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Friday 2 February 2024
North Little Rock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Stolen Mail and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A North Little Rock man was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Thursday, United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., also sentenced James Diante Miller, 28, to 60 months’ incarceration for possession of stolen mail. Judge Moody ordered Miller to serve his sentences concurrently and also ordered him to serve three years supervised release.
On July 18, 2022, law enforcement officials conducted surveillance of the blue collection box located in front of the Westside Post Office located at 11415 Huron Lane, Little Rock, Arkansas. In the early morning hours, two individuals, later identified as Kobe Powell and Miller, arrived at the Westside Post Office in a black Ford Crown Victoria. Law enforcement observed Powell open the postal collection box. Law enforcement officers attempted to make contact, however Powell and Miller fled in the vehicle at a high rate of speed and eventually crashed into a residence. After the crash, Powell and Miller fled from the vehicle and were arrested by law enforcement. After Miller was arrested, a Glock firearm was found in his possession. Powell, who was not found to be in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment on September 20, 2023, for possessing stolen mail and a counterfeit check.
A two-count Superseding Information was filed on September 21, 2023, charging Miller with possession of stolen mail and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On that same day, Miller pleaded guilty to the charges in the Superseding Information. Judge Moody also ordered Miller to pay $1,650.00 in restitution. The maximum sentence faced by the defendant for possession of stolen mail was five years and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, it was 15 years. The defendant also faced a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Little Rock Police Department, and Arkansas State Police.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@EDARNEWS
North Carolina Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jamarcus Harris, 32, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Harris traveled with co-defendants Crystal Wilks and Xavier Sanders and another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Harris admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Harris and his co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Harris admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the resulting image on the bleached bills.
Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, and Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54.
New York Man Who Tried to Withdraw Money from Massachusetts Bank Accounts Using Fake Passports Agrees to Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man has agreed to plead guilty to allegedly using counterfeit United States passport cards in the name of three Massachusetts residents in order to withdraw money from their bank accounts.
Jean Andre Bontiffe, 40, has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of bank fraud, one count of forgery or false use of a Passport and one count of aggravated identity theft. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Bontiffe was previously charged by criminal complaint in October 2023.
According to the charging documents, on Aug. 9, 2022, Bontiffe was arrested in New York for attempting to pass through TSA screening at LaGuardia Airport using a counterfeit California driver’s license in the same name as one of the Massachusetts victims. A subsequent investigation allegedly revealed that, between July 20 and July 22, 2022, Bontiffe traveled to Massachusetts from the Bronx, N.Y., and made nine attempts to withdraw money from bank accounts that belonged to three victims from Massachusetts – stealing a total of $13,800. On July 20, 2022, Bontiffe allegedly entered a TD Bank branch in North Andover, Mass. and presented a United States passport and a Discover credit card, both in the name of a Massachusetts resident who had an account at the bank, as proof of identity and attempted to withdraw $4,500 from that account. Due to unmatched signatures, the bank denied the transaction and confiscated the passport and credit card prior to Bontiffe fleeing the scene.
The charge of making or using a forged passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. 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; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Paul Creazzo, Chief of the Mamaroneck (New York) Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Scam Uses Fake Court Documents, Fake Government Correspondence, and False Charges Under COVID Relief Programs to Solicit “Preemptive Bail” PaymentsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – United States Attorney Robert J. Troester, Anand Ramlall, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), and David Thompson, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service (USSS) Oklahoma City Field Office, are warning the public of a new scam utilizing fake court documents, fake government correspondence, and false charges under COVID relief programs to solicit “preemptive bail” payments.
With this scam, imposters pose as law enforcement officers and send text messages to a target recipient. These messages may include images of fake federal court documents that falsely assert criminal fraud charges against the recipient arising from the Paycheck Protection Program and/or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The fake federal court notice may also advise the target that they can avoid arrest by paying “preemptive bail bond.”
In addition to fake federal court documents, the scam may involve images of fake correspondence from the FDIC OIG and FDIC Legal Division which purports to explain the “preemptive bail opportunity.”
The public is reminded that if you receive any communication purportedly from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FDIC OIG, or the federal court asking for sensitive personal information, or demanding payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or digital currency – DO NOT TRANSMIT MONEY OR SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION. Instead, the public is encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities with the information below..
“These fraudsters utilize fear and pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency in their victims and often prey on the most vulnerable in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester. “If you are contacted by someone who demands payment or private information, do not engage. Instead, report the incident to law enforcement.”
“Scammers such as these may use the FDIC or FDIC OIG logo and seal to make their demand for funds appear legitimate” said FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Anand Ramlall. “The FDIC OIG reminds the public that the FDIC and FDIC OIG will not send unsolicited correspondence that requests sensitive personal information or demands payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or digital currency. Such correspondence should be reported to the FDIC OIG hotline.”
“Criminals constantly find ways to use technology and communication platforms to commit fraud. The Secret Service is at the forefront of both combating financial fraud and educating the public about financial fraud,” said USSS Oklahoma City Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Thompson. “Please contact the Secret Service if you are a victim of a scam or if you have information regarding such scams.”
If you have been a victim of a related scams or would like additional information on identifying similar scams and how to report them, please refer to the following:
- FDIC OIG Hotline at https://www.fdicoig.gov/oig-hotline or 1-800-964-FDIC. The OIG reviews all allegations and will investigate a matter in appropriate circumstances. Individuals contacting the Hotline via the website can report information openly, confidentially, or anonymously. Please also see https://www.fdicoig.gov/sites/default/files/document/2022-08/oigimpersonationscamflyer.pdf.
- USA.gov website “Scams and Fraud” at https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud which will help identify where to report different types of scams.
- United States Courts website on Federal Court Scams at https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/federal-courts-public/federal-court-scams.
- United States Secret Service Oklahoma City Field Office at 405-272-0630 or visit the U.S. Secret Service website at https://www.secretservice.gov/.
- United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma at 405-553-8700.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DEJUAN WILLIAMS, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to 262 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1 through 4 of a Superseding Bill of Information. Judge Lemelle also ordered that WILLIAMS be placed on supervised release for three (3) years following release from imprisonment, and to pay a mandatory $400 special assessment fee.
Count 1 charged WILLIAMS with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Count 2 charged WILLIAMS with possession with the intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count 3 charged WILLIAMS with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 4 charged WILLIAMS with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court records, on November 22, 2020, WILLIAMS was seated in the front passenger seat of a vehicle being driven by his wife in New Orleans. While in the vehicle, WILLIAMS was in knowing possession of a Glock Model 23, 40 caliber pistol. At some point, a gray sedan drove behind their vehicle and opened fire. WILLIAMS exited their vehicle and fled while still in possession of the pistol. Eventually, WILLIAMS reached Elysian Fields Avenue and attempted to hide the pistol underneath some greenery but members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) recovered the pistol later that day.
On January 27, 2020, a NOPD detective attempted to locate and arrest WILLIAMS for his possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, as described above. The NOPD detective eventually located WILLIAMS and, while attempting to arrest him, a struggle ensued. During the struggle and subsequent arrest, the detective saw a firearm sling on WILLIAMS’s person. Inside the sling was a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, with a live round in the chamber, seven (7) bullets in the attached magazine, a bag of heroin, two bags of crack cocaine, and $458.00 of U.S. currency. WILLIAMS later admitted that the firearm was in the sling, that he possessed both the sling and firearm, that he had cocaine and heroin on his person, that he possessed both the heroin and cocaine, with the intent to distribute them in future drug sales, and that the $458 came from selling heroin and cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Louisiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRISON SHELTON, age 59, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 1, 2024 before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five hundred grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride and possession with intent to distribute five hundred grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As to each of the charges to which SHELTON pled guilty, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, SHELTON and other co-conspirators distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
During the investigation, law enforcement, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, seized over forty (40) kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, six (6) kilograms of fentanyl, four and a half (4.5) kilograms of heroin, and nearly and $700,000.00 in U.S. Currency and other property.
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.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LARRY LABRY, age 50, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on February 1, 2024 to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
LABRY admitted to being captured on court-authorized wiretaps discussing cocaine trafficking. LABRY also acknowledged that police seized 497.4 grams of cocaine during a traffic stop from one of his co-conspirators.
