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27 March 2024
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises at MotelRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge sentenced an Albuquerque man to 57 months in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises in southeast Albuquerque. As the manager of the Best Choice Inn, Kamal Bhula, 44, of Albuquerque, profited from in a kickback scheme that required drug traffickers and users to pay a “visitor fee” if they wanted to use the motel as a sanctuary for illegal activity.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, Bhula acted as the on-site manager for the Best Choice Inn between March 2018 and June 2019 when law enforcement shut it down. As the manager, Bhula employed workers and rented rooms to individuals who he knew were using and selling controlled substances at the hotel. The Best Choice Inn was described as a “one-stop shop” in Southeast Albuquerque for criminal activity of all sorts. Consequently, between January 2018, and December 2018, there were approximately 195 calls for service to the Best Choice Inn.
Bhula pled guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises on July 13, 2023.
Bhula’s co-defendants, Pragneshkumar Patel and Johnathan Craft, pled guilty for their parts in the scheme and were sentenced to 30 and 70 months in prison, respectively. Additionally, Patel was ordered to pay fines in the amount of $40,000 and $9,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit the Best Choice Inn.
Bhula faces likely deportation to South Africa as a consequence of this conviction.
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 the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Jack E. Burkhead prosecuted the case.
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Additional Federal Charges Filed Against Solomon PeñaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment yesterday bringing new charges against Solomon Peña for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence. The original charges arise from shootings at the homes of four elected officials between Dec. 4, 2022, and Jan. 3, 2023.
The superseding indictment alleges that Peña solicited others to kill or attempt to kill a witness with the intent to prevent that witness’s attendance and testimony in an official proceeding. Additionally, Peña is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Peña allegedly organized the shootings at the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two New Mexico state legislators after his November 2022 electoral defeat. The shootings, one of which involved a machine gun, were carried out with assistance from co-defendants Demetrio Trujillo and his son, Jose Trujillo.
On Jan. 8, 2024, Jose Louise Trujillo pled guilty to conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Jose was detained pending sentencing, which is currently scheduled for May 22, 2024.
On Feb. 2, 2024, Demetrio Trujillo pled guilty to conspiracy, two counts of interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and discharging said firearm. Demetrio was detained pending sentencing, which is currently scheduled for Aug. 6, 2024.
If convicted of the new charges, Peña faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Ryan Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
View the Superseding IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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18th Street Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Two MurdersRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Yanki Misael Cruz-Mateo, a member of the 18th Street gang, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges in connection with his participation in two murders: the October 25, 2017 murder of 20-year-old Jonathan Figueroa in Saugerties, New York and the February 2, 2018 murder of 20-year-old Oscar Antonio Blanco Hernandez in Queens. The guilty plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Cruz-Mateo faces up to life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“Cruz-Mateo had boasted of his participation in the murders in a horrific video and in text messages, but today’s admission in a federal courtroom in Brooklyn holds him accountable for two savage killings committed for the purpose of instilling fear and promoting gang violence,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “While the defendant’s guilty plea cannot bring back the two lives senselessly taken or undo the cruelty of his actions, it is my hope that it will bring a measure of closure to his victims’ families.”
United States Attorney Peace also expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Police, the Kingston Police Department, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.
According to court filings, proceedings, and statements made during today’s guilty plea proceeding, Cruz-Mateo was a member of the Queens-based Shatto Park Locos Sureños sect of 18th Street. He committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status in the gang:
October 25, 2017 Murder of Jonathan Figueroa
In the late evening of October 24, 2017, Cruz-Mateo lured and travelled with Figueroa from Queens to Kingston, New York, planning to murder him because 18th Street members suspected he was an informant for law enforcement. Upon their arrival in Kingston, they were met by other 18th Street members and associates who, into the early morning hours of October 25, 2017, brought Figueroa to Turkey Point State Forest, stabbed him to death, and buried him in a makeshift grave. Cruz-Mateo ordered the murder to be video-recorded—capturing multiple 18th Street members and associates repeatedly stabbing Figueroa, slashing his throat, amputating his ear, and dragging his body. In the video, Cruz-Mateo stated that Figueroa was being murdered for “being a rat.” Cruz-Mateo then sent the video to other 18th Street members as a warning not to disrespect the gang or cooperate with law enforcement. Figueroa’s body was discovered in February 2018 by the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement authorities, in a five-foot deep grave. The victim sustained more than 100 stab wounds including at least one stab wound to the head that appears to have fractured his skull and a slash to his throat that ruptured his trachea.
February 2, 2018 Murder of Oscar Antonio Blanco Hernandez
On February 2, 2018, Cruz-Mateo shot and killed Blanco Hernandez in Queens because 18th Street gang members suspected him of being a member of 18th Street’s principal rival, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13 gang. Blanco Hernandez’s body was discovered on a residential street in the Jamaica Hills section of Queens. He had been shot three times in the torso and head. Cruz-Mateo fled the area and returned upstate to Kingston. He was arrested by the FBI following a statewide manhunt.
Co-defendant Israel Mediola Flores previously pleaded guilty to Figueroa’s murder and was sentenced in June 2023 to 425 months in prison. Co-defendants Yoni Alexander Sierra, Jose Jimenez Chacon, and Carolina Cruz previously pleaded guilty to Blanco Hernandez’s murder and are currently awaiting sentencing.
Today’s conviction is the latest in a series of recent convictions in this case of members and associates of 18th Street, a well-known and well-established international criminal organization and violent street gang with members and associates residing throughout New York State including Queens and Long Island, and elsewhere throughout the United States including Houston, Texas.
This case is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Erin Reid and Margaret Schierberl are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Tareva Torres.
The Defendant:
YANKI MISAEL CRUZ-MATEO (also known as “Yenki Misael Cruz Mateo,” “Yankee Mateo,” “Doggy” and “Wino”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, New YorkCo-Defendants Previously Convicted:
ISRAEL MEDIOLA FLORES (also known as “Chapito” and “Sinaloa”)
Age: 29
Kingston, New YorkYONI ALEXANDER SIERRA (also known as “Arca,” “Arc Angel” and “Wasson”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, New YorkJOSE JIMENEZ CHACON (also known as “Little One”)
Age: 25
New Brunswick, New JerseyCAROLINA CRUZ (also known as “La Fiera”)
Age: 30
Elizabeth, New JerseyCo-Defendants Awaiting Trial:
WALTER FERNANDO ALFARO PINED (also known as “Clever”)
Age: 44
Houston, TexasJOSE DOUGLAS CASTELLANO (also known as “Chino”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkJUNIOR ZELAYA-CANALES (also known as “Terco”)
Age: 27
Jamaica, New YorkERIC CHAVEZ (also known as “Lunatico”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-139 (S-7) (LDH)
26 March 2024
Young trafficker imprisoned for transporting thousands of fentanyl pillsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old Pharr resident has been sentenced following his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Alex Dominque Carrillo pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Carrillo to serve 96 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that in addition to the fentanyl, law enforcement determined Carrillo was also linked to the seizure of multiple kilograms of meth.
“Just one pill can kill,” said Hamdani. “Mexican drug traffickers have no regard for the countless lives lost at the hands of fentanyl. Today’s sentence puts another fentanyl trafficker behind bars and thousands of lethal fentanyl pills off the streets.”
In May 2023, authorities began an investigation which determined Carrillo was a drug courier working on behalf of a Mexican drug trafficker. Carrillo was tasked to pick up the drugs once they were successfully imported by the Mexican smugglers and deliver the drugs to various buyers in the United States.
The following month, law enforcement seized 500 fentanyl pills in Pharr that Carrillo had transported.
In August 2023, law enforcement observed as Carrillo was attempting to transport drugs to a McAllen buyer. Noticing the law enforcement presence, Carrillo attempted to conceal the 3,500 fentanyl pills in a public parking lot trash can. Authorities successfully retrieved the pills and placed Carrillo under arrest.
Carrillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Yo Akize ak Arete yon Resòtisan Bahamas pou Wòl li nan Konplo Fatal Kontrebann MounRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Yon akizasyon te pibliye nan Distri Sid Eta Florid jodi a ki akize yon sitwayen Bahamas pou swadizan wòl li nan yon konplo kontrebann moun ki te lakòz plizyè lanmò imigran yo.
Kòm rezilta anpil kowòdinasyon ak koperasyon ant otorite Etazini ak Bahamas yo, Vandrick Nelson Smith, ke yo rele tou Muggy ak Vans, 33, te arete 6 mas nan Bahamas dapre yon demann Etazini ki enplike akizasyon ki te depoze anba sele nan Distri Sid Eta Florid la nan mwa novanm 2023.
Dapre dokiman tribinal yo, Smith te swadizan patisipe nan yon òganizasyon kontrebann moun ki te eseye mennen imigran ilegalman soti nan Bahamas nan peyi Etazini pa bato. Imigran yo te sitwayen Kolonbi, Jamayik, Repiblik Dominikèn, ak Ayiti, pami lòt peyi. Imigran yo (oswa fanmi yo ak zanmi yo) swadizan te peye òganizasyon an lajan pou yo te ka rantre yo klandestinman Ozetazini. Jan sa dekri pi ba a, akizasyon an akize ke Smith te patisipe pèsonèlman nan twa ensidan kontrebann maritim moun - ki gen ladan youn ki te lakòz lanmò senk moun.
Avoka Ameriken Markenzy Lapointe pou Distrik Sid Florid di: “Antrepriz kontrebann moun mete lavi moun a risk pou yo fè yon pwofi.” “Kontrabandye moun yo ap pwofite sou espwa imigran yo pou yon lavi miyò. Malerezman. eksplwatasyon kontrebandye yo poze yon gwo danje pou imigran yo. Biwo Avoka Ameriken an pral kontinye travay ak patnè nou yo pou pouswiv moun ki fè operasyon kontrebann ilegal moun pou pwoteje imigran vilnerab yo epi sove lavi yo.”
“Yo akize Vandrick Smith ak òganizasyon operasyon danjere kontrebann moun, voye imigran soti Bahamas nan Florid pa bato. Jan yo pretann nan akizasyon an, efò òganizasyon kontrebann moun nan vin mòtèl, lè yon bato ki t ap pote imigran te chavire an janvye 2022,” Asistan Pwokirè Jeneral Adjwen Prensipal Nicole M. Argentieri, ki se chèf Divizyon Kriminèl Depatman Jistis la te di. "Kontrabandye imen eksplwate moun dezespere pou lajan, e konsekans yo ka trajik. Divizyon Kriminèl la angaje l pou l konbat òganizasyon kontrebann moun ki eksplwate imigran vilnerab yo epi mete yo an danje, kèlkeswa kote yo opere.”
Smith swadizan te enplike nan twa evènman maritim kontrebann moun ki te fèt nan oswa anviwon 6 mas 2021; 22 janvye 2022; ak 8 out 2022. Nan aswè nan jou ki te 22 janvye 2022 a, akizasyon an pretann ke anpil imigran te monte nan yon bato nan Bahamas ki te destine pou Florid. Yon ti tan apre depa bato a, motè yo swadizan sispann fonksyone epi bato a chavire. Nan dat 25 janvye 2022, Gad Kòt Ameriken an te sove sèl imigran ki te siviv la, yo te jwenn li kwoke sou tèt bato ki te chgavire a.
