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4 April 2024
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court after law enforcement officers seized 22 firearms and a large quantity of a variety of illegal drugs from his residence and his two campers in Bagnell, Mo.
Jonathan P. Henik, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Wednesday, April 3, to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing THC with the intent to distribute, two counts of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Independence police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop while Henik, whose driver’s license was revoked, was driving a Dodge Charger on Sept. 1, 2021. However, as officers attempted to contact him after he pulled to the side of the road, Henik accelerated at a high rate of speed and fled the area.
On Oct. 5, 2021, officers executed a search warrant at Henik’s residence. Investigators found 11 firearms in Henik’s bedroom, including two Taurus .45-caliber firearms, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic firearm, a Glock .40-caliber firearm, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber firearm, a Colt .45-caliber firearm, a CZ 9mm firearm, a Diamond Back .223-caliber firearm, a Freedom Ordnance 9mm firearm, an ATI OMNI .223-caliber firearm, and a KEL-TEC 9mm firearm.
Officers also found two jars of THC wax and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen. Officers found a black duffel bag that contained a Palmetto 7.62 x 39mm firearm, several rounds of ammunition, 105 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in a closet near the front door.
In the garage, officers found six more firearms, including a Glock .40-caliber firearm, two Glock 9mm firearms, a Sig Sauer 9mm firearm, an SCCY 9mm firearm, a Ruger 9mm firearm, a 9mm extended magazine, a 7.62x39 magazine, and two 9mm magazines. Officers also found 928 grams of methamphetamine, a container of approximately 8.6 kilograms of THC edibles, numerous heat-sealed bags that contained a total of approximately 8.6 kilograms of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately 510.8 grams of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately 166 grams of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately four grams of psilocybin mushrooms, several prescription medications, approximately 40 pills of suspected MDMA (ecstasy), and a bag that contained approximately four grams of THC edibles.
On Aug. 2, 2023, Henik was arrested on a federal warrant related to the original indictment in this case following law enforcement surveillance at his Sandpiper and Catalina campers parked in Bagnell, Mo.
Officers searched the campers and found two firearms on the table in the living room of the Cataline camper, a loaded Browning Arms Company .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a silencer (which was not registered) and a loaded Polymer80 9mm semi-automatic firearm with no markings. In the Sandpiper camper, officers found a large bag of apparent marijuana on the table. In a black bag in the living room, they found multiple bags of apparent marijuana and a plastic bag that contained approximately 145 grams of cocaine. On a dresser in the bedroom, officers found a gun case that contained magazine and live ammunition, seven explosive devices, and approximately four grams of psilocybin mushrooms. In the dresser, officers found approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine.
The total amount of marijuana recovered was approximately 1,723 grams (3.8 pounds).
Officers also searched Henik’s Lincoln SUV and found a loaded Heckler & Koch 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the driver’s side floorboard, a loaded FMK 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a YETI cup that contained three different types of pills, $662 in cash in the center console, and a large bag of apparent marijuana in the back hatch.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Henik has prior federal felony convictions for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and use of a firearm in connection with a drug offense.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Henik and the government jointly request the court to impose a sentence of between 15 and 20 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Mid Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Idabel Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cedric Jamara Cherry, age 42, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after being previously convicted of a felony offense.
The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 8, 2023, Cherry pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 15, 2023, Cherry possessed a loaded .40 S&W pistol after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Cherry will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.
ICYMI: We’re on InstagramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia expanded its social media reach, launching an account on Instagram. You can follow us at USAO_DC.
“Social media continues to dominate our communications channels,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “We are hopeful this expansion will help us reach more people in our community - to educate them about who we are as well as about the important work we do.”
The office Instagram account features photos: related to cases, marking important events, illustrating our work in the community, as well as video messages from the U.S. Attorney and other members of the office. This account is the latest effort to keep the public informed of our work and engaged with us:
- Instagram: @usao_dc (https://www.instagram.com/usao_dc/)
- X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_DC (https://twitter.com/USAO_DC)
- YouTube: @USAO_DC (https://www.youtube.com/@USAO_DC)
- Facebook: USAODC (https://www.facebook.com/usaodc/)
Hugo Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.3 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Hugo man has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after embezzling more than $1.3 million from his employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Leon Arthur Keener, 55, was employed as a service manager at an interstate trucking company (“Company A”) from 2011 to 2022. In his role, Keener had managerial oversight for the financial operations at Company A’s Inver Grove Heights location. Beginning in 2015 through 2022, Keener knowingly devised and participated in a scheme to embezzle $1,314,633 from the Company A.
In his position, Keener was responsible for providing vehicle owners and insurance companies with estimates on repair work costs on damaged vehicles. He also provided insurance companies with supplemental repair estimates discovered during the repair process, after the original estimate had already been provided. If the insurance company denied reimbursement of some portion of the claim, Company A would write off the repair cost as a loss. As manager, Keener had the authority to write off repairs and create purchase orders in Company A’s accounts payable system. Keener used his managerial authority to embezzle funds from the company by misappropriating more than $562,000 in reimbursement checks from insurance companies to cover supplemental vehicle repair costs.
According to court documents, his scheme involved misappropriating insurance reimbursement checks for supplemental repairs by writing off the supplemental repair work as a loss, indicating in the accounts payable system that the insurance company had refused to reimburse the supplemental repair. Keener then deposited the insurance check into a personal bank account under his control. He concealed the embezzlement by directing his employees to provide him directly with any checks received from insurance companies, cutting out the administrative and accounting employees on staff at Company A.
Keener also embezzled $751,000 from the company by generating and submitting false vendor payment requests, which he diverted for his own use and benefit. Many of these bogus requests for vendor payments were for a shell company he created and controlled called “CR Services,” which he added to Company A’s accounts payable system in 2012, before the system required verified vendor identification.
All of the vendor and insurance reimbursement payments were facilitated using the mail. Keener used a bank account opened in the name of CR Services to pay personal expenses and transferred funds from the CR Services account into his personal bank account. He used the embezzled funds on gambling trips to Las Vegas, luxury cars, and a boat.
Keener pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of mail fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
Guilford Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Coercing and Threatening Children to Produce Sexually Explicit MaterialRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER MICHAELSON, 39, of Guilford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 312 months of imprisonment, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for coercing and threatening minors to send him sexually explicit images of themselves.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 9, 2019, the Guilford Police Department assisted Burrillville (R.I.) Police with the arrest of Michaelson at his residence in Guilford on Rhode Island state charges for child molestation, solicitation, and enticement. During the arrest, officers seized Michaelson’s cellphone. A court-authorized search of the seized phone revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, primarily boys between the ages of five and 15, and communications between Michaelson and minor victims whom he coerced, and often verbally abused and threatened, to send sexually explicit images of themselves to him. Michaelson shared some of these images with others.
Michaelson has been detained since his arrest. On March 16, 2023, he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
The Rhode Island state charges against Michaelson are pending.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the Guilford Police Department, and the Burrillville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Ghost Busted defendant who sold fatal fentanyl doses sentenced to two decades in prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking drugs that led to two fatal overdoses.
Jon Dillon Screen, 32, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Screen to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Dillon Screen’s sentence is among the highest of all defendants sentenced in Operation Ghost Busted, and for good reason: He sold drugs that killed people,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This multi-agency investigation and prosecution demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable those who illegally sell fentanyl and other deadly drugs.”
Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January 2023 as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. The conspiracy operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
Screen, a member of the Gangster Disciples with a significant criminal history including a federal conviction for heroin trafficking, was a large-scale distributor and dealer in the operation. The investigation determined that two people – Screen’s 31-year-old girlfriend and a 58-year-old Brunswick man – died after injecting fentanyl obtained directly from Screen.
More than 70 defendants have been sentenced in the conspiracy or are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty. Other defendants are awaiting trial including David D. Young, a/k/a “Khaos,” 43, of Hortense, Ga., who was a fugitive until his March 10 capture in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The remaining defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Among the defendants previously sentenced in this case, James D. NeSmith, 26, of Brunswick, used contraband cell phones and a corrupt prison guard to coordinate the drug distribution operation as an inmate at Telfair State Prison where he was serving a life sentence for murder. He was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty in the drug trafficking conspiracy. His girlfriend Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Bird is the Word,” 26, of Waverly, Ga., was a major drug distributor and transporter who served as the outside link between NeSmith and other drug dealers. She is serving a 324-month sentence after pleading guilty in the conspiracy.
“In September 2021, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office investigated Jon Dillon Screen after his girlfriend was found deceased in Darien,” said Lt. Mike Ward with the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. “In the course of several months following the untimely death of Rebecca Cain, Investigators were able to obtain evidence that resulted in the arrest of Screen. Our agency began working with the FBI and Glynn County Police Department that identified similar acts. We will continue to hold responsible those who distribute narcotics resulting in the death of others.”
“Dillon Screen didn’t care whose lives he put in danger to sell his fatal drug mixtures, including his own girlfriend,” said Senior Supervisory Special Agent Will Clark of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick office. “Operation Ghost Busted put a major dent in drug trafficking in Southeast Georgia. We will continue operations like this as long as gangs and dealers continue selling their deadly drugs.”
“The charges in this indictment further demonstrate the utter brutality of this group and the havoc the gang inflicts on our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to combat gang violence with relentless perseverance until the gang is dismantled and its members are brought to justice.”
“Drug trafficking is not a victimless crime. Dangerous drugs are claiming lives and are damaging to the welfare of citizens and communities across the state,” said Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The GBI takes these crimes very seriously and will continue to participate in operations like Operation Ghost Busted alongside partners to combat drug distribution in the state of Georgia.”
Operation Ghost Busted, the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Georgia state prison inmate indicted for making, mailing bombs to federal facilitiesRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A man serving a life term in a Georgia state prison has been indicted on multiple federal charges for constructing and mailing bombs to federal facilities.
David Cassady, 55, an inmate at Phillips State Prison in Buford, Ga., is charged with Making an Unregistered Destructive Device; two counts of Mailing a Destructive Device; and two counts of Attempted Malicious Use of an Explosive, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Protecting our personnel and facilities is a fundamental role of our office and of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We also will take action against inmates who seek to commit crimes and harm the public from behind bars.”
As described in the indictment returned by the April session of the Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia, Cassady was an inmate in the now-closed Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Ga., in Tattnall County, when he constructed destructive devices and mailed two of them via U.S. Mail to the United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Anchorage, Alaska, and to a federal facility at 1400 New York Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.
