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Thursday 8 February 2024
Sở Tư Pháp Ký Thỏa Thuận Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng tại Tiểu Bang WashingtonRead the Press Release
Sở Tư Pháp hôm nay công bố thỏa thuận để giải quyết cáo buộc rằng Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng của Quận King (KCSO), Washington phân biệt đối xử với những người có khả năng Tiếng Anh hạn chế (LEP), vi phạm Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền Năm 1964.
Theo các điều khoản của thỏa thuận, KCSO đã đồng ý thực hiện một số bước để cải thiện việc tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho các cá nhân LEP. Tiêu Đề VI cấm phân biệt chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia (bao gồm cả phân biệt đối xử dựa trên khả năng sử dụng Tiếng Anh) bởi các tổ chức nhận hỗ trợ tài chính từ liên bang.
“Sở Tư Pháp cam kết đảm bảo rằng các cơ quan thi hành pháp luật của chúng ta có khả năng bảo vệ và phục vụ tất cả mọi người trong cộng đồng của họ, bao gồm cả tội phạm, bất kể khả năng sử dụng Tiếng Anh của họ,” Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý Kristen Clarke của Sở Tư Pháp đã nói. “Thỏa thuận dàn xếp này sẽ nâng cao an ninh công cộng và cải thiện việc cung cấp dịch vụ ngôn ngữ cho những người có khả năng sử dụng Tiếng Anh hạn chế ở Quận King.”
“Thỏa thuận hôm nay với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận King giúp tạo dựng niềm tin trong cộng đồng,” Công Tố Viên Hoa Kỳ Tessa M. Gorman tại Quận Tây Washington cho biết. “Tôi rất vui mừng là ngay sau khi vấn đề được đưa ra cho Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng, cơ quan này nhận ra rằng cần phải cải thiện chính sách về việc tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và ngay lập tức đồng ý thực hiện các thay đổi.”
Thỏa thuận ngày hôm nay ghi chi tiết một kế hoạch kéo dài hai năm để áp dụng một loạt các hỗ trợ tiếp cận ngôn ngữ nhằm cải thiện giao tiếp giữa các cảnh sát viên của KCSO và các cá nhân LEP. Theo thỏa thuận, KCSO đã đồng ý thuê một quản lý chương trình tiếp cận ngôn ngữ; xây dựng các chỉ thị tạm thời và cuối cùng để cấm sử dụng trẻ em, gia đình, người ngoài cuộc và những người khác không đủ điều kiện nhận hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ; thực hiện hoạt động tiếp xúc các thành viên cộng đồng và các bên liên quan; phát triển một chương trình đào tạo thiết thực và đảm bảo quy trình khiếu nại dễ tiếp cận.
Sở Tư Pháp bắt đầu tiếp xúc với KCSO sau khi một tổ chức cộng đồng nêu ra lo ngại về một sự việc giữa một Nhân Viên Cảnh Sát KCSO và một cư dân LEP. Sở Tư Pháp đã cung cấp hỗ trợ kỹ thuật cho KCSO, kết quả là có thỏa thuận dàn xếp này.
Thỏa thuận này đã được đàm phán chung bởi Phòng Dân Quyền và Văn Phòng Công Tố Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Tây Washington.
Thỏa thuận này là một phần của Sáng Kiến Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ Hành Pháp (LELAI) của sở, một nỗ lực quốc gia để hỗ trợ các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật vượt qua các rào cản ngôn ngữ trong công việc hằng ngày. Sáng kiến này, do Phòng Dân Quyền dẫn đầu và phối hợp với Văn Phòng Công Tố Hoa Kỳ, cung cấp các nguồn lực hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và công cụ có thể giúp cơ quan thực thi pháp luật cấp tiểu bang và địa phương cung cấp khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho các cá nhân LEP, tích cực hợp tác với các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật muốn rà soát, cập nhật và/hoặc củng cố các chính sách, kế hoạch và đào tạo về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của họ, và củng cố mối liên kết giữa các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật và các bên liên quan của cộng đồng LEP và những nhóm dân số đó LEP.
Thông tin thêm về Phòng Dân Quyền có trên trang web của cơ quan này tại địa chỉ www.justice.gov/crt và thông tin về khả năng sử dụng Tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu Đề VI có tại www.lep.gov. Các thông tin khác về LELAI có tại www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Công chúng có thể báo cáo các trường hợp có khả năng vi phạm về dân quyền tại civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Stewardson, Illinois, Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Stewardson, Illinois, woman, Julie R. Williams, 54, pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024, to four counts of wire fraud. Sentencing for Williams has been scheduled on June 10, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
In court before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, Williams admitted to stealing money from her former employer, Charleston-Mattoon-based Apex Property Management, from October 2014 through February 2016. Williams further admitted to making materially false entries into the company’s software system to conceal her thefts.
Williams remains on bond pending sentencing.
Williams faces statutory penalties of up to 80 years’ imprisonment; up to a $1,000,000 fine; and up to a twelve-year term of supervised release.
The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Mattoon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Ritzer and William Lynch are representing the government in the prosecution.
Seminole County 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 Rian Reid Miller, age 22, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a federal crime of violence.
The Indictment alleged that on April 29, 2023, Miller knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during an assault on the victim. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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. Miller was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States.
Schoharie County Man Sentenced to 188 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John C. Hotaling, age 62, of Esperance, New York, was sentenced today to serve 188 months (15 years and eight months) in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James.
As part of his earlier guilty plea on the eve of trial, Hotaling admitted that in 2020, he possessed child pornography images, some of which he created by photoshopping the faces of children onto nude adult bodies engaged in sexually explicit conduct, a process known as “morphing.” Hotaling was on supervised release at the time for a 2009 conviction for engaging in the same conduct. He also admitted to violating his terms and conditions of supervised release and was sentenced to an additional 12 months in prison for the supervised release violation. United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby ordered Hotaling to serve the 12 months consecutively to the 188-month term imposed for new criminal conduct.
Judge Suddaby also imposed a life term of supervised release to begin upon Hotaling’s completion of his prison term, and ordered Hotaling to forfeit the laptop he used to commit the offenses. Hotaling must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the New York State Police and the United States Probation Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer, Ashlyn Miranda and Rick Bellis prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
San Jose Man Charged in Alleged Conspiracy to Steal High-End Bicycles in Bay Area for Resale in MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury has indicted Victoriano Romero, charging him with conspiracy and related charges in connection with an alleged scheme to steal high-end performance bicycles from residents in the Bay Area and transport the bicycles to Mexico for resale.
According to the indictment, filed January 23, 2024, and unsealed earlier today, Romero, 53, from San Jose, participated in a complex international fencing operation that involved stealing bicycles from homes in San Francisco and Redwood City, Calif., during nighttime burglaries, and then transporting the stolen bicycles to Jalisco, Mexico, for resale. The indictment alleges Romero owns an automotive shop in San Jose where he received the stolen bicycles, took pictures of them, disassembled them, packaged them for delivery, and then had them transported to a co-conspirator in Mexico. Romero allegedly sent the pictures to his co-conspirator who used the pictures for online advertisements to sell the bicycles. Further, the indictment alleges Romero received a share of the profits from the international bicycle fencing scheme.
The indictment contains a description of nine of the bicycles that were stolen between April 2020 and April 2021. The bicycles, ranging in value from $3,000 to $9,000, included notable manufacturers such as a Serotta Titanium bicycle, a Bulls Grinder Evo bicycle, and a Cervelo C3 Carbon bicycle.
The indictment also describes additional details about the participation of Romero’s alleged co-conspirator in the scheme. For example, the indictment alleges the unindicted co-conspirator posted pictures of the stolen bicycles on a Facebook sales page using a virtual private network (or similar method) so that only persons in Mexico could see that the bicycles were for sale. In addition, the indictment describes how the co-conspirator reassembled the bicycles in Mexico before selling them and maintained a ledger listing the profits from the sales of the bicycles.
In sum, Romero is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 2314, and two counts of transportation of stolen goods in foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 and 2.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum statutory penalty for the conspiracy charge is five years in prison. The maximum statutory penalty for the substantive transportation charges is 10 years, per count. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court could order defendant to serve an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term, additional fines, and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Romero made his initial federal court appearance to face the charges this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang. He was released on bond. His next scheduled court appearance is scheduled for April 10, 2024, before P. Casey Pitts, United States District Judge, for status.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lagrama is prosecuting the case. The prosecution of this case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to Five Years for Transporting DrugsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jose Alfredo Ek-Poot, 51, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced on February 8, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana with the intent to distribute. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ek-Poot to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ek-Poot is released from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
On November 4, 2021, Ek-Poot, along with Esteban Dejesus Huerta Rocha and Ricardo Jiminez-Noveno, were traveling east on Interstate 80 near Grand Island when they were stopped by a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol for driving at 87 mph in a 75-mph zone. Rocha was the driver, Jiminez-Noveno was the front seat passenger, and Ek-Poot was seated in the back. When the trooper approached the car, he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car and he saw a bag of marijuana inside the car. When troopers searched the car, a mason jar containing marijuana was located in the front passenger door compartment. A backpack containing a methamphetamine pipe was discovered on the front passenger floorboard. Rocha was searched and he had a small bag of cocaine in his pocket. In the trunk, troopers found approximately 8.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.5 pounds of marijuana, and 10.8 ounces of cocaine.