Judge Ashe set sentencing in this matter for May 9, 2024. LABRY faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – WILL WILLIS, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on February 1, 2024 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, in June 2023, the New Orleans Police Department was conducting video surveillance in New Orleans, when an officer observed WILLIS with a bulge in his waistband consistent with a firearm. When police officers responded, WILLIS and another individual ran. WILLIS attempted to discard his gun but it discharged. After police arrested WILLIS, they found two handguns, along with one spent shell casing, in his flight path. WILLIS admitted to possessing one of the guns, after having been convicted of four prior felony offenses.
Judge Ashe set sentencing for May 9, 2024. WILLIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Mass-Mailing Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to 72 months in prison and two years of supervised release for committing two separate mail fraud schemes in which he stole more than $50 million from victims throughout the United States by sending letters falsely telling them that they were entitled to receive a large sum of money in exchange for payment of a small fee.
According to court documents, Ryan Young, 41, of Upper Saddle River, operated two separate mail fraud schemes. In the first scheme, which Young operated from 2011 through 2016, Young and his co-conspirators sent fraudulent prize notification letters to victims in the United States and numerous other countries. The letters falsely claimed recipients had won money or valuable prizes, such as luxury cars. Victims were instructed to send small processing fees – typically $20 or $25 – to claim the prizes. Many victims received nothing; others received only a cheap piece of jewelry or a report listing unrelated sweepstakes. In February 2018, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in this large-scale international mail fraud scheme that stole approximately $50 million from victims.
While on release and awaiting sentencing on the first mail fraud scheme, Young operated a second mail fraud scheme from March 2019 through May 2022. In the second scheme, Young mailed out letters falsely notifying recipients that they were entitled to receive unclaimed funds worth millions of dollars, a portion of a multimillion-dollar legal settlement, or a prize in exchange for payment of a small fee of $30 to $40. Young did not deliver funds to any of the victims who sent payments in response to these letters. Instead, Young sent booklets containing publicly available information or flyers about online restaurant coupons. According to court documents, Young’s second scheme resulted in $1.6 million in losses to victims.
“The defendant in this case defrauded victims through multiple mail fraud schemes, depriving vulnerable Americans out of more than $50 million,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and its federal law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who target vulnerable American consumers for financial gain.”
“The defendant’s conduct is especially egregious. After pleading guilty and acknowledging his responsibility, Mr. Young decided to revert back to what he knew best, which was ripping off Americans,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to others who think they will not be caught – postal inspectors will find you.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York is handling asset forfeiture.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Miami felon convicted at trial of armed Hobbs Act robberyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 24, a federal jury found a Miami felon guilty of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
During a six-day trial, the government presented DNA, firearms and ballistics, cell-site data, surveillance footage, photographic, testimonial, forensic, and other evidence showing that on April 3, 2022, Frederick Lee Alvin, 39, of Miami, Florida, robbed a market in Little Havana. After Alvin entered the store wearing a mask and dressed in all black, he demanded money from the register, fired a gun at the cashier’s feet, and fled with $3,400 from the register and the cashier’s wallet. Alvin was later arrested at a local motel in possession of the same firearm that he used during the market robbery.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 17 before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz. Alvin faces up to life in prison. Alvin had been previously convicted of three prior felony offenses, which triggered the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) enhancement.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the conviction.
ATF Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Rosenzweig and Abbie Waxman are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community 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 to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20244.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Benancio Pineda (50, Mexico) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pineda entered a guilty plea on September 28, 2023.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2022, Pineda met with an individual at a gas station in Wimauma and sold him approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. This methamphetamine was 96% pure. On June 16, 2023, Pineda drove to meet the same person in Wimauma to sell him 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, but Pineda was pulled over by law enforcement near Sun City Center. Law enforcement recovered approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine from inside of Pineda’s car. This methamphetamine was 97% pure.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mescalero Man Charged with Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Fulton Charles Potter appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with assault by strangulation and/or suffocating a spouse or intimate partner. Potter, 29, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 24, 2023, Potter assaulted Jane Doe, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, at the home of a relative by hitting her in the head, biting her, and strangling her until she lost consciousness. Jane Doe’s brothers arrived at the home during the assault and intervened.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the current charge, Potter faces 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
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McDowell County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Carl Thomas Mullins, also known as “TJ Mullins,” 23, of Isaban, pleaded guilty today to theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 10, 2021, Mullins broke into a Wyoming County business and stole a Colt model M4 carbine 5.56mm rifle, a Black Aces model Pro Series M 12-gauge shotgun and a Silver Eagle model RZ17TAC 12-gauge shotgun.
Mullins is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-179.
Matthew Banfield, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced February 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for escape from custody.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Matthew Banfield, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced February 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for escape from custody. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Banfield to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Banfield’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
Banfield was sentenced to serve 37 months with a 3-year term of supervised release following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Banfield was in custody of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) residing at Dismas Charities in Omaha, which is a Federal Residential Reentry Center (RRC). On June 13, 2023, Banfield left Dismas Charities and failed to return as required. Banfield was placed in escape status until he was located and arrested on a warrant in August 2023. Because Banfield was in the custody of the BOP at the time he left the RRC, his failing to return to the RRC was an escape from BOP custody.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service.
Maryland Tax Preparer Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Maryland tax return preparer was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for preparing false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Adis Smith, of Chula Vista, California, and formerly of Baltimore, prepared and filed false income tax returns for his clients to fraudulently lower the taxes they owed or to generate refunds from the IRS to which they were not entitled. Smith typically reported fictitious or inflated business losses and itemized deductions. To conceal his fraud from the IRS, Smith prepared and filed each client’s tax return as a “ghost preparer,” reporting it had been self-prepared by the client rather than by Smith. In total, Smith prepared over 1,000 false tax returns and caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $4,729,311.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher for the District of Maryland ordered Smith to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $4,729,311 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Cofer and Sarah Ranney of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.
Martinsville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Meth and CocaineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Martinsville, Virginia man, who possessed crystal ice methamphetamine and cocaine valued at more than $35,000, was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison.
Octavius Myron Johnson, 39, was convicted following a jury trial in October 2023 of one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in addition to one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
According to evidence presented at trial, in early 2023, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Johnson’s drug trafficking activities in the Glade Spring area of Washington County. Their investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s Martinsville residence where over a half-pound of crystal ice methamphetamine and over 80 grams of cocaine were recovered. Cash totaling $3,800 and other items related to drug trafficking were also seized.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, with assistance from numerous agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsville Police Department, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for over $600M Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay over $336 million in restitution for a years-long fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators, including physicians throughout the country, defrauded multiple health insurance companies out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mathew James, 54, of East Northport, operated medical billing companies to provide billing services for physicians — primarily plastic or orthopedic surgeons throughout the United States — and used his companies to carry out a massive scheme to defraud insurance companies. As a third-party medical biller, James submitted claims to insurance companies and, when necessary, requested reconsideration or appeals of denied claims, typically earning a percentage of the amount paid by the insurance companies. The evidence showed that James billed for procedures that were either more serious or entirely different than those his doctor-clients performed. In addition, James made thousands of calls in which he impersonated patients and patients’ relatives to induce insurance companies to reconsider denied claims or pay more on approved claims, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in additional reimbursement to his doctor-clients and from which he received a percentage of the fraudulent proceeds.
James also directed his doctor-clients to schedule elective surgeries through the emergency room so that insurance companies would reimburse at substantially higher rates. When insurance companies denied the inflated claims, James impersonated patients to demand that the insurance companies pay the outstanding balances of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A federal jury convicted James on July 13, 2022, of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant Director in Charge James Smith of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Mirabile and Antoinette Rangel for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, the program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Spree Targeting Elected OfficialsRead the Press Release
A New Mexico man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in shootings that targeted the residences of elected officials following the 2022 election.
According to court documents, following Solomon Peña’s electoral defeat in November 2022 for a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives, Demetrio Trujillo, 42, of Albuquerque, along with his son, Jose Trujillo, were recruited by Peña to engage in a series of targeted shootings of residences belonging to elected officials. Peña allegedly pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to refuse to certify the results of the election, but despite Peña’s alleged pressure, the commissioners certified the results of the election. In response, in his plea agreement, Demetrio Trujillo admitted that Peña paid him to drive to the home of an election official on Dec. 4, 2022, and fire a gun at the residence. Peña then paid Demetrio Trujillo to carry out a shooting at the residence of an elected state official who ran for and won reelection in 2022, which Trujillo did on Dec. 8, 2022. Then, on Jan. 3, 2023, Trujillo, along with his son and Peña, carried out a shooting at the residence of a second elected state official. The victims’ residences were targeted because the individuals were election officials and/or former candidates for elective office.
Demetrio Trujillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy, two counts of interference with federally protected activities, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm. Demetrio Trujillo will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for May 1. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jose Trujillo pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 to conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Related charges against Peña remain pending and are scheduled for trial in June.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Ryan Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI Field Office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Madison Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Madison, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2024.
Treton Anderson, age 26, was sentenced to 15 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Anderson will also need to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between December 18, 2021, and June 29, 2022, when Anderson, using his cellular phone to access the internet, and using his Kik account, distributed digital files containing child pornography.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Anderson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lyons man pleads guilty to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that that Randall Seeley, Jr., 45, of Lyons, NY, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2023, the New York State Police received a report that Seeley had been involved in sexually explicit online communications with a 13 to 14-year-old minor. During an investigation, Seeley admitted knowing the minor and engaging in sexual communications, during which he solicited and received explicit images and videos of the minor. A review of the minor’s social media accounts revealed the sexually explicit communications with Seeley, going back as far as July 2022. A search warrant was executed at Seeley’s residence, during which his electronic devices were seized. A preliminary forensic analysis of the devices uncovered hundreds of images and videos of child pornography depicting the known minor and other, unknown minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, Lyons, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Louisville Teacher Charged with Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued today charging a Louisville school teacher with distributing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and distributing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to court records, in December 2023 and January 2024, Jordan A. Fautz, 39, while employed as a 7th and 8th grade religion teacher at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic School in Louisville, Kentucky, distributed child sexual abuse materials to a law enforcement officer working online undercover. Certain of these materials had been manipulated by morphing or photoshopping original child sexual abuse materials with other, non-explicit images of minors. For example, in one such instance, the nude image of a minor victim depicted her face transposed by means of photoshop or morphing technology onto a different nude female’s body, effectively generating child sexual abuse material.
Fautz will be scheduled to make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, Fautz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and maximum potential penalties of 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness is prosecuting the case.
The FBI Louisville Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Jordan Fautz. If you or your minor dependent(s) have information about Fautz, please contact the FBI at [email protected]. Your responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation in identifying you or your child as a potential victim. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
A criminal 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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Long Island Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for over $600 Million Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Mathew James was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 12 years in prison for a massive health care fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators, including physicians throughout the country, defrauded multiple health insurance companies out of hundreds of millions of dollars. James was sentenced to 10 years on the fraud charges and two years to be served consecutive on the aggravated ID theft charges. The Court also ordered restitution in the amount of $336,996,416.85 and forfeiture of $63,382,049.02.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“James went to great lengths to carry out a complex fraud scheme that caused insurance companies to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant not only falsified medical records and forged signatures, but also brazenly impersonated patients and their family members, all of which justifies a significant jail sentence to deter others from such audacious conduct.”
“Today, Mathew James was justly punished with a lengthy sentence in prison for his immense and brazen health care fraud scheme. James took extreme steps to carry out his more than half-billion-dollar fraud – faking signatures, impersonating well known figures in the world of sports, and utilizing fraudulent documents,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The FBI will continue to take the lead in investigating and holding accountable anyone attempting to illegally profit from deceptive and fraudulent health care schemes.”
James operated medical billing companies to provide billing services for physicians, primarily plastic surgeons throughout the United States, and used his companies to carry out a massive scheme to defraud insurance companies. As a third-party medical biller, James submitted claims to insurance companies and when necessary, requested reconsideration or appeals of denied claims. James billed for procedures that were either more serious or entirely different than those his doctor-clients performed. For example, the government presented evidence that James impersonated Jeff Pash, the National Football League’s general counsel, and Marcus Smart, a professional basketball player then of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, in calls the defendant made to insurance companies in which he exaggerated medical procedures. James made thousands of impersonation calls resulting in over tens of millions of dollars in additional reimbursement to his doctor-clients and from which he received a percentage of the fraudulent proceeds.
James also directed his doctor-clients to schedule elective surgeries through the emergency room so that insurance companies would reimburse at substantially higher rates. When insurance companies denied the inflated claims, James impersonated patients to demand that the insurance companies pay the outstanding balances of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Mirabile and Antoinette N. Rangel of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
MATHEW JAMES
Age: 54
East Northport, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-382 (JS)
Leader of Methamphetamine Distribution Ring Sentenced to 30 YearsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in leading a multi-year, multi-state methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents, Malik Dillard, a/k/a “Mayo,” 47, used out-of-state methamphetamine suppliers to import bulk packages of nearly pure methamphetamine (98.6% purity) to Virginia through the U.S. Postal Service. Dillard employed a network of sub-dealers to scale and expand his methamphetamine operation across the Hampton Roads region over multiple years.
Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. As cited in court documents and according to the Virginia Department of Health’s Chief Medical Examiner, overdose deaths caused by methamphetamine skyrocketed 9,500% in Virginia from 2007 to 2022 and continue to rise. Unlike other drugs, like heroin or fentanyl, there are no approved medications effective at treating methamphetamine addiction—there is no methadone equivalent for methamphetamine.
This is the defendant’s 15th criminal conviction and third federal conviction. In 2009, he was sentenced in Richmond for his role in leading a conspiracy involving 16 bank robberies across seven states in 75 days—which started just one week after he was released from prison. In 2003, he was sentenced in the Northern District of Georgia for his role in leading a conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Anthony Mozzi prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-65.
Latham Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Weinbloom admitted that on May 18, 2022, he possessed approximately 1,300 images and 1,500 videos of child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence and that two computers recovered from his residence had also been used to store and view child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2024. Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Weinbloom to pay restitution to the victims of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense. Weinbloom will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Kyle Man Sentenced for Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 25, 2024.
Marcus Pawnee Leggins, 35, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Pawnee Leggins was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023.
The conviction stems from Pawnee Leggins beating a male in June of 2023 near Kyle. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Pawnee Leggins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kissimmee Woman Sentenced to Prison for Passport Fraud, Identity Theft, and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Nilda Medina-Veguilla (38, Kissimmee) to 31 months in federal prison for making a false statement in a U.S. passport application, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government property. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $39,088, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Medina-Veguilla entered a guilty plea on September 7, 2023.
According to court documents, Medina-Veguilla is a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico. In 2005, she was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation by Puerto Rican authorities. In 2008, a warrant was issued for her arrest. That same year, Medina-Veguilla moved to the continental U.S. and obtained an identification card and then a Florida driver license in the name of identity theft victim “N.T.D.” Medina-Veguilla held herself out as N.T.D. for approximately 15 years, using N.T.D.’s identity when getting married and divorced, for criminal arrests, for employment and tax purposes, to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and to obtain a U.S. passport.
On February 23, 2021, Medina-Veguilla applied for a U.S. passport at the South Creek Post Office in Orlando. On that application, she used N.T.D.’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number. For proof of citizenship and identity, Medina-Veguilla submitted a copy of N.T.D.’s Puerto Rico birth certificate and a Florida driver license which she had fraudulently obtained.
On numerous occasions between 2013 and 2022, Medina-Veguilla applied for SNAP benefits using addresses in the Middle District of Florida. She completed online applications with information about her financial status and family situation and used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of N.T.D. in the applications. As a result of her illegal activities, Medina-Veguilla obtained and used $$39,088 in SNAP benefits.
The SNAP is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that was authorized by Congress to help low-income individuals and families by providing monthly benefits with which to buy food. These benefits were formerly called “food stamps.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Alabama Landlord to Resolve Claims of Sexual Harassment of Female TenantsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Randy Hames, an Alabama landlord who owned and managed rental properties in a mobile home park in Cullman, Alabama, known as Hames Marina, to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Hames sexually harassed female tenants.
Under the agreement, Hames will pay $390,000 to 12 women who rented or sought to rent homes from him and a civil penalty of $10,000 to the government. The agreement also prohibits Hames from managing rental housing or contacting any of the women or their families. The agreement comes after a three-day trial during which the Justice Department presented compelling evidence to a Huntsville, Alabama, jury of Hames’ longstanding harassment and exploitation of female residents and prospective tenants, and the impact of Hames’ conduct on these women and their families.
“Today’s resolution recognizes the significant harm that the defendant caused to the women in this case and sends a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is firmly committed to vigorously pursuing landlords who sexually harass and exploit their tenants.”
“Sexual harassment by landlords is illegal, immoral and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases because everyone deserves to feel safe at home and thrive in an environment free from fear.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in July 2018, alleged that since at least 2011, Hames subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to a continuing pattern of egregious harassment, including demanding or pressuring female tenants to engage in sexual acts with him in exchange for rent or to prevent eviction, evicting female tenants when they refused his advances, making female tenants feel unsafe by stalking them and entering their residences without permission and making unwelcome sexual comments.
The case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, was launched in October 2017 and seeks to raise awareness about and address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 38 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $11.3 million for victims of such harassment.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager or rental agent, you may contact the Justice Department at 1-844-380-6178, or submit an online report at civilrights.justice.gov/. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing an online complaint at www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint%20.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Alabama Landlord to Resolve Claims of Sexual Harassment of Female TenantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Randy Hames, an Alabama landlord who owned and managed rental properties in a mobile home park in Cullman, Alabama, known as Hames Marina, to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Hames sexually harassed female tenants.
Under the agreement, Hames will pay $390,000 in damages to 12 women who rented or sought to rent homes from him and a civil penalty to the government. The agreement also prohibits Hames from managing rental housing or contacting any of the women or their families. The agreement comes after a three-day trial, during which the Justice Department presented compelling evidence to the jury of Hames’ longstanding harassment and exploitation of female residents and prospective tenants, and the impact of Hames’s conduct on these women and their families.
“Today’s resolution recognizes the significant harm that the defendant caused to the women in this case and sends a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No woman should ever have to grapple with sexual harassment to avoid eviction, receive a fair rent or to ensure that they can keep a roof over their head. The Justice Department stands ready to vigorously pursue landlords who sexually harass and exploit their tenants.”
“Sexual harassment by landlords is illegal, immoral and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases because everyone deserves to feel safe at home and thrive in an environment free from fear.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in July 2018, alleged that since at least 2011, Hames subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to a continuing pattern of egregious harassment, including demanding or pressuring female tenants to engage in sexual acts with him in exchange for rent or to prevent eviction, evicting female tenants when they refused his advances, making female tenants feel unsafe by stalking them and entering their residences without permission and making unwelcome sexual comments.
The case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, was launched in October 2017 and seeks to raise awareness about and address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 38 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $11.3 million for victims of such harassment.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager or rental agent, you may contact the Justice Department at 1-844-380-6178, or submit an online report at civilrights.justice.gov/. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing an online complaint at www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint%20.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Announces Terrorism and Sanctions-Evasion Charges and Seizures Linked to Illicit, Billion-Dollar Global Oil Trafficking Network That Finances Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Its Malign ActivitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of three federal cases, across two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, as the most recent in a series of efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and providing lethal support to terrorist organizations abroad.
In the Southern District of New York, seven defendants, including a leader within Iran’s IRGC and officers of a Turkish energy group, are charged with terrorism, sanctions-evasion, fraud, and money laundering offenses in connection with their trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, Russia, and Syria, in order to finance the IRGC-QF. Additionally, the United States seized $108 million used as part of these defendants’ scheme to fund the IRGC-QF.
In a related action, in the District of Columbia, a Chinese woman and Omani man are charged with sanctions-evasion and money laundering offenses in connection with the trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to Chinese government-owned refineries. Additionally, in the District of Columbia, a forfeiture complaint for the seizure of illicit Iranian oil was unsealed, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funding to the IRGC and IRGC-QF.
“Iran utilizes the proceeds of its black-market oil sales to fund its criminal activities, including its support of the IRGC, Hamas, Hizballah, and other Iranian aligned terrorist groups,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is targeting this funding source by seizing over $108 million and 500,000 barrels of fuel that would otherwise have enabled Iran to further its destabilizing activities that threaten our national security. In addition to disrupting Iran’s unlawful funding streams, the Justice Department has also charged nine individuals for their roles in supporting Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department will continue to use every authority we have to cut off the illegal financing and enabling of Iran’s malicious activities, which have become even more evident in recent months.”
“While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force are the regime’s terrorist strongarms, oil is its lifeblood,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s enforcement actions show that the Justice Department is committed to using every tool – from criminal prosecutions to the lawful seizures of Iranian oil and oil profits – to shut down Iran’s pipeline of petroleum and profits. The charges and seizures announced today strike at the core of the global oil smuggling network that Iran has built to fund its regime of terror and repression, and deny the regime millions of dollars in proceeds to further its nefarious agenda.”
“Iran presents a constant threat to the United States – trying to murder Americans right here within our borders, conducting a cyber-attack on a children’s hospital, supporting terrorists around the world, and more,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “All of Iran’s crimes cost money. And the FBI will remain committed to enforcing U.S. sanctions that keep money out of its coffers.”
“Today’s cases are part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to cut off the flow of black-market Iranian oil that funds the regime’s malign activity, threatening the United States and our interests around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We remain focused on holding accountable those involved in these smuggling schemes, from the officials who oversee the laundering operations, to the network of shadowy businesses that enable them, to the brokers who help facilitate these unlawful transactions.”
United States v. Shahriyari et al. (SDNY)
Note: view the indictment hereSeven defendants – including a senior IRGC-QF official, the son of Rostam Ghasemi, a former IRGC Commander and Iranian Minister of Petroleum, an Iranian shipping official, an agent of the IRGC-QF – are charged in a five-count indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. In connection with these charges, the United States has seized $108 million that China Oil & Petrolium Company Limited, an IRGC front company, attempted to launder through correspondent transaction accounts at U.S. financial institutions in furtherance of the scheme to fund the IRGC-QF’s malign activities through the illicit sale of Iranian oil. In addition, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) announced today that it has sanctioned China Oil & Petroleum Company Limited for its role in the oil trafficking network.
“For years, the IRGC and its Qods Force have been instrumental in the Iranian regime’s violent suppression of political dissent, targeting of Iranian dissidents living abroad, and support of international terrorism — including groups like Hamas, Hizballah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Today’s charges show how, as alleged, the IRGC’s Qods force built a sprawling international network of front companies to launder sanctioned Iranian oil using lies, forgery, and threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “This alleged scheme to finance the Qods Force succeeds through the complicity of wealthy businessmen in countries like Turkey who are eager to turn a corrupt profit from supporting terror groups. The Qods Force oil-laundering network allegedly delivered millions of barrels of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, China, and Syria, and transferred billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system. This office has long served at the forefront of law enforcement efforts to fight terrorism and terror finance and to protect the integrity of the U.S. banking system. I commend the tireless and outstanding efforts of our law enforcement partners in unraveling and disrupting the IRGC’s scheme.”
The indictment charges:
- Behnam Shahriyari, 58, an Iranian national, is a publicly identified IRGC-QF senior official. In 2011, OFAC designated Shahriyari as a Specially Designated National (SDN).
- Morteza Rostam Ghasemi, 32, an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is the son of IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi.
- Mohammadreza Aliakbari, an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is a senior officer with Safiran Payam Darya Shipping Company, which acts on behalf of the Government of Iran.
- Mohammad Sadegh Karimianl, 36, an Iranian national and SDN since 2022, acts as an IRGC-QF agent.
- Sitki Ayan, 61, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, is the chairman of the ASB Group of companies, which includes Som Petrol Ticaret A.S., Baslam Petrol Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., and Baslam Nakliyat Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd. Sirketi, all of which have been designated by OFAC as SDNs since December 2022.
- Bahaddin Ayan, 35, a Turkish national, is the son of Sitki Ayan and a vice president of the ASB Group of companies and SDN since December 2022.
- Kasim Oztas, 41, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, has been managing director of the ASB Group of companies.
According to the indictment, following the imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran’s petroleum sector in 2018, the Government of Iran’s ability to finance itself through sales of crude oil and petroleum products – Iran’s most important economic sector – was severely diminished. In response, the IRGC-QF built a large-scale global oil laundering network to give Iran’s government-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) illicit access to global markets to sell crude oil and petroleum products and to use the proceeds to finance the IRGC-QF.
To sell NIOC crude oil to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the network used an intermediary company in Lebanon to conceal the Government of Iran’s involvement in the oil sales and a ship management company based in India to buy, lease, and manage oil tankers to use in the scheme. The oil tanker fleet was supervised by Aliakbari, and the key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners were authorized and approved by IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi, who previously served as Iran’s Minister of Oil, Minister of Transportation and Urban Development, and the Iranian chair of the Iranian-Syrian Economic Relations Development Committee.
To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, the network used the ASB Group of companies in Turkey, owned by Sitki Ayan, as well as intermediary companies in Oman, Greece, and elsewhere. Commander Ghasemi again authorized and approved key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners and resolved financial disputes that arose among the participants in the scheme. Companies in the ASB Group acted as intermediaries in the oil sales to conceal the Government of Iran’s role and the Iranian origin of the oil and leased oil tankers that were operated by co-conspirators. Sitki Ayan’s son and senior ASB Group officer, Bahaddin Ayan, assisted Sitki Ayan in the scheme and caused millions of dollars of wire transfers through the U.S. banking system for the leasing and operation of oil tankers. Oztas, who was a manager of the ASB Group of companies, also assisted Sitki Ayan in carrying out the scheme and finalizing agreements with ASB Group’s partners. Shahriyari, Karimian, and Aliakbari participated in negotiations among the participants and monitored the progress of the oil sales, oil shipments, and the IRGC-QF’s receipt of the oil proceeds.
To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, the network again used the ASB Group of companies, along with other companies in the United Arab Emirites, Cyprus, Russia, and Turkey. Shahriyari and Karimian organized a complex web of companies, with Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies at the center, to launder NIOC oil and the proceeds through layered transactions with a Cypriot company and to launder the oil sales through bulk cash smuggling and trade-based money laundering involving Russian agricultural products. Commander Ghasemi and his co-conspirators, including Karimian, controlled the proceeds of the oil sales, which were collected in Russia and transferred through cash couriers, Sitki Ayan’s companies, or the Iranian Embassy in Moscow.
In furtherance of the oil-laundering scheme, the defendants used a myriad of deceptive techniques including: 1) the use of front companies and intermediaries in countries outside of Iran to disguise the IRGC’s role in the oil transactions and the Iranian source of the oil; 2) the use of falsified documentation to misrepresent the source of the oil and deceive unwitting companies and banks and cause them to provide services in furtherance of the scheme; and 3) the use of ship-to-ship transfers and the manipulation of location and shipping data for vessels used in furtherance of the scheme in order to obscure the loading and unloading of their Iranian oil cargoes and avoid the identification of the vessels used to facilitate the oil laundering.
One of the key IRGC-QF front companies involved in the scheme was China Oil and Petroleum Company Limited (China Oil and Petroleum), which, despite its name, was controlled from Iran by Commander Ghasemi and his associates, including Karimian. China Oil and Petroleum acted as an intermediary in sales of NIOC oil, including deals involving Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies, in order to facilitate the ultimate delivery to government-affiliated buyers in China. Between at least 2019 and the present, China Oil and Petroleum has been involved in the transfer of more than $2 billion through the U.S. financial system in furtherance of the scheme to finance the IRGC-QF.
Each of the defendants is charged with: (i) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Governments of Iran and Syria, global terrorists and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; (iv) conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (v) conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, David W. Denton Jr., and Nicholas S. Bradley are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
United States v. Wang et al. (DDC)
Note: View the indictment here.Two defendants – Shaoyun Wang, 54, of China, and Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, 39, of Muscat, Oman – are charged in a 12-count indictment that was unsealed today in the District of Colombia. The indictment charges the defendants with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against Iran; conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering stemming from their scheme to sell Iranian petroleum to Chinese government-owned refineries and illegally use the U.S. financial system to facilitate the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of oil to benefit the IRGC. Also unsealed today was a warrant for a related seizure of $8.5 million connected to this network.
“The only way that Iran can illegally sell oil is if people and business organizations outside Iran help it to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The indictment unsealed today demonstrates that the U.S. government will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly help Iran illegally sell oil – wherever in the world they are located.”
According to the indictment, between December 2019 and July 2021, Wang, Al Habsi, and other co-conspirators negotiated the sale of and sold illicit Iranian oil to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They allegedly obtained the oil from Iran using surreptitious means which included AIS spoofing and multiple transfers between ocean-going tankers. The scheme relied on the use of the U.S. financial system and was facilitated by Turkish, Omani, and U.S. persons and entities, all in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The indictment further alleges that Wang and Al Habsi created fraudulent documents to mask that the oil originated from Iran, used electronic communications to arrange for Chinese buyers of the Iranian oil, used shell corporations to launder the proceeds through the U.S. financial system and provided false information to the U.S. companies about the source of the money generated by the transactions. In addition, the defendants used U.S. companies as a “trust” to hold the profits for the IRGC.
Al Habsi, acting through one of his companies, procured a $16.5 million loan in June 2020 from U.S. financial companies to purchase an oil tanker, later named M/T Oman Pride. Beginning in July 2020, the Oman Pride transported Iranian oil, which was ultimately transferred to third-party vessels for sale to Chinese government-owned refineries and companies in China.
As alleged, Wang used a U.S. front company, worked with a U.S. person, and relied on U.S. financial institutions to facilitate the sale of the Iranian oil to China. Wang – who served as a director of a Chinese oil refinery – was also the chair of a U.S. company in Las Vegas, Nevada, and general manager of the U.S. company’s Hong Kong-based parent company. The Hong Kong company acted as a front for transactions. Wang engaged with senior IRGC officials to effect the purchases. The scheme resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions that were processed by U.S. banks and facilitated by U.S. persons.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. and the FBI Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert, Maeghan Mikorski, Rajbir Datta, and Prava Palacharla for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
U.S. v. Approximately 523,507 Barrels Aboard Crude Oil Tanker Abyss (DDC)
A civil forfeiture complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel oil valued at over $25 million previously onboard M/T Abyss is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funds to the IRGC and IRGC-QF.
“The complaint unsealed today is the latest in a series of actions our Office has taken to seize and to forfeit oil that Iran has attempted to illegally sell,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Forfeiture actions like this one disrupt Iran’s efforts to illegally sell oil. The proceeds from these illegal sales are the lifeblood of the Iranian’s efforts to sew war and terror around the globe, disrupting these sales is critical to our national security.”
The document alleges a scheme to facilitate the shipment and sale of Iranian fuel oil for the benefit of the IRGC and the IRGC-QF. The IRGC and its facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the oil as Iraqi, including manipulating the vessel’s automatic identification system reporting and presenting falsified documents.
The civil forfeiture action further alleges that the fuel oil constitutes the property of the NIOC, which has provided material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York are investigating the Abyss case related to Iranian fuel oil, and other cases were investigated by these offices as well as HSI’s Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, Brian Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Erika Oblea for the District of Columbia are litigating the case related to Iranian fuel oil aboard the Abyss, with support from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. They received assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this matter.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
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These enforcement actions are the latest in Justice Department efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil in violation of U.S. law. On Sept. 8, 2023, the Department announced a seizure of oil onboard the tanker Suez Rajan, a criminal plea by its ownership company, and a deferred prosecution agreement by its operating company, all arising out of the tanker’s transport of illicit Iranian oil. The oil was sold for $74 million, and the proceeds of the sale are now subject to the civil forfeiture process.
These recent actions build on prior enforcement cases the Department of Justice has brought in the District of Columbia related to seizures of illicit Iranian oil since 2019. For example, on July 1, 2020, the Department filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against all the petroleum seized onboard the four oil tankers, the Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna, which were carrying Iranian petroleum to Venezuela. The petroleum onboard these four tankers was sold for approximately $45 million.
Similarly, on Feb. 2, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a civil asset forfeiture against all petroleum seized onboard the oil tanker Achilleas, which was transporting NIOC petroleum. The petroleum on the Achilleas was sold for approximately $111 million.
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In December 2023, the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, State, and Treasury to issue a joint “Know Your Cargo” compliance note highlighting common tactics deployed by malign actors in the maritime and other transportation industries as well as recent enforcement actions taken in response to alleged violations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Finds Two District Men Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Killing of Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonte Stevenson, 28, and Vorreze Thomas Jr., 26, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed, and related charges in the January 2021 shooting of Terrance Allen, 32, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stevenson and Thomas were also found guilty yesterday of conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and various firearms related charges. The jury returned a verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a 13-day trial before the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on the morning of January 18, 2021, Stevenson and Thomas’ vehicle intercepted a vehicle driven by Allen as it was leaving the Stanton Glen Apartments. Stevenson fired thirty-four shots with a rifle, while sitting in the front passenger’s seat, into the back of Allen’s vehicle. As a result, Allen was killed and two other passengers in Allen’s car were wounded. Allen was not the intended target; rather, Stevenson and Thomas were attempting to kill one of the other men in the car with Allen with whom they had a dispute.
Following the shooting Stevenson and Thomas attempted to flee the scene. A nearby MPD officer heard the shooting, observed Stevenson and Thomas fleeing the scene and was given authorization to pursue. Stevenson and Thomas eventually crashed their vehicle at the intersection of 29th and Erie Street SE and successfully fled on foot. However, officers later located the murder weapon in the flight path. Police also recovered a cell phone belonging to Thomas from the crashed vehicle.
Both men were arrested on February 17, 2021, and have been in custody since that time. The government’s evidence at trial included video surveillance, cell site records, ShotSpotter audio, body worn camera footage, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence.
This case is being investigated by Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Korba, Miles Janssen and Zach Horton.
Jefferson Parish Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Heroin, Methamphetamine, and FentanylRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FLOYD ROBERTSON, 27, from Jefferson Parish, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 10 years imprisonment , 8 years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of a substance containing both heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, on three separate occasions between February and June 2021, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from ROBERTSON. During the transactions, ROBERTSON distributed more than fifty (50) grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nolan D. Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 37 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Mississippi – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 37 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Ronald Glenn Cobbs, Jr. a/k/a Lil’ Ron a/k/a Reverend Bankroll, 39, possessed over 37 grams of methamphetamine at his business located in North Mart Plaza in Jackson.
Cobbs is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Jackson, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The case 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.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton is prosecuting the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Feb. 1was:
Dominic Earl Hall, 42, of Fountain, Colorado, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hall faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hall was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 22-150.
Steven Scott McGlaughn, 52, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, McGlaughn faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. McGlaughn was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-148.
Appearing on Jan. 30 was:
Kelsi Dorothy Jean Cochran, 31, of Billings, on felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cochran faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Cochran was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-05.
Danielle Lee Knowshisgun, 33, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Knowshisgun faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Knowshisgun was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-11.
Enrique Duke Arena III, 28, of New York City, New York, on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Arena faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud charge and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft charge. Arena was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Billings Police Department and Bozeman Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-08.
Lucious Machiavelli, 47, of Billings, on charges of theft from a federal firearms licensee, possession of stolen firearms and felon in possession of firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Machiavelli faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Machiavelli was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-12.
Francisco Jose Nava, 30, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Nava faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Nava was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-13.
Travis Dean Two Two, Sr., 35, of Lame Deer, on charges of attempted coercion and enticement and attempted sex trafficking of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Two Two faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Two Two was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-18.
Dawn Louise Saddler-Lee, aka Dawn Louise Rogeness, 31, of Billings, on charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and felon in possession of firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Saddler-Lee faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years in prison on the bank fraud charge and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised on the aggravated identity theft charge. Saddler-Lee was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-16.
Appearing on Jan. 26 was:
Rodney Paul Burke, 58, of Roundup, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Burke faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Burke was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04.
Appearing on Jan. 25 was:
Schuyler Stewart Zwar, 47, of Spokane, Washington, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction. If convicted of the most serious crime, Zwar faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Zwar was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-17.
Appearing on Jan. 23 was:
Israel Gonzales-Pacheco, 52, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gonzales-Pacheco faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Gonzales-Pacheco was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations, the Billings Police Department and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-10.
Joshia John Culverson, 18, of Billings, on charges of possession of stolen firearm and possession of firearm with obliterated serial number. If convicted of the most serious crime, Culverson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Culverson was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-06.
Sam Dean Glenn, 34, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Glenn faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Glenn was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-09.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Jan. 30 was:
Jay Neil Heikkila, 81, of Hamilton, on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. If convicted of the most serious crime, Heikkila faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Heikkila was released pending trial. The FBI, Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and Stokes County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.PACER case reference. 24-05.
Michael Davis Bryant, 48, of Spokane, Washington, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bryant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Bryant was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Flathead Tribal Police, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-31.
Appearing on Jan. 25 was:
Kevin Richard Kuntz, 31, of Bozeman, on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kuntz faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. Kuntz was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bozeman Police Department and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-02.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Jan. 30 was:
Jordan Jawan Gonzales, 32, of Helena, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gonzales faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. Gonzales was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force in Bozeman and Helena, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-21.
Travis Lee Brown, 41, of Yakima, Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Brown was detained pending further proceedings. The Tri-Agency Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-51.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Gloucester County Man Admits Violating the Travel Act by Way of Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man admitted violating the Travel Act using the internet to engage in money laundering, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Juan Perez-Aguila, 69, of Paulsboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Feb. 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Perez-Aguila unlawfully accessed and controlled customer accounts of a company offering point-of-sale services and issued chargeback refunds from those accounts to other accounts that he controlled. Once he obtained the stolen funds from the customer accounts, Perez-Aguila laundered more than $20,000 of the criminally derived proceeds into another bank account that he controlled. Perez-Aguila misappropriated over $1 million from the victims of his fraudulent scheme.
The violation of the Travel Act carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Suggs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
perezaguila.information.pdfGeorgia Woman Accused of Defrauding St. Charles County WidowerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman accused of defrauding a 74-year-old widower in a St. Charles County, Missouri nursing home has turned herself in to authorities in Georgia.
Shanita Gray, 51, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Dec. 6, 2023, with ten counts of wire fraud, one count of use of a counterfeit access device and four counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed Friday.
The indictment accuses Gray of using the personal information of the widower and a fraudulently obtained financial power of attorney to access the credit and debit cards and financial accounts of the alleged victim, identified in court documents as “D.H.”
Gray notified the administrators of D.H.'s nursing home that she was seeking emergency guardianship of him, the indictment says, and concealed the existence of D.H.'s half-sister. She told D.H.’s son that she would manage his financial affairs.
Gray searched D.H.'s Berkley, Missouri home to locate personal identifying information, identify his financial accounts, take possession of his debit and credit cards and obtain samples of his handwriting, the indictment says. When D.H. refused to sign a power of attorney authorizing her to manage his financial affairs, Gray added his name to a form in which she sought a court appointment to be guardian and conservator that had already been notarized, it says. She obtained online access to his financial accounts, added herself as a beneficiary, changed his contact information on financial accounts to her Georgia address and emailed the bogus power of attorney document to financial institutions, the indictment alleges.
The indictment says Gray obtained more than $300,000 by selling shares in D.H.’s investment accounts, transferring funds out of his bank accounts, drawing checks for her benefit and the benefit of others, conducting electronic funds transfers to pay her bills and redirecting D.H.'s pension and retirement checks to her personal and business bank accounts.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The counterfeit access device charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and the aggravated identity theft carries a penalty of two years in prison, consecutive to all other charges. Each charge also carries the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, restitution would be mandatory.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Tax Fraud and Operation of Bogus Credit Repair BusinessesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kevin Edward Hargrave a/k/a “Kevin Edward Wade,” of Locust Grove, Georgia, to five years in federal prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud and to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1.5 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud conspiracy. Hargrave was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims, including $418,115 to the IRS. Hargrave entered a guilty plea on October 4, 2022.
According to court documents, Hargrave controlled a number of companies, including WSA Optimization Firm, Inc., that purported to offer “credit repair services” to the public. Hargrave promoted these services through multiple company-specific websites, radio advertising, emails, text messages, and posts on YouTube.com and other social media sites. These marketing campaigns promised to “erase bad credit” information from consumers’ credit reports within 90 days – “guaranteed.” Notwithstanding these promises, multiple customers reported to federal investigators that they paid for credit repair services, saw no such results, and were denied refunds.
When an undercover federal agent called to inquire about these credit repair services, he was told that WSA Optimization used “federal laws to remove all negative derogatory items off your credit.” Further, the agent was told “we are able to remove those items off your credit without you paying [creditors] back.” A company representative also claimed that WSA Optimization employed a team of 5 attorneys and 23 paralegals who worked to remove negative credit information from credit reports.
In reality, Hargrave did not employ a team of attorneys or paralegals. Instead, supposedly to improve its customers’ credit scores, company representatives would send form letters to each credit reporting agency and falsely claim that all negative credit information on the customers’ credit reports was the product of identity theft or fraud. These letters – which did not disclose that they were mass produced by WSA Optimization – were sent in envelopes listing a fictional return address.
An analysis of bank records established that more than $8 million in deposits were made into the business bank accounts controlled by Hargrave and a family member, and that significant funds were diverted from those accounts to pay for luxury vehicles, mortgage payments on their residence, personal credit cards, jewelry, items at retail stores, utilities, restaurants, and other living expenses. For example, funds were used to make over $128,000 in mortgage payments on Hargrave’s residence in Fernandina Beach, which he sold in 2022 for $870,000. Similarly, approximately $300,000 was used to make down-payments and monthly financing payments on automobiles owned by Hargrave and a family member, including a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Rolls Royce Wraith, a Porsche Boxster, a Range Rover, a Ford F-150, and two Mercedes Benz vehicles.
An analysis of Hargrave’s real and personal property, certain business records, credit card statements, and the bank records collectively demonstrate that his joint tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2019 underreported taxable income and improperly claimed certain business expenses. A financial investigator with the IRS estimated that since 2015, by underreporting his and a family member’s tax liability, Hargrave has caused the United States to lose approximately $418,115 in tax revenue.
“It was clear that Mr. Hargrave believed the law did not apply to him,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal. “Despite being in the midst of a global pandemic, he stole millions of dollars from vulnerable people, who were struggling financially and defrauded the IRS. IRS-CI and the FBI will continue to partner with the United States Attorney’s Office to identify, investigate and assist in the prosecution of criminals like Mr. Hargrave, whose greed leads them to prey on others, including U.S. taxpayers.”
“Fraud and corruption pose a fundamental threat to our national security and our way of life,” said Michael C. Malsch, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI is committed to coordinating with our partners and aggressively pursuing those who take advantage of others for their personal gain. This sentencing should serve as a warning to others who might engage in these types of schemes.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Fulton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man and a Florence, Mo., woman were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Matthew Gunnar White, 32, of Fulton, and Krista Huddleston, 30, of Florence, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. White was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Huddleston was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole.
White and Huddleston each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, White was responsible for 5.69 kilograms of methamphetamine.
White was a passenger in a car, driven by Huddleston, that fled from law enforcement officers on Dec. 6, 2021. During the pursuit, White threw baggies of methamphetamine out the front passenger window of the vehicle. The vehicle drove off the roadway into a field on County Road 302. The vehicle then left the field and reentered the roadway. A deputy disabled the vehicle, and White and Huddleston were taken into custody. White had methamphetamine residue covering his clothing. Loose methamphetamine was found scattered throughout the front interior of the vehicle.
The baggies of methamphetamine, which weighed a total of 107 grams, were recovered by officers. A sealed canned goods container, which contained approximately 456 grams of methamphetamine, also was found in the field along the flight path. Four additional canned goods containers that contained a total of approximately 929 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from the front of the vehicle.
According to court document, White has an extensive criminal history, including a felony drug conviction and crimes of violence.
Co-defendant Christopher James Breaux, 39, of Mexico, Mo., was sentenced on Sept. 7, 2023, to 18 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the Mid Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group (MUSTANG), the Osage County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Former USPS Employee Pleads Guilty for Stealing the Contents of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –TOI SMITH, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 30, 2024 to theft of mail by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. SMITH’S sentencing is set for May 14, 2024.
SMITH faces up to five years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. On or about July 2022, SMITH stole first class letters entrusted to her as a postal carrier and removed credit cards contained in the mail.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former National Guard Task Force Member Indicted for Illegal Firearm Possession that Came to Light During an Investigation into Leaks of Sensitive Operational InfoRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Ruby Celly Uribe, 34, of Antelope, charging her with illegal possession of a machine gun and a short-barreled rifle, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Uribe was assigned to the logistics shop at the California National Guard Headquarters in Mather and was a member of the Counterdrug Task Force (CDTF). The CDTF supports local, tribal, and federal law enforcement entities in the interdiction of drug trafficking organizations. While assigned to this unit, Uribe leaked information about upcoming drug raids to a person she knew to be involved with drug dealing. Text messages recovered from Uribe’s phone revealed she shared sensitive information about upcoming operations, including the date and location and the number of military vehicles and aircraft involved.
A federal search warrant of Uribe’s residence resulted in the discovery of a short-barreled rifle. The firearm had been modified to fire in full-automatic mode as a machine gun. In addition, it was a privately made firearm with no serial number, commonly referred to as a ghost gun. A search of Uribe’s cellphone revealed that she was also engaged in trafficking other non‑serialized, short-barreled machine guns.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the California Military Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Uribe faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Former MoviePass Executive Found Guilty of Embezzling from Employer and Parent Company to Repay Coachella Festival DebtRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former executive at cinema subscription service MoviePass Inc. has been found guilty by a jury of embezzling at least $260,000 from MoviePass and its parent company to repay money he borrowed to produce an event at the Coachella music festival, the Justice Department announced today.
Khalid Itum, 43, of Hollywood, was found guilty Thursday afternoon of two counts of wire fraud. The jury in the case acquitted Itum of two counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, Itum was a MoviePass executive from November 2017 until March 2019. MoviePass was a New York-based company that charged subscribers a flat monthly fee in exchange for credits they could spend on movie tickets from any theater in MoviePass’s network of participating cinemas. In August 2017, Helios & Matheson Analytics (HMNY), a New York-based data analytics company, acquired MoviePass.
In the spring of 2017, Itum registered Kaleidoscope Productions LLC, a Los Angeles-based company that provided production and marketing services. That year, Itum, through Kaleidoscope, organized a promotional event at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. Neither MoviePass nor HMNY participated in the Coachella event.
Itum borrowed money from two individuals to help fund Kaleidoscope’s costs at Coachella. To repay the borrowed money, Itum later submitted sham invoices to HMNY for expenses and services purportedly rendered by Kaleidoscope. Itum caused HMNY and MoviePass employees to wire money from MoviePass and HMNY accounts to a Kaleidoscope bank account to pay the sham invoices. Itum concealed his scheme by lying to HMNY’s finance department that Kaleidoscope had been used to pay legitimate MoviePass expenses from the 2018 Coachella festival and provide other consulting services.
Itum caused HMNY and MoviePass a total loss of at least $260,000.
United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips scheduled an April 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Itum will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count.
The FBI’s New York Field Office investigated this matter. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys David Y. Pi and Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section handled the trial in this matter.
Former Broward Sheriff’s Office lieutenant charged with COVID-19 relief fraud schemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 5, a former Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Department of Detention lieutenant was charged with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a total of $167,750 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
On April 1, 2021, Ernest Bernard Gonder Jr., 41, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, allegedly submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application misrepresenting EBG Properties LLC’s average monthly payroll and number of employees, according to the allegations in the information. In support of this application, Gonder also allegedly submitted multiple fraudulent IRS Forms 941. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, a New Jersey-based Small Business Administration (SBA)-approved PPP lender disbursed $106,540 to a bank account controlled by Gonder in the name of EBG Properties.
The information also alleges that on April 6, 2021, Gonder submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application misrepresenting The Impact Center of Broward County Inc’s average monthly payroll and number of employees. In support of this application, Gonder also allegedly submitted multiple fraudulent IRS Forms 941. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, the New Jersey-based SBA-approved PPP lender disbursed $61,210 to a bank account controlled by Gonder in the name of The Impact Center of Broward County.
The information further alleges that Gonder used the proceeds of the scheme to enrich himself. Gonder also sought and received forgiveness of the two PPP loans he received, as alleged in the information.
On Jan. 30, Gonder made his initial appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If convicted, Gonder faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-CFPB), and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
FBI Miami, FRB-CFPB Office of Inspector General and BSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.
These charges stem from the Department of Justice’s ongoing initiative to prosecute fraud in connection with COVID-19 pandemic relief programs that offered assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as other crimes relating to the pandemic.
An information contains mere allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60003.
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Foreign National Convicted of Advance Fee and Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted a Kenyan national yesterday for perpetrating an advance fee and investment fraud scheme that defrauded numerous victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Paul Maucha, 58, who resides in Washington, D.C., along with a co‑conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital.
In particular, Maucha — through AESG — promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans, so long as victims first provided AESG with an advanced fee while misrepresenting the purpose of that fee. AESG also told victims falsely that these advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded.
The jury convicted Maucha of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Federal judge convicts Butler County man of narcotics crime punishable by 10 years to life in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal judge has convicted a Fairfield, Ohio, man of participating in a narcotics conspiracy that is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
The verdict against Eric Jason Clark, 41, was announced yesterday afternoon following a bench trial on Jan. 29 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Clark and others conspired to possess with the intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 or more grams of fentanyl.
In May 2021, DEA agents began investigating Clark after receiving information that he was interested in purchasing 10 kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles for $33,000 per kilogram.
During conversations related to drug sales in June and July 2021, Clark said he wanted to “stick to that white girl, the Christina Aguilera,” meaning cocaine, because law enforcement “want to fight that war on drugs with people passing away from [fentanyl].” But if the “price was right,” Clark said he’d buy fentanyl too, so long as it was “top notch.”
Clark carried multiple cell phones at a time and said he disposed of his phones and numbers as quickly as every two days. He said he always kept $300,000 cash in his car.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Clark was engaging in large-scale narcotics purchases in the Cincinnati area.
Clark was ultimately arrested in August 2021. At the time of his arrest, officers discovered five kilograms of cocaine and more than $200,000 of cash in his vehicle, as well as five more kilograms of cocaine and more than three kilograms of fentanyl at his luxury stash house apartment.
At the time, Clark was on supervised release following a prior federal drug conviction. In 2008, he was sentenced in a case in the Southern District of Ohio to 180 months in prison.
Clark will be sentenced by the Court at a future hearing. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence and sentencing of the defendant will be determined based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the verdict. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette are representing the United States in this case.
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Federal Prisoner Captured After Escaping from Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former New York man has been arrested and charged after escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Michael Villanueva, 43, was charged with escaping from federal custody. Villanueva was arrested yesterday in the Manchester area and will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 11:30 a.m.
According to the charging documents, Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine base. In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to Hampshire House. At Hampshire House, he was allowed house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.
On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone. That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with. Villanueva did not return to Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being captured.
The charge of escape provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison. 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.
U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Finds White Earth Man Guilty of Production of Child Pornography on the Red Lake ReservationRead the Press Release
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A federal jury found a White Earth man guilty of production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in December 2020, Ryan Edward Thompson, 34, a.k.a. “Ryan Edward Wayne Townsend,” knowingly used a minor in sexually explicit activity to produce pornography images.
Using her school-issued laptop to message the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the 13-year-old victim disclosed that the defendant, whom she had recently moved in with, began sleeping in her room at night and sexually abusing her. Law enforcement responded and later discovered photographs of a sexual nature had been taken with the victim’s own cell phone.
Following a three-day trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court, Thompson was found guilty yesterday on two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Red Lake Department of Public Safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the White Earth Nation Indian Child Welfare Services, the Red Lake Nation Victim Services, Fosston Public Schools, Minneapolis Public Schools, and the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota.
The 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
If you need suicide or mental health crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat to connect with a trained crisis specialist.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary S. Riverso and Laura M. Provinzino tried this case.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Brutal Stabbing of Defenseless D.C. Resident in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Dorsey, 29, a D.C. resident, was sentenced today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to 96 months of incarceration, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Pamela A. Smith.
Dorsey was convicted of one count of aggravated assault while armed following his guilty plea on November 17, 2023, before the Honorable Anthony J. Epstein.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 26, 2023, the defendant approached the victim near the intersection of MLK Jr. Avenue Southeast and Good Hope Road Southeast and immediately began striking the victim with his fists. The defendant then took out a knife and began stabbing the victim eight to nine times in the chest and back, causing the victim to suffer from a collapsed lung. The defendant also stabbed the victim in the right eye. It is unclear whether the victim will ever be able to see again. Following the completion of his term of incarceration, the defendant will serve five years of supervised release.
On March 1, 2024, the defendant will be sentenced in a separate case in Superior Court following his convictions of second-degree cruelty and attempted strangulation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith acknowledged the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Two CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwon Haynie, 26, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 15 years of incarceration after pleading guilty to crimes related to two armed carjackings committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On July 26, 2023, Haynie approached a parked vehicle at a gas station and began to enter the driver’s side. When he noticed a passenger seated in the backseat of the car, Haynie pointed a firearm at him and ordered him to exit. The passenger complied and when the vehicle’s owner attempted to stop Haynie, Haynie fought him off, got in the car, and drove away. Haynie was not immediately identified as the suspect following the incident.
Approximately two weeks later, on August 10, 2023, Haynie, while working with an accomplice, committed another armed carjacking. A family of four were seated in their vehicle eating ice cream, when Haynie approached and opened the driver’s side door while brandishing a firearm. Haynie ordered the driver to exit the vehicle while his accomplice opened the passenger side door, pointed a firearm at the passenger, and ordered the passenger to exit the vehicle. The two remaining family members also exited.
MPD officers quickly responded to the scene and mobilized a helicopter to locate the car, which they successfully tracked until they observed Haynie and his accomplice flee from the vehicle. More officers responded to the flight location, and they were able to successfully apprehend both men. Following the August arrest, MPD’s continued investigation confirmed that Haynie had committed the July 26, 2023, carjacking as well.
During the sentencing for Haynie, the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz commented on his complete disregard for the victims and the lasting impact his conduct had on their lives. She then sentenced Haynie to eight years in prison for the August 10, 2023, carjacking, and seven years in prison for crimes related to the July 26, 2023, carjacking. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of 15 years of incarceration.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Kenneth Hart, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Hart entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 17, 2024. The defendant has been detained since November 1, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 1, 2023, at approximately 5:30 p.m. law enforcement were at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. and Mellon Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant, Kenneth Hart was inside a restaurant, exited and started walking towards Malcolm X Ave., Southeast. Law enforcement followed behind and the defendant then turned a corner and entered into a liquor store. Law enforcement entered the store saw the defendant at the rear in front of a refrigerator with the door open. The defendant’s hand were inside the refrigerator as he was placing a firearm on the left side of the refrigerator. The defendant was placed under arrest and officers recovered a Springfield Armory XDS-9 firearm that was loaded with 9 millimeter ammunition. There was one round in the chamber and there were six bullets in the magazine.
The case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
District Man Gets 26 Years for Shooting of a Pregnant Woman inside ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Hemphill, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 26 years in prison today for two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other charges, in an early morning shooting that took place in Southeast Washington on September 21, 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A jury found Hemphill guilty on June 7, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 21, 2018, Hemphill went to the home where his former romantic partner was staying with her friend. In a fit of rage, he fired one round into the door and made his way inside the apartment. He then chased the two women into a small closet where he fired two rounds from approximately three feet away. The first round hit the friend in the left hand and the second hit her in the back of her head. The friend was 24 weeks pregnant at the time she was shot. The victim received emergency neurosurgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and both she and her child survived.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Loeb and Angela Buckner, current Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bonnie Thompson, Dana Joseph, Ryan Sellinger, and Jodi Lazarus, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Bryan Han, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle, Garcia Clarke, Lynda Randolph, and Tijuana McPhail, Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Linda McDonald and RaeShawn Johnson, Supervisory Victim Services Advocate Roderick Johnson, Victim/Witness Advocates Lu Lan and Rogers Dickerson, Witness Security Specialists Orlando Teel and Lesley Slade, and Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaVater Massie-Banks and Brian Yang, from the Domestic Violence Unit who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Demetrio Trujillo, Co-Defendant of Solomon Peña, Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Demetrio Trujillo pled guilty to conspiracy, two counts of interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and discharging said firearm. Trujillo, 42, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Trujillo on May 24, 2023, along with his son, Jose Louise Trujillo, and Solomon Peña. According to court records, Trujillo met Peña through acquaintances and knew that Peña campaigned to become the District 14 representative in the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2022. Following his electoral defeat in November 2022, Peña claimed to Trujillo and others that the election had been rigged against him. Peña decided to pressure members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to refuse to certify the results of the election and offered to pay Trujillo to help him.
On November 21, 2022, the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners voted to certify the results of the election that Peña lost. At that time, Peña and Trujillo decided to move forward with Peña’s plan to intimidate his political targets. On Dec. 4, 2022, Peña paid Trujillo to shoot a firearm at the private residence of a former candidate for elective office that Peña had chosen as a target for intimidation. On Dec. 8, 2022, Peña paid Trujillo to shoot a firearm at the private residence of another former candidate for elective office to intimidate the target from campaigning as a candidate. On Jan. 3, 2023, Peña and Trujillo drove to the residence of a third individual who Peña had targeted because they were a former candidate for elective office and carried out a shooting to intimate the target from campaigning.
At sentencing, Trujillo faces up to life in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and may be ordered to pay fines not to exceed $1 million.
Solomon Peña is currently scheduled to stand trial in June 2024.
Jose Louise Trujillo pled guilty to conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on Jan. 8, 2024. Jose Louise Trujilo remains in custody pending sentencing, which is current scheduled for April 8, 2024. At sentencing, Jose Louise Trujillo faces up to life in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorney Ryan Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI Field Office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to safeguarding free, fair, and secure elections. In partnership with our local, state, and federal partners, we will use every authority to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote, that all lawful votes are counted, and that every election official is safe and free to carry out their official duties.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
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