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21 March 2024
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 20, 2024, DARRON BLUE, age 27, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, on October 1, 2023, following a shooting in downtown New Orleans, police officers developed BLUE as a suspect and secured an arrest warrant for him and a search warrant for his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, New Orleans police officers seized a firearm, specifically, a Smith & Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, as well as .40 and .45 caliber ammunition.
At sentencing, BLUE, faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 9 Years’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Luis Salazar-Cabrera, 40, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced March 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Salazar-Cabrera to 108 months’ imprisonment. After Salazar-Cabrera’s release from prison, he will be deported to Mexico as he is not a United States citizen.
In April of 2022, codefendant Martin Caballero-Bringas asked a third party to front him cash to pay for a delivery of meth to Omaha. Homeland Security Investigations Omaha provided the third party with $3,000 who gave the money to Salazar-Cabrera who then wired the money to three separate individuals as directed by Caballero-Bringas.
In early May of 2022, Caballero-Bringas coordinated the shipment of meth and fentanyl from southern California through Wichita, Kansas, to Omaha. Caballero-Bringas asked the third party to coordinate with a transportation company to coordinate the pick-up of the meth and fentanyl in Los Angeles, California, and transport it to Wichita, Kansas, where Caballero-Bringas had arranged for Salazar-Cabrera to receive the drugs and bring them to Omaha. However, the vehicle transporting the drug load was seized by Homeland Security Investigations in California and found containing 35 kilograms of meth and 6 kilograms of fentanyl.
In October of 2022, Salazar-Cabrera was traffic stopped in Lancaster County, Nebraska, while transporting 6 kilograms of fentanyl from Omaha to Grand Island. Recorded calls show that Salazar-Cabrera was transporting the fentanyl at the request of codefendant Caballero-Bringas.
Caballero-Bringas has plead guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced May 1, 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mario Ruiz-Ruiz, age 35, of Mexico, was indicted on March 20, 2024, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Ruiz-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States on March 24, 2021, through El Paso, Texas, and it is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. The indictment also alleges that on March 13, 2024, Ruiz-Ruiz was encountered in Adams County, Pennsylvania.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Member of MS-13 Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of an MS-13 clique operating in Hudson County, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a gang-related murder plot, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jose Gimenez-Lobos, aka “Infernal,” aka “Terrible,” 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to his role in a failed May 2015 plot to kill a member of a rival gang. Judge Cecchi ordered that the sentence imposed today run concurrently to the 40-year sentence Gimenez-Lobos received in the Eastern District of Virginia for his role in a November 2014 murder that he committed on behalf of MS-13.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant has already amassed a history of death and mayhem on behalf of MS-13, a gang well-known for its appetite for violence. There is no place in our communities for this wanton disregard of life. Gimenez-Lobos will remain behind bars for most of the remainder of his life, which is the punishment he has brought down on his own head.”
“Many violent street gangs focus on crimes to make money and use violence as a way to defend their so-called turf,” FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “For MS-13, they use their criminal behavior as a means to perpetuate violence simply for the sake of violence. Gimenez-Lobos sent his minions after a rival gang member, but having failed to carry out his plan, he then had them savagely beaten. The brutality and total disregard for human life is the point. I would like to commend the agents and investigators on this case. Pursuing and bringing to justice members of MS-13 can be a harrowing job, but they do it to protect our communities.”
“This is another clear example of the strong partnership that exists amongst federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey,” Newark ICE Enforcement and Removal Field Office Director John Tsoukaris said. “This cooperation was critical in the arrest, prosecution and sentencing of an MS-13 gang member, a group notorious for its violent crimes. ICE ERO remains committed to our public safety mission as we enforce our immigration laws.”
“Jose Gimenez-Lobos is a convicted felon and MS-13 gang member, whose violent behavior has earned him a second prison sentence,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Thanks to the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in New Jersey and neighboring states, this MS-13 criminal will be put away for decades. HSI Newark remains determined to keep our communities safe from dangerous gang members who show no regard for human life.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gimenez-Lobos and others previously pleaded guilty to their involvement in a failed May 2015 plot to kill a member of a rival gang. Gimenez-Lobos admitted his membership in the violent transnational street gang, MS-13, and admitted his involvement in acts of violence and drug distribution on behalf of the gang. Gimenez-Lobos and fellow MS-13 gang members conspired to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang from the Maryland/Virginia area. The plot involved a female associate of MS-13 who befriended the victim and then lured him to New Jersey so that MS-13 members could execute him.
The victim arrived in Hudson County on May 25, 2015. A high-ranking MS-13 member ordered three other MS-13 members, including Gimenez-Lobos, to carry out the murder. When their initial attempts to contact the victim did not go as planned, the MS-13 members decided to secure a room for the victim at a local motel and offered to transport him back to the Maryland/Virginia area the following day. At their clique leader’s direction, the MS-13 members agreed to stab the victim to death at some point during the trip, and then dispose of the body.
The murder was foiled the following day when the victim – sensing that the MS-13 members planned to harm him – jumped from the vehicle outside a tollbooth on the way to the Maryland/Virginia area. The MS-13 members later received beatings for failing to kill the rival 18th Street gang member.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; officers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark Field Office, under the direction of Field Office Director Tsoukaris; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; special agents of HIS Washington, D.C., under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon; investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; and investigators of the West New York Police Department under the direction of Director of Public Safety Alejandro DeRojas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark, and Trial Attorney Matthew K. Hoff of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Medical Sales Rep and Former Pain Clinic Owner Sentenced in Related Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud CasesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A Gadsden medical sales representative and a Rainbow City pain clinic owner were sentenced today for their roles in health care fraud conspiracies that cost insurers millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced James Ewing Ray, 53, of Gadsden, to 40 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ray was ordered to forfeit more than $850,000 and to pay restitution to victims of more than $5.3 million. According to Ray’s plea agreement, Ray was a sales representative who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including topical prescription creams from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Ray was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors.
From at least 2012 through 2018, Ray conspired to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers. Among those services was nerve conduction testing provided by a Huntsville-based electro-diagnostic testing company called QBR or Diagnostic Referral Community. Ray received per-patient kickbacks from QBR for inducing medical providers to order tests from QBR. Medical providers received kickbacks from QBR too, disguised as hourly payments for the ordering physician’s time and staff’s time but in reality payments for every patient who got a test.
Judge Coogler sentenced David Lyle Shehi, 43, of Rainbow City, to 28 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Shehi was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution to his victims. According to Shehi’s plea agreement, Shehi owned Etowah Pain, a pain clinic in Rainbow City, and was paid kickbacks in exchange for his practice’s ordering nerve conduction tests from QBR that would be billed to Medicare and other health insurance programs. Shehi also caused his practice to routinely bill health insurance programs for patient office visits using the code that would generate the highest reimbursement—even though that code was not appropriate and Shehi was warned that billing in this way was not allowed.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting it.
See related press here:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/pain-clinic-owners-sentenced-unlawfully-distributing-opioids-and-multimillion-dollar
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/etowah-pain-clinic-owner-pleads-guilty-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/multiple-defendants-sentenced-major-compounding-pharmacy-fraud-conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/new-hope-man-sentenced-his-role-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care-fraud.
Maryland man pleads guilty to federal gun and drug crimes in Virginia and West VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bowie, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Aug. 18, 2022, William Phillip McDowell, Jr, aka “Mike,” 44, was driving a rental car through Harrison County, West Virginia, with two passengers when an officer from the Clarksburg Police Department stopped the vehicle for speeding. At the time, McDowell’s driver license was suspended, and McDowell was on probation for a felony murder conviction. During a search of the vehicle, police found a pack containing a brick-size package of 997.7 grams of fentanyl, 43 baggies containing a total of 16.46 grams of fentanyl, a bag containing 8.89 grams of cocaine, and a stolen, loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun. McDowell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl for this case.
On July 7, 2023, detectives with the Prince William County Police Department observed McDowell conducting what appeared to be a drug transaction in a parking lot in Woodbridge, Virginia. When McDowell returned to the passenger seat of his vehicle, the detectives detained and searched the vehicle. In the passenger seat where McDowell had been sitting, the detectives found a backpack containing a .380 caliber handgun, .380 caliber ammunition, 388 fentanyl pills, 22 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with cocaine residue, $617.85 in cash, and a wallet with McDowell’s photo identification card. McDowell pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
McDowell is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking charge from the Northern District of West Virginia and a mandatory minimum of five years to be served consecutively with any other prison term and up to life in prison for the firearms charge from the Eastern District of Virginia. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; William J. Ihlenfeld, II, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police; and Mark Kiddy, Clarksburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Raizza K. Ty are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the Northern District of West Virginia 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 (EDVA) and the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (NDWV) or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-196 and 1:24-cr-59 for EDVA and Case No. 1:23-cr-42 for NDWV.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug Crimes in Virginia and West VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bowie, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Aug. 18, 2022, William Phillip McDowell, Jr, aka “Mike,” 44, was driving a rental car through Harrison County, West Virginia, with two passengers when an officer from the Clarksburg Police Department stopped the vehicle for speeding. At the time, McDowell’s driver's license was suspended, and McDowell was on probation for a felony murder conviction. During a search of the vehicle, police found a pack containing a brick-sized package of 997.7 grams of fentanyl, 43 baggies containing a total of 16.46 grams of fentanyl, a bag containing 8.89 grams of cocaine, and a stolen, loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun. McDowell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in this case.
On July 7, 2023, detectives with the Prince William County Police Department observed McDowell conducting what appeared to be a drug transaction in a parking lot in Woodbridge, Virginia. When McDowell returned to the passenger seat of his vehicle, the detectives detained and searched the vehicle. In the passenger seat where McDowell had been sitting, the detectives found a backpack containing a .380 caliber handgun, .380 caliber ammunition, 388 fentanyl pills, 22 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with cocaine residue, $617.85 in cash, and a wallet with McDowell’s photo identification card. McDowell pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
McDowell is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking charge from the Northern District of West Virginia and a mandatory minimum of five years to be served consecutively with any other prison term and up to life in prison for the firearms charge from the Eastern District of Virginia. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; William Ihlenfeld, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police; and Mark Kiddy, Clarksburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Raizza K. Ty are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the Northern District of West Virginia 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 (EDVA) and the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (NDWV) or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-196 and 1:24-cr-59 for EDVA and Case No. 1:23-cr-42 for NDWV.
March Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Darrius Malik Brown. Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number; Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony. Brown, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a handgun with the serial number removed. Brown allegedly possessed a firearm while he was under indictment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-083
Lee Scott Holt; Jennifer Charisa Harrington. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 1 and 2); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 4); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Prior Conviction Allegation for a Serious Drug Felony (Count 5) (superseding). Holt, 59, and Harrington, 48, of Collinsville, are charged with possessing a firearm knowing they’d been convicted of felonies in various states. They both allegedly possessed methamphetamine while maintaining a residence for distribution of drugs. They are further charged with possessing a firearm while drug trafficking. Holt is a Cherokee Nation member. Homeland Security Investigations, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Cherokee Nation Marshals are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and Justin Bish are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-050
Jonathan Eliezer Miranda Juarez. Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (superseding). Juarez, 29, of Commerce, is charged with transporting a minor victim with intent to engage in sexual activity Aug. 2023. He is further charged with knowingly persuading and coercing a minor victim from Aug. 2020 through Aug. 2023. The Homeland Security Investigations, Indiana Delphi Police Department, Commerce Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-347
Adam Joseph King. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 3); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country (Counts 2 & 4) King, 35, of Pryor and a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with a minor victim under 12 years old. He is further charged with allegedly causing and engaging in abusive sexual contact with the same victim. The FBI and Catoosa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chantelle Dial and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-081
Bryon Alan Lee. Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Lee, 31, of Sapulpa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with using a victim under 12 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. He is further charged with receiving, distributing, and possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Lee allegedly committed a felony offense involving a minor child while being required to register as a sex offender. The Homeland Security Investigations Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse, and Sapulpa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-084
Cameron Lynn. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Lynn, 33, of Tulsa and a member of the Choctaw Nation, is charged with willfully and deliberately killing Alcides Monroig in Feb. 2024. Lynn allegedly used a dangerous weapon to do bodily harm to a separate victim. He is further charged with using a firearm in a crime of violence which resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Stephen Flynn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-076
Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Tait Hunter Jaco; Tam Duc Nguyen; Trinh Nguyen. Drug Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (superseding). Hong Nguyen, 44, Jaco, 32, Tam Nguyen, 56, and Trinh Nguyen, 36, of Tulsa are charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine in Nov. 2023. Hong Nguyen and Jaco were also charged for maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Jaco was further charged for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-407
Dustin Colby Phillips. Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Phillips, 37, of Vinita and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with assaulting a victim that resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and Vinita Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Flynn is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-077
Eron Torres-Gaytan; Donald Edward Beckett; John Harden Tucker. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Manufacturing of Methamphetamine (Count 2); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 3 and 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 5); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 6). Torres-Gaytan, 27, a Mexican national; Beckett, 30, of Mounds; Tucker, 54, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in Feb. 2024. Torres-Gaytan allegedly manufactured and possessed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Beckett is further charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Torres-Gaytan and Tucker are charged with allegedly maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Torres-Gaytan is charged with being an alien residing in the United States after being removed in Sep. 2021. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-079
Hank Sallee Williams. Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; Distribution of Fentanyl to a Minor; Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Williams, 23, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of Xander Tewis. Williams allegedly distributed fentanyl to someone under 21 years old and used a telephone for communication while drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-080
Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Girlfriend on the Warm Springs Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon man with seven prior domestic violence convictions was sentenced to federal prison today for assaulting his then-girlfriend on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in December 2020.
Alfred Dee Kaulaity, 47, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Kaulaity’s federal sentence will run consecutive to a 78-month state prison sentence previously imposed following a domestic violence conviction in Jefferson County, Oregon.
“The victim in this case courageously turned in her abuser to stop his dangerous pattern of violence” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Our Special Victims Unit is intently focused on holding domestic abusers accountable and stopping this violence in our communities.”
“Everyone has the human right to live in safety, free from violence and abuse. The FBI has a duty to recognize and defend this right,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Domestic violence is rarely an isolated incident; the cycle of abuse frequently spans years, oftentimes with several victims as in the case with Alfred Kaulaity. The FBI fully investigates domestic violence with intense commitment to the safety and confidentiality of victims and encourages reporting of these heinous crimes to bring offenders to justice and protect others from harm.”
According to court documents, on December 3, 2020, Kaulaity was dining with his girlfriend at the Indian Head Casino on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Kaulaity became angry with his girlfriend for speaking to a male friend and, while driving away from the casino, struck her with the back of his hand, injuring her and leaving a scar on the bridge of her nose. Kaulaity then threatened to kill his girlfriend while driving her from Oregon to northern California.
After several days, Kaulaity’s girlfriend purchased flights to different destinations for Kaulaity and herself. When deboarding her flight to Portland, airline employees observed the women’s injuries and reported them to Port of Portland police. The woman told officers she had been assaulted by her boyfriend but did not identify him out of fear. Six months later, in June 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies responded to a reported assault of the same woman. The woman identified Kaulaity as her assailant and reported his prior December 2020 assault.
On May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Kaulaity with kidnapping, domestic assault by a habitual offender, assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, and interstate domestic assault. On December 1, 2023, he pleaded guilty to domestic assault by a habitual offender.
In June 2022, Kaulaity was convicted at trial of coercion and assault constituting domestic violence in Jefferson County Circuit Court for an assault involving the same victim as in his federal case and, following trial, was sentenced to a total of 78 months in Oregon state prison. Kaulaity’s federal sentence imposed today will run consecutive to his state prison sentence. Prior to his two Oregon domestic violence convictions, Kaulaity had six prior domestic violence convictions in Oklahoma spanning seventeen years and involving three different victims.
Kaulaity was ordered today to pay $1,432 in restitution to his victim and $3,494 to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Account.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Domestic violence is a serious crime that can include both physical and emotional abuse, and it is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members, friends, and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have also created support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.
Man Admits Smuggling Seven Unauthorized Immigrants Through Sewer Pipes between Mexico and the U.S.Read the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 21, 2024
SAN DIEGO –Kevin Noe Campos Villa of Tijuana pleaded guilty in federal court today to human smuggling charges, admitting he guided seven unauthorized immigrants through sewer pipes during heavy rains. Several had to be rescued from the Tijuana River by San Diego lifeguards.
Campos is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez.
Campos was arrested on January 22, 2024, after U.S. Border Patrol agents observed Campos directing the individuals from Mexico into the United States through the pipes about two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry during heavy rains.
When confronted by Border Patrol agents, Campos and three of the immigrants he was guiding ran to avoid apprehension. While attempting to escape, they fell into the Tijuana River and had to be rescued by San Diego lifeguards.
According to court records, two of the unauthorized immigrants who were rescued stated that they feared for their lives when crossing the river because they did not know how to swim. One stated that he was swept away by the river’s current and was able to grab and hold onto a tree branch until his rescue.
Sewer tubes between the United States and Mexico have grates to prevent individuals from illegally entering the United States. During heavy rain, the grates are opened to let water flow through the sewer tubes without damaging the grates. Due to heavy rain that was occurring in the area at the time, the grates were open and Campos used the opportunity to smuggle the unauthorized immigrants into the United States.
Court documents established Campos agreed to guide the group in the January event, and in exchange he would have his own smuggling fee reduced to $6,000. Campos also admitted that he has been working for smugglers by building ladders to smuggle people across the U.S.-Mexico border fence.
“This case is yet another example of transnational smuggling organizations placing profits over safety,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Thankfully, due to law enforcement intervention and the assistance of local lifeguards, all lives were spared.”
“This is an important reminder that safety is of little concern to transnational criminal organizations,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “U.S. Border Patrol agents will continue to target human smugglers and deliver consequences to those who violate the laws of our nation.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Adeline Schulberg.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24CR0290-LL
Kevin Noe Campos Villa Age: 20 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 8, United States Code, §1324(a)(1)(A)(i) – Bringing in Illegal Aliens at a Place other than a Designated Port of Entry
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison; $250,000 fine
AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
San Diego Lifeguards
Maine Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine man was sentenced today for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that operated in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Northern California.
