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22 March 2024
Downtown Benson Business Owner Who Trafficked Pounds of Methamphetamine and Cocaine Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jimmy Waylon Johnson, age 59, was sentenced to 179 months and a $50,000 fine for his role as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine across Eastern North Carolina. Johnson pled guilty to two drug trafficking charges and one money laundering charge on December 11, 2023.
“We are partnering with law enforcement to get illegal drugs off our streets and make our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Southeastern North Carolina must stay a safe place for our families and businesses. Drug traffickers like Johnson will be prosecuted and spend time behind bars.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Duplin, Johnston, and New Hanover County Sheriffs’ Offices, were involved in a multi-year investigation into Johnson’s drug activity. Through joint undercover operations, traffic stops, and search warrants, law enforcement determined that Johnson was a leader in the drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine in at least four counties, stretching from Benson down to Wilmington. Johnson’s drug distribution began as early as 2015 and lasted until his arrest in 2021.
At times, Johnson used his gambling machine business, Benson Arcade, in downtown Benson to facilitate the drug trafficking. Along with kilograms of methamphetamine, Johnson would provide video gambling machines to subordinates who would run video gambling in bars, residences, backyards, and motorcycle clubs. Local law enforcement indicate that some of these locations also became hotbeds for methamphetamine distribution and addiction. On October 14, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Benson Arcade and Johnson’s residence. This resulted in the seizure of $8,000, a kilogram of methamphetamine, and half a kilogram of cocaine. There were also several items observed and seized at Benson Arcade related to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
As part of the investigation, four additional co-conspirators were indicted and previously sentenced:
- Edward Neal Huffman, New Hanover County, 180 months for drug distribution and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking;
- Johnie Wayne Culpepper, New Hanover County, 108 months for drug distribution and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking;
- Michelle Marie Boring, New Hanover County, 84 months for drug distribution;
- Leigh Beverly Davis, Wake County, 100 months for drug distribution and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; and
- Randall Norris, Duplin County, 30 months for drug distribution.
The investigation into Johnson and the above co-conspirators also resulted in the seizure of 32 firearms, a bulletproof vest, and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted to buying a motorcycle worth approximately $17,000, using drug money. This motorcycle was seized and forfeited by law enforcement.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-321-FL.
District Man Sentenced to 17 Year Prison Term for Daytime Shooting in Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raekwon Sutton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Thursday, March 21, 2024, to 17 years in prison for a shooting that took place in Southeast Washington on March 19, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Sutton was found guilty of multiple assault and firearms-related offenses following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Sutton was found guilty following a jury trial on October 3, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, Sutton went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment armed with a handgun. In a fit of rage, he fired ten rounds at the front door of the apartment while two family members were inside. A few hours before the shooting, Sutton sent multiple text messages and voice messages threatening to shoot at the apartment. Shortly after the shooting, Sutton sent additional messages threatening to return to the apartment and fire additional shots.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Platt, Paralegal Specialists Nancy Murillo and Tiffany Fogle, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for the 2019 Shooting of a Man in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominic Copeland, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A jury found him guilty on September 21, 2023. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered Copeland to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on April 26, 2019, the victim drove to a local fast-food restaurant after work to meet Copeland. After he was directed to follow Copeland’s car to the area of N Street and First Street NW and park, the victim entered the back seat of the car Copeland occupied and handed him money. Copeland took the victim’s money and, afterwards, a dispute occurred between them. The victim exited and returned to his own car and got in the driver’s seat. Copeland then exited the car he was in, pulled out a handgun, and shot at the victim multiple times. The victim began to drive away but was hit twice in the upper back and crashed into multiple parked cars before finally coming to rest on the side of the street. MPD officers immediately responded to the scene and found that the victim was unable to physically move because he was temporarily paralyzed by one of the bullets. The victim promptly identified his shooter to police as “Dominic,” whom he knew from work and, up to that point, had considered a friend. Police recovered six fired cartridge casings from the scene. Two bullets entered the victim’s upper back, with one puncturing his lung causing a severe medical emergency. The treating physician declared that bullet would have resulted in the victim’s death had he not received prompt medical care. Doctors left the bullets inside the victim’s body after determining that it would cause even more injury to attempt to remove them.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and acknowledged the efforts of all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman, Seth Gilmore, Gregory Kimak, and Paul Courtney, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saman Danai and Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder for a May 2023 Fatal Shooting in Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antoine Lynch, 37, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Devonte Maxwell, 30, of Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 7, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, around 7:54 p.m. on May 11, 2023, Lynch and two other individuals approached the victim, on foot, as he was walking down the sidewalk on Prout Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C. When they were about to pass each other, the defendant pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Maxwell several times. Mr. Maxwell was treated at the scene but died from his injuries a short time later. Mr. Maxwell and Lynch had previously gotten into a verbal dispute when Mr. Maxwell was walking by Lynch’s residence earlier that same day. Surveillance video captured the prior dispute and the murder.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei.
Discovery Zone Learning Center to Make Changes to Comply with ADARead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the government and the Discovery Zone Learning Center (“Discovery Zone”), a private childcare center with locations in Columbia, Hebron, and Marlborough, Connecticut, have entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that Discovery Zone staff discriminated against a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”).
This matter was initiated by a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a child with Autism. Based on its investigation, the government found that Discovery Zone failed to reasonable modify its programs to accommodate the child, which resulted in Discovery Zone excluding the child from its childcare programs.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Discovery Zone has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future, will implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA, and will provide training to its staff on the ADA. Discovery Zone has also agreed to pay $1,500 to the complainant.
“No family should have to worry that their child will be excluded from group childcare because the child is disabled,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I want to commend the Discovery Zone Learning Center for doing the right thing by cooperating with our investigation and agreeing to comply with the ADA going forward.”
The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Delaware County Mushroom Farm Owner Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Tax ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donna Fecondo, 63, of Garnet Valley, PA, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 46 months in federal prison for tax crimes. Fecondo was also ordered to pay restitution.
Fecondo pleaded guilty in 2022, admitting that she failed to remit employment (payroll) taxes to the IRS, with a loss to the government, for the years charged in the indictment, of approximately $600,000, and failed to file corporate and personal income tax returns.
Fecondo was the president and sole owner of Joseph Silvestri & Son, a/k/a Joseph Silvestri & Son, Inc. (“JSSI”). JSSI was a business operating a mushroom farm, with its principal place of business in Garnet Valley. As the sole owner of JSSI, Fecondo was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over employment taxes. JSSI paid its employees weekly and was required by the IRS to electronically deposit its payroll taxes weekly. Fecondo withheld the taxes from her employees’ pay but did not remit the taxes to the IRS.
Fecondo did not timely file Forms 943, Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees, for tax years 2013 through 2016. Instead, Fecondo filed the Forms 943 for tax years 2013 through 2016 in or about July 2017, well after the due dates and after the Internal Revenue Service had contacted her about her failure to pay employment taxes and her failure to file returns.
Although Fecondo reported substantial payroll taxes due and owing on the Form 943 for tax years 2013 through 2016 that she made in July 2017, and although JSSI withheld employment taxes from JSSI’s employees’ wages, Fecondo did not pay over any employment taxes to the IRS for those tax years. In total, for tax years 2013 through 2016, Fecondo should have withheld and remitted to the IRS a total of approximately $1,255,068.94 in employment taxes, but instead she remitted nothing. Of this amount, Fecondo should have withheld and remitted to the IRS a total of approximately $599,159.94 related to tax years 2015 and 2016, but instead remitted nothing.
Fecondo also failed to file her 2015 and 2016 personal income tax returns even though she knew that she was required by law to file a tax return for each of those years. Further, Fecondo failed to file corporate tax returns on behalf of JSSI for tax years 2015 and 2016.
“We’re in the middle of tax season, when a lot of people are grumbling about what they owe the IRS — but they still go ahead and pay what they’re supposed to.” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “It’s these honest taxpayers who are being robbed when people try to cheat the system. Donna Fecondo was obligated to properly remit payroll taxes to the government and file personal and business returns annually, but simply decided not to. Her nearly four-year prison sentence should send a loud message to anyone even contemplating tax fraud that it will wind up costing them dearly, in the end.”
“Payroll taxes are an integral source of funding for government programs such as Social Security and Medicare,” said Yury Kruty, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge. “Employment tax fraud will continue to be a priority for IRS-CI and we will aggressively pursue those who do not comply with their employment tax obligations.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen Grigsby.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Far East Side Dollar GeneralRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Devron Coleman, 39, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Interference of Commerce by Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
According to court documents, on August 30, 2023, Coleman entered the Dollar General store located on the far east side of Indianapolis and brandished a firearm at an employee, demanding cash from the register. Coleman inadvertently stole a tracking device from the store when he collected the cash, leading IMPD officers to locate him at his Indianapolis residence quickly after.
Officers obtained a search warrant and recovered $200 in cash and a Smith and Wesson firearm used in the robbery on Coleman’s person.
At the time of his arrest, Coleman had been previously convicted of multiple felonies including two counts of being a felon in possession of a handgun, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, and pointing a firearm at another person. These felony convictions prohibit Coleman under federal law from ever legally possessing a firearm.
“Reducing violence is a top priority for this office and illegally armed felons in particular will continue to be the target of our investigative resources,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Repeat violent offenders face lengthy terms in federal prison because we know they pose a higher risk to the community. I commend the FBI and IMPD, and our federal prosecutor, for their work to quickly arrest the defendant and hold him accountable.”
“Our communities are put at serious risk when felons illegally arm themselves and endanger others in the process,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to hold those accountable who choose to violate federal law.”
The FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Chief Judge Pratt also ordered that Coleman be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison and pay $200 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Convicted Felon in Brandon Road Rage Shooting Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced James Eugene Smith (44, Wimauma) to eight years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Smith to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Smith entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2023.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 14, 2023, Smith was driving west on Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon, Florida. Smith believed that a driver in a black sedan was brake checking (applying brakes and causing the following vehicle to slow down) him, while a separate driver prevented Smith from passing. Smith eventually passed both cars using the bi-directional center lane before brake checking the black sedan in return. The driver of the black sedan eventually drove around Smith. Smith and the driver of the black sedan then exchanged gunfire.
Smith, in an alleged attempt to see the tag of the black sedan, made a U-turn. After making the U-turn, Smith spotted a gray sedan that he thought was the black sedan. Smith opened fire, endangering the lives of the two victims – the driver and a passenger in the front seat. The gray sedan then turned into a gas station. Smith followed the vehicle into the gas station, again firing at it. Neither victim was shot. At the time of the incident, Smith had multiple prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.
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.
Collierville Commodity Trader Sentenced to 51 Months for $2,000,000 Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge in Memphis sentenced a Collierville resident to more than four years in prison for running a fraudulent commodities investment scheme which lost investors over $2,000,000. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, between January and November 2022, Donald Wray Rodgers, 55, lied to more than 50 investors in multiple states about the performance of his unregistered commodities trading fund, Three Brides Trading. Rodgers doctored monthly performance statements to mimic fund growth; in reality, the fund was depreciating due to Rodgers’s bad trades. The fraud victims ran the gamut of income levels, from bank executives to landscapers. Rodgers’s deception was finally uncovered in November 2022 when victims made calls on their investments that Three Bridges Trading Fund did not have the funds to cover.
Rodgers pled guilty to wire fraud on December 18, 2023. On March 21, District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Rodgers to 51 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated this case.
United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney William C. Bateman III, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joshua Nathaniel Strader, 41, of Charleston, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Strader was released from federal prison for a firearm and controlled substances violation in November 2019. Five months later, on April 25, 2020, officers with the North Charleston Police Department attempted to stop Strader’s vehicle based on a stolen vehicle investigation. Strader led police on a dangerous and high-speed chase through residential areas, crashed into a civilian vehicle, and ultimately lost control and ended up in a ditch. Strader ran from the vehicle, but officers quickly caught and arrested him. Officers searched Strader and found a .9mm pistol, 76.9 grams of crack cocaine, and 13 grams of powder cocaine in his pockets. Strader was on federal supervision at the time of this arrest. Strader has multiple felony convictions on his record prohibiting him from possessing a firearm. This was his second conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Strader to 71 months imprisonment to be followed by four years of court ordered supervision for the April 2020 incident, and 36 months imprisonment for the federal supervised release violation. These sentences will run consecutively resulting in a total of 107 months imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Career Offender Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to firearms and drug offenses.
Ricardo Colon, 34, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024.
On March 21, 2022, Colon was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution as well as firearms and ammunition: a .22 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, multiple gun magazines and 140 rounds of ammunition. Colon is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous felony convictions.
The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg Hudon Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of 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.
Cannon County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Committing Three Nashville Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Clifton Knight, 62, of Woodbury, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 11 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. In August 2023, Knight pled guilty to a three-count Indictment charging him with three bank robberies in Nashville.
On January 4, 2022, Knight robbed a SunTrust Bank located on Hobbs Road in Nashville, where he took over $3,000. On February 4, 2022, he robbed a SunTrust Bank on Old Hickory Boulevard in Hermitage, where he threatened a clerk and stole over $5,000. Finally, on February 8, 2022, he robbed a Fifth Third Bank on Donelson Pike and took over $4,000.
The case was investigated by the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Montminy prosecuted the case.
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Cameroonian National Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for a Business Email Compromise Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Njuh Valentine Fombe, a/k/a “Valentine”, age 37, a Cameroonian citizen, formerly residing in Beltsville, Maryland, today to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and for aggravated identity theft, in connection with a business email compromise fraud scheme with intended losses of more than $2 million. Based on court documents and evidence presented during Fombe’s sentencing, the Court also found that Fombe engaged in a pandemic-related unemployment fraud scheme while he was a fugitive residing in the United Kingdom.
In addition to prison time, Judge Chasanow ordered Fombe to pay restitution of $325,856.12 and to forfeit $547,310.23.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.
According to court documents and evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, from at least September 2016 to August 2018, Fombe conspired with others to commit wire fraud by conducting business email compromise (“BEC”) schemes in which Fombe‘s co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to email accounts, personal identifying information, and bank accounts by sending false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts. Fombe and his co-conspirators then used the illegally obtained personal information to obtain counterfeit checks in the name and information of the victims’ bank accounts. Victims of the BEC scheme were from California, Tennessee, Michigan, Hawaii and Illinois. Fombe and his co-conspirators also registered fraudulent shell entities to facilitate the scheme, opening and managing bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent shell entities’, as well as their own names and aliases, to direct and receive proceeds of the BEC and check schemes.
After Fombe’s indictment in 2019, Fombe fled the United States on a fraudulently obtained Honduran passport, ultimately residing in the United Kingdom until his arrest there on June 16, 2022 and subsequent extradition to the United States.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, DOL-OIG, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O. Hayes, Christopher M. Sarma, and Bijon Mostoufi, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Fabricating Millions in Business Income to Obtain Pandemic ReliefRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts businesswoman pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking COVID-19 relief.
Vanessa Nixon, 45, of Framingham, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024. Nixon was charged in February 2024.
Nixon was the owner and operator of multiple businesses in Massachusetts, including Mass Homes Investments LLC, Nixon Homes LTD and Alpha Auto Body, Inc. Between April 2020 and November 2022, Nixon submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications in the names of her various businesses to banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program that fabricated millions in business income. Nixon also created fake tax documents that she submitted with the loan applications to substantiate the fabricated business income. In total, Nixon received more than $450,000 in loans that were subsequently forgiven by banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine that had been delivered in packages to various locations, including the Harvard University campus.
Lennon Carrasco, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2024. Carrasco was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with co-conspirator Dorian Rojas.
In June 2019, law enforcement recovered a FedEx package that had been delivered to a biology lab on the campus of Harvard University. The package was found to contain approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and one kilogram of cocaine. A subsequent investigation revealed that Rojas, who was a former FedEx delivery driver, asked Carrasco, who was working as a FedEx delivery driver, to retrieve the package and deliver it to Rojas. In August 2019, Carrasco was observed retrieving another package and delivering it to Rojas. Shortly after, Rojas was arrested, and the package was found to contain almost one kilogram of heroin. It was ultimately determined that Carrasco had diverted more than 20 FedEx packages for Rojas from November 2017 to June 2019.
In October 2022, Rojas was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; Harvard University Police Chief Victor Clay; Christine Elow, Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Bellevue, Nebraska Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Bellevue, Nebraska man was sentenced March 19, 2024, to 24 months in prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
According to public court documents, Ernest Ray Roberts Jr., 53, pled guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with Possession of Child Pornography. In August 2021, an employee with Prairie Flower Casino discovered a Samsung cellular phone on the floor of the casino. While attempting to identify the owner of the cellular phone, child sexual abuse material was discovered to have been saved from the internet to the cellular telephone. The owner of the cellular phone was determined to be Roberts.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberts is required to serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Carter Lake Police Department and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Bayamón Man Arrested for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Bayamón man was arrested on March 19, 2024, on criminal charges related to various schemes involving bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and wire fraud.
According to court documents, from July 2021 until September 2021, Manuel Burgos-Ortiz, 28, knowingly executed and attempted to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud a federally insured financial institution, and to obtain moneys, funds, credits, and property owned by and under the custody and control of said institution by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. The defendant conducted and attempted to conduct more than 70 fraudulent refund transactions for more than $5,000,000 using two debit cards and a Point of Sale (POS) system.
The defendant was able to apply for and obtain a POS system by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, and by using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person. Shortly after acquiring the POS system, the defendant started to conduct fraudulent refund transactions to two debit cards associated with Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account, a company that he owned and controlled. The fraudulent refund transactions created a temporary false balance of funds in Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account. By taking advantage of the transaction validation process the defendant was able to gain access to funds he was not entitled to and spend funds that did not belong to him. Throughout the scheme the defendant managed to use funds originated by the fraudulent POS refund transactions, and temporarily available in his account, to conduct numerous purchases, cash withdrawals and ATH Móvil transfers, resulting in an overdraft of more than $270,000 in Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account.
The defendant engaged in monetary transactions in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000.00, by conducting transactions to purchase a new vehicle with funds that originated from fraudulent refund transactions, which the defendant was able to use by taking advantage of the transaction validation process. On July 23, 2021, two fraudulent refund transactions totaling more than $140,000 were conducted and approved using the POS system acquired by the defendant and a debit card associated with Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account. That same morning, the defendant went in person to purchase a manager’s check for $74,036.25. That same day, the defendant used the manager’s check to purchase a new 2021 Black Dodge Rebel 1500.
From November 2023 until February of 2024, the defendant devised a scheme to defraud multiple small businesses and their owners, and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. As part of the scheme to defraud the defendant deceitfully identified himself as an employee of a transaction processing company that provides merchant acquiring, payment services and business process management services, and by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, was able to gain access to multiple POS systems of small business to perform fraudulent refund transactions using debit cards associated with accounts he owned or had access to.
“The defendant falsely represented himself as a legitimate business owner and employee of a company and stole money in many different ways,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the Secret Service agents and law enforcement partners who uncovered the complex web of financial transactions that led to the defendant’s arrest.”
If convicted, Burgos-Ortiz faces the following penalties: up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud; a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for the aggravated identity theft count; up to ten years for money laundering; and up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud or up to 30 years if the wire fraud violation affects a financial institution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Secret Service is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Muñiz-Lorenzi from the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division is prosecuting the case.
Tips and information assist the Secret Service and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. If you believe to be a victim of any of the fraudulent schemes describe above or if you have any information about this defendant, contact the Secret Service San Juan Resident Office at 787-277-1515.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24-261_criminal_complaint_bank_wire_fraud_3-22-24.pdfBay St. Louis Woman Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Bay St. Louis woman was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 pills containing fentanyl.
Emma Kate Stoute, 19, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Agents surveilled the motel and narrowed down the suspected parties and rooms. Agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the hotel to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the occupants of the vehicle participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana. After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop. Stoute was one of the occupants of the vehicle and was in possession of 50 pills containing fentanyl. A subsequent search of Stoute’s cell phone confirmed that she was trafficking fentanyl pills.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
On November 27, 2023, Stoute pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.
$1.5M shopping spree: local man imprisoned for illegal use of stolen credit card informationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Missouri City man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Emmanuel Babajide Awolaja pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. has now ordered Awolaja to serve 138 months for the conspiracy as well as another 24 months for the aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively. The total 162-month prison term will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $263,955.73 in restitution to the victims which included local merchants.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that determined Awolaja was responsible for more than $1.5 million in losses. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Awolaja’s criminal history dated back almost 20 years with this being his 13th felony offense. Judge Werlein noted how the previous sentences have not deterred him from criminal activity, and the court was imposing this sentence to protect the public from his continued criminal recidivism.
Awolaja and Tia Nicole Chavis came into possession of credit card information for numerous Chase Bank customers along with personal identifying information of various individuals.
From February 2021 until October 2023, Chavis agreed to help Awolaja use the unlawfully obtained credit card information to purchase expensive jewelry, hotel rooms, rental cars, meals and various other goods or services.
When they would first attempt to use the cards, the charges would be denied. However, Awolaja and Chavis persuaded merchants to manually enter the card numbers which typically resulted in approval, ultimately causing substantial loss for the merchants.
The investigation revealed Awolaja used the stolen account information to make purchases in Iowa, Virginia and several other states.
The scheme unraveled May 19, 2021, when they attempted to fraudulently purchase a $14,000 watch at Tomball Pawn and Jewelry. Law enforcement then worked with merchants throughout the country to identify Chavis and Awolaja from store video in other transactions.
Chavis, 32, Houston, also pleaded guilty and it set for sentencing April 12.
Both have been and will remain in custody.
The Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
21 March 2024
West Decatur Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of West Decatur, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on March 20, 2024, to charges of production and possession of materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Jon Osewalt, 30, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Four of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around April 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Osewalt produced images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, in and around December 2020, Osewalt possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Osewalt.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Washington State Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl, Aiding and Abetting Armed Robbery of a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington State man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a 14-year-old.
Levi Joseph Blomdahl, 28, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in 2021, as a part of an ongoing investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into Portland area fentanyl trafficking, Blomdahl was identified as a Pacific Northwest fentanyl dealer. In September 2021, Blomdahl was the victim of a drug-related robbery and shooting on Hayden Island in Portland during which he exchanged gunfire with the robber and sustained gunshot wounds. The robber, Anthony Pastorino, 44, also of Vancouver, fled the scene before police arrived and Blomdahl was taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment.
Further investigation revealed that beginning in January 2021, Blomdahl made multiple trips from Portland to Phoenix, Arizona, to purchase fentanyl he would return to the Pacific Northwest for redistribution and sale. On November 18, 2021, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Blomdahl’s Vancouver residence where they located and seized approximately 600 grams of fentanyl, two firearms, ammunition, and smaller amounts of other controlled substances.
While investigating Blomdahl’s drug trafficking, HSI learned that he had also aided and abetted the armed robbery of a 14-year-old boy in September 2021, in Vancouver, five days before Blomdahl himself was the victim of an armed robbery. It was revealed that Blomdahl was in close contact with another individual who, while pretending to be a police officer, stole a motorcycle offered for sale online by the 14-year-old. During the robbery, Blomdahl sent messages to the robber, including one encouraging him to place the boy under “arrest.” Blomdahl further contacted the victim’s mother, posing as the victim, to try and gain access to the boy’s online sales account.
On March 10, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Blomdahl with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On September 14, 2023, Blomdahl pleaded guilty to a two-count superseding criminal information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting motor vehicle theft.
On May 3, 2023, Pastorino was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for his role in the armed robbery of Blomdahl.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Portland Police Bureau, and Vancouver Police Department. It was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Vernon Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Glen Buehler, 68, of Vernon, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday to a 30-month term of imprisonment, following his guilty plea to possessing child pornography, also referred to as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Buehler to serve a 15-year term of supervised release following his release from prison, and pay $33,000 in restitution to victims of his offense.
According to court records, on February 2, 2023, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire police detective was conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network, looking for individuals sharing CSAM. A BitTorrent user was identified as sharing likely CSAM files, and a download of some of those files occurred on the evening of February 2, 2023. After the source of the files was determined to likely be in Vermont, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Derby, Vermont. HSI’s investigation revealed the source of the files downloaded from BitTorrent to likely be Buhler’s residence in Vernon, Vermont. A federal search warrant was executed on April 3, 2023, resulting in the seizure of a number of Buehler’s electronic devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed over 4,000 video and image files of CSAM. During an interview, Buehler admitted to agents that he had downloaded the materials, and also admitted he knew that others could obtain the materials from his devices using peer-to-peer software.
After Buehler appeared in federal court on charges of possessing CSAM, he was ordered released on pretrial conditions that included monitoring of his electronic devices. That monitoring revealed that Buehler continued to access CSAM while on pretrial release. A second federal search warrant was executed at Buehler’s residence on June 6, 2023, resulting in the seizure of additional electronic devices that were determined to contain CSAM. Buehler was thereafter remanded to custody for violating his conditions of release.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire ICAC, the Vermont ICAC, and the detectives of the Office of the Vermont Attorney General’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the Vermont State Police and the Brattleboro Police Department for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Buehler is represented by the Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Department’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 Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Theft of Postal Money OrdersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has been indicted for allegedly embezzling over $19,000.
Christine Hedges, 46, of Brockton, was indicted yesterday on one count of theft of government money. She will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Hedges began working for USPS around 2020, most recently as a Lead Sales & Service Associate in Brockton. In this role, Hedges had the ability to generate postal money orders, including replacement money orders. Customers could obtain replacement money orders without paying any additional fees if the original money orders were lost, damaged or erroneous. During the relevant period, it is alleged that Hedges issued over $19,000 worth of replacement money orders to herself or other individuals where the original money orders were not erroneous and had not been lost or stolen, which caused the USPS to incur losses of $19,000.
The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe Appointed to Serve on the AG Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appointed U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).
“I’m deeply honored to be selected by Attorney General Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the opportunity to learn from and serve alongside my fellow AGAC members as we work to advise the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s leadership.”
The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Justice Department policies. With U.S. Attorney Crowe’s appointment, the Southern District of Illinois is represented on the AGAC for the first time since the committee’s conception.
Crowe was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois on June 21, 2022. As U.S. Attorney, Crowe is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Southern District of Illinois.
Two Indicted in Scheme to Use Stolen Identities to Obtain Nearly $1 Million in Fraudulent COVID-19 ReliefRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment charging two men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering concerning obtaining fraudulent proceeds of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration.
“The pandemic is long over, but we won’t quit in our mission to run down stolen taxpayer money and ensure the integrity of federal relief programs,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Those who committed COVID-19 fraud should know - we’re well-resourced and we’re still coming.”
“Schemes to fraudulently obtain federal funds meant to provide assistance to small businesses is unacceptable,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “Our field office continues to follow the evidence of crimes committed to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and other COVID-19 funds intended for struggling businesses needing assistance during the pandemic and bring them to justice.”
According to the indictment, Tyreek Rasheed Exum, age 25, of Snow Hill, North Carolina, and Anthony Wandland, Jr., age 30, of Chicago, Illinois allegedly conspired to use over 20 stolen identities and the identities of co-conspirators to apply for EIDL and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. The indictment alleges that Wandland provided Exum with the stolen identities, and, in exchange, Exum gave Wandland a percentage of the proceeds. Each loan application submitted by Exum allegedly contain false statements, misrepresentations, and omissions related to income, employment, and claimed business entities. Exum is alleged to have signed various financial documents, including loan and security agreements, in the names of those stolen identities and then had the loan proceeds deposited into his personal bank account, nominee bank accounts, bank accounts of family and friends, and into accounts in the names of stolen identities. Exum is alleged to have exercised control over these accounts by obtaining bank debit cards and by causing nominees to transfer the fraud proceeds to other accounts controlled by him via various digital mediums such as PayPal and CashApp. Exum allegedly withdrew the cash at multiple ATMs. In total, the indictment alleges Exum received nearly $1 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. If found guilty, Wandland and Exum face a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Explosives, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office are leading the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the United States Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. The Eastern District of North Carolina’s COVID Task Force is a part of this effort to coordinate fraud-related investigations and prosecutions in Eastern North Carolina. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00104-UA-RJ.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Tompkins County Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Coerce a Child to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Conduct and Possessing a Loaded Handgun as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joel Cook, 49, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 151 months in prison for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and a concurrent 151 months for possessing a loaded handgun as a prohibited person by virtue of a prior felony conviction. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In his previous plea of guilty, Cook admitted that in March of 2023 he sent sexually explicit text messages to a 14-year-old child in an attempt to entice and coerce her into engaging in sexual conduct with him. The child did not respond to Cook’s messages. Instead, her family reported Cook to police, after which the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assumed the child’s identity. Thereafter, for nearly a month Cook engaged in sexually explicit messaging with someone whom he thought was the child, explaining what type of sexual conduct they could engage in with one another, and asking her to send sexually explicit images to him. Cook was arrested on April 8, 2023, after arriving at a location where he had arranged to meet her.
Additional investigation led to the discovery of a loaded Hi Point, .380 caliber pistol hidden inside a hat in a dresser drawer in Cook’s bedroom. Cook was prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of a 2022 Chemung County Court conviction for Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.
In addition to serving 151 months in prison, Hon. Anne M. Nardacci sentenced Cook to 15 years of supervised release upon his release from imprisonment, and he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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.
Three Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine Using the United States MailRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Omar Josue Morales-Rodriguez, 44, of Freeport, Florida, Marcos Aguilar Gonzalez, 39, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Edmar Agustin Gonzalez, 33, of Crestview, Florida, each entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Morales-Rodriguez and Aguilar Gonzalez also pled guilty to an additional count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Morales-Rodriguez also pled guilty to an additional count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The pleas were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence introduced at the plea hearings established that between October 2019, and June 13, 2023, the three conspired together and with others to ship cocaine via the United States Mail from Puerto Rico to the Northern District of Florida. During the investigation, law enforcement seized four (4) packages that were shipped via the United States Mail, of which, three contained one (1) kilogram of cocaine each and one contained 125 grams of cocaine. The investigation further revealed that twenty (20) United States Mail packages, believed to contain cocaine, were shipped as part of the conspiracy from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Okaloosa and Walton County. Those packages were similar in weight and size to the packages seized that contained one (1) kilogram of cocaine each. Evidence introduced at the plea hearings further established that a search of a storage unit in Walton County led to the seizure of four (4) firearms and various rounds of ammunition that were unlawfully possessed by Morales-Rodriguez. Evidence introduced at the time of the plea hearings established that Morales-Rodriguez is a convicted felon had been previously convicted in federal court in Puerto Rico for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Evidence introduced at the plea hearings established that Morales-Rodriguez conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and Aguilar Gonzalez and Agustin Gonzalez each conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Sentencing hearings have been scheduled for May 23, 2024, and June 6, 2024. Morales-Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment with a maximum term of life, and up to a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment. Aguilar Gonzalez and Agustin Gonzalez each could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment with a maximum term of 40 years’ imprisonment, and up to a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Three Area Men Arrested in Postal Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a five count indictment charging Devin Sims, Michael Williams, and Teontaey Thomas with aiding and abetting each other in Robbery of Mail or Property of the United States and Stealing Keys Adopted by the Post Office. Two of the men, Sims and Williams, are also charged with Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence and Theft of Mail. Sims alone is charged with Possession of Stolen Mail.
A joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and South Euclid Police Department led to the arrest of Devin Sims, 19, of Cleveland Heights, on December 8, 2023, Michael Williams, 19, of University Heights, and Teontaey Thomas, 20, of Cleveland, on March 20, 2023.
The three individuals were charged for their roles in a robbery that involved the use of a firearm of a postal carrier on November 7, 2023. It is alleged that during the robbery the carrier’s key, which opens blue mailboxes belonging to the United States Postal Service, was stolen. On or about November 11, 2023, Sims and Williams accessed a blue mailbox in South Euclid, Ohio using the key and stole checks that were previously deposited in the mail.
The United States Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating cases involving theft from postal carriers and the U.S. Mails.
An indictment is only a charge and is 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 United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and the South Euclid Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts or thefts or attempted thefts of mail carriers or mail should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.
Thefts on Menominee Indian Reservation Result in Prison Sentence for Keshena ManRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Merwin J. “Pete” Wynos (age: 36), a former resident of Keshena and an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison following a conviction for theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 661 and 1153(a).
The sentence, imposed on March 20, 2024, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on January 16, 2024. Wynos will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.
According to court records, on September 25, 2023, several companies reported thefts of equipment from the site of the new Menominee Indian High School in Keshena. Investigators for the Menominee Tribal Police Department and Menominee County Sheriff’s Office discovered that Wynos had entered the closed, fenced, and locked construction site during nighttime hours. Wynos used a utility vehicle on the site to transport construction tools and electronics that he took from construction trailers to his residence. Wynos attempted to sell some of the items at local pawn shops, which reported their suspicions to the police. Wynos was arrested after being caught with others in a car full of stolen construction tools and, after being released from tribal custody, entered the construction site again on November 25, 2023. Wynos was caught on the site taking additional items and was re-arrested. Wynos admitted in court to being responsible for three separate theft incidents on the construction site and will pay over $29,000 in restitution to the victims.
At sentencing, Judge Griesbach noted the need to punish Wynos for the persistent nature of his crimes. Judge Griesbach said, “Stealing from hard working people, especially those building a new school that will help your community, shows a persistent willingness to violate the law.” Judge Griesbach also described the need to show the community that there is a punishment for this sort of behavior.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.
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Summer Camps Reminded of Requirement to Accommodate Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis announced today that his office has contacted summer camps throughout Middle Tennessee to remind them of their obligation under federal law to make reasonable accommodations to accept children with disabilities.
With summer approaching, parents are beginning to think about summer camps. To help ensure that children with disabilities receive the opportunity to attend summer camp, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently sent a letter and a flyer to scores of summer camps located within the Middle District of Tennessee reminding them of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
Under the ADA, both private summer camps and those run by municipalities must make reasonable modifications to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities. This generally means that children with disabilities are entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, that camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis, and that camps must train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. Camps are obligated to pay for the cost of any reasonable modifications necessary for disabled children to participate in camp activities, and parents should not be charged any additional fee beyond standard camp enrollment costs.
“Summer camps present tremendous growth opportunities for children to learn independence, try new things and gain self-confidence,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Middle Tennessee summer camps should afford those same opportunities to disabled children whose needs can be reasonably accommodated. It is the right thing to do, and it is required by federal law.”
Additional information about the ADA is available at www.ada.gov.
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Spokane Bank Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing more than $345,000Read the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jessica Ann Marshall, age 27, of Spokane, Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of Theft and Embezzlement by Bank Employee. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Marshall’s guilty plea, and set sentencing for June 27, 2024, in Spokane.
According to court documents, between June 2023 and September 2023, Marshall was working as a Bank Manager at the Bank of Idaho’s downtown Spokane, Washington branch. Using her position as a manager, Marshall stole and embezzled at least $345,664 in cash from the bank vault, ATM, and her cash drawer.
Marshall falsified documents to reconcile the cash and directed bank employees to sign falsified count sheets in order to hide her theft and embezzlement. Marshall also used her position as Bank Manger to make fraudulent deposit transactions into her spouse’s account. These fraudulent transactions reflected that money was being deposited into the account; however, no funds were deposited.
When Bank of Idaho inquired about the deposits into her spouse’s account, Marshall attempted to conceal her conduct by using a co-worker’s email account to send an e-mail with false information. Marshall then accessed the computer of another co-worker to delete an email from Bank of Idaho inquiring about the deposits.
“Bankers and financial professionals are given an extraordinary amount of trust. When they abuse that trust to commit theft and line their own pockets, they devastate our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold those accountable who use their position to enrich themselves.”
“In only several months of employment, Ms. Marshall betrayed her company’s and clients’ trust by misusing her access to accounts, stealing a large sum of money, and attempting to cover up the crime,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The FBI, together with our partners, will continue to investigate financial crimes and bring unethical behavior to light.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Case No. 2:24-CR-00040-TOR
Six Former Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Sentenced for Torturing and Abusing Two Black MenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced this week for torturing and abusing two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi.
Senior District Judge Tom Lee sentenced the defendants to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.
- Christian Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- Brett McAlpin, 53, former RCSO Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.
- Hunter Elward, 31, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- Jeffrey Middleton, 46, former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
- Daniel Opdyke, 28, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
- Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated, and they will now spend between 10 and 40 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor. Officers who violate constitutional rights will be held accountable by the Justice Department for their crimes that harm individual victims and betray the trust of entire communities. I am grateful to the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the FBI Jackson Field Office, and our state partners for their outstanding work bringing these defendants to justice.”
“It is hard to imagine a more atrocious set of civil rights violations than those carried out by the defendants in this case,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “But it is also hard to imagine more important work than investigating those crimes and seeking justice for the victims. As the result of the bureau’s color-of-law investigation, which we worked in collaboration with our federal and state partners, all six pleaded guilty last August and will serve lengthy sentences for their crimes.”
“By holding these officers accountable, we are sending a clear message that law enforcement abuse of Black people, or any American, will not be tolerated in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These six white law enforcement officers sought to dehumanize two innocent Black men through cruel, violent, and lawless abuse. The defendants didn’t count on the victims’ courage to come forward and tell the truth or the justice system to hold them accountable. The court imposed severe sentences reflecting the defendants’ savagery, including the longest federal sentence in recent years for a civil rights police misconduct case. Justice demands accountability, especially when the defendants’ actions not only scarred the victims physically and emotionally, but also harmed the entire community, stripping away their sense of security, corroding trust and respect for the police.”
“We expect our law enforcement officers to take seriously their oath to be our protectors, but these defendants instead chose to be predators on a hate-fueled power trip,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Rather than serving Mississippi, the defendants treated it as a place where they could assault, intimidate, torture, and frame their victims at will. These violations of civil rights should serve as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in Mississippi and this nation to ensure that law enforcement officers are properly hired, trained, equipped, supervised, and held accountable for their actions.”
“We hold positions of trust and serve as stewards of authority for the community. Color of law violations are harmful to the victims, to the American people, and to the law enforcement community across the globe,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “These six individuals violated their oaths and disgraced other law enforcement officers that carry their duties with pride and honor. We will continue to execute our duties to the highest level of ethical and moral values. We will continue to work with our community partners to rebuild and strengthen the partnership and trust in law enforcement. The FBI remains steadfast in aggressively investigating and bringing those who misuse their authority to justice.”
“The six officers who committed these heinous acts caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims; they severed the vital trust between law enforcement and the people they pledge to protect,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “This abuse of power will not be tolerated. I am proud of this joint effort and shared commitment across agencies to pursue truth and justice for these victims. It is my hope and prayer that we can help these victims on their healing journey, and we can restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”
“The sentencing of the six former officers who violated their oath of office proves the effectiveness of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “As we move forward, we should all work together creating new policies and oversights to help prevent these types of incidents in the future. Thank you to all parties involved for their diligent work in ensuring that justice was served for the victims.”
Last year, the six defendants pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with a total of 13 felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents and the plea hearings, the defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, 2023, Dedmon sent a group message to Middleton, Elward, and Opdyke, three members of the “Goon Squad,” orchestrating a “mission” to forcibly enter a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi, where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. “The Goon Squad” is a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it. Dedmon warned the officers that there might be surveillance cameras at the house, and told them “no bad mugshots”, meaning that the officers should use excessive force, but they should make sure not to leave any marks that would be captured in a mugshot.
Upon arrival at the home, the defendants kicked in the door and entered the home without a warrant or any exigent circumstances. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men; tased them 17 times; held them down and poured liquids on their faces, forcing them to involuntarily ingest these liquids; threw eggs at them and assaulted them with a dildo. McAlpin, the senior officer on the scene, failed to intervene to stop the torture or abuse and stole property while the incident occurred.
At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth, and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw, and exited out of his neck.
As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it by planting a BB gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, a spent shell casing, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story.
For several of the defendants, the incident with M.J. and E.P. was not their first-time abusing Rankin County residents. During a separate incident on Dec. 4, 2022, Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene. Dedmon then sexually assaulted the man. In connection with that incident, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.
Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the federal matter, prosecuted the case.
Six Former Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Sentenced for Torturing and Abusing Two Black MenRead the Press Release
Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced this week for torturing and abusing two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi.
Senior District Judge Tom Lee sentenced the defendants to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.
- Christian Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- Brett McAlpin, 53, former RCSO Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.
- Hunter Elward, 31, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- Jeffrey Middleton, 46, former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
- Daniel Opdyke, 28, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
- Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated, and they will now spend between 10 and 40 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor. Officers who violate constitutional rights will be held accountable by the Justice Department for their crimes that harm individual victims and betray the trust of entire communities. I am grateful to the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the FBI Jackson Field Office, and our state partners for their outstanding work bringing these defendants to justice.”
“It is hard to imagine a more atrocious set of civil rights violations than those carried out by the defendants in this case,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “But it is also hard to imagine more important work than investigating those crimes and seeking justice for the victims. As the result of the bureau’s color-of-law investigation, which we worked in collaboration with our federal and state partners, all six pleaded guilty last August and will serve lengthy sentences for their crimes.”
“By holding these officers accountable, we are sending a clear message that law enforcement abuse of Black people, or any American, will not be tolerated in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These six white law enforcement officers sought to dehumanize two innocent Black men through cruel, violent, and lawless abuse. The defendants didn’t count on the victims’ courage to come forward and tell the truth or the justice system to hold them accountable. The court imposed severe sentences reflecting the defendants’ savagery, including the longest federal sentence in recent years for a civil rights police misconduct case. Justice demands accountability, especially when the defendants’ actions not only scarred the victims physically and emotionally, but also harmed the entire community, stripping away their sense of security, corroding trust and respect for the police.”
“We expect our law enforcement officers to take seriously their oath to be our protectors, but these defendants instead chose to be predators on a hate-fueled power trip,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Rather than serving Mississippi, the defendants treated it as a place where they could assault, intimidate, torture, and frame their victims at will. These violations of civil rights should serve as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in Mississippi and this nation to ensure that law enforcement officers are properly hired, trained, equipped, supervised, and held accountable for their actions.”
“We hold positions of trust and serve as stewards of authority for the community. Color of law violations are harmful to the victims, to the American people, and to the law enforcement community across the globe,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “These six individuals violated their oaths and disgraced other law enforcement officers that carry their duties with pride and honor. We will continue to execute our duties to the highest level of ethical and moral values. We will continue to work with our community partners to rebuild and strengthen the partnership and trust in law enforcement. The FBI remains steadfast in aggressively investigating and bringing those who misuse their authority to justice.”
“The six officers who committed these heinous acts caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims; they severed the vital trust between law enforcement and the people they pledge to protect,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “This abuse of power will not be tolerated. I am proud of this joint effort and shared commitment across agencies to pursue truth and justice for these victims. It is my hope and prayer that we can help these victims on their healing journey, and we can restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”
“The sentencing of the six former officers who violated their oath of office proves the effectiveness of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “As we move forward, we should all work together creating new policies and oversights to help prevent these types of incidents in the future. Thank you to all parties involved for their diligent work in ensuring that justice was served for the victims.”
Last year, the six defendants pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with a total of 13 felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents and the plea hearings, the defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, 2023, Dedmon sent a group message to Middleton, Elward, and Opdyke, three members of the “Goon Squad,” orchestrating a “mission” to forcibly enter a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi, where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. “The Goon Squad” is a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it. Dedmon warned the officers that there might be surveillance cameras at the house, and told them “no bad mugshots”, meaning that the officers should use excessive force, but they should make sure not to leave any marks that would be captured in a mugshot.
Upon arrival at the home, the defendants kicked in the door and entered the home without a warrant or any exigent circumstances. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men; tased them 17 times; held them down and poured liquids on their faces, forcing them to involuntarily ingest these liquids; threw eggs at them and assaulted them with a dildo. McAlpin, the senior officer on the scene, failed to intervene to stop the torture or abuse and stole property while the incident occurred.
At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth, and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw, and exited out of his neck.
As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it by planting a BB gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, a spent shell casing, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story.
For several of the defendants, the incident with M.J. and E.P. was not their first-time abusing Rankin County residents. During a separate incident on Dec. 4, 2022, Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene. Dedmon then sexually assaulted the man. In connection with that incident, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.
Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the federal matter, prosecuted the case.
Sex Offender Convicted at Trial on Child Pornography and Failure to Register ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Christopher Daniels, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted at trial of receiving child pornography as a second time offender, possession of child pornography as a second time offender, access with intent to view child pornography as a second time offender, and failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Daniels was first charged with child pornography offenses on March 12, 2015, and in July of that year, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone sentenced Daniels to 70 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
The defendant’s term of supervised release commenced on January 15, 2021. Under SORNA, he was required to keep his sex offender registration information, including his registered residential address, current. In July of 2022, Daniels failed to verify his sex offender registration with Pennsylvania State Police as required and went into non-compliant status. Daniels was also found to be non-compliant with the terms of his federal supervised release and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
On November 3, 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Daniels and the FBI conducted a court-authorized search of his residence, seizing several electronic devices belonging to the defendant. Subsequent forensic examination of those devices found thousands of videos and images depicting child pornography and browser searches for such material.
Daniels was charged by indictment on January 19, 2023, and by superseding indictment on August 29, 2023, with child pornography offenses and failure to register.
“After leaving prison in 2021, Mr. Daniels understood his legal responsibilities: comply with the requirements of his supervised release, keep his sex offender registration up to date, and stay away from material depicting the horrific sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Well, he did none of those things, and this verdict ensures he’ll answer for it. The safety of our community and its children is the top priority of my office and our law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting children against exploitation remains a priority for the FBI,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “FBI Philadelphia and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who seek to victimize our most vulnerable.”
“The propensity for underlying crimes of a most heinous nature cannot be discounted when investigating SORNA violations,” said U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner. “As such, the U.S. Marshals Service, together with the USAO and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue any and all such matters.”
Daniels faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum of 130 years in prison, and from five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. He also faces a consecutive sentence of two years in prison on his violation of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Serial Violent Robber Found Guilty of Robbing Multiple Spas at Gunpoint; Duct-Taped VictimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Burlington, Mass. man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston for his role in the armed robberies of multiple businesses in which he and two others beat, dragged and duct-taped victims.
Alfeu Barbosa, 26, was convicted of two counts of robbery affecting commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 17. Barbosa was arrested and charged in June 2022. His co-defendants, Li Wen Tang and Jonas Nunez, were later arrested and charged in August and September 2022. All three defendants were each subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury. Nunez pleaded guilty in January 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2024. Tang is pending trial and is presumed innocent.
“Barbosa did not simply rob businesses, he terrorized employees by duct taping them, dragging them by their hair, assaulting them and holding them at gunpoint. Barbosa cruelly inflicted lifelong trauma on multiple victims, all for a few hundred dollars,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We hope that this verdict holding Mr. Barbosa accountable will bring some solace to the victims.”
“Alfeu Barbosa was a crime wave unto himself, storming into these spas, robbing everyone at gun point, and physically assaulting and duct taping them. What he did to the victims in this case was horrific,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Removing dangerous armed robbers like this from the street is a priority for FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force, and we thank the jury for making sure this prolific criminal won’t be able to terrorize anyone else for quite some time.”
On June 12, 2022 at approximately 8:51 p.m., Tang allegedly entered the Balance Reflexology Spa in Brookline pretending to be a customer seeking a massage. Because the victim was the only employee in the spa that night, she locked the door before taking Tang into the back room to begin the massage. It is alleged that Tang asked the victim if there was anyone else in the spa and that if there was, he would like to see them. Almost immediately after the massage had begun, Tang claimed that he no longer wanted a massage because his stomach was upset and demanded a refund. The victim employee stated she had to call her boss to approve the refund. While the victim employee was on the phone in the lobby, it is alleged that Tang unlocked the front door and two masked men – later identified as Barbosa and Nunez – entered the business carrying firearms. One of the men hit the victim employee in the face, knocking her to the floor and put a gun to her head. Barbosa and Nunez then pulled the victim by her hair into the back hallway where they instructed her to be quiet. There, the men proceeded to bind the victim’s wrists and ankles with duct tape and gag her. As they were doing this, Barbosa and Nunez repeatedly yelled at the victim asking, “Where is the money?” The men ransacked the spa for roughly three minutes before locating and stealing approximately $500 along with the victim employee’s cell phone and then exiting. Surveillance footage revealed that all three men had arrived in the same vehicle parked nearby, which they drove away in together following the robbery.
Later that evening, at approximately 10:19 p.m. on June 12, 2022, Barbosa, Nunez and an associate of Barbosa committed a similar robbery of May’s Spa Massage in Stoneham. Specifically, they entered the business wearing masks and firearms and duct-taped several victims who were in the spa at the time. In addition to stealing approximately $600 in cash from the business and victims, Barbosa, Nunez and Barbosa's associate took three cell phones belonging to three of the female victims present during the robbery, as well as a victim’s license, gift cards and credit and debit cards before leaving in the same vehicle.
At the time of the robberies, Barbosa was wearing a court-ordered ankle bracelet with GPS monitoring due to a suspended sentence for multiple prior convictions out of Middlesex Superior Court of armed robbery and assault and battery for robbing the De Onzen Spa in Waltham in July 2021. During that robbery, Barbosa threatened employees and patrons at knifepoint, stole their phones and punched one victim in the face causing an orbital fracture. Barbosa was subsequently charged in the state for assault and battery and sentenced in April 2022 to two and a half years in prison. That sentence was later suspended for three years.
Also at the time of the offenses, Barbosa was on pretrial release out of Suffolk Superior Court for charges of breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to commit a felony and larceny from a building. Barbosa has multiple prior state convictions including resisting arrest; breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to commit a felony; larceny over $250; and breaking and entering in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony.
The charges of robbery each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York; the Massachusetts State Police; as well as the Brookline, Stoneham, Boston, Wakefield and New York City Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm and Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Seattle Man Found Guilty at Trial of Indecent Exposure on an AircraftRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge found Evan Thomas Carter, 46, of Seattle, Washington, guilty of indecent exposure on an aircraft following a bench trial yesterday, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez presided over the trial.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on August 27, 2020, Carter was traveling on American Airlines Flight 560 from Seattle to Charlotte. Trial evidence established that, over the course of the flight, Carter exposed his genitalia to the passengers seated in his row and was rubbing himself. Trial evidence showed that Carter would hide his genitalia when people walked down the aisle and was exposed for at least 20 minutes until the passengers in his row were moved.
Carter was convicted of one count of indecent exposure on an aircraft, a misdemeanor offense punishable by no more than 90 days in prison and a $500 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Repeat felon sentenced after being caught again with a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Sept. 23, 2021, Richmond Police officers recognized Lamar Javon Williams, 31, who was in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a black bag across his chest. Williams got out of the car without the bag and entered the store. As Williams was returning to the car, an officer approached Williams and briefly spoke with him before Williams walked away from the scene. The officers then spoke to the driver, who had a handgun in his pants pocket.
Officers recovered Williams’ bag from the passenger side floorboard. Inside the bag were a loaded handgun, a debit card with Williams’ name, and a “corner baggie” with 3.8 grams of heroin and fentanyl.
In 2012, Williams was convicted of malicious wounding in Richmond Circuit Court after he shot a man in the chest with a shotgun in December 2010. In 2014, while on a suspended sentence for the malicious wounding conviction, Williams was convicted of possessing a firearm as a violent felon. As a previously convicted felon, Williams could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
After obtaining a warrant for his arrest, officers located Williams at a gas station on March 25, 2022, and approached his car to arrest him. Williams sped off, almost hitting the police car. Williams was arrested after a brief chase, and was found in possession of a corner baggie of fentanyl and 10 Xanax pills.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Peter Duffey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-158.
Repeat Felon Pleads to Illegal Possession of Firearms and Distribution of Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnie Wise, 27, a repeat felon from Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing two illegal firearms and distribution quantities of cocaine base and cocaine at his Southeast apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wise pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2024.
According to court documents, on January 18, 2023, at about 6 a.m., members of the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division executed a search warrant at Wise’s apartment on the 1900 block of 18th Street, SE. Law enforcement found Wise sitting inside his bedroom. Once handcuffed, Wise told police he was the only one who resided in the apartment. The kitchen was filled with drug making equipment that included digital scales, baking soda, empty zip lock bags.
Officers searched Wise’s bedroom and, next to his bed, recovered a Zastava Arms ZPAP92 7.62 x 39mm firearms with 30 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers also located a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol in the same room with 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Police additionally recovered a 50-round magazine containing 15 rounds, a Zigana gun box containing two magazines, 39 rounds of .40 caliber ammo, a baggie containing empty yellow pill capsules, 21 grams of cocaine base, and 85 grams of cocaine on a shelf over a television. DNA linked Wise to the Glock 17.
Wise faces a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on the felon in possession charge and up to 20 years for distributing cocaine base. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was conducted under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods and investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division in concert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
Recidivist Sacramento Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Joseph Taylor, 39, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to two counts of distributing child sexual abuse material and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2022 and 2023, Taylor used Reddit and Facebook Messenger to distribute multiple images depicting the sexual exploitation of children. During this same period, Taylor also possessed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse in two Google Drive accounts that he controlled. At the time he engaged in this criminal conduct, Taylor was on federal supervised release in Sacramento following a 2021 conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. Taylor was previously convicted in Oregon state court for attempted sexual abuse of a minor.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on June 27, 2024. Taylor faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison on each distribution count, as well as a maximum of 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison on the possession count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Recidivist Drug Trafficker and Illegal Firearms Possessor Indicted for Semiautomatic Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Ernest Lee Terry, 45, as the sole defendant in this case. The charge initially was brought in the form of a federal criminal complaint filed after Terry’s March 14, 2024, arrest. Additional information regarding that complaint can be found here.
According to the Indictment, on or about March 14, 2024, Terry possessed a .45 caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol after having been convicted of seven prior felonies—including drug trafficking and firearms charges. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The Indictment further alleges that Terry is subject to enhanced penalties as an Armed Career Criminal due to his numerous prior convictions.
The law provides for a maximum possible sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Vincent Joseph Sonson are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to AtlantaRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Atlanta on March 20 to continue the Civil Rights Division’s tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
In the morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke participated in a fireside chat with Dr. Adrienne Jones, Ph.D. at Morehouse College, part of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium, a collaboration between four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the heart of metropolitan Atlanta – Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. Assistant Attorney General Clarke spoke with AUC students about her journey to becoming the first woman and first Black woman confirmed by the Senate to be the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. She also discussed the Justice Department’s efforts to address some of the most pressing civil rights issues, including threats to voting rights, a rise in hate crimes, the racial wealth gaps, and encouraged students to reconsider careers in public service.
After her visit to Morehouse College, Assistant Attorney General Clarke joined a community stakeholder meeting convened with U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. During the meeting, they listened to and addressed concerns raised by local advocates from Black, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Jewish and LGBTQI+ communities.
She also met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. She thanked U.S. Attorney Buchanan and his staff for their service and commitment to protecting civil rights.
To conclude the trip, Assistant Attorney General Clarke delivered keynote remarks at a special meeting hosted by the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, a 102-year-old institution. She underscored the department’s commitment to protecting civil rights and discussed current and past efforts to combat hate crimes. She said, “We are working diligently to prosecute and prevent hate crimes, which have soared to some of their highest levels in decades. Since January 2021, the Civil Rights Division has charged more than 115 defendants in over 100 cases – a statistic that both illustrates the rising threat of hate-fueled violence and illustrates the work of our attorneys to pursue these notoriously complex cases.”
She also highlighted the recent work of the Civil Rights Division, including holding law enforcement officials accountable for misconduct, investigating unconstitutional prison conditions, protecting the right to vote, and ending modern-day redlining by banks and financial institutions.
As a part of this tour, Assistant Attorney General Clarke has traveled to underserved communities in Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina to discuss the department’s efforts to protect the civil rights of all Americans.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke speaks at fireside chat at Morehouse College. Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Buchanan host a listening session with community stakeholders.Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 28, of Sophia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money.
Luster is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Johnson, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13.
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Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine and Heroin OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on James Patrick Lewis Jr., 31.
According to information presented to the Court, from September 21, 2020, to February 4, 2021, Lewis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine. During the course of the investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, a confidential source made six controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl from Lewis, each of which occurred in the area of the defendant’s residence/stash house. Search warrants were then executed, and agents recovered over 900 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of heroin, oxycodone pills, bulk marijuana, a money counter, over $12,000, three firearms (including a polymer frame firearm, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”), and loaded magazines. A loaded firearm also was recovered from the center console of Lewis’s vehicle.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy stated that the defendant had a significant criminal history for his relative youth and needed to reverse the course of his life and refrain from committing further crimes.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lewis.
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.
Philadelphia Drug Trafficker Who Sought to Have Witness Killed Sentenced to More Than 51 Years in Prison for Narcotics and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 622 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for distribution of narcotics and firearms possession offenses.
On March 10, 2018, Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed a search at the defendant’s home on the 4000 block of North Reese Street in Philadelphia. In a hidden compartment above a kitchen ceiling light fixture, agents found more than $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded firearm that had been modified to fire automatically. Prior to trial, the defendant pleaded guilty to a number of narcotics offenses, including possession of the 34 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute, and pleaded not guilty to two gun charges.
On March 31, 2023, after a three-day trial on those charges, the jury found the defendant guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The jury further found that the firearm had been modified to fire automatically. The evidence also showed that while awaiting trial, the defendant recruited another inmate to try to kill a witness who was scheduled to testify against the defendant.
“Luis Algarin-Torres received a very long prison sentence because he’s a career offender and very dangerous man,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “For years, this large-scale drug trafficker helped flood Philadelphia with poison, and after he was arrested for it, tried to have a witness killed to better his chances at trial. Putting violent criminals like this out of business and behind bars makes our community a safer place.”
“Algarin-Torres was convicted at trial on federal drug and firearms charges, to include a firearm that was modified to fire automatically,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Of particular concern was that in addition to his drug and firearms charges, the evidence showed that Algarin-Torres attempted to orchestrate the murder of a federal witness that was scheduled to testify against him at trial. Let this 51-year prison sentence be a message that anyone who seeks to intimidate or harm a witness will face severe consequences in federal court.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Ignall and Meghan E. Claiborne.
Pawn shop owner charged with money laundering and operating a money transmitting business without a licenseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On March 20, a Miami pawn shop owner was charged by criminal complaint with money laundering and operating a money transmitting business without a license.
As alleged in the criminal complaint and underlying criminal complaint affidavit, Andrey Perov, 38, of Miami, Florida, owned Bee Pawn LLC, a pawn shop in Miami and Hard Rock Giffies, a pawn shop in Hollywood, Florida. Allegedly, from Jan. 27, 2021, through June 3, 2021, Perov or an associate of Perov, at the direction of Perov, laundered $110,000 that Perov believed were drug proceeds. The charging documents further allege that, from Dec. 17, 2021, through Nov. 22, 2022, an associate of Perov, under his direction, redeemed approximately $540,000 worth of purportedly stolen or fraudulent gift cards.