Ek-Poot pleaded guilty on November 3, 2023. Jiminez-Noveno pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022, and was sentenced on November 22, 2022, to a 156-month term of imprisonment, and a 5-year term of supervised release. Rocha pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, and was sentenced on October 7, 2022, to a 135-month term of imprisonment, and five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Royalton Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Royalton man has been sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for producing sexually explicit images of a minor, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in November 2022, Andrew John Groen, 35, contacted a minor victim using the messaging application TextMe. Groen, who knew the victim was a minor, identified himself in messages as a 19-year-old man named “Tyler.” On multiple occasions, Groen coerced the minor to send sexually explicit images. Groen also sent the minor victim obscene images and links to pornography and encouraged the minor victim to have sex with an adult man identified in messages.
On August 24, 2023, Groen pleaded guilty to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. Groen was sentenced on February 6, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Willmar Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
Rochester man going to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Treshon Alexander, 31, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams of more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that in February 2015, Alexander was convicted on federal charges of conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Alexander was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. On February 16, 2023, while on supervised release, Alexander was arrested at his Apollo Drive residence in Greece, when members of the U.S. Probation Office conducted a search there and at a Chippendale Road residence, which Alexander used to store narcotics. During the searches, investigators seized $6,654.00 in U.S. currency, multiple cell phones, materials for processing and packaging narcotics for distribution, over 2000 rounds of ammunition, a money counter, and vacuum sealer. In addition, approximately 1,394 grams of fentanyl and 504 grams of cocaine were also seized.
The sentencing was the culmination of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito. Additional assistance was provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Letitia James.
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Registered sex offender gets 100 years after raping two young childrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 32-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
George Michael Granados pleaded guilty July 31, 2023.
U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Granados to serve a 600-month sentence for each of his two counts of conviction. They will run consecutively for a total 1200 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including a victim impact statement from the father of one of the victims who expressed his horror at this crime, the violation of trust and the pain this caused his family. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that one day these two little girls will grow up and should not have to bear the fear that Granados may ever be released from prison.
“One hundred years is justice. Granados stole the innocence of two children, young girls he knew and were often entrusted to his care,” said Hamdani. “He betrayed them in the most horrific and despicable manner, all for his own deviant sexual desire. This massive sentence makes it clear – if you try to destroy our precious kids through such victimization and abuse, we will destroy your freedom by showing you only prison walls for decades to come.”
“What Granados did to those two little girls is abominable and unforgiveable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office. “As a convicted rapist, Granados should have never had access to those children. Today’s sentence is partial justice for his victims whose innocence he stole and trust he violated. It’s precisely the young, innocent and vulnerable victims for whom our agents will continue to investigate some of the most difficult and emotionally taxing crimes.”
The investigation revealed Granados raped these children and recorded them on video. After filming, Granados uploaded the files to his Google drive.
In February 2022, law enforcement conducted search warrants for his residence, electronic devices and Google drive account. Forensic examination revealed three separate videos and nine image files, each showing his vaginal penetration of the girls. His face, heavily tattooed neck, arms and torso led to his positive identification. Granados was also found to be in possession of other image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
At the time of these events, Granados was a registered sex offender with a prior conviction for sexual assault.
Granados will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation along with Liberty County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Rangers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad S. Khandewhal and Anna Swanson prosecuted this case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Readout: Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force Holds Summit in Los AngelesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) today hosted a summit where procurement officials and law enforcement partners from across Southern California convened to discuss emerging threats and raise awareness.
United States Attorney (USA) Martin Estrada, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, PCSF Director Daniel Glad and law enforcement partners were joined by representatives from over a dozen state and local government agencies.
During the summit, USA Estrada and DAAG Kumar reflected on the PCSF’s growth and success since its inception in 2019. They also detailed additional resources the department has dedicated to combat procurement collusion, emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending and sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks and opportunities posed by increased federal spending in Southern California.
Summit participants discussed the importance of defending critical programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 from procurement collusion risk. USA Estrada and DAAG Kumar also outlined the ways that state and local government agencies can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats.
Summit participants included representatives from the FBI; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, national law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. The PCSF is comprised of the Antitrust Division, multiple U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, the FBI and the Inspectors General for multiple federal agencies.
Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving over $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report collusion affecting government contracts, please visit www.justice.gov/atr/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Mitchell and Antitrust Division Trial Attorneys Nolan Mayther and Ken Sakurabayashi are the PCSF coordinators for the Central District of California.
Readout of U.S. Justice Department Senior Officials Trip to JamaicaRead the Press Release
On Feb. 6 and 7, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Associate Deputy Attorney General (ADAG) and U.S. Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions Michael P. Ben’Ary visited Kingston, Jamaica, to meet with senior officials from the Government of Jamaica and discuss security and law enforcement challenges and our shared interest in strengthening U.S.-Jamaican cooperation in these areas.
DAAG Rao and ADAG Ben’Ary speak to Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
On this visit, they met with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his chief of staff to discuss our shared priorities of combating firearms trafficking and transnational fraud schemes connected to violence in Jamaica, as well as our commitment to further engagement and partnership on these important issues. They also met with U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica N. Nick Perry and other U.S. Embassy leadership and held a roundtable discussion with representatives of key U.S. government agencies based in Kingston focused on law enforcement issues.
While in Kingston, DAAG Rao and ADAG Ben’Ary spoke at the 2024 Security Seminar on “Organized Violence and the Threat to Peace in Jamaica and the Region,” sponsored by the Office of the National Security Advisor. Jamaican Prime Minister Holness and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Horace Chang also delivered remarks at the conference. DAAG Rao highlighted the importance of international cooperation to successfully prosecuting those responsible for online fraud schemes and combating the violence associated with these criminal organizations. ADAG Ben’Ary highlighted the close security partnerships between U.S. and Jamaican law enforcement, the importance of firearms tracing to identify, disrupt, and dismantle firearms trafficking networks, and the steps that the Government of Jamaica and other Caribbean partners can take to increase joint efforts to counter illegal firearms trafficking.
DAAG Rao speaks about consumer frauds at Security Seminar in Kingston.
This visit by senior U.S. Justice Department officials follows Jamaican Prime Minister Holness’ visit to Washington, D.C. in December 2023 and reinforces our commitment to advance bilateral cooperation by combating transnational criminal organizations and the trafficking of drugs and firearms, strengthening cooperation to prevent online financial fraud schemes, and promoting regional security under Plan Secure Jamaica and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Disrupting illicit firearms trafficking in the Caribbean is a shared priority for the United States and our Caribbean partners, and an important aspect of our cooperation to address rising levels of crime and violence in the region.
The longstanding U.S.-Jamaica relationship is built on mutual respect, common interests, and shared cooperation, and this visit helped build on that partnership. We look forward to continuing our productive relationship with Jamaican law enforcement in the mutually beneficial efforts to investigate and disrupt fraud networks and arms trafficking in Jamaica.
ADAG Ben’Ary provides overview on firearms trafficking at Security Seminar in Kingston.
Readout of Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force’s Summit in Los AngelesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) hosted a summit where procurement officials and law enforcement partners from across Southern California convened to discuss emerging threats and raise awareness. U.S. Attorney (USA) Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, PCSF Director Daniel Glad and law enforcement partners were joined by representatives from over a dozen state and local government agencies.
During the summit, USA Estrada and DAAG Kumar reflected on the PCSF’s growth and success since its inception in 2019. They also detailed additional resources the department has dedicated to combat procurement collusion, emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending and sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks and opportunities posed by increased federal spending in Southern California.
Summit participants discussed the importance of defending critical programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 from procurement collusion risk. USA Estrada and DAAG Kumar also outlined the ways that state and local government agencies can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats. Summit participants included representatives from the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, national law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. The PCSF is comprised of the Antitrust Division, multiple U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, the FBI and the Inspectors General for multiple federal agencies.
Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving over $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report collusion affecting government contracts, please visit www.justice.gov/atr/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Piedmont Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Randy James Kennedy, 35, of Piedmont, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Kennedy obtained methamphetamine through the mail and directed others on its handling and distribution. While in jail on state charges, Kennedy attempted to have drugs brought into the jail by others. Kennedy had multiple prior drug and firearms related convictions at the time he committed the federal offense.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Kennedy to 216 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Pearl River Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 26 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man pleaded guilty to possession of 26 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
According to court documents, in April of 2022, Marcus Tubby, Jr., 31, possessed 26 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.
Tubby is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Paterson Police Officer Admits Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson Police Department officer today admitted using excessive force during two separate arrests, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kevin Patino, 32, of Wayne, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with two counts of violating an individual’s civil rights.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 26, 2020, Patino responded to a call for backup from another officer who was attempting to disperse a crowd of people on Main Street in Paterson. Patino observed the other officer engaged in a verbal exchange with the first victim. Patino directed the victim to move away from the officer, but the victim initially declined to do so. Patino then pushed the victim away from the other officer and the victim walked away from Patino. Patino also began to walk away but then returned to confront the victim, who did not pose a danger to Patino or anyone else, and pushed the victim into the street. Patino then grabbed the victim, threw the victim to the ground, and proceeded to repeatedly strike the victim while the victim was on the ground. Another police officer intervened while Patino was striking the victim and handcuffed the victim.
On Dec. 14, 2020, Patino responded with another officer in an unmarked police vehicle to a call regarding a suspicious person on Madison Avenue in Paterson. Patino, along with other officers, encountered an individual who appeared to be the person described in the call. While the officers were engaged with this individual, the second victim walked towards the officers and observed their interaction with the individual, before walking away. After the officers ended their encounter with the individual, Patino and another officer drove away in their unmarked police vehicle. The officer who was driving the unmarked vehicle then made a sharp turn towards the second victim, who was walking down the street, and parked the vehicle. Patino got out of the vehicle and struck the victim, who did not pose a danger to Patino or anyone else, in the face and body several times. After the other officer grabbed hold of the victim and brought the victim to the ground, Patino continued to repeatedly strike the victim.
Patino agreed that in each instance his repeated use of force against each victim was unreasonable and excessive, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Each violation of civil rights count carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin; the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes; and the North Jersey Public Corruption Task Force composed of members of FBI and New Jersey State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bernard J. Cooney of the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Civil Rights Task Force, and Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division.
patino.sinformation.pdfOmaha Man Sentenced in Firearms and Drug Trafficking Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Keland A. Strong, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 8, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for his participation in a firearms conspiracy in the furtherance of drug trafficking. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Strong to 72 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Strong’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Co-defendant Rodolfo Falcon owned a house that was the central location for the distribution of marijuana, marijuana derivatives, and cocaine. Falcon rented that house out to several younger drug dealers including Kenneth Blair, Alexis Bernal-Lopez, and Keland Strong. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force performed a search of the residence on November 30, 2021, and recovered cocaine, marijuana, currency, drug paraphernalia, and several firearms. Falcon, who has a distinctive tattoo on his hand, was seen in photos posing with firearms. One of the firearms shown in the picture was recovered from the residence. Agents also located a stolen firearm and AR15 rifle.
At the time of the search, Blair was in the basement of the residence along with two apparent narcotics customers. Drugs and cash were also recovered from that location. Strong was located in an upstairs room that contained numerous firearms. Falcon lived on the main level of the home where agents recovered cash, cocaine. and personal identification documents. Evidence of significant marijuana distribution such as wrappers for large quantities of marijuana were also recovered. This along with the text messages between the group members revealed that the home was being used as a main distribution hub and that Majok Bethow, Bernal-Lopez, Strong, and Blair all worked together to sell drugs, particularly marijuana to “serves” (their code word for narcotics purchasers) and would drive each other to sales and work together to get the right types of THC cartridges and marijuana to customers.
On September 28, 2023, Bethow: pleaded guilty to firearms conspiracy in the furtherance of drug trafficking and was sentenced on January 11, 2024, to 24 months’ imprisonment to run concurrent with a federal case charging him with possessing a machinegun.
On September 28, 2023, Blair pleaded guilty to firearms conspiracy and was sentenced December 21, 2023, to 21 months’ imprisonment.
On October 27, 2023, Falcon pleaded guilty to firearms conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced on January 19, 2024, to 24 months’ imprisonment.
On November 20, 2023, Bernal Lopez pleaded guilty to firearms conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentencing is set for February 16, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Producing Child Pornography of Abducted State WardRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert E. Kaczmarek, age 55, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 9, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for Production of Child Pornography. Chief District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kaczmarek to 324 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kaczmarek’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Kaczmarek was ordered to pay $105,214.50 in restitution.
“So many words – horrific, egregious, unthinkable, inhuman—all these words apply here”, said Chief Judge Rossiter in pronouncing the sentence. “What was done to this young lady…I seldom see it.”
In December 2021, a foster mother in Omaha, Nebraska, reported that her 16-year-old female foster daughter (hereinafter identified as “the victim”) had not come home as expected and the foster mother was concerned that the victim was having an inappropriate relationship with someone around 40 years old named “Rob.” The foster mother provided Snapchat messages of a sexual nature between “Rob” and the victim. The messages included the victim sending photographs of herself in lingerie to “Rob.”
On June 30, 2022, Kaczmarek reported to the child abuse hotline/ the victim’s caseworker that the victim was being sexually abused by a friend of Kaczmarek’s.
On July 6, 2022, the victim disclosed in a forensic interview that she was involved in a sexual relationship with Kaczmarek, who she described as being 53 years old. The victim stated that she met Kaczmarek through a friend approximately one year prior and that originally Kaczmarek provided her with marijuana, but their relationship turned into exchanging sex for drugs. The victim described being actively addicted to drugs and stated that Kaczmarek would supply cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and mushrooms in exchange for the victim engaging in sex with him and completing household tasks such as cleaning. The victim also stated that Kaczmarek would pay for the victim to get her hair and nails done.
The victim stated that she felt obligated to engage in the sexual activity and that Kaczmarek would become agitated and aggressive if she did not. The victim stated that she feared Kaczmarek would hurt her, his daughter, his dogs, or someone else. The victim stated that sometimes Kaczmarek would be gone for hours and would return with blood on his hands and clothes and would clean his vehicle. Kaczmarek talked about taking people to “the farm” and threatened to take the victim to the farm. The victim stated the people Kaczmarek took to the farm did not return and Kaczmarek talked about calling a buddy to help carry a body to the farm. Kaczmarek also talked about having a chemical in his truck that would disintegrate things.
The victim stated she had tried to get away from Kaczmarek at times, but he would become like a stalker and would not leave her alone. The victim discussed an incident where Kaczmarek was angry at her and told her that she was lucky she was female because otherwise he would have “curb stomped” her and taken her to the farm and thrown her in a hole. The victim stated that Kaczmarek had slapped her, burnt her, pushed her, and thrown stuff at her. The victim stated that Kaczmarek had cameras in his bedroom and would get mad if the victim covered up the camera.
On August 8, 2022, the Omaha Police Department learned that the victim had left her guardian’s residence in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, in a white Jeep Gladiator. Ring Doorbell video showed the Jeep pull up to the house, the minor get into the vehicle, and the vehicle drive away. The guardian advised that he believed the driver of the vehicle to be Kaczmarek based on the vehicle and the fact that the victim had called him after leaving and stated that Kaczmarek was driving the victim to take her cat to the vet. The victim did not return.
Messages later recovered from Kaczmarek’s phone suggested that Kaczmarek took the victim to Missouri and left her there for two days before returning her to Omaha and moving her between various properties.
On August 22, 2022, officers executed a search warrant at Kaczmarek’s residence. There was a camera set up in Kaczmarek’s bedroom as described by the victim. Kaczmarek was located at another location. Kaczmarek stated that the victim was at a residence with of an acquaintance of Kaczmarek. Kaczmarek stated that this individual did work for Kaczmarek. Kaczmarek was taken under arrest. When arrested, Kaczmarek was found to be in possession of a plastic shopping bag containing approximately 15 grams of marijuana, approximately 15.5 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 3 grams of cocaine (all weights with packaging).
The minor was located in a dirty cellar with boarded-up windows and only a hand-held light source. The victim was observed to be under the influence of methamphetamines and weighing approximately 88 lbs. The victim reported feeling suicidal while in the basement.
During an interview after his arrest, Kaczmarek admitted that he had been in contact with the victim ever since picking her up on August 8, 2022. Kaczmarek also admitted that the victim had sent him nude images of herself.
Officers executed search warrants for Kaczmarek’s Google account and cell phone. Within Kaczmarek’s account and on his device, investigators located numerous pictures of the victim in lingerie, exposing her breasts and genital area. Investigators also located videos of the victim engaged in sexual acts. One video depicts the victim restrained and engaged in a sexual act.
Lieutenant Tara Ackerson with the Omaha Police Department stated following Kaczmarek’s sentence, “The crimes committed by Kaczmarek are heinous and inconceivable. The sentence that was imposed upon him today sends the message that preying on our youth will not be tolerated. The Omaha Police Department is pleased to see such a strong sentence. We will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure that those involved in sex trafficking are held accountable.”
“The sentence imposed by Chief Judge Rossiter sends a message that the horrendous crimes committed by Kaczmarek have no place in our society,” said United States Attorney Susan Lehr, “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those individuals that take advantage of some of the most vulnerable in society.”