Jacob Parlin, 44, of Lebanon, Maine, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2023, Parlin was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Parlin was indicted along with nine others in December 2021 for their roles in a drug trafficking organization led by co-defendant Harry Tam, a/k/a “Legendary H.” The investigation identified Parlin as one of Tam’s trusted business partners with whom he worked together to distribute methamphetamine in Maine. In their business arrangement, Tam would procure methamphetamine from California or elsewhere via mailed shipments to his business in Brookline. The methamphetamine would then be transferred to Parlin for distribution in his community in Maine.
Parlin was arrested early in the morning of March 31, 2021 in New Hampshire, as he drove home to Maine from the Boston-area after meeting with Tam. A plastic bag containing approximately 880 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine was found beneath the driver’s seat of Parlin’s car. More than three kilograms of methamphetamine, about a dozen firearms and approximately $95,000 in cash was seized over the course of the investigation.
Parlin is the ninth defendant to be convicted in the case. Tam pleaded guilty in July 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini and Amanda Beck of the Criminal Division prosecuted 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.
Madison Man Sentenced to 54 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearm While on Federal SupervisionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ramogi Carr, 22, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 54 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and while under federal supervision. Carr pleaded guilty to the firearm charge on January 10, 2024.
On March 16, 2021, Carr received a sentence of 15 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Carr started his term of supervised release on September 13, 2021, and on September 6, 2022, a warrant was issued for the Carr’s arrest, alleging that he violated the conditions of his supervised release after he was charged in Dane County Circuit Court with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an officer.
On May 2, 2023, law enforcement officers located Carr in McFarland, Wisconsin, as he and another individual were getting into a vehicle. Officers attempted to arrest Carr when the vehicle pulled into a parking lot in Madison, but Carr fled on foot. Officers caught up to Carr and took him into custody. While searching Carr incident to arrest, officers found a loaded handgun with a 30-round extended magazine and a “switch” inside of Carr’s pants. The “switch,” also known as an auto sear, converted the handgun from semi-automatic to fully automatic, making the firearm illegal to possess regardless of Carr’s felony status.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Carr’s criminal behavior appeared to be escalating. Judge Conley also stressed the danger that Carr posed to the community when he chose to carry a firearm that was converted to a fully automatic machinegun.
The charge against Carr was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, Fitchburg Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lexington Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man Marcus Perry Green, 35, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 12 years in prison, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, on July 19, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Green. During the stop, a K9 unit alerted to the odor of controlled substances; and upon searching the vehicle, officers found approximately 252 grams of fentanyl and $17,100 in cash. When arrested, Green had a pistol, with a full magazine. Green admitted he had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony and he was not permitted to possess a firearm.
Under federal law, Green must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, ATF, FBI, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Leader of Dark Web Drug Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Illicit and Counterfeit Drugs from A Clandestine Drug Lab in A Detroit ResidenceRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Victor Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute millions of illicit and counterfeit pills, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit field office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.
Victor Hernandez, 30, of Detroit, admitted his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute illicit substances, a conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, his distribution of counterfeit pills, and the use of firearms in furtherance of the crime.
During the course of the months-long investigation, agents were able to identify that a dark web vendor site was being operated out of the Detroit, Michigan, area. The dark web marketplace vendor went by the moniker of “opiateconnect.” Agents worked to determine the location being used as the distribution hub for illicit scheduled drugs to include cocaine, and various counterfeit drugs. The counterfeit drugs, made to looks like alprazolam, commonly referred to as Xanax, were in fact uncontrolled research chemicals not scheduled for human consumption.
Agents also learned that “opiateconnect” was being operated from a residence in Detroit, Michigan. A subsequent search warrant revealed a clandestine drug lab. The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,000,000 dollars in cryptocurrency, in excess of 300,000 U.S. Dollars, multiple firearms, an industrial size pill press, industrial mixer, controlled substances including cocaine, and counterfeit drugs.
Hernandez pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to four counts: (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years; (2) conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; (3) dispensing a counterfeit drug, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years; and (4) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years. In total, Hernandez is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
United States Attorney Dawn Ison said, “This guilty plea is the culmination of months of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies. Counterfeit pills pose a unique danger to this community, especially ones that have the appearance of a drug that is so regularly prescribed. We will continue to investigate and prosecute instances where those counterfeit pills are being manufactured illegally in our district to keep our community safe.”
“This plea is not just a win for law enforcement, but a win for our Detroit community,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson. “Whether on the dark web or on a street corner, drug traffickers seek to poison our communities. We will remain steadfast in our law enforcement partnerships to dismantle these networks wherever we find them.”
“The DEA, in collaboration with HSI, continues our commitment to safeguard communities from individuals who sell fake pills and other illicit substances,” said DEA Detroit Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “This case proves that there is no place to hide in the dark web when it comes to law enforcement’s efforts to protect the people we serve.”
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Detroit Dark Web Task Force, which consists of HSI, Postal Inspection Service Office of the Inspector General (USPIS-OIG), Secret Service (USSS), IRS-CID, Michigan State Police (MSP), and CBP. The purpose of the task force is to investigate criminal organizations, to include drug vendors, that operate within dark web marketplaces. The task force has disrupted and dismantled numerous drug trafficking organizations through criminal arrests, and the seizure of the proceeds from criminal activity. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Jerome White.
Laplace Resident Sentenced to Twelve Months for Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial Assistance and Post-Hurricane Ida Disaster AssistanceRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LYNN SCHOFIELD, age 60, a resident of LaPlace, La., was sentenced on March 19, 2024 by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to twelve (12) months in prison, with six (6) months to be spent in home detention, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. Judge Vitter also sentenced SCHOFIELD to three (3) years of supervised release and ordered her to repay $282,650 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). SCHOFIELD conspired to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD’s son, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), and daughter, Munira Schofield (“Munira”), have also been charged for their roles in the offense.
According to court documents, LYNN SCHOFIELD, Bashir, and Munira submitted applications to fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. Each defendant submitted at least one fraudulent loan application. All applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by overinflating gross receipts. The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than reported. They also mis-represented that the loan proceeds were for business purposes, when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal purposes. LYNN SCHOFIELD submitted fraudulent applications for two entities she claimed to own, AfroTouch, Inc., and Afromerica Touch 360, LLC. She also submitted a modification request that contained false information about Afromerica Touch 360, LLC, that resulted in her fraudulent receipt of an additional $145,000 from the SBA. Further, LYNN SCHOFIELD defrauded the SBA in connection with Hurricane IDA disaster assistance. As a result, she received over $50,000 to which she was not entitled. In total, LYNN SCHOFIELD admitted that this conspiracy caused an approximate $282,650 loss to the SBA.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
Lake Mary Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Almost $150,000 of Veterans Affairs FundsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Priscilla Sumner (70, Lake Mary) has pleaded guilty to theft of government money. Sumner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, she has agreed to forfeit $149,084.45, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. Sumner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Sumner was the fiduciary for a disabled family member’s Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. In February 2015, Sumner failed to notify the VA of a change in the beneficiary’s living situation that would have reduced the benefits amount. She used the excess funds, which were no longer needed to care for the disabled veteran, to pay her own personal expenses and falsified VA accounting forms to cover up her misuse of the funds.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Suzanne Huyler and Matthew Del Mastro.
Lake County Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Harbor Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodrigo Hernandez-Valerio (58, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, Hernandez owns and operates a concrete company in Lake County. Between at least August 2002 and April 2021, approximately 87% of Hernandez’s employees were hired with false or fictitious identification information and documents. At least 57 of the 65 people employed by Hernandez during this time—including members of his own family—were not lawfully present in the United States and were ineligible to work. Despite being ineligible to work, Hernandez paid his three brothers a combined $2.5 million in their positions at his company. Hernandez admitted that he knew his family members were in the United States unlawfully when he hired them and knew the documents his brothers had provided for employment were “bad.” Hernandez’s actions in employing his brothers shielded them from detection by law enforcement within the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development Jointly Issue Resource on Protections for Rental Housing Applicants and TenantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) jointly published today a resource for rental housing applicants and tenants about their rights under federal laws related to tenant background checks, also referred to as tenant screening reports. The Justice Department and HUD enforce the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and other civil rights statutes, and the FTC and CFPB enforce the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
“Rental housing applicants and tenants across our country should not be denied housing opportunities because of unjust background checks and discriminatory screening policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Landlords and background check companies cannot use or ask for unnecessary information to deny someone housing. Today we are shining a light on the bad practices that can emerge when landlords maintain unjust screening policies, ensuring that applicants and tenants know their rights, and that housing providers and background check companies are on notice regarding their obligations under federal law.”
“Mistakes in your background check shouldn’t cost you a home or create one more hurdle to overcome as you search for affordable housing,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This collaboration among FTC, CFPB, HUD and the Justice Department helps consumers know their rights, and what to do if landlords or background check companies break the law.”
“Tenants have rights when landlords deny housing based on tenant screening reports,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “These reports often rely on hidden data and complex algorithms and can cause serious harm to families seeking housing. Anyone who thinks they were wrongly denied housing because of a tenant screening report can file a complaint with the CFPB.”
“People seeking housing have a right to be free from discrimination, including during the tenant screening process,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Demetria McCain. “HUD is excited to be a part of the release of this joint agency resource that contains important information about the Fair Housing Act's protections against discriminatory background checks. We encourage anyone who suspects they are being discriminated against to file a complaint with HUD.”
The new resource provides information about how tenant background checks work, what kinds of background information a landlord might receive from tenant background check companies, how applicants and tenants can respond if they think that information is wrong and their rights under federal laws.
It also explains that, in some instances, tenant background checks can lead to illegal discrimination, even if there is no factual error in the report. The FHA makes it illegal for tenant background check companies and housing providers to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, national origin, color, sex, religion, disability or familial status. A landlord cannot reject an application or treat an applicant or tenant differently than other applicants or tenants because of any of these characteristics. Actions of a tenant background check company or a landlord can also be illegal if they use or encourage the use of irrelevant or unnecessary information to deny individuals housing, and this negatively affects some groups more than others – this may be discrimination even if the tenant background check company or landlord does not intend to discriminate.
The resource also explains an individual’s rights under the FCRA, including the right to request a free copy of a report from the tenant background check company if a landlord makes a negative housing decision because of something included in the report and the right to dispute errors on a report. Tenant background check companies are required to take reasonable steps to ensure the information in tenant background check reports is accurate and to investigate within 30 days when someone disputes errors in their report.
Read the joint resource here.
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination can submit a report to the Justice Department online at www.civilrights.justice.gov. Such individuals also may contact HUD at 1-800-669-9977 or file a complaint with HUD online.
Individuals can submit a report to the FTC in English at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or in Spanish at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov. To submit a report to the FTC in other languages, call (877) 382-4357 and press 3 to speak to an interpreter in your language. Lines are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Individuals can submit a complaint to the CFPB online or call the CFPB at (855) 411-2372 | TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday (except federal holidays). Help by phone is available in more than 180 languages.
Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone MarketsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, joined by 16 other state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on, and withholding critical access points from, developers. Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability, and lower costs for consumers and developers. Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others. Through this monopolization lawsuit, the Justice Department and state Attorneys General are seeking relief to restore competition to these vital markets on behalf of the American public.
“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly. The Justice Department will vigorously enforce antitrust laws that protect consumers from higher prices and fewer choices. That is the Justice Department’s legal obligation and what the American people expect and deserve.”
“No matter how powerful, no matter how prominent, no matter how popular — no company is above the law,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Through today’s action, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to that principle.”
“When corporations engage in anticompetitive conduct, the American people and our economy suffer,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today’s action against Apple sends a strong signal to those seeking to box out competitors and stifle innovation — that the Justice Department is committed to using every tool available to advance economic justice and root out anticompetitive practices, wherever they arise.”
“For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by imposing a series of “Whac-A-Mole” contractual rules and restrictions that have allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher fees on developers and creators, and to throttle competitive alternatives from rival technologies,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s lawsuit seeks to hold Apple accountable and ensure it cannot deploy the same, unlawful playbook in other vital markets.”
As alleged in the complaint, Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone and performance smartphones markets, and it uses its control over the iPhone to engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct. This anticompetitive behavior is designed to maintain Apple’s monopoly power while extracting as much revenue as possible. The complaint alleges that Apple’s anticompetitive course of conduct has taken several forms, many of which continue to evolve today, including:
- Blocking Innovative Super Apps. Apple has disrupted the growth of apps with broad functionality that would make it easier for consumers to switch between competing smartphone platforms.
- Suppressing Mobile Cloud Streaming Services. Apple has blocked the development of cloud-streaming apps and services that would allow consumers to enjoy high-quality video games and other cloud-based applications without having to pay for expensive smartphone hardware.
- Excluding Cross-Platform Messaging Apps. Apple has made the quality of cross-platform messaging worse, less innovative, and less secure for users so that its customers have to keep buying iPhones.
- Diminishing the Functionality of Non-Apple Smartwatches. Apple has limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches so that users who purchase the Apple Watch face substantial out-of-pocket costs if they do not keep buying iPhones.
- Limiting Third Party Digital Wallets. Apple has prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, inhibiting the creation of cross-platform third-party digital wallets.
The complaint also alleges that Apple’s conduct extends beyond these examples, affecting web browsers, video communication, news subscriptions, entertainment, automotive services, advertising, location services, and more. Apple has every incentive to extend and expand its course of conduct to acquire and maintain power over next-frontier devices and technologies.
For over a century, the Department has enforced the antitrust laws against illegal monopolies, deploying the Sherman Act to unfetter markets and restore competition. As alleged in the complaint, the Department is seeking equitable relief on behalf of the American public to redress Apple’s long-running, pervasive anticompetitive conduct.
Apple Inc. is a publicly traded company incorporated in California and headquartered in Cupertino, California. In fiscal year 2023, Apple generated annual net revenues of $383 billion and net income of $97 billion. Apple’s net income exceeds any other company in the Fortune 500 and the gross domestic products of more than 100 countries.
apple_file_stamped_complaint_3.21.24.pdfJustice Department Secures Settlement with Ohio Manufacturing Company to Resolve Alleged Discrimination Against National GuardsmanRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has resolved its lawsuit against U.S. Development Corporation, doing business as Akro-Plastics, on behalf of Ohio National Guardsman Staff Sergeant Nicholas Whitman. The department alleged that Akro-Plastics violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it failed to promote Sergeant Whitman to a human resources position based on his military service obligation and constructively discharged him on his return from military service.
“Federal law safeguards the civilian employment rights of our nation’s servicemembers and ensures that their career opportunities aren’t harmed because of their military duties,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers must ensure that servicemembers receive all career advancements that they deserve.”
“American servicemembers make great sacrifices to protect our citizens and the freedoms, liberties and civil rights that we all enjoy,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is committed to protecting all its citizens from discrimination, including servicemembers who employers discriminate against by denying them deserved workplace opportunities because of their past, present or future military service.”
According to the complaint, Sergeant Whitman started working at Akro-Plastics in June 2022. He applied for a human resources job in September 2022 and went through three interviews. Supervisors and officials knew about his upcoming three-month military deployment and repeatedly cited it as the reason for not promoting him. From December 2022 to April 2023, Sergeant Whitman fulfilled his military duties with the National Guard. Following his deployment, he returned to work for a short while before being forced to leave due to hostility from Akro-Plastic’s management. Under the settlement agreement, Akro-Plastics will pay Sergeant Whitman monetary damages. The company will also revise its policies, practices and trainings to prevent violations of USERRA.
The Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter to the Justice Department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section continues to work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/laws-we-enforce and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the DOL’s website at www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra.
Jury Finds District Woman Guilty of Two Counts of First-Degree Child Sexual Abuse with Aggravating CircumstancesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Griselda Martinez-Moz, 42, of Maryland, was convicted today of two counts of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a seven-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2024.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on two occasions in 2015 and 2016, Martinez-Moz sexually abused a child who was eight years old at the time. A close friend of the child’s family, Martinez-Moz, on multiple occasions, subjected the child to sexual acts.
Martinez-Moz faces the potential of life imprisonment without the opportunity of release. If she were to be released, Martinez-Moz would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Niki Holmes, and Dana Joseph, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Felice Roggen and Bryan Han.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Cameron Antonious Lee, 27, was found in possession of a firearm by MBN Agents and Capitol Police Officers at a driver’s license checkpoint during a crime suppression operation in Jackson involving multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Lee was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
Inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, Sentenced to Serve an Additional Six Months in Prison for Possession of ContrabandRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Tyrik Brown, age 29, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 20, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to serve an additional six months in prison on the charge of possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brown, formerly of Washington D.C., previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident in April 2023 in which staff at FCI Schuylkill found Brown in possession of the weapon.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Brown was serving a sentence from Washington D.C. for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. That sentence does not expire until November 2024. The sentence imposed by Judge Mariani for the charge of possession of contraband in prison will run consecutively to the Washington D.C. sentence.
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Hoboken Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $1.5 Million Fraud Scheme that Targeted over 100 Non-Profit Victims, Including Schools and Religious InstitutionsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Yezenia Castillo, 47, of Hoboken, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, to an information charging her with one count each of wire fraud and tax evasion. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2012 through 2021, Castillo falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and religious institutions. Castillo was not a CPA and never provided any of these promised services. After she was hired, Castillo used various ways to steal from her clients, including collecting fees for services that she never performed and transferring client funds to herself without authorization. Castillo also collected funds from clients by falsely claiming she would use it to pay their taxes, but she instead kept the money. To conceal her fraud, Castillo told victims that she had filed and paid their taxes, and she falsified receipts to make it appear to the victims as if their taxes were paid. Castillo defrauded over 100 victims, resulting in financial losses totaling over $1.5 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Castillo to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $3.25 million and forfeiture of $3.25 million.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William Woolard; and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Hobbs Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking and Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Albuquerque – A federal judge sentenced a Hobbs man to federal prison for cyberstalking Jane Doe and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition which he used to shoot and murder her in 2022. Guadalupe Antonio Navarrete, 37, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 6 years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2022, deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to Navarrete’s residence in Hobbs following a report of an unwanted subject on the premises. Upon arrival, they discovered Jane Doe deceased from a gunshot wound to the temple in the driver’s seat of her vehicle.
In the days and weeks preceding her death, Navarrete had sent multiple threatening text messages and voicemails to Jane Doe, including a threat to shoot her mere hours before she was killed and a threating voicemail only minutes before shooting her.
Investigators determined that Navarrete was sitting in the rear passenger seat of Jane Doe’s vehicle when he fired a gun through front passenger headrest, striking her through the temple while she was seated in the driver’s seat and leaning over the front passenger area.
On March 10, 2023, Navarrete pled guilty to cyberstalking resulting in life threatening bodily injury and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Lea County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Mark A. Saltman prosecuted the case.