Furthermore, from 2017 through March 20, 2024, Perov allegedly redeemed approximately $53,000,000 in gift cards and money orders and failed to obtain the required federal or state license in order act as a money transmitting business, as stated in the charging documents.
Perov made his initial appearance on March 20 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. Perov faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000 or up to twice the value of the property involved in the transactions with respect to the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge. Perov also faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the operating a money transmitting business without a license charge.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agentt in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS-CI, Miami Field Office and FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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 24-mj-6121.
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Owner of New Jersey Company Admits to Evading U.S. Customs Duties and His Company Agrees to $3.1 Million Settlement AgreementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The owner of a New Jersey company today admitted mislabeling hazardous chemicals entering the United States and evading customs duties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
George Volpe, 60, of Roseland, New Jersey, owner of Penta International Inc. (Penta), pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13, 2024. The company also agreed to a civil settlement to resolve allegations that Penta evaded customs duties and caused the mislabeling of chemicals imported into the United States from China.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Penta is a New Jersey-based company run by Volpe and his family. Volpe admitted that, from January 2016 through August 2021, as the manager and owner of Penta, he participated, in a scheme to defraud, through which he caused mislabeled chemicals, including hazardous chemicals, to enter the United States from China. The fraudulent scheme resulted in an underpayment of U.S. Customs duties in the amount of $1.4 million.
As part of the civil settlement with the United States to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act, Penta has agreed to pay $3.1 million plus interest. The civil claims alleged that Penta representatives conspired with a Chinese vendor to mislabel chemicals entering the United States and to use falsified documents submitted to Penta’s customs brokers. As part of the settlement, Penta admitted that it mislabeled substances in connection with their importation to the United States.
The civil settlement with Penta resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator, Angel Figueroa, will receive $600,000 of the $3.1 million civil settlement amount recovered by the United States pursuant to the False Claims Act.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers under the direction of port director TenaVel Thomas; auditors with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade Regulatory Audit under the direction of Field Director Roderick “Rick” Lawlor; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the New Jersey Field Office, with the investigation.
The government is represented in the criminal case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, and in the civil case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Orlowski of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
volpe.information.pdfOmaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen Mail and Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Maximino Vallecillo, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 21, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession of stolen mail and possession with intent to use or transfer five or more identification documents. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Vallecillo to 15 months’ imprisonment for each offense, to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Vallecillo’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Vallecillo must also pay $32,972.71 in restitution.
Starting in about November 2022, residents west of Omaha reported a rash of thefts from their mailboxes, followed by fraudulent accounts being set up or attempted to be set up in their names. During traffic stops and residence searches in January to March 2023, stolen mail, credit and debit cards, identification documents, altered checks and other ID-theft related items were found in the possession of Vallecillo and his co-defendant, whose case remains pending. Video from area merchants showed the co-defendant, sometimes accompanied by Vallecillo, conducting transactions with debit or credit cards stolen from mailbox theft victims. Investigators identified approximately $68,428 worth of altered checks and attempted transactions that resulted in actual loss of approximately $32,972.71.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and United States Postal Inspection Service.
Ohio Man Arrested for Decades-Long Scheme to Conceal His Involvement in the Rwandan GenocideRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ohio man has been charged in Boston, Mass. for a nearly three-decade scheme to conceal his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left more than 800,000 people dead. The defendant is also charged with obstruction of justice and with perjury for allegedly offering false testimony in the 2019 Boston trial of his former classmate and now-convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator Jean Leonard Teganya. The defendant allegedly participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete.
Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, a/k/a Eric Tabaro Nshimiyimana, 52, of Uniontown, Ohio, has been charged in a criminal complaint with falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device; obstruction of justice; and perjury. Nshimiye was arrested this morning in Ohio and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Northern District of Ohio. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“For nearly 30 years, Mr. Nshimiye allegedly hid the truth about crimes he committed during the Rwandan genocide in order to seek refuge in the United States, and reap the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Our refuge and asylum laws exist to protect true victims of persecution -- not the perpetrators. The United States will not be a safe haven for suspected human rights violators and war criminals,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to locating and prosecuting those who commit human rights violations abroad and then evade our immigration laws. We will not cease in our pursuit of identifying and bringing to justice those individuals who have participated in unthinkable war crimes and human rights abuses.”
“Nshimiye is accused of lying to conceal his participation in one of the greatest human tragedies of all time. The charging documents make specific allegations about the murder and rape of ethnic Tutsis committed during his time as a medical student in Rwanda. The government alleges his testimony in the defense of a convicted genocidaire was a calculated attempt to conceal the horrific crimes committed during the genocide, further distancing himself from his participation in these horrific events, and avoiding consequences of his actions,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center agents spend years investigating cases of alleged human rights violators and war criminals, interviewing survivors, and working alongside historians, in an effort to uncover the true history of perpetrators and hold them accountable for their actions. We are tireless in our pursuit of those who seek to use the United States as a haven from justice.”
According to the charging documents, Nshimiye was a medical student at the University of Rwanda campus in Butare, Rwanda in the early 1990s. At that time, the country had significant ethnic division: about 85% of its population were Hutus, and about 14% were Tutsis. Both Nshimiye and Teganya were well-known student members of the MRND political party, the ruling Hutu-dominated party that incited the genocide, and the Interahamwe, the notoriously violent youth wing of that movement. According to court documents, in the spring of 1994, after the Hutu president’s plane was shot down over Kigali, the country spiraled into one of the worst ethnic genocides in modern history. Members of the Hutu majority murdered approximately 800,000 Tutsis, including women and children, in a 100-day frenzy.
It is alleged that Nshimiye participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete. The charging documents allege specific instances of Nshimiye’s criminal conduct, including his murders of a 14-year-old boy and of a man who sewed doctor’s coats at the university hospital. Witnesses in Rwanda recently identified the locations of the killings and drew pictures of Nshimiye’s weapons. It is further alleged that Nshimiye both participated in and aided and abetted the rape of numerous Tutsi women during the genocide.
According to the charging documents, Nshimiye fled Rwanda in the summer of 1994, after an attacking Tutsi rebel group drove genocidaires into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nshimiye made his way to Kenya where, in 1995, he allegedly lied to U.S. immigration officials to gain admission to the United States as a refugee. Nshimiye emigrated to Ohio and, in subsequent years, allegedly continued to provide false information about his involvement in the Rwandan genocide to obtain lawful permanent residence and ultimately U.S. citizenship. By allegedly concealing his crimes, Nshimiye has lived and worked in Ohio since 1995.
In 2017, the United States charged Teganya with fraudulently seeking asylum in the United States by similarly concealing his membership in the MRND and his involvement in the genocide. When called to testify at trial on Teganya’s behalf in 2019, Nshimiye said that neither he nor Teganya participated in the genocide. Teganya was ultimately convicted of two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury in April 2019. The complaint alleges that Nshimiye assisted Teganya in obstructing justice at Teganya’s trial and falsely testifying about Teganya’s involvement in the MRND. It is also alleged that Nshimiye perjured himself when he denied his own membership in the MRND and Interahamwe.
The charging document also alleges that Nshimiye made false statements to federal agents when he was recently interviewed about his activities before coming to the United States and about the documents he signed to obtain citizenship. In response to questions, Nshimiye allegedly continued to make false statements to conceal his involvement in the genocide.
The charge of falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; Shawn S. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center, the Copley, Ohio Police Department and the Summit County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Amanda Beck of the National Security Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Norton Man Sentenced for Possessing Multiple Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Norton, Virginia man who possessed multiple explosive devices at his home was sentenced last week to 69 months in federal prison.
Jordan Patrick Adams, 38, pled guilty in November 2023 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device.
According to court documents, in August 2022, police received information that Adams may be in possession of explosive devices and booby traps at his home. As a result, officers with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police Bomb Squad executed a search warrant at Adams’ home and discovered, among other items, four suspected explosive devices, three of which were determined to be destructive devices.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and the Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing Cars Stolen from Norfolk Southern RailyardRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MATHEW MAYE, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 19, 2024 to five years of probation, including six months of home detention, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, MAYE and others, stole a 2023 Ford F-150 and 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. Over the next week, MAYE was captured on surveillance video driving the stolen F-150 and riding as a passenger in the stolen Bronco Sport.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.