“Envestigasyon Homeland Security yo rete devwe a travay ak patnè domestik ak entènasyonal nou yo pou mennen devan lajistis kriminèl ensousyan ki bay benefis finansye priyorite sou lavi ak sekirite moun,” te di Ajan Espesyal an chaj Anthony Salisbury nan Envestigasyon Homeland Security yo (HSI) Miami. “Risk ki asosye ak antrepriz kontrebann maritim moun yo ekstrèm. Nou ankouraje piblik la pou evite anbake nan vwayaj ak òganizasyon kriminèl danjere sa yo, ki souvan abouti nan trajedi.”
Yo akize Smith ak senk akizasyon pou eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken Ozetazini ki lakòz lanmò ki soti nan antrepriz janvye 2022 la. Yo akize l tou li konplote pou mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken yo pou pwofi, mete lavi moun ki pa sitwayen yo an danje epi sa ki lakòz lanmò; eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken pou pwofi; epi eseye ede ak ede sèten moun ki pa sitwayen yo antre Ozetazini. Si yo kondane li poutèt li te eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken Ozetazini sa ki lakòz lanmò, Smith ap fè fas ak yon penalite maksimòm lavi nan prizon.
HSI Fort Pierce ak HSI Asistan Atache nan Nassau, Bahamas, te mennen ankèt sou ka a, avèk asistans HSI Miami, Gad Kòt Etazini, Biwo Sheriff Konte Brevard, ak Biwo Egzaminatè Medikal Brevard County. Biwo Afè Entènasyonal Depatman Jistis la te bay yon sipò enpòtan nan demann asistans legal etranje yo epi pou yo te asire arestasyon an. Depatman Jistis la remèsye Fòs Polis Royal Bahamas, Biwo Pwokirè Jeneral Bahamas, Ministè Afè Etranjè Bahamas, Depatman Imigrasyon Bahamas, ak Depatman Lajistis Piblik Bahamas pou asistans yo nan ka a.
Envestigasyon an ap fèt nan kad pwogram Ekstraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT), yon patenarya ansanm ant Divizyon Kriminèl Depatman Jistis la ak HSI. Pwogram ECT a konsantre sou rezo kontrebann moun ki ka prezante risk sekirite nasyonal an patikilye oswa sekirite piblik, oswa prezante gwo enkyetid imanitè. ECT a konsakre resous pou envestigasyon, entèlijans ak pouswit jidisyè. ECT kowòdone ak resevwa asistans nan men lòt ajans gouvènman Ameriken yo ak otorite ki fè respekte lalwa etranje yo.
Avoka Tribinal la Nonmen a Marie Zisa nan Seksyon Divizyon Kriminèl Dwa Moun ak Seksyon Pwosekisyon Espesyal yo ak Asistan Avoka Ameriken an Justin Hoover pou Distri Sid Florid la ap pouswiv ka a.
Yon akizasyon se jis yon akizasyon. Tout akize yo sipoze inosan jiskaske yo pwouve yo koupab san okenn dout rezonab nan yon tribunal.
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Yo Akize ak Arete yon Resòtisan Bahamas pou Wòl li nan Konplo Fatal Kontrebann MounRead the Press Release
Yon akizasyon te pibliye nan Distri Sid Eta Florid jodi a ki akize yon sitwayen Bahamas pou swadizan wòl li nan yon konplo kontrebann moun ki te lakòz plizyè lanmò imigran yo.
Kòm rezilta anpil kowòdinasyon ak koperasyon ant otorite Etazini ak Bahamas yo, Vandrick Nelson Smith, ke yo rele tou Muggy ak Vans, 33, te arete 6 mas nan Bahamas dapre yon demann Etazini ki enplike akizasyon ki te depoze anba sele nan Distri Sid Eta Florid la nan mwa novanm 2023.
Dapre dokiman tribinal yo, Smith te swadizan patisipe nan yon òganizasyon kontrebann moun ki te eseye mennen imigran ilegalman soti nan Bahamas nan peyi Etazini pa bato. Imigran yo te sitwayen Kolonbi, Jamayik, Repiblik Dominikèn, ak Ayiti, pami lòt peyi. Imigran yo (oswa fanmi yo ak zanmi yo) swadizan te peye òganizasyon an lajan pou yo te ka rantre yo klandestinman Ozetazini. Jan sa dekri pi ba a, akizasyon an akize ke Smith te patisipe pèsonèlman nan twa ensidan kontrebann maritim moun - ki gen ladan youn ki te lakòz lanmò senk moun.
“Yo akize Vandrick Smith ak òganizasyon operasyon danjere kontrebann moun, voye imigran soti Bahamas nan Florid pa bato. Jan yo pretann nan akizasyon an, efò òganizasyon kontrebann moun nan vin mòtèl, lè yon bato ki t ap pote imigran te chavire an janvye 2022,” Asistan Pwokirè Jeneral Adjwen Prensipal Nicole M. Argentieri, ki se chèf Divizyon Kriminèl Depatman Jistis la te di. "Kontrabandye imen eksplwate moun dezespere pou lajan, e konsekans yo ka trajik. Divizyon Kriminèl la angaje l pou l konbat òganizasyon kontrebann moun ki eksplwate imigran vilnerab yo epi mete yo an danje, kèlkeswa kote yo opere.”
Smith swadizan te enplike nan twa evènman maritim kontrebann moun ki te fèt nan oswa anviwon 6 mas 2021; 22 janvye 2022; ak 8 out 2022. Nan aswè nan jou ki te 22 janvye 2022 a, akizasyon an pretann ke anpil imigran te monte nan yon bato nan Bahamas ki te destine pou Florid. Yon ti tan apre depa bato a, motè yo swadizan sispann fonksyone epi bato a chavire. Nan dat 25 janvye 2022, Gad Kòt Ameriken an te sove sèl imigran ki te siviv la, yo te jwenn li kwoke sou tèt bato ki te chgavire a.
Avoka Ameriken Markenzy Lapointe pou Distrik Sid Florid di: “Antrepriz kontrebann moun mete lavi moun a risk pou yo fè yon pwofi.” “Kontrabandye moun yo ap pwofite sou espwa imigran yo pou yon lavi miyò. Malerezman. eksplwatasyon kontrebandye yo poze yon gwo danje pou imigran yo. Biwo Avoka Ameriken an pral kontinye travay ak patnè nou yo pou pouswiv moun ki fè operasyon kontrebann ilegal moun pou pwoteje imigran vilnerab yo epi sove lavi yo.”
“Envestigasyon Homeland Security yo rete devwe a travay ak patnè domestik ak entènasyonal nou yo pou mennen devan lajistis kriminèl ensousyan ki bay benefis finansye priyorite sou lavi ak sekirite moun,” te di Ajan Espesyal an chaj Anthony Salisbury nan Envestigasyon Homeland Security yo (HSI) Miami. “Risk ki asosye ak antrepriz kontrebann maritim moun yo ekstrèm. Nou ankouraje piblik la pou evite anbake nan vwayaj ak òganizasyon kriminèl danjere sa yo, ki souvan abouti nan trajedi.”
Yo akize Smith ak senk akizasyon pou eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken Ozetazini ki lakòz lanmò ki soti nan antrepriz janvye 2022 la. Yo akize l tou li konplote pou mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken yo pou pwofi, mete lavi moun ki pa sitwayen yo an danje epi sa ki lakòz lanmò; eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken pou pwofi; epi eseye ede ak ede sèten moun ki pa sitwayen yo antre Ozetazini. Si yo kondane li poutèt li te eseye mennen moun ki pa sitwayen ameriken Ozetazini sa ki lakòz lanmò, Smith ap fè fas ak yon penalite maksimòm lavi nan prizon.
HSI Fort Pierce ak HSI Asistan Atache nan Nassau, Bahamas, te mennen ankèt sou ka a, avèk asistans HSI Miami, Gad Kòt Etazini, Biwo Sheriff Konte Brevard, ak Biwo Egzaminatè Medikal Brevard County. Biwo Afè Entènasyonal Depatman Jistis la te bay yon sipò enpòtan nan demann asistans legal etranje yo epi pou yo te asire arestasyon an. Depatman Jistis la remèsye Fòs Polis Royal Bahamas, Biwo Pwokirè Jeneral Bahamas, Ministè Afè Etranjè Bahamas, Depatman Imigrasyon Bahamas, ak Depatman Lajistis Piblik Bahamas pou asistans yo nan ka a.
Envestigasyon an ap fèt nan kad pwogram Ekstraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT), yon patenarya ansanm ant Divizyon Kriminèl Depatman Jistis la ak HSI. Pwogram ECT a konsantre sou rezo kontrebann moun ki ka prezante risk sekirite nasyonal an patikilye oswa sekirite piblik, oswa prezante gwo enkyetid imanitè. ECT a konsakre resous pou envestigasyon, entèlijans ak pouswit jidisyè. ECT kowòdone ak resevwa asistans nan men lòt ajans gouvènman Ameriken yo ak otorite ki fè respekte lalwa etranje yo.
Avoka Tribinal la Nonmen a Marie Zisa nan Seksyon Divizyon Kriminèl Dwa Moun ak Seksyon Pwosekisyon Espesyal yo ak Asistan Avoka Ameriken an Justin Hoover pou Distri Sid Florid la ap pouswiv ka a.
Yon akizasyon se jis yon akizasyon. Tout akize yo sipoze inosan jiskaske yo pwouve yo koupab san okenn dout rezonab nan yon tribinal
Woodland Hills Man Found Guilty of Extorting Koreatown Businesses and Carjacking One Victim in Karaoke ShakedownRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was found guilty by a jury today of dozens of felonies for extorting Koreatown karaoke companies and sometimes violently attacking victims who refused to pay, including carjacking one of them after beating him with a baseball bat.
Daekun Cho, 39, of Woodland Hills, was found guilty of 55 counts of interference with commerce by extortion, one count of attempted interference with commerce by extortion, and one count of carjacking.
According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, from at least November 2020 to March 2023, Cho demanded “protection” money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown, as well as from drivers of “doumis” – or hostesses – employed by patrons of the karaoke establishments.
Cho extorted money in person and on Venmo monthly from victims who operated companies or drove people to and from karaoke bars in Koreatown in Los Angeles. He physically attacked, threatened, and instilled fear in his victims to induce them to pay him. Payments, which Cho called “protection fees,” typically ranged from $100 to $1,000 per month.
“This defendant carried out his shakedown operation for years by preying on an immigrant community and intimidating his victims into silence,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s verdict sends a message that we are focused on rooting out violent actors and holding them accountable for their actions.”
For example, in May 2021, when one of Cho’s victims – a doumi driver – refused to pay him more money, Cho and his accomplice beat the victim with baseball bats until knocking him unconscious and then stole his minivan. The victim suffered a broken arm and multiple cuts and bruises. In response, the victim and his business partner closed their karaoke driving company, and the business partner left California.
During a separate incident in July 2022, a different victim was dropping two doumis off at a karaoke bar in Koreatown when Cho – who appeared to have something in his hoodie pocket – approached the victim’s car, opened the door with his sleeve so as to not leave fingerprints, got halfway inside the vehicle, and told the victim that the victim’s company was not permitted to drop off doumis. As the victim drove away, he heard gunshots, breaking the car’s glass, which hit a doumi in the neck.
In January 2023, Cho assaulted another karaoke driver who for years had paid him in cash and then via Venmo a monthly extortion fee. Cho began accepting electronic extortion payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the victim stopped paying, Cho assaulted the victim, stole $1,000 from him, and threatened to kill him.