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Oahu Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Kalani Kaaiawaawa, 24, of Honolulu, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright to 40 years in federal prison for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Kaaiawaawa was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to victims identified in the child pornography he possessed.
According to information presented to the court between at least August 2018 and November 2020, Kaaiawaawa repeatedly sexually assaulted a child who was six to eight years old at the time of the assaults, and video-recorded the assaults. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discovered the recordings on Kaaiawaawa’s phones in connection with the execution of a search warrant at Kaaiawaawa’s residence. In total, investigators found more than 100,000 images and videos on the two phones containing child pornography, including depictions of children as young as two years old being sexually assaulted. The FBI also discovered chat room conversations in which Kaaiawaawa shared child pornography, bragged about his assaults on the child exploitation victim, and revealed that he had begun to “touch” a second victim, who was two years old at the time. Kaaiawaawa has been detained since his arrest one day after the execution of the search warrant on November 10, 2020.
“Justice for the child victim of Kaaiawaawa’s horrendous series of crimes has been served by the Court’s sentence,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Our children – the most vulnerable victims in our society – are the priority of our law enforcement community and we will continue to hold sexual predators accountable for their terrible crimes.”
“The FBI remains committed in investigating and bringing to prosecution those who continue to take advantage of our most vulnerable population - our keiki in Hawaii,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This sentence underscores the egregious and reprehensible nature of these types of crimes and highlights how seriously the FBI takes its Crimes Against Children investigative responsibilities."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.
North Port Man Indicted for Stealing Firearm from Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Michael O’Brien (48, North Port) with theft of a firearm from a firearms dealer and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted, O’Brien faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count.
According to the indictment, on January 17, 2024, O’Brien stole a firearm from J&J One Stop Gun Shop in Port Charlotte, a federal firearms licensee.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
New York Man Sentenced for $600,000 COVID Fraud Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A New York man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in prison for his role in a fraudulent scheme to obtain pandemic benefits using the stolen identities of at least 20 other people.
According to court documents, Obinna Nwafor, 50, engaged in a scheme to obtain various pandemic loans using the identities of others who were unaware of this activity. In September 2020, L.H., a resident of Norfolk who also serves as a judge on the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, received a statement from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) at her home address, indicating that she owed a payment on a loan received under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL). L.H. reported this information to law enforcement, which led to the investigation in this case.
Further investigation revealed that an application for an EIDL loan in the amount of $150,000 had been submitted to the SBA in August 2020, using L.H.’s name and other confidential personal identifiers, including her Social Security number, date of birth, address, and phone number. Loan documents were electronically signed in L.H.’s name, and loan proceeds in the amount of $149,900 were disbursed to an account that did not belong to L.H and was controlled by Nwafor.
After this information came to light, further investigation revealed several related EIDL loans fraudulently obtained by Nwafor, including a $150,000 loan obtained in Virginia resident K.G.’s name. Like L.H., K.G.’s Social Security number, date of birth, address, and phone number had been used on the loan application. Similarly, K.G. had not applied for an EIDL loan or authorized anyone to apply for a loan on her behalf. Within days of the loan proceeds disbursement, Nwafor moved the funds to other accounts he controlled, including an account held jointly with his spouse, a bank account held in the name of a Nigerian entity in which Nwafor held an interest, and nearly $75,000 to an account belonging to a romance fraud victim, who had been misled as to the origin of the funds.
Further investigation also revealed that Nwafor had received approximately $300,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits in the names of at least eighteen other people. Those funds had been deposited into approximately six different bank accounts owned and controlled by Nwafor. When Nwafor was told by Wells Fargo that these funds were being returned to the originating state unemployment offices, Nwafor frantically worked with other individuals in an attempt to convince the bank not to return the funds.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels 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. 4:23-cr-21.
New York Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gilberto Rodriguez Jr., age 46, of Long Island, NY, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between October 17, 2022 and March 20, 2023, Rodriguez distributed a quantity of fentanyl on three separate occasions, in York County. The indictment further alleges on two separate occasions during that same time frame, Rodriguez distributed approximately 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. Finally, the indictment alleges that on March 20, 2023, Rodriguez possessed a quantity of fentanyl with the intent to distribute the controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the York County Detective Bureau, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the offenses is life imprisonment, a life term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $20,000,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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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New Mexico Landlords to Pay $42,000 to Resolve Alleged Tenant Abuses Arising from HUD’s Section 8 Low-income Housing ProgramRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Bertrand Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Southcentral Region, announced today that landlords for properties located in Roswell and Albuquerque paid $30,000 and $12,000, respectively to settle allegations that they violated the anti-fraud False Claims Act by charging low-income tenants more than the amount permitted under HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly known as “Section 8”.
The Section 8 program, which is administered by local housing authorities throughout New Mexico and the country, provides a Government subsidy to enable tenants to secure decent housing. The tenant’s share of the rent is determined based upon ability to pay. The total rental amount is determined based upon market rental rates. The program therefore enables tenants to secure decent housing while ensuring that landlords realize full market value for their rental properties.
In the Roswell case, the government alleges that apartment complex operator Turnaround Properties overcharged a vulnerable low-income Section 8 tenant for a period of twelve months, despite notices from the Eastern Regional Housing Authority setting forth lawful rental levels. The Government alleges that Turnaround then retained the excess payments despite a request for a refund from the tenant, who suffers from physical and cognitive limitations. Turnaround collected $832 in excess rent.
In the Albuquerque case, landlord Santana Ortiz demanded excess rent payments from his tenant for a period of more than four years; even documenting the unlawful payments in a sham lease agreement that was concealed from the local housing authority. The Albuquerque tenant felt compelled to comply with the landlord’s demand for excess payments because she had struggled to find safe, decent housing. Mr. Ortiz participated fully in the Government’s investigation and provided a copy of the improper second lease to Government investigators. Mr. Ortiz collected $5,217 in excess rent.
“Low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled deserve dignity in housing,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “That is why Section 8 secures for them the right to decent, safe, and sanitary dwellings. When predatory landlords steal from both the taxpayers and the most vulnerable, we will stand with low-income New Mexican tenants to levy substantial sanctions against those who prioritize profit over people.”
“These settlements represent HUD OIG’s priority in protecting HUD beneficiaries from bad actors who prey on their vulnerability for self-enrichment,” said Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson. “HUD OIG is committed to working with Federal prosecutors to pursue and bring to justice landlords who fraudulently overcharge HUD-assisted tenants in violation of Federal law.”
“A cornerstone of HUD's Section 8 program, and the key to housing affordability in Section 8, is the Brooke Amendment: a Section 8 tenant pays no more than 30% of their monthly income toward rent and utilities. The local public housing agency which is funded by federal grants pays the rest,” said Attorney Thomas Prettyman, who represented both tenants on behalf of New Mexico Legal Aid. “A small but significant minority of Section 8 landlords flaunt these rules and require tenants to pay extra for rent or utilities, making the housing unaffordable and contravening the very purpose of the Section 8 program. Tenants agree to pay the extra money because they are scared. These extra costs often lead to nonpayment, eviction, loss of vouchers, and homelessness. The results achieved by the US Attorney's Office in these two cases demonstrate the stiff penalties for Section 8 landlords that cheat. We hope these cases will help to discourage Section 8 landlords from breaking the rules, so that the Section 8 program can remain affordable for low-income New Mexicans.”
The allegations against Turnaround and Ortiz were brought to the attention of the United States by whistleblowers. The False Claims Act provides for whistleblowers to receive a portion of the amount recovered because of their disclosures. The whistleblowers will receive a share of the settlement proceeds. Absent the willingness of these individuals to come forward, the Government would not have learned of the misconduct by these landlords.
The government’s investigations were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Cunniff and Auditor Julie Chappell, and investigators from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.
This case was prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Justice Strategy. Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This strategy prioritizes cases that will reduce public health and environmental harms to overburdened and underserved communities, including those that hold violators of federal housing laws accountable for their actions. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico partners with federal, tribal, state and local housing agencies and organizations to enable people across the country to live in healthy, thriving communities, and to confirm that justice under the law is justice for all. To learn more about environmental justice or to report a known or suspected environmental violation in New Mexico, please email our Environmental Justice Coordinator at [email protected].
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New Hampshire Man Who Harassed and Intimidated Journalists Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a conspiracy to harass and intimidate a journalist employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) and the journalist’s parents.
Michael Waselchuck, 36, of Seabrook, N.H., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and the use of a facility of interstate commerce before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani who scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2024. Waselchuck was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 along with co-conspirators Tucker Cockerline and Keenan Saniatan. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury along with Eric Labarge in September 2023. Cockerline previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy in December 2023.
According to the charging documents, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge — who is alleged to be a close personal associate of Subject 1 — Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchuck allegedly agreed to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members. Among other things, the indictment alleges that:
- On or about April 22, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H., using a brick and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of the home;
- On or about April 22, 2022, Saniatan allegedly agreed to vandalize Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H., and Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home; and he allegedly threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home;
- On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge allegedly solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., and Victim 1’s home in Melrose, Mass., using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, allegedly recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and
- On the evening of May 20, 2022, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house.
Each charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a Minneapolis home belonging to Luis Fernando Cervantes, 37. As a result of the search, law enforcement found seven one-kilogram packages of cocaine and a firearm.
On October 18, 2023, Cervantes pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Cervantes was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Miami man found guilty of murder in aid of racketeeringRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Feb. 7, a Miami federal jury found a man guilty in a 23-count superseding indictment of murdering a man in aid of racketeering, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, as well as of multiple counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
On April 28, 2020, Geno St. Flerose, of Miami, Florida, a member of the “Everybody Eats,” “EBE” gang shot and killed the victim, who was driving by St. Flerose’s house after St. Flerose chased him for over four blocks, and fired approximately thirteen rounds into the victim’s car, striking him three times. The victim died before getting to the hospital. The victim was 22 years old at the time of his murder.
Then, on June 17, 2020, a federal special agent was conducting surveillance in St. Flerose’s neighborhood when St. Flerose saw the agent’s car. St. Flerose ran into the street and fired multiple rounds at the agent’s car, penetrating it, but not striking the agent.
Law enforcement agents also discovered that St. Flerose had hundreds of people’s personal identifiable information.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 3 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom. St. Flerose faces up to life in prison, criminal fines of up to $250,000 as to each count, and a period of supervised release of up to life.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and USSS Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Hernandez and Yara Dodin are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20149.
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MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Racketeering Charge Including the Murder of 16-Year-Old Victim in Alley Pond Park in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Luis Rivas, a member of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas (CLS) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization was sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner to 35 years in prison for the May 16, 2017 fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Julio Vasquez in Alley Pond Park in Queens, and Hobbs Act robberies in Jamaica, Queens, after pleading guilty on July 14, 2023. Previously, co-defendant Josue Leiva, also a member of the CLS clique was sentenced on January 23, 2024 by Judge Kovner to 35 years in prison for the murder of Vasquez and Hobbs Act Robberies. Their co-defendant, and the leader of CLS, Melvi Amador-Rios, was convicted of the murder, the robberies and other charges after a three-week jury trial August 2023, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 38 years in November 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“The sentencings sends a powerful message to the defendants, other MS-13 members, and the community that gratuitous and senseless violence of this nature will not be tolerated in our district,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We hope that today brings some measure of closure to the victims and their families.”
“There is no place in our communities for barbaric violence being used to threaten and intimidate. Luis Rivas and Josue Leiva were rightly sentenced today for their roles in a senseless murder and other callously violent actions in the name of MS-13. The FBI’s New York Safe Streets Task Force is determined to ensure members of MS-13 or any other gang using violence in an attempt to control territory and people face significant punishment in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“Meaningful prison sentences like this are why the men and women of the NYPD, in close partnership with our colleagues at the FBI and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, continue to aggressively pursue anyone who senselessly commits violent crimes and puts our communities at risk,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “We vow to remain relentless in our efforts to dismantle gangs and hold their individual members fully accountable for their actions.”
As proven at Amador-Rios’ trial, beginning in fall 2016, the CLS clique, led by Amador-Rios, decided to kill John Doe 3, a CLS chequeo, or low-level MS-13 member, who had been violating the clique’s rules, including by associating with members of the rival 18th Street gang. Amador-Rios ordered Julio Vasquez, also an MS-13 chequeo, to carry out the killing of John Doe 3. Vasquez was tasked with killing John Doe 3 because Vasquez had been violating the clique’s rules and was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. After Vasquez failed to kill John Doe 3, Amador-Rios ordered Vasquez to be killed. On May 16, 2017, Rivas and Leiva lured Vasquez to a wooded area of Alley Pond Park where they stabbed him more than 30 times, nearly decapitating him and ultimately killing him. Vasquez’s body was discovered by a bird watcher in the park on May 21, 2017. Leiva and Rivas pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023 to racketeering charges, including Vasquez’s murder.
Leiva and Rivas also each participated in separate armed robberies of small businesses in Jamaica, Queens. In 2017, Rivas, accompanied by Amador-Rios and other gang members, robbed at gunpoint a money transfer business, during which Rivas pistol whipped an employee in the face. In 2018, Leiva, accompanied by Amador-Rios and other gang members, committed a robbery involving holding the owner and a customer of a convenience store at gunpoint.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. The gang has thousands of members across the United States. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia E. Moore, Anna L. Karamigios, and Raffaela S. Belizaire are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Emily Moosher.
The Defendant:
LUIS RIVAS (also known as “Inquieto” and “Kiko”)
Age: 28
Jamaica, New YorkJOSUE LEIVA (also known as “Colocho”)
Age: 27
Jamaica, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-398 (S-3) (RPK)
Lake County Man Arrested for Possession of A Firearm by A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Frank Thomas Diviak (23, Altoona) on an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of stolen firearm, and stealing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. If convicted, Diviak faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in prison each for possessing the stolen firearm and stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on December 20, 2023.
According to court records, Diviak was previously convicted of three state felonies, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement. On December 4, 2023, Diviak went into a Lake County pawn shop, took a revolver off a display, and put it in his pocket. He fled the store on his bicycle but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. As Diviak raised his hands to surrender to the officers, the stolen revolver fell out of his clothing and onto the ground. As a convicted felon, Diviak is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eustis Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Lake County Man Arrested for Illegally Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of William Scott Fogg (37, Altoona) on an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Fogg faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Fogg on December 20, 2023.
According to court records, Fogg has been convicted of eight felonies since 2008, including burglary, grand theft, and illegal drug possession. On August 28, 2023, Fogg approached his girlfriend, who was seated in a truck with her minor children. Fogg entered the vehicle, took a pistol out of the center console, pulled back the slide, and threatened to shoot all of them. Responding deputies subsequently took Fogg into custody and recovered the loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Fogg is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Sheriff’s Office in Washington StateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today an agreement to resolve allegations that the King County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) discriminated against people who are limited English proficient (LEP), in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Under the terms of the agreement, KCSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with LEP. Title VI prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination (including discrimination on the basis of English proficiency) by entities that receive federal financial assistance.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that our law enforcement agencies are able to protect and serve all people in their community, including crime victims, regardless of their ability to speak English fluently,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement agreement will enhance public safety, and improve delivery of language services for people with limited English proficiency in King County.”
“Today’s agreement with the King County Sheriff’s Office helps build community trust,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “I am pleased that as soon as the problem was presented to the Sheriff’s Office, the agency realized it had to improve policies around language access and immediately agreed to make changes.”
Today’s agreement details a two-year plan to phase in a series of language access supports to improve communication between KCSO deputies and individuals with LEP. Under the agreement, KCSO has agreed to hire a language access program manager; develop interim and final directives prohibiting the use of children, family, bystanders and other unqualified individuals for language assistance; engage in outreach with community members and stakeholders; develop a robust training program and ensure an accessible complaint process.
The Justice Department began engaging with KCSO after a community-based organization raised concerns about an incident between a KCSO Deputy and a resident with LEP. The Justice Department provided technical assistance to KCSO, which resulted in this settlement agreement.
This agreement was jointly negotiated by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies to overcome language barriers in their day-to-day work. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP, affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies and LEP community stakeholders and LEP populations.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Sheriff’s Office in Washington StateRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today an agreement to resolve allegations that the King County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) discriminated against people who are limited English proficient (LEP), in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Under the terms of the agreement, KCSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with LEP. Title VI prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination (including discrimination on the basis of English proficiency) by entities that receive federal financial assistance.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that our law enforcement agencies are able to protect and serve all people in their community, including crime victims, regardless of their ability to speak English fluently,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement agreement will enhance public safety, and improve delivery of language services for people with limited English proficiency in King County.”
“Today’s agreement with the King County Sheriff’s Office helps build community trust,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “I am pleased that as soon as the problem was presented to the Sheriff’s Office, the agency realized it had to improve policies around language access and immediately agreed to make changes.”
Today’s agreement details a two-year plan to phase in a series of language access supports to improve communication between KCSO deputies and individuals with LEP. Under the agreement, KCSO has agreed to hire a language access program manager; develop interim and final directives prohibiting the use of children, family, bystanders and other unqualified individuals for language assistance; engage in outreach with community members and stakeholders; develop a robust training program and ensure an accessible complaint process.
The Justice Department began engaging with KCSO after a community-based organization raised concerns about an incident between a KCSO Deputy and a resident with LEP. The Justice Department provided technical assistance to KCSO, which resulted in this settlement agreement.
This agreement was jointly negotiated by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies to overcome language barriers in their day-to-day work. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP, affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies and LEP community stakeholders and LEP populations.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Hotel in Austin to Ensure Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – The United States reached a letter agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District, to resolve alleged violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agreement requires the hotel to train its staff and provide equal service to customers with disabilities.
The Department of Justice received an ADA complaint alleging that after reserving an accessible room, when an individual with a disability attempted to check-in, the Hilton Garden Inn provided a standard room that lacked bathroom grab bars or shower accommodations. This left the complainant without a usable bathroom during her stay. The complaint prompted an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities, including honoring reservations, providing fully accessible rooms, and making accommodations.
“For people with disabilities, travel can be stressful due to concerns that they won’t have basic accommodations, such as a place to sleep at night or access to appropriate hygiene facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “People with disabilities should not be denied these necessities in lodging. The ADA ensures that all people traveling with disabilities who are traveling can find hotels that will provide equal access to their rooms and facilities.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Liane Noble represented the government during the resolution process.
For more information about the ADA, visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Justice Department Announces Plan to Administer Grant Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024 to Strengthen Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced its annual plan for making anticipated grant funding available this fiscal year to advance public safety activities and improve justice system outcomes. The Department is inviting community-based organizations; state, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies, including law enforcement agencies; research institutions; and nonprofit entities to apply for funding from more than 200 grant programs, administered by its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). As in prior years, the awards will be made later this year, subject to appropriations, and will build on almost $5.8 billion in grants awarded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
“Every person, in every neighborhood, deserves to be safe and feel protected,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In the coming year, the Justice Department plans to put more resources directly into the hands of our law enforcement and community partners working to drive down violent crime and improve public safety. We encourage police departments, community organizations, and other partners to apply for this funding through the Justice Department’s more than 200 grant programs.”
“These critical resources will make a profound difference in lives of Americans across the country, from funding more officers on the beat to helping survivors of domestic violence seek shelter,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Community-based organizations, crisis centers, law enforcement agencies, and more will benefit from these investments, and our communities will be safer because of them.”
Funding awarded by the Department’s three grantmaking components covers a wide range of public safety activities, from law enforcement hiring and community violence intervention to justice system-behavioral health partnerships, school safety measures, and programs designed to curb domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Program solicitations will invite proposals from eligible applicants for competitive and formula grant funding.
“The anticipated investments in this year’s Program Plan demonstrate the Justice Department’s continued commitment to helping our community and law enforcement partners across the country advance community safety, justice, and wellness,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “I am grateful to the dedicated employees in our three grantmaking offices who work hard every day to administer our grants and support applicants and grantees throughout the process.”
Published annually, the Justice Department Program Plan outlines funding opportunities that the Department intends to provide to enhance community safety and trust and improve the criminal, civil, and juvenile justice systems; assist victims of crime; provide training and technical assistance to state, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies, as well as to community-based organizations; and conduct research and collect national statistics. The Program Plan provides summary details of the funding opportunities each grantmaking component has released or anticipates releasing this fiscal year. The Plan is searchable by component or office, keyword, eligible applicant category, and expected release date.
Funding amounts in the FY 2024 Plan and other relevant information are subject to the availability of appropriations and potential legislative changes and may be updated frequently. Potential applicants can request to be notified of the release of solicitations and of updates through email subscription services available from the COPS Office, OJP, and OVW.
To learn more about where to find DOJ funding opportunities and how to apply, visit the JustGrants Resources Application Submission Training page.
Information about FY 2023 awards can be found on the COPS Office, OJP, and OVW websites.
Indictment Charges Hartford Man on Supervised Release with Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging STANDFORD SMITH, also known as “Pops,” 34, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in March 2021, Smith was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 55 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for his role in a gun trafficking ring and for distributing crack cocaine. He was released from prison in February 2022. On June 2, 2023, Smith was arrested by Hartford Police after he was found in possession of distribution quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, and a loaded Ruger LCP Max .380 caliber firearm.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment, which was returned on January 23, 2024, charges Smith with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins, through Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Huron Man Charged with over $2.5 Million in COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – A federal grand jury in Toledo returned an indictment on February 7, 2024, charging Daniel R. Hitlan, of Huron, Ohio, with three counts of bank fraud and five counts of money laundering related to filing false applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.
The indictment charges that between April 14, 2020 and May 13, 2020, Hitlan submitted three false PPP loan applications and received funding totaling $2,578,318. Hitlan applied for the loans using two businesses that he owned: Sailor Sales, LLC and Daniel Robert Hitlan. Hitlan applied for the loans at three separate banks. In each instance, he falsely stated the number of employees for the businesses and claimed to have payroll expenses when in fact the businesses had no payroll expenses. Hitlan supported the PPP loan applications by creating and submitting fictitious payroll documents and payroll forms with his application.
It is further alleged that Hitlan used the proceeds to conduct several financial transactions to include a check for $88,811.27 for the purchase of a 2020 Cadillac Escalade, another check for $48,232.63 for the purchase of a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, two wires for the purchase of real estate in the amounts of $179,013.97 and $248,423.89, and a debit card transaction for $20,000 to a jeweler for the purchase of Rolex watches.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation was conducted by IRS–Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gene Crawford.
Human Smuggling Organization Leader Sentenced in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Kaufman man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 97 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens.
According to court documents, Fredi Zagala-Servin, 40, was a longtime leader and organizer of a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled hundreds of undocumented noncitizens from Laredo to San Antonio inside tractor trailers. He would speak with a co-conspirator in Mexico and provide another co-conspirator with pick-up locations for the drivers to load migrants into the tractor trailers in Laredo. He would then monitor the load throughout the transport and relay updates between the parties. Zagala-Servin was involved in the coordination of at least 10 human smuggling events for financial gain with the HSO. He was arrested June 23, 2022 and has remained in federal custody.
In May 2021, the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division began investigating the criminal activity of the HSO. HSI was able to link at least 19 human smuggling events involving the actual apprehension of more than 900 aliens to the HSO. Between May 2021 and June 2022, HSI interdicted nine of the HSO's tractor trailers carrying smuggled noncitizens. The loads ranged from approximately 30 to more than 100 migrants travelling in a single trailer.
In addition to imprisonment, Zagala-Servin was ordered three years supervised release and a money judgement of $410,250.
“This human smuggling organization put the lives of hundreds of migrants in jeopardy by transporting them across south Texas in tractor trailers,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “It is important that people like this defendant, who endanger those lives for profit, are held accountable by our justice system. I commend our partners at HSI and all of Joint Task Force Alpha for their investigative skills and their tireless efforts to uncover this criminal conspiracy.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message to those thinking of engaging in human smuggling activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “HSI and our law enforcement partners take an aggressive stance against human smuggling, and we will continue to work together to investigate and ultimately dismantle these criminal organizations.”
HSI and JTFA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case.
These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 270 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 210 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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Harvey Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on February 6, 2024 MAX CORY JOHNSON, JR. (“JOHNSON”), age 21, of Harvey, pled guilty to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). JOHNSON faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or up to a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. In addition, JOHNSON faces no less than five (5) years of supervised release and up to life, following release from prison.
According to court documents, the case against JOHNSON stemmed from an undercover online investigation that sought to identify those individuals who were sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”). On July 20, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, executed a federal search warrant at JOHNSON’s residence in Harvey. JOHNSON confessed to agents that he both, possessed and saved, CSAM to his computer using a specialized network. Sentencing is scheduled for before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Glenpool Resident Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of A Minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alexander Christian Davis, age 37, of Glenpool, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 141 months imprisonment for one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Davis is also subject to a ten year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The charges arose from investigations by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 11, 2023, Davis entered a plea of guilty to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. According to investigators, Davis engaged in sexual acts with a child under the age of 16 and at least four years younger than him between December 2019 and December 2020. The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Davis will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Gary Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Guadalupe Guerra, 70 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to Possession of Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Guerra was sentenced to 120 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, on or about January 31, 2023, Guerra possessed material involving the sexual exploitation of minors while having a previous conviction for aggravated criminal sexual assault.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit, and the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.
The case was 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Founder and Former CEO of Sustainable Fuel Company Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Embezzlement and Investor Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The founder and former CEO of a sustainable fuel company pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle at least $5.9 million from the company and to defraud several investors out of $15 million.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2022, Bryan Sherbacow, 55, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., defrauded the company he co-founded by transferring company funds without authorization to his personal bank account and by making unauthorized personal expenditures from a company bank account. Sherbacow attempted to conceal his actions by, among other things, emailing altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to the company’s outside accounting firm and members of the company’s board. Sherbacow used embezzled funds to pay for, among other things, a vintage Mercedes-Benz sports car, a Range Rover sport utility vehicle, payments to an art auction operator, personal tax liens, personal credit card payments, rent payments on personal residences, payment to a beach club, electronics, and a down payment on a condo.
To raise additional funds for the company, Sherbacow also sent or caused to be sent altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to prospective and current investors. For example, Sherbacow caused a false and fabricated bank statement to be sent to two investors, in which Sherbacow intentionally removed transactions showing transfers from the company bank account to his personal bank account and falsified account balance information to make it appear that the company possessed more cash on hand than it possessed, due in part to Sherbacow’s unauthorized transfer of funds. Sherbacow also caused a balance sheet containing false and misleading financial information to be sent to another investor. In at least partial reliance on the fabricated bank statement and false and misleading financial information, three investors collectively invested approximately $15 million.
Sherbacow pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Charleston Resident Agency are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 151 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Calvin Jones, 42 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jones was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in 2017 and 2018, Jones devised a scheme to distribute synthetic marijuana within various correctional institutions. Jones executed the scheme by soaking documents in a synthetic marijuana. Once soaked, Jones put these drug-soaked pages into envelopes addressed to inmates which purportedly were coming from various attorneys or from a state agency. The intent was that the pages be torn into smaller pieces or “doses” and sold to other inmates The inmates would then get high by ingesting the drug-soaked pieces of paper. Jones was held responsible for a total of 105 pages of drug-soaked pages.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Indiana Department of Corrections, the United States Postal Inspection Service Laboratory in VA, and the Drug Enforcement Administration North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Fort Bend man sentenced for receiving military training from a designated foreign terrorist organizationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 34-year-old resident of Sugar Land has been ordered to federal prison for his conviction related to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Warren Christopher Clark pleaded guilty Oct. 10, 2023.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Clark to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court imposed a terrorism enhancement, noting how Clark’s criminal and irresponsible behavior betrayed the values of this country and that he hoped Clark served every second of his sentence.
“In the interests of national security, our laws prohibit Americans from receiving military training from designated foreign terrorist organizations. Warren Clark ran afoul of those laws when he illegally crossed the border into Syria and underwent military training from ISIS, a brutal terrorist organization,” said Hamdani. “Thanks to international partnerships, Clark was brought back to the United States to face the consequences for his crimes in a Southern District of Texas courtroom.”
“By seeking and receiving military training from a foreign terrorist organization, Clark, a former teacher, betrayed his nation and allied himself with one of the most violent U.S. adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office. “Protecting the American people from terrorism is the FBI’s number one priority. As the lead U.S. agency for combating international and domestic terrorism, the FBI continues to work with our partners and use all necessary resources to get ahead of the threats and protect our communities, especially as the threat is constantly evolving.”
As part of his plea, Clark admitted knowing ISIS was a foreign terrorist organization. Regardless, he traveled overseas and receiving military training from them.
Clark admitted he illegally traveled from Turkey into Syria where he took mandatory religious and military training. In correspondence to his family, Clark indicated he was living happily abroad and would not return to the United States unless “the Islamic State conquers the US,” noting he thought he would be imprisoned here if he did come back.
He later called himself a citizen of the Islamic State and renounced his U.S. citizenship.
Clark 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 FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and police departments in Houston and Sugar Land conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Craig M. Feazel prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Michael J. Dittoe of the Department of Justice Counter Terrorism Section.
Former jailer charged with sexually assaulting womenRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 28-year-old Laredo man is now in custody for allegedly sexually assaulting and violating the civil rights of two women, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Hector Humberto Rodriguez Jr. is expected to make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 1:30 p.m.
A federal grand jury returned the sealed five-count indictment Feb. 6, which was unsealed upon his arrest.
Rodriguez was a correctional officer with the Webb County Sheriff’s Department.
On two separate occasions, he allegedly deprived two women of their civil rights. While working in his law enforcement capacity, he forcibly sexually assaulted both women while they were housed as inmates at the Webb County Jail, according to the indictment.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison as well as potential fines of $250,000 for each of the five counts in the indictment.
The FBI and Department of Justice - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Scott Bowling and Leslie Ann Cortez are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former investment advisor sentenced for decade-long Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - John J. Woods has been sentenced to nearly eight years in federal prison for operating a 13-year Ponzi scheme that victimized more than 400 investors and caused a loss of over $49 million.
“Woods, while serving as a fiduciary, promised investors profitable returns but used the monies he raised from new investors to pay Ponzi profits to earlier investors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Woods abused the trust of his victims, including retirees, seniors, and military veterans, who lost their life savings and retirement accounts due to his greed.”
“Illegal activity involving the investment industry, especially Ponzi schemes, has unfortunately brought financial ruin to many Americans,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. Hopefully this sentence sends the message that the FBI will not tolerate individuals who offer victims false promises and take advantage for their own personal benefit.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Woods operated a Ponzi scheme until being shut down by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2021. Woods solicited investors to invest in a fund called, “Horizon Private Equity.” Woods, and other investment adviser representatives acting under his direction, promised potential Horizon investors rates of return of six to seven percent on their investments. They represented that Horizon would earn a return by investing in, for example, government bonds, stocks, or small real estate projects. Woods, and others acting at his direction, also assured investors that Horizon investments carried minimal risk and were safe because Horizon maintained a diverse portfolio.
Contrary to these representations, the money received from new investors was not invested in a diverse portfolio; rather, funds collected from new investors was used largely to pay returns to previous investors. In fact, Horizon was able to pay guaranteed returns to investors only by raising and using new investor money. As a part of the scheme, Woods caused Horizon to issue monthly statements to investors that fraudulently misled investors by failing to disclose that the Horizon investments had not generated a positive percentage of return sufficient to cover the interest. Although Woods did not use the money to live a lavish lifestyle, he diverted investor funds to pet projects not approved by the investors, such as purchasing an interest in a baseball team in his name.
As of the end of July 2021, Horizon investors were owed more than $110,000,000 in principal investment amounts. Over 400 investors, residing in at least 20 different states, held investments in Horizon. Victims lost more than $49 million because of Woods’s scheme to defraud.
Woods, 58, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty, to seven years, eleven months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Woods was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his scheme. A hearing to set the restitution amount owed to victims has been scheduled for April 15, 2024, at 2:30 p.m., before Judge Geraghty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The SEC provided valuable assistance. The SEC’s separate civil case is SEC v. Woods et al., No. 1:21-CV-03413-SDG (N.D. Ga.).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Stephen H. McClain prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Rowan County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Morehead, Ky., man, Andrew Zaheri, 40, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in the summer of 2022, Zaheri began a sexual relationship with a minor student at the high school where he was employed as a teacher. The relationship continued through the school year and included Zaheri engaging in sexual acts with the victim during school hours. Zaheri admitted that, during the course of the relationship, he produced sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim using his cell phone.
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 Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Zaheri is scheduled to appear for sentencing on May 14 in Ashland, Ky. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
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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Former President of the Lerner Group Pleads Guilty to Defrauding His ClientsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marat Lerner, the former president of a debt relief services business, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of committing wire fraud while he was on pre-trial release. Lerner admitted that he lied to his victims and that he stole money that the victims had intended to use to pay off their home mortgages. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. When sentenced, Lerner faces a maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment. Lerner has also agreed to pay $2,554,217.11 in restitution. He was indicted in January 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS CI), announced the guilty plea.
“As he admitted today, Marat Lerner turned the victims’ American dreams into a nightmare by promising mortgage and debt relief, and instead preyed on their hard-earned life savings for his own personal gain,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office will continue to protect immigrant communities against those who choose to use their positions of trust to defraud and steal from them.”
“Marat Lerner operated as an underground broker in his local community; but instead of completing his end of the bargain by paying their mortgages, he pocketed the money of his unsuspecting victims to live a life of luxury. This wasn’t just a money scam, this fraud affected his own community’s homes and families. Those who fell prey to Lerner’s deceit defaulted on their mortgage payments, and some fell into foreclosure. Today’s guilty plea and agreed restitution is just one step towards his victims getting justice, and his sentencing is the next,” stated IRS CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.
According to court documents and facts presented at the guilty plea proceeding, Lerner was the owner of the “Lerner Group,” a business that claimed to provide debt relief services, including mortgage modifications, principally to the Eastern European immigrant community in Brooklyn. Many of the victims that the defendant defrauded were already experiencing financial hardship and had specifically sought Lerner’s assistance to help reduce their monthly mortgage payments. Lerner, in turn, promised that he could help them lower their monthly mortgage payments by working with their mortgage lenders to secure a mortgage loan modification or federal homeowner assistance. To carry out his fraud, Lerner instructed the victims that he needed access to their bank accounts so that he could directly transmit payments to the mortgage banks on the victims’ behalf, and that the payments would be addressed to either an escrow agent that would hold the funds until their mortgages had been modified, or to entities affiliated with their mortgage lenders. Lerner further instructed the victims not to contact their mortgage lenders directly and that he would serve as the liaison between the victims and the victims’ lenders.
In reality, Lerner stole over $2.5 million from the victims – money that the victims had intended to use to pay their mortgages. Once Lerner gained access to the victims’ bank accounts, Lerner transmitted funds from their accounts to companies and/or bank accounts that he himself controlled. Lerner kept the majority of the victims’ money, spending it on personal and business expenses, including a BMW, luxury goods, and expensive meals. To conceal his fraud, Lerner told the victims to disregard notifications from their mortgage lenders regarding delinquent payments and past due balances.
In January 2023, Lerner was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York and arrested in connection with the above fraud. Pursuant to an order of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Lerner was released on bail and instructed, among other things, not to commit additional crimes. However, Lerner continued to steal from his victims even after being arrested for the same conduct. After his arrest in this case, between January 2023 and May 2023, Lerner stole at least $10,000 from his victims. Lerner’s bail was subsequently revoked.
As a result of Lerner’s years-long fraud, mortgage lenders have initiated foreclosure proceedings against several of the victims. As part of his guilty plea, Lerner has agreed to pay approximately $2,554,217.11 in restitution to the victims.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Axelrod and Genny Ngai are prosecuting the case with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jacob Menz.
The Defendant:
MARAT LERNER
Age: 41
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-15 (NGG)
Former Fremont Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Troy Brewer, 50, formerly of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 8, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Brewer to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Brewer’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
In the early morning hours of August 2, 2022, Brewer was in his vehicle when he was contacted by Fremont Police. Based upon their observations, the officers searched the vehicle and found a pill bottle near the driver’s door. Inside the bottle was 14 grams of actual methamphetamine. They searched the car further and found Ziploc baggies in the center console and a digital scale with drug residue on it inside a backpack. When Brewer pled guilty, he admitted he knew the drugs were in the vehicle and that he intended to distribute them.
This case was investigated by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and the Fremont Police Department.
Former Chatham Housing Executive SentencedRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Durham, North Carolina woman was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud that victimized the Chatham County Housing Authority, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
JOANN JOHNSON DAVIS, age 65, was sentenced to a 30-month term of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $194,136 by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. DAVIS will be subject to supervised release for 2 years following her release from prison. She pleaded guilty on May 1, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, DAVIS and others engaged in a bid-rigging, no-work jobs conspiracy between 2016 and 2020 while DAVIS served as the Executive Director of the Chatham County Housing Authority (CCHA). The CCHA is a Public Housing Authority (PHA) that received funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including under HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, colloquially known as Section 8, which assists low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled with affording decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. HUD regulations require PHAs to contract out micro-purchase and small-purchase jobs at a reasonable cost. DAVIS used her authority as executive director of the CCHA to direct these contracts to various friends and relatives by creating false bid proposals to “compete” with them, thereby demonstrating “reasonable” cost. DAVIS and various co-conspirators used stolen identities and company letterhead of actual people and businesses to give the false bid proposals the appearance of legitimacy. DAVIS would then select the bid proposal submitted by her friend or family member as the winner and award the CCHA contract to that individual, knowing there had been no assessment of “reasonable” cost, and regardless of whether that friend or family member was qualified to perform the contracted work. Often, no work at all was performed under these contracts. Regardless, the CCHA would pay the friend or family member. In total, between 2016 and 2020, DAVIS awarded CCHA contracts to no fewer than thirteen friends and relatives without any competitive bidding process, and the CCHA paid more than $200,000 to DAVIS’ friends and relatives for alleged contract work. DAVIS sometimes received kickbacks from these individuals in exchange for rigging the bid process and directing payment to that person for jobs not performed.
“Access to decent, safe, and sanitary housing is a basic human need,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “Misappropriating funds intended to help people afford decent housing is unconscionable, and we are grateful to the agencies that investigated this conduct and helped hold this defendant accountable.”
“Safeguarding taxpayer funded programs and resources that benefit low-income families in our communities is vital to the success of HUD’s programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to work closely with Federal prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and state and local partners to aggressively investigate those who threaten HUD programs.”
“JoAnn Davis was entrusted to spend money intended to help improve the lives of others. She abused that trust by misusing the government funding to enrich her own life and the lives of her family and friends. The FBI is committed to hold accountable anyone who commits this type of fraud," said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge.
A co-defendant, Clintess Roberta Barrett-Johnson, age 55, of Durham, NC, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on November 13, 2023, to four years’ probation and ordered to pay $57,179.00 in restitution.
Another co-defendant, Mi’chelle Necole Bell-Johnson, age 34, of Charlotte, NC, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on September 18, 2023, to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $83,977.50 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the HUD Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden.
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Florida Man Admits Role in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man today admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Southern District of Florida, announced.
Kareem Memon, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Raag Singhal in the Southern District of Florida to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Memon and his conspirators owned and operated marketing call centers and telemedicine companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for DME for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. Memon and his conspirators provided doctors’ orders in exchange for bribes from DME companies that provided the braces to Medicare beneficiaries. Memon and his conspirators caused losses to Medicare in excess of $11 million.
On Sept. 21, 2023, Memon pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and felon in possession charges in a separate case before Judge Singhal. Memon submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $451,000 in forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and used those funds for personal gains. At the time of Memon’s arrest he was a felon and found to be unlawfully in possession of an arsenal of 12 firearms and ammunition.
The health care fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and the kickback conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Both charges are also punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2024.
Attorney for the United States Khanna and U.S. Attorney Lapointe credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark and Acting Special Agent in Charge is Maged Behnam in Miami, Florida; the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of District of New Jersey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Waugh of the Southern District of Florida.
memon.information.pdfFinal defendants sentenced to prison for roles in conspiracy to steal aircraft design secretsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two California men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to steal aircraft design and testing information in order to shorten the regulatory approval process for a competing company’s technology.
Juan Martinez, 53, of Brea, California, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after being convicted in August 2023 in U.S. District Court in Savannah on one count of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, while Joseph Pascua, 61, of Escondido, California, was sentenced to 86 months in prison after being convicted in February 2023 for Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also fined Martinez and Pascua $1,000 each and ordered them to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Ideas have value, especially when those ideas involve complex engineering designs such as those stolen by the participants in this conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our law enforcement partners did exceptional work to identify the members of this conspiracy and bringing them to justice.”
As the evidence showed at trial, Martinez was a contractor who worked as a technical lead for a small aeronautics company. With Pascua and the other conspirators, he launched a scheme to steal proprietary trade secret information from a large aircraft company for use in developing and marketing their own technology, with the intent to market and sell that technology to the true owner’s competitors.
Two other conspirators are serving federal prison terms after pleading guilty in the case. Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, North Carolina, is serving 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, plus 20 months for Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency for providing false information during testimony given in his first sentencing. Gilbert Basaldua, 63, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is serving 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property.
“When companies invest huge amounts of time and money to develop technologies, only to have those technologies stolen, the results are devastating,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Savannah office. “These defendants intended not only to enrich themselves but bypass the legally established system. This case should serve as a warning to those entrusted with valuable trade secrets: If you break the law, you will be punished.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and Jenna G. Solari.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Heroin Conspiracy After 8 Years on the RunRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Corey Xavier Baldwin, 56, of Concord, North Carolina, was sentenced to 53 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Baldwin was one of 10 defendants charged in April 2014, following a drug trafficking investigation in the Columbia area. Six of the 10 defendants were arrested in April 2014, while four remained fugitives, including Baldwin. Baldwin remained a fugitive until his September 2022 arrest by the United States Marshals Service in Concord, North Carolina. Two other fugitives were arrested in 2017 in Texas, and one was arrested in May 2022 in Brooklyn, New York.
The 2013 investigation revealed that a group of individuals was obtaining heroin from various sources outside of South Carolina and then distributing it in the Midlands. Several packages sent through the mail, destined for Columbia, and containing heroin, were intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation. Evidence also showed that the co-defendants later traveled to New York to obtain heroin and transported it back to Columbia where it was distributed. Baldwin, who came to Columbia in 2013 after a prison sentence in Ohio for a 1994 aggravated murder conviction, participated by transporting money to New York during the trips to obtain heroin and assisted in the distribution of heroin in the Columbia area.
Nine of Baldwin’s co-defendants earlier pled guilty to their role in the drug conspiracy here in South Carolina and were sentenced as follows:
- Eric Shawn Bradley of Columbia was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment with eight years of supervised release;
- Michael Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 324 months imprisonment with eight years of supervised release;
- Jihad Salahadeen Pollard of Columbia was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment with four years of supervised release;
- Kenneth Crawford, Jr. of Washington, D.C. and formerly of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with eight years of supervised release;
- Charles Raheem Bradley of Columbia was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment with six years of supervised release;
- Anthony Troy Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with eight years of supervised release;
- Larry Grover Bookman of Columbia was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment with six years of supervised release;
- Jessany Lyons of Far Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with three years of supervised release; and
- Dockim Deeshawn McKnight of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment with four years of supervised release.
The New York heroin suppliers were charged and convicted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York for their role in the drug conspiracy.
Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Baldwin to 53 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This OCDETF case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) High Intensity Drug Task Force, which was comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The United States Marshals Service and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force-Charlotte Office assisted in locating the four fugitives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.
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