The indictment alleges the bombs were sent in an attempt “to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or explosive, a building in whole or in part owned or possessed by, or leased to, the United States,” and “created substantial risk of injury to a person.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI Anchorage Office, Homeland Security Investigations Federal Protective Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, and Prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
Fugitives arrested in deadly human smuggling and kidnapping for ransom schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two individuals are expected to appear in Houston federal court in relation to a smuggling event that turned fatal in March 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Lorie Lin Flowers, 25, and Santiago Hernandez Jr., 26, are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m.
The Houston residents had evaded law enforcement for over nine months until authorities recently apprehended them following their removal from Mexico back to the United States.
The charges allege that on March 17 and 18, 2023, a human smuggling operation resulted in the armed kidnapping of three migrants along I-10 East in Waller County. Three other victims were shot and left at the scene, according to the allegations. The alleged perpetrators held the victims hostage at two Houston area hotels and began requesting ransom money from their families. The charges allege the victims were beaten and threatened while held for ransom.
According to testimony presented in court, the kidnappers released two hostages after their families paid the ransom and law enforcement conducted an operation to rescue the remaining victim.
The scheme led to the death of one of the alleged perpetrators.
Brian Martinez, 24, and Christian Hernandez, 26, both of East Bernard, Miguel Gonzalez, 34, Richmond; and Houston residents Zachary Austin Palomo, 29, Alex Anthony Fisher, 27, and Brenda Roxana Serrano Figueroa, 25, were previously indicted and all but Miguel Gonzalez have remained in custody on various charges.
Santiago Hernandez, Flowers, Palomo, Figueroa and Fisher are charged with aiding and abetting kidnapping. If convicted, they face up to life in prison. For bringing in and harboring certain individuals, Gonzalez, Cristian Hernandez and Martinez could receive up to 10 years in federal prison upon conviction. All charged also carry a potential fine of $250,000.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the sheriff’s offices in Harris and Waller Counties, Houston Police Department and the State Attorney General of the State of Michoacán as helping in the arrest of the fugitives. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Lewis is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former Weymouth Police Officer Charged with Assaulting a Man During an ArrestRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Weymouth Police officer has been charged with assaulting a man in custody by allegedly punching him multiple times without legal justification.
Justin Chappell, 43, was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled a plea hearing for April 11, 2024.
According to the charging document, on July 2, 2022, Chappell was a police officer for the Weymouth Police Department. While arresting an individual, Chappell allegedly punched the arrestee approximately 13 times with a closed fist without legal justification.
“Members of law enforcement take an oath to serve and protect with professionalism and integrity. Today’s court filings allege that Officer Chappell violated this solemn obligation. Our office will continue to hold accountable officers who deprive people of rights under color of law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“It is hard to comprehend why Justin Chappell allegedly felt entitled to repeatedly beat a man in his custody, punching him in his face approximately 13 times,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “In doing so, we believe Officer Chappell violated this man’s civil rights and betrayed his sworn oath, his community, and colleagues. We’d like to thank the Weymouth Police Department for its full cooperation with our investigation.”
The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Weymouth Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Romulus Mayor Sentenced for Theft and Misuse of Campaign FundsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Romulus Mayor LeRoy Burcroff, 59, of Romulus, was sentenced to three years probation with four months home confinement following his theft and misuse of over $15,000 in campaign funds, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Burcroff was elected mayor of the City of Romulus in 2014. As part of his election efforts, Burcroff established a committee to elect (CTE) fund entitled, “Committee to Elect LeRoy D. Burcroff.” According to court documents, over the next two-and-a-half years, Burcroff defrauded donors to his CTE account by using these campaign funds for his personal benefit rather than for his election. For example, in November 2017, Burcroff spent over $3,500 of his campaign donors’ money to pay for a family member’s wedding. Burcroff spent the CTE money on a church fee, a banquet room rental, flowers, and the wedding bar tab. In 2017 and 2018, Burcroff used CTE funds to pay over $11,600 in dues and expenses to a yacht club which he used for his personal benefit. On multiple occasions, Burcroff overpaid his yacht club dues using his campaign account, which resulted in the yacht club issuing a refund, which Burcroff deposited in his personal bank account. In 2018, Burcroff made a $1,000 donation of campaign funds to a trade industry with the hope that he would receive a promotion at his private sector job. In 2019, Burcroff spent over $4,000 of campaign funds on a personal vacation to Florida with friends.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Trust in our state’s campaign finance system is a critical component of a healthy representative democracy. Mr. Burcroff’s conviction and sentence underscores our commitment to ensuring that the citizens of the Eastern District are represented by public officials who have integrity and are seeking office not for their self-interest, but for the good of the people they are elected to represent.”
"The citizens of Michigan demand and deserve utmost trust and integrity in our campaign finance system," said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. "The former Mayor's actions severely undermined the confidence of those who bestowed trust and faith in him and his office. The FBI and law enforcement partners are fully dedicated to fighting public corruption by investigating and exposing corrupt officials whose greed erodes the public's trust in the government. We will not tolerate misconduct and will do everything we can to ensure justice is served."
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
Former Oglala Sioux Tribe President Convicted of Wire Fraud, Larceny, and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Julian Bear Runner, age 38, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of six counts of Wire Fraud, one count of Larceny, and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 4, 2024.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $800 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bear Runner was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022.
Between January of 2019 and January of 2020, at Pine Ridge, Bear Runner, while acting in his capacity as President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, fraudulently submitted travel vouchers for official business travel and received payment for travel that he was not entitled to as he was not actually traveling. The evidence at trial showed that Bear Runner submitted multiple travel authorizations to different locations outside South Dakota, including New Mexico, Montana, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, and Arizona, claiming the need to travel for official business. As a result of those travel authorizations, Bear Runner received thousands of dollars in advance travel payments but did not go on the travel. Instead, Bear Runner cashed the checks at a casino, gambled, and stayed in local hotels.
“When government leaders abuse positions of power for personal financial gain, it’s the public that pays the price,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “In this case, Julian Bear Runner stole more than $80,000 from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, embezzling money that could have otherwise been used to improve life for those living throughout the Pine Ridge Reservation. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI for conducting a fulsome investigation of Bear Runner’s fraudulent activities and helping us secure today’s swift verdict.”
“HHS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding government leaders accountable,” said Linda Hanley, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “This official violated the trust of his duties by exploiting tribal funds for personal pursuits. HHS-OIG is committed to ensuring that all government funds are used for their intended purposes.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Patterson and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date will be scheduled. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Former Guam Police Officer Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Jose Pablo Ananich, age 52, from Yigo, Guam was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment. He was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams Methamphetamine, Attempted Possession of Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1) and Carrying of Firearms During the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $300.00 special assessment fee. Ananich was also ordered to forfeit $146,728.00 in currency, 12 firearms, and 5,918 rounds of ammunition. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
From January 2020 to June 2021, Ananich agreed with Andrew Philip Manibusan (“Manibusan”), and James Bernard Ada Mafnas (“Mafnas”), to distribute methamphetamine in Guam. Ananich communicated with Manibusan, then located in Antioch, California, to mail the drugs to Guam. Mafnas received the packages in Guam and delivered them to Ananich.
Ananich and Mafnas purchased over $51,000 in postal money orders and cashier checks that were made payable to Manibusan to pay for the methamphetamine. Once the drugs arrived in Guam, Ananich distributed the methamphetamine. Ananich and Manibusan planned to use the proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine to start a larger drug distribution enterprise on island.
Law enforcement eventually searched Ananich’s residence and discovered 25 pounds of methamphetamine in his truck. Upon learning that police were conducting the search, Ananich tried to burn an additional 13 pounds in a shipping container on his property.
Ananich was arrested on June 1, 2021. At that time, he possessed $146,728.00 in cash, illegal proceeds from sales of methamphetamine. He also possessed 12 firearms and 5,918 rounds of ammunition. Notably, one of the firearms was affixed to the center console in Ananich’s truck, making it easily accessible.
Co-defendants Mafnas and Manibusan were previously sentenced in September 2022. Mafnas is serving 121 months imprisonment, while Manibusan is serving 168 months imprisonment.
“Ananich flooded our island with methamphetamine,” stated United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson. “His criminal conduct was facilitated by alarming quantities of firearms and ammunition. Law enforcement should be commended for their continuing efforts to promote public safety. This case demonstrates the benefits of working together to combat the drug epidemic in Guam.”
“The sentencing of Ananich highlights the importance of rooting out criminal activity within law enforcement ranks. Such cases not only betray public trust but also undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon. “This case underscores the importance of maintaining transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law within law enforcement organizations.”
“The selfish actions of former officer Jose Pablo Ananich jeopardized the safety of the community, all in an effort to line his own pockets. These actions grossly violate the oath of a peace officer, and this joint investigation illustrates the collaborative work, alongside our local and federal law enforcement partners, to target and hold drug traffickers accountable who drive addiction and threaten public safety,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Victor J. Vazquez, DEA Honolulu Office. “The DEA is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our communities, and to keeping all Americans safe from illicit narcotics and its accompanying violence."
“This sentencing and others like it are a clear message that postal inspectors will not allow the mail to be used to traffic dangerous controlled substances to Guam or anywhere else in our country,” said USPIS San Francisco Division Inspector-in-Charge Rafael Nuñez. “We owe thanks to the Guam Interdictions Anti-Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (GIANT TF), the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and our federal law enforcement partners for their dedication to this important work to keep our communities safe.”
“It pains us when a former law enforcement officer betrays the public’s trust by trafficking narcotics and carrying firearms while doing so,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Hopefully Mr. Ananich’s very significant sentence will show the public that ATF and our other law enforcement partners will not back down from investigating anyone who works to harm our communities this way.”
This joint investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in Honolulu, assistance from the Guam Police Department and Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Former Delaware County Teacher Indicted for Coercing, Transporting, and Sexually Abusing StudentsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Paul Geer, 56, of Hancock, New York, was arraigned today on a federal indictment charging him with three counts of coercing and enticing three separate children to travel across state lines to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and three counts of transporting the children across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with those children.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Craig Tremaroli made the announcement.
The indictment filed against Geer alleges that, while Geer was a teacher at the Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York, Geer imposed various disciplinary sanctions on students which were tantamount to torture. The sanctions Geer imposed on students included depriving children of food or forcing children to eat food that had been regurgitated, binding children in rugs and leaving them in isolated rooms for extended periods of time and forcing children to perform forced physical labor. The indictment further alleges that, in 1994, 2000, and 2001, Geer used his position of authority and his ability to impose these brutal sanctions to coerce three students to travel with him, on separate occasions, to Maine, Pennsylvania, and Toronto, Canada. The indictment also charges that Geer transported the students across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity with them. While on those trips, Geer raped or otherwise sexually abused each of the three children. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The three counts of coercion and enticement each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. The three counts of transporting children across state lines each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. If convicted, Geer will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica N. Carbone and Adrian S. LaRochelle are prosecuting the case as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
If you have any information about Paul Geer, the Family Foundation School, or other schools like it, which may have marketed themselves as part of the “Troubled Teen Industry,” please contact the FBI at [email protected].
Foreign National Sentenced to Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A foreign national was sentenced today to 13 years and one month in prison for his role in an international conspiracy to distribute more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States.
According to court documents, from 2014 through May 2019, Lazaro Viton Rodriguez, 55, a long-time resident of the Dominican Republic, participated in a drug trafficking network based in the Dominican Republic that transported cocaine from South America, through the Caribbean, to the United States. The drug trafficking network used vessels, such as sailing yachts and sport fishing boats, to transport the cocaine, often stopping in various Caribbean ports while transporting the cocaine to give a cover of legitimacy to each voyage. One of these vessels, the Casablanca, was interdicted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Marine Interdiction Unit in November 2018 as it entered U.S. waters near Key Biscayne, Florida. Officers boarded and searched the Casablanca, seizing more than 327 kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez was involved in purchasing, registering, and maintaining vessels used by the drug trafficking network to transport cocaine. He assisted in registering vessels in the names of straw purchasers, constructed secret compartments on the vessels to hide the cocaine, and coordinated with crew members via satellite phone as they sailed to locations in the Caribbean to pick up cocaine.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty in November 2023 to participating in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren B. McCormack of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York; and Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
The case is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
HSI New York and DEA New York investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Melanie L. Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Samantha Thompson and Janet Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance. The Justice Department thanks authorities in the Dominican Republic for their assistance in the investigation.
Florida Men Charged with Drug Trafficking and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Noel Mateo, age 35, of Umatilla, Florida, and David Duclos, age 29, of Orlando, Florida, were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Mateo and Duclos possessed and conspired to possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine on or about December 7, 2023, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that three firearms were possessed in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities.
This case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Five New Federal Agencies Join Justice Department in Pledge to Enforce Civil Rights Laws in Artificial IntelligenceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that five new cabinet-level federal agencies have joined a pledge to uphold America’s commitment to core principles of fairness, equality and justice as new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) become more common in daily life.
“Federal agencies are sending a clear message: we will use our collective authority and power to protect individual rights in the wake of increased reliance on artificial intelligence in various aspects of American life,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As social media platforms, banks, landlords, employers and other businesses choose to rely on artificial intelligence, algorithms and automated systems to conduct business, we stand ready to hold accountable those entities that fail to address the unfair and discriminatory outcomes that may result. We are mounting a whole-of-government approach to enforcing civil rights and related laws when it comes to automated systems, including AI.”
The joint statement, first announced in April 2023, now includes the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Labor. The Consumer Protection Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division also joined the pledge. Additionally, the updated statement highlights recent agency accomplishments, including policy guidance and enforcement actions involving automated systems.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke also announced that the Civil Rights Division has launched a public-facing webpage to centralize content related to the Division’s work on AI and civil rights. This resource will help the public more easily access information about how advanced technologies can result in unlawful discrimination and what the division can do to assist victims of discrimination.
These announcements follow the April 3 convening, which brought together directors of civil rights offices and senior officials across the federal government to foster AI and civil rights coordination. This was the second such convening hosted by the Civil Rights Division following President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, which directs federal agencies to use their authorities to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms that result from the use of AI in programs and benefits, while preserving the potential social, medical and other advances AI may spur.
Meeting participants heard from the Justice Department’s Chief AI Officer, who discussed the department’s efforts under the Office of Management and Budget’s March 28 Memorandum, which includes the requirement that agencies assess and mitigate technology risks, including AI-enabled discrimination, in their operations. During the convening, agency representatives discussed strategies to enhance enforcement, coordination, external engagement and public awareness about AI's potential discriminatory uses and effects. Participants also gave updates on agency obligations under the Executive Order, including guidance, best practices and other resources, some of which may be released as early as the end of April.
Officials from the following agencies participated in the April 3 Civil Rights Division convening: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration.
Farrell Resident Sentenced to Eight Years of Imprisonment for Fentanyl and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison on his conviction for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Maurice Brooks, 37. Judge Ranjan also ordered Brooks to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Brooks previously pleaded guilty in this case to distributing fentanyl on May 2, 2022, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine on June 2, 2022. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Brooks distributed fentanyl and cocaine throughout May 2022 while Brooks was on parole following two convictions for cocaine trafficking from separate state prosecutions. Searches of Brooks’s residences in Farrell (Mercer County) in June 2022 also uncovered a stolen pistol along with additional fentanyl and cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brooks.
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 of Justice 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.
El Departamento de Justicia proporcionará asistencia técnica relacionada con las notificaciones de muerte al pariente más cercano a la Policía de Jackson, Mississippi, y la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de HindsRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que proporcionará asistencia técnica a la Policía de Jackson (JPD, por sus siglas en inglés) en Jackson, Mississippi, y a la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Hinds en el Condado de Hinds, Mississippi, con respecto a sus políticas y procedimientos relacionados con las notificaciones de muerte al pariente más cercano.
El Departamento está proporcionando esta asistencia técnica a la JPD y a la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Hinds de conformidad con el Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI), que prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel u origen nacional en programas que reciben apoyo financiero federal. El resultado de la falta de notificaciones oportunas de muerte al pariente más cercano es que personas fallecidas han sido enterrados como indigentes en fosas no señaladas en el Condado de Hinds, y algunos informes han indicado que puede haber una percepción de que la raza u otros factores han desempeñado un papel en el proceso con respecto a las notificaciones de muerte al pariente más cercano.
«Las familias quieren y merecen transparencia y la oportunidad de tomar decisiones sobre los entierros de sus seres queridos», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «A través de la asistencia técnica, nuestro objetivo es garantizar que los funcionarios puedan entregar notificaciones de muerte y tomar decisiones sobre enterramientos de una manera oportuna y sensible al trauma que cumpla con las leyes federales de derechos civiles».
«El Departamento espera trabajar con los funcionarios municipales y del condado para mejorar el sistema de notificación de muertes en el área de Jackson para que las familias de personas desaparecidas y fallecidas puedan recibir toda la información disponible sobre sus seres queridos», comentó Todd Gee, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Sur de Mississippi.
La asistencia técnica, que será proporcionada por la División de Derechos Civiles y la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Mississippi, examinará la Orden General de la JPD sobre Personas Desaparecidas y la nueva Orden General sobre Notificaciones de Muerte y proporcionará recomendaciones sobre la implementación y capacitación. La asistencia técnica a la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Hinds proporcionará recomendaciones sobre políticas y capacitación relacionadas con la localización de familiares más cercanos.
La prestación de asistencia técnica no es un hallazgo de culpa o conducta indebida por parte de la JPD, la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Hinds o cualquier otra persona o entidad. La JPD y la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Hinds acordaron voluntariamente recibir asistencia técnica y apoyo del Departamento.
En virtud del Título VI, el Departamento está trabajando para asegurarse de que las agencias de aplicación de la ley y otros beneficiarios de fondos federales tomen medidas afirmativas para cumplir con sus obligaciones de derechos civiles al ofrecer asistencia técnica para facilitar el cumplimiento con el Título VI. La asistencia técnica ayuda a las agencias a actualizar o mejorar sus políticas y prácticas, a la vez que fortalece la conexión entre las agencias de aplicación de la ley y las comunidades de color y otras partes interesadas. Por ejemplo, el Departamento ha proporcionado asistencia técnica a través de su Iniciativa de Acceso Lingüístico de las Fuerzas del Orden Público, un esfuerzo a nivel nacional para ayudar a las agencias de aplicación de la ley a cumplir con sus obligaciones de proporcionar asistencia lingüística significativa a personas con un dominio limitado del inglés.
Hay más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una empresa de servicios de gestión con sede en Dallas para resolver acusaciones de discriminación en el empleoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Riata Corporate Group LLC, una empresa con sede en Dallas que presta servicios de gestión a los sectores de energía y bienes de consumo. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del departamento de que la empresa infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) cuando discriminó a un solicitante al negarse a considerarla para el empleo porque es ciudadana estadounidense naturalizada.
«La discriminación a los trabajadores basada en su ciudadanía o estatus migratorio no solo perjudica a los trabajadores, sino también a los empleadores, porque pierden a los solicitantes cualificados», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La ignorancia de la ley no sirve de excusa, y el Departamento de Justicia seguirá responsabilizando a los empleadores que infrinjan las leyes federales de derechos civiles de nuestra nación».
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, inició una investigación basada en la queja de una trabajadora y determinó que, en octubre de 2023, Riata la discriminó ilegalmente, aunque la empresa la había reclutado inicialmente para el empleo. Después de enterarse de que el trabajador es ciudadana naturalizada, la empresa le informó de que no podía contratarla debido a su estatus de ciudadanía. El Departamento determinó que Riata rechazó a la trabajadora porque malinterpretó uno de sus contratos gubernamentales, creyendo que exige que la empresa contrate solamente a ciudadanos nacidos en los EE. UU.
La INA prohíbe que los empleadores discriminen a los trabajadores con base en su estatus migratorio o ciudadanía, a menos que una ley, un reglamento, una orden ejecutiva o un contrato gubernamental requiera tal discriminación. Aunque Riata tenía un contrato con el gobierno que le exigía contratar solo a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. para ciertos trabajos, el contrato no autorizó a Riata a excluir a los ciudadanos naturalizados de los EE. UU.
Según los términos del acuerdo, Riata pagará los salarios perdidos al trabajador afectado. El acuerdo también requiere que Riata pague una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, que capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a ciertos requisitos de supervisión y declaración.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y el reclutamiento en el sitio web de la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected] ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
District Men Charged with Armed Carjacking and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Patterson, 40, of Washington, D.C., was ordered held pending trial following a preliminary hearing today for an armed carjacking and armed robbery that occurred on June 11, 2023. Patterson’s codefendant, Jimmy Johnson, 43, was arrested on March 28, 2024. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the government’s evidence at the preliminary hearing, on June 11, 2023, the victim was trying to pull into the Kenilworth Market and had driven into an adjacent alley when he saw the driveway block. The alley also had a sign blocking the victim’s path, prompting him to get out to move the obstruction. At that point, Patterson started speaking with the victim, and then punched the victim twice and pushed him to the ground. Patterson then entered the victim’s car and rummaged through it before calling over the three other men who robbed the victim of personal property and tried to take his car. The victim fought off his attackers and they ultimately retreated. The victim subsequently identified Patterson and a second man, Jimmy Johnson, as two of the four attackers.
Patterson was arrested on February 28, 2024. Today, Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann ordered Patterson held pending trial and set a status conference for April 9, 2024. Johnson is scheduled to appear for a detention and probable cause hearing on April 9, 2024.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gimenez of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Pleads Guilty to the Shooting Death of a Woman in Her Apartment in April 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Karlos Kinney, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on April 2, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the April 2020 shooting death of 25-year old Resha Blount and also to assault with significant bodily injury for the November 2022 attack on inmate Jordan Jones while detained at the DC Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 21, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, just prior to the homicide, Resha Blount, of Washington, D.C., had invited Kinney to her home for the purpose of purchasing marijuana from him. They had known each other from previous such occasions. During this meeting in her home, a dispute arose over the quality and price of the marijuana. When the argument escalated and Ms. Blount demanded that the defendant take his belongings and leave, Kinney pulled out a gun and shot Ms. Blount. Ms. Blount suffered four gunshot wounds and died on the floor of her apartment.
While detained at the DC Jail and awaiting trial on the homicide case, Kinney attacked inmate Jordan Jones with a sharp object, wounding him in the upper torso area. Mr. Jones had to be transported to Howard University Hospital and treated there due to the severity of his wounds.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the homicide and assault cases from the Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C. Department of Corrections. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman, Sara Hanson, and Jin Park, who investigated and prosecuted the homicide case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sabena Auyeung, who indicted the assault case, and Katrenia Shelly, who prepared the assault case for trial.
Daytona Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $88k of Veterans Affairs FundsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tijuanna J. Thomas (65, Daytona Beach) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, Thomas has agreed to forfeit $88,440, the proceeds of her criminal conduct, and to make full restitution to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, R.S. received both VA and Social Security benefits, which were direct deposited into a checking account he shared with Thomas. R.S. died on May 6, 2016. Thomas did not report R.S.’s death to the VA or the SSA, which continued to deposit benefits for R.S. into the account, thinking he was still alive. Thomas took those benefits, to which she was not entitled, and spent them on her own personal expenses.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Convicted felon and sex offender sent to prison for possessing firearms, ammunition and methRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in addition to possessing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury convicted Roberto Moya Dec. 12, 2023, following a two-day trial.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Moya to serve 75 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that described the extent of Moya’s involvement in drug dealing. Evidence was also presented that depicted Moya fighting with guards at the jail. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Moya’s gang affiliations and his associations with known drug dealers resulted in the position he is in today.
On May 25, 2022, law enforcement conducted a search at Moya’s residence as part of a narcotics investigation. Although he was not the target, the investigation led them to that location.
During the search, authorities discovered a Glock pistol and a fully loaded magazine along with five other bullets of various calibers. Law enforcement found them between the mattress and box spring of the bed inside Moya’s bedroom. Law enforcement also found three pistols throughout the house, a shotgun and five shotgun shells in the garage, to which only Moya had a key.
The investigation further revealed Moya was a convicted felon for robbery and failure to register as a sex offender. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Moya will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Children’s store employee gets 25 years for attempting to sexually assault nine-year-oldRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old man residing in San Juan has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jorge Eduardo Naranjo pleaded guilty July 8, 2023, admitting he utilized a social media application and made arrangements to engage in a sexual encounter with a nine-year-old child.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane ordered Naranjo to serve 300 months in federal prison. The sentence was enhanced after the court determined Naranjo was a repeat and dangerous offender against minors, the offense involved a minor under the age of 12 and it was a commercial sex act. During the hearing, the court also heard argument that Naranjo crafted a life where he had access to children through employment at a children’s store and even expressed a desire to have his own female child so he could sexually assault her. The court also heard additional information that Naranjo was in possession of hundreds of child pornography files and further distributed those files. In handing down the prison term, Judge Crane noted that despite Naranjo’s age, his behavior was alarming and expressed the need to protect children in our community from this danger. Naranjo will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Naranjo exhibited some of the most dangerous behavior for our society,” said Hamdani. “He is a predator – he made specific inquiries about how to prevent children from reporting sexual abuse and if a nine-year-old could become pregnant. Thankfully, our partners put a stop to his threat and, together, we have taken another step in keeping our community safe from these reprehensible crimes.”
Naranjo, who operated several accounts with the username “Bored Dude” on a social media site, began communicating with an individual he believed had a nine-year-old child. Naranjo exchanged multiple messages clarifying his intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with the individual’s child who he referred to as “little.” Additionally, he sent files containing child pornography to the individual, messages inquiring how to keep children from reporting sexual abuse and if it was possible the child would become pregnant.
Naranjo traveled to an Edinburg hotel and intended to engage in the criminal sexual activity. Law enforcement took him into custody immediately upon his arrival at the hotel.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Career Offender Sentenced to 84 Months for PCP TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harold Johnson, 41, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for trafficking more than one kilogram of PCP, a dangerous hallucinogenic drug, within Washington, D.C.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Johnson, aka “Hump,” pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb to seven counts of distribution of phencyclidine (PCP). In sentencing Johnson, Judge Cobb also ordered five years of supervised release on completion of his prison term.
According to court documents, Johnson primarily operated on the 2600 block of 14th Street, NE, in the District’s Park Morton area. Between September 2022 and February 2023, law enforcement conducted seven undercover purchases from Johnson, buying a total of approximately 50 ounces (over 1 kilogram) of PCP and 15 grams of fentanyl from him.
On August 25, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Johnson in his Maryland home. Federal and state law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence where they seized $4,840 in cash, three bottles of an unknown liquid, a SIG Sauer P365 handgun with 9 mm ammunition with one round in the chamber and a Taurus 9mm handgun that was found under a mattress in a bedroom.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Division, the DEA, and MPD's Violent Crime Suppression Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Shehzad Akhtar.
COVID-19 Testing Fraudster Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Irving man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for his role in a $7 million COVID-19 testing fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Terrance Barnard, 40, was indicted in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2023 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who ordered him to pay more than $7 million in restitution.
“These defendants took advantage of unsuspecting patients – and a global pandemic – to steal millions of dollars from insurers using private patient information,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This sort of crime breaches patients’ trust and raises the cost of healthcare for all – at a time when access to medical care feels precarious to many.”
“Terrance Barnard and his co-conspirators submitted false claims to multiple healthcare plans, including Employee Retirement Income Security Act covered plans, for COVID-19 testing services using the stolen personal identifiable information of numerous individuals. Today’s sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration to protect the integrity of employee benefit plans,” said Casey Howard, Special Agent-in-Charge, Central Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to plea papers, Mr. Barnard admitted that he and his coconspirators accessed private patient information – including names, dates of birth, and insurance subscriber numbers – through various clinics where Barnard worked as a contract lab technician. Mr. Barnard admitted that on some occasions, he took photographs of patient information and stored the images on “burner” phones, and on other occasions, he and a coconspirator accessed the clinics’ confidential electronic medical records to obtain large amounts of patient information at once.
They then used the patient information to submit claims to insurance providers – including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care – for COVID-19 testing that was never performed. (The patients had not requested COVID-19 testing, nor were they aware their information was being used to submit claims.)
Mr. Barnard admitted that the “labs” at which the coconspirators claimed the testing occurred, including TC Diagnostics, ME Diagnostics, and PHR Diagnostics, were, in fact, shell entities that never operated as labs. Collectively, these three entities submitted approximately $30 million in claims and were paid more than $7 million in reimbursements for fake testing.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Mr. Barnard agreed to forfeit almost $2.5 million from bank accounts tied to him or his family, several real properties, five vehicles, and five luxury watches.
Also charged in the scheme were Connie Jo Clampitt, William Paul Gray, and Don Hogg, all of whom submitted guilty pleas. Mr. Gray was sentenced to 54 months in prison for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud; Ms. Clampitt and Mr. Hogg await sentencing on April 10 and May 1, respectively.
The Dallas Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Central Region of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit's Fort Worth Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting the case.
Bronx Man Charged with Foreign Murder of A U.S. NationalRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Nicole M. Argentieri, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that GANET ROZARIO was charged with the murder of a U.S. national on foreign soil, specifically, in Bangladesh. ROZARIO was arrested this morning and will be presented later today in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ganet Rozario, a citizen of the United States, allegedly murdered another U.S. national in Bangladesh. Today’s charges demonstrate that the reach of this Office and that of our law enforcement partners is vast and that our commitment to protect the men and women of New York City extends far beyond its geographical boundaries. The message is clear: this Office and its partners will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone who takes another life, even overseas.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant, a U.S. national, murdered another U.S. national while they were both in Bangladesh. When an American murders another American abroad, they will face serious consequences. The Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting violent crimes committed against U.S. nationals wherever they occur and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
FBI Los Angeles Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mehtab Syed said: “The FBI devotes significant resources to investigating crimes that occur overseas which affect U.S. interests and impact American citizens. Individuals who commit crimes against U.S. citizens abroad will be held accountable through the FBI's extraterritorial investigations, which exist to deliver justice for victims of crimes beyond U.S. borders.”
FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Ganet Rozario allegedly committed the cold and calculated murder of Michael Rozario, a United States national, overseas in Bangladesh. It’s not up to the discretion of a single individual to take the life of another as this greatly disrupts the scales of justice. Today’s arrest emphasizes the FBI’s promise to aggressively pursue such egregious criminal acts against our citizens, even if they occur in foreign countries.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
On June 11, 2021, GANET ROZARIO shot and killed Michael Rozario in Bangladesh.
* * *
ROZARIO, 52, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with the foreign murder of a U.S. national, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which was discharged, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit, in conjunction with the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik and Senior Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Beaumont man sentenced for federal firearms violation arising from domestic disturbanceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Jorge Luis Castelan, Jr., 32, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on April 4, 2024.
According to information presented in court, during the early morning hours of May 15, 2022, Beaumont police responded to a domestic disturbance on Dogwood Lane in Beaumont. The 9-1-1 dispatcher advised the officers to look for a man who was armed and driving a silver pickup truck. Moments later when the officers arrived they found Castelan next to a silver pickup in possession of an assault-style rifle equipped with a fully-loaded, large-capacity magazine. After Castelan was taken into custody it was determined that he was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in Jefferson County. A federal grand jury indicted Castelan on Oct. 5, 2022. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
“This case is emblematic of our commitment to utilize our violent crime prosecutors and our partner agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate and prosecute criminals who illegally possess guns in connection with domestic abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “The long-lasting effects of domestic violence, dating violence and intimate partner violence are obviously amplified when firearms are involved. In this case, the quick response of the Beaumont Police Department defused a potentially deadly situation.”
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.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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Austin Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Smuggling Attempt That Resulted in Migrant DeathsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 192 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and 120 months for one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two sentences will run concurrently.
According to court documents, on April 24, 2022, Joseph Alex Hernandez, 27, sped away from and attempted to evade Medina County Sheriff’s deputies for approximately seven minutes after they attempted a traffic stop. Hernandez reached speeds between 90 and 100 mph along the highway and access road, crossing the steep grassy median several times, and running a red traffic light. A rear tire on his vehicle eventually gave out, and Hernandez lost control, resulting in the vehicle crashing after flipping multiple times in the grassy median.
Hernandez had been transporting 13 undocumented noncitizens during the chase, including eight who were laying down in the covered truck bed. Three of the passengers were airlifted from the scene and the rest were transported via ambulance to local hospitals. While providing medical treatment, Emergency Medical Services personnel discovered that Hernandez was carrying a loaded pistol. Several days later, two of the smuggled migrants died in the hospital from their injuries.
Hernandez was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and being felon in possession. He pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023 to the conspiracy and firearm charges.
“This case is another unfortunate and tragic example of how dangerous smuggling humans across the border has become,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The defendant in this case put thirteen lives at risk in an attempt to evade law enforcement. Sadly, his actions led to two of those individuals paying the ultimate price.”
“This sentencing highlights HSI’s commitment to use every tool in our arsenal to investigate and dismantle transnational criminal organizations involved with human smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio. “This case shows the lack of regard these organizations have for the people they have been paid to smuggle. There will be no safe haven in our communities for criminals who seek to evade our nation's laws and whose greed results in tragedy.”
HSI and the Medina County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case.
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Arizona Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Linh Cao Nguyen, M.D., of Peoria, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2024, to Health Care Fraud. Nguyen’s sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2024, before United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker.
Nguyen admitted that for years, he engaged in a scheme to defraud various health care benefit programs, including Medicare, TRICARE, AHCCCS, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealthcare. As part of his scheme, Nguyen knowingly caused to be submitted thousands of false billing claims. Nguyen also falsely created patient records to conceal and avoid detection of his fraudulent billing scheme. Generally, the fraudulent claims identified a medical doctor as the treating provider when, in fact, another provider such as a nurse practitioner, social worker, unlicensed psychology intern, or wound care nurse provided the service independently. By billing the medical service as if it were provided by a physician, Nguyen falsely inflated the amount his company was to be paid for the service.
Nguyen admitted the loss he caused was at least $3.7 million dollars. Nguyen agreed to pay restitution to the private insurance companies totaling over $1 million.
A conviction for Health Care Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02716-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-044_Nguyen# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.April Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jason Wayne Case. Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Case, 43, of Miami, is charged with receiving and distributing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He is further charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The FBI and Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen J. Flynn and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-102
Kyle Jackson Fugate. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Fugate, 26, of Owasso and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with knowingly attempting to persuade a minor child to engage in sexual activity in Mar. 2024. The Homeland Security Investigations and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-101
O'Savion Goudeau. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Goudeau, 25, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of felonies in Wagoner and Tulsa County District Courts. The Homeland Security Investigations, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-100
Edwin Francisco Hernandez Guerrero. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 3 & 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 5). Guerrero, 25, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to distribute heroin and methamphetamine from Nov. 2023 through Mar. 2024. He allegedly possessed heroin with intent to distribute and intentionally distributed methamphetamine. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-106
John Carpenter Lucas. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Lucas, 55, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of felonies in North Carolina and Georgia. He is further charged with allegedly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. Flynn and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-108
Brandon Earl Presley. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 6); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 2 & 3); Production of Child Pornography (Count 4); Possession of Child Pornography (Count 5). Presley, 29, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with two different minors under 16 years old. He allegedly had abusive sexual contact with one of those minor victims and a third minor victim under 16 years old. Presley also used a third minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. He is further charged with possessing a visual image depicting the sexual abuse of the child. The Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department, and Bixby Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-107
Jerico Lee Reddell. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 1); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Counts 2, 5 & 8); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 3, 6 & 9); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 4 & 7). Reddell, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of felonies in Washington and Oklahoma County District Courts. He allegedly kidnapped two different victims, intentionally assaulted them with a dangerous weapon, and used a firearm in a crime of violence. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele W. Hulgaard and Stacey Todd are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-105
Kory Bryan Tuell; Lexus Nicole Fenix. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Accessory After the Fact. Tuell, 30, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribe, is charged with deliberately killing Mitchell Jefferson in Mar. 2024. Fenix, 19, of Tulsa and a member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, is charged with knowing Tuell committed murder and helping him avoid being arrested. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Brasher and Stephen Flynn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-099
23-Year-Old Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Nearly Killed a Park City ResidentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A U.S. District Court Judge sentenced Colin Andrew Shapard, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada to 240 months’ imprisonment today, followed by 36 months supervised release. In December 2023, Shapard pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in serious bodily injury. Fentanyl Shapard shipped via U.S. Mail, nearly killed a Park City, Utah resident after the man overdosed in 2022. See prior release here.
DEAAccording to court documents, an investigation into Mr. Shapard began in November 2021 after a Park City resident reported to investigators that he obtained the drugs he possessed from Shapard. The resident also told investigators that in 2016, Shapard was the person who supplied a dangerous synthetic opioid to two 13-year-old middle-school students in Park City, who died as a result of ingesting the substance. Mr. Shapard was charged in juvenile court for the deaths of the two teens. Those offenses were processed through the juvenile court system as Shapard was a juvenile at the time.
In December 2021, subsequent to a search warrant, investigators identified and seized two shipments of counterfeit blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl that were mailed from Las Vegas to Utah. Simultaneously, DEA agents also learned that from December 2021 to May 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized four illicit drug shipments addressed to Shapard from the Netherlands. Additionally, in October 2020 customs enforcement agents in Germany seized two U.S. bound packages addressed to Shapard that contained illegal amphetamine-based drugs. Also in 2020, agents learned that Shapard received a FedEx package to a Midvale, Utah address that contained chemicals utilized in the manufacture of the drug GHB and or fentanyl. In 2022, undercover DEA agents purchased drugs from Shapard. Mr. Shapard told the undercover agent that the “blues” he sold were legitimate pharmaceuticals that he acquired from Canada. Shapard also claimed he tested every shipment of pills he received to confirm they did not contain fentanyl, when in fact they did.
In February 2022, the Park City resident was found on the floor unresponsive by his father. The father called 911 and began CPR. When emergency medical personnel arrived, they administered Naloxone, also referred to as Narcan, to the victim. Narcan is a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, and is effective only on opioids. The victim was hospitalized and survived. The following day, DEA agents discovered that the victim overdosed on blue M30 fentanyl pills, which were purchased from Shapard. On March 8, 2022, Shapard was arrested.
“Community safety is a top priority for my office,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Mr. Shapard not only knowingly sold dangerous synthetic opioids, but he did so while deceiving his customers about the nature of the product. Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Had it not been for the quick response from the victim’s family and the fast acting first responders who administered Narcan this would have been a more tragic outcome. My office will vigorously prosecute those who distribute this poison in the state of Utah, particularly those who repeat the same behavior.”
“There is no outcome that can fully heal the destruction caused by Mr. Shapard’s actions. Nevertheless, today’s sentencing is an important step toward justice for the victim and the many family members and friends affected by Mr. Shapard’s distribution of deadly fentanyl. The tireless work on this case by some of DEA’s finest investigators is proof that the DEA is unwavering in its commitment to pursuing those criminals who seek to distribute poison in our communities," said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, of the Salt Lake City District Office.
DEA
“Mr. Shapard continued to profit off numerous individuals with his fentanyl-laced pills even after being charged for the deaths of two teenagers in 2016. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to bringing all individuals to justice who use the U.S. Mail for their illegal activities. This significant sentence sends a message to drug traffickers who have no regard for human life, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their excellent teamwork,” said Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the USPIS Phoenix Division.
The case was part of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
12 Members of Smog Inspection Cheating Ring IndictedRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Twelve people have been charged by federal indictment for a conspiracy to cheat California smog inspections using a sophisticated device known as the “OBDNator,” in violation of the Clean Air Act. The indictment was unsealed today following the arrests of the defendants who are alleged to have manufactured, distributed, and used OBDNators to cheat smog checks across the state.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Bahney of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, Region 9, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement today.
According to court documents, between October 2015 and March 2024, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to cause polluting vehicles to pass California’s smog checks. Smog checks are typically performed by plugging smog inspection equipment, known as a Data Acquisition Device (DAD), into a vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostics port (OBD). To cheat smog tests, the conspirators plugged the smog inspection equipment into the OBDNator device instead. The OBDNator would then make it look like a vehicle had passed the smog check regardless of the true condition of that vehicle’s emission control system. While the defendants’ roles in the conspiracy varied, all of them used the OBDNator devices.
The following defendants are charged with conspiracy and making false statements pursuant to the Clean Air Act:
- Hossam “Sam” Hemdan, 54, of Hawthorne, owned and controlled several smog stations in Hawthorne and elsewhere. He designed, manufactured, and sold the OBDNator devices.
- Javier Salguero, 47, of Inglewood, owned and controlled several smog shops, including one in Bell and two in Maywood.
- Oscar Gomez, 36, of Rancho Cucamonga, ran a school for automotive technicians in Rancho Cucamonga.
- Guillermo Tovar, 35, of Fontana, worked at multiple smog stations.
- Arwa Harb, 53, of Redondo Beach, owned and controlled smog stations, including one in Wilmington and one in South Gate.
- Minh Truong, 45, of San Jose, operated out of smog stations owned by Thong Truong.
- Thong Truong, 40, of San Jose, owned and controlled smog stations, including two in Long Beach.
- Michael Nguyen, 38, of National City, operated out of a smog station in Spring Valley.
The following defendants are charged with conspiracy:
- Yehia Harb, 36, of Hawthorne, owned and controlled a smog shop that was formerly in Venice and presently is in Hawthorne.
- Khaled Hamdan, 31, of Hawthorne, worked at businesses owned by Hemdan.
- Jeremy Earls, 37, of Lakewood, owned and controlled smog stations, including two in Long Beach.
- Nas Meshal, 30, of La Palma.
“For many years, California’s Smog Check Program has successfully reduced the amount of pollution in the air we breathe by identifying polluting vehicles and requiring them to be repaired or retired,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The developer and users of the OBDNator smog check cheating devices who are charged in the indictment unsealed today polluted the air we breathe for their own profit and harmed the health of Californians. Anyone who may be tempted to utilize a device to cheat on smog checks should consider that they too could face federal criminal charges and possible prison time. My office will continue to prioritize cases like this that protect our residents’ health and the environment.”
“Vehicle emissions testing is fundamental to protect air quality,” said EPA Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge Bahney. “The individuals ran a scheme to undermine the Clean Air Act ultimately at the expense of public health and the environment.”
“The FBI is deeply committed to investigating environmental crimes and the individuals and networks who seek to circumvent regulations for their own gain,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge, Mark Remily. “This case is a perfect example of law enforcement coordination to ensure the interests and safety of the American people are protected.”
According to court documents, Hemdan developed the OBDNator device and its accompanying software program. Hemdan sold and distributed OBDNator devices for as much as $18,000. After plugging the smog inspection equipment into the OBDNator, the conspirators would use the OBDNator to convey false smog check information to the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR). The OBDNator provided the Vehicle Identification Number and passing “answers” to the smog inspection equipment’s queries in the exact format that a passing vehicle of the same make, model, and year would provide. In order to provide those false answers, the defendants and others maintained collections of “clean” vehicle profiles that they would use to make it look like other, different vehicles had passed. The latest version of the OBDNator could pass a vehicle without the vehicle even being present at the smog station. During the conspiracy, some of the defendants organized classes to teach how to use the OBDNator and communicated through chat groups about how to avoid detection by authorities.
The defendants’ fraud was widespread. OBDNators are believed to be the most common and successful type of simulator devices used to cheat smog test in California. The devices, when used skillfully with the latest software updates, have at times advanced beyond BAR’s ability to detect cheating with its current equipment. However, when a user of the OBDNator performs a fraudulent smog imperfectly, BAR can often detect “tells” in the data conveyed to BAR in the course of the smog inspection. In the approximately six-month period preceding this indictment, BAR detected the use of a smog cheating device in more than 0.5% of total smog inspections. This is likely an undercount because many successful attempts are not detected.
The OBDNator devices have harmed California’s air quality and endangered the health of California residents. California’s Smog Check Program has made great progress at ensuring the vast majority of vehicles are compliant with emissions standards and improving California’s air quality. The defendants’ smog-cheating scheme undermines those efforts. A comparison between the failure rates of vehicles inspected in 2023 by BAR at random roadside checkpoints (13.5%) and by smog stations (7%) indicates how undetectable smog cheating leads to polluting vehicles being driven on California’s roads. The dirtiest vehicles – which could not pass smog inspections legitimately and which could not be registered without cheating – have an outsize impact on the air. For example, according to research presented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the highest 1% of emitting light duty vehicles are responsible for approximately 42% of the total hydrocarbon emissions from all light-duty vehicles. BAR and CARB estimate that if all smog check stations in California operated as effectively as high-performing stations, that would have the impact of reducing approximately 56 additional tons per day of exhaust emissions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, the California Bureau of Automotive Repairs, and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine T. Lydon and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the conspiracy count, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the count of false statements in Clean Air Act documents, the defendants face a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
hemdan_et_al_obdnator_indictment.pdf
3 April 2024
“Head of Legal and Compliance” for Multibillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency Pyramid Scheme “OneCoin” Sentenced to Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that IRINA DILKINSKA was sentenced to four years in prison by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos for her role in the massive OneCoin fraud scheme. OneCoin, which began operations in 2014 and was based in Sofia, Bulgaria, marketed and sold a fraudulent cryptocurrency by the same name through a global multi-level marketing (“MLM”) network. As a result of misrepresentations made about OneCoin, victims invested over $4 billion in the fraudulent cryptocurrency. DILKINSKA previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Irina Dilkinska's involvement in the sprawling OneCoin pyramid scheme was a flagrant breach of conduct. Rather than upholding the law and embracing her position as the Head of Legal and Compliance, she facilitated and committed money laundering, aiding in the exploitation of millions of victims. As Dilkinska learned today, this Office will hold accountable every perpetrator of the OneCoin scheme, no matter where they may hide.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information and other filings and statements made in court:
In 2014, RUJA IGNATOVA, a/k/a “the Cryptoqueen,” and KARL SEBASTIAN GREENWOOD co-founded OneCoin,[1] a company based in Sofia, Bulgaria, that marketed a purported cryptocurrency by the same name, which was in fact a fraudulent pyramid scheme. OneCoin operated as a MLM network through which members received commissions for recruiting others to purchase cryptocurrency packages. This MLM structure influenced rapid growth of the OneCoin member network. According to OneCoin’s promotional materials, over three million people invested in fraudulent cryptocurrency packages. OneCoin records show that between the fourth quarter of 2014 and the fourth quarter of 2016 alone, OneCoin generated €4.037 billion in sales revenue and earned “profits” of €2.735 billion.
DILKINSKA was the purported Head of Legal and Compliance for OneCoin. But rather than ensuring that OneCoin complied with the law, DILKINKSA assisted in running its day-to-day operations and laundered money for OneCoin, including arranging for the transfer of $110 million in fraudulently obtained OneCoin proceeds to a Cayman Islands entity.
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In addition to the prison term, DILKINSKA, 42, a citizen of Bulgaria, was sentenced to one month of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $111,440,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Folly, Juliana Murray, and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] OneCoin has operated using several corporate entities and d/b/a names, including “OneCoin Ltd.,” “OnePayments Ltd.,” “OneNetwork Services Ltd.,” “OneAcademy,” and “OneLife.” These entities and d/b/a names are referred to collectively here as “OneCoin.”
York County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —DeQavion Keyon DaJohn DeShae Cook, 31, of Rock Hill, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that agents learned that between 2015 and 2023, Cook was responsible for selling drugs that were obtained from Darryl Hemphill. Agents learned the drugs obtained from Hemphill included crystal methamphetamine and pills that resembled 30 mg Oxycodone tablets, also known in the generic form as Roxicodone. The pills were produced by Hemphill and/or others with fentanyl at various locations in the Rock Hill and Charlotte region. As Hemphill was the leader of this organization, he was supplying the drugs to Cook who was incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections at that time.
The agents used multiple investigative techniques to determine the quantity of drugs provided to Cook while he was incarcerated in SCDC. Cook used his brother to obtain the pills and methamphetamine from Hemphill in Rock Hill and take the drugs to a correctional officer who would conceal the drugs and take them to Cook inside of the prison.
Cook faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $5,000,000 and four years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Cook after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Cook’s sentence on this offense will begin after he completes his current federal sentence for another federal violation.
This prosecution 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Webster Groves Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Wednesday sentenced a man who was caught with a methamphetamine in a carjacked vehicle to 10 years in prison.
Taylor Aellen Foster, 26, of Webster Groves, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Foster was found unconscious by St. Louis County police on August 7, 2022, in a parking lot at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. When he got out of the vehicle, officers spotted a handgun on the driver’s seat behind Foster and a catalytic converter in the trunk area that had been cut off a vehicle and stolen. As a convicted felon, Foster is barred from possessing firearms.
On March 12, 2023, officers at a convenience store on Page Avenue in Overland spotted Foster getting into a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse that had been carjacked the day before. The officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but Foster sped off, traveling from Page Avenue onto Interstate 170. After reaching speeds as high as 120 m.p.h., Foster crashed into a Volkswagen, causing that vehicle to hit a Pontiac. Foster ran away but passed out while police were pursuing him. Officers found nine counterfeit $100 bills, marijuana and the Eclipse owner’s work identification in Foster’s bag. They found almost 80 grams of meth in the Eclipse.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker prosecuted the case.
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 Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KELVIN WARREN (“WARREN”), age 30, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on March 28, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe, to 130 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and the payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A).
According to court documents, on January 27, 2022, WARREN occupied a vehicle that was pulled over by the police during a traffic stop. During a vehicle search, police located a bag on the front passenger floorboard at WARREN’s feet, that contained approximately 1.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.8 ounces of fentanyl, a scale, and other drug paraphernalia.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
Two Violent Carjackings in Chicago Lead to 18-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison for violently carjacking two vehicles in Chicago.
KASHIF DUKES, 29, of Chicago, took the vehicles at gunpoint in 2017 and 2018. In the first carjacking, Dukes took a Mercedes-Benz sedan in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on Sept. 10, 2017. Dukes pressed a gun to the driver’s chest and said words to the effect of, “get the [expletive] out the car or I’m going to shoot the [expletive] out of you.” Dukes then took the driver’s cellphones, cash, and wallet and sped off in the Mercedes. The second carjacking occurred on July 21, 2018, in the Little Italy neighborhood on Chicago’s Near West Side when Dukes and accomplices took a Chevy Equinox from a woman and her two children and granddaughter. The family was dropping off food at a friend’s house for a barbecue that evening. The carjackers brandished firearms and shouted at the women to “get the [expletive] out of the car” and to “get the baby and get the [expletive] out.”
Dukes pleaded guilty to the first carjacking and was convicted by a jury in 2021 of the second carjacking. The jury also convicted Dukes of federal firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso on Tuesday imposed a sentence of 18 years and three months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“Defendant traumatized the victims and placed them in fear of their lives,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The community as a whole – victims, witnesses, society, and perpetrators – needs to know that the federal system takes the crime of carjacking seriously and will justly punish those who choose to spend their time terrorizing others.”
Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Participating in Insider Trading Scheme Based on SPAC Merger with Trump Media & Technology GroupRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN and GERALD SHVARTSMAN each pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, both in connection with their participation in an insider trading scheme surrounding the merger of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (“DWAC”) with Trump Media & Technology Group (“Trump Media”). MICHAEL and GERALD SHVARTSMAN were arrested in June 2023 and pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Michael and Gerald Shvartsman admitted in court that they received confidential, inside information about an upcoming merger between DWAC and Trump Media and used that information to make profitable, but illegal, open-market trades. Insider trading is cheating, plain and simple, and today’s convictions should remind anyone who may be tempted to corrupt the integrity of the stock market that it will earn them a ticket to prison.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings:
In October 2021, MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN and GERALD SHVARTSMAN together made more than $22 million dollars in illegal profits by trading in securities of DWAC based on material, non-public information (“MNPI”) about DWAC’s planned, but not yet public, business combination with Trump Media, a media company founded by former President Donald J. Trump.
As sophisticated investors, MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN and GERALD SHVARTSMAN were invited to invest in DWAC and another special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”), and after signing non-disclosure agreements, they were provided confidential information about the SPACs, including that a potential target of the SPACs was Trump Media. As a condition of receiving this information, the defendants were prohibited by the non-disclosure agreements from disclosing the confidential information they learned or using it to buy and sell securities on the open market. After making initial investments into DWAC through the initial public offering process, through placing their associate on DWAC’s board of directors, the defendants continued to learn valuable MNPI about DWAC’s plans to merge with Trump Media, such the status of the merger negotiations and the timing of a public merger announcement.
In violation of the non-disclosure agreements that they had signed, and in contravention of their associate’s duties and responsibilities as a board member, the defendants bought millions of dollars of DWAC securities on the open market before the news of the Trump Media business combination was public. The defendants also tipped others about the upcoming merger, inducing further trades in DWAC securities on the basis of the MNPI they had obtained subject to their non-disclosure agreement and through their associate’s board seat.
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MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN, 53, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, and GERALD SHVARTSMAN, 46, of Aventura, Florida, each pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN and GERALD SHVARTSMAN are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman on July 17, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth A. Hanft, Daniel G. Nessim, and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.
Tuscaloosa County Man Sentenced to over 15 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Tuscaloosa County man on charges of transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Nathaniel David Struening, 43, of Buhl, Alabama, to 188 months in prison followed by supervised release for life. Struening was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the child victims. Struening pled guilty in November 2023 to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. According to court documents, Struening transported child pornography in a group on the social media application, Kik. Federal search warrants were obtained for Struening’s Kik account and his residence where several electronic devices were seized. Additional child pornography was found in his possession.
The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, along with the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Division of the FBI, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Homewood Police Department, and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Three defendants sentenced in fraudulent nursing diploma schemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 2, three defendants were sentenced to federal prison after having previously been found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges following a three-week jury trial in Fort Lauderdale in relation to a fraudulent nursing diploma scheme.
U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal sentenced Gail Russ, registrar of the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Lake Worth, Florida, to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $861,672.
Judge Singhal sentenced Cassandre Jean, owner and operator of Success Nursing Review in Brooklyn, New York, to 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $20,000 fine and ordered forfeiture of $4,698,828.
The court ordered Russ and Jean to be remanded to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin serving their sentences.
Judge Singhal sentenced Vilaire Duroseau, owner and operator of the Center for Advance Training and Studies in West Orange, New Jersey, to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $1,381,913.40.
The court ordered Duroseau to surrender in Newark, New Jersey on April 5.
These defendants were charged along with 11 co-defendants for their involvement in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from two private nursing schools that at one time were approved by the State of Florida to issue diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs).
The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas by Palm Beach School of Nursing and Quisqueya School of Nursing LLC in Palm Beach County, Florida. These schools are now closed due to the excessive failure rates of its students taking the state nursing board exam.
Those nursing applicants who passed the national nursing board exam used the fraudulent diplomas to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the United States.
An additional 11 defendants entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. In total, 27 defendants were charged and convicted in 2023 for their participation in this nursing diploma fraud scheme, known as Operation Nightingale, that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region announced the sentences.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office provided valuable assistance. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Juenger prosecuted these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff handled asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60007.
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Three Defendants Arrested During 2023 Joint Enforcement Operation in Carlsbad Plead Guilty to Federal Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Three of the eight defendants indicted following a joint enforcement operation last year in Carlsbad, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug offenses.
Carlos Venegas, Jr., 24, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2024, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, and 500 grams and more of cocaine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
Amber Owen, 51, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2024, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
Kinny Gonzalez, 29, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty on April 2, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and 400 grams and more of fentanyl and more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, conspiracy to smuggle goods from the united states, smuggling goods from the united states, attempt to smuggle a firearm and ammunition out of the united states to promote a drug trafficking offense, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, distribution of 400 grams and more of fentanyl and distribution of 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
All 3 defendants will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Venegas, Owen, and Gonzalez on July 19, 2023, along with their co-defendants and Jesus Alonso Cerezo-Espidio, Kassandra Lee Perales, Jared Michael Moore, Brian Kain Purdy and Sabino Alfonso Maldonado. According to court records, on March 5, 2023, Gonzalez provided cocaine to Moore. Then, on March 8, 2023, Gonzalez agreed to send multiple firearms and a black jeep to an individual in Mexico. Gonzalez arranged for Purdy and Maldonado to pick up the black Jeep in Carlsbad so that it could be loaded with firearms to be illegally exported to Mexico. Purdy and Maldonado then turned over the Jeep to a person who had traveled to Carlsbad from Mexico for the purpose of picking up the firearms and transporting them back to Mexico. As the individual from Mexico began to drive back to Mexico with the firearms, he was stopped by law enforcement officer, and the firearms were seized.
On April 2, 2023, an individual crossed the border from Mexico into the United States with an ice chest containing 1,974 net grams of cocaine and 501.4 net grams of pure methamphetamine. The following day, April 3, Venegas and Kassandra Perales traveled from Carlsbad to El Paso to pick up the ice chest and deliver it Kinny Gonzalez in Carlsbad. Unbeknownst to them, law enforcement officials had already seized the methamphetamine and cocaine from the vehicle overnight. After learning that the drugs were no longer in the car vehicle, Venegas and Perales had several conversations with Kinny Gonzalez in Carlsbad to whom they were supposed to deliver the ice chest regarding what could have happened to the drugs.
The following week, on April 10, 2023, Owen provided Venegas and Perales with 893.3 net grams of pure methamphetamine and 657 net grams of fentanyl pills which they planned to take to North Dakota to sell before returning to Carlsbad to pay Owen. On April 11, 2023, Venegas and Perales left Carlsbad and were driving toward North Dakota with the 893.3 net grams of pure methamphetamine, 657 net grams of fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm when we were stopped in Chaves County by law enforcement officers who seized the drugs and firearm.
At sentencing, Venegas, Owen, and Gonzalez each face between 10 years and life in prison followed by a term of supervised release.
To date, four of the other eight defendants have pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses. Kassandra Lee Perales, Jared Michael Moore, Brian Kain Purdy and Sabino Alfonso Maldonado all remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Jesus Alonso Cerezo-Espidio is currently scheduled to stand trial on May 6, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, with enforcement assistance from the United States Marshal Service, Carlsbad Police Department, Eddy County Sheriff’ Department, Roswell Police Department, Chaves County Drug Task Force, DEA Airwing and Customs and Border Patrol. The New Mexico Air National Guard’s Air Unit, Artesia Police Department and Customs and Border Patrol’s Air Unit provided support during the operation on August 1, 2023.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee L. Camacho and Devon Aragon-Martinez are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The task force initiatives are also part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), a federal grant program that supports law enforcement efforts to combat the drug threat in the state.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Hate Crimes Following Mass Shooting Targeting Muslims at Car Repair ShopRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced today to 37 years in prison, with credit for time served in state custody, following his guilty plea to hate crime charges arising out of a fatal shooting at a car repair shop.
On Sept. 14, 2023, Anthony Paz Torres, 39, pleaded guilty to five federal hate crime counts for killing one individual and attempting to kill four others during a mass shooting at Omar’s Wheels and Tires in Dallas on Dec. 24, 2015. Torres also pleaded guilty to one count of using a firearm to commit the murder.
“As this sentence makes clear, hate crimes fueled by Islamophobia, or by bias of any kind, will be met with the full force of the Justice Department,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No person in this country should have to live in fear because of who they are, what they look like, or how they pray.”
“The defendant attempted to commit a mass shooting and intentionally targeted victims at a Muslim-owned business,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This case is an abhorrent example of how deadly Islamophobia can be in our own country and the severe consequences that wait for anyone who commits acts of hateful violence. The FBI places civil rights investigations as one of our highest priorities because everyone deserves to practice their religion without fear.”
“No person in the United States should fear that they will be the target of violence because of their religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The sentence handed down today ensures that Torres will be held accountable for the hate-fueled, Islamophobic violence he inflicted on the victims in this case. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute such hate crimes.”
“North Texans come from a variety of religious traditions and backgrounds, and no one should have to live in fear because of the way they worship,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “This case demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s dedication to protecting members of our north Texas community from acts of violence fueled by hatred toward any religious group. Let the message be clear: if you commit such acts, we will seek to prosecute you and send you to prison for as long as possible.”
According to court documents, Torres admitted that a few days prior to the shooting, he went to Omar’s Wheels and Tires, made anti-Muslim comments, and pledged that he would come back. When he returned to the business on Dec. 24, 2015, Torres asked customers if they were Muslim. After being escorted back to his vehicle by Omar’s Wheels and Tires employees, Torres discharged his firearm in the direction of multiple employees and customers. Torres admitted that he killed one person and attempted to kill four other people at Omar’s Wheels and Tires because he believed that they were Muslim.
The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana for the Northern District of Texas and Rebekah J. Bailey, formerly a Trial Attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, prosecuted the case, with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Gilstrap for the Northern District of Texas.
For more information and resources about the Department’s work to combat hate crimes visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Texas Man Sentenced for Hate Crimes Following Mass Shooting Targeting Muslims at Car Repair ShopRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced today to 37 years in prison, with credit for time served in state custody, following his guilty plea to hate crime charges arising out of a fatal shooting at a car repair shop.
On Sept. 14, 2023, Anthony Paz Torres, 39, pleaded guilty to five federal hate crime counts for killing one individual and attempting to kill four others during a mass shooting at Omar’s Wheels and Tires in Dallas on Dec. 24, 2015. Torres also pleaded guilty to one count of using a firearm to commit the murder.
“As this sentence makes clear, hate crimes fueled by Islamophobia, or by bias of any kind, will be met with the full force of the Justice Department,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No person in this country should have to live in fear because of who they are, what they look like, or how they pray.”
“The defendant attempted to commit a mass shooting and intentionally targeted victims at a Muslim-owned business,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This case is an abhorrent example of how deadly Islamophobia can be in our own country and the severe consequences that wait for anyone who commits acts of hateful violence. The FBI places civil rights investigations as one of our highest priorities because everyone deserves to practice their religion without fear.”
“No person in the United States should fear that they will be the target of violence because of their religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The sentence handed down today ensures that Torres will be held accountable for the hate-fueled, Islamophobic violence he inflicted on the victims in this case. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute such hate crimes.”
“North Texans come from a variety of religious traditions and backgrounds, and no one should have to live in fear because of the way they worship,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “This case demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s dedication to protecting members of our north Texas community from acts of violence fueled by hatred toward any religious group. Let the message be clear: if you commit such acts, we will seek to prosecute you and send you to prison for as long as possible.”
According to court documents, Torres admitted that a few days prior to the shooting, he went to Omar’s Wheels and Tires, made anti-Muslim comments, and pledged that he would come back. When he returned to the business on Dec. 24, 2015, Torres asked customers if they were Muslim. After being escorted back to his vehicle by Omar’s Wheels and Tires employees, Torres discharged his firearm in the direction of multiple employees and customers. Torres admitted that he killed one person and attempted to kill four other people at Omar’s Wheels and Tires because he believed that they were Muslim.
The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana for the Northern District of Texas and Rebekah J. Bailey, formerly a Trial Attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, prosecuted the case, with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Gilstrap for the Northern District of Texas.
For more information and resources about the Department’s work to combat hate crimes visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Armed Bank Robbery in Northwest Oklahoma CityRead the Press Release
Two Defendants from Nebraska Previously Pleaded Guilty to Their Role in the Armed Bank Robbery
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, CHRISTIAN DELEON LANE, 36, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an armed bank robbery in the metro, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 21, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment against Lane and two co-defendants, David John-Matthew Davis, 40, and Paris Kathryn Mace, 30, both of Omaha, Nebraska, for their roles in a metro bank robbery in February 2023. According to an affidavit previously filed in support of a criminal complaint, on February 23, 2023, Davis entered a bank in northwest Oklahoma City armed with a pistol. The affidavit alleges Davis pointed the firearm at multiple employees and ordered them to open the bank’s vault. After Davis filled a bag with money, he left the bank in a car without a license plate. Authorities found the car abandoned in a nearby parking lot, where surveillance video depicted Davis exit the car and get into a blue SUV driven by someone else.
The affidavit further alleges that Mace had rented the blue SUV and that Lane had purchased the abandoned car two days before the robbery. The day after Lane purchased the vehicle, Lane had reported to law enforcement that the car was missing and that he believed it had been stolen, but he declined to file a stolen vehicle report. The affidavit further alleges that surveillance video from an Oklahoma City motel depicted Davis, Lane, and Mace interacting with each other days before the robbery.
Today, Lane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting armed bank robbery, and he admitted to purchasing the vehicle later used in furtherance of the crime.
Both Mace and Davis previously pleaded guilty in the case. In October 2023, Mace pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the armed robbery. In February 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and to possession of a firearm during the bank robbery. Each defendant, by pleading guilty to the armed bank robbery, faces punishment up to 25 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the victim bank. In addition, Davis faces not less than five years in federal prison and up to life imprisonment, along with a $250,000 fine, for possession of the firearm during the bank robbery. Davis’s sentence for the firearm count must be served consecutively to his sentence for the armed bank robbery.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Omaha Field Offices and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Daniel Gridley are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to a Total of 10 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man caught with a gun and fentanyl after a police chase to a total of 10 years in prison.
Antwan Boothe, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in December to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted fleeing a traffic stop near the intersection of Jennings Station Road and West Florissant Avenue in St. Louis County on April 21, 2022, with his 9-year-old son in the car. While speeding away in a Chevrolet Camaro, Boothe hit multiple parked cars. After the Camaro became disabled, Boothe ran through the rear yards of homes adjoining the Jennings Senior High School campus, discarding a gun as he fled.
After officers caught and arrested Boothe, they found a plastic bag with nearly 200 capsules containing fentanyl. They retraced his steps and found a stolen .40-caliber Glock pistol and its magazine. They also found over $7,000 in the car. As part of his plea, Boothe admitted that he intended to sell some or all of the fentanyl.
Judge Perry sentenced Boothe to nine years in prison for the 2022 incident, and one more year for violating his supervised release in a 2015 federal case in which he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If Boothe is caught and charged again with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
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.
St. George Man Sentenced to 72 Months’ Imprisonment for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – James Edgar Conner, 42, of St. George, Utah, was sentenced today to 6 years’ imprisonment, and 15 years’ supervised release after he admitted to receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, from April 2019 through June 2023, in the District of Utah, Conner knowingly possessed electronic files depicting child pornography.
An investigation into Conner began in June 2023, when law enforcement received multiple cybertips for a Synchronoss account that belonged to Conner. Synchronoss provides cloud data storage for wireless customers. The cybertips revealed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Law enforcement executed a search warrant for Conner’s Synchronoss account, and the return showed the account was associated with Conner’s cellphone and email address. Inside the account, law enforcement found 23 child pornography videos as well as personal identifying information such as Conner’s paychecks, driver’s license, and work badge. Law enforcement also found several surreptitious videos that Conner covertly recorded of adult women using his restroom.
On June 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Conner’s residence in St. George. Prior to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement arrested Conner. During the search, officers found a number of digital devices including cellphones and covert camera equipment in the residence, among other items. During an interview, Conner admitted knowingly downloading multiple CSAM videos to his phone, some of which depicted children under the age of 10.
The case was investigated by the St. George Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Springfield to an Information charging him with three firearms offenses.
Benjamin Hunter-Blake, 25, pleaded guilty to one count each of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, unlawful possession of machinegun, and unlawful possession of unregistered firearm (a silencer). U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 2, 2024.
On Jan. 27, 2023, five pistols, including a “ghost gun” with an attached “Glock switch” machinegun conversion device; four other Glock switches; a silencer; and a large collection of ammunition, large capacity magazines, and other firearms-related items were seized from Hunter-Blake’s residence in Springfield. Hunter-Blake’s mobile phone was also seized, which contained evidence that Hunter-Blake had been obtaining and distributing other firearms, including to at least one individual with a felony conviction.
Hunter-Blake was convicted twice in state court on firearms felonies and is currently under indictment and house arrest for a third state firearms case.The charge of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition provides for a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun and unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm provides for a sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge and three years of supervised release. Hunter Blake agreed to the forfeiture of the Glock switches and three high-capacity magazines. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Springfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
South Texan sent to prison for hauling 32 people in horse trailerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old Mission resident has been sentenced following his conviction for transportation of undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Simon Garcia III pleaded guilty Dec. 15, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Garcia to serve 24 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding the circumstances of the crime such as the heat and cramped conditions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the number of people transported in the horse trailer.
On Sept. 15, 2023, Garcia approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint driving a black Dodge Ram 3500 truck with an attached horse trailer and four horses. A K-9 alerted to the vehicle and authorities referred him to secondary inspection.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement discovered 32 people hidden within a storage compartment inside the trailer. All were illegally present in the United States and cramped into a small area.
After refusing to get inside the trailer, one person recalled that he was forced into the trailer. Some described how they crossed into the United States and were held at stash houses before masked individuals told them to get into the horse trailer, not move and be quiet. Another person said he was sweating excessively, had a hard time breathing, had no way to escape and feared for his life.
Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.
Six Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison as A Result of A Joint Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today the sentences of six defendants who were indicted in multiple cases and convicted for their participation in a drug trafficking ring previously active in Escambia County, Florida. The prosecutions were the result of a large-scale multi-agency investigation spearheaded by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
“Our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe by removing addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We remain committed to support their efforts through the investigation and prosecution of criminals bringing drugs into North Florida. The imposed sentences illustrate the significant consequences of harming our citizens through their illicit drug trafficking activities.”
“We are proud of the combined efforts of our federal, state, and local partners,” said Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons. “This successful investigation will have a lasting impact on the availability of dangerous drugs in our area. Our commitment to safe communities remains strong.”
From November 2021 through March 2023, law enforcement seized over 26 kilograms of methamphetamine, over a kilogram of cocaine, over 1300 grams of fentanyl, multiple pounds of marijuana, a quantity of heroin, and 12 firearms.
As a result of the joint investigation, the following defendants were convicted on drug trafficking charges and/or firearm offenses, and have been sentenced to the following in federal court:
- Brandon M. Anderson, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, 20 years in prison
- Oddie A. Mims, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, 12 years in prison
- Ackrulmauert P. Mims, 30, of Pensacola, Florida, 12 years in prison
- Keontre M. Dortch, 30, of Pensacola, Florida, 10 years in prison
- William Contreras, 27, of Pensacola, Florida, 7 years in prison
- Bryant Lee Williams, 43, of Pensacola, Florida, 5 years in prison
Each will also be required to serve a term of supervised release following their prison sentence.
“Addictive, destructive, and oftentimes deadly, illegal drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin can destroy families and ruin communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “Strong partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are vital to keeping Florida communities safe and healthy, and DEA remains committed to working with our partners to hold those who distribute this poison in our communities responsible for their actions.”
“I commend our law enforcement partners for their exceptional investigative efforts which led to the apprehension of several drug dealers and the seizure of firearms and dangerous illicit drugs,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “We will continue to identify every level of these criminal enterprises, dismantle them, and hold them accountable.”
These cases resulted from a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pensacola Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Gulf Breeze Police Department, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
This effort 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.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.