“Today’s verdict should send a strong message to those willing to use violence and threats of violence to intimidate Los Angeles communities,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “HSI Los Angeles and our partners will not tolerate this egregious activity and will work diligently to ensure that dangers to society will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled an August 16 sentencing hearing, at which time Cho will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each extortion-related count and up to 25 years in prison for the carjacking count.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Waterbury Woman Receives Prison Time for Role in Drug RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELLE CRUZ, 38, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a narcotics trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
In April and May 2022, Cruz was intercepted on a wiretap ordering heroin and fentanyl from Duprey, which she then distributed to her drug customers.
Cruz, Duprey, and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
On August 9, 2023, Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Cruz, who is released on a $50,000 bond and living in New York, is required to report to prison on May 21.
Duprey has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Washington man indicted on cyberstalking, child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Washington man with cyberstalking victims and distributing child sexual abuse materials.
The defendant, Kaden Ollila, 20, of Tacoma, Washington, was arrested on March 21, 2024.
According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2024, the defendant allegedly distributed child pornography. On Jan. 24 and 25, 2024, Ollila allegedly used a social media platform to send messages to a victim describing his desire to sexually assault her. On Feb. 4 and 5, 2024, Ollila also allegedly used a different social media platform to send a victim unsolicited sexual images of himself and unsolicited images depicting child sexual abuse.
Ollila is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child – distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§2252A(a)(2)(A) and (b)(1), and two counts of cyberstalking in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§2261A(2)B and 2261(b)5. The defendant made his initial court appearance on March 22 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. His appearance before the U.S. District Court in Alaska will be scheduled at a later date. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 5 to 20 years for distribution of child pornography, and up to 5 years on each count of cyberstalking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest Region, made the announcement.
HSI, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers, Nisqually Police Department, Nisqually Tribal Gaming Agency and Washington State Gaming Agency, is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Ollila’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Kaden Ollila, please contact the HSI tip line at 866-347-2423.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Taylor and Bill Reed are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Washburn Man Sentenced for Crop Insurance Fraud, Ordered to Pay $379,317.00 in Restitution, and Agrees to 5-Year Benefits DebarmentRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on March 26, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Kent Pfaff, age 60, from Washburn, North Dakota, to pay $379,317.00 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and to serve a three-year period of supervised release on a charge of False Statement to Influence the United States Department of Agriculture – RMA, colloquially known as “crop insurance fraud.” On December 20, 2023, pursuant to a plea agreement, Pfaff pleaded guilty to this offense. As part of the plea agreement in this case, Pfaff voluntarily agreed, for a period of five years, to be excluded from receiving benefits from any federal procurement transaction authorized or funded by the USDA.
As further stated in the indictment and plea agreement, during farm year 2019, Pfaff severely understated his soybean production yield numbers to his crop insurance providers to falsely increase his crop insurance indemnity payments. In early 2020, based upon an independent appraisal of unharvested portions of Pfaff’s soybean units, insurance adjusters discovered that the appraised soybean yield amounts were actually between four to five times higher than what Pfaff reported to his insurance company, the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC). Based upon this appraisal, and other information learned during a subsequent criminal investigation, agents from the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the Special Investigations Staff of the Risk Management Agency uncovered evidence that Pfaff was “shifting production,” which is a fraud scheme where a person will overreport production from one or more fields and underreport production from one or more different fields to manufacture or inflate claims to which they are not entitled.
“This result protects the integrity of the federal crop insurance program,” Schneider said. “The United States Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement will aggressively pursue fraud to protect honest producers and American taxpayers. I credit our career prosecutors and their partners for seeing that justice was done in this case.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the Special Investigations Staff of the Risk Management Agency – United States Department of Agriculture.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Rappenecker prosecuted this case.
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United States Seeks Forfeiture of Former Mongolian Prime Minister's Luxury New York City Apartments Purchased with Proceeds of Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, the United States unsealed a civil complaint seeking to forfeit two luxury apartments located in New York City at 21 East 61st Street and 230 West 56th Street, purchased for $14 million. According to court documents, the apartments were purchased, in whole or in part, with the proceeds of unlawfully awarded Mongolian mining contracts, at the direction and for the benefit of then-Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold and his family.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the forfeiture action.
“As alleged, former Mongolian Prime Minister Batbold used the profits from his illicit corruption scheme to purchase high-end real estate in violation of United States federal law. Today’s forfeiture action sends a message that corrupt officials will not use our real estate market to conceal proceeds of crimes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office will not tolerate public corruption that undermines faith in government, wherever committed.”
“As alleged in the complaint, Sukhbataar Batbold — the former prime minister of Mongolia — abused his position as prime minster to profit from the sale of his country’s natural resources. He and his family used the proceeds of their corrupt scheme to buy $14 million in high-end real estate in the United States,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With this action, those properties are subject to forfeiture. Kleptocrats should take note: the Criminal Division is unwavering in its resolve to recover proceeds of official corruption and take the profit out of crime.”
“Former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold allegedly crafted a corruption scheme, funneling millions of dollars from mining contracts through illegitimate shell companies to finance his family’s lavish lifestyle including the purchase of two luxury apartments in Manhattan. Batbold’s alleged behavior – personally profiting off of public corruption comes at the expense of the law-abiding citizens he governed. Today’s action emphasizes the FBI’s commitment to dismantling public corruption and punishing those who utilize the U.S. banking system to illegally divert resources, wherever it may occur,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
The civil forfeiture complaint alleges that while Batbold was Prime Minister of Mongolia, Catrison, an entity he owned through trusted intermediaries, was awarded a $68 million mining contract. Prior to being awarded that contract, Catrison had no operational history, no mining expertise, and no financial or logistical infrastructure to execute commodity sales, and its sole director was a former linguistics teacher. Millions of dollars from the mining contracts were then siphoned into foreign bank accounts, transferred through a series of shell companies, and, among other things, directed towards the purchase of the New York City apartments for the benefit of Batbold’s family, including his eldest son who used the apartments.
The civil forfeiture complaint further explains how Batbold and his family used state-owned mining contracts to funnel funds through shell companies for their personal use, consistent with the scheme used to purchase the apartments sought by the government for forfeiture. Although it had no operational history or experience in commodities, one of the shell companies was awarded a mining contract worth $30 million, and proceeds were wired to an account in the United States held by Batbold’s eldest son that was earmarked for personal use, such as car payments, travel and an interior designer.
The government’s case is being handled by the Business and Securities Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, in coordination with the Office’s Bank Integrity Task Force, which is charged with investigating and prosecuting corporate and individual actors who launder criminal proceeds using the U.S. banking system and enforcing anti-money laundering controls under the Bank Secrecy Act, and the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS). Assistant United States Attorneys Tara McGrath and Brian Morris and Trial Attorney Adam J. Schwartz are handling the case with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jacob Menz. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of crime. These allegations are not proven until a court enters judgment in favor of the United States.
The Defendants In Rem:
ANY AND ALL SHARES OF 21 EAST 61 STREET APARTMENT CORP. HELD IN THE NAME OF LOVITAS, INC., TOGETHER WITH THE APPURTENANT PROPRIETARY LEASE FOR COOPERATIVE UNIT 12E WITHIN THE REAL PROPERTY AND PREMISES LOCATED AT 21 EAST 61ST STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10065
CONDOMINIUM UNIT 58D, LOCATED AT 230 WEST 56TH STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CV-2147
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts Launches Official Instagram AccountRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has launched an Instagram account, @usao_ma, as another tool to inform and communicate with members of the public.
“Social media is essential for connecting with communities and sharing information. Embracing these platforms allows our Office to amplify our commitment to public safety, justice and transparency. U.S. Attorneys serve as the nation’s principal litigators and our mission is to enforce federal law, ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice, and to conduct our work with as much transparency as possible. We believe it is critical that the people of the District of Massachusetts understand that we fulfill our mission and that we will hold individuals who commit crimes accountable. We want victims to know we have their back, and people who are thinking of violating the law to understand the severe consequences that will result,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office uses social media to disseminate breaking news, official statements, safety messages, community outreach efforts, DOJ sponsored events, and more.
With the launch of this account, the Office now utilizes five social media platforms to provide information to the public:
- Instagram: @usao_ma (https://www.instagram.com/usao_ma/)
- X (formerly known as Twitter): @DMAnews1 (https://twitter.com/DMAnews1)
- YouTube: @USAO_MA (https://www.youtube.com/@USAO_MA)
- LinkedIn: USAO-MA (https://www.linkedin.com/company/usao-ma)
- Facebook: USAOMA (https://www.facebook.com/usaoma/)
The U.S. Attorney’s website, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma, will remain its primary channel of communication. Selected announcements are shared on Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn after they are first posted on the website. YouTube and Facebook are primarily used to disseminate taped and live video streaming, respectively.
Two Men Sentenced to a Combined 44 Years in Federal Prison After Armed Robberies of Ten Indianapolis Businesses in One MonthRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Adam Reed and William Dodd have both been sentenced for their roles in a string of armed robberies across Indianapolis in the summer of 2020.
Adam Reed, 25, of North Carolina has been sentenced to 29 years in federal prison after robbing ten Indianapolis businesses at gunpoint and pleading guilty to ten counts of interference with commerce by robbery and four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Reed must also pay $7,850.29 in restitution.
William Dodd, 23, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after robbing three Indianapolis businesses at gunpoint with Reed and pleading guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Dodd must also pay $2,429.29 in restitution.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2020, Reed and Dodd robbed the El Rey Del Taco on North High School Road. Reed and Dodd took turns pointing a handgun at employees and demanding cash from the register. The duo also robbed three employees of the cash in their wallets.
Just two days later, Reed and Dodd robbed the Dollar General on North Arlington Avenue. Dodd pointed the gun at an employee and demanded he open the register and safe. Reed emptied the register, while Dodd emptied the safe, before both men ran from the store.
Seven additional robberies were conducted solely by Adam Reed. In each instance, Reed threatened and held employees at gun point before stealing cash from the registers or safes.
On September 15, 2020, Reed robbed a T-Mobile store and fired four shots at the front door, after an employee told Reed she had called the police. Just a few hours later, Reed robbed a Dollar General. When an IMPD officer arrived at the store, Reed grabbed the store manager and pointed a gun at her neck, using her as a human shield to get to the back of the store. Reed fled from the store and tossed the firearm over a fence before surrendering to police.
In total, Reed robbed ten businesses at gunpoint, and Dodd participated in three of the robberies:
#
DATE
LOCATION
DEFENDANT
1
August 17, 2020
El Rey del Taco
N, High School Rd.Reed & Dodd
2
August 19, 2020
Dollar General
N. Arlington Ave.Reed & Dodd
3
August 25, 2020
Dollar General
38th St. & and N. College Ave.Reed
4
August 28, 2020
Dollar General
S. Emerson Ave.Reed
5
September 6, 2020
Family Dollar
E. Morris St.Reed
6
September 8, 2020
Boost Mobile
E. Washington St.Reed
7
September 10, 2020
O’Reilly Auto Parts
E. Raymond St.Reed & Dodd
8
September 14, 2020
Family Dollar
E. Washington St.
Reed
9
September 15, 2020
Metro by T-Mobile
E. Washington St.Reed
10
September 15, 2020
Dollar General
English Ave.Reed
“For a month, these criminals terrorized innocent employees and customers across Indianapolis, holding their victims at gunpoint as they wondered if they’d ever see their loved ones again,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “No one should fear for their lives simply because they went shopping or to work. The serious federal prison sentences imposed here demonstrate that IMPD, the FBI, and our federal prosecutors are committed to protecting our communities from gun violence and holding armed criminals accountable.”