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Hays man admits distributing meth on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Hays man accused of selling methamphetamine from a yellow school bus he used as his residence on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to a trafficking charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Lyle Gilbert Snow, Sr., 64, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Snow faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 31. Snow was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in April 2022, the FBI received information that Snow was selling meth on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and had been selling gram quantities since at least 2021 from the yellow school bus in which he lived. Law enforcement made a series of controlled purchases of meth from Snow. In June 2023, law enforcement served a federal search warrant on the yellow school bus and recovered a loaded .270-caliber rifle, ammunition and a flip phone. Messages on the phone indicated drug trafficking. While the search was under way, law enforcement saw Snow pull off the highway and begin to drive down his driveway. When he saw law enforcement, Snow pulled out of the driveway and began traveling away from his residence. Snow was pulled over a because he was driving with a suspended license. Snow possessed $1,537 in cash, including $20 bills identified as having been used in a controlled buy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Hanover Man Charged with Hobbs Act RobberiesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark S. Herrick, age 47, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for five counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between October 24, 2023 and October 29, 2023, Herrick robbed, or attempted to rob, five different businesses with a knife. The five businesses stretched across three counties within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Palmyra, Swatara, and Lower Allen Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Greenfield Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children in Person and Online, via Instagram, Snapchat, and X (Twitter) Account “maps.syb”Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Bobby Cyprus Linhart, 22, of Greenfield, Indiana has been charged with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to the complaint, on May 13, 2023, investigators with the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force (HCMCETF) received a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspected files of child sexual abuse material that had been uploaded to accounts on popular social media sites, Instagram, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) by a user called “maps.syb.”
According to the complaint, “Maps.syb” was an account used by Bobby Linhart. Linhart was allegedly engaging in sexually explicit conversations with girls who identified themselves to be between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. In addition to having sexually explicit conversations, Linhart was able to coerce the children to produce and send to him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Linhart also allegedly arranged to meet minors in person to engage in sexual activity.
HCMCETF discovered that Linhart traveled to at least three different cities, one which was out of state, to have sex or attempt to have sex with underage children. In at least one of these instances, Linhart sexually abused a 12-year-old girl. Further, Linhart distributed videos and pictures of children that he had obtained from various victims to another child.
On March 19, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Linhart’s home in Greenfield and recovered 40 THC vape pens, marijuana, fentanyl drug test kits, suspected cocaine, LSD, and Xanax, and a Springfield XD 9mm handgun. They further seized devices containing evidence of possession of sexually explicit depictions of children.
Investigators believe that Linhart messaged and abused other victims. If you or your child believe you have been a victim of “map.syb” or Bobby Linhart, please contact 317-595-3300 or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=945#
Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force (affiliate of the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force) and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating this case. Should Linhart be convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston and Meredith Wood, who are prosecuting this case.
This investigation is being conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Grand jury indicts Butler County man for sexually exploiting toddler on SnapchatRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Middletown man has been indicted for sexually exploiting a toddler. The defendant shared the alleged sexually explicit conduct on Snapchat.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment against Daveion Wright, 31, on March 20.
According to the indictment, on at least five instances in January 2024, Wright sexually exploited a 2-year-old victim and shared the explicit conduct on Snapchat.
Law enforcement officials ask members of the public to call the FBI at 513-979-8821 if you believe you have information related to victimization of other minors by Wright.
Sexually exploiting a minor is a federal crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison.
Wright has also been charged locally and those charges remain pending.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Middletown Acting Police Chief Eric Crank announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Gangster Disciples and Sisters of the Struggle Members Sentenced for Gang-Related MurdersRead the Press Release
A high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples and a leader of its parallel female organization, the Sisters of the Struggle (SOS), were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a murder conspiracy stemming from gang-related retribution that resulted in the shooting deaths of three men.
Philmon Deshawn Chambers, also known as Dolla Phil, 35, of Atlanta, was sentenced to serve two consecutive life terms in prison plus 10 years in prison. Andrea Paige Browner, also known as Drea, 29, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two concurrent sentences of 30 years in prison.
According to court documents, Chambers held a “Position of Authority” within the national Gangster Disciples criminal organization, which included overseeing members of the “Enforcement Team.” Enforcement teams within the Gangster Disciples are directed to discipline gang members for violations of gang rules through physical assault or murder. Co-defendant Lesley Chappell Green, also known as Grip, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was a member of the Enforcement Team and held the title of “Assistant Chief Enforcer.”
On Dec. 10, 2018, a Gangster Disciples member was murdered in Athens. Chambers and Browner sought retaliation for the member’s death and believed three unnamed Athens residents were responsible. On Dec. 14, 2018, Browner met an individual at a downtown Athens motel and learned that he was related to one of the individuals she believed killed the Gangster Disciples member. Browner sent text messages directing Chambers to travel to the motel, which he did. Chambers then followed the individual home and shot and killed him. Browner notified a Gangster Disciples associate that she and Chambers would be leaving town because the police would be looking for them.
On Dec. 15, 2018, Browner was taken into custody in Mt. Enterprise, Texas; however, Chambers, who had been in the vehicle with Browner, fled from law enforcement. Chambers was suspicious that someone was cooperating with law enforcement, and incorrectly concluded that two individuals were “snitches.” Chambers directed Green to carry out the murders of those two individuals. The two individuals were lured by Green, as directed by Chambers, to drive from Athens to Lawrenceville, Georgia, to break into storage sheds and steal items to send to Chambers as “aid and assistance” as he was hiding out from law enforcement in a Gangster Disciple “safe house” in Killeen, Texas. On Dec. 19, 2018, the two individuals were murdered and their bodies were concealed in the storage unit. Chambers and Green, along with Robert Maurice Carlisle, also known as Different, 37, of Lithonia, Georgia, and Shabazz Larry Guidry, also known as Lil Larry, 29, of Decatur, Georgia, conspired to dispose of the victims’ bodies, which included potentially burning the bodies or dumping the bodies in a landfill.
A federal jury convicted Chambers in August 2023 of racketeer influenced and corruption organization (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, carry and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing the death of a person using a firearm. Browner was also convicted in August 2023 of RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and causing the death of a person using a firearm.
Carlisle and Guidry both pleaded guilty on June 8, 2023, to RICO conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on March 22. Green was sentenced on Feb. 20 to life in prison after a federal jury convicted him on Aug. 17, 2023, of RICO conspiracy.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia; Supervisory Senior Special Agent Robert Gibbs of FBI Atlanta Field Office; and Chief Jerry Saulters of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI Athens Resident Agency Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kenneth Kaplan, formerly of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Walker for the Middle District of Georgia.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Justice Department’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.
Franklin Man Indicted on Child Exploitation and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Franklin, Tennessee, man is facing federal criminal charges after law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants and discovered child pornography and fraudulent immigration documents, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
The indictment, returned yesterday by a federal grand jury, charges Camilo Campos-Hurtado, 63, with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature which was stolen or produced without lawful authority.
If convicted, Campos-Hurtado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of, or have any information about, the conduct alleged in the indictment, please contact the Franklin Police Department at (615) 550-6829 or the Department of Homeland Security at (866) 347-2423.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Worcester Resident Indicted for Firearms Dealing, Possession of a Machinegun and Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Worcester resident has been indicted for firearms offenses and distributing cocaine.
Juan Otero, 22, of Franklin, was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a machinegun; and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. Otero was previously charged by criminal complaint on March 4, 2024 with dealing in firearms without a license and receipt of a firearm while under indictment.
Between Nov. 27, 2023 and Jan. 23, 2024, Otero allegedly sold five firearms on four different occasions. It is alleged that one of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch,” attached. Otero also allegedly sold large capacity magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that Otero distributed or possessed with intent to distribute cocaine on or about Dec. 6, 2023,
According to court documents, in 2022, Otero was indicted in Worcester Superior Court for multiple state crimes, including the unlawful possession of a large capacity weapon, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm and ammunition and attempted assault and battery. Otero was on release pending trial on the state court charges at the time of his firearm sales in this matter.
The charges of dealing in firearms without a license and receipt of a firearm while under indictment both provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Paul Saucier, Interim Police Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Town Clerk and Town Council Member Indicted for Stealing More Than $195,000 from Town of CusickRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On March 19, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Luke Michael Servas, age 38, with 25 counts of Wire Fraud, 26 counts of Bank Fraud and 25 counts of Aggravated Identity Theft.
According to court documents, Servas embezzled more than $195,000 while employed as the Town Clerk for the town of Cusick, Washington between October 2022 and March 2023. During that time period, Servas was also an elected member of the town council.
Like many cities and towns, Cusick residents elect a town council, which selects a town clerk. The clerk has responsibility to keep accurate records of city council financial accounts, and acted as custodian for Cusick’s operating bank account used to receive and safeguard public funds and to make public expenditures on behalf of the town. Cusick’s account also had two credit cards issued to make purchases on behalf of the town: one issued to Cusick’s elected mayor, and one issued to Servas as town clerk. Both credit cards were only for authorized public purchases and expenses, and were only to be used by the specific official to whom they were issued.
The Indictment alleges that Servas fraudulently and without authority used the mayor’s town credit card, as well as his own town credit card, to embezzle and transfer more than $190,000 in public town funds from Cusick’s bank account to PayPal accounts owned and controlled by Servas and his spouse, and to a cryptocurrency account owned and controlled by Servas.
