Western District of Washington

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

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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 – 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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.pdf

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.pdf

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.

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.pdf

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.

Seattle – A Seattle-area woman, whose life has been marked by abuse and addiction, was sentenced August 15, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to seven years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Raven Marlyne Hudson, 39, pleaded guilty in May 2023, to drug trafficking and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. She was arrested in July 2022, in Seattle’s University District, after she rammed a law enforcement vehicle while trying to avoid arrest. In her car, law enforcement found a variety of illegal drugs and two firearms – one of them stolen. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said of the offense, “It was terrible… after 16 and a half years in jail and less than six months later you are doing serious drug dealing…. And ramming the cars is just not something we can tolerate.”

“Ms. Hudson’s history of childhood abuse and abandonment no doubt played a role in her drug addiction and criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “It is our hope that the drug treatment in federal prison and the close monitoring and supportive services while on federal supervised release will make a difference and lead to a productive future for Ms. Hudson and her family.”

According to records filed in the case, in early 2022, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents and Seattle Police Narcotics Detectives began investigating Hudson as a significant drug dealer in the Seattle area. In June, a person working with law enforcement ordered fentanyl pills from Hudson. Following that drug sale, law enforcement surveilled Hudson’s activities, seeing her move around to high-frequency drug trafficking areas. On July 12, 2022, agents and officers blocked Hudson’s car as she parked in Seattle’s University District. Hudson rammed one of the HSI vehicles before ultimately being removed from her car and arrested.

When investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant on Hudson’s car, they recovered more than 600 grams of methamphetamine, more than 118 grams of fentanyl powder, about 6,700 fentanyl pills, plus heroin and cocaine. Two Glock firearms were in the car. One of the Glocks was reported stolen, the other had a 25-round extended capacity magazine. Both guns were loaded with a round chambered.

Hudson cannot legally possess firearms due to prior convictions. In 2006 she was convicted in Kitsap County of Second-Degree Murder and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Hudson was released from state custody on the murder conviction in January 2022.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Seattle Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice and Sun Valley CARE Development, Inc. (CARE) today resolved allegations that CARE violated the False Claims Act by submitting false information to the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in connection with an EDA grant. CARE will pay the government $364,126 to resolve the matter, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman of the Western District of Washington.

CARE is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization located in Sun Valley, California. In 2008 EDA awarded a grant to CARE in the amount of $2,800,000 for the design and construction of a medical and nurse training facility in Sun Valley. The grant was administered by EDA’s Seattle Office.

The settlement today resolves allegations arising from CARE’s final request for reimbursement submitted to EDA in connection with the grant. In January 2018 CARE submitted to EDA a request for reimbursement that purported to set forth the costs CARE incurred constructing the medical and nurse training facility. The United States contends that the request for reimbursement and supporting documentation contained false information about CARE’s construction costs.  Of the settlement amount, $182,063 is restitution.  The additional settlement dollars are part of the enhanced penalties under the False Claims Act.

“The Department of Commerce OIG is dedicated to working with Department of Justice to curb fraud, waste, and abuse. It is of particular importance when a project receiving EDA funding to design and construct a nurse training facility benefitting the local community is negatively impacted. We greatly appreciate the cooperation and effort of the United States Attorney’s Office in ensuring justice is served in this matter,” said Jeffrey Lysaght, Special Agent in Charge, U.S Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General.

The investigation began with a whistleblower complaint regarding work performed under the grant.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Burns handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, is reminding independent schools of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with respect to the accommodation of students with type 1 diabetes. There are approximately 215,000 Americans under the age of 20 currently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. A letter sent to independent schools in Seattle serving elementary and middle-school aged students, arriving this week, not only reminds educators of their obligations under the ADA, but also provides resources to assist schools in setting up policies and procedures for monitoring a child’s blood sugar in compliance with the ADA.

“Our office continues to receive complaints from parents that their school-age children with type 1 diabetes are not afforded full and equal access to services provided by independent schools,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “I hope the letter, which is a reminder for schools, as well as the online resources referenced in the letter, will motivate educators and administrators to make the modifications necessary for a truly inclusive environment for all our children.”

The letter for the schools makes note of this settlement with a school in Louisiana. See Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America and Alexandria Country Day School, available at https://archive.ada.gov/alexandria_settle.htm.

The letter makes clear that staff at the school may need to be trained to support children with type 1 diabetes.  Where a parent or guardian and a child’s physician or other qualified health care professional deem it appropriate (based on the child’s current health status) for a child to be assisted in diabetes care by a layperson, training child care staff members to assist with routine diabetes care tasks, including the administration of insulin by pen, syringe, or pump, is generally a reasonable modification under the ADA unless an independent school can demonstrate that the individual circumstances cause a fundamental alteration to  its goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations.  

The letter also offers online resources such as:

• • Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction and Department of Health, “Guidelines for Care of Students with Disabilities,” available online at https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/healthservices/pubdocs/diabetes/diabetesmanual-ada.pdf;

• • National Diabetes Education Program, “Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel,” available online at https://diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/NDEP-School-Guide-Full-508.pdf;

• • American Diabetes Association, “Sample Diabetes Management Plan,” available online at https://diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/DMMP-updated-11-11-22.pdf.

In addition to schools, DOJ has entered into settlements with childcare centers and summer camps that failed to accommodate children with type 1 diabetes. 

As the new school year begins, independent schools should examine their procedures to ensure a child’s diabetes care is integrated into the daily routine, with the proper support from school staff.

The full letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights unit is below.

independent_schools_seattle_-_t1d_dcl_for_website.pdf

Tacoma – The former Chief Financial Officer of Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI) of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 days in federal prison for falsely certifying the company’s 2013 annual report, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.  James Miller, 61, of Washougal, Washington, pleaded guilty on November 4, 2022, following years of shareholder litigation and a Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) fraud investigation.  At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The entries were deliberate – you knew what you were doing…. We have to be able to rely on the fact that financial statements are accurate.”

“As a former auditor and CPA, Mr. Miller understood the importance of accurately disclosing financial information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman.  “Nevertheless, he made fraudulent entries 29 times, totaling over $12 million. He ‘cooked the books’ and then certified the financial reports as accurate – keeping shareholders and company executives in the dark about the fraudulent entries for three years.”

According to records filed in the case, between 2008 and 2016, Miller served as CFO of Barrett Business Services Inc. The company provided human resources functions for other businesses. One of the services BBSI provided was calculating and paying workers compensation obligations for its customers. The amount of workers’ compensation paid out was a key indicator in assessing the company’s expenses.

Between 2012 and 2013, Miller made accounting entries that understated the amount by which the workers compensation expense had increased, and instead attributed $12 million of workers’ compensation expense to payroll taxes and other costs.  Miller’s accounting entries violated Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and concealed potentially important trend from analysts evaluating the company.