“The defendants chose to engage in these violent attacks that put the community at risk and these lengthy sentences should send a clear message that those who jeopardize the safety of others will be held accountable,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “This is just another example of the value of collaborating with our law enforcement partners to fight violent crime.”
The FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Reed and Dodd must be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years each following their release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle M. Sawa and Meredith Wood, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Hilton, who prosecuted this 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.
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Twenty-Year Fugitive Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Export Defense Articles to IranRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced En-Wei Eric Chang, age 48, a citizen of the United States and the Republic of Taiwan, residing in Taiwan, today to two years in federal prison, followed by supervised release of six months of home detention, for a conspiracy related to the export of defense materials to Iran. Such materials were embargoed under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (“ITSR”). Judge Bennett also ordered Chang to pay a $10,000 fine.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office.
“As this case demonstrates, federal prosecutors have long memories. If you choose to flee rather than face your federal charges, you will be found and prosecuted,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron.
As detailed in Chang’s plea agreement, the export from the United States of arms, munitions, military aircraft parts, and related components and technology, is strictly controlled. The Munitions List is a catalog of designated “defense articles” which are subject to export and certain import restrictions. Any person who intends to export defense articles on the Munitions List from the United States is required to first obtain a license and must identify in the required license application the ultimate and final destination of the goods. At the time of the conspiracy, it was the policy of the United States to deny licenses, other approvals, and exports of defense articles destined for Iran.
According to his guilty plea, from January 2002 to March 2003, Chang conspired with David Chu to ship items on the Munitions List to Iran without obtaining the proper licensing. Chu had a business relationship with an Iranian businessman and was the sole individual in contact with the Iranian businessman during the time of the conspiracy. In 2001 Chu became acquainted with Chang through Chang’s work as an electrical component supplier.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in January 2002, Chu asked Chang to facilitate an Iranian businessman’s request to research satellite imagery dealers, and Chang agreed to do so. Shortly thereafter, Chang emailed a Maryland corporation to acquire high-definition satellite space images of Tehran, Iran for export from the United States to Iran. An undercover government agent based in Maryland ultimately responded to Chang, pretending to be a businessman who could help him acquire the satellite images from a defense contractor.
Chang and the undercover agent communicated over serval months regarding the status of the satellite images order. Chu’s Iranian contact subsequently asked Chu to research and source antennas, and on March 12, 2002, Chang contacted the undercover agent asking for quotes on cavity-backed spiral antennas with military applications, including the detection and surveillance of ground-based radar. These antennas were designated as defense articles on the United States Munitions List. The undercover agent agreed to attempt to source the antennas. Chang admitted that he knew that the acquisition of the antennas from the United States for export either directly or indirectly to Iran without proper licensing, was a violation of United States law. Chang also knew that he did not have the proper license or authorization.
As detailed in the plea agreement, the undercover agent ultimately quoted prices for various models of antennas and noted that the U.S.- based manufacturer “won’t even accept order without approved export license up front.” Chang repeatedly urged the undercover agent to act faster and on July 19, 2002, Chang wrote: “The Iran guy promises [my co-conspirator, Chu] a 10 million USD business [per] year if we can really do this.” On July 31, 2002, Chang provided banking information from the undercover agent to Chu to facilitate a $6,400 transfer to the undercover agent in Maryland as a 50% down payment on the cavity-backed antennas, which would take approximately five months to produce.
From March 2002 through January 2003, Chang kept in regular contact with the undercover agent regarding the antennas and asked the undercover agent for pricing information that he indicated was requested by his “buyer” in Iran for items that Chang indicated his “buyer” was interested in purchasing. The items included: an anti-submarine and surveillance radar system for installation on helicopters and airplanes; military-grade night-vision goggles for use by pilots; helicopters and helicopter engines; ten handheld laser range-finders; and other military items.
By January 2003, the cavity-backed spiral antennas had been produced in the United States. Chang, his co-conspirator, David Chu, and the undercover agent agreed to transfer the cavity-backed spiral antennas in Guam, where Chu could take possession of them and transfer them to Iran. In February 2003, Chu travelled to Guam and took possession of the cavity-backed spiral antennas from the undercover agent. Chu was arrested and his luggage seized by U.S. authorities before he could board the flight to Taiwan.
On March 4, 2003, the undercover agent, via email, informed Chang of his true identity and told Chang that he had been indicted in the District of Maryland with conspiracy to export U.S. Munitions List items to Iran, and that his co-conspirator Chu was in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. The undercover agent encouraged Chang to turn himself in. On March 12, 2003, Chang met with U.S. officials in Taiwan who told Chang that he should consider surrendering to the United States on the current charges, but Chang declined. Chang remained a fugitive until his arrest on April 10, 2023 at Rome-Fiumcino International Airport in Italy and subsequent extradition to the United States.
Co-defendant David Chu, age 48, of Monterey Park, California, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on February 23, 2004, to two years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and DCIS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Three Los Angeles County Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Gift Cards Purchased by Victims of Telephone ScamsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An El Monte man and two Chinese nationals living elsewhere in Los Angeles County were sentenced today to terms in federal prison for laundering gift cards purchased by telephone-scam fraud victims at Target stores across the United States.
Blade Bai, 35, of El Monte; Bowen Hu, 28, of Hacienda Heights; and Tairan Shi, 29, of Diamond Bar; were sentenced to terms of 15 years, 10 years, and eight years in federal prison, respectively.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. also ordered the defendants to pay restitution in the amounts of $97,815 for Bai, $57,156 for Hu, and $39,416 for Shi.
Bai has been in federal custody since February 2022. Hu and Shi were remanded into custody after the guilty verdicts against them were read in September 2023.
“These defendants were part of a sophisticated, transnational fraud operation that targeted mostly older adults to cheat them out of their savings,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California. “Protecting our most vulnerable community members is critically important, and we will hold accountable those who reach into our country to engage in these sorts of egregious fraud schemes.”
The defendants were part of a network of individuals who laundered proceeds of fraud stored on Target gift cards. Telephone scammers fraudulently induced victims across the country to buy gift cards, often $500 each, and to provide the card numbers and access codes to the scammers. The scammers included government imposters falsely claiming to be police and other government personnel and retail and tech support impersonators falsely offering to fix nonexistent issues with the victims’ online account or computer.
The defendants acquired more than 5,000 gift card numbers and access codes from a group in the People’s Republic of China calling itself the “Magic Lamp,” and funneled the gift cards to “runners” to liquidate at Target stores in Southern California. Those runners, at the defendants’ direction, would quickly use the cards to purchase high-value consumer electronics and conduct other transactions. The rapid transactions prevented victims from recouping the value on the cards when they contacted Target to report the scam.
At the conclusion of a 10-day trial in September 2023, a jury found the defendants guilty of a money laundering conspiracy that spanned from approximately June 2019 to November 2020. The jury also found Bai guilty of a second money laundering conspiracy, in which he enlisted an associate to help sell a batch of gift cards with fraudulent proceeds after his initial arrest in the case. One of the defendants’ main “runners,” Yan Fu, 61, of Chino Hills, pled guilty and was previously sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.
“Transnational fraud schemes typically rely on complicated networks designed to launder victim proceeds,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the commitment of the department and our partners to ensuring that all those who knowingly facilitate fraud face justice.”
“The FBI and its partners are committed to going after networks that perpetuate fraud even when they are targeting the American people from thousands of miles away and over the phone,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Today’s sentencing should make it known to individuals that participate in this sort of illegal activity that they can expect to face the consequences of their actions.”
“HSI Los Angeles’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force will continue to aggressively target greedy criminals and organizations that seek to line their pockets by defrauding unsuspecting victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang for HSI Los Angeles. “The defendants’ desire for easy money will lead to them doing hard time.”
The Los Angeles Field Offices of Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and numerous local police departments across the United States, including the Brea Police Department, the La Palma Police Department, and the Menifee Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nakiah Twobear Eagle, age 27, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
The Indictment alleged that on August 30, 2022, Eagle knowingly possessed a .22 LR caliber pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, namely, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sherriff’s Office and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Eagle was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron Regarding the Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in BaltimoreRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron stated, “There is no evidence at this time to suggest that today’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has any ties to terrorism. My office will continue to coordinate with our federal, state, and local partners to provide any support necessary.” U.S. Attorney Barron added, “I am praying for the families and friends of the victims and everyone affected by this tragic event.”
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught on camera carjacking a truck in 2020 to 27 years in prison.
James Blakemore, now 37, was convicted by a jury at a November trial of three felonies: carjacking, possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Trial evidence and testimony showed that on Sept. 16, 2020, the victim was napping in his company’s 2016 Dodge Ram at the Convention Center MetroLink Station in downtown St. Louis when Blakemore opened his door and demanded the victim’s cash, phone and the truck at gunpoint.
Blakemore’s picture was captured by an in-car camera video recording and the truck’s location was trackable with a GPS device. When police arrived, a man jumped out of the stolen truck and ran away, but left a backpack behind with a pistol and both a debit card and EBT card in Blakemore’s name. Blakemore’s DNA was found in the truck and on the gun and the victim identified him in a photo lineup.
Trial exhibit.A sentencing memo filed by the government says Blakemore has a violent criminal history and continued to be violent while in jail awaiting trial. He has destroyed jail property and attacked a corrections officer and another inmate.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie Schneider and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
St. Albans Man Charged with Aggravated Identity Theft and FraudRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 14, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jonathan Whalley, 50, of St. Albans, Vermont, with aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud.
Whalley entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on March 20, 2024 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Whalley be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, a Burlington resident reported the theft of several of his identity documents from his vehicle in Burlington in March 2022. In April and May 2022, Whalley used that individual’s identifying information and identity documents to purchase six vehicles in the State of Georgia, finance and insure those vehicles, obtain Vermont vehicle registrations, open a bank account, and create a Gmail account to facilitate the fraud scheme.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Whalley is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Whalley faces a mandatory term of 2 years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, up to 20 years in prison on the wire and mail fraud charges, and up to 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles’ Enforcement and Safety Division (Investigative Section) and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Smith. Whalley is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Several MinorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Lewis Ismael Blandon, age 37, of Edgewood, Maryland, to 19 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce a visual depiction of the sexual conduct. Judge Maddox also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Blandon must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to his guilty plea between 2002 through 2006, Blandon sexually abused a minor victim who was 12 years old at the time the abuse began. Blandon coerced and enticed the victim to engage in the sexual conduct by using cell phone calls to arrange visits and using the chat feature on video games. In addition, between 2020 and 2021, Blandon used several different online accounts with social media companies to exploit his victims. Using a variety of aliases and handles on these platforms, Blandon communicated with several minor males, coercing and enticing them to produce sexually explicit images. Blandon admitted that he also sent images of his own genitalia to the minor males in order to cause them to reciprocate. Finally, Blandon also distributed commercially available child pornography on a messaging application to another user.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Jorden Booth-Hall, 32, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 17 and a half years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Booth-Hall took two images of a minor victim and sent them to other users of a messaging app. On his phone were multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Restaurant Owner Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Tax Violations That Cost the Government Almost $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Yong Chun (“Steven”) Guo, 57, of Wyomissing, PA, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr. to 30 months in federal prison for tax crimes. Guo was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,172,368 and a $95,000 fine.