According to the Indictment, in March of 2023, other town officials expressed concern that funds were missing from the town’s account. The Indictment alleges that Servas then contacted the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office to report that between $150,000 and $200,000 had been stolen from the Town of Cusick’s operating bank account, using the mayor’s credit card account to which Servas stated only the mayor had access. The Indictment further alleges that, after making this report, Servas wrote a fraudulent $4,961 check from Cusick’s account to himself, forged the mayor’s signature as well as that of another town official, and cashed the check on or about March 20, 2023.
“An elected public official, entrusted with the funds to keep communities safe and strong, has a moral duty and legal responsibility to protect that money”, stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to stopping all fraudsters, especially those who abuse their positions of trust.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Agency, with investigative and logistical support from the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Auditor’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Princeton Resident Indicted in Connection with Multimillion-Dollar Schemes Involving Securities Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, and Business E-Mail Compromise FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Princeton resident was charged today with engaging in multiple fraudulent schemes intended to steal millions of dollars from individual and institutional victims, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
Ford Graham, 60, formerly of Princeton, New Jersey, is charged in a 29-count indictment with 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, nine counts of money laundering and one count of engaging in unlawful money transactions.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“As alleged in the indictment, this defendant used multiple schemes to steal millions of dollars from victims. The indictment sets forth the different strategies the defendant allegedly employed to dupe innocent third parties into giving the defendant their hard earned money. My office will continue to devote substantial resources to investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who take advantage of the financial system for illicit financial gain.”
“We allege Graham used a litany of fraud schemes to steal money from his investors,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Our thorough investigation illustrates how he moved from one to the next, using millions of dollars to fund his lavish life but not his promised investments. The victims in this case, and thousands of others across the country, are losing incredible amounts of money to fraudsters who only see them as personal piggy banks. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners tackle the mountain of evidence all with the sole purpose of bringing these criminals to justice.”
“Today's indictment of the defendant sends a clear message, that we have the tools and internal fortitude to protect our financial systems by investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable, those who seek to defraud the public,” Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, said. “IRS - Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the public.”
According to the criminal complaint and statements made in court:
From December 2012 to September 2013, Graham held himself out as the owner, chief executive, chairman, manager, and/or principal member of dozens of corporate entities purporting to do business under an umbrella organization, Vulcan Capital Corporation (Vulcan). Acting through and on behalf of Vulcan and its associated entities, Graham held himself out as a highly successful financier who had vast experience sponsoring complex energy and natural resource projects and other investment deals. In connection with one such investment that Graham and a Vulcan entity sponsored, one victim invested more than $2 million with Graham, relying on Graham’s misrepresentations and omissions regarding the investment. The investigation revealed that Graham misappropriated substantial amounts of the victim’s investment money and used it for his own personal benefit and enrichment – including, among other things, international vacations, private school tuition for his children, and other personal amenities – instead of the investment purpose that Graham had marketed. Through this and other fraudulent misrepresentations uncovered during the investigation, Graham caused multiple victims to lose a total of more than $2.6 million.
Graham also actively participated in a scheme to defraud merchant processing institutions through fraudulent credit card transactions. From December 2017 to February 2018, Graham used at least one payment processing platform to process fraudulent charges on stolen credit card numbers that he obtained. After the payment processing platform credited Graham’s account with the payments requested, Graham quickly transferred or caused to be transferred the fraudulently obtained money to other accounts before the victim institutions could act. When requested by the victim payment processing company to provide supporting documentation, Graham submitted false documentation, including fabricated invoices and credit card authorization forms, fabricated e-mails, forged signatures, altered bank statements, and other false and fraudulent information. This scheme resulted in tens of thousands of dollars of losses and the misappropriation of multiple victims’ personal identification information.
From February 2017 to June 2018, Graham conspired with others to defraud victim institutions and individuals of millions of dollars through a business email compromise scheme. Members of the conspiracy sent fraudulent e-mail communications to victims who were scheduled to make substantial outgoing wire transfers to third parties. These fraudulent e-mails created the appearance that they had been sent by the intended third-party recipients of the scheduled payments when, in fact, they were sent by members of the conspiracy. The fraudulent emails requested the victims to reroute the scheduled payments to different bank accounts that Graham and his conspirators controlled. In one instance, a fraudulent email successfully induced one victim to reroute a payment of more than $650,000 to a bank account that Graham controlled. Graham transferred or caused to be transferred substantial portions of those funds to other accounts that he controlled, and which he used and intended to use for his own personal benefit. Through the business email compromise scheme, Graham and his conspirators attempted to defraud multiple victims of at least $6 million.
The wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The securities fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Each count of aggravated identity theft is punishable by a statutory mandatory consecutive sentence of two years, which must run consecutively to any other sentence. Each count of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine of $500,000 or not more than twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense or not more than twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transactions.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked investigators with the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, under the direction of Chief Christopher W. Gerold, for their assistance in connection with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
graham.indictment.pdfFormer Kentucky Probation and Parole Officer Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Women Under His Supervision and Covering up His MisconductRead the Press Release
Ronald Raye Tyler, 56, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and two years of supervised release for using his former position as a probation and parole officer at the Kentucky Department of Corrections to engage in unwanted sexual contact with women under his supervision.
In December 2023, Tyler admitted to engaging in unwanted sexual contact with three women who were under his supervision and to making false statements during an interview with the Kentucky State Police for the purpose of obstructing an investigation into allegations that he had sexually assaulted women under his supervision.
“The defendant is being held accountable for preying upon women who were under his supervision because of their probationary status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Probation officers should not use their position of authority to make unlawful and unwanted sexual advances on women, regardless of whether they are in custody or on probation. The Justice Department will continue to pursue justice for victims of sexual misconduct and hold law enforcement accountable for their actions.”
“I commend the FBI Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metro Police Department for their outstanding work in investigating this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “Citizens involved in our system of justice have every right to be treated with respect and dignity by employees within the system who exercise authority over them. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those employees who abuse their positions of trust.”
“When allegations of abuse of power are brought to our attention, the FBI will stop at nothing to uncover all of the relevant facts,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “In this case, these women were preyed upon by an officer whose duty it was to protect them. Our hope is that today’s sentencing will bring some semblance of closure to the victims and their families, send a message that we will not ignore such egregious behavior, and begin to restore the public’s trust in law enforcement that was once placed in this officer.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorneys Tara Allison and Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Honolulu Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A former resident of Honolulu pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the IRS by fraudulently obtaining a tax refund and then thwarting efforts to recoup it.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sook Young Jung conspired with others to file a false 2015 individual income tax return in her name. As part of the conspiracy, Jung’s co-conspirators created a fake tax form purportedly issued by a mortgage lender to Jung, which Jung attached to her return. The form falsely reported that Jung withheld over $1.7 million in taxes. As a result of this fraudulent submission, the IRS paid Jung a refund of $1,147,036.
After filing the false tax return and submitting the fake tax form, Jung took steps to try and ensure that the IRS could not recover the fraudulently obtained refund. For example, she deposited the refund check into a newly opened bank account and immediately withdrew most of the funds in cashier’s checks. She also paid, through nominees, one of her co-conspirators $500,000 for the co-conspirator’s assistance in obtaining the fraudulent refund.
Jung is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sarah Kiewlicz and Sara Henderson of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
Former Grass Seed Company Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Schemes to Defraud SimplotRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— An Idaho man who formerly supervised order-fulfillment and warehousing operations for the Jacklin Seed Company, a Liberty Lake, Washington producer and marketer of grass seed and turfgrass, was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in multiple schemes to defraud the J.R. Simplot Company and Jacklin, its former subsidiary.
Richard Dunham, 66, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Dunham was also ordered to pay $348,065 in restitution to Simplot.
According to court documents, from 1997 until its sale in 2020, the J.R. Simplot Company, a major privately held supplier of agricultural products headquartered in Boise, Idaho, owned and operated Jacklin. During this time, much of Jacklin’s business operations, including a seed-blending and warehousing facility, were located in and around Albany, Oregon. Dunham, who supervised Jacklin’s Albany operations, had the authority to purchase grass seed from certain Oregon growers over others.
At some point between 2013 and 2015, Dunham, Jacklin general manager Christopher Claypool, of Spokane, Washington, and others realized that growers’ preference for higher-yield grasses was creating substantial shortages of lower-yield varieties Jacklin had contracted to deliver to its customers. Dunham and Claypool recognized that these shortages would either cause Jacklin to fail to deliver on its existing contracts or require Jacklin to pay a premium to growers to acquire necessary inventory, substantially eroding company profits. The pair anticipated that either result would negatively affect their careers.
From January 2015 and continuing until at least the summer of 2019, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees, at the Albany facility and elsewhere, to fulfill customer orders with different varieties of grass seed than the customers had ordered, to conceal such substitutions from the customers, and to invoice the customers as though no substitutions had taken place. Together, they referred to this scheme as “getting creative.”
To conceal the unauthorized substitutions, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees to package the substitute seed varieties with false and misleading labels. They also directed employees to invoice the customers under the original terms of their contracts, notwithstanding the unauthorized substitutions. As a result of this scheme, Simplot refunded or credited more than $1.5 million to defrauded buyers.
During the same time, Dunham and Claypool also agreed to import mislabeled seeds from Moore Seeds, a Jacklin supplier based in Debolt, Alberta, Canada, to offset the shortage of one of Jacklin’s best-selling grass seed blends. In doing so, Dunham conspired with the owner of Cankiwi Ventures, Ltd., Moore’s managing entity, to purchase a less expensive seed blend at above-market rates in exchange for Moore’s falsely labeling the seed as Jacklin’s premier blend and shipping it, under that false pretense, to Jacklin in Oregon.
In additional to the undisclosed seed substitutions, Dunham engaged in another scheme while employed with Jacklin. Beginning no later than April 2015, Dunham conspired to obtain kickback payments from grass seed growers and brokers that regularly did business with Jacklin, including Ground Zero Seeds, International, of Yamhill, Oregon, and ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., of Jefferson, Oregon. Between April 2015 and September 2019, Dunham successfully solicited more than $191,789 in kickbacks from Ground Zero and $156,275 from ProSeeds.
On July 7, 2021, Claypool was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wired fraud and money laundering.
On April 29, 2022, Dunham was charged by federal criminal information with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on July 7, 2022, pleaded guilty to both counts.
In two separate cases, Ground Zero Seeds International and ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., pleaded guilty to knowingly concealing schemes to defraud Jacklin. Both companies were sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay criminal fines of $40,000 and $5,000, respectively. In addition, Ground Zero was ordered to pay Simplot $516,000 in restitution, and ProSeeds was ordered to pay Simplot more than $78,000.
In a third separate case, CanKiwi Ventures, Ltd., the manager of the Canadian grower Moore Seed, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2024, to smuggling mislabeled seed into the United States using false documents and was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $100,000.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Former Foundation Director Sentenced for Bank and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Roslyn Melodie Haile, age 64, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for one count of Bank Fraud and one count of Tax Fraud, to be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Haile was ordered to pay $428,271.26 in restitution to The MORE Foundation, and to pay an additional $120,777.02 in restitution to the IRS.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigations.
On February 28, 2023, Haile entered a plea of guilty to an information of one count of bank fraud and one count of tax fraud. According to investigators, from 2017 until mid-2021, while employed as Executive Director of The MORE Foundation, a nonprofit that funds continuing education scholarships to Carter County high school graduates, Haile embezzled over $428,271.26 from the foundation’s bank accounts for personal use. During that time, Haile embezzled funds through multiple different means, including bank transfers to pay off her personal credit card, ATM withdrawals, and the issuance of fraudulent payroll checks to herself. Haile also falsified a 2018 U.S. Individual Tax Return by underreporting personal income, resulting in a total loss of $120,777.02 to the U.S. Treasury. Based on these crimes, the court assessed Haile a total restitution of $591,761.28.
“As Executive Director of The MORE Foundation, Ms. Haile had the fundamental responsibility of managing scholarship funds efficiently, ethically, and with the upmost integrity. The students of Carter County and the generous donors deserve nothing less,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who unlawfully enrich themselves at the expense of others.”
“The financial expertise of IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents was critical in detecting the illegal activity of Ms. Haile,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., IRS:CI special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Office. “She willfully stole money from an organization devoted to helping people obtain higher education and knowingly falsified her taxes to hide her ill-gotten gains. I’m proud of the diligent work done by members of CI along with the FBI to uncover her illegal actions and hold her accountable. Between what she embezzled from the non-profit and withheld from the IRS, she stole more than half a million dollars. In addition to time in jail, she is also required to pay restitution as part of her sentencing.”
“Fraud is not a victimless crime: Ms. Haile abused her position and plundered a fund she knew was intended to benefit Carter County’s students and greater community,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This office stands firm in its commitment to prosecute those who engage in predatory schemes, and I commend the work of FBI and IRS-CI agents whose investigations uncovered Ms. Haile’s years-long theft.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Haile will self-report on May 1, 2024, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kara Traster and Kyra Jenner represented the United States.
Former Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Sentenced to 234 Months for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Todd Eric Tripp, age 35, of Sorrento, Louisiana, to 234 months in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. Tripp must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment, and he must complete sex offender treatment. The Court also ordered Tripp to pay $9,000 in restitution and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Tripp, a former Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy, used a multimedia instant messaging application to obtain child pornography from multiple victims. From March 2020 and continuing until October 2020, Tripp received at least 15 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Tripp was previously convicted and sentenced for child sexual exploitation and abuse crimes.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the York County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Edward H. Warner and Criminal Chief Jamie A. Flowers Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Florida Man and Brazilian National Indicted for Decade-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment today charging Dan Rotta, of Aventura, Florida, and Sergio Cernea, of Sao Paolo, Brazil, with conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing income and assets in Swiss bank accounts. The indictment also charged Rotta with tax evasion, filing a false tax return, making a false statement and failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Rotta was arrested on a related criminal complaint on March 8, 2024.
According to the indictment, between 1985 and 2020, Rotta hid more than $20 million in assets in at least two dozen secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were allegedly held in his own name, in the names of sham structures and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta allegedly earned substantial income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns.
From 2001 through 2017, Rotta allegedly falsely represented to the banks that he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil, even though he had been a naturalized citizen and resident of the U.S. since the 1970s. During those years, Rotta and a company he controlled allegedly received millions of dollars in transfers from his secret Swiss accounts.
Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta allegedly took steps to continue concealing his offshore assets, including by closing his UBS account and moving the funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.
According to the indictment, in 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, Rotta nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that Sergio Cernea, a Brazilian national, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta allegedly continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.
Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS allegedly began auditing Rotta. During the audit, Rotta allegedly falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from Cernea and others. Rotta allegedly provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from Cernea and others to corroborate his claims.
The IRS allegedly did not believe Rotta and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. According to the indictment, Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by causing the filing of a U.S. Tax Court petition that sought a redetermination of the IRS’s assessments. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, allegedly falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached the fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, Cernea and another co-conspirator allegedly traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys. In 2017, after Rotta allegedly presented evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that Rotta owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid to Cernea and others allegedly went into accounts that Rotta controlled.
According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, in 2016, Rotta had attorneys create trusts in the United States that Cernea funded with the assets transferred from the Swiss accounts and held for the benefit of Rotta. In fact, the funds in the trusts allegedly belonged to Rotta, and Rotta controlled the trusts.
In 2019, Rotta allegedly became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. To avoid criminal liability, Rotta allegedly applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who willfully do not comply with their tax and reporting obligations can make timely, accurate and complete disclosures of their conduct, which may be a way to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. According to the indictment, Rotta made a number of false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to Cernea and that Cernea was providing Rotta with millions of dollars because Cernea had no children when, in fact, Cernea had two.
If convicted, Rotta and Cernea face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, failure to file a report of bank and financial accounts and making a false statement. They face a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns and one year in prison for each count of failing to file tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The International Tax and Financial Crimes group of IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly and Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Homer for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rotta Cernea Indictment 03.22.24.pdfFlorida Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlicensed Dealing in Firearms and Falsification of Gun Purchase RecordsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John C. Antoon II has sentenced Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. His co-defendant, Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee), has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to an FFL, and causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Both Wilson and Rodriguez entered guilty pleas in late 2023.
According to evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. Rodriguez, Wilson’s girlfriend, purchased an additional 48 firearms during that same period.
While purchasing the firearms, Wilson and Rodriguez each falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that he or she was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, Wilson and Rodriguez were purchasing these firearms for others in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellphone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and others, including Rodriguez, about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms.
To date, 24 of the firearms purchased by Wilson and Rodriguez have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes involving drug trafficking, illegal firearm possession by felons, shootings, and homicides. Of the 24 recovered firearms, 12 were found in The Bahamas and another 12 in Canada. This firearms trafficking prosecution was made possible, in part, by firearms tracing conducted in cooperation with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Ontario Provincial Police, and ATF’s International Affairs Division.
“Gun traffickers are the purveyors of violent crime,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “Our investigators immediately stopped the illegal flow of crime guns to neighboring countries and then worked with partners to bring two conniving suspects to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Royal Bahamas Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Flint Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
FLINT — Antonio Lynn Fluker, Jr., 36, of Flint, Michigan was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a multi-million-dollar pandemic loan fraud scheme, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Fluker was also ordered to pay $3.8 million in restitution.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Douglas Zloto, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Detroit Field Office.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Kay Behm imposed sentence on Fluker following his guilty plea to wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, Fluker defrauded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. These programs were intended to provide critical financial assistance to small businesses suffering economic harm because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of his scheme, Fluker prepared and submitted false applications in the names of multiple individuals and companies to obtain approximately 23 loans and loan advances, resulting in more than $3.6 million in fraud. Fluker then used this money for his own personal expenses, including sending $75,000 in loan proceeds to a luxury car dealer to obtain a Lamborghini.
As part of his plea agreement, Fluker also admitted to obtaining more than half a million dollars through bank fraud and another approximately $170,000 from credit cards obtained through identity theft.
Fluker was on federal supervised release for prior fraud-related and escape from custody convictions at the time of the offense. U.S. District Court Judge Behm also sentenced Fluker to 24 months in prison for his supervised release violations, to be served concurrently to his 135-month sentence.
“Those who defraud federal programs like the PPP and EIDL programs cause real harm to communities by taking away critical emergency relief funds from the hard-working small business owners and employees who need them,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “My office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of fraud schemes relating to the pandemic.”
“Antonio Fluker was able to defraud the EIDL and PPP loan programs designed to assist the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The monies Fluker stole were intended to help honest businesses and hard-working individuals living in Flint, MI. Postal Inspectors from the USPIS and agents from OIG-SBA and USSS, with the assistance of the US Attorney’s Office, were able to investigate, arrest, and convict Antonio Fluker as well as seize funds he illegally obtained through his fraud scheme. We are glad to see that justice prevailed in this case and continue to investigate individuals who took advantage of the global pandemic to enrich themselves with COVID Relief Disaster Funds,” said Special Agent Zloto.
This investigation was conducted by special agents of the U.S. Secret Service Saginaw Resident Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ann Nee, Blaine Longsworth, and Jules DePorre.
Felon Who Possessed Ammunition Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Quincy Martez Chambers, multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
A federal jury found Chambers, 32, of Cedar Hill, Texas, guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition on October 18, 2023. That conviction was based on Chambers shooting a former girlfriend outside of an apartment she visited, brandishing a firearm at a witness, and shooting multiple rounds of ammunition into an apartment unit where the victim and her young son sought refuge following her shooting.
“The sentence handed down by the judge underscores our goal to remove violent people who continuously terrorize the community and have no respect for the life of others,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas. “The collaboration of federal, state, and local partners is an integral partnership in the comprehensive strategy to make communities safer through an aggressive pursuit and prosecution of violent offenders.”
At Chambers’ sentencing hearing, Judge Moody heard arguments regarding Chambers’ history of violent felony and domestic battery convictions. At the hearing, Judge Moody determined that Chambers qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which carries a sentence of not less than 15 years’ imprisonment, and not more than life imprisonment, a term of up to five years of supervised release, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a $100 special assessment. Judge Moody sentenced Chambers to 30 years imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Chambers was not assessed a fine, but ordered to pay a special assessment of $100.
“Firearms possessed by violent felons, especially when involved in domestic abuse, frequently lead to an increase of violent crime within our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that violent individuals will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority for ATF.”
“Through collaboration and dedication, we stand united in our pursuit of justice. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in the criminal justice process, as we work together to serve and support the victims and their families,” said Chief Heath Helton, Little Rock Police Department. “The unwavering commitment of our partners as well as the men and women of the Little Rock Police Department is truly commendable.”
“Quincy Chambers’ sentence of 30 years in federal prison is a direct result of a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pine Bluff Police Department,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarad O. Harper with the DEA Little Rock District Office. “Since January 2022, the DEA and Pine Bluff Police have been working together under Operation Overdrive, a nationwide DEA-led initiative to reduce violent crime in areas most deeply affected, like Pine Bluff. Chambers’ status as their top violent offender demonstrates the severity of his acts. This significant sentence is a testament to law enforcement’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public and reducing gun violence in our communities.”
“The appreciation for the U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot be stated enough. Local law enforcement leaders know that we are limited in many ways when it comes to prosecutions and sentencing. The connection to our federal partners to help us make our communities safer is an important and necessary component of what we do,” said Chief Denise Richardson, Pine Bluff Police Department. “The sheer determination of the AUSA in this case is to be commended. What they have truly done is made Pine Bluff safer and that is the ultimate goal for us.”
The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Fields and Bart Dickinson.
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Essex County Man Admits Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a narcotics conspiracy involving approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 100 grams of fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute approximately 482 grams of cocaine, and possessing three firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Carlos Ovidio Gonzalez, 36, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. district Judge Cecchi in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 19, 2022, Gonzalez and another individual conspired to distribute approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 100 grams of fentanyl and were arrested shortly after arriving at an agreed-upon location in Kearny to complete the sale. After their arrests, a search of Gonzalez’s home and an apartment uncovered two loaded firearms, an unloaded firearm, ammunition, drug packaging materials, and drugs, including approximately 482 grams of heroin. Gonzalez had previously been convicted, in New Jersey Superior Court, Morris County, of first-degree drug distribution, second degree weapons possession during a controlled substance offense, and second degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and was sentenced in 2009 to 30 years in prison.
The counts of fentanyl and cocaine conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine carry maximum penalties of 30 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The felon in possession count carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked Newark Police Department for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
gonzalez.information.pdfDorchester Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man pleaded guilty today to receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) obtained via Zoom chat rooms.
Beau Christopher Benson, 35, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2024. Benson was charged by criminal complaint in November 2023.
In April 2023, law enforcement was notified that Benson participated in Zoom video chat rooms used to share and view CSAM. Benson recorded his participation in the chat rooms and saved the recordings – which featured videos of CSAM and conversations between Benson and others about the CSAM – to his social media account. Approximately 15 video files depicting CSAM were found saved in his Dropbox. In addition, Benson was identified as an online user who had uploaded two files containing CSAM to a Dropbox account. Specifically, the files depicted children who appear to be approximately two to four years old.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
UPDATE: This press release was amended on March 22, 2024 to reflect that the defendant is no longer employed by Northeastern University.
Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison, Ordered to Pay over $200,000Read the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison for conspiring with others to use a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number issued to another person. Randall was also ordered to pay $205,000 in fines and forfeiture.
Wendell Lewis Randall, 71, of Millers Creek, N.C., pled guilty in November 2023 to conspiring to use, in the course of dispensing and distributing controlled substances, a DEA registration number issued to another person. DEA registration numbers are unique identifiers issued to medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions and to ensure only qualified providers prescribe controlled substances.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Randall—a medical doctor who operated his own practice in North Carolina—was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, an LLC which was doing business as Pain Care Center, a line of pain clinics operating in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.
Randall was nominally assigned to the Woodlawn clinic, but he was only occasionally ever on-site. He was also absent from the Christiansburg and Madison Heights clinics, but Randall allowed other, unqualified medical providers to use his DEA registration number to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) in his name, even though he had never actually seen the patients who received the drugs.
Court documents, including text messages, show L5 paid Randall in exchange for being able to use his DEA registration number. Randall acknowledged in these messages that he was not seeing patients at L5’s clinics and that he was aware his arrangement with L5 was illegal.
Court documents also revealed Randall’s colleagues repeatedly warned him that his prescribing practices for Schedule II opioids were improper. Randall received over $300,000 in exchange for renting out his DEA credentials and for his supposed supervision of nurses who, in truth, Randall failed to supervise.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon found that Randall’s conduct endangered patients over several years and that imprisonment was needed to punish Randall and to deter others from committing similar crimes.
Randall is the third defendant sentenced in connection with L5’s operation of pain clinics in western Virginia. Charles Wilson Adams, Jr., is currently serving a two-year prison sentence, and former nurse practitioner Debra Kay Shaffer was sentenced to a term of imprisonment and a fine. Three other defendants—L5 owner Greg Barnes, former doctor Duane Dixon, and L5 itself—have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. A seventh defendant has pled not guilty to drug conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud, and false statement charges and is awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the DEA’s Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Colonel Gary Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from Target in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Shawn Hunter, 28, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of second-degree theft (felony) with offense committed during release enhancement, stemming from events occurring on February 27, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Hunter is to be arraigned on March 20, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 27, 2024, Hunter took a range of merchandise without paying from the Target store located at 3505 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Hunter was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hunter has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 36 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Campbell.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from CVS in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Michael Smith, 26, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on October 6, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Smith is to be arraigned on April 8, 2024, before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on October 6, 2023, Smith stole several items from a CVS store on Georgia Avenue in Northwest, Washington, DC, by putting store merchandise into a bag in the store before walking out.
Smith has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 36 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika Norman.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for CVS Theft in Adams MorganRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 20, Travon Carter, 31, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 27, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Carter is to be arraigned on April 4, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 27, 2024, Carter entered the CVS located at 1781 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC; took numerous items for sale; and left the store without paying. Carter was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Carter has more than two prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 36 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Wessel.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Dearborn Man sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Dearborn resident was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Division.
Haitham Sami Bazzi, 28, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence Berg.
According to court documents, Bazzi met the 16-year-old victim in an online dating application in the summer of 2021. Bazzi engaged in sex acts with the victim, provided the child methamphetamine, and recorded the sexual exploitation. A concerned adult reported Bazzi to the Dearborn Police after Bazzi showed him child sexually abusive material on Bazzi’s phone. The Dearborn Police executed a search warrant and recovered multiple devices from Bazzi’s residence, which police then turned over to the FBI for further investigation. The FBI analyzed the devices and found numerous images and videos of child sexually abusive material, including a video of the minor victim.
“Protecting our most vulnerable residents is one of my office’s top priorities – we must do everything in our power to protect our children from those who seek to cause them enduring harm. By seeking just punishment, we acknowledge this victim’s trauma and hope that this sentence helps the child’s journey toward a full recovery,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
"Our top priority is to protect our communities' youngest members from individuals who mean to take advantage of them. This sentencing and path to accountability would not be possible without the men and women of the Dearborn Police Department and the United States Attorney's Office,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Michigan. “I would also like to thank the concerned citizen who dared to stand up to Mr. Bazzi and speak for our victim by reporting his heinous crimes to law enforcement. As a member of the law enforcement community, we can achieve tremendous success in partnership with our concerned citizens. If you know of someone victimizing our youth, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or you may submit an online tip at TIPS.FBI.GOV."
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Dearborn Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Rawsthorne and Tara Hindelang.