After making each false entry, Miller directed a staff accountant to initial the entry. This created the appearance that the staff accountant had made the entries, when in fact Miller had done so.

Even as he was preparing the false entries, Miller exercised his options to sell tens of thousands of shares of BBSI stock, selling $2.4 million worth of shares in just two days in 2013.

In recommending that the court sentence Miller to ten months in prison, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted, “When Miller executed those (stock) trades, he knew BBSI’s actuary had reported a substantial increase in workers’ compensation expense. And as Miller admitted in his SEC testimony, he also knew this was an important expense for the company. But, because Miller had secretly gamed BBSI’s accounting, the public—including those who purchased Miller’s stock—did not have this knowledge.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.

Seattle – An 18-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was indicted this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily harm, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.  Logan Winegar will be summoned for arraignment on the indictment next week.

According to police reports, on July 2, 2023, Winegar was asked to leave an area of “Boom City,” an area where stands sell fireworks, food, and other items.  Winegar was near one of the food stands and was asked to leave. Witnesses say Winegar pushed a woman to the ground and stabbed her in the hip, thigh and stomach. The woman was a stranger to Winegar. He was pulled off the victim and both received medical treatment.

Assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily harm are each punishable by up to ten 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 Tulalip Tribes Police Department and the FBI.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jocelyn Cooney. Ms. Cooney serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.

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Seattle – With four federal criminal cases filed since the first of the year, and numerous sexual assault reports under investigation, federal law enforcement wants the traveling public to be alert and informed of the increasing number of reports of sexual assault and misconduct on aircraft. Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office Richard Collodi joined Seattle Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to raise awareness about the problem and the federal response.

“Since the first of the year, we have seen an increase in reports of sexual assaults on aircraft. It is quite unusual for us to have four filed cases as well as multiple active, but as yet uncharged, investigations in our office at one time,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “We take these cases seriously and work with the FBI to investigate and prosecute them. Federal prison is the destination for those convicted of sexual abuse on an aircraft.”

“It is imperative for people to understand those who commit these types of crimes aboard aircraft will be held accountable,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I’m concerned at the increase of these incidents and assure the traveling public the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and prosecute any offender who victimizes someone on a plane.”

“We’re here today to stand up for travelers and to put would-be perpetrators on notice: Sexual assault is a crime everywhere and will not be tolerated. Not in the air, not on the ground, not on our watch,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa. “The Port of Seattle is fully equipped and prepared to respond to all reports of sexual assault swiftly, severely, and with certainty. I am particularly grateful to the FBI for standing up for our passengers and for helping launch this public awareness campaign.”

Nationally the cases are rising, as well. In 2018, the FBI investigated 27 sexual misconduct cases aboard aircraft. Just four years later, in 2022 that number had more than tripled to 90 cases. 2023 is on pace to surpass the 90 cases, with 62 cases under investigation in the first half of the year.

The four filed federal cases in the Western District of Washington are:

U.S. v. Jack Roberson (23-cr-00123)

While flying from Atlanta to Seattle, the defendant, Jack Roberson, allegedly drank two double vodka tonics and appeared to fall asleep. He allegedly placed his hand on the 15-year-old victim’s thigh and slowly moved it up her thigh and under her skirt to her inner thigh. The victim reported to her guardian immediately and the defendant was taken into custody when the flight landed.

U.S. v. James Benecke (23-cr-00108)

The defendant, James Benecke, is accused of committing abusive sexual contact involving teenagers in two separate incidents. The first incident took place in April of 2023 as Benecke traveled from Alaska to Seattle. He is alleged to have touched the thigh and buttocks of a 16-year-old girl who was seated next to him. Two months later, while on a flight from Texas to Seattle, Benecke is alleged to have touched the inner thigh and buttocks of an 18-year-old girl.

U.S. v. Duane Brick (23-cr-00052)

The defendant, an airline mechanic, was flying on an aircraft of his employer, from Arizona to Seattle. He was seated next to the adult victim. He allegedly took her hand and placed it on his crotch while she appeared to be asleep after taking sleeping pills. He then touched her inner thigh, reached under her shirt, and attempted to reach into her pants. Trial is scheduled for September 11, 2023.

U.S. v. Munir Walji (23-cr-ooo11)

The defendant allegedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl by touching her leg and genitals while aboard a flight from Atlanta to Seattle. The defendant is charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction and Abusive Sexual Contact in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction.

In each of these cases the public is reminded that the charges are allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

King County Sexual Assault Resource Center CEO Mary Ellen Stone noted that data shows young people are at highest risk of sexual assault – females between 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victimized. Yet, young victims are the least likely to speak up for fear of escalating the bad behavior or causing trouble.

“Sexual assault can and does happen anywhere, including on planes and other public transit, and includes a spectrum of behaviors that include harassing comments, “upskirting,” unwanted touching, and rape,” said Mary Ellen Stone, Chief Executive Officer at the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. “On aircraft, other passengers and crew can disrupt these behaviors, help hold offenders accountable, and begin a survivor’s long-term healing when they take a report seriously and understand not all survivors react the same.”

CEO Stone adds, “It’s natural to want to ignore these situations, but other passengers can send a strong message that sexually offending behavior won’t be tolerated by checking in with anyone you suspect is being victimized and offering help. Crews can take steps to separate the victim from the person causing harm, and above all, avoid minimizing any behavior that is making someone else uncomfortable.”

For free, confidential help or information, KCSARC’s 24-hour Resource Line is available at 1.888.99.VOICE (1.888.998.6423).

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office has prepared a tip sheet attached to this press release.

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Seattle – A 46-year-old Mexican citizen is in federal custody tonight charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver, for some 30,000 fentanyl pills found in his pick-up truck, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. David Garcia-Garcia made his appearance on the criminal complaint this afternoon. He remains detained pending further hearings.

According to records filed in the case, the Border Enforcement Security Task Force became aware that a dealer known as “Daby,” was offering fentanyl for sale. Agents were able to identify Daby as an alias for Garcia-Garcia. A meeting was arranged with Garcia-Garcia near a restaurant in Tukwila to review the goods for a possible drug sale. Following the drug meeting, officers moved in and arrested Garcia-Garcia and impounded his truck.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the truck and found multiple packages of fentanyl pills – the total was more than three kilos – likely more than 30,000 fentanyl pills.

Because of the amount of fentanyl involved, Garcia-Garcia faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to 40 years in prison.

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

Garcia-Garcia faces deportation following any prison term.

The case was investigated by agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Seattle Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne Vaught.

Seattle – A 43-year-old Tacoma man, who was taken into custody in February 2023, was indicted today by a grand jury for three federal felonies: Unlawful Possession of Firearms; Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Cesar Leonel Contreras-Arias will be arraigned on the indictment next week.

“This defendant was being sought on a Washington Department of Corrections warrant for escape, when he was found to have multi-pound quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Equally concerning was his possession of firearms – many of them reported stolen from across the Puget Sound region. Prosecuting armed drug traffickers remains a top priority for federal law enforcement.”

According to records filed in the case, Contreras-Arias was arrested February 2, 2023, outside Tacoma’s Clarion Inn on Tacoma Mall Blvd.. Contreras-Arias had been living at the hotel for about a year, and law enforcement had received information that he was dealing drugs from that location. When approached by law enforcement, Contreras-Arias tried to flee, smashing his truck into a police vehicle that had parked behind him. When law enforcement searched Contreras-Arias, they found two cell phones, $7,000 in cash and keys to three rooms at the Clarion Inn. Inside Contreras-Arias’ truck, officers found a .22 caliber Ruger handgun which had been reported stolen in Grays Harbor County.

Law enforcement searched the three rooms at the hotel and found 90 pounds of methamphetamine and five pounds of fentanyl powder. They also found eleven passports – some of them reported stolen. There were four firearms in one of the hotel rooms: a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun that had been reported stolen in Tukwila; a tactical shotgun; a 9mm semi-automatic Glock; and a Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun.

Law enforcement also searched a storage unit that Contreras-Arias and his companion had rented. Inside was another stolen handgun – a Colt Model Anaconda 44 magnum revolver. The Colt had been reported as lost and suspected stolen in Kitsap County. Two firearm magazines were in the storage unit, an extended 9mm magazine, and a polymer rifle magazine containing 30 rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition.

Contreras-Arias is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 conviction in Benton County for violating a protection order.

Illegal possession of firearms is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Due to the drug quantities involved, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory five years in prison to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the other counts of conviction.

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 was investigated by the South Sound Gang Task Force, composed of agents and officers from the FBI, Washington Department of Corrections, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tacoma Police Department, among others. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) assisted with the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.

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Tacoma – A Tacoma man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release for dealing fentanyl while armed with a handgun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Peter Darnell King, 24 was arrested in September 2022, following a joint operation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Tacoma Police Department (TPD). At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “Controlled substances, including fentanyl, as in this case, have had a huge impact on the community. Quite literally, they are killing people.”

“Peter King contributed to the addiction and violence plaguing the most dangerous street in Tacoma by regularly dealing fentanyl out of his hotel room on Hosmer Street,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He was arrested three times within 11 days, each time with fentanyl and a gun, and each time he immediately returned to trafficking a deadly drug when he was released from custody.”

According to records filed in the case, in May 2022, law enforcement learned of King’s drug dealing activity and began an investigation. ATF conducted undercover buys of fentanyl pills from King at his apparent residence, the Econo Lodge motel on South Hosmer Street. In July 2022, King was arrested by Tacoma Police officers who encountered him in the parking lot of a Home Depot store. He had nearly 1,000 fentanyl pills and a firearm was observed in his vehicle. The following day, after his release from custody, Lakewood Police contacted King at a gas station near the Tacoma Mall because his car appeared to have no license plates. King became agitated and was taken into custody – he had over 100 fentanyl pills and a firearm in his pockets.

The third arrest last summer was August 6, 2022, when King was found asleep in his car while a young toddler played unrestrained in the front passenger seat. King had a loaded firearm in his lap and 182 fentanyl pills in a coin purse at his waist.

ATF conducted a series of undercover operations at the Econo Lodge in mid-August, during which King was seen numerous times engaging in drug trafficking behavior. The final arrest was on September 7 in a joint operation by ATF and the Tacoma Police Department. Officers executed a search warrant at the Econo Lodge, during which they seized three firearms, body armor, ammunition, and fentanyl.

King pleaded guilty in April 2023 to Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.

In asking for a nine-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster wrote to the court, “Firearm possession, particularly in connection with drug trafficking, puts the community at significant risk. Every time King was stopped by police and found with distribution levels of fentanyl in the summer of 2022, he also had a gun. When Tacoma Police took one firearm, he had a new one days later. And King did not just keep a firearm at his hotel room, he carried guns with him and his drug stash as he moved throughout the community. He also kept both fentanyl and firearms in reach of his small child, as seen in August and September of 2022. A substantial prison sentence is necessary to not only punish King but to protect the public.”

The case was investigated by ATF and the Tacoma Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster.

Tacoma – A 27-year-old Tacoma resident was charged by federal criminal complaint today with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Demitri Super will appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today. He is being detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending further hearings.

According to records filed in the case, a foreign law enforcement organization contacted the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Computer Crimes Center about a Skype video showing the rape of an infant. HSI quickly worked to identify the person in the video and agents interviewed and arrested Super today. The victim child has been identified and the parents have been notified.

Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison.

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.

Seattle – Two men – both involved with firearms and fentanyl -- pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle to federal charges that carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jade Alexander Beavin, 33, of Everett will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on October 20,2023. Lavonta Austin, 30, of Seattle will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on October 17, 2023.

“Our office and our investigative partners work every day to stop the flow of fentanyl into our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “We pursue large cartel-connected drug rings that import hundreds of thousands of pills, as well as individual dealers whose criminal conduct with guns and drugs undermines the safety of our community. These two defendants who pleaded guilty this week, were caught repeatedly with drugs and guns, conduct that ultimately landed them in federal court.”

Jade Beavin was arrested by Everett Police on July 27, 2021, with three kilos of fentanyl powder in the trunk of his car. In the interior of the car was a loaded 9mm handgun. A court authorized search of the car also resulted in the seizure of a scale, ammunition, and drug ledger. Beavin was also arrested with narcotics and a revolver in January 2020 and was arrested with a third firearm in February 2022. When he is sentenced, prosecutors will recommend no more than ten years in prison and the defense has agreed to recommend no less than eight years in prison.

Lavonta Austin was first contacted by Seattle Police at 3rd Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle on August 4, 2022. After selling fentanyl pills to an undercover officer, Austin attempted to run from police when they took him into custody. Austin had 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 prosecutors and defense will recommend a 5-year sentence.

In both cases the judge is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

Both men 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 five years in prison that runs consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug possession charge. 

U.S. v. Beavin was investigated by the Everett Police Department and the FBI.  U.S. v. Austin was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

Seattle – A 43-year-old Everett, Washington, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to aiding and assisting with the filing of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Abinet Onkiso pleaded guilty to four counts and faces up to three years in prison per count when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on October 19, 2023.

According to records filed in the case, since at least 2012, Onkiso operated a tax preparation business called Affordable Income Tax LLC. As a tax preparer he intentionally exaggerated deductions for his clients: unreimbursed employee expenses, charitable deductions, and payments for “other taxes.” Between 2016 and 2019 Onkiso submitted exaggerated deductions on more than 79 tax returns for 29 different clients. In total the fake deductions led to a tax loss of $212,395.

Some of Onkiso’s clients were audited and paid approximately $12,000 of the taxes owed. The rest of the tax loss falls to Onkiso, who is required to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $200,277, with credit for any amounts already paid.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend no more than six months in prison. Judge Lasnik is not bound by the recommendation and may impose any statement allowed by law.

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.

The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Amazon.com Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Amazon.com Services LLC (collectively Amazon), have agreed to a permanent injunction and a $25 million civil penalty as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) and the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) relating to Amazon’s voice assistant service Alexa. 

Alexa is a proprietary voice-activated service that Amazon provides through its Echo smart speakers, its “Alexa App” mobile application, and other devices and applications. Since May 2018, Amazon’s Alexa-related offerings have included voice-activated products and services directed toward children under 13 years of age. When a user makes a verbal request of an Alexa-enabled device, Amazon saves the voice recording of the request and creates a written transcript of it.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the government alleges that, since at least May 2018, Amazon violated the FTC Act, COPPA and the COPPA Rule with respect to Alexa and Alexa’s child-directed offerings. The complaint alleges that Amazon retained children’s voice recordings indefinitely by default, in violation of COPPA’s requirement that these recordings be retained only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which they were collected. Other alleged violations include making deceptive representations that Alexa app users could delete their or their children’s voice recordings, including audio files and transcripts and their geolocation information, when in fact Amazon on some occasions failed to delete all such information at users’ request. The complaint also alleges that Amazon engaged in unfair privacy practices with respect to Alexa users’ geolocation information and voice recordings, including (in some instances) by failing to honor users’ deletion requests and failing to notify consumers that it had not done so.

The stipulated order entered today by the federal district court requires Amazon to pay $25 million in civil penalties. The order imposes injunctive relief that requires Amazon to identify and delete inactive child profiles (profiles that have not been used for 18 months) unless a parent requests that they be retained. Amazon also will notify parents whose children have accounts of this change to its policies. The order further prohibits Amazon from making misrepresentations about Amazon’s retention, access to or deletion of geolocation information or voice information, including children’s voice information, and mandates deletion of geolocation information, voice information, and children’s personal information upon the request of the user or parent, respectively. Finally, the order requires Amazon to make disclosures to consumers relating to its retention and deletion practices regarding Alexa App geolocation information and voice information.  

“Today’s settlement reflects the department’s dedication to protecting children online,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department and the FTC are committed to working together to ensure that companies do not misrepresent to parents how children’s personal information is handled, retained, or deleted, and do not retain that information for longer than reasonably necessary.”    

“Amazon’s history of misleading parents, keeping children’s recordings indefinitely, and flouting parents’ deletion requests violated COPPA and sacrificed privacy for profits,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “COPPA does not allow companies to keep children’s data forever for any reason, and certainly not to train their algorithms.”

“Parents want and deserve to have control over data related to their young children – this includes recordings of the child’s voice, the child’s location, and the questions the child asks an Alexa device,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “Some may be delighted to have those recordings saved for sentimental reasons – but that needs to be the parent’s choice – not a decision made by Amazon. This settlement requires Amazon to provide notice to parents with ways they can select whether and how that data is retained.”

This matter was handled by Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Directors Lisa Hsiao and Rachael Doud of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Stahman for the Western District of Washington and Elisa Jillson, Andrew Hasty and Julia Horowitz of the FTC.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.

Seattle – A- 69-year-0ld Andrews, North Carolina resident is in federal custody tonight charged with abusive sexual contact on board an aircraft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jack Allen Roberson was arrested at Sea-Tac airport Sunday evening and will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.  

According to records filed in the case, Roberson was seated next to the 15-year-old victim who was traveling with her guardian. According to the criminal complaint, while Roberson appeared to be sleeping, he allegedly slipped his hand onto the victim’s thigh and ran in up under her skirt and towards her genitals. The victim reported the unwanted touching to her guardian who contacted the flight attendant. Roberson was moved to a different seat. Law enforcement was contacted and met the plane on arrival. Roberson was arrested and taken to the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.

Abusive sexual contact on an aircraft is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sanaa Nagi.

Tacoma – A 37-year-old Tacoma man will appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Nicholas Corona was arrested yesterday without incident and will make his initial appearance at 2:00 PM.

According to the criminal complaint, in December 2022 Australian law enforcement contacted law enforcement in the U.S. regarding images of sexual abuse of a young child that had been shared on the internet. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was able to identify Corona as the person who posted the photos and determined that the material had been created between June and September 2019. The investigation determined that Corona had been living with the child’s household and provided childcare at times during this period.

Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years.

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

The case is being investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.

Seattle – University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW) will reform its policies and procedures for providing sign-language interpreters, and other assistive devices for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing following a complaint from a patient that such services were not provided during a hospitalization in 2021. UWMC-NW will pay the patient $40,000 in addition to the changes in training, policies, and procedures.

“Ensuring effective communication in medical settings has been a top priority in our civil rights work,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Before and after surgery, a patient must be able to understand the medical staff and communicate their level of pain, their concerns, and any questions they have about ongoing care. This settlement clearly lays out the steps for UWMC-NW to comply with the ADA and provide best practices for their patients.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that public entities, including healthcare providers, provide auxiliary aids and services free of charge to patients who need them in order to communicate effectively. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, determined that UWMC-NW failed to provide the complainant with a qualified sign language interpreter necessary to communicate effectively with her on several occasions during her hospital stay in April 2021 including pre-surgical consultation, surgery, and post-surgical care. The hospital did attempt to use a Video Relay Interpreter (VRI) service, but it was ineffective.

The settlement requires the hospital to make a number of changes including:

• UWMC-NW will have a designated ADA Coordinator on duty at all times that the hospital is open to the public. That person will coordinate services and assistive devices for patients who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing.
• The UWMC-NW will enter into contracts with three interpreter services so that they are able to obtain an interpreter in a reasonable period of time.
• Video Remote Interpreting will be used only if it meets certain guidelines, and will not be used for certain complex or lengthy appointments where in-person interpretation is critical.
• All staff will be trained on the new procedures including the initial evaluation of whether a patient needs assistive services for communication.
• The hospital will log the use of assistive devices and services and provide that log to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months for review. The hospital will also provide any complaints regarding provision of assistive services.
• The review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue for the next three years. If the U.S. Attorney’s Office believes the terms of this settlement have been violated it can file suit in U.S. District Court.

The investigation and settlement were negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Waldrop.

Seattle – A successful consultant to Amazon third-party selling partners (3P Sellers) was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his participation in an international bribery scheme used to aid his clients, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ephraim Rosenberg, 48, was sentenced to two years of probation, including a year of home confinement, and a $100,000 fine. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that Rosenberg “participated in the scheme for a period of three years. You stopped because you got caught by law enforcement.”

“Mr. Rosenberg participated in a scheme to bribe Amazon employees for confidential information and improper benefits – and he didn’t just funnel bribes through his co-conspirators to workers in India -- he paid a Seattle Amazon employee more than $18,000 for confidential information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “After first attacking the federal indictment brought in this case, Mr. Rosenberg has now admitted his crimes and has publicized his regret about his criminal conduct as a warning to others who scheme to illegally manipulate the marketplace.”

According to records filed in the case, between July 2017 and September 2020, Rosenberg and his coconspirators used a number of illegal tactics to steal internal and confidential data from Amazon. Rosenberg paid bribes to obtain confidential notes and information as to why certain clients, 3P Sellers, had been suspended by Amazon. The clients could then use that information to craft their appeals to be reinstated. Rosenberg also purchased forged documents to act as proof that certain products had been purchased from approved suppliers. In fact, the use of the forged documents could allow counterfeit or even unsafe products to enter the marketplace and harm consumers.

While Rosenberg used bribery and fraud to assist his clients, there is no evidence that he engaged in negative attacks on other 3P sellers. Other conspirators in the scheme made false complaints to Amazon, posted sham negative reviews and even defaced sellers’ product listings. Those defendants who attacked other Amazon sellers have faced more significant prison sentences.

Hadis Nuhanovic, 32, of Acworth, Georgia, was sentenced in February 2023, to 20 months in prison, forfeiture of $100,000 and $160,453 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Rohit Kadimisetty, was sentenced last year to ten months in prison and a $50,000 fine. Kristen Leccese and Joseph Nilsen have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing on September 8, 2023.

In her sentencing memo, Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman wrote, “Rosenberg committed a serious crime when he corrupted Amazon employees, stole from Amazon, and gained access to internal systems and controls—all to the disadvantage of Amazon, small businesses, and consumers. Rosenberg and his co-conspirators used their insider knowledge of Amazon to break its rules and abuse Amazon’s platform. They stole Amazon’s confidential information to line their own pockets… These activities resulted in deceiving customers and unfairly disadvantaging small businesses that followed the rules. This long running, global conspiracy caused significant harm.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Miriam R. Hinman.

Seattle – A 41-year-old Chief Warrant Officer in the Army, currently stationed in Alaska, was indicted last week for two counts of abusive sexual contact while on board an aircraft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. James Benecke was taken into custody at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside of Anchorage, Alaska and will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Alaska today at 2:00 PM (Alaska Time – 3:00 Pacific Time). He will be scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle later this month.

According to the indictment, on April 12, 2023, on an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Seattle, Benecke allegedly intentionally touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old teen who was seated next to him. The indictment charges that the contact was intentional for his sexual arousal.

Two months later, on June 12, 2023, on an Alaska Airlines flight from Dallas to Seattle, Benecke allegedly touched the buttocks and inner thigh of the 18-year-old woman who was seated next to him. In this instance, the contact was reported to the flight crew by the teen and her boyfriend and Benecke was moved to a seat at the rear of the plane. He was interviewed by law enforcement upon arrival in Seattle.

Due to the heavy travel schedule of the defendant, the investigation is ongoing and law enforcement is interested in speaking with anyone who may have been seated near to Benecke on an aircraft. Those with information should call: 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324)

Abusive Sexual Contact is punishable by up to two 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 Jocelyn Cooney.

Seattle – A 39-year-old Lynnwood, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jonathan E. Williams handled the technology side of the darknet drug dealing operation while co-defendants Linus Lee and Joyce Oldrich were involved in packaging and mailing packets of LSD and MDMA. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that "MDMA, in the court's experience, is specifically marketed to young people," -- the drugs could end up in the hands of vulnerable people. 

“Mr. Williams used his computer skills to make dangerous drugs available to anyone with a computer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He may have physically kept his hands off the drugs but, using his computer keyboard, he enriched himself while putting others at risk.”

According to records filed in the case, the three defendants in this case were indicted in July 2022, following an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service of dark web drug dealing. Working on the dark web, investigators placed online orders for drugs. Based on the packages they received, investigators first identified 70-year-old Joyce Oldrich of Marysville, Washington as the person who had mailed the drugs. Tracking Oldrich, investigators identified 51-year-old Linus Lee of Shoreline, Washington. When law enforcement served a search warrant on Lee’s home, they seized more than 5,000 tabs of LSD, and more than four kilos of MDMA. Some of the drugs were already in parcels ready for mailing.

Information on Lee’s and Oldrich’s cell phones led investigators to Williams. In various encrypted messages, Lee and Williams discussed the market price for their drugs. When Williams’ residence was searched, law enforcement found no drugs, but linked $21,000 in cash to his drug selling activity. On Williams’ phone, they found evidence of his role managing the drug business on the dark web.

Both Lee and Williams have now been sentenced to 30 months in prison with three years of supervised release to follow. Oldrich was sentenced to a time served sentence, with three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.

Seattle – A 36- year-old resident of Mexico was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 44 months in prison for her role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds for drug traffickers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. In March 2023, Sonia L. Mezquita Vega pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and a dozen counts of specific substantive counts of money laundering. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez acknowledged that Mezquita Vega was not making the millions she was depositing, however, “The only reason the drug business survives is the money that comes with it,” Judge Martinez said.

“Drug dealing is a business that traffics in pain, sorrow, and heartbreak for the families who watch their loved one succumb to addiction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Those who transmit the illegal drug proceeds to the drug cartels are a critical cog keeping the poisons of fentanyl, meth, heroin, and cocaine flowing to our communities. Such conduct deserves a significant sanction.”

Mezquita Vega was one of seventeen defendants indicted in August 2020 for a money laundering scheme that sent as much as $2.6 million to a drug trafficking organization in Mexico. Mezquita Vega has been in custody since she was arrested in the Tucson, Arizona area on February 3, 2022.

According to records filed in the case, Mezquita Vega initially worked as a “funnel account holder,” someone who opened a bank account where drug proceeds could be deposited and later transferred to or withdrawn by the drug traffickers. Later, Mezquita Vega became a “money mule,” traveling the country and picking up drug proceeds to deposit into her funnel account or others. Finally, Mezquita Vega supervised others in the money laundering scheme, traveling with them to collect drug proceeds and directing how the funds should be deposited.