Guo pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, a charge that arose from his use of a cash payroll at his family owned-and-operated restaurant to avoid paying the full amount of employment taxes due. Records seized from the restaurant pursuant to a search warrant showed that employees were paid wages by a combination of paycheck and cash. Records provided by Guo’s accountant showed that only the portion of the payroll that was paid by check was disclosed to Guo’s accountant. The IRS calculated that Guo’s restaurant failed to report on its Forms 941 more than $3.9 million of cash wages that he paid employees from the first quarter of 2013 through the first quarter of 2020, resulting in a payroll tax loss of approximately $444,899.
Guo also pled guilty to attempted tax evasion, a charge that arose from his failure to report cash skimmed from the restaurant on his Form 1040 returns for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018. The IRS calculated that Guo failed to report more than $2 million of income on his Forms 1040 for 2013 through 2018, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $727,469.
“Guo’s crimes cost the government more than a million dollars in tax revenue,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “They’re also a slap in the face to every honest taxpayer who does the right thing each year. As this case shows, we’re fully committed to prosecuting tax cheats who refuse to contribute their fair share. Bottom line: pay what you owe or prepare to pay some serious consequences.”
“Our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents work tirelessly, year-round, to investigate tax and financial crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Grigsby.
Ressortissant bahaméen inculpé et arrêté pour son rôle dans le complot de traite meurtrière d’êtres humainsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Aujourd’hui, dans le District sud de Floride, la confidentialité a été levée de la mise en accusation concernant un ressortissant bahaméen pour son rôle présumé dans un complot ayant entrainé de nombreuses pertes de vie.
À la suite d’une vaste coordination et coopération entre les autorités des États-Unis et des Bahamas, Vandrick Nelson Smith, alias Muggy et Vans, âgé de 33 ans, a été arrêté aux Bahamas le 6 mars en réponse à une demande des États-Unis portant sur des accusations déposées en novembre 2023 sous pli scellé dans le District sud de Floride.
Selon les pièces de la procédure, Smith aurait été impliqué dans une organisation de trafic d’êtres humains cherchant à faire venir des migrants par bateau depuis les Bahamas vers les États-Unis. Les migrants étaient des ressortissants de la Colombie, de la Jamaïque, de la République dominicaine, d’Haiti et d’autres pays. Les migrants (ou leurs familles et amis) auraient versé de l’argent à l’organisation pour être introduits en contrebande aux États-Unis. Comme décrit ici, la mise en accusation allègue que Smith avait été personnellement impliqué dans trois incidents de passage de clandestins par voie maritime, dont un ayant couté la vie à cinq personnes.
« Les entreprises de passage de clandestins mettent les vies en danger au nom du profit » a déclaré Markenzy Lapointe, procureur fédéral pour le District sud de Floride. « Les passeurs exploitent les espoirs pour une vie meilleure des migrants. Tragiquement, les agissements des passeurs mettent sérieusement en péril les migrants. Aux fins de protéger les migrants vulnérables et de sauver des vies, le parquet fédéral continuera à travailler avec ses partenaires pour poursuivre ceux qui font du trafic illicite d’êtres humains ».
« Vandrick Smith est accusé d’avoir organisé des opérations dangereuses de traite d’êtres humains, en envoyant des migrants par bateau depuis les Bahamas vers la Floride. Comme l’allègue la mise en accusation, les efforts de l’organisation de traite d’êtres humains se sont révélés meurtriers lorsqu’en janvier 2022 un bateau avec des migrants a chaviré » a déclaré Nicole Argentieri, la principale sous-procureure générale adjointe et la cheffe de la Division pénale du département de la Justice. « Les trafiquants d’êtres humains exploitent les gens désespérés pour l’argent et les conséquences peuvent être tragiques. La Division pénale est vouée au combat contre les organisations de traite d’êtres humains qui s’en prennent à et mettent en danger les migrants vulnérables où qu’elles opèrent ».
Smith aurait été impliqué dans trois instances de traite d’êtres humains par voie maritime vers le 6 mars 2021, le 22 janvier 2022 et le 8 aout 2022. La mise en accusation allègue que dans la soirée du 22 janvier 2022, aux Bahamas, de nombreux migrants sont montés à bord d’un vaisseau à destination de la Floride. Peu après le départ du vaisseau, les moteurs se seraient arrêtés et le vaisseau a chaviré. Le 25 janvier 2022, la Garde côtière des États-Unis a sauvé le seul survivant, accroché à la coque du vaisseau chaviré.
« La section des enquêtes de la sécurité intérieure est déterminée à travailler avec nos partenaires nationaux et internationaux pour traduire en justice les criminels imprudents qui accordent la priorité au gain financier sur les vies et la sécurité des personnes » a déclaré Anthony Salisbury, agent spécial responsable des enquêtes de la sécurité intérieure (HSI) à Miami. « Les risques associés aux opérations de traite des humains par voie maritime sont extrêmes. Nous exhortons le public à éviter de se lancer dans ces voyages avec des organisations criminelles dangereuses, lesquelles se soldent parfois par une tragédie ».
Suite à l’opération de janvier 2022 ayant entrainé des pertes de vies, cinq chefs d’accusation de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis ont été retenus contre Smith. Il est aussi accusé d’entente en vue de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis contre profit ; de mise en danger des vies d’étrangers ayant entrainé la mort ; de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis contre profit et de tentative d’aider et assister certains étrangers à entrer aux États-Unis. S’il est trouvé coupable de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis ayant entrainé la mort, Smith est passible d’une peine maximale de prison à vie.
HSI Fort Pierce et l’attaché adjoint de HSI à Nassau, aux Bahamas, ont enquêté sur le dossier avec l’aide de la Garde côtière des États-Unis, du bureau du sheriff du comté de Brevard et du service du médecin légiste du comté de Brevard. Le bureau des Affaires internationales du département de la Justice a apporté un appui important en matière des demandes d’entraide juridique internationale et les efforts menant à l’arrestation. Le département de la Justice remercie la Police royale des Bahamas, le ministère des Affaires étrangères des Bahamas, le Département de l’Immigration des Bahamas ainsi que le département des Poursuites pénales des Bahamas pour leur aide dans cette affaire.
L’enquête est menée dans le cadre du programme de la force de frappe extraterritoriale dite Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT), un partenariat entre la Division pénale du département de la Justice et le HSI. Le programme ECT se concentre sur les réseaux de traite d’êtres humains pouvant présenter un risque spécial pour la sécurité nationale ou à la sécurité du public ou qui sont une sérieuse source de préoccupation humanitaire. ECT dispose de ressources d’enquête, de renseignement et de poursuite dédiées. ECT coordonne et est assistée par d’autres organismes gouvernementaux américains et les services de détection et de répression étrangers.
La substitute du procureur Marie Zisa de la section des Droits de l’homme et de poursuites spéciales de la Division pénale ainsi que le procureur fédéral adjoint Justin Hoover du District sud de Floride poursuivent le dossier.
Une mise en accusation n’est qu’une allégation. Tous les accusés sont présumés innocents jusqu’à ce que leur culpabilité soit prouvée au-delà de tout doute raisonnable devant un tribunal.
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Ressortissant bahaméen inculpé et arrêté pour son rôle dans le complot de traite meurtrière d’êtres humainsRead the Press Release
Aujourd’hui, dans le District sud de Floride, la confidentialité a été levée de la mise en accusation concernant un ressortissant bahaméen pour son rôle présumé dans un complot ayant entrainé de nombreuses pertes de vie.
À la suite d’une vaste coordination et coopération entre les autorités des États-Unis et des Bahamas, Vandrick Nelson Smith, alias Muggy et Vans, âgé de 33 ans, a été arrêté aux Bahamas le 6 mars en réponse à une demande des États-Unis portant sur des accusations déposées en novembre 2023 sous pli scellé dans le District sud de Floride.
Selon les pièces de la procédure, Smith aurait été impliqué dans une organisation de trafic d’êtres humains cherchant à faire venir des migrants par bateau depuis les Bahamas vers les États-Unis. Les migrants étaient des ressortissants de la Colombie, de la Jamaïque, de la République dominicaine, d’Haiti et d’autres pays. Les migrants (ou leurs familles et amis) auraient versé de l’argent à l’organisation pour être introduits en contrebande aux États-Unis. Comme décrit ici, la mise en accusation allègue que Smith avait été personnellement impliqué dans trois incidents de passage de clandestins par voie maritime, dont un ayant couté la vie à cinq personnes.
« Vandrick Smith est accusé d’avoir organisé des opérations dangereuses de traite d’êtres humains, en envoyant des migrants par bateau depuis les Bahamas vers la Floride. Comme l’allègue la mise en accusation, les efforts de l’organisation de traite d’êtres humains se sont révélés meurtriers lorsqu’en janvier 2022 un bateau avec des migrants a chaviré » a déclaré Nicole Argentieri, la principale sous-procureure générale adjointe et la cheffe de la Division pénale du département de la Justice. « Les trafiquants d’êtres humains exploitent les gens désespérés pour l’argent et les conséquences peuvent être tragiques. La Division pénale est vouée au combat contre les organisations de traite d’êtres humains qui s’en prennent à et mettent en danger les migrants vulnérables où qu’elles opèrent ».
Smith aurait été impliqué dans trois instances de traite d’êtres humains par voie maritime vers le 6 mars 2021, le 22 janvier 2022 et le 8 aout 2022. La mise en accusation allègue que dans la soirée du 22 janvier 2022, aux Bahamas, de nombreux migrants sont montés à bord d’un vaisseau à destination de la Floride. Peu après le départ du vaisseau, les moteurs se seraient arrêtés et le vaisseau a chaviré. Le 25 janvier 2022, la Garde côtière des États-Unis a sauvé le seul survivant, accroché à la coque du vaisseau chaviré.
« Les entreprises de passage de clandestins mettent les vies en danger au nom du profit » a déclaré
Markenzy Lapointe, procureur fédéral pour le District sud de Floride. « Les passeurs exploitent les espoirs pour une vie meilleure des migrants. Tragiquement, les agissements des passeurs mettent sérieusement en péril les migrants. Aux fins de protéger les migrants vulnérables et de sauver des vies, le parquet fédéral continuera à travailler avec ses partenaires pour poursuivre ceux qui font du trafic illicite d’êtres humains ».
« La section des enquêtes de la sécurité intérieure est déterminée à travailler avec nos partenaires nationaux et internationaux pour traduire en justice les criminels imprudents qui accordent la priorité au gain financier sur les vies et la sécurité des personnes » a déclaré Anthony Salisbury, agent spécial responsable des enquêtes de la sécurité intérieure (HSI) à Miami. « Les risques associés aux opérations de traite des humains par voie maritime sont extrêmes. Nous exhortons le public à éviter de se lancer dans ces voyages avec des organisations criminelles dangereuses, lesquelles se soldent parfois par une tragédie ».
Suite à l’opération de janvier 2022 ayant entrainé des pertes de vies, cinq chefs d’accusation de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis ont été retenus contre Smith. Il est aussi accusé d’entente en vue de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis contre profit ; de mise en danger des vies d’étrangers ayant entrainé la mort ; de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis contre profit et de tentative d’aider et assister certains étrangers à entrer aux États-Unis. S’il est trouvé coupable de tentative de faire passer des étrangers aux États-Unis ayant entrainé la mort, Smith est passible d’une peine maximale de prison à vie.
HSI Fort Pierce et l’attaché adjoint de HSI à Nassau, aux Bahamas, ont enquêté sur le dossier avec l’aide de la Garde côtière des États-Unis, du bureau du sheriff du comté de Brevard et du service du médecin légiste du comté de Brevard. Le bureau des Affaires internationales du département de la Justice a apporté un appui important en matière des demandes d’entraide juridique internationale et les efforts menant à l’arrestation. Le département de la Justice remercie la Police royale des Bahamas, le ministère des Affaires étrangères des Bahamas, le Département de l’Immigration des Bahamas ainsi que le département des Poursuites pénales des Bahamas pour leur aide dans cette affaire.
L’enquête est menée dans le cadre du programme de la force de frappe extraterritoriale dite Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT), un partenariat entre la Division pénale du département de la Justice et le HSI. Le programme ECT se concentre sur les réseaux de traite d’êtres humains pouvant présenter un risque spécial pour la sécurité nationale ou à la sécurité du public ou qui sont une sérieuse source de préoccupation humanitaire. ECT dispose de ressources d’enquête, de renseignement et de poursuite dédiées. ECT coordonne et est assistée par d’autres organismes gouvernementaux américains et les services de détection et de répression étrangers.
La substitute du procureur Marie Zisa de la section des Droits de l’homme et de poursuites spéciales de la Division pénale ainsi que le procureur fédéral adjoint Justin Hoover du District sud de Floride poursuivent le dossier.
Une mise en accusation n’est qu’une allégation. Tous les accusés sont présumés innocents jusqu’à ce que leur culpabilité soit prouvée au-delà de tout doute raisonnable devant un tribunal.
Repeat drug trafficker gets significant sentenceRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas –A 63-year-old Pharr resident has been sentenced following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute 11 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gilberto Eloy Ramirez pleaded guilty Oct. 1, 2020.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Ramirez to serve a 262-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing his extensive criminal history including seven prior convictions for drug trafficking. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted Ramirez is a career offender who has spent a substantial amount of years in prison for his past crimes and yet continued to make poor choices.
In May 2019, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a Ramirez drove. He was found in possession of two plastic bags of cocaine in his pocket.
Law enforcement then searched his residence and property. They discovered multiple bricks of cocaine with a combined weight of 11 kilograms, a scale, plastic wrap, razor blades, heat seal bags and a loaded 9 mm caliber pistol.
Ramirez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Alexis Garcia and Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A 42-year-old Asheboro man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
According to court records, investigators following a cybertip found that in October 2022, a video of child pornography was distributed by an IP address associated with RICHARD WILSON ADKINS, JR., a sex offender registered in Randolph County. In December 2022, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) arrested ADKINS. Subsequent forensic analysis of ADKINS’ personal cell phone and a media platform used by ADKINS revealed more than 1,700 image files and nearly 2,000 video files of child pornography.
United States District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced ADKINS to a 120-month term of imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release. In addition, ADKINS was ordered to pay restitution totaling $98,000.00 and special assessments totaling $1,100.00. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on December 6, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security-Investigations, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K. P. Kennedy Gates.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Recidivist offender sentenced for firearm possessionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, on March 22, 2023, Richmond Police Department (RPD) detectives were patrolling an apartment complex in the 3400 block of Walmsley Boulevard following a recent homicide in the area. They observed Brandon Stephon Brown, 31, approach and quickly enter a breezeway. Brown reached into his pants and detectives saw a black handgun fall between Brown’s legs. The detectives detained Brown and recovered the 9mm handgun, which was loaded with a magazine containing 17 rounds, with an additional round in the chamber. The handgun was later determined to have been reported stolen.
At the time, Brown had four previous felony convictions, including robbery involving a firearm in 2012, two convictions in 2016 for possession of controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2017. As a previously convicted felon, Brown cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2023, and convicted at a bench trial by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr, on Nov. 15, 2023.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge Gibney.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-94.
Prominent Global Cryptocurrency Exchange KuCoin and Two of Its Founders Criminally Charged with Bank Secrecy Act and Unlicensed Money Transmission OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Darren McCormack, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment against global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin and two of its founders, CHUN GAN, a/k/a “Michael,” and KE TANG, a/k/a “Eric,” for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and conspiring to violate the Bank Secrecy Act by willfully failing to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering (“AML”) program designed to prevent KuCoin from being used for money laundering and terrorist financing, failing to maintain reasonable procedures for verifying the identity of customers, and failing to file any suspicious activity reports. KuCoin was also charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and a substantive violation of the Bank Secrecy Act. GAN and TANG remain at large.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As today’s Indictment alleges, KuCoin and its founders deliberately sought to conceal the fact that substantial numbers of U.S. users were trading on KuCoin’s platform. Indeed, KuCoin allegedly took advantage of its sizeable U.S. customer base to become one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency derivatives and spot exchanges, with billions of dollars of daily trades and trillions of dollars of annual trade volume. But financial institutions like KuCoin that take advantage of the unique opportunities available in the United States must also comply with U.S. law to help identify and drive out crime and corrupt financing schemes. KuCoin allegedly deliberately chose not to do so. As alleged, in failing to implement even basic anti-money laundering policies, the defendants allowed KuCoin to operate in the shadows of the financial markets and be used as a haven for illicit money laundering, with KuCoin receiving over $5 billion and sending over $4 billion of suspicious and criminal funds. Crypto exchanges like KuCoin cannot have it both ways. Today’s Indictment should send a clear message to other crypto exchanges: if you plan to serve U.S. customers, you must follow U.S. law, plain and simple.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren McCormack said: “Today, we exposed one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges for what our investigation has found it to truly be: an alleged multibillion-dollar criminal conspiracy. KuCoin grew to service over 30 million customers, despite its alleged failure to follow laws necessary to ensuring the security and stability of our world’s digital banking infrastructure. The defendants’ alleged pattern of skirting these vitally important laws has finally come to an end. I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to the mission.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and KuCoin’s statements on its website:[1]
FLASHDOT LIMITED, formerly known as “Phoenixfin Limited,” PEKEN GLOBAL LIMITED, and PHOENIXFIN PRIVATE LIMITED are three entities collectively doing business as global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin. GAN and TANG, among others, founded KuCoin in September 2017.
KuCoin solicited business from U.S. customers through its spot trading platform and, later, its futures trading platform, which was launched in July 2019. Since its founding in 2017, KuCoin has become one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchange platforms, with more than 30 million customers and billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency in daily trading volume. KuCoin’s website touts public rankings of cryptocurrency exchanges that place KuCoin in the top five worldwide. One of these public rankings listed KuCoin as the fourth largest cryptocurrency derivatives exchange and fifth largest cryptocurrency spot exchange. KuCoin, GAN, and TANG sought to serve, and have in fact served, numerous customers located in the United States and in the Southern District of New York.
As a result, at all relevant times, KuCoin has been a money transmitting business required to register with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) and, since July 2019, has been a futures commission merchant required to register with the U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). As a money transmitting business and a futures commission merchant, KuCoin is required to comply with the applicable Bank Secrecy Act provisions requiring maintenance of an adequate AML program, including customer identity verification, or know-your-customer (“KYC”) processes. AML and KYC programs ensure that financial institutions, such as KuCoin, are not used for illicit purposes, including money laundering.
GAN, TANG, and KuCoin were aware of their U.S. AML obligations but willfully chose to flout those requirements. KuCoin failed, for example, to implement an adequate KYC program. Indeed, until at least July 2023, KuCoin did not require customers to provide any identifying information. It was only in July 2023, after KuCoin was notified of a federal criminal investigation into its activities, that KuCoin belatedly adopted a KYC program for new customers. However, this KYC process applied to new customers only and did not apply to KuCoin’s millions of existing customers, including the substantial number of customers based in the United States. KuCoin also never filed any required suspicious activity reports, never registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant, and, through at least the end of 2023, never registered with FinCEN as a money transmitting business.
In fact, GAN, TANG, and KuCoin affirmatively attempted to conceal the existence of KuCoin’s U.S. customers in order to make it appear as if KuCoin was exempt from U.S. AML and KYC requirements. Despite the fact that KuCoin gathered and tracked location information for its customers, KuCoin actively prevented its U.S. customers from identifying themselves as such when opening KuCoin accounts. And KuCoin lied to at least one investor, in 2022, about where its customers were located, falsely representing that it had no U.S. customers when, in truth, KuCoin had a substantial U.S. customer base. In fact, in a number of social media posts, KuCoin actively marketed itself to U.S. customers as an exchange where they could trade without having to undergo KYC. For example, KuCoin stated in an April 2022 message on Twitter that “KYC is not supported to USA users, however, it is not mandatory on KuCoin to do KYC. Usual transactions can be done using an unverified account-”
As a result of KuCoin’s willful failures to maintain the required AML and KYC programs, KuCoin has been used as a vehicle to launder large sums of criminal proceeds, including proceeds from darknet markets and malware, ransomware, and fraud schemes. Since its founding in 2017, KuCoin has received over $5 billion, and sent over $4 billion, of suspicious and criminal proceeds. Many KuCoin customers used its trading platform specifically because of the anonymity of the services it provided. In other words, KuCoin’s no-KYC policy was integral to its growth and success.
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GAN, 34, and TANG, 39, both citizens of China, are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Bank Secrecy Act and one count of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
FLASHDOT LIMITED, an entity incorporated in the Cayman Islands; PEKEN GLOBAL LIMITED, an entity incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles; and PHOENIXFIN PRIVATE LIMITED, an entity incorporated in Singapore, together d/b/a “KuCoin,” are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Bank Secrecy Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of violating the Bank Secrecy Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force. Mr. Williams further thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which today filed a parallel civil action against KuCoin.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and David R. Felton are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are 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.
Pascagoula Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Pascagoula man pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Kiiyas Lett, 32, was pulled over in a traffic stop on September 5, 2023, in Jackson County, Mississippi. Agents obtained verbal consent to search the vehicle. They located and seized a Ruger LCP .380 handgun, found between the driver’s seat and the center console. Lett was previously convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Lott will be sentenced on July 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Pascagoula Police Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Parker Man Indicted for Economic Injury and Disaster Loan and Payroll Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Tarek Kassem, 63, of Parker, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from March 2020 and through at least March 2023, the defendant applied for and received more than $1.4 million dollars in Small Business Association (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and more than $300,000 in Payroll Protection Program (PPP) funds under three business names. These applications contained a number of false and fraudulent certifications and representations, including representations that funds would be used to pay eligible business expenses, when, in fact, the bulk of the proceeds were used for the defendant’s personal benefit. The defendant also applied for, and obtained, unemployment benefits in the State of Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created the PPP, a program administered by the SBA that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules. Additionally, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The defendant made his initial appearance on March 26, 2024, before Chief Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cassidy.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Orange Park Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing over 5 Kilos of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Peterson Fils-Aime (37, Orange Park) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing over 5 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Fils-Aime entered a guilty plea on December 12, 2023.
According to court records, Fils-Aime was the subject of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation in 2022. DEA agents had received information that on June 3, 2022, Fils-Aime would be transporting large amounts of cocaine in Jacksonville in the St. Johns Bluff area. Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on Fils-Aime’s car. An FHP canine unit alerted to the presence of drugs inside Fils-Aime’s car and troopers recovered approximately seven kilograms of cocaine from inside the car. DEA agents interviewed Fils-Aime who admitted that he was on his way to deliver the cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
Oklahoma Man with History of Domestic Abuse Convictions Sentenced to 27 Months in Felon-in-Possession CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 21, 2024, Kewon Yarbrough, 38, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Yarbrough previously pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing a firearm after having been convicted of an offense punishable by more than one year in prison.
According to court records, Yarbrough’s criminal history included 7 prior felony convictions, one of which was for a domestic violence offense in Oklahoma. His history also included an Oklahoma misdemeanor conviction for a domestic violence offense. In addition, in 2013, the State of Oklahoma prosecuted him for three felony and one misdemeanor domestic violence offenses. The misdemeanor case resulted in a conviction for violation of a protective order. The felony cases were dismissed for lack of participation by a prosecution witness, but the alleged felony conduct precipitated the revocation of previously suspended sentencing, resulting in a 5-year prison sentence.
Court records also show the State of Oklahoma issued domestic abuse protective orders, brought by four different women, against Yarbrough in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2016. More recently, the State of Oklahoma charged Yarbrough in 2019 and 2022 with felony Domestic Abuse by Strangulation. According to Oklahoma court records, the 2019 case was dismissed for a prosecution witness’s failure to appear, and the 2022 case was dismissed without a reason listed on the docket.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Killington Police Department; and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith. Yarbrough was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Ohio Man Indicted for Concealing His Involvement in the Rwandan GenocideRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ohio man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for a nearly three-decade scheme to conceal his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left more than 800,000 people dead. The defendant was also charged with obstruction of justice and perjury for allegedly offering false testimony in the 2019 Boston trial of convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator Jean Leonard Teganya.
It is alleged that the defendant participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete.
Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, a/k/a Eric Tabaro Nshimiyimana, 52, of Uniontown, Ohio, was indicted on four counts of perjury; one count of obstruction of justice; and one count of engaging in a scheme to conceal material information from federal authorities. Nshimiye was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 21, 2024. Following an initial appearance in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio, Nshimiye was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 31, 2024. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Nshimiye was a medical student at the University of Rwanda campus in Butare, Rwanda in the early 1990s. At that time, the country had significant ethnic division: about 85% of its population were Hutus, and about 14% were Tutsis. Both Nshimiye and Teganya were well-known student members of the MRND political party, the ruling Hutu-dominated party that incited the genocide, and the Interahamwe, the notoriously violent youth wing of that movement. According to court documents, in the spring of 1994, after the Hutu president’s plane was shot down over Kigali, the country spiraled into one of the worst ethnic genocides in modern history. Members of the Hutu majority murdered approximately 800,000 Tutsis, including women and children, in a 100-day frenzy.
It is alleged that Nshimiye participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete. The charging documents allege specific instances of Nshimiye’s criminal conduct, including his murders of a 14-year-old boy and of a man who sewed doctor’s coats at the university hospital. Witnesses in Rwanda recently identified the locations of the killings and drew pictures of Nshimiye’s weapons. It is further alleged that Nshimiye both participated in and aided and abetted the rape of numerous Tutsi women during the genocide.
According to the charging documents, Nshimiye fled Rwanda in the summer of 1994, after an attacking Tutsi rebel group drove genocidaires into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nshimiye made his way to Kenya where, in 1995, he allegedly lied to U.S. immigration officials to gain admission to the United States as a refugee. Nshimiye emigrated to Ohio and, in subsequent years, allegedly continued to provide false information about his involvement in the Rwandan genocide to obtain lawful permanent residence and ultimately U.S. citizenship. By allegedly concealing his crimes, Nshimiye has lived and worked in Ohio since 1995.
In 2017, the United States charged Teganya with fraudulently seeking asylum in the United States by similarly concealing his membership in the MRND and his involvement in the genocide. When called to testify at trial on Teganya’s behalf in 2019, Nshimiye said that neither he nor Teganya participated in the genocide. Teganya was ultimately convicted of two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury in April 2019. The complaint alleges that Nshimiye assisted Teganya in obstructing justice at Teganya’s trial and falsely testifying about Teganya’s involvement in the MRND. It is also alleged that Nshimiye perjured himself when he denied his own membership in the MRND and Interahamwe.
The charging document also alleges that Nshimiye made false statements to federal agents when he was recently interviewed about his activities before coming to the United States and about the documents he signed to obtain citizenship. In response to questions, Nshimiye allegedly continued to make false statements to conceal his involvement in the genocide.
The charge of falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Each count of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, 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 that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Shawn S. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center, the Copley, Ohio Police Department and the Summit County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Amanda Beck of the National Security Unit 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.
New York Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Attempted Bank FraudRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Bronx, N.Y., man, John Sapienza, 60, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 38 months in prison, for aggravated identity theft and attempted bank fraud.
According to his plea agreement, from January 6 through January 11, 2023, Sapienza and Tyshawn Wilson, his co-defendant, travelled to multiple bank locations between New York and Kentucky, attempting to withdraw money from customer accounts. They used counterfeit identifications that bore Sapienza’s photograph, but with the identifying information of the account holder. Wilson aided and abetted Sapienza by driving him to and from bank locations to execute the identity theft and fraud scheme. On January 11, 2023, Sapienza and Wilson were arrested by officers with the Fort Thomas Police Department, after attempting to execute the scheme at multiple bank locations within the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Wilson was sentenced on March 14, 2023 and he received 44 months in prison.
Under federal law, Sapienza and Wilson must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will each be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Casey Kilgore, Fort Thomas Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Fort Thomas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by FelonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Friday, March 8, 2024, CURTIS SQUIRE, age 27, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
On February 27, 2024, SQUIRE allegedly did knowingly possess a firearm having previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, SQUIRE is accused of possessing a Glock Model 23C, .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition, said firearm and ammunition having been in and affecting interstate commerce.
If convicted, squire faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 case was investigated Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 8, 2024, PAUL WILSON, age 23, of New Orleans, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
On February 27, 2024, WILSON allegedly did knowingly possess a firearm having previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, WILSON is accused of possessing a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition, said firearm and ammunition having been in and affecting interstate commerce. If convicted, WILSON faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Armed Bank Robbery and Attempted CarjackingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Friday, March 8, 2024, JOSEPH CARSICE, age 38, of New Orleans, was charged in a five-count indictment for armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and attempted carjacking.
On December 15, 2023, CARSICE allegedly robbed a branch of the Hancock Whitney Bank, while brandishing a firearm. CARSICE is also alleged to have attempted to carjack three separate vehicles, a 2016 Toyota Prius, 2010 Toyota Camry, and a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado.
In Count 1 of the indictment, CARSICE is charged with armed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sections 2113(a) and 2113(d). If convicted of Count 1, Carsice faces up to 25 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. In Count 2, CARSICE is charged with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). If convicted of Count 2, CARSICE faces up to 7 years imprisonment, to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. In Counts 3 through 5, CARSICE is charged with attempted carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). If convicted of Counts 3 through 5, CARSICE faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count charged in this indictment, CARSICE also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that BRIAN REED was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Phillip M. Halpern for attempted enticement of a minor. The sentencing today followed REED’s guilty plea on October 23, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Brian Reed’s actions demonstrate the depths of depravity and danger potentially lurking in the digital realm that connects us all. Let this sentencing serve as a reminder that this Office will harness every tool at our disposal to hold accountable those who prey on and exploit our youth.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
On May 26, 2022, an investigator with the Rockland County’s District Attorney’s Office (“Investigator-1), who was working in an undercover capacity and posing as a 13-year-old girl on an online platform, engaged in text communications with REED. Investigator-1 told REED that she was 13 years old. During the communications, REED requested sexually explicit photos of Investigator-1 and asked her to meet with him to have sex. REED described the sexual things he wanted to do to Investigator-1 and, when she asked if he was “ok w my age,” REED responded, “Yes of course.” REED made a plan to meet Investigator-1 on the evening of May 26, 2022, in Rockland County, New York. That morning, REED told her, “Im going to make you moan so loud you are going to feel amazing” and instructed, “You should wear something thats easy to take off.”
On May 26, 2022, REED drove from New Jersey to Rockland County to have sex with the purported 13-year-old. When he arrived at the designated meeting location, he was arrested.
Previously, on October 17, 2016, REED was convicted in Morris County Superior Court in New Jersey of endangering the welfare of a child through sexual conduct. As a result of this conviction, on February 17, 2017, REED was sentenced to three years in prison and required to register as a sex offender.
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In addition to the prison term, REED, 36, of Franklin, New Jersey, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rockland County Sherriff’s Office, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, the Clarkstown Police Department, and the Orangetown Police Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Resident Admits Making False Statements During Citizenship ProcessRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that MOHAMED NAJM KAMASH, also known as Mohamed Najm Mohamed Ali Kamash, 33, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to making a false statement in a naturalization proceeding.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kamash is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., having immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 2014. On August 17, 2021, Kamash appeared in Hartford for a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) interview about his pending Application of Naturalization (Form N-400), and was placed under oath. During the interview with a USCIS agent, Kamash knowingly and falsely stated that he did not know anyone involved with a terrorist organization and that no member of his family was involved with a terrorist organization.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Kamash faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Kamash was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 5, 2022. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Doherty and Konstantin Lantsman.
New Castle Resident Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Crack Cocaine Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sahire Walker was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for committing crack cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Walker, age 45, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone. Judge Cercone ordered Walker to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Walker previously pled guilty in this case to committing the following crimes on June 4, 2020: (1) possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, and (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Prior to imposing the sentence, the Court was informed that Walker possessed crack cocaine with intent to distribute, and a loaded pistol, inside the rental vehicle he was operating on June 4, 2020, at 1:00 a.m., in New Castle, Pennsylvania. As of that date, he had five prior drug trafficking convictions over the preceding 15 years.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The New Castle Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this 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 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.
Navy sailor pleads guilty after trying to arrange sex acts with a 10-year-oldRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. - A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to attempting to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, on Jan. 17, Petty Officer First Class Vicente Muniz, Jr, 35, contacted a person he believed was the father of a 10-year-old child through a social media app. Muniz set up a meeting to engage in sex acts with the child. Muniz explained that he was supposed to meet another minor that day, but the minor stopped responding. Later that day, when Muniz attempted to meet with the purported parent and 10-year-old, he was arrested by law enforcement.
Muniz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Montoya and Anthony Marek are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-8.
N.Y. Man Who Traveled to Lynchburg to Meet 14-year-old for Sex Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A New York man, who drove 8 hours to attempt to have sex with a 14-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia girl with whom he had been chatting online, pled guilty yesterday.
Derrick Loi, 27, of Lakeville, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of coercion and enticement. At sentencing, Loi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, as well as a potential fine of up to $250,000.
“Protecting minors from online predators is a cornerstone priority for the Department of Justice,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Lynchburg Police Department for their swift actions in this case and preventing a more dire situation.”
“This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the American people, especially when our children involved,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today. “I want to thank the case team and our law enforcement partners for their quick and decisive actions.”
According to court documents, in early February 2023, Loi met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg on Twitter (now known as X), and, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2023, began chatting with her on Discord. Loi told the young girl not only was he was interested in buying sexually explicit images and videos of her, but also wanted to meet her in person to have sex.
Ultimately, Loi agreed to pay the victim $300 to have sex and to provide sexually explicit images.
Loi and the victim agreed that Loi would become the victim’s “sugar daddy” and that he would get unlimited access to sexually-explicit content of the victim for a weekly fee of $50, which would increase to $100 after the first month. On February 15, 2023, Loi sent the victim a payment in line with that agreement.
On February 22, 2023, Loi and the victim began discussing plans for Loi to travel to meet the victim, including a discussion on specific sex acts and how he would film them.
After reserving a hotel room in Lynchburg, Loi chatted periodically with the young girl throughout his 8-hour drive from New York and also took time to send her a picture of items that he brought for their sexual encounter.
Just as Loi arrived at the pre-arranged location, an officer from the Lynchburg Police Department drove up and began questioning Loi. Initially, Loi provided a false name and lied to law enforcement about why he was in Lynchburg.
A subsequent search of Loi’s vehicle revealed sex toys, a box of the morning-after pill Plan B, and the bottle of pink vodka from an earlier photo that Loi had sent to the victim. The trunk of the car contained a large yellow plastic storage bag and was lined with a vinyl or rubber shower liner, on top of which sat a flattened cardboard box.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Minnesota Man Who Stole $149,000 from Elderly Victim as Power of Attorney Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hamilton Girard, age 65, of Stillwater, Minnesota, was sentenced March 19, 2024, to 4 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud and fined $10,000.
Evidence in the case revealed that in February 2020, Girard was designated power of attorney for an elderly person diagnosed with early onset dementia. Girard used his position as power of attorney to misappropriate approximately $149,000 of the victim’s funds. Girard signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit, including the installation of a pool.
Girard was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 4 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He was ordered to make $115,171.40 in restitution to the victim. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Girard was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal a date yet to be set.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3015.
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Mescalero Man Sentenced for 2022 AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge has handed down a 9-year prison sentence to a Mescalero man after he pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in a case stemming from a brutal attack on the Mescalero Apache reservation in 2022. Upon his release from prison, Dennett Jerome Chee, 37, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will be subject to three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to publicly available court records, on May 20, 2022, John Doe was at a friend’s house on the Mescalero Apache reservation. Chee and another man arrived at the house later, and upon entering, they attacked John Doe, repeatedly striking him in the face and back. At some point during the assault, John Doe lost consciousness, and the attack ceased.
Upon regaining consciousness, John Doe walked back home, where his mother then called the police. He was taken via ambulance to the Lincoln County Medical Center and later transferred to the University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, due to significant injuries. Doe remained hospitalized for nearly a week, recovering from injuries that included a bilateral orbital wall fracture, hemorrhaging in the left maxillary sinus and left ethmoid air cells, and a compression fracture of the T12 vertebrae.
Following the assault, police encountered Chee and the other man walking together along the road away from the residence. Chee was carrying a wooden object resembling a baseball bat. Upon making contact, the officer chased Chee, eventually apprehending him and taking him into custody.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuted the case.
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Maryland MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a MurderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Jose Lainez Martinez, age 29, an El Salvadoran national residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, yesterday to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Lainez Martinez pleaded guilty to his participation in a racketeering conspiracy, including a murder, related to his activities as part of the MS-13 gang.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in the plea agreement, from at least January 2020, Lainez Martinez was a member or associate of the MS-13 Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique and agreed with members of MS-13 to conduct and participate in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity that included murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and drug distribution. Lainez Martinez admitted that, to assist the gang to raise money, he participated in the sale of marijuana and the collection of extortion money from brothels and other businesses, providing the proceeds to gang leadership.
In the Spring of 2020, a MS-13 member, who was a former roommate of Victim 20, was assaulted by Victim 20 and others because they believed the MS-13 member had stolen property from Victim 20. After being told of the assault, MS-13 members indicated that the gang would have to retaliate against Victim 20 to maintain its standing. MS-13 gang members also believed that Victim 20 was associated with the rival 18th Street gang, which was another sufficient reason to kill him.
According to the plea agreement, the night of May 25, 2020, LAINEZ MARTINEZ and other MS-13 gang members gathered in a park in Silver Spring, Maryland. During that meeting, participants in the meeting discussed the plan to murder of Victim 20, which was scheduled to happen the morning of May 26, 2020.
As detailed in court documents, on May 26, 2020, at approximately 7:05 a.m., two FLS MS-13 gang members approached Victim 20 as he left his apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland and fired handguns at him repeatedly, hitting him eight times and killing him.
Following the murder, Lainez Martinez and co-defendant Oscar Efrain Zavala Urrea traveled to Annapolis where they met a third MS-13 gang member. Lainez Martinez and Zavala Urrea changed their clothes and disposed of the old clothing. They gave the third gang member a backpack containing two firearms for safe keeping. A few days later, Maryland State Police stopped the third gang member who had the backpack containing the two firearms.
Last week, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced co-defendant Oscar Efrain Zavala Urrea, age 23, an El Salvadoran national residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison for his participation in the racketeering conspiracy.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron commended the FBI, HSI, Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Anatoly Smolkin, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Los Angeles Trio Sentenced for Laundering Gift Cards Purchased by Victims of Telephone ScamsRead the Press Release
A California man and two Chinese nationals were sentenced today to 15, 10 and eight years in prison, respectively, for laundering gift cards purchased by telephone-scam fraud victims at Target stores across the United States.
According to court documents, Blade Bai, 35, of El Monte, Bowen Hu, 28, of Hacienda Heights, California, and Tairan Shi, 29, of Diamond Bar, California, were part of a network of individuals who laundered proceeds of fraud stored on Target gift cards. Telephone scammers fraudulently induced victims across the country to buy gift cards, often $500 each, and to provide the card numbers and access codes to the scammers. The scammers included government imposters falsely claiming to be police and other government personnel and retail and tech support impersonators falsely offering to fix nonexistent issues with the victims’ online account or computer.
The defendants acquired more than 5,000 gift card numbers and access codes from a group in the People’s Republic of China calling itself the “Magic Lamp,” and funneled the gift cards to “runners” to liquidate at Target stores in southern California. Those runners, at the defendants’ direction, would quickly use the cards to purchase high-value consumer electronics and conduct other transactions. The rapid transactions prevented Target from recouping the value on the cards for the original victim-purchasers.
A jury convicted the defendants of a money laundering conspiracy that spanned from approximately June 2019 to November 2020. The jury also convicted Bai of a second money laundering conspiracy, in which he enlisted an associate to help sell a batch of gift cards with fraudulent proceeds after his initial arrest in the case. One of the defendants’ main “runners,” Yan Fu, 61, of Chino Hills, California, pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.
“Transnational fraud schemes typically rely on complicated networks designed to launder victim proceeds,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the commitment of the department and our partners to ensuring that all those who knowingly facilitate fraud face justice.”
“These defendants were part of a sophisticated, transnational fraud operation that targeted mostly older adults to cheat them out of their savings,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Protecting our most vulnerable community members is critically important, and we will hold accountable those who reach into our country to engage in these sorts of egregious fraud schemes.”
“The FBI and its partners are committed to going after networks that perpetuate fraud even when they are targeting the American people from thousands of miles away and over the phone,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Today’s sentencing should make it known to individuals that participate in this sort of illegal activity that they can expect to face the consequences of their actions.”
“HSI Los Angeles’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force will continue to aggressively target greedy criminals and organizations that seek to line their pockets by defrauding unsuspecting victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang for HSI Los Angeles. “The defendants’ desire for easy money will lead to them doing hard time.”
Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and the FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and numerous local police departments across the United States, including the Brea Police Department, La Palma Police Department and Menifee Police Department. The El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force is part of HSI’s National El Dorado Task Force Initiative and is a multi-agency task force comprised of federal and state investigators focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica E. Tait for the Central District of California and Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Jair Cisneros-Gomez, 25, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, to 30 years in prison, for production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on February 14, 2023, a witness contacted law enforcement after discovering videos of Cisneros-Gomez sexually abusing a minor victim. Cisneros-Gomez admitted to law enforcement that he sexually abused the minor and he produced videos of the sexual abuse on his cellphone.
Under federal law, Cisneros-Gomez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice 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 as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Laveen Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Abusive Sexual Contact of a MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Fred Damien Acunia, 27, of Laveen, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 188 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release.
Between November 26, 2020, and November 25, 2021, Acunia engaged in sexual contact with the victim, who was under the age of 12 years old at the time of the offense. Acunia pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor on August 14, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raynette Logan and Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01692-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-038_Acunia# # #
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.Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to $30M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits and genetic tests that were ineligible for reimbursement and procured by paying illegal kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, Robert M. Clark, 29, of Pompano Beach, was the figurehead owner of Clear Choice Diagnostics Inc. (Clear Choice). Clark and his co-conspirators, including the true owner of Clear Choice, purchased Medicare Beneficiary Identification numbers without lawful authority and then used those numbers to bill Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits. Clark and his co-conspirators also paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to marketers in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries for genetic tests. In total, Clark and his co-conspirators caused Clear Choice to submit approximately $30 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for these tests, of which Medicare paid approximately $15 million.
Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, to pay illegal health care kickbacks, and to purchase Medicare Beneficiary Identification numbers without lawful authority. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney S. Babu Kaza of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of $14 Million Manhattan Apartments Purchased with Proceeds of Mongolian Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleging that two apartments located in New York City were purchased for $14 million with the proceeds from an international corruption scheme and are subject to forfeiture based on violations of federal money laundering statutes.
“As alleged in the complaint, Sukhbataar Batbold — the former prime minister of Mongolia — abused his position as prime minister to profit from the sale of his country’s natural resources,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He and his family used the proceeds of their corrupt scheme to buy $14 million in high-end real estate in the United States. With this action, those properties are subject to forfeiture. Kleptocrats should take note: the Criminal Division is unwavering in its resolve to recover proceeds of official corruption and take the profit out of crime.”
The civil forfeiture complaint alleges that Sukhbaatar Batbold, who previously served as Prime Minister of Mongolia and is a current member of Mongolia’s parliament, used his position as prime minister to award lucrative contracts to sell copper concentrates from a Mongolian state controlled mine to entities that were owned and controlled by his known associates or his son. These intermediaries, who had little to no experience in the copper trade, played no part in providing financing for the purchase of the copper concentrates or in arranging the sale or shipment of the commodities. They simply concealed the fact that Batbold and his family were violating Mongolian anti-corruption laws by benefiting from the sale of millions of dollars’ worth of Mongolian natural resources.
“As alleged, former Mongolian Prime Minister Batbold used high-end New York City real estate as a cover for his illicit corruption scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s forfeiture action sends a message that criminal activity is never included in the homeowner’s agreement. My office will not tolerate public corruption that undermines faith in government, wherever committed.”
“While he was Prime Minister of Mongolia, the defendant allegedly used corrupt funds and a sophisticated money laundering scheme to purchase two luxury New York apartments,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Make no mistake, the FBI is dedicated to identifying assets gained through corruption and working with our partners to recover the funds, no matter how obscured.”
FBI New York’s International Corruption Squad is investigating the case.
Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara McGrath and Brian Morris for the Eastern District of New York are handing the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. In 2015, the FBI formed International Corruption Squads across the country to address national and international implications of foreign corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] (link sends e-mail) or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
A civil complaint is merely an allegation. The government has the burden of establishing the assets are subject to forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence.