounts of narcotics while also carrying firearms. Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a lengthy criminal history. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “It is an extremely dangerous circumstance when dealing that drug (fentanyl)with a firearm, because the gun is only there to protect you or protect the drugs.”
According to records filed in the case, Beavin was arrested by law enforcement officers ten times between 2020 and 2022. The sentence imposed today references three specific incidents:
- January 24, 2020, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police officers due to an active Department of Corrections warrant. In his car Beavin had a Rossi Revolver and heroin. Beavin also had materials to package the drug for distribution.
- On July 27, 2021, Beavin was again pulled over by Everett Police. In the vehicle was a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun, ammunition, and three kilos of fentanyl powder. The car also contained drug scales and a drug ledger.
- Finally, on February 25, 2022, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police on a Department of Corrections warrant. In the car was a loaded Taurus 9mm firearm.
Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple previous convictions: Residential Burglary, Second Degree Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission, and Bail Jumping, all in Snohomish County in 2018.
In asking for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “The defendant’s prior encounters with the criminal system also failed to deter or dissuade him from selling drugs and carrying firearms. A review of the defendant’s criminal history establishes that from the age of eighteen, the defendant has been in a revolving door of crime commission to prison admission.”
Speaking to the court, Beavin said, “I’ve struggled with addiction for the last ten years of my life… I made excuses and that is what I think addiction does to you – it takes away accountability…. Please help me.”
Judge Jones recommended drug treatment while incarcerated and ordered treatment as part of Beavin’s supervised release saying, “You have to make an affirmative decision that you want to change your life… Every day you need to get up and commit yourself to saying, ‘I need to make a change.’”
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department with assistance from the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Taholah, Washington, man pleads guilty to sex offense against a minorRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 21-year-old Taholah, Washington, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to abusive sexual contact in connection with the sexual assault of a teenager on the Quinault Nation reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jerimiah McCrory was arrested in July 2021, after a teen victim reported McCrory raped her after attending a gathering on the Quinault reservation. The investigation by Quinault Nation Police and the FBI revealed that other teens also had been sexually assaulted.
According to the plea agreement, the sexual assault of one teenager occurred on April 12, 2021, when McCrory and the victim were visiting a home on the Quinault Nation reservation. McCrory admits that he sexually assaulted the teen and pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact in connection with that assault. As part of the plea agreement, McCrory admits two other sexual assaults against teenage victims in 2019. Those facts can be considered by the judge at sentencing as relevant conduct.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence no higher than the top of the guidelines range. McCrory is scheduled for sentencing on January 26, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Quinault Nation Police and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Tate London and Rebecca S. Cohen. Mr. London serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
More than $3.6 million in DOJ grants coming to Washington State to support services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalkingRead the Press Release
Seattle – Organizations dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are receiving more than $3.6 million in federal grant funds to enhance their programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The largest award, $750,000, goes to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence to enhance services for survivors in rural areas of the state. The funds support culturally appropriate programs in Skagit and Whatcom counties in Western Washington as well as Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties on the east side of the state.
“On this day when we wear purple to show support for the survivors of domestic violence, I am pleased to highlight the DOJ funding coming to Washington for the organizations that work to help and heal those who suffer abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The Office on Violence Against Women targets these federal dollars where they can do the most good, and it is a tribute to the quality of the programs in Washington that so many organizations successfully competed for these grants.”
In addition to the grant to the Washington Coalition against Domestic Violence, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project received $500,000 to provide services in Adams, Benton, Chelan, Franklin, Grant, Okanogan, and Yakima counties.
The five other grant recipients include:
The Atlantic Street Center, Seattle - $575,000 – to enhance advocacy and therapeutic services in King and Pierce Counties with specific emphasis on communities of color.
YMCA of Clark County, Vancouver, Washington - $500,000 – to provide housing and supportive services for victims of domestic violence.
Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center, Shelton, Washington - $500,000 to provide services in Mason County, including advocacy and outreach, training for first responders and language services.
Consejo Counseling & Referral Inc., Renton, Washington, - $400,000 to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, and therapeutic services to Hispanic/Latino survivors in King County.
The Yarrow Project, Normandy Park, Washington - $385,000 – to provide services to indigenous survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.
October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
U.S. Department of Justice awards more than $11 million for anti-violence programs in Washington StateRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice programs is awarding more than $11 million in grant funding to entities in Washington State to combat community violence, especially youth violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The two largest grants of $4 million each are going to the state and a King County non-profit for distribution to smaller community-based organizations.
“These federal dollars will help identify and support local programs that are working to reduce violence in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “I am particularly pleased to see the focus on youth violence and stopping gun crime. The epidemic of gun violence in our neighborhoods requires a sustained response from both law enforcement and community.”
The Washington State Department of Commerce was awarded $4 million to implement a Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative to expand programs that address community violence across the state. The money is targeted towards underserved communities. As part of this work the grant will fund a statewide summit to share tools and knowledge about what is working to decrease community violence.
Similarly, a $4 million grant to Seattle’s Children & Youth Justice Center will provide support, training, and technical assistance to up to five community-based organizations who are serving youth in King County to prevent community violence. Additionally, the King County Department of Community and Human Services, Children Youth and Adult Division was awarded $1 million to implement policies aimed at reducing recidivism and enhancing community partnerships to reform the youth justice system.
Both the Eastern District of Washington and the Western District of Washington were awarded Project Safe Neighborhood grants aimed at combatting gun violence. For western Washington $285,039 will go towards projects that prevent gun violence in the South Sound, Clark County, and Snohomish County regions. In eastern Washington $110,648 will support gang and gun violence intervention in Yakima and Kennewick.
Additionally, Tacoma Police were awarded $800,000 to improve their investigation of gun crime. The grant is to fund implementation and evaluation of ShotSpotter technology to identify precise locations of gunshots. The money will also fund additional fingerprint technology and equipment to improve the collection of evidence at crime scenes.
Finally, Educational Service District 112 in Clark County was awarded $1 million to implement an innovative school-based mental health treatment and case coordination program for students who are involved with the juvenile justice system or have been identified through the Student Threat Assessment process. The money will fund three therapist who will serve students in schools in the nine districts that make up the Service District.
South Sound resident charged with hate crime for threatening federal worker due to worker’s raceRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 41-year-old Thurston County resident was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on two federal charges connected to threats made to a Black federal employee at the Social Security office in Olympia, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven L. Veres, remains detained pending trial which is now scheduled for November 28, 2023.
According to records filed in the case, on February 16, 2023, Veres and a companion went to the Olympia, Social Security Office seeking a replacement Social Security card. At the first visit, a Social Security employee, who is Black, told Veres what documents he could use to get a replacement card. When Veres returned to the office a second time, the employee told him the paperwork Veres brought still did not meet the requirements for a new card to be issued. Veres became angry, used racial slurs, and threatened to assault or kill the worker.
Veres is charged with Influencing a federal official by threat, and interference with federally protected activities. The grand jury alleges that Veres intentionally threatened the victim because of his race.
Influencing a federal official by threat is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Interference with a federally protected activity is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Dreher and Jocelyn Cooney in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Port Townsend, Washington, man arrested for creating images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 32-year-old Port Townsend, Washington man was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with production of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Matan Liyor Goodman is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:00 PM today.
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began with a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user of Kik Messenger had uploaded suspected images of child sexual abuse. Review of the computer records indicated the person uploading the images resided in Western Washington and the information was forwarded to the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force at the Seattle Police Department.
An agent with Homeland Security Investigations connected the computer information with Goodman at an address in Port Townsend. Further investigation revealed that Goodman is a registered sex offender due to convictions in California.
Law enforcement obtained a judicially approved search warrant to search Goodman’s home and person, including any electronic devices belonging to him.
Following the search, Goodman was taken into federal custody on probable cause.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Due to his prior convictions, Goodman faces a mandatory minimum 25 years in prison if convicted of Production of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in partnership with the Seattle Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Victoria Cantore and Matthew Hampton.
Former plant manager at Seattle barrel cleaning company sentenced to prison and home confinementRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former plant manager of a barrel cleaning and reconditioning company, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 days in prison and four months of home detention for conspiracy and making a false statement to the Environmental Protection Agency, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. John Sanft, 58, pleaded guilty in January 2022. He was the company’s plant manager during a conspiracy to illegally dump caustic waste into the King County sewer system, which ultimately empties into Puget Sound. The company used a hidden drain, and, over ten years, lied to regulators to carry out their illegal dumping.
At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A Jones told Sanft, “You were aware of the hidden drain at Seattle Barrel. You were willfully making false statements to regulators…. You chose to lie and lie and continue to lie.”
Last month, company owner Louie Sanft was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The company was sentenced to be on five years of probation.
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution has a very high pH level. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel has operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from discharging wastewater over a certain level of corrosivity (a pH exceeding 12) to the sewer system. Wastewater above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company, but the pollution did not stop. Beginning in 2016, Louie Sanft represented to King County in written monthly certifications that the company had become a “zero discharge” facility and was not discharging any industrial wastewater to the sewer.
In fact, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place.
Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed a search warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system.
Seattle Public Utilities says the sewer lines downstream from Seattle Barrel are prematurely damaged and will need early repair. These discharges put utility workers at risk, as such caustic chemicals can cause blindness, skin necrosis, bone damage, and even death.
Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted after a three-week trial of conspiracy, 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer, four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA. In sentencing John Sanft, Judge Jones noted that unlike Louie Sanft, John Sanft did not lie to the jury from the witness stand.
According to Seattle Barrel, the company stopped using caustic solution after EPA executed the search warrant in 2019.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the King County Industrial Waste Program and the Seattle Public Utilities, Drainage and Wastewater Source Control Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Thomas Woods, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Former bank manager pleads guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theftRead the Press Release
Tacoma –A 44-year-old former bank manager from Battle Ground, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identify Theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Brian Davie, a former branch manager at Wells Fargo, used unauthorized cash withdrawals, money transfers, and cashier’s checks to steal over $1 million. Davie targeted elderly and vulnerable customers. Eight victims have been identified. One woman had more than $566,000 stolen from her retirement accounts. Davie is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on January 2, 2024.
Davie worked for Wells Fargo in Battle Ground from March of 2014 until he was fired in June 2019. According to records in the case, Davie used his position as a manager at the branch to conduct unauthorized transactions. Davie had access to customer files containing information about bank account balances. Davie hid his criminal activity by repeatedly exchanging cashier’s checks until they were small enough to cash without triggering banking reporting requirements.
Davie continued undetected because he stole from elderly customers who might be less likely to closely monitor their account balances. Some of Davie’s victims had dementia or had limited English skills and did not understand banking transactions. In at least one case, Davie failed to file the paperwork to install a victim’s relative as a co-signer on the victim’s accounts. That failure prevented the relative from being able to monitor the account and detect the fraudulent transactions.
Davie deposited some of the stolen money in an account he created in the name of a relative’s business. He made some of the cashier’s checks payable to that relative or to the business account he created. Much of the money was withdrawn as cash.
In all Davie embezzled S1,279,840 from victim accounts. Wells Fargo reimbursed victims for their losses. Judge Settle will determine the amount of restitution at sentencing.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a four-year prison sentence. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Settle who will consider a number of statutory factors before determining the appropriate sentence.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Wells Fargo investigation team.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon.
Former Executive Director of Tribal non-profit job training program pleads guilty to embezzling federal fundsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The former Executive Director of the Western Washington Indian Employment Training Program (WWIETP) pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to embezzling from a program receiving federal funds, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Debbie Rawle, 68, of Tacoma served as Executive Director of the tribally owned non-profit job training program for several years until October 2019. The non-profit is now defunct and no longer receiving any federal funds. Rawle is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo for the embezzlement of nearly $100,000 on January 5, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, the job training non-profit received $698,153 in 2018 and $703,388 in 2019 to provide employment and training services for eligible tribal members. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Indian and Native American Programs administers the funds.
In September 2019, the Division of Indian and Native American Programs began investigating questionable expenditures using the debit card of the non-profit training organization at a Macy’s store. Rawle provided false and misleading information about the purchases, claiming they were work related. In fact, there were multiple purchases of items for Rawle’s own use including a new mattress, sunglasses, and clothing.
Further investigation revealed Rawle used the organization debit card for purchases at Best Buy, Amazon, and Costco. At Costco she purchased a cedar pavilion and above ground swimming pool, while on Amazon she ordered a pool maintenance kit, and motorcycle accessories costing more than $1,000. In all, the embezzled funds amount to $99,990.
“The Western Washington Indian Employment and Training Program (WWIETP) provided education, job training, and employment services to Native Americans through grants funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. As Executive Director, Debbie Rawle used her position at the WWIETP to embezzle these funds to personally enrich herself. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively identify those who commit similar crimes and bring them to justice,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Rawle has agreed to pay $99,990 in restitution. Embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence will be determined by Chief Judge Estudillo who will consider a number of statutory factors before determining the appropriate sentence.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Indian and Native American Programs (“DINAP”). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London. Mr. London serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
Law Enforcement Agencies in Western Washington receive more than $3.6 million in U.S. Department of Justice Grant FundingRead the Press Release
Seattle – More than a dozen law enforcement agencies in western Washington received U.S. DOJ Byrne grant funding to support local needs ranging from body-worn camera programs, to specialized equipment needs, to community outreach programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The grants have been awarded over the last few weeks in advance of the new fiscal year.
“The largest amount of Byrne Grant funding, some $2 million, goes to the King County Sheriff’s Office to pay for implementation of body-worn cameras and for hiring mental health professionals as part of the King County Crisis Intervention team,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But even the smaller grants can make a big difference in jurisdictions where leaders have identified specific needs in their communities.”
The City of Seattle was awarded $918, 880 as the fiscal agent for a dozen neighboring jurisdictions. Some of the grant funding includes: $38,323 for fireworks emphasis patrols in Auburn; $10,861 for de-escalation tools in Des Moines; $11,310 for less lethal equipment in Shoreline; and $369,623 to help fund anti-crime coordinators in Seattle. The coordinators will work with populations that have special needs such as the elderly, immigrant, or disabled members of our community.
These are the other Byrne grant recipients and the grant purpose:
Bremerton - $17,240 – Crime prevention activities and initiatives
Port Angeles/Clallam County - $13,720 – Body worn camera program
Marysville - $13,541 – fingerprinting equipment, street cameras, language programs
Puyallup - $13,396 – automated fingerprint equipment
Longview - $11,852 – School resource officer
Lynnwood - $11,780 – firearms and accessories for officers
Everett - $39,544 – polygraph and police pursuit equipment
Kitsap County - $45,613 – purchase of police training simulator
Lakewood - $45,051 – video monitoring equipment and crime analysis software
Bellingham/Whatcom County - $47,374 – equipment for the Civil Disturbance Unit and citizen engagement software. Whatcom Co. - officer safety equipment.
Clark County - $140,576 – to strengthen community policing and enhance public protection
Tacoma/Pierce County - $358,803 – Tacoma: youth crime reduction programs. Pierce County: sex offender records management and notification.
The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22 years old.
Tacoma man sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for production and possession of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 37-year-old Tacoma, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 198 months in prison for production and possession of images of child sexual abuse. William Alexander Crisolo has been detained since his arrest on October 1, 2021, when an investigation revealed Crisolo was using computer networks to trade sexually explicit images of young children. At the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, "There is one unbreakable rule.... to protect (a) child. To do no harm. You betrayed that rule... The trauma you caused will last a lifetime."
According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center received a tip from a foreign law enforcement agency that Crisolo was claiming, via internet chats, that he was abusing two different minor children and filming the abuse. Law enforcement moved to search Crisolo’s residence and electronic devices. On his custom-built computer, investigators found more than 4,000 child sexual abuse images and 100 child sexual abuse videos. On Crisolo’s phone, law enforcement identified sexually explicit images of the two young child victims.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Tacoma Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Matthew Hampton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Former Soldier Indicted for Attempting to Pass National Defense Information to People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former U.S. Army Sergeant whose last duty post was Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in western Washington was arrested today on an indictment charging him with two federal felonies: attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information. Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 29, will appear in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this morning and will be brought to the Western District of Washington for further court proceedings.
“Individuals entrusted with national defense information have a continuing duty to protect that information beyond their government service and certainly beyond our borders,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who violate that duty.”
“Joseph Daniel Schmidt was once a trusted guardian of our nation’s secrets and swore an oath to defend and protect US national security,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “As alleged by the government, Schmidt betrayed his promise and potentially placed our nation at risk in his attempts to pass national defense information to Chinese security services. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the American people and U.S. national security."
“Members of our military take a sworn oath to defend our country and the Constitution. In that context the alleged actions of this former military member are shocking – not only attempting to provide national defense information, but also information that would assist a foreign adversary to gain access to Department of Defense secure computer networks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “I commend the FBI for their diligent work to end his alleged efforts to betray our country.”
According to records filed in the case, Schmidt was an active-duty soldier from January 2015 to January 2020. His primary assignment was at JBLM in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion. In his role, Schmidt had access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information. After his separation from the military, Schmidt allegedly reached out to the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and later, the Chinese security services via email offering information about national defense information.
In March 2020, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong and allegedly continued his efforts to provide Chinese intelligence with classified information he obtained from his military service. He allegedly retained a device that allows for access to secure military computer networks and offered the device to Chinese authorities to assist them in efforts to gain access to such networks.
Schmidt remained in China, primarily Hong Kong, until this week when he scheduled to fly to San Francisco. He was arrested at the airport.
Attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information are both punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington and Deputy Chief Matthew J. McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Soldier Indicted for Attempting to Pass National Defense Information to People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Army Sergeant whose last duty post was Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in western Washington was arrested today on an indictment charging him with two federal felonies: attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information. Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 29, will appear in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California later today and will be brought to the Western District of Washington for further court proceedings.
“Individuals entrusted with national defense information have a continuing duty to protect that information beyond their government service and certainly beyond our borders,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who violate that duty.”
“Joseph Daniel Schmidt was once a trusted guardian of our nation’s secrets and swore an oath to defend and protect U.S. national security,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “As alleged by the government, Schmidt betrayed his promise and potentially placed our nation at risk in his attempts to pass national defense information to Chinese security services. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the American people and U.S. national security."
“Members of our military take a sworn oath to defend our country and the Constitution. In that context the alleged actions of this former military member are shocking – not only attempting to provide national defense information, but also information that would assist a foreign adversary to gain access to Department of Defense secure computer networks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “I commend the FBI for their diligent work to end his alleged efforts to betray our country.”
According to records filed in the case, Schmidt was an active-duty soldier from January 2015 to January 2020. His primary assignment was at JBLM in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion. In his role, Schmidt had access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information. After his separation from the military, Schmidt allegedly reached out to the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and later, the Chinese security services via email offering information about national defense information.
In March 2020, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong and allegedly continued his efforts to provide Chinese intelligence with classified information he obtained from his military service. He allegedly retained a device that allows for access to secure military computer networks and offered the device to Chinese authorities to assist them in efforts to gain access to such networks.
Schmidt remained in China, primarily Hong Kong, until this week when he scheduled to fly to San Francisco. He was arrested at the airport.
Attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information are both punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington and Deputy Chief Matthew J. McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Schmidt Declaration
Schmidt IndictmentKing County man who shot at another driver following road rage collision convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunitionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 41-year-old King County man was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Robby Lee Robinson was convicted following a four-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for just over an hour before returning the verdict. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2023.
“This case exemplifies why we restrict gun ownership when it comes to felons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Mr. Robinson had a history of poor choices that resulted in prison sentences. On November 8, 2022, he chose poorly yet again, grabbing a gun and firing at another driver while traveling down a busy highway. He is fortunate no one was injured or killed. Such conduct cannot be tolerated.”
According to records filed in the case, just after 10:00 PM on November 8, 2022, a victim called 9-1-1 reporting that he had been involved in an accident and now the other driver was shooting at him. The incident occurred on the southbound lanes of Highway 18. The driver was able to get away from the car Robinson was driving and reported to police that it appeared the car had exited the highway.
King County Sheriff’s deputies were able to locate the car with the shooter and followed it to Maple Valley where the driver finally stopped the vehicle and surrendered. In the car police found two firearms, ammunition, and shell casings.
At trial Robinson and his wife claimed the guns belonged to her and that Robinson did not know the guns were in the car. Robinson was alone in the car at the time of the accident. He testified that he felt threatened following the collision, and then described how he chased after the driver and repeatedly fired the gun he found on the floor of the car at the taillights of the other driver. The bullets broke a window on the victim car, and law enforcement recovered bullet fragments in the vehicle.
Robinson faces up to 15 in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF), the Washington State Patrol, and King County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Rachel Yemini.
Former husband and wife real estate investment team indicted for $2.25 million fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A pair of real estate professionals, who as a married couple operated a real estate investment fund, were indicted this week by the federal grand jury for conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Paul Waln, 58, of Dallas, Texas, and his ex-wife Tamara King, aka Tamara Waln, 54, of Toledo, Ohio, previously resided in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington. The pair are scheduled to appear on the indictment on October 12.
According to the indictment, between August 2009 and December 2013, Waln solicited investments in a real estate fund called Halcyon. Twenty-two victims, most of whom were Seattle residents, invested $2.25 million in the fund. Waln told investors their funds would be pooled to purchase and renovate an apartment building in West Seattle, and then used for other real estate projects. Investors were required to leave their money in the investment pool for ten years. Waln said that at the end of the 10-year period, Waln would return the investment principal and earnings, which he estimated amount to a 20 percent annual return. Waln was entitled to receive a 1% fee for managing the investment fund.
In 2013, Waln married King, who was also a real estate agent. Waln and King then jointly managed the investment fund. Between February 2014 and December 2018, they conspired to misappropriate money from the fund to pay their personal expenses. The pair secretly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time from the fund to their management company, and then transferred the money to King’s personal accounts. In some instances, they wrote secret memos characterizing these transfers as “loans,” but the money was never repaid. Investors were never told about the “loans.”
Under the terms of the investment, Waln and King were required to distribute the investment funds to investors in 2019. But by the end of 2018, they had misappropriated all the money. In December 2018, Waln sent investors a letter falsely claiming that the fund’s general contractor had been diagnosed with cancer. Waln told investors that this would result in a two-to-three-year delay before he would be able to return investors’ money. The contractor in question never had a cancer diagnosis.
Finally, in October 2019, King informed the investors that all the money was gone, and the investment had failed. All the remaining investors lost their entire investments.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy, eight counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. Wire fraud and money laundering are punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
indictment_waln.pdfWashington Man Sentenced for Hate Crime Targeting LGBTQI+ Community at Seattle NightclubRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Washington man was sentenced today in federal court for committing a hate crime in connection with an arson at a nightclub and event space in Seattle, Washington.
Kalvinn Garcia, 26, of Sedro Woolley, Washington, was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his bias-motivated arson at Queer/Bar, a nightclub and event space in Seattle.
According to facts admitted in his guilty plea, on Feb. 24, 2020, Garcia set fire to the contents of a dumpster in the alley directly behind Queer/Bar. Garcia was arrested only minutes after setting the fire. Garcia admitted to law enforcement that he set the fire and that he targeted Queer/Bar because it angered him to see a sign that said “queer.” Garcia also told officers, “I think it’s wrong that we have a bunch of queers in our society.” A few weeks after the incident, Garcia told a stranger that his intent in setting the fire was to trap and hurt the people inside. Garcia admitted that, through the use of fire, he willfully attempted to cause bodily injury to the occupants of Queer/Bar because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The defendant committed an act of violence targeting innocent victims inside Queer/Bar, a known safe space for the LGBTQI+ community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Bias-motivated violence runs contrary to our values and violates our federal civil rights laws. This sentence should send the message that every person in our nation deserves equal protection under the law regardless of who they love or how they identify and that those carrying out similar acts of violence against the LGBTQI+ community will be brought to justice.”
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “The potential for panic and trampling and death is incredible… Hate is hate, whether it is impacted by mental health or not.”
“Mr. Garcia endangered the lives of more than 100 people because of his hatred for members of our LGBTQI+ community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “We work diligently with our federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute acts of hatred against people because of their sexuality or gender identity. This work is a priority because the effect of these hate crimes can linger in communities and traumatize the members of the targeted community for weeks, months or years after.”
“Mr. Garcia admitted to setting the fire in an effort to hurt people based on his own bias,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard A. Collodi of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “No person in the United States should fear for their safety based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. I am proud of the continued work of the FBI and our partners in protecting the civil rights of all people.”
The FBI Seattle Field Office and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Dreher for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
For more information and resources about the department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Snohomish man sentenced to 17 years in prison for drug, gun, and murder-for-hire related chargesRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A Snohomish, Washington, man who was rearrested following his sentencing in a drug trafficking scheme, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for charges including attempting to hire a hitman to kill a witness in his case, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Michael John Scott, 44, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, Use of Interstate Commerce Facilities in the Commission of Murder for Hire, and Tampering with a Witness, Victim, or Informant. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan said, “Mr. Scott had a long history of drug dealing capped by using interstate facilities to attempt to commit murder for hire and tampering with a witness.” Judge Bryan called these crimes “most serious offenses.”
Scott was sentenced in January 2020 to 78 months in prison for dealing fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine. According to documents filed with the court, as Scott was awaiting sentencing for his earlier drug distribution crimes, he continued to set up drug deals. Prior to Scott being remanded to custody for his 78-month sentence, he attempted to execute a drug deal. On January 30, 2020, he was arrested as he arrived to sell fentanyl pills to a person in Whatcom County. That person was working with law enforcement.
Following the January 2020 arrest, while in custody at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac, Washington, Scott agreed to pay an associate $2,000 if he would assist Scott in finding a hitman to kill a witness against him and an associate of that witness. Scott said he would pay $10,000 each for the murders. Scott told his associate that he wanted the deaths to appear to be fentanyl overdoses. In June and July 2021, Scott wrote letters disguised as ‘legal mail’ to the person he thought was the hitman and to a friend he wanted to handle payment for the crimes. Through that friend, Scott made the upfront agreed upon payment to someone who he believed to be a hitman.
Scott pleaded guilty in June 2019 for his role in U.S. v Hernandez et al, a 32-defendant drug trafficking case that was unsealed in December 2018. Scott was a high-volume redistributor of fentanyl-laced imitation oxycodone pills and cocaine, who delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to his cartel suppliers for the drugs–sometimes as much as $150,000 at a time. When Scott’s home was searched in December 2018, law enforcement recovered illegal drugs, more than $40,000 in cash, and other tools of the drug trade.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Max Shiner.
Man who sold fake Native Art to Seattle customers sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service for violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts ActRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 54-year-old Western Washington artist was sentenced today to 24 months of probation and 200 hours of community service for violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act by representing himself as a Native American artist, when he had no tribal enrollment or heritage, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Lewis Anthony Rath, of Maple Falls, pleaded guilty in March 2023. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin thanked the tribal representatives who participated in the sentencing hearing. She read aloud the letter submitted by the San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman, Terry Rambler, describing the harm to his 17,000 tribal members caused by Rath’s misappropriation of his Tribe’s culture in selling his fake artwork. Judge Lin also heard from Yavapai-Apache jewelry artist Matagi Sorensen who spoke about the importance of art to the survival of his people both culturally and financially.
According to documents filed in the case, the investigation of Lewis Anthony Rath began in July 2018, when the Indian Arts and Crafts Board received a complaint that Rath was representing himself as a San Carlos Apache Indian artist, when in fact, he is not an enrolled tribal member. For more than a year, Rath sold carved wooden totem poles, transformation masks, and pendants to Seattle retail stores, claiming they were Native American art.
Agents executed a federal search warrant at Rath’s residence and recovered feathers from birds protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, according to results from the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Lab.
In a statement to the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tate London stated, “Rath’s victims are real: they are Indian artists, many who struggle to make a living, who lost out on sales to those who seek authentic Indian artwork; and they are also consumers who were defrauded into purchasing fake Indian art.”
“Lewis Anthony Rath’s false Tribal affiliation involving the San Carlos Apache Tribe cheated customers and impacted the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists," said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Protecting American Indian and Alaska Native culture and traditions is a critical part of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. Our dedicated team of special agents work on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to protect American Indian and Alaska Native artists and the consumers who purchase authentic Native American art and craftwork. This sentencing is important in the ongoing effort to hold Indian Arts and Crafts Act violators accountable. We want to thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their assistance with this investigation.”
“Counterfeit Indian art, like Lewis Anthony Rath’s carvings and jewelry that he misrepresented and sold as San Carlos Apache-made, tears at the very fabric of Indian culture, livelihoods, and communities,” stated U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) Director Meridith Stanton. “The IACB by statute is responsible for administering the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), an anti-counterfeiting law to protect Indian artists and consumers. Mr. Rath’s actions demean and rob authentic Indian artists who rely on the creation and sale of their artwork to put food on the table, make ends meet, and pass along these important cultural traditions and skills from one generation to the next. His actions also undermine consumers’ confidence in the Indian art market in the Northwest and nationwide. Due to the outstanding work of the Office of the U.S. Attorney-Western District of Washington and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IACA Investigative Unit, Mr. Rath is being held accountable and the message is clear. For those selling counterfeit Indian art and craftwork it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Tribal Liaison J. Tate London.
French cybercriminal pleads guilty to fraud and aggravated identity theft for hacking private informationRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 22-year-old French citizen from Epinal, France, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sebastien Raoult, aka Sezyo Kaizen, was arrested last year in Morocco and was extradited to the U.S. in January 2023. Raoult and two co-conspirators were indicted by a grand jury sitting in the Western District of Washington in June 2021.
“People often think their actions from behind a screen won’t have consequences for them. Raoult and his co-conspirators used deceptive tactics to trick people into sharing personal login information and breached confidential data from numerous companies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force and our office’s cyber unit work tirelessly to ensure victims of fraud and hacking like this get justice.”
According to the plea agreement, Raoult and his co-conspirators hacked into protected computers of corporate entities for the theft of confidential information and customer records, including personally identifiable information and financial information. They hacked numerous companies, including companies in Washington State, elsewhere in the United States, and around the world. After Raoult and his co-conspirators hacked companies, a user going by the name ShinyHunters posted hacked data from many of those companies for sale on dark web forums, including RaidForums, EmpireMarket, and Exploit. Between April 2020 and July 2021, ShinyHunters posted sales of hacked data from more than 60 companies. Sometimes ShinyHunters threatened to leak or sell stolen sensitive files if the victim did not pay a ransom.
According to the records filed in the case, Raoult helped create websites that pretended to be login pages belonging to legitimate businesses. The conspirators sent phishing emails to company employees that were designed to look like they came from legitimate businesses and contained links to those login pages. Victims provided their account sign-on credentials on those fake login pages, and the conspirators obtained the victims’ credentials. Raoult and his co-conspirators used the login information to breach victims’ accounts, steal the data stored there, and search the stolen data for credentials to access additional data on companies’ networks and third-party service providers, such as cloud storage services. In total, the conspirators stole hundreds of millions of customer records and caused loss to victim companies that is estimated to exceed $6 million.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 27 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year prison term to follow any other prison sentence imposed in the case.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam R. Hinman. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is providing substantial assistance. The Department of Justice also appreciates the significant cooperation and assistance provided by Moroccan and French authorities.
Everett, Washington, man sentenced to 6 years in prison for cyberstalking and interstate threatsRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 42-year-old Everett, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 6 years in prison and three years of supervised release for cyberstalking and making interstate threats, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Christopher Scott Crawford was found guilty of an unrelenting campaign of online cyberstalking, threats, and harassment against a former romantic partner after a trial in U.S. District Court in Seattle in June of 2023. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “The conduct that was the subject of trial was extraordinary…Concerning your respect for the law, you left behind a series of no contact and protection orders which you had no difficulty ignoring.”
“No one should have to experience cyberstalking and harassment ever. Crawford created an environment of constant fear and anxiety for the victim for three years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney, Tessa M. Gorman. “The abuse was unrelenting, and I am glad that our office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were able to work together to put a stop to it.”
According to records filed in the case, Crawford repeatedly violated court ordered restraining orders by sending threats by text, email, social media messages, and phone calls. Crawford sent threatening communications to various people associated with the victim in this case, such as parents, coworkers, siblings, and court-mandated professionals. The harassment included posting intimate pictures of the victim on a website and circulating private information about the victim to others. Crawford repeatedly stated to the victim and others that he wanted to make her life so miserable that she would take her own life.
In arguing for a sentence of five years before the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Cecelia Gregson said, “For three long years, the Defendant doggedly harassed, intimidated, psychologically harmed, socially harmed, professionally harmed, and financially harmed the victim. The intentions driving his maniacal persistence were to cause the victim to commit suicide or to create an atmosphere through cyber warfare that drew in other malevolent souls to do his bidding whether that be rape, torture, or murder.”
The matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Elyne Vaught.
Dearborn, Michigan man indicted for conspiracy, wire, and mail fraud for nearly $4 million refund fraud on U.S. retailersRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 25-year-old Dearborn, Michigan, man was arrested today on an indictment returned in the Western District of Washington for a fraud scheme damaging retailers across the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tess M. Gorman. Sajed Al-Maarej allegedly operated “Simple Refunds” through the messaging service Telegram, where coconspirators were encouraged to purchase items from retailers Al-Maarej claimed he could defraud. Al-Maarej and his staff of “professional refunders” impersonated the purchaser and lied to the retailer about the status of the item to secure a refund for the purchaser, while permitting the purchaser to keep the ordered item. In Western Washington alone, one company lost $1.4 million to the fake refund scheme.
Al-Maarej appeared in U.S. District Court in Michigan today, but ultimately will need to appear in Western Washington on the indictment.
According to the indictment, between September 2020 and December 2022, Al-Maarej represented to prospective purchasers that they could buy high value goods and keep them, while falsely claiming to the merchant company that a refund was due. Purchasers provided Al-Maarej information about their purchase (order number, name, address, value) and for a cut of the refund, Al-Maarej and his coconspirators would seek a refund by making false representations. For example, Simple Refunds would claim the item had not been delivered; was irretrievably damaged; or would have the purchaser mail a box of garbage or junk back to the company – once the package was scanned at the shipping point the refund was issued before the box arrived back and the fraud was discovered. Al-Maarej recruited “insiders” at UPS and the US Postal Service who would input false scans into the order tracking history to make it appear items had been lost in shipping, stolen from the mail, or returned to the company.
The end goal was for the purchaser to keep the product and get their money back. The purchaser then paid Al-Maarej 15-25% of the purchase price as his fee.
Al-Maarej engaged in fraudulent refunding activity as well, requesting more than $1 million in refunds from retailers throughout the country. In one instance, Al-Maarej obtained a refund for bulky tools, but he returned to the retailer an envelope filled with plastic toy frogs. He claimed that he personally obtained more than $70,000 in refunds from a Western Washington-based retailer. Al-Maarej boasted about his personal refunding achievements on Simple Refunds to lend credibility to his scheme and attract customers.
The total value of the fraudulent refunds through Simple Refunds and Al-Maarej’s own conduct is approximately $3.9 million.
The Simple Refunds channel on Telegram amassed a following of more than 1,000 subscribers. Al-Maarej used a second channel to post information on successful refunds.
The indictment details how two Snohomish County residents ordered thousands of dollars of merchandise and conspired with Al-Maarej to get the payments refunded. Al-Maarej or others at his direction, allegedly impersonated the buyers, claimed the items had been “delivered not received” and got the purchase price refunded. The customers kept the items.
In May 2022, Al-Maarej deepened his fraud by allegedly offering a “mentorship” program where he would teach others to create their own refunding scams – he charged $6,000 for admission to the program. He boasted that students would “learn from the best in the game, from everything fraud related, to legit businesses and cleaning your money.”
As alleged in the indictment, Al-Maarej used interstate wires to communicate about the frauds with coconspirators. He is charged with four counts of wire fraud for his communications with Snohomish County coconspirators. He is charged with three counts of mail fraud for three instances of packages sent to Snohomish County addresses.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. Mail fraud and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation is open and ongoing with the possibility of additional charges against other defendants.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.
California man who led transnational drug trafficking organization sentenced to 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 35-year-old man from Bellflower, California who was a leader of a multi-state methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution ring was sentenced to 15 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Seattle for drug trafficking crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jose Maldonado-Ramirez has been in custody since his arrest in October 2021. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “I can’t remember a prior sentencing involving this quantity of methamphetamine.”
“Our office tries to combat the fentanyl crisis by identifying and prosecuting high-level operators of large-scale trafficking schemes. This case is a perfect example,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Maldonado-Ramirez was bringing deadly drugs to communities all over the country. Thanks to our collaboration with agents and local police, we have interrupted his entire operation.”
Jose Maldonado-Ramirez plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in March 2023. A total of eighteen people were arrested and charged in relation to this case. According to records filed in the case, Maldonado-Ramirez’s narcotics operation was moving drugs from California and distributing them in King, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Mason, and Kitsap counties. The drug trafficking organization was also distributing drugs to locations in the Southeastern United States, the Midwest, the Northeast, and all the way to Fiji.
Over the course of an eighteen-month investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized approximately 128 pounds of methamphetamine, 37,000 fentanyl pills, and dozens of handguns. Concerningly, agents also intercepted a call between Maldonado-Ramirez and his girlfriend after a drug shipment was seized. They were discussing the identity of a local officer and plotting to kill him, according to the Government’s sentencing memorandum.
In asking for a sentence of 15 years, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Andrew Colasurdo said in a statement to the court, “This [drug trafficking organization] was well-organized, well-sourced, and well-connected, and they were prepared to take drastic measures to protect what they had built as they openly discussed killing an officer during an intercepted conversation after a large shipment of drugs was seized.”
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division (SFD) Tacoma Resident Office (TRO) and Bremerton Police Department (BPD), with assistance from Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement (TNET); the Seattle, Puyallup, Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, and Lakewood Police Departments; the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET): Centralia and Chehalis Police Departments; Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (VNET); and Washington State Patrol; Thurston Narcotics Team (TNT), Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and Mason County Sheriff’s Office; United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) with support from Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ( HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys C. Andrew Colasurdo and Michelle Jensen.
Seattle, Washington, man sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug trafficking on 3rd and Pike while armed with a handgunRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 30-year-old man from Seattle, WA was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 60 months and one day in prison for drug trafficking and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Lavonta Austin pleaded guilty in July of 2023 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, said, “The statistics are just bleak. People die every day from drug overdoses, but you can’t have overdoses without someone selling the drugs. Gun violence is rampant in our society, but you can’t have gun violence without someone carrying a loaded 45 caliber gun.”
“Both 3rd and Pine and 12th and Jackson are areas hard hit by the dangers of fentanyl and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “It is important that we do all we can to keep those areas safe, the businesses around it open, and deadly drugs off the streets.”
According to records filed in the case, Lavonta Austin was first contacted by Seattle Police at 3rd Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle on August 4, 2022. Austin sold fentanyl pills to an undercover officer, and then attempted to run from the police. The police took him into custody. Austin had been carrying methamphetamine, fentanyl, more than $2,000 in cash, and a loaded 45-caliber handgun. A few months later, on October 9, 2022, Austin was arrested at a Seattle motel with fentanyl, methamphetamine, $1,770 in cash, and a loaded 9mm handgun. Both the prosecution and the defense recommended a 5-year sentence.
Austin pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The drug possession charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The gun crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years in prison that runs consecutively to the sentence imposed on the drug possession charge.
This case is part of an effort to reduce drug trafficking and gun violence at 3rd and Pine and 12th and Jackson in Seattle. The City of Seattle, along with the Seattle Police Department, the King County Sherriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Western Washington are all a part of this coordinated effort.
The Western District of Washington prosecuted several cases in conjunction with the effort to improve public safety on Third and Pine and 12th and Jackson. All of these cases involved charges of drug trafficking and related firearms crimes, including:
Kendall Alston, who was sentenced to 60 months and one day in February 2023;
Ceandrick Davis, who was sentenced to 60 months and one day in January 2023;
Mar’jon Guyton, who was sentenced to 24 months in January 2023;
Joseph Johnson, who was sentenced to 48 months in May 2023;
Cuong Cao and Amirkai Brown, both of whom are pending trial over the next several months.
This case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Renton, Washington, man sentenced to 3+ years for bringing box of Molotov cocktails to protest march in summer of 2020Read the Press Release
Seattle – A 35-year-old Renton, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild building in downtown Seattle in September 2020, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Justin Christopher Moore pleaded guilty in September 2022. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “What you did showed a complete disregard for human life. Our ability to peacefully assemble is a fundamental right to our society. Your acts of violence can deter people from exercising that fundamental right.”
According to records filed in the case, Moore made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building on Labor Day, September 7, 2020. Ultimately the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle. Police smelled gasoline and grew concerned about the intentions of protestors. The box containing the 12 gasoline devices was found in the parking lot next to the SPOG building. Using video from that day and from other protests, as well as information from the electronic devices of other co-conspirators, Moore was confirmed as the person seen carrying the box of destructive devices.
In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence. They seized clothing that is consistent with the images of what Moore was wearing when he carried the Molotov cocktails. From the basement storage area, they also recovered numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices. Law enforcement recovered a notebook in which Moore had made entries related to the manufacturing of destructive devices and the ingredients necessary.
In asking for a 41-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg noted that carrying and leaving the box of explosive bottles was inherently dangerous. “Moore’s offense was extremely dangerous and created a substantial risk of injury to numerous bystanders…. Moore carried the box of twelve Molotov cocktails in a crowd of over 1,000 people who were participating in the protest march. All of them were in harm’s way if one of the devices had exploded.”.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington Celebrates Funding Awarded for Community Responses to Gender-Based ViolenceRead the Press Release
In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced today nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $3,784,202.00 for the Western District of Washington.
For nearly three decades, VAWA has provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $3,784,202. to Western Washington to support community responses to gender-based violence.
Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman commented: “I am pleased to announce that Western Washington has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women. Prosecution of those who commit violence against women, along with supporting victim services is integral to the work of our office. We are very appreciative of the benefit these grants will have on our community.”
VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promote a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $3,784,202.00 under the STOP Program to Western Washington to enhance the capacity for our community to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable.
“Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers.” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Washington Man Sentenced for Bringing Box of Molotov Cocktails to Protest March in Summer 2020Read the Press Release
A Washington man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building in downtown Seattle in September 2020.
According to court documents, Justin Christopher Moore, 35, of Renton, made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild building on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020. Ultimately, the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle. Police smelled gasoline and grew concerned about the intentions of protestors. The box containing the 12 gasoline devices was found in the parking lot next to the SPOG building. Using video from that day and from other protests, as well as information from the electronic devices of other co-conspirators, Moore was confirmed as the person seen carrying the box of destructive devices.
In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence. They seized clothing that is consistent with the images of what Moore was wearing when he carried the Molotov cocktails. From the basement storage area, they also recovered numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices. Law enforcement recovered a notebook in which Moore had made entries related to the manufacturing of destructive devices and the ingredients necessary.
In asking for a 41-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington noted that carrying and leaving the box of explosive bottles was inherently dangerous. “Moore’s offense was extremely dangerous and created a substantial risk of injury to numerous bystanders…. Moore carried the box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a crowd of over 1,000 people who were participating in the protest march. All of them were in harm’s way if one of the devices had exploded.”
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Tacoma man sentenced to 28 years in prison for production and possession of images of child rape and abuseRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 40-year-old Tacoma resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to twenty-eight years in prison and a lifetime of supervision for producing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. A 2018 investigation revealed that Lamar Allen Thompson, who was on state supervision as a sex offender for a 2016 conviction for molesting two minor children, filmed his molestation of two different minor children. Washington State Department of Corrections Officers arrested Thompson on November 8, 2018. Thompson has been in state or federal custody ever since. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said that the crimes were “cruel and merciless.”
“This is a lengthy sentence, but necessary in this case to protect the community from an offender who would not be deterred,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Despite a prior prison sentence, despite state supervision and registration as a sex offender, Mr. Thompson preyed on the trust of friends and family to horribly harm additional children.”
According to records filed in the case, Thompson’s creation of images of child sexual abuse came to light when he lost his phone at a Tacoma manufacturing plant where he worked. In an effort to locate the phone’s owner, co-workers saw pictures of child sexual abuse and alerted law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained a warrant to review the phone, determined it belonged to Thompson, and discovered he had filmed his abuse of multiple children.
Following his arrest on federal charges, Thompson asked for multiple trial delays and then pleaded guilty in March 2023, on the morning his trial was supposed to begin.
In asking for a 45-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton wrote to the court, “Lamar Thompson committed unspeakable acts of violence against innocent children. Thompson’s depraved and selfish acts were an attack on those children’s psyches. They, not Thompson, will bear the heavy psychological load that all survivors of child sexual abuse must carry. And they will do so for the remainder of their lives…. These children and their families, not Thompson, will ultimately pay the price for Thompson’s selfishness and cruelty. It therefore falls to this Court to speak for the community and state in no uncertain terms that those who commit acts of sexual abuse against the most vulnerable among us cannot escape justice.”
“Today’s significant sentence reflects the horrific nature of continued child victimization by a repeat sex offender, even after prior registration and conviction,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI is committed to protecting children from predators and encourages the reporting of suspicious behavior to law enforcement.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Tacoma Police Department and the Washington State Department of Corrections.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Zachary Dillon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Washington celebrates funding awarded for legal services and improved court responses for domestic and sexual violenceRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1.3 million to two programs in Western Washington to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the YMCA of Clark County, Washington. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $591,457 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to the Coalition for ending Gender Based Violence. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
“Both of these programs provide crucial services in Western Washington to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The YMCA of Clark County is a leader in Southwest Washington on programs and services for survivors. In the Seattle area, the Coalition Ending Gender Based Violence has a number of projects and tools to assist survivors with housing, metal health and access to justice. These grants are highly competitive, and it speaks to the quality of these programs that they have been chosen for DOJ funding.”
“The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system's approach to supporting families affected by violence," stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. "These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don't merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety.”
You can learn more about each of these Washington State Organizations here: https://ywcaclarkcounty.org/ and here https://endgv.org/.
coalition_grant.pdf ymca_clark_co_grant.pdf###
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw
Seattle Barrel cleaning company and its owner sentenced for ten-year water pollution schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A barrel cleaning and reconditioning operation, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, and its owner, Louie Sanft, 55, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy, making false statements, and 33 Clean Water Act violations, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sanft was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The company was sentenced to be on five years of probation.
U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, who presided over the three-week trial, said, “These discharges were not done by accident or mistake… they were done with disregard for the consequences… An enormous amount of caustic waste – an estimated 26,000 gallons of caustic water -- into our system with no idea of what harm it could have done. You had no justifiable reason to engage in this deceitful and dangerous activity.”
“These defendants sent dangerous caustic chemicals into our sewer system once a week for years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This risked environmental harm to Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River, damaged critical sewer infrastructure, and could have seriously injured utility workers. At many points Mr. Sanft and his company could have reformed their ways – the refusal to do so results in these sentences today.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution has a very high pH level. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel has operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from discharging wastewater over a certain level of corrosivity (a pH exceeding 12) to the sewer system. Wastewater above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company, but the pollution did not stop. Beginning in 2016, Louie Sanft represented to King County in written monthly certifications that the company had become a “zero discharge” facility and was not discharging any industrial wastewater to the sewer.
In fact, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place.
Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed a search warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system.
Seattle Public Utilities says the sewer lines downstream from Seattle Barrel are prematurely damaged and will need early repair. These discharges put utility workers at risk, as such caustic chemicals can cause blindness, skin necrosis, bone damage, and even death.
Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted after a three-week trial of conspiracy, 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer, four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications, and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA.
Asking the court to impose a five-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson wrote, “Louis Sanft affirmatively chose to pollute and engaged in a campaign of deceit to cover it up, despite regulators efforts to help him comply… Louis Sanft simply stonewalled, or lied and continued his illegal practices… Sanft… lied to federal agents…tried to mislead the U.S. Attorney’s Office and EPA …and finally, Louis Sanft lied to the jury at trial.”
As part of the sentence for the company, Judge Jones is requiring the company to certify every quarter that it has complied with all federal, state, and local requirements including compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
"For nearly a decade, the defendants dumped caustic industrial waste into the Seattle sewer system and then conspired to conceal their illegal activities by submitting false monthly reports and lying to investigators," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Carr of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for Washington. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the seriousness of these crimes and sends a clear message that businesses will be held criminally responsible if they fail to manage industrial wastes in accordance with laws designed to protect the health of our communities, national infrastructure, and the environment.”
According to Seattle Barrel, the company stopped using caustic solution after EPA executed the search warrant in 2019.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the King County Industrial Waste Program and the Seattle Public Utilities, Drainage and Wastewater Source Control Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Thomas Woods, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Final two U.S. based defendants in Amazon bribery case sentencedRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two significant players in a scheme to bribe Amazon employees and contractors were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to various federal charges for their scheme to corrupt the Amazon Marketplace with bribes, forged documents and false claims, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “For over three years these defendants grew their business by cheating: bribing Amazon employees, forging documents, attacking competitors with fake reviews, and even posting cartoonish obscene gestures on competitors’ order pages. Now they face the consequences,” Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman said.
Joseph Nilsen, 33, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit violations of the Travel Act and filing a false tax return. Following prison, he is on three years of supervised release and must pay a $20,000 fine. Kristen Leccese, 34, was sentenced to two years of probation with six months of home confinement and a $4,000 fine for conspiracy to commit violations of the Travel Act. Both are New York residents.
At Nilsen’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “It’s almost as if you and the others treated Amazon as an evil empire subject to your attack…. You were a significant contributor to the overall operation… The only reason you stopped is because you were caught.”
The couple, who are engaged to be married, are the final two of five U.S. based defendants to be sentenced in the case. One defendant, based in India, remains a fugitive.
According to records filed in the case, Nilsen played a central role in the Amazon bribery scheme. He coordinated among the various defendants making it possible for a number of third-party sellers on Amazon to access the illegally obtained information and services. Nilsen was aided by Leccese and their associates conspiring to pay bribes to Amazon employees and contractors to misuse their access to Amazon networks and confidential information. They sought to obtain various unfair competitive advantages for certain merchants on the Amazon Marketplace by, among other things, interfering with Amazon’s ability to monitor the safety and authenticity of goods sold and impairing the accuracy of information posted on the Marketplace. Leccese forged documents for suppliers to gain access to restricted product categories by misrepresenting the source of goods. Nilsen and Leccese both manipulated customer reviews for competing products with Nilsen attacking other merchants’ postings and product listings.
Prosecutors asked Judge Jones to sentence Nilsen to 19 months in prison saying, “Nilsen provided the illegal services from Amazon insiders to a substantial number of his own clients, as well as a substantial number of Rosenberg’s clients. This coordinating role, where Nilsen was the linchpin connecting a large number of seller clients to Amazon insiders providing a wide array of illegal services, makes Nilsen the most culpable of the co-defendants…. This global conspiracy caused significant harm to consumers, competing small businesses, and Amazon.”
“Mr. Nilsen and Ms. Leccese were key participants in this bribery and fraud scheme.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Their elaborate fraud, not only attempted to trick customers into using specific merchants, they also sought to discredit competitors of those merchants. I am grateful we’ve reached a resolution of this complex investigation and applaud the work of our investigators and partners.”
Nilsen also filed a false tax return. In 2018 and 2019 he failed to file tax returns on behalf of his Amazon consulting company, and in 2017 he filed a false tax return significantly underreporting his and his company’s actual taxable revenue. For tax year 2017, the tax loss to the U.S. is $44,178. Nilsen was ordered to pay that in restitution to the IRS today.
“Never underestimate the power of fraud…to get you in trouble,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Fair business practices and an even playing field are fundamental to a healthy economy, and IRS:CI is committed to investigating those who bribe and cheat to try to get ahead.”
On February 11, 2022, defendant Rohit Kadimisetty, 29, of Northridge, California, was sentenced to ten months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
On February 10, 2023, Hadis Nuhanovic, of Acworth, Georgia, was sentenced to 20 months in prison. He was ordered to forfeit $100,000 as proceeds of the conspiracy, and to pay $160,453 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 14, 2023, Ephraim Rosenberg, 48, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced to two years of probation with one year of home confinement and a $100,000 fine.
Defendant Nishad Kunju, of Hyderabad, India, has not been arraigned on the indictment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
Repeat offender who triggered neighborhood lock-down pleads guilty to drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Seattle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Pedro Fernandez Kent will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez on December 8. 2023. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than ten years in prison, but Judge Martinez is free to impose any sentence allowed by law.
According to records filed in the case, on January 15, 2023, Seattle Police were responding to a domestic violence report in North Seattle when they spotted the distinctive car driven by the suspect, Pedro Kent. Kent attempted to flee from police crashing his car into two curbs, rupturing the tires. Kent abandoned the car and ran into the yards of neighboring homes. Video from area cameras show Kent with a handgun in his hand as he ran into a back yard. Police converged on the area, alerting residents to stay in their homes with the doors locked. One couple called police reporting that the defendant appeared to be hiding in their backyard. A K-9 officer helped take Kent into custody.
In addition to the gun Kent carried when he ran from the car, police located a carbine rifle in the car as well as distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Kent also had a hatchet and a dagger in the car as well as scales and plastic baggies for drug distribution.
Kent was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous King County convictions for burglary, theft, assault, and trafficking in stolen property.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Following Significant Policing Reform Progress, Federal Judge Terminates Most Consent Decree Provisions for City of Seattle and Seattle Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – In response to a joint motion filed in March by the Justice Department and the City of Seattle, a federal judge terminated most provisions of a consent decree that led to significant policing reform. The court’s order recognizes the city’s consistent compliance with the core requirements of a 2012 consent decree regarding the Seattle Police Department (SPD). The order details the additional obligations that the city must take to continue the reform process.
According to the order, “SPD has made tremendous improvements in its policies, methods of operation and leadership with respect to the areas of use of force, stops and detentions and crisis intervention.” The court found that “the city has achieved sustained full and effective compliance, for at least two years, with the commitments set forth in the consent decree regarding crisis intervention, stops and detentions, bias-free policing, supervision and the Office of Police Accountability and terminate[d] the parties’ obligations” under those areas of the consent decree. For example:
- After making changes to SPD’s policies and training on the use of force, SPD has reduced the use of serious force by 60%, and force is now used in less than one-quarter of one percent of all events to which officers respond.
- To better respond to people experiencing behavioral health crises, SPD developed an advanced crisis intervention program in which civilian mental health professionals and non-police mobile crisis teams respond to behavioral health crisis incidents.
- SPD developed policies and training to secure people’s rights during police investigative stops. The court monitor found that officers complied with legal and policy requirements in almost all instances it assessed.
“This ruling acknowledges the significant reforms implemented by the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department to ensure effective and nondiscriminatory policing for the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The court’s order gives the city and police department the ability to focus on the areas that need additional attention. We commend the city, police department and the community for continuing to collaborate on constitutional and non-discriminatory policing which benefits all residents in the City of Seattle.”
“I commend the personnel of the Seattle Police Department whose dedication has transformed policing in Seattle,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “Hard work remains in how our police confront crowd control and disciplinary action for misconduct. We look forward to working with the department, the city accountability partners, the Community Police Commission and the citizens of Seattle to achieve these remaining reforms required by the consent decree.
The court order requires continued work related to use of force in the crowd management context, accountability and racial disparities. For example:
- SPD must develop new crowd management policies, which must be approved by the court and independent monitor.
- An independent monitor must review of the city’s accountability systems and provide a plan to identify and mitigate racial disparities in stops, detentions and the use of force.
- The city must continue to measure whether the reforms required by the consent decree remain effective.
The Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s for the Western District of Washington’s Civil Division handled this matter.
The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize constitutional policing and currently has pending investigations into police departments across the country, including in Memphis, Phoenix, New York City and Louisiana.
The consent decree, proposed agreement, as well as additional information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section.
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Defendant who stole and sold $100,000+ in medical supplies sentenced to probationary sentenceRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Matthews, North Carolina, man who previously worked at hospitals in Washington State, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years of probation for Wire Fraud for his theft and sales of medical equipment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Denis Tkachuk, 28, previously worked at hospitals in the Tri-Cities, Seattle, and Olympia and evidence indicates he began stealing and selling medical equipment on eBay as early as 2016. Tkachuk was dismissed from Olympia’s Providence Hospital in September 2019 when hospital staff discovered the theft of hundreds of thermometers, probes, finger sensors and otoscope heads. The equipment from that hospital alone was valued at more than $108,000.
“FDA regulates the manufacturing and distribution of medical products like these medical devices to help ensure the safety of American patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of the FDA’s continued focus on individuals and companies that attempt to profit from risking the health of American consumers.”
Tkachuk was a Biomedical Technician and in that capacity was authorized to make purchases of non-capital items worth less than $5,000. In August 2019, a hospital inventory determined a great deal of the equipment Tkachuk purchased was missing and did not appear to have been used at the Olympia hospital or within the Providence healthcare group. The hospital staff made a police report and Tkachuk was fired.
The investigation by the Food and Drug Administration Office of the Inspector General revealed that Tkachuk had sold the products primarily to a coconspirator in Detroit, as well as five other buyers. The photos of the equipment that Tkachuk posted for sale on eBay indicated the items were stolen from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Kadlec Hospital in Richland and from Providence in Olympia.
Describing the harm of the theft, Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart wrote to the court, “These were devices intended for use by patients, physicians, and nurses to treat illness and remedy severe injuries. This offense caused loss to the hospitals, excess work for the individuals responsible for maintaining the stock, and the unavailability of vital medical devices when needed by physicians.”
Tkachuk pleaded guilty to wire fraud in May 2023. His Detroit coconspirator was also sentenced to a probationary sentence.
Tkachuk was ordered to pay $169,806 in restitution to the hospitals.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Olympia Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart.
Thurston County man sentenced to 78 months in prison for possessing distribution amounts of fentanyl while armed with a stolen handgunRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 37-year-old Thurston County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 78 months in prison for drug and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Samuel Wesley Mulkey was arrested in Longview, Washington, on January 21, 2022, while driving back from California with a load of powdered fentanyl and two handguns – one of them reported stolen. At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told Mulkey, “It’s clear that fentanyl is something that is wreaking havoc on our community. The amounts you were bringing in from California says something about you – you are not a common street dealer. These are serious amounts...When you couple that with a firearm, that is a bad mixture, and someone is going to get hurt. Sometimes innocent people.”
According to records filed in the case, Mulkey came to the attention of law enforcement in Thurston County as a known drug supplier. Homeland Security Investigations were monitoring Mulkey’s travel, aware that he was driving to California to pick up additional fentanyl.
Following Mulkey’s arrest in Longview, he was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail. That same day another inmate nearly died of a fentanyl overdose. Security video linked the overdose to fentanyl Mulkey had smuggled into the jail and provided to the inmate.
While on bond pending trial, Mulkey used opioids on multiple occasions and was remanded to custody in August for violating conditions of his release.
In asking the court for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart wrote to the court, “The Defendant personally knows the addictive and harmful nature of fentanyl, but chose to supply it to his community. He chose to drive to California and import it to Washington. He chose to supply it in prison, where it caused an inmate to stop breathing and nearly die. Even after
his arrest, the Defendant chose to continue to use fentanyl and associate with people who used fentanyl.”
Mulkey pleaded guilty in May 2023.
Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime adds a five-year mandatory minimum sentence to run consecutive to the underlying sentence for the drug conviction. The total sentence in this case is six and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart.
Second defendant pleads guilty to conspiracy to attack power substations in Pierce CountyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A second defendant who joined in the attacks on power substations as part of a burglary scheme, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jeremy Crahan, 40, admits he joined with 32-year-old Matthew Greenwood in a conspiracy to knock out power so they could rob ATM machines. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2023.
According to the facts in the plea agreement, Greenwood and Crahan hatched the scheme to disrupt power so they could break into ATMs and businesses and steal money. On December 25, 2022, they damaged four substations:
- Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy. Here, the two cut through a fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch damaging equipment and cutting power for 8,000 customers.
- Elk Plain substation in Spanaway, Washington, owned by Tacoma Power. The men cut padlocks on the gate and Greenwood manipulated breakers to damage equipment and cause an outage.
- Graham substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Tacoma Power. The men cut through a perimeter fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch to damage equipment. This outage, combined with the Elk Plain substation outage, caused more than 7,500 customers to lose power.
- Kapowsin Substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Puget Sound Energy. The men cut through a fence and Greenwood tampered with a switch causing sparks, flame, and a power outage.
Crahan admits that he shared in the plannings and primarily served as a lookout during the attacks on the substations.
Following the December 25, 2022, substation vandalism, the men spent time looking for additional ways to cause power outages by felling trees. The goal was to cut power so that they could burglarize businesses and steal from ATMs. Law enforcement arrested them before they could put the tree plan into action.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Repeat drug and gun offender sentenced to nine years in prison for new crimes committed while on supervised releaseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former resident of Pierce and Thurston Counties was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 9 years in prison for gun and drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Deon Jordan, 35, was released from federal prison in September 2020, following an 87-month prison sentence for dealing drugs while armed. Jordan almost immediately violated the terms of his supervised release with drug use as well as firearms possession. Following two contacts with police when he was found to have guns and drugs – including fentanyl - Jordan was charged with new federal crimes. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat facing our country.”
“The goal of supervised release is to help offenders return to the community and live a crime-free life. Sadly, Mr. Jordan chose to reject any assistance and instead carried on with criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This nine-year sentence is now needed to keep the community safe from the drugs Mr. Jordan trafficked and the guns he was prepared to use to protect his deadly stash.”
In October 2022, Jordan was found passed out in a car under the freeway in downtown Seattle. After being identified by police, Jordan fled from the scene and hid a gun that he carried under a nearby car. Police seized that weapon and when they searched the car Jordan had been in, they found three more firearms as well as distribution amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl pills and more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. A warrant was issued for Jordan’s arrest.
In November 2022, Jordan was located near a Seattle homeless encampment. Federal officers surveilled the area, and observed Jordan get into a car. When the car stopped at a convenience store, officers moved in. Jordan was arrested with a 9 mm Baretta pistol in his pocket and a second unregistered 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine in his backpack. Jordan had fentanyl pills, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, drug ledgers and more than $10,000 cash in his possession.
In April 2023 Jordan pleaded guilty to illegal firearms possession, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In asking for a 12-year prison sentence for both the new crimes and the violations of supervised release, Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham wrote to the court, “Simply put, whenever Jordan is not in custody, he sells drugs while using firearms to protect his business… When released, he exhibits complete disregard for the law and the Court by possessing firearms and ignoring the terms of his supervision. Furthermore, the fact that Jordan consistently carried loaded firearms and ammunition makes clear he is willing to fire these weapons if necessary to protect his drug stash…. Jordan’s actions put his entire community at risk.”
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Finance Director at two non-profits sentenced to 41 months in prison for embezzling over $3 millionRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former Finance Director at two Seattle area non-profits was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 41 months in prison for embezzling more than $3 million from her employers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Susana Tantico, 63, of Renton, Washington committed the embezzlement over an eleven-year period. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, he could not understand how Tantico went from defrauding one non-profit to another, especially since the first provided medical care to immigrant communities. “You were leaving people who are sick today without the money to treat them,” Judge Robart told Tantico.
“Ms. Tantico chose to victimize non-profit organizations, whose work is critical to our community: one employer provided medical care to those who cannot afford it; the other works to assist youth in the criminal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But over 11 years, knowing she was putting critical services at risk, she stole millions to finance her mortgage, pay for her vacations, and finance her gambling losses.”
According to records filed in the case, in 1999 Tantico began working for a non-profit that provides healthcare to underserved populations. Ultimately, Tantico became the non-profit’s Finance Director. Between 2011 and June 2020, Tantico secretly embezzled millions of dollars from the healthcare organization. Bank records are available only for the period beginning in December 2016. Between December 2016 and 2020, Tantico stole nearly $2.3 million from the healthcare non-profit. She used the non-profit’s debit and credit cards to withdraw $1.6 million at casinos for gambling. She also used the debit and credit cards to pay for personal vacations, such as a $26,000 family trip to Florida, and trips to Las Vegas and San Diego. Tantico also used the healthcare non-profit’s debit and credit cards for more than $83,000 worth of purchases at Nordstrom, and $40,000 worth of purchases at Apple stores.
After running up these expenses, Tantico used the non-profit’s funds to pay the credit card bills and disguised the payments as legitimate expenses. For example, she categorized expenses for one vacation as “pharmacy supplies” in the accounting system. Throughout this timeframe, Tantico told the non-profit auditors that she was aware of no fraud at the non-profit.
In 2020, Tantico went to work as Finance Director for a different non-profit -- one with a focus on criminal justice issues. Tantico used more than $485,000 of the non-profit’s funds for gambling at casinos. She transferred $21,000 from the non-profit to her mortgage servicer to pay her home mortgage. She also transferred money to her personal bank account. Tantico then altered the bank records to hide the embezzlement.
At one point, Tantico was questioned by one of the organization’s banks about the pattern of withdrawals at casinos. She claimed that the non-profit held youth programs at the casinos, and that the withdrawals were for cash prize giveaways. In all, Tantico stole nearly $893,000 from the non-profit. The non-profit has incurred $132,000 in costs to forensically audit its books, fix its accounting procedures and records, and reply to vendors.
In court today, Dominique Davis spoke about the impact of the embezzlement on his organization, Community Passageways. “This was rough, this betrayal of trust. It almost ruined our whole organization. We barely survived this. We were made out to be villains,” Davis told the court.
In recommending a 41-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted, “Tantico abused positions of trust. Tantico was hired (twice) to safeguard the finances of her employers, and they trusted her to manage the funds with integrity. Instead, Tantico not only stole the money, but used her position to hide her theft. She created phony accounting entries that made her expenditures look like business expenses. She doctored bank statements. She lied to auditors. And she showed extreme duplicity by developing financial policies prohibiting the personal use of corporate credit cards, while knowing she was stealing millions of dollars by doing exactly that.” Tantico’s theft averaged about $550,000 per year between 2016 and 2022.
In court today, Tantico said “I am truly sorry… They were my work family…. It’s like I was two separate people…. I always meant to fix it.”
Following prison, Tantico will be on three years of supervised release. She has a restitution obligation of $3,121,572. She provided the court with a $60,000 check today from the sale of her home.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Duvall, Washington, man awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleads guilty to contacting minor online for illegal imagesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Duvall, Washington, man who was given a time-served sentence for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleaded guilty today to a new crime, committed while he was awaiting the earlier sentencing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Michael Burke, 37, will be sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor on December 8, 2023. Both the defense and prosecution will recommend a ten-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentencing allowed by law.
According to the plea agreement, while he was awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, Burke reached out to an 11-year-old child via an internet program asking the child to send sexually explicit images. Burke also sent the child such images. The crime was discovered after Burke was sentenced for the earlier criminal conduct.
Attempted Enticement of a Minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
Burke has been in custody since his arrest on May 4, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon.
DOJ and DEA settle claims that Naturopath improperly prescribed scheduled drugsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today settled civil claims that a Seattle Naturopathic Physician had prescribed drugs outside her limited authority, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Marina (aka Marianna) Abrams, N.D. will pay the government $65,000 to resolve the allegations and entered into a four-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which gives the DEA the ability to ensure Abrams’s prescribing practices are in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act.
According to the statement of facts in the settlement agreement, between 2009 and 2021, Abrams wrote 209 controlled substance prescriptions that were outside the scope of what a Naturopathic Physician can provide. Abrams wrote an additional 204 prescriptions to be filled in California, despite the fact that she had no DEA registration to write prescriptions in that state. The settlement indicates that she prescribed controlled substances such as Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Zolpidem, Tramadol, and Diazepam.
“The DEA remains vigilant in order to ensure the proper use of practitioners’ prescribing authority and this result further demonstrates our commitment to safeguard the public from a broad spectrum of potential drug threats,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
With the settlement agreement, Abrams agrees she will limit her prescribing of controlled substances to the only two controlled substances naturopathic doctors are permitted to prescribe by Washington state law: testosterone and codeine products.
As part of the MOA, Abrams will also take steps to more clearly document in patient files where she has consulted medical doctors. She will ensure that all literature and websites related to her practice do not imply she is a medical doctor. Abrams agrees to ensure her staff does not sign or write prescriptions or prescription refills using her DEA registration number. If she changes her practice area or employment, she must notify DEA.
If Abrams fails to follow the MOA or violates the law regarding the prescribing of controlled substances, DEA may revoke her registration.
The matter was investigated by the DEA Diversion Program.
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Waldrop.
High level drug trafficker sentenced to ten years in prison for leadership role in drug distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Kent, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Omar Vazquez-Limon was arrested in August 2020 in northern California as he transported kilos of heroin and methamphetamine to Western Washington. Vazquez-Limon was indicted as part of a larger drug ring in December 2020. At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed five years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
“Mr. Vazquez-Limon’s drug trafficking widened the circles of those touched by the opioid epidemic, spreading meth, heroin and fentanyl in Western Washington,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He not only trafficked narcotics, he was also a source of firearms for the drug ring. As we struggle with an increase in gun violence, those who arm themselves to protect their drug supply contribute to the problem.”
According to records filed in the case, Vazquez-Limon was a high-level distributor of narcotics who was in direct contact with suppliers in Mexico. Vazquez-Limon made multiple pound drug deals and often directed other drug ring members to make the deliveries or made the deliveries himself. In intercepted phone calls, Vazquez-Limon was heard arranging delivery of thousands of fentanyl pills and multi-pound amounts of methamphetamine. In one call, he said he had as much as 75 pounds of methamphetamine ready for distribution.
Members of the drug conspiracy distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, smuggling the drugs into the U.S. from Mexico and then transporting them up the west coast for distribution in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. In connection with this drug distribution ring, law enforcement seized 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of heroin, 35,000 fentanyl pills, 24 firearms, $778,000, and a bank account valued at $100,000.
Vazquez-Limon’s federal sentence will run concurrently with the Shasta County six-year sentence he received when arrested with a load of drugs in northern California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Residence Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF), the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The investigation was supported by the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the DEA Special Operations Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Former Accounting Manager at Everett manufacturing company sentenced to three years in prison for $2.5 million embezzlementRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40–year-old Kent, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for wire fraud and tax fraud related to a 10-year embezzlement scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Christin Guillory, an Accounting Manager at an Everett-based manufacturing company, stole more than $2.5 million from her employer by transferring funds to accounts Guillory set up in the names of fake companies, and then routing the funds to her own bank accounts. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that Guillory’s theft was driven by drug addiction but added, “you’ve known your entire life that you had an addiction issue, but you never took any steps on your own to deal with it.”
“Ms. Guillory betrayed colleagues who were also her friends,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “For nine years she engaged in a meticulous scheme to hide her theft. Over those nine years, she deliberately chose to steal from the company 867 times. And she did it while working side-by-side with colleagues who trusted her.”
According to records in the case, in April 2013, Guillory set up an account with payment processor Square that used a display name that made it appear it was an account of a commercial shipping company. Between 2014 and 2019, Guillory secretly paid $1,695,591 to that account and then transferred the money to her own bank accounts. She made false entries in the company books to conceal the theft.
In 2019, Guillory stopped using Square for her fraud and instead used two PayPal accounts. She gave one of the PayPal accounts a display name similar to that of her employer. For the second account, she used the name of a shipping company with which she had no affiliation. In 2020 and 2021, she orchestrated the transfer of $604,000 to the PayPal accounts and made false accounting entries to cover her tracks. She then transferred the bulk of the money for her own use. Becoming more brazen, between August and November 2021, Guillory transferred $247,000 directly from company accounts to her own bank accounts. Again, she made fraudulent accounting entries and reused legitimate invoices to make it appear the payments were for appropriate business purposes. In all, Guillory made at least 867 secret transactions using interstate wires that totaled $2,536,086.
The scheme was detected when a financial institution reported irregularities.
Guillory used the stolen money to support her prescription drug addiction.
Writing to the court, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted that the theft betrayed the trust of those Guillory worked with. “The Victim company and its management and employees entrusted Guillory with access to its corporate funds..... Guillory worked closely with (company leaders) and other colleagues each day for years. The whole time Guillory knew she was secretly stealing, placing the company’s financial security – and her colleagues’ jobs - at risk.”
Guillory also filed false tax returns, failing to report the more than $2.5 million in income she embezzled. For example, for the tax year 2019, Guillory represented that her income was $38,022, but failed to report the $615,392 in income she received that year from her embezzlement. In all, Guillory failed to pay $590,850 that she owed in taxes.
Judge Martinez ordered restitution of $2,536,086 to the company, and $590,850 to the U.S. Treasury. He directed that she be on three years of supervised release to follow prison.
“Though sometimes undetected for years, fraud and embezzlement schemes have real consequences for all involved,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Guillory’s sentencing today is continued proof that IRS:CI is committed to investigating unjust fraud wherever it may occur.”
“Ms. Guillory carried out her embezzlement for years, ultimately stealing more than $2.5 million from her employer” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “She endeavored to cover up her actions and violated the trust, not only of her employer, but also of people who considered her a friend. I appreciate the work of our investigators and those of our partners who finally brought an end to her scheme.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Defendant caught with 14 kilos of fentanyl and seven kilos of methamphetamine sentenced to ten years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 36-year-old citizen of Mexico was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to ten years in prison for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine while armed with a handgun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Erick Guerrero-Acosta was arrested November 22, 2022, with 14 kilos of fentanyl powder and pills and seven kilos of methamphetamine. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle cited the “grave” consequences of the opioid epidemic including an estimated 70,000 overdose deaths that have been attributed to fentanyl nationwide.
“At the very time Mr. Guerrero-Acosta was bringing fentanyl pills to Western Washington, more than one person each day was dying of a fentanyl overdose in King County alone,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Between January 1, 2022, and October 15, 2022, 70% of 710 overdose deaths were attributable to fentanyl. Based on these percentages, pills just like the ones seized from Guerrero-Acosta killed approximately 490 people, leaving only heartache for families and loved ones.”
According to records filed in the case, Guerrero-Acosta was identified by investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a significant supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine. After conducting some controlled buys of drugs, agents moved in to arrest Guerrero-Acosta. In his vehicle they seized 14 kilos (approximately 30 pounds) of fentanyl in pill and powder form, seven kilos (15 pounds) of methamphetamine, more than $25,000 in cash and a firearm in the center console of the vehicle.
In asking for a 12-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner wrote to the court, “the danger created by defendant’s drug dealing was exacerbated by his unlawful possession of a firearm. The combination of drug trafficking and firearms oftentimes proves lethal, and defendant’s ready access to the firearm in the center console compartment of his car demonstrated his knowledge of the dangerous nature of the drug trade and his willingness to engage in it.”
Guerrero-Acosta has prior convictions for drug trafficking in Arizona in 2007 and 2011. He has a conviction from 2015 for illegally returning to the U.S. following deportation.
The case was investigated by the DEA.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.
Former attorney, convicted of stealing from client and defrauding friend, pleads guilty to defrauding taxpayers by falsely claiming COVID program benefitsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A disbarred attorney, sentenced last year to 18 months in prison for stealing from a deceased client’s estate and defrauding a friend, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and making false statements for her scheme to illegally claim COVID pandemic benefits, and lie to the government about her income, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Darlene Baker, aka Darlene Piper, 58 of Port Orchard, Washington, was sentenced in March 2022 to 18 months in prison for her scheme to steal a $500,000 bequest to a children’s hospital and then a second $500,000 stolen from a friend. Piper has officially changed her name to Baker. She is scheduled for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on December 1, 2023.
Following the sentencing hearing for the original wire fraud case, prosecutors were alerted that Baker had lied to the court about her employment status. The investigation revealed that she had also lied to government agencies to obtain pandemic relief loans to which she was not entitled. In the plea agreement she admits that between March of 2020 and August of 2021, Baker sought to obtain $265,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). In the applications for the programs Baker falsely claimed that she would use PPP funds to meet payroll expenses for her business. In fact, Baker had no employees and she used $80,000 in PPP funds for her personal expenses. Baker claimed in her EIDL applications that her business had been shut down due to COVID. In fact, throughout that period Baker had worked as a bookkeeper for a Gig Harbor, Washington, investment firm earning as much as $145,000 during the relevant period. The Small Business Administration (SBA) did not pay out any funds to Baker based on her EIDL application.
In her plea agreement Baker admits that she lied on financial disclosure statements required by the court in her earlier criminal case. In those statements Baker claimed to be out of work, when in fact she had substantial income working as a bookkeeper for the investment firm. Despite that income Baker made no attempt to repay the victim in the wire fraud case and claimed to have no resources to pay restitution.
Darlene Piper was released from federal custody on March 16, 2023.
Wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Making a false statement is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Dion.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Former employee of an online used car retailer indicted for wire fraud for more than $2 million embezzlement schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old California man, who previously resided in Tacoma, Washington was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on five counts of wire fraud for his scheme to steal more than $2 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. John Whisenant was arrested on a criminal complaint last month. He will be arraigned on the indictment at a future court date.
According to records filed in the case, Whisenant worked in a variety of roles at the online used car sales company beginning in October 2018. About a year after he began with the company, Whisenant was promoted into a role where he had access to the company bank accounts and accounting software.
Beginning in about June 2019 and continuing until November 2021, Whisenant used his access to make 57 wire transfers totaling over $2 million into accounts he controlled. Whisenant disguised the transfers as legitimate business expenses in the company’s accounting software with a variety of false entries. The indictment charges five of the transfers as representative counts but asks for forfeiture of the entire $2 million+ loss.
According to the criminal complaint filed earlier this month, Whisenant used the money for a lavish lifestyle. He bought luxury automobiles such Porches and Mercedes. He spent $123,096 for a 2022 Audi E-Tron and bought a $98,100 Tesla. He rented luxury homes in Southern California and purchased two airline tickets to Paris at a cost of nearly $23,000 each.
The fraud on the company accounts was discovered when a bookkeeper began a more comprehensive review of the company’s financials in January 2022. Whisenant resigned abruptly in February 2022.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.
whisenant_indictment.pdfFormer attorney, convicted of defrauding clients, now charged with defrauding taxpayers by falsely claiming COVID program benefitsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A disbarred attorney, sentenced last year to 18 months in prison for stealing money from a deceased client’s estate and defrauding a friend, is now charged by information with wire fraud and making false statements in connection with a scheme to illegally claim COVID pandemic benefits, and with lying to the government about her income, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Darlene Baker, aka Darlene Piper, 58 of Port Orchard, Washington, was sentenced in March 2022 to 18 months in prison for her scheme to steal a $500,000 bequest to a children’s hospital, and then defrauding a friend out of $500,000 to repay the estate. Piper has officially changed her name to Baker. She is scheduled for a plea hearing on the information on Friday August 25, 2023.
Following the sentencing hearing for the original wire fraud case, prosecutors were alerted that Baker had lied to the government about her income and work status. The investigation revealed that she had also lied to government agencies to obtain pandemic relief loans to which she was not entitled. The charging information alleges that between March of 2020 and August of 2021, Baker sought to obtain $265,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and successfully obtained over $80,000. In connection with the applications for the programs, Baker allegedly falsely claimed that she had lost all income due to the pandemic and stated that she would use the aid to meet payroll expenses for her business. In fact, throughout that period, Baker worked providing accounting and related services for a Gig Harbor, Washington, investment firm earning as much as $145,000. Baker also had no employees and no payroll obligations.
The False Statement charge alleges that Baker lied on financial disclosure statements required by the court in her earlier criminal case. In those statements, Baker claimed to be out of work, when in fact she had substantial income working for the investment firm. Despite that income, Baker failed to repay the victim in the wire fraud case and claimed to have virtually no resources to pay restitution.
Darlene Piper was released from federal custody on March 16, 2023, but remains on supervised release.
Wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Making a false statement is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The charges contained in the information are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Dion.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
baker_information.pdfFormer tribal councilmember and police officer sentenced to 34 years in prison for sexual abuse of minorsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 69-year-old member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 34 years in prison for nine federal crimes related to the sexual abuse of minors, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joseph Anthony Turrey, of Port Angeles, Washington, was convicted following a seven-day jury trial in March 2023. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said Turrey had shown no sign of remorse telling Turrey, “You demonstrated a wantonness, a cruelty, and mercilessness…. No restitution can give (your victims) back what was stolen from them.”
In 2021, according to records filed in the case, three victims disclosed abuse by the defendant that occurred between 2008 and 2016. The charged assaults occurred on tribal land, triggering federal jurisdiction. Two of the victims were as young as 6 and 7 years old when the sexual assaults began.
Early in his career, in 1993-94, Turrey served as a law enforcement officer on the Hoh Reservation. Turrey, and those who knew him at that time, described his role as Chief of Police. The Hoh Tribe has no record of that position but is aware that Turrey was employed by the tribe and supervised a fisheries enforcement officer. Turrey went on to serve as a police officer for the Lower Elwah Tribe and also served on the Tribal Council.
In her statement to the court, Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster said Turrey “held positions of power while exploiting children.”
Turrey was convicted of six counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Lower Elwha S’Klallam Police Department, with assistance from the National Park Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster, Will Dreher, and Jonas Lerman.
FBI issues wanted poster for Florida defendant who failed to show up for sentencingRead the Press Release
Seattle – The FBI today issued a ‘Wanted Poster’ for Volodimyr Pigida. In December 2022, Volodimyr Pigida, a Miami resident who previously resided in Bellevue, Washington, was found guilty by a jury in the Western District of Washington of 26 felony counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, and bankruptcy fraud, among other crimes.
In his over $11 million dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of victims, Volodimyr Pigida and his wife operated a ‘work-at-home’ email scheme named Trend Sound Promoter that ultimately crashed – but not before the two raided the company’s accounts to purchase homes, expensive cars, and a yacht.
On August 4, 2023, Pigida failed to appear at his sentencing hearing. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at [email protected].
volodimyr-pigida.pdfNigerian citizen extradited from Germany to face charges over attempt to steal $25 million in U.S. benefitsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – One of two Nigerian citizens residing in Canada, who allegedly defrauded the pandemic unemployment benefit programs in multiple states, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma this afternoon at 2:00 PM. Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, as he traveled back to Canada from Nigeria. Ambali had been detained in Germany pending extradition. He arrived in the Western District of Washington yesterday afternoon.
Ambali and codefendant Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, are accused of using the stolen identities of thousands of Americans to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State.
According to the indictment, Lawal and Ambali used the stolen personal information of thousands of U.S. taxpayers and residents to file fraudulent claims for COVID-19 pandemic assistance and false tax returns seeking refunds. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits.
The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to more than 25 states including New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, and Washington. Using 13 Google accounts they filed some 900 claims. The co-conspirators also allegedly established four internet domain names that they then used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used for fraud.
Lawal and Ambali allegedly filed over 2,300 fraudulent income tax returns seeking over $7.1 million in tax refunds. The IRS caught most of the fraud and paid only about $30,000 in fraudulent refunds.
The co-conspirators also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration.
According to the indictment, the co-conspirators had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.
Lawal and Ambali are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
Lawal remains in Canada, pending extradition.
The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two years in prison to run consecutive to any other prison time imposed in the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is assisting.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.