During seven months in 2014, $352,030 was deposited in the funnel account opened by Mezquita Vega. At the same time, an additional $236,540 was funneled through an account apparently opened by Mezquita Vega’s mother. Between October 2014 and April 2016, Mezquita Vega became a money mule/depositor and was responsible for depositing $830,906 in drug proceeds.

In asking for the five-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi wrote to the court, “Drug dealing is a business. If people could not make money – often lots of money – they would not sell drugs. Money is the vitally necessary fuel for the drug epidemic. And money laundering, of the type perpetrated by (this organization), is the pipeline that fuel flows through.”

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent T. Lombardi.

Seattle – A 52-year-old resident of Tacoma who worked as a Third Party Administrator for union health and welfare and pension plans was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing more than $200,000 from a union member’s account and other plans, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Erik A. Read was indicted in April 2022 and pleaded guilty in March 2023. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, Read “had a position of trust that he utilized to steal money…. This was not a onetime event…. he put together an elaborate scheme to steal money.”

“Mr. Read used his specialized knowledge to steal the money a commercial painter had paid into his pension plan, hoping his theft would go undetected,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Read’s conduct was a highly detailed scheme involving forged records, fake IDs, and lies to colleagues. It didn’t just harm the victim financially, it also created great stress when the worker saw his pension vanish.”

According to records filed in the case, Read worked as a third party administrator for three different union plans from which he improperly diverted funds: the Western Washington Painter Defined Contribution Pension Plan, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 191 Health and Welfare Plan, as well as the Washington State Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry Plan.

Court records detail how he stole from the account of one of the members of the painters’ union – a person who was listed as a “missing participant,” meaning he was no longer actively participating in the plan. Between April 2018 and May 2019, Read falsified records, forged signatures, and doctored a driver’s license to make it appear that the victim wanted his funds withdrawn from the fund to pay for medical treatment for a terminal illness. Read claimed to his coworkers that he was going to deliver the checks by hand to the victim and his family. In fact, Read deposited the checks into his own bank account. Even as he was earning $150,000 a year, he was improperly taking funds from the pension plans that he worked on. Read has agreed to pay $294,251 to the victim pension plans or their insurers.

In asking for a four-year prison term, prosecutor Brian Wynne wrote to the court, “While the financial impacts of Read’s crimes were great, the non-financial impacts on both individuals Read worked for and on behalf of are unquantifiable. The impacts include the stress on (one victim) upon learning his retirement had been stolen and his efforts to recoup it. The impacts also include the stress experienced by Read’s colleagues who unwittingly helped Read carry out the fraud and the stress and managerial impacts on the trusts whose plans Read administered.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang, Brian J. Wynne, and Jehiel I. Baer.

Seattle – A 35-year-old former resident of Kirkland, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 13 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Marcus William Lowe has been in federal custody since November 2020. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The impact is lifelong to those victims who are revictimized every time those images are downloaded and viewed. Every single one of those photos reflects a real child, a real victim.”

“Those who prey on children face significant federal prison time,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These crimes leave life-long scars on the young and vulnerable. It is entirely appropriate that we use custody time, post sentence supervision and registration as a sex offender to keep our community safe.”

According to records filed in the case, in early October 2020, Lowe used an internet application to communicate with a parent about molesting a ten-year-old child. In fact, the child was fictitious, and the “parent” was an undercover FBI agent. When Lowe arrived at the location and spotted law enforcement he attempted to flee and injured a law enforcement officer in the process.

A review of Lowe’s electronic devices revealed he possessed several hundred images of child rape and sexual abuse. A minor child revealed that Lowe had sexually abused the child. He was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 41 months in prison for that conduct.

“It is heartbreaking that child predators cause lasting damage on innocent children without caring that they are destroying lives,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle. “We hope that these prosecutions send a message to other would-be sex offenders that law enforcement takes these crimes seriously, and there will be consequences.”

Judge Martinez ordered that the 13-year federal sentence run concurrent to the state sentence. Lowe will be required to register as a sex offender following prison and will be on supervised release for 15 years following the prison term.

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 was investigated by the FBI. The operation was conducted in cooperation with the Seattle Police Department, and the Kirkland Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton.

Seattle – Two men who served key roles in a large, wide ranging drug distribution conspiracy were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to significant prison terms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Aaron Alarcon-Castaneda (aka Sobrino), 38, of Chino, California was sentenced to six years in prison and Steven R. Delvecchio, 65, of Snohomish, Washington was sentenced to nine years in prison. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said he imposed these sentences due to, “the enormous size of this drug trafficking organization, the large quantity of the two worst drugs I’ve seen in my 40 years on the bench: methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the existence of firearms.”

“While each of these men played a different role, such conduct was integral to spreading poison throughout our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Del Vecchio was the retail salesman, getting drugs into the hands of users, while Alarcon-Castaneda was the broker and money collector – coordinating the shipments of drugs and money to and from Western Washington. For the pain and addiction they caused, they have earned these significant prison sentences.”

According to records filed in the case, the investigation and drug ring take down on December 16, 2020, resulted in the seizure of 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of heroin, 35,000 fentanyl pills, 24 firearms, and $778,000. Drug ring leader Cesar Valdez-Sanudo, 36, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in January 2023. Valdez-Sanudo had buried large quantities of drugs and cash on his Arlington, Washington property. The drug ring distributed meth, heroin, and fentanyl in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.

Alarcon-Castaneda was identified on the wiretap investigation shortly after he brokered a 44-pound shipment of methamphetamine from California to Washington. After law enforcement seized the load, Alarcon-Casteneda was heard on the wiretap discussing a plan to interrogate the courier who lost the load. During the conversation the drug ring leader told Alarcon-Castaneda to use the cables, meaning electrocute the courier. Law enforcement had to intervene to make sure that didn’t happen. Alarcon-Castaneda arranged for drugs and money to move up and down the west coast. When Alarcon-Castaneda’s home was searched, law enforcement found drugs hidden in everything from laundry soap bottles to the kitchen garbage can. He also had large quantities of cash drug proceeds.

Steven Del Vecchio is a ten-time convicted felon and long-time drug dealer in Snohomish County. Del Vecchio was originally a subject of an investigation by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force. On June 24, 2020, he was arrested, and a search of his home revealed more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, close to one kilogram of heroin, thousands of fentanyl pills, $115,000 in cash drug proceeds, and 19 firearms. That arrest and seizure didn’t stop him and, on the wiretap, he was identified as a dealer in the Valdez-Sanudo drug trafficking ring. When Del Vecchio was arrested on December 16, 2020, investigators recovered nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, several ounces of heroin, and more than a thousand fentanyl pills.

In asking for the eight and ten year sentences respectively, prosecutors told the court, “these drugs not only destroy the lives of those who use them, they also destroy the lives of the users’ families and friends. Those families and friends are prisoners, forced to watch the toll these drugs take on their son, their daughter, their mother, their father, their friend.”

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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.

Seattle – An 18-year-old Seattle-area man, who was living at a SeaTac hotel, remains in federal custody for robbery, with a detention hearing next week, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Caiden James Charlton was arrested Tuesday June 27, 2023, in connection with three armed robberies in May and June 2023. Charlton had his initial appearance yesterday and will appear for a detention hearing on Monday, July 3, 2023.

According to records filed in the case, Charlton is charged with the May 30, 2023, robbery of Herb’s House on NW 65th Street in Seattle; the May 30, 2023, robbery of Hashtag Cannabis on Nickerson Street in Seattle; and the June 10, 2023, robbery of Oz Cannabis on Stone Way in Seattle. In each of the robberies, surveillance video shows clothing, tattoos, and jewelry that has been linked to Charlton. Victims of the robberies noted distinctive face tattoos around Charlton’s eyes that were not concealed by his mask.

In each of the robberies, one of two intruders displayed a handgun and ordered the dispensary staff to open safes or empty the till. In addition to money, the suspects stole a large amount of marijuana products. In some cases, the safes at the dispensaries could not be opened due to time locks used to discourage robberies. In one case, the robbers stole the safe by detaching it from the floor.

The robbery crew would run to a getaway car after the robberies – two of the cars had been reported stolen.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 5, 2023, Charlton was arrested by Tacoma Police for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Photographs from the arrest indicate Charlton wearing clothing and jewelry associated with the robberies of the marijuana dispensaries. Charlton was released on bail June 9, 2023 – one day before the third robbery charged federally. Charlton may face

federal firearms charges based on the Tacoma arrest, as well as eight guns found in his possession at the time of his federal arrest on June 27, 2023.

Law enforcement continues to investigate other robberies potentially linked to Charlton and his accomplices. This includes robberies in West Seattle, Edmonds, and Bellevue. In all, law enforcement believes as many as ten marijuana dispensary robberies may be linked to Charlton and a juvenile arrested in Bellevue following the robbery of a dispensary there. The juvenile was located based on a currency tracker that was included in the cash he stole from the Bellevue dispensary.

“Mr. Charlton’s prior arrest for similar crimes did little to dissuade his continuing criminal activities.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Fortunately, no one was killed during his violent robbery spree. Taking him off the streets may have saved lives of employees and patrons of the businesses he targeted and highlights the priority given to these types of violent crime. I applaud the efforts of our agents and partners, including the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Department, and others on the Safe Streets Task Force, to safely take him into custody.”

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department, as well as the King County and Snohomish County Sheriffs’ Offices.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin H. Becker and Elyne Vaught.

charlton_complaint.pdf

Seattle – A 34–year-old resident of Port Angeles, Washington, was indicted late yesterday by a federal grand jury for two counts of sexual abuse of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Briceson R. Standley has been detained since his arrest on a criminal complaint on June 15, 2023. 

According to records filed in the case, in April and June 2022, Standley met up with a 15-year-old youth who he had communicated with on a social media app.  In the first encounter, Standley sexually molested the youth. In the second encounter, Standley allegedly carried a machete and a pocketknife. Standley allegedly raped the youth. The 15-year-old ceased any communication with Standley and ultimately reported the conduct to a health care provider.

An investigation by the U.S. Park Service determined that the alleged assaults took place on a portion of Olympic National Park land. Federal courts have jurisdiction over such land.

Sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 15 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 Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service and Port Angeles Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine L. Foerster.

Seattle – A 49-year-old resident of Elk Grove, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 45 months in prison for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Certain Aliens for Profit and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rajinder Pal Singh, aka Jaspal Gill, pleaded guilty in February 2023, admitting that he took in more than $500,000 as a key member of a smuggling ring bringing hundreds of Indian Nationals across the border from Canada and then to locations in the mid-west and beyond. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour accepted the joint sentencing recommendation.

“Over a four-year period, Mr. Singh arranged for more than 800 people to be smuggled into the U.S. across the northern border and into Washington State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This conduct was not just a security risk for our country, it also subjected those smuggled to security and safety risks during the often weeks-long smuggling route from India to the United States. Mr. Singh’s participation in this conspiracy preyed upon the Indian Nationals’ hopes for a better life in the United States, while saddling those smuggled with crushing debt of as much as $70,000.”

“Mr. Singh spent years illegally smuggling hundreds of Indian nationals into this country; all to make a quick profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Fortunately, through a committed HSI investigative team, complemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, that scheme has come to an end. Mr. Singh crushed the dreams of so many who quickly found themselves drowning in debt to their smuggler and unable to realize the life they sought in this country. Mr. Singh won’t need to order up any more Uber rides for the next three years.”

According to records filed in the case, as early as July 2018, Singh and his coconspirators used the ride share app Uber to transport people who had illegally crossed the border from Canada to the Seattle area. Those records detail how trips beginning near the border in the early hours of the morning, would be split between different rides. For example, one Uber trip would be from the border to Sea-Tac airport, and then minutes later the second Uber trip would be from a nearby airport hotel to an address in Lacey, Washington, owned by Singh’s spouse. All told, from mid-2018 to May 2022, Singh arranged more than 600 trips involving the transportation of Indian Nationals who had been illegally smuggled into the U.S.

Once the non-citizens had been smuggled into the U.S., Singh coordinated with other coconspirators who, using one-way vehicle rentals, would transport these individuals to their ultimate destinations outside Washington State.

Singh and his coconspirators used sophisticated means to launder the organization’s illicit proceeds. For example, on one instance, Singh and his coconspirators arranged for smuggling fees to be sent via Hawala from India to New York. Once the smuggling fee was received in cash from the New York Hawala, these funds were converted into a check, mailed to a coconspirator in Kentucky, and then were washed through multiple financial accounts. In the plea agreement, Singh admitted that the purpose of this money movement was to obscure the illicit nature of these funds, i.e., money laundering.

The smuggling scheme has been underway since at least 2018. It slowed during the pandemic when Canada was not admitting non-citizens. However as pandemic restrictions were lifted, the smuggling scheme became active again. In all, the investigation estimates that between July 2018, and April 2022, the 17 Uber accounts tied to this smuggling ring ran up more than $80,000 in charges.

In addition to the search of the home in Lacey, law enforcement searched two of Singh’s residences in California. During the search of one of his homes in Elk Grove, California, investigators found about $45,000 in cash as well as counterfeit identity documents. They also found copies of falsified documents that had been submitted to immigration judges in Washington during bond hearings for non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States by Singh and his coconspirators, but who had been arrested by immigration authorities after illegally crossing the border.

Singh has agreed to forfeit cash and other personal property seized during the search of his residences, as well as a money judgement of $500,000 which represents proceeds he obtained from his criminal scheme.

Both sides agreed to recommend that Singh serve 45 months in prison. Singh is not legally present in the United States and will likely be deported following his prison term.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Uber assisted with the investigation shortly before the arrest in this case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Silvio.

Seattle – Three Seattle-area men were arrested today on a criminal complaint charging each defendant with unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Marquise Tolbert, 27, of Tacoma, Washington, Parchey Kelly, 29, of Issaquah, Washington, and Kisean Coleman, 22, of Renton, Washington, were arrested today. The men made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle today.

According to the criminal complaint, Marquise Tolbert is alleged to have possessed firearms on May 28, 2023, and on June 1, 2023. Tolbert is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a September 2022 conviction in King County Superior Court for illegally possessing a firearm. Kelly allegedly possessed a firearm on May 30, 2023. Kelly is a prohibited person due to a conviction for assault – a domestic violence conviction from 2019. Coleman is alleged to have possessed a firearm on June 1, 2023. Coleman is a prohibited person due to theft and robbery convictions in King County Superior Court in 2019.

According to a detailed criminal complaint, investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit, were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and the other defendants were heard on the wiretap discussing a gang related shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity.

In various conversations, Tolbert, Coleman, and Kelly discussed their efforts to obtain, buy or sell firearms. In some instances, the men texted images of the firearms they wanted to buy or sell. On May 30, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant in the 3800 block of Klahanie Drive SE, in Issaquah and seized four firearms from Kelly’s car and residence in an effort to interdict the gun sales. 

On June 1, 2023, the wiretap indicated Tolbert was in the process of buying a Ruger handgun from Coleman. Law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Tolbert’s residence seizing the Ruger firearm. 

Coleman was arrested today, and additional firearms were seized from his residence. Tolbert was arrested on the federal charges today when he reported to his state probation officer. Kelly was arrested today without incident.

Illegal firearms possession is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The charges contained in the criminal 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.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michelle Jensen.

Seattle – The suspect in a series of mail vehicle and mail key thefts was indicted today by a federal grand jury for nine federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Johny Mixayboua, 27, was arrested on a criminal complaint last month and is now charged with three counts of theft of government property, unlawful possession of a postal key, mail theft, possession of stolen mail, illegal transactions with a credit or debit card, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

According to records in the case, on December 28, 2022, a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was stolen from the 6300 block of South Bangor Street in Seattle. In the vehicle was a postal key that is used to access the cluster mailbox units in the 98178 zip code. The key allows the postal worker to open the back of the cluster box to deliver mail to multiple households. Since the theft of the vehicle and postal key, there have been numerous reports of cluster boxes in zip code 98178 being opened and mail stolen.

Working with neighbors, the Postal Inspection Service was able to get door camera footage showing the person accessing the postal boxes. Neighbors reported credit cards being stolen and attempts being made to use them. Inspectors were able to review images from when the credit card attempts occurred and ultimately identified Mixayboua as the person stealing the mail and attempting to use the stolen credit cards.

Additionally, local law enforcement determined that vehicles used in a number of the mail theft incidents were reported stolen.

On January 17, 2023, two more Postal Service vehicles were stolen. One in the 3000 block of Beach Drive SW and a second one in the 3600 block of 57th SW. Both are in zip code 98116. Using doorbell camera footage from the block where one of the vehicles was recovered, investigators allegedly saw Mixayboua removing mail and parcels from the stolen postal vehicle and putting them in another vehicle. Again, law enforcement traced credit cards stolen from the mail and obtained surveillance footage that appears to show Mixayboua attempting to make purchases with the credit cards.

On January 30, 2023, a fourth postal vehicle was stolen – this time from the 2000 block of S. Columbian Way in Seattle. On March 28, 2023, a fifth postal vehicle was stolen from the 5700 block of S. 129th Ave. One of the people associated with the theft matches a description of Mixayboua. In late January and February, the mail theft incidents continued -- this time in the Snoqualmie, Washington area. The cluster boxes were opened with either a counterfeit or authentic postal key. Again, credit cards were stolen, and one was linked to images of Mixayboua making purchases at Target.

Throughout April, mail thefts continued from as far north as Lake Forest Park and as far south as southeast Seattle.

The postal service halted deliveries in zip code 98118 for about a week while investigators worked to track down and arrest Mixayboua.

Mixaboua apparently was living in a vehicle near a relative’s home. When he was arrested, law enforcement found a firearm that he threw into the bushes while attempting to run away and ammunition in the vehicle, resulting in the last two counts in the indictment. Mixayboua is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple felony convictions in King County for auto theft, possession of stolen property, and bail jumping.

Mail theft and possession of stolen mail are punishable by up to five years in prison. Theft of government property and unlawful possession of postal keys are punishable by up to ten years in prison. Illegal transactions on an access device, possession of ammunition, and being a felon in possession of a firearm are punishable by up to 15 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) worked diligently to get Mixayboua into custody.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne Vaught.

mixayboua_indictment.pdf

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today announced he is resigning as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington effective June 21, 2023. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and humbled to have been selected by President Biden to serve in this important role. Building safe and healthy communities is one of the most important challenges we face as a state. Leading the federal partners who work to keep our communities safe and learning from our community partners has reinforced for me the need to tackle these difficult challenges head on,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “I hope to return to public service in the future, but I know that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its excellent work under the career attorneys and professional staff who assisted me during my time in office. I would like to thank each of them for entrusting me to lead this incredible team.”

During his years in office, U.S. Attorney Brown put an emphasis on protecting civil rights, addressing the fentanyl crisis, combatting gun crime, and empowering community voices in our public safety efforts.

Brown was selected in 2021 to chair the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights. The U.S. Attorney’s Office under Brown put a priority on preventing and prosecuting hate crimes, protecting the most vulnerable and members of marginalized communities.

U.S. Attorney Brown partnered with state and local officials to lead multiple prosecutions of the groups that bring drugs to our communities and use firearms as part of their criminal conduct. Under U.S. Attorney Brown, the office brought multiple cases regarding illegal trafficking in firearms and “ghost guns” – firearms that were manufactured without serial numbers.

Understanding that law enforcement is just one of the factors in fostering community safety, U.S. Attorney Brown testified before congress about the community partnerships supported by his office that work to interdict gun violence and enhance reentry to the community by those who have been incarcerated. The office also engaged in new ways with a diverse group of community stakeholders.

Under Brown’s leadership the office pursued several initiatives, creating a new unit to combat cybercrime, pursuing a variety of fraud cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and prosecuting those involved in human trafficking. 

U.S. Attorney Brown took the oath of office on October 8, 2021. His full biography is available here.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman will serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney.