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Friday 2 February 2024
Davenport Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced today, Thursday, February 1, 2024, to 210 months in federal prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography.
According to public court documents at the time of his plea, Benji Clark Engesser, Jr., 23, was identified by law enforcement when a parent reported that they found their minor child exchanging sexual pictures with an adult. The phone number associated with the adult was traced to Engesser. During the execution of a search warrant of Engesser, Engesser’s phone was seized. Law enforcement forensically evaluated Engesser’s phone and uncovered images and videos of child sexual abuse material, that had both been received and distributed from Engesser’s phone.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Engesser will be required to serve ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. / For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Conehatta Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. –A Conehatta man was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for having sexual contact with a child in the Conehatta Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
According to court documents, Dayleon Phillips, Sr., 35, admitted to having sexual contact with a child less than 12 years of age while in the Conehatta Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing 11 Firearms as a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Chad Edward Keith, age 42, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for possessing firearms after previously being convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Keith maintained properties in both Colorado Springs and Cotopaxi, Colorado. At his properties, Keith possessed 11 firearms, including rifles and a shotgun. He previously had been convicted of a felony explosives offense, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. During the execution of search warrants related to this case, federal agents observed various paraphernalia and propaganda related to white supremacy and Nazism. In the defendant’s Colorado Springs residence, agents found a flyer with pictures of various Congressmen and Senators with images of the Star of David on their foreheads. The placement of the Stars of David were suggestive of firearms bullseye targets.
“Coloradans can rest easier knowing that a dangerous person is behind bars,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to making sure that violent felons are prohibited from possessing weapons.”
“The FBI is committed to keeping communities safe. This commitment includes ensuring that individuals who are prohibited from owning firearms do not acquire them. In this case, a convicted felon was found to be in possession of 11 firearms,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Addressing community safety concerns is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to remove illegal weapons from the hands of offenders.”
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing on January 30, 2024. After Keith’s term of incarceration, he will serve 36 months on supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit all 11 firearms and ammunition.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia Martinez handled the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Kurt Bohn handled the forfeiture.
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.
Case No. 23-cr-00273-RMR
Colombian National Sentenced to over 17 Years for Recruiting Mariners to Traffic More Than 12,000 Kilograms of Cocaine to the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Alonso Pineda-Torres (52, Colombia), a/k/a “Galladita,” to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine on board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Pineda-Torres entered a guilty plea on October 11, 2019, after his arrest and extradition from Colombia.
According to court records, Pineda-Torres was a member of a transnational criminal organization that dispatched self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessels from Colombia into the Pacific Ocean, destined for Sinaloa Cartel members in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pineda-Torres recruited SPSS crew members for these trips, delivered money to them, and assisted in the departure of an SPSS. Two of these SPSS vessels were interdicted in international waters, resulting in the seizure of over 12,000 kilograms of cocaine and the prosecution of the crewmembers in the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Pineda-Torres. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly 24 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly 24 years in federal prison for recruiting two children to travel to Chicago from Indiana to engage in sex acts for money.
A jury in 2022 convicted KENNEDY SPENCER, 55, of Chicago, on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the sentence on Jan. 25, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Tinley Park, Ill. Police Department and the FBI Resident Agency in South Bend, Ind. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Erika L. Csicsila.
According to evidence presented at trial, the victims were under the age of 18 when Spencer induced them to travel to Chicago in the spring of 2018. Once in the city, Spencer on multiple occasions arranged for the victims to meet with individuals to engage in commercial sex acts. A co-conspirator – RONALD WILLIAMS, 65, of Lynwood, Ill. – drove the victims to some of the meetings. Afterward, Spencer and Williams kept the bulk of the proceeds.
Both victims testified at trial about having been sex trafficked by Spencer and Williams.
Williams was also convicted on trafficking and conspiracy charges. He was sentenced in 2023 to 15 years in federal prison.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com.
Burlington Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on January 24, 2024, to 96 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Brandon Allen Haynes, 32, was arrested for possessing a loaded pistol and loaded magazines as a felon, after a standoff with law enforcement, in Des Moines County, on December 15, 2022. Haynes had previously been convicted in state court of two felony charges, which bars him from possessing a firearm.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Haynes will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, the Burlington Police Department, and the West Burlington Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Braddock Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of being in possession of a machine gun, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Luther Antwon Harper Jr., 19, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on April 5, 2023, Harper unlawfully possessed a machine gun, which, in this instance, was an automatic conversion kit/switch affixed to the rear slide of a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol, or a “Glock switch.” This conversion kit/switch made the firearm capable of firing in a fully automatic capacity.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Court continued to detain Harper pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Allegheny County Police Department’s Violent Crimes and Firearms Unit conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harper.
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.
Bloomington Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bloomington man has pleaded guilty to his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Jesus Martinez Salazar, 32, and his co-defendant, Derrick Dammons, 45, of Minneapolis, agreed to sell 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine for $3,750 to an individual who, unbeknownst to them, was an undercover law enforcement officer. On January 10, 2023, Dammons retrieved the methamphetamine from Martinez Salazar before meeting with the undercover officer to make the transaction. Following the transaction, Dammons got into a vehicle with Martinez Salazar and divided up the cash from the sale.
Because Martinez Salazar has a prior drug conviction, he is subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum prison term.
Martinez Salazar pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On December 7, 2023, Dammons pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Eagan Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Beckley Man Sentenced for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Timothy Gross, 39, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years of probation and ordered to pay $65,275.44 in restitution for wire fraud. Gross admitted to making a fraudulent payment with an employer-issued credit card as part of a scheme to divert $65,275.44 in credit card charges to his personal bank account.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gross was hired by Amerihost LLC in 2020 as a maintenance worker for Beckley Town Homes, a multi-unit apartment building in Beckley. Amerihost issued Gross a credit card for legitimate business purposes and not for personal use.
On April 5, 2020, Gross used his Amerihost-issued credit card to submit a $1,712 payment to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing.” Gross admitted that no work had been conducted to justify the payment, and that he created a fraudulent invoice that described the payment as being for eight circuit-breaker panel boxes. Gross further admitted that he opened an account for “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” on the Square payments platform to divert payments from the Amerihost-issued credit card for his personal use, and linked that Square account to his personal bank account.
On at least 38 separate occasions from at least January 1, 2020, until at least April 15, 2020, Gross used the Amerihost-issued credit card to send $65,275.44 in unauthorized, fraudulent payments to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” for work that was not performed. Gross created false work invoices as part of his scheme.
“This defendant’s wrongdoing required purposeful planning, and he persisted all the while knowing that his actions were criminal,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The defendant abused the trust and authority placed in him to enrich himself, and today’s sentence serves as a deterrent to such misconduct.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Beckley Police Department.
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General is committed to working with the Department of Justice and all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that federal funds intended to help low-income families are not wasted or misapplied,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice. “Mr. Gross’s sentencing today demonstrates the Government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of HUD programs against fraud, waste, or abuse.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:22-cr-191.
Apopka Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison in Connection with Gun Store BurglariesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Jeremy Middleton (25, Apopka) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of stolen firearms. The court also ordered Middleton to forfeit the 13 stolen firearms he had in his possession. Middleton entered a guilty plea on September 13, 2023.
According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, Middleton drove to a federally licensed gun store in Melbourne and breached the back door with what appeared to be a grinder and a hammer. Middleton entered the store and stole 13 firearms, carrying them out in a black trash bag.
Surveillance image of Middleton from the Melbourne gun store.
On January 6, 2023, Middleton attempted to breach the door of a gun store in Clearwater, but was disrupted by law enforcement and arrested. Two of the firearms stolen from the gun store in Melbourne were recovered in the vehicle Middleton was driving, and the 11 remaining stolen firearms were recovered from a trash bag in the yard at Middleton’s residence.
The trash bag from Middleton’s yard containing the stolen firearms from Melbourne.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Melbourne Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
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.
Thursday 1 February 2024
‘King’ of Violent Haitian Gang Pleads Guilty to Gun Smuggling and Money Laundering After Government’s CaseRead the Press Release
Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, the self-described “King” of a notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a gunrunning conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, and the laundering of ransoms paid for U.S. hostages to the gang in 2021.
The conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least 24 firearms, including AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle, described by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a military weapon, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti for their criminal activities. Co-defendant Eliande Tunis, 45, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to the same offenses.
“Mr. Germine, a leader of a notorious Haitian gang, admitted to an illegal gun-running scheme to arm fellow gang members with U.S. firearms in support of the group’s violent crime spree across Haiti, including the alleged 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors and their criminal enterprises.”
“Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led.”
“Violent, well-armed gangs pose an ongoing threat to U.S. Citizens who live in or travel to Haiti,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “As Joly Germine and Eliande Tunis have just learned, the FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs who undertake hostage-taking of U.S. Citizens anywhere. This includes taking away their ability to wreak violence on the innocent using smuggled firearms.”
The plea came at the end of the government’s case during trial, after the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence. Germine, a Haitian national, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge John D. Bates to the 48-count second superseding indictment. The indictment charged Germine with conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 15.
Germine’s co-defendant and former girlfriend, Tunis, who styled herself as his “wife” and was described at trial as the “Queen”, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on Jan. 17, to the same 48-count indictment. She also faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on May 8. Another co-defendant, Jocelyn Dor, 31, who acted as a straw gun purchaser for Germine and Tunis, previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2023, and will be sentenced on Feb. 28.
According to evidence presented at trial, from at least March through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Germine directed the gang’s operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang. Germine then provided Tunis and the two other U.S.-based co-defendants, all Florida residents, specifications for firearms and ammunition that Germine and other gang leaders wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis and the two co-defendants then purchased at least 24 rifles, handguns, and a shotgun at Florida gun shops while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms, when they were in fact acting as straw purchasers for Germine. In approximately May 2021, Tunis smuggled firearms and ammunition to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods. In October 2021, Tunis shipped additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, again by smuggling the firearms, but those firearms were seized by the FBI before they left the United States.
400 Mawozo is a violent Haitian gang that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. From at least Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed hostage takings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. The victims have generally been forced from their vehicles at gunpoint and kept in various locations by armed gang members while their relatives and colleagues negotiate payment for their release. At trial, the government presented evidence that the gang received ransom payments from the hostage taking of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021, who testified at trial, and the cash ransom proceeds were commingled with the gang’s funds and transferred via MoneyGram and Western Union from the United States to Haiti to buy more firearms.
In the fall of 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for taking 16 U.S. citizens hostage, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. The gang demanded a ransom of $l million for each hostage. The hostages were all released or had escaped by on or about Dec. 16, 2021. This case does not address those hostage taking charges, for which Germine has been separately indicted in case number 22-cr-161 (DDC).
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, particularly the Haitian National Police, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kimberly Paschall and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
York County Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kim Forney, age 50, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 30, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 168 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine with a gun.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Forney was indicted for her role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring operated out of her home in Windsor, Pennsylvania. Police seized methamphetamine, weapons, thousands in cash and other materials related to the drug trafficking operation during a July 22, 2020, search of her home. Forney was charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine with Cody Mitzel, Christa Tabor, Craig Smith, and Sheridan Lee Boothe. Forney previously entered guilty pleas to trafficking 500 grams and more of methamphetamine, and to possessing a gun recovered from her home.
Cody Mitzel entered a guilty plea to methamphetamine trafficking and was previously sentenced by Judge Wilson to approximately 36 months in prison. Craig Smith pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2024. Sheridan Lee Boothe pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2024. Christa Tabor is wanted.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Windsor Mill Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obtain More Than $3.5 Million in COVID-19 CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –Tomeka Glenn, a/k/a “Tomeka Harris” and “Tomeka Davis,” age 47, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, relating to the submission of millions of dollars in fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications.
Glenn’s co-defendant, Kevin Davis, age 43, also of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector Genera (“SBA-OIG”), Eastern Region; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.
According to Glenn’s plea agreement, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through March 2021, Glenn and various co-conspirators prepared numerous false and fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications for various businesses (including some that did not exist in any legitimate capacity) and that included false information concerning, among other things, number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue. The PPP applications also routinely included false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax forms and bank statements, which were submitted by Glenn to substantiate the false representations made in the applications.
Glenn admitted that she received kickback payments from the loan borrowers in exchange for her assistance in connection with the submission of fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications, ultimately receiving more than $400,000 in kickbacks in connection with the scheme. These kickbacks typically amounted to 10% to 20% of the loan amount.
In total, the kickback scheme resulted in the disbursement of at least $2,715,649.12 in fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL funds in connection with 23 fraudulent PPP loans and EIDLs.
According to Glenn’s plea agreement, Glenn and her then-fiancé Davis, received $300,726.50 in PPP/EIDL funds for various entities that they controlled, and Glenn attempted to obtain $601,511.20 in additional fraudulent PPP and EIDL funds too.
Glenn used the fraudulently obtained funds to pay for a luxury vacation at a resort in Jamaica, to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580 sedan valued at $148,171.60, to buy thousands of dollars in luxury jewelry, as well as numerous other luxury goods, including items from Luis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Dior, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel, and Hermes.
At the time of her scheme, neither Glenn, nor Davis had any legitimate source of income, and in May 2020, each applied for unemployment insurance benefits in the State of Maryland.
As detailed in Davis and Glenn’s plea agreement, on January 6, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at their residence. Davis and Glenn were present at the residence at the time of the search and were arrested in connection with the fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act loans.
According to Davis’s plea agreement, during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement found and seized four firearms loaded with ammunition—a 9mm firearm, and three .40 caliber firearms. Later investigation revealed that the one of the .40 caliber firearms had earlier been reported stolen by its owner.
As detailed in the plea, the firearms were hidden by Davis in the air ducts of the residence: two firearms were hidden in the main bedroom air duct where Davis slept and kept his personal effects; the other two firearms were in the air duct of the bathroom closest to the main bedroom. Moreover, two of the firearms were further stuffed in socks in attempt to hide them. Davis admitted that he possessed and secreted the firearms in the air ducts of his home (and in the socks) in an attempt to conceal them from law enforcement after learning that federal agents had a warrant to search his home. Davis’s concealment of the firearms constitutes attempted obstruction of the administration of justice with respect to the investigation. Each of the four firearms recovered from Davis’s home on January 6, 2023 were later found to have his DNA on them. A later review of Davis’s iCloud account revealed the existence of, among other things, a series of videos depicting Davis handling firearms, including a shotgun and an assault rifle. Davis knew that his previous felony conviction prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
As part of their plea agreements, Glenn and Davis will be required to forfeit their interest in any assets derived from or obtained by them as a result of, or used to facilitate the commission of, their illegal activities. Specifically, Glenn is required to forfeit a money judgment in the amount of at least $700,726.50; the 2021 Mercedes-Benz; cash in bank accounts she controlled that were held in the names of business entities; and jewelry, including her 3.03 carat yellow diamond engagement ring, a Diamond Miami Cuban Link Chain with 31.5 carats of VS1 diamonds, and Rolex, Cartier and Breitling watches. Davis must forfeit the firearms and ammunition.
Glenn faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and Davis faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled Glenn’s sentencing for May 7, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. and scheduled sentencing for Davis on April 17, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the SBA-OIG, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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United States Attorney's Office Releases 2023 Fourth Quarter Immigration Enforcement StatisticsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending December 31, 2023, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,662 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 190 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. In this time period, the United States also prosecuted 77 reactive drug cases arising out of immigration ports of entry and checkpoints.
Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of alien smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include cases brought against seven juvenile smugglers during this time period.
Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance. During this time period federal prosecutors brought charges against four defendants accused of assaulting federal officers.
These statistics represent United States Attorney’s Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-012_2023 Fourth Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Union Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Creating Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Britney Sheppard Campbell, 36, of Union, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sex abuse materials.
Evidence presented to the court showed that from January 2014 to 2016, at the request of her boyfriend, Campbell agreed to create child sex abuse materials. In the course of a babysitting job, Campbell performed sexual acts on an infant, filmed the acts, and provided the images to her boyfriend. She also agreed to perform and record sex acts with an Alzheimer’s patient for whom she provided care.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the boyfriend’s home based on information that he was receiving and sending child sex abuse materials. With the seizure of his computer, law enforcement discovered the images of Campbell and the victim. Campbell admitted to the production of the materials. Her boyfriend died before the investigation was complete.
United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Campbell to 300 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins is prosecuting the case.
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Union County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Unlicensed Check Cashing SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man with businesses in Newark was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for operating an unlicensed check cashing business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Fernando Q. Martins, 44, of Union Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Martins previously admitted that from 2015 through June 19, 2019, he operated a business known as Community Check Cashing in Newark, despite holding no license, registration or permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury. He cashed checks for customers in New Jersey and New York, allowing them to cash checks written to shell companies to hide the identity of the customers receiving the cash. In his plea agreement, Martins stipulated that the loss amount was between $250 million and $550 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Martins to three years of supervised release, fined him $50,000 fine, and ordered forfeiture of $765,185.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $2.2 Billion in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the Southern District of New York collected $2,249,716,748.68 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $550,594,893.86 was collected in criminal actions, $63,979,949.82 was collected in civil actions, and $1,632,141,905 was collected in asset forfeiture actions.
Additionally, the Southern District of New York worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,379,785.90 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $81,164.56 was collected in criminal actions, and $2,298,261.34 was collected in civil actions.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As advocates for the victims of criminal and civil wrongdoing, this Office has perennially been the nation’s leader in securing forfeiture, restitution, and other financial penalties – this year collecting over $2.2 billion. I could not be prouder of the career prosecutors of this Office who work tirelessly to hold bad actors accountable and return property to those who have been victimized.”
A highlight of the Office’s work this year includes the July 2023 sentencing of Allianz Global Investors U.S. (“AGI”). AGI was sentenced in connection with a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme involving a series of private investment funds managed by AGI after pleading guilty to securities fraud. AGI was sentenced to financial penalties comprised of over $463 million in forfeiture, over $2.32 billion in restitution, and over $2.33 billion in fines.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state compensation and victim assistance programs. In addition, forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney Highlights Recent Prosecutions of True Threats and Hate Crimes Cases, Will Continue to Pursue These Cases in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results of the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat the disturbing spike in threats against public officials, religious institutions, and individuals in our community, as well as crimes motivated by hate-based ideologies. Over approximately the past year and half, federal prosecutors across the District have prosecuted more than 27 defendants for threats, stalking, harassment, interference with the exercise of civil rights, and other hate-based crimes. The defendants charged in these cases committed federal offenses on the internet, over the phone, in voicemails, on commercial aircraft, and in person. The attached chart details the threat and hate-crimes prosecutions that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has handled in the last year and a half.
The threats of violence, threatening conduct, and actions charged in the listed cases have caused serious harm to individual and organizational victims. Often these crimes create major disruptions in the continuity of operation of schools, retail establishments, medical facilities, houses of worship, and government offices. As the attached chart illustrates, federal judges have imposed substantial sentences on defendants charged with threat-related offenses in the Middle District of Florida. For example, the Court sentenced seven of these defendants to terms of imprisonment of more than a year. In some cases, the Court imposed sentences of five years’ imprisonment.
The Middle District of Florida’s pursuit of threat crimes is consistent with its overall strategy of reducing violent crime and sending the message to the community that threats of violence will also be taken seriously.
“If you threaten somebody with violence, law enforcement will take you at your word,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “And if you commit a crime based on hate, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those crimes, too. Law enforcement officers and federal prosecutors will act quickly to disrupt true threats and hate-based crimes by charging you in federal court.”
“Thanks to our strong law enforcement partnerships, we have the people, resources, and technology to identify and arrest those making violent or hate-based threats,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker. “While the FBI does not and will not police ideology, we take threats to life seriously, and so should anyone thinking about making one.”
“FDLE takes every threat seriously. We will work with our law enforcement partners and exhaust our investigative resources to apprehend anyone who dares to incite harm on Florida’s citizens,” says FDLE Fort Myers Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson. “Safeguarding Florida’s faith-based communities is paramount.”
Many of the cases that have been prosecuted involved threats directed at victims based on their race, religion, color, national original, or sexual orientation.
Significant cases prosecuted in the past year include:
In Jacksonville in July 2023, Frederick Eugene Pierallini III (27, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to two federal hate crimes related to intimidating two Black women and interfering with their enjoyment of federally protected activities because of their race and color. According to court documents, on September 10, 2022, Pierallini directed racial slurs at a store cashier. He then threatened the clerk by brandishing and cocking a shotgun. Two days later, Pierallini approached a woman on a public sidewalk, directed racial slurs at her, and threatened to kill her. Pierallini then left, returned with a shotgun, and fired a single shot. Pierallini is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each count. The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Washington and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
In Orlando in January 2024, Jeziah Guagno (24, Boynton Beach) was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for mailing threatening communications to a federal judge. According to court documents, in May 2021, a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida received a threatening letter from M.S.—an inmate at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution. The letter included violent threats to murder the judge and his wife. When interviewed, M.S. denied making the threats. Guagno, however, was also serving time in the same Florida prison as M.S. Subsequent DNA and fingerprint analysis by the FBI determined that Guagno’s DNA was on the envelope and his palmprint was on the letter. Further investigation revealed that the federal judge who had been threatened in the letter had previously dismissed a civil case filed by Guagno. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.
In Tampa in January 2024, Alexander Lightner (26, Venice) was charged by indictment with interstate transmission of a threat to injure and unlawful possession of a silencer. According to court filings, on December 29, 2023, Lightner made several online posts indicating his intent to carry out a mass shooting. Federal law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at Lightner’s residence and located an unregistered firearm silencer, ammunition, and multiple firearms in his bedroom. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.
Threat cases prosecuted in the Middle District of Florida were investigated by the Anaheim Police Department, the Carbondale Police Department, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Hialeah Police Department, the Hollywood Police Department, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas City Police Department, the Miami Dade Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Supreme Court of the United States Police Department, the Tampa Police Department, the Temple Terrace Police Department, the Transportation Security Administration, the United States Capitol Police, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and other state and local partners.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Risha Asokan, Tyrie Boyer, Erin Favorit, Carlton Gammons, William Hamilton, Stacie Harris, Abigail King, Kirwinn Mike, Brooke Padgett, Candace Rich, Lindsey Schmidt, Ilyssa Spergel, Karyna Valdes, Ashley Washington, and Kara Wick, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler.
For more information about other threat cases prosecuted by the Middle District of Florida, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr.
In addition to bringing federal prosecutions arising from this conduct, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has engaged in community efforts aimed at deescalating hate speech and encouraging tolerance and understanding. The Office recently implemented the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative, which seeks to teach the community how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes and to build trust between law enforcement and communities. To provide information about some of the federal resources and programs that are available for identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a dedicated webpage (www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/unitedagainsthate).
Defendant
(Age, Residence)
Charge(s)
Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Status
Sean Albert
(20, Winter Park)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure
Sentenced to time served (approximately 8.5 months) on September 14, 2023.
Christopher Au- Young
(36, California)
Interstate stalking (6 counts)
Sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on November 1, 2023.
Michael Basaman
(45, Temple Terrace)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure (2 counts)
Maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Charged by indictment, scheduled for trial on April 5, 2024.
Mario Bentley
(39, Jacksonville)
Interstate stalking (2 counts) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Charged by indictment on January 23, 2024.
Curtis Brown
(35, Indian River)
Threatening to kill a United States judge
Sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on June 27, 2023.
Michael Dambrosia
(61, Ocala)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure, making false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm
Maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
Charged by indictment, scheduled for trial on March 4, 2024.
Caleb Hunter Freestone
(28, Miami)
Gabriella Oropesa
(25, Cooper City)
Anarella Rivera
(47, Hialeah)
Amber Smith-Stewart
(24, Okeechobee)
Conspiracy Against Rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (2 counts)
Maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison.
Charged by superseding indictment, scheduled for trial in March 2024.
Jeziah Guagno
(24, Boynton Beach)
Mailing a threat to injure
Sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on January 9, 2024.
David Hannon
(67, Sarasota)
Threatening to kill a United States congresswoman
Sentenced to 36 months of federal probation on July 6, 2022.
Robert Dewayne Lashley
(52, Citrus Springs)
Hate Crime Acts
Sentenced to 26 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on January 25, 2023.
Roy Lamar Lashley
(56, Citrus Springs)
Hate Crime Acts
Sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on January 25, 2023.
Jordan Patrick Leahy
(29, Seminole)
Interference with federally protective activities based on race (2 counts)
Sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on November 7, 2022.
Alexander Lightner
(26, Sarasota)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure, possession of unregistered silencer
Maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
Charged by indictment, scheduled for trial on March 4, 2024.
Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel
(21, Sarasota)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure
Maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
Pleaded guilty, scheduled for sentencing on March 14, 2024.
Frederick Eugene Pierallini III (27, Jacksonville)
Interference with federally protective activities based on race (2 counts)
Maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Pleaded guilty, scheduled for sentencing in April 2024.
Justin Rancourt
(35, St. Petersburg)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure
Sentenced on July 11, 2023, to time served (approximately 10 months in federal prison) to be followed by 120 months of supervised release.
Neal Sidhwaney
(43, Fernandina Beach)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure
Maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
Pleaded guilty, scheduled for sentencing on April 1, 2024.
Evan Sims
(41, Rhode Island)
False information and threats regarding the possession of an explosive on an airplane
Maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
Charged by complaint on December 6, 2023.
Aaron Thompson
(43, Raiford)
Mailing a threat to injure
Sentenced to 41 months in federal prison on October 23, 2023.
Stephen Thorn
(65, Pensacola)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure, making telephone calls without disclosing identity to abuse, threaten, and harass
Maximum penalty of 7 years in federal prison
Charged by indictment, scheduled for trial in June 2024.
Robert Trout
(19, St. Petersburg)
Transmission of interstate threat to injure
Maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
Charged by indictment, scheduled for trial on February 5, 2024.
*Sealed cases and certain other cases are not listed in this chart.
U.K. Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Attempting to Export U.S. Technology to IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saber Fakih, 48, of the United Kingdom, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison for violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
The announcement was issued by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Dugan of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement; FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski, of the Baltimore Field Office; and FBI Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division; and Homeland Security and Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI’s Baltimore Field Office.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Saber Fakih to serve three years of supervised release.
According to his plea agreement, Saber Fakih conspired with Bader Fakih, 43, of Canada, Altaf Faquih, 72, of the United Arab Emirates, and Alireza Taghavi, 48, of Iran, to export and attempt to export an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) and counter-drone system from the United States to Iran, without first obtaining the requisite license from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Saber Fakih’s co-conspirators held themselves out as procurement agents of Rayan Roshd, which has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Government for its procurement activities related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Another co-conspirator, Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad, 46, has also been charged with smuggling, wire fraud and related offenses arising from the same scheme. Rohollahnejad previously was added to the Department of Commerce’s, Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in March 2020, for acting contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests by procuring goods on behalf of a Specially Designated National (SDN).
According to the government’s evidence, in 2017 and 2018, Fakih and his co-conspirators attempted to export to Iran items that had potential civil and military uses. Potential military uses of the industrial microwave system (IMS) (with some modification) include high-power microwave-based Directed-Energy Weapon systems. The counter-drone system, which has both commercial and military uses, can be used to stop, identify, redirect, land or take total control of a target unmanned aerial vehicle.
Saber Fakih admitted in his statement of offense that he was the primary liaison between the Iranian purchaser and the U.S.-based seller of the IMS. He placed a bid with the Massachusetts vendor, coordinated an inspection of the machine, and generally corresponded with the vendor on Taghavi’s behalf, knowing it was ultimately destined for Iran.
Rohollahnejad caused the equivalent of $450,000 to be sent from Iran to the UAE, where Altaf Faquih picked it up and converted it from Emirati currency to U.S. dollars. Faquih then transferred the money to Bader Fakih in Canada via three separate wire transfers. Bader Fakih then transferred the money to the U.S. company for the purchase of the IMS.
In addition to the IMS, Saber Fakih and Bader Fakih conspired to purchase two counter-drone systems worth nearly $1 million from a Maryland-based company on behalf of Taghavi.
Saber Fakih was arrested in the United Kingdom pursuant to a U.S. Extradition Request on or about February 10, 2021. On January 25, 2022, he entered a plea of guilty to count two of the indictment in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, HSI’s Baltimore Field Office, and the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterespionage and Export Control Section.
Three New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JONATHAN GONZALEZ, age 25, MARK WILLIAMS, age 22, and DERRICK BRUMFIELD, age 23, residents of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to charges in a 15-count second superseding indictment. GONZALEZ, WILLIAMS, and BRUMFIELD each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C)-(D), and 846. Both GONZALEZ and WILLIAMS pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)-(D), and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). GONZALEZ additionally pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o), and to possessing a vehicle stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659.
According to court documents, on January 29, 2023, GONZALEZ was a passenger in an Infinity QX80 stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. When NOPD officers attempted to perform an investigative stop on the vehicle, GONZALEZ fled on foot but was quickly apprehended. He possessed a Glock Model 19 pistol, an extended magazine containing 29 rounds of ammunition, a large bag of marijuana, a digital scale, and plastic baggies. On May 17, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched GONZALEZ’s mother’s residence, in the presence of both GONZALEZ and WILLIAMS. Both men possessed loaded firearms, tapentadol pills and marijuana, with the intent to distribute those substances.
On May 19, 2023, FBI executed a search warrant at a Ninth Ward residence and seized cocaine and tapentadol, among other controlled substances. BRUMFIELD conspired with the occupants of the residence to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and tapentadol.
As to their convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, GONZALEZ, WILLIAMS, and BRUMFIELD each face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. WILLIAMS faces the same penalties for his conviction for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. GONZALEZ faces up to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and a minimum of two years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. As to their convictions for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, GONZALEZ and WILLIAMS each face a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. For his conviction for conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, GONZALEZ faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Finally, for his conviction for possessing a vehicle stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility, GONZALEZ faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count of conviction, GONZALEZ, WILLIAMS, and BRUMFIELD must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Three New Jersey Men Indicted for a Violent Kidnapping and Extortion Attempt in Astoria, QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Aasim Boone, Jarrett Bruce and Lesly Valentin with one count of kidnapping conspiracy and Valentin with one count of transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort. The charged crimes arise from the December 2022 abduction and attack on a victim from the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York. Valentin was previously arrested and charged in the underlying indictment with transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort and is currently in custody. Boone was arrested yesterday, and Bruce was arrested today. Both will be arraigned on the superseding indictment this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Valentin was previously arrested and is being held in custody pending trial. Valentin will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the crimes in this case are very disturbing. The defendants targeted an unsuspecting victim, abducted him outside of his home and subjected him to unimaginable cruelty—all in their efforts for financial gain,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My office will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the victim here receives justice and that our community is safe from these senseless acts of violence.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, for their assistance with the investigation.
“A victim subjected to kidnapping, brutal beatings, inhumane torture, and cash demands – this not a plot from a movie – these three defendants allegedly conspired and carried out these despicable acts on their target. The alleged actions of Boone, Bruce, and Valentin are disturbing and will not be tolerated. FBI New York is determined to ensure brazen individuals willing to use inconceivable violence for financial gain are brought to justice,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
As set forth in court filings, Boone, Bruce and Valentin conspired to kidnap the victim on December 9, 2022. The victim was seized from outside of his apartment complex in Astoria. After forcing the victim at gunpoint into a vehicle, the assailants drove the victim to New Jersey, subjected him to escalating forms of torture, and held him for nearly five hours. Among other things, the assailants beat the victim with a gun, poured bleach on him, burned his back and legs with a blowtoch, and also sliced the victim’s ear with a knife. The victim was ultimately released on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. A few days after the kidnapping, one of the defendants—Valentin—sent text messages to the victim, threatening further harm to him and his family if he failed to pay the defendants $150,000 in cash and 50 lbs. of marijuana.
All three defendants have extensive criminal histories, and are believed to have participated in a series of residential burglaries committed by a violent street gang operating out of New Jersey. Valentin had also previously pled guilty in New Jersey state court to aggravated assault in connection with a prior kidnapping.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of kidnapping conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua B. Dugan and Lorena Michelen.
The Defendants:
AASIM BOONE
Age: 41
Englewood, New JerseyJARRETT BRUCE (also known as “Inf,” “Infinite” and “Infamous”)
Age: 40
Englewood, New JerseyLESLY VALENTIN
Age: 38
Asbury Park, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-292 (S-1) (RPK)
Three Defendants Pleaded Guilty in US Coast Guard Hoax Call CaseRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three defendants pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Communicate a False Distress Signal and False Statements in US Coast Guard hoax call case.
Pursuant to court filings, on June 28, 2022, Harold Carrión Butter, while trying to evade local authorities regarding a domestic violence case, purposefully hid himself in an attempt to make it seem like he was swept out to sea at La Poza Del Obispo in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Carrión Butter called his mother, Justinita Butter who, after several phone conversations with her son, called local 9-1-1. She falsely reported that her son had not been answering his phone and was missing from the beach at Poza Del Obispo in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Her 9-1-1 call was transferred to United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector San Juan, which immediately began to coordinate a search and rescue operation for Carrión Butter. Throughout that night and following two days, through multiple phone calls with Coast Guard Officers, Justinita Butter and Miriam Delgado-Serrano, made multiple false claims that Carrión Butter did not have a phone, must have been swept out to sea, and that there was no other place he could be. All these claims were made while they were both in continuous and surreptitious communication with Carrión Butter through multiple phone calls and text messages.
On July 1, 2022, Carrion Butter was discovered by local Puerto Rico police, in a location near his family home. The USCG subsequently ended its search and rescue operation, after having diverted multiple ships, boats, and aircraft from other potential search and rescue missions and criminal-interdictions, and after having expended over $1,000,000 in assets and resources in the search.
Defendant #1 Harold Carrión Butter plead guilty to Count One of the Indictment, Conspiracy to Communicate a False Distress Signal. He was sentenced in December 2023 to time served; approximately 18 months of imprisonment served. He is currently incarcerated at the state level and facing other charges.
Justintia Butter, who was scheduled for trial beginning February 5, 2024, plead guilty on Friday, January 26. She plead guilty to Count Four which was Making a False Statement. Specifically, when USCG personnel were speaking on the phone with Ms. Butter on the morning of June 29, 2022, they asked Ms. Butter for Harold’s phone number. She told CG personnel that Harold didn’t have a phone and did not provide his number. The sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2024.
Defendant #3 Miriam Delgado Serrano also plead guilty to Count One of the Indictment. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Federal, state and local authorities take all threat-to-life matters very seriously,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “However, when individuals make false reports to law enforcement, endangering first responders, other citizens, and wasting resources, they will be prosecuted and held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
“I commend the efforts of all interagency responders who did their utmost to find Mr. Butters as well as the efforts and diligence from all the investigative authorities that led to three arrests and justice being served in this case,” said Capt. José E. Díaz, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander. “Hoax search and rescues cases are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated, the consequences could be deadly, as first responders and valuable assets are placed at risk to search for survivors during a false distress alert. A prolonged hoax search and rescue situation, like the one in this case, could easily prevent people from receiving critical emergency response and lifesaving assistance that may be required to save lives in a real emergency.”
The US Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.
USCG Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel from the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case.
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St. Louis County Man Admits Stealing Checks from Mail and Committing Check FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted stealing mail from collection boxes and committing fraud with stolen checks.
Tahj K. Boyd, now 21, was caught by police after someone reported suspicious activity at the U.S. Post Office at 1100 Town and Country Commons Drive in Town and Country on Sept. 1, 2023. Two men were spotted running with black trash bags to their vehicle, which was parked in front of Postal Service collection boxes. Police stopped the car Boyd was driving on Highway 141 in Manchester, Missouri, catching Boyd and James R. Townsend with trash bags containing 110 pieces of stolen mail, including about 60 checks in amounts totaling about $32,456, Boyd admitted Thursday.
Investigators found evidence on Boyd’s phone that he’d searched for the locations of post offices and collection boxes as well as communications between Boyd and others discussing the theft of mail.
Boyd and Townsend were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Sept. 21, 2023. When Boyd was arrested on October 18, investigators found debit cards bearing the names of other people and learned that Boyd had been committing fraud with checks stolen from the mail. Between June 2022 and October 2022, Boyd and his co-conspirators deposited or attempted to deposit approximately 21 checks totaling about $83,517 using the six debit cards found in Boyd’s bedroom. Boyd deposited some of the checks and recruited others to allow their accounts to be used to deposit checks, he admitted in his plea.
Through the deposit of forged and fraudulent checks and his theft of mail, Boyd admitted intending to cause a loss of at least $115,973.
James R. Townsend, 19, of Ferguson, was arrested with Boyd. He pleaded guilty to mail theft in October.
Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced May 8. The mail theft charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department, the Manchester Police Department and a U.S. Marshals Service task force that includes the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Slidell Man Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RODERICK WILLIAMS, age 27, of Slidell, was sentenced on January 31, 2024 by the Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to sixty (60) months imprisonment to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, on April 9, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers stopped a vehicle being driven by WILLIAMS. Thereafter, officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and located a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in the trunk. This handgun was loaded, with one bullet in the chamber and carried an extended, twenty-five (25) round magazine.
On April 28, 2023, investigators conducted video surveillance of the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Werner Drive. Officers noted an unknown black male hold a firearm as he entered a convenience store. NOPD officers were notified, entered the store and as they approached WILLIAMS, he attempted to conceal the firearm in his waistband. After noticing the outline of a firearm in WILLIAMS’s waistband, officers searched him and seized a Glock Model 26, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun.
WILLIAMS had previously been convicted of felonies that prohibited him from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Slidell Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CHRISTOPHER YARBROUGH (“YARBROUGH”), age 43, of Slidell, pled guilty on January 31, 2024 to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). YARBROUGH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. In addition, YARBROUGH faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, after his release from prison, as well as payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the case against YARBROUGH stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”) investigation by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. The investigation was referred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). On June 26, 2023, HSI special agents, along with members of the Slidell Police Department and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, executed a federal search warrant at YARBROUGH’s Slidell home. HSI agents arrested YARBROUGH for receipt of CSAM during the search. HSI’s investigation revealed that YARBROUGH received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for May 1, 2024 before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office; the Slidell Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Sikeston Man Admits Illegally Selling Machine Gun, Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Sikeston, Missouri on Thursday admitted selling a machine gun and other firearms to an undercover federal agent.
Averyoun Quentez Lane, 18, admitted selling two Glock pistols on July 3, 2023, to an undercover special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). One of the pistols was equipped with an aftermarket “switch” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The conversion device alone is defined as a machine gun under federal law. Lane told the agent that he knew what the device did and instructed the agent on how to operate it. Lane also offered the agent a semiautomatic pistol and a stolen .38-caliber revolver on July 11, the day after the revolver was stolen in Sikeston. Lane sold the revolver before the agent could buy it but did sell the agent an AR-15-style weapon that day. After his arrest on an unrelated matter on July 13, Lane admitted obtaining and selling firearms on a regular basis. He did not have the proper license to do so.
Lane pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one felony count of unlawfully transferring a machine gun and one felony count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms.
Lane is scheduled to be sentenced May 16. The machine gun charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The firearm dealing charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and the same fine.
The ATF and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case.
Siemens Industry, Inc., to Pay over $1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Public Housing ContractRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Siemens Industry, Inc., a subsidiary of Siemens Corporation, has agreed to pay over $1 million to resolve possible False Claims Act violations, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Siemens Industry, Inc., on behalf of itself and predecessor entity Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. (Siemens), agreed to pay $1,086,430 to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act related to a contract it entered into in 2011 with the Hamtramck Housing Commission, a HUD-funded public housing authority in Hamtramck, Michigan. Under the contract, Siemens would install energy efficiency improvement measures at two Hamtramck public housing facilities. During the development of that energy performance contract, Siemens calculated the amount of energy savings the improvement would deliver. The Hamtramck Housing Commission submitted records to HUD using data from Siemens’s analysis. The settlement resolves allegations that Siemens relied on inaccurate data in its analysis, which led to the United States paying a larger annual subsidy to the Hamtramck Housing Commission than it otherwise would have.
“Federal contractors are expected to deal honestly with federal agencies, even where there are intermediaries between the agency and the contractor,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This settlement demonstrates our Office’s commitment to protecting the taxpayers’ money in any matter where the government ultimately suffers from misconduct by contractors.”
“The False Claims Act is an important tool for holding accountable those who are dishonest in their dealings with government programs. This settlement represents HUD OIG’s commitment to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and safeguard taxpayer dollars that support vulnerable communities who rely on them,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We appreciate the continued support of the United States Attorney in bringing this matter to today’s conclusion and look forward to our continued partnership.”
The civil settlement resolves the claims brought by Kevin Kondrat and Jessica Jones under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under these provisions, a private party may file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblowers will receive $179,260.85 from the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Kondrat, et al. v. Siemens Corporation, et al., No. 21-10594 (E.D. Mich.).
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonny Zajac of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from HUD-OIG.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.
Self-Proclaimed “Satans Child” Sentenced to 50 YearsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Miguel Alejandro Diaz Gonzalez (41, Orlando) to 50 years in federal prison for production and transportation of child sex abuse material. Diaz Gonzalez entered a guilty plea on May 18, 2023.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip concerning an online media storage account associated with username “Satans child,” where investigators found child sexual abuse material. FBI agents traced that account to a home in Orlando where Diaz Gonzalez was living. Agents also recovered a video that Diaz Gonzalez produced and shared depicting him raping an 8-year-old child who had previously been in Gonzalez’s care. Two other child victims, ages 10 and 11, were also identified in the investigation as victims who Diaz Gonzalez had molested in his home. Diaz Gonzalez was also responsible for sharing and transporting several images and videos depicting children being drugged, raped, and molested by adults.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Emily C. L. Chang.
This is another case 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’ Office and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sedalia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sedalia, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to pay nearly $136,000 in employment taxes he withheld from his employee’s paychecks.
Floyd H. Kronk III, 48, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to a federal information that charges him with failure to pay employment tax.
Kronk started a construction company, Transition Construction, in 2010. About 95 percent of Transition’s revenues came from Furnell Companies, a Sedalia-based firm that owns and operates a hotel and various assisted living facilities throughout Missouri. Transition did most of the construction and renovating work relative to Furnell’s properties in Missouri.
Kronk retained anywhere from six to 15 employees to carry out that construction work. He withheld their designated federal income tax withholdings from their paychecks, as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes, which he was then supposed to forward to the IRS each month. Kronk admitted today that he did not file timely federal employment tax returns, nor did he deposit any part of the trust fund taxes he withheld from his employees. Instead, he retained those withholdings for his personal benefit.
Kronk withheld $135,785 from his employees’ paychecks from 2014 through 2017, which he kept for his personal benefit.
Kronk also admitted that he was non-compliant with his individual federal income tax filings and payment of those liabilities. According to today’s plea agreement, his returns for 2014 through 2017 were all filed delinquently, and with no accompanying payment. The total tax loss is $135,785 from 2014 to 2017, and $69,280 for relevant conduct for 2011 to 2013, for a total amount of $205,066.
Under federal statutes, Kronk is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 70 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Javier Guzman, age 52, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 30, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 70 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Guzman previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 50 and 200 grams of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for distribution in the Schuylkill County area in 2022. The charge stems from an investigation in which investigators made multiple purchases of high-quality crystal methamphetamine from Guzman in March 2022 in Schuylkill County.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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SCR gang leader sentenced for racketeering conspiracyRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Mississippi man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the Simon City Royals (SCR) gang.
According to court documents, from 2016 until 2022, Allen Posey, 49, of Hazlehurst, Mississippi oversaw all of the criminal activities of the Simon City Royals, a violent national prison gang operating primarily in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but with members and associates acting on their behalf outside of prisons throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and elsewhere. Through an alliance with the violent Gangster Disciples gang and with a sophisticated structure, the Simon City Royals engaged in a host of criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, large-scale drug trafficking, and fraud. Court records reflect that Posey personally ordered the murders of rival gang leaders and was involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.
The Simon City Royals engaged in widespread drug trafficking, including smuggling large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana, heroin, and benzodiazepines into dozens of Mississippi state prison facilities. The gang distributed these dangerous substances, including nearly 100% pure crystal methamphetamine, to inmates throughout the prison system.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Posey and other Simon City Royals members and associates carried out financial transactions in furtherance of the gang’s activities; these included the collection of dues, the pooling of criminal proceeds, and the clandestine distribution of funds to incarcerated members, as well as a system of “investment” loans whereby members could borrow money for revenue-generating purposes such as purchasing a supply of narcotics.
The Simon City Royals engaged in a complex and sophisticated money laundering and fraud operation. Members committed their money laundering and fraud activities using contraband cellular telephones and encrypted applications like Telegram and Protonmail.
On October 3, 2023, Posey pled guilty to Count One of an indictment which charged him with RICO Conspiracy. During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills called the gang a “diabolical organization” and sentenced Posey to 240 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
“This defendant was responsible for countless crimes, and now he will spend functionally the rest of his life in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Safeguarding our communities from violent gangs will always be a top priority for our office, and we commend the state/federal investigative partnership that made this case possible.”
“Our neighborhoods deserve to exist without fear and intimidation inflicted by violent gangs like the Simon City Royals,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today is another example of our commitment to seek the maximum prosecution for criminals who have posed such grave danger to our neighborhoods.”
“Nothing matters more than the safety of our communities,” declared Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “This repeat offender’s conviction exemplifies DEA’s tireless partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement to dismantle drug trafficking rings that endanger Mississippians and citizens across the country.”
This case has been investigated by ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Jackson Field Office, Mississippi Department of Corrections, and dozens of local law enforcement agencies across multiple states.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow from the Northern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the DOJ’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Rocklin Business Owners Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Evade over $1 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Daniel Stewart, 59, of Lincoln, and Luke Burroughs, 59, of Loomis, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Burroughs and Stewart are the co-owners of Western Baler and Conveyor (WBC), a Rocklin‑based business that sells and services industrial conveyor belt systems. During the period of the conspiracy, WBC grossed several million dollars annually. Beginning in 2016, Stewart and Burroughs attempted to decrease their personal and company tax burdens by disguising personal expenses as company expenses. For example, Stewart remodeled his home, installed horse stables, and built a swimming pool and paid for all of it through WBC checks made to look like company expenses. At the same time, Stewart and Burroughs padded WBC expenses to get off-the-books cash kickbacks. Stewart and Burroughs ultimately underpaid their personal and company taxes by a combined amount of over $1 million.
In 2018 and 2019, a confidential informant (CI) working with law enforcement met with Stewart on multiple occasions, helping to reveal how the conspiracy worked. Over several meetings, the CI provided Stewart large amounts of cash in exchange for WBC checks for the same or similar amounts; Stewart and Burroughs would then divide the cash and keep it as income, while using the WBC checks to make it look like that money had instead been spent on company expenses to decrease their tax burden. In 2019 an undercover special agent (UC) joined the CI for similar meetings with Stewart and Burroughs. Stewart and Burroughs continued the cash-for-checks scheme despite being told that the cash was coming from interstate marijuana sales, including one transaction of over $150,000 that they falsely disguised as the purchase of a baler, complete with a fake invoice. The CI and UC ultimately exchanged hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for WBC checks. For 2019 alone, Stewart and Burroughs were seeking to evade paying taxes on approximately $4 million.
As part of the conspiracy, Stewart and Burroughs caused false WBC company tax returns to be filed with the IRS for tax years 2016–2019, as well as false personal tax returns for themselves for those same tax years. In total, Stewart and Burroughs underpaid their personal and company taxes by a combined amount of $1,099,327.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
Stewart and Burroughs are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on May 9, 2024. Stewart and Burroughs each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A registered sex offender who admitted to a federal judge that he possessed and distributed child pornography while serving a term of state probation imposed as the result of a previous conviction on an unrelated state charge of solicitation of a child has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Robert H. King, 39, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 31, 2023, to charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 108 months of incarceration to be followed by 15 years of federal supervised release.
In December 2019, ten months after being convicted and sentenced in Rhode Island state court for solicitation of a minor, King uploaded an image of child pornography to a social media account that he controlled. Additionally, further investigation by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force determined that multiple images of child pornography had been uploaded from an IP address located in Rhode Island, determined to be utilized by King, to various internet-based social media platforms.
A forensic audit of a cellular phone seized from King in March 2020 revealed approximately 135 images of child pornography.
The case in U.S. District Court was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the ICAC Task Force, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
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Providence Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Postal Service CarrierRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A federal judge on Wednesday imposed a nearly two-year term of incarceration on a Providence man who admitted to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service employee in November 2021, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Branley Ferreras-Severino, 23, who has been detained in state custody since his arrest on unrelated state drug trafficking charges on January 6, 2022, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023, to a charge of assault of a U.S. Postal Service carrier. He was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 months of incarceration, and three years of federal supervised release.
Ferreras-Severino previously admitted to the court that he was the driver of a vehicle that had stopped on a narrow South Providence street that was only wide enough to allow one vehicle to pass at a time. As a postal driver maneuvered a mail delivery truck past Ferreras-Severino’s BMW, the postman smiled at the car’s driver in acknowledgement of the brief awkwardness. A short time later, when the letter carrier returned to his truck after delivering a package, he was met by Ferreras-Severino who uttered, “You think it’s funny? You almost hit me. You wanna get popped?” He then struck the letter carrier with his fists.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
United States Attorney Cunha acknowledges the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Political Organizer and Former President of City Council of Atlantic City Charged with Submitting Fraudulent Mail-In BallotsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for his role in procuring, casting, and tabulating fraudulent mail-in ballots submitted in the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Craig Callaway, 64, a former member and president of the City Council of Atlantic City and a political organizer who assisted campaigns for elected offices in New Jersey, is charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of depriving, defrauding, and attempting to deprive and defraud the residents of the state of New Jersey of a fair and impartially conducted election process by the fraudulent procurement, casting, and tabulation of ballots. Callaway is scheduled to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in Camden federal court.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Holding free and fair elections is a bedrock principle of our democracy. As alleged in the complaint, the defendant attempted to deprive New Jersey residents of a fair election by fraudulently procuring and casting ballots. Today’s charges reflect our office’s commitment to hold to account those who try to undermine the electoral process.”
“Voter fraud at any level chips away at the faith people have in our system,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “We’re unable as American citizens to hold our government accountable if our votes are compromised. The FBI and our law enforcement partners understand the gravity of protecting the process and will bring those criminals who break the law to justice.”
According to the documents filed in this case:
Approximately one month before the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, Callaway and others working at Callaway’s direction approached numerous individuals in Atlantic City promising to pay them $30 to $50 to act as purported authorized messengers for voters who supposedly wished to vote by mail.
After receiving Vote-By-Mail Applications from Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers entered the Atlantic County clerk’s office carrying anywhere from one to four completed Vote-By-Mail Applications. As instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these individuals provided county clerk’s office personnel proof of identification and signed the Vote-By-Mail Applications in the authorized messenger portion before handing those signed applications to office personnel. The purported messengers waited while office personnel processed the applications and, if the applications were approved, provided to the purported messengers mail-in ballots for the voters listed on the applications.
Under New Jersey law, a messenger is required to deliver any mail-in ballot they received directly to the voter who requested the ballots, and certify that they would do so. However, after receiving mail-in ballots, these purported messengers left the county clerk’s office and instead handed the ballots to Callaway or his subordinates.
Many of the mail-in ballots collected by Callaway or his subordinates were ultimately cast in the names of people who have confirmed that they did not vote in the 2022 General Election – either in person or by submitting a mail-in ballot – and that they did not authorize Callaway, his subordinates, or anyone else, to cast ballots for them. Many of these mail-in ballots were counted towards in the election.
The charge of the procuring, casting, and tabulating fraudulent ballots carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy; the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency's Public Corruption Task Force, including the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Chief James A. Sarkos; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; as well as special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Branch Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James H. Graham of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit, under the supervision of the Special Prosecutions Division.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
callaway.complaint.pdfPinellas Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Katherine Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Javontah Harris, a/k/a “Gut,” (32, St. Petersburg) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Harris entered a guilty plea on November 14, 2023.
According to court documents, Harris is a member of Bag Tawk Entertainment (BTE), an organization known for distributing controlled substances in St. Petersburg. Harris and other members of BTE used residences in Pinellas County to manufacture and sell narcotics. In videos posted online, Harris and his fellow BTE members featured images of drug manufacturing and lyrics about making and selling narcotics.
On January 23, 2022, Harris possessed 224.1 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, approximately $1,843 cash, and make-shift business cards containing a phone number traced to a BTE co-conspirator with “G” – for “Gut” – on the cards. During the execution of numerous search warrants at the BTE stash houses, agents located over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than 100 grams of cocaine, and approximately 180 grams of fentanyl or fentanyl analogues in addition to firearms.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.
Pennsylvania Courts to Pay $100,000 and Take Statewide Measures to Redress Alleged Discrimination Against People with Opioid Use DisorderRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that the Justice Department has secured an agreement with the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) to resolve allegations that UJS courts violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by preventing individuals under court supervision from taking lawfully prescribed medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).
Under the agreement, UJS courts will pay $100,000 to victims, and encourage all its component courts to adopt new policies and train personnel on the ADA’s anti-discrimination requirements regarding OUD and report on their compliance efforts.
“My office is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. All too often, people taking medication to treat their OUD are subjected to discrimination based on unfounded stigma associated with these medications. It is a violation of the ADA to deny someone access to programs and services simply because they are taking medication their doctors have prescribed to get and keep their OUD in remission. My office will hold entities that violate the ADA’s anti-discrimination protections accountable.”
“The battle against the opioid epidemic requires not only the vigorous prosecution of those who traffic in and profit from drugs like heroin and fentanyl, but also requires ensuring individuals with opioid use disorder can take their medically prescribed treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “This agreement with the Commonwealth will help ensure that individuals participating in Pennsylvania’s courts who have opioid use disorder will be allowed to follow their providers’ course of treatment, which may include medication that dramatically reduces opioid overdose deaths. This office will enforce the ADA to protect all individuals with disabilities, and this includes our citizens in recovery from addiction.”
The settlement agreement resolves the department’s lawsuit against the UJS, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and Blair, Jefferson, Lackawanna and Northumberland County Courts of Common Pleas. The department’s complaint, filed in 2022, alleged that UJS courts in multiple counties caused significant harm through the enforcement of their discriminatory administrative policies. The department further alleged that those affected by the UJS court policies were put to an agonizing choice: take their medication and face incarceration or termination from their treatment court program or forgo their medication and suffer painful withdrawal symptoms while risking relapse, overdose and death. As a result, they suffered significant harm. The complaint alleged that the named county courts and other UJS courts had likely harmed many other individuals with OUD through the enforcement of their discriminatory policies.
Under the settlement agreement, the UJS courts will compensate the victims identified in the complaint. They will train all Pennsylvania state court criminal judges and treatment court professionals on the ADA and OUD medication. Several of the named county courts will adopt a robust anti-discrimination policy related to OUD medication. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts will recommend and encourage all other county courts to adopt the same policy. Finally, the UJS courts will report on their efforts to comply with the agreement, including detailing any complaints about access to OUD medication submitted to any UJS courts during the agreement’s two-year term.
“People with opioid use disorder caught up in the criminal justice system should be supported in seeking treatments that can help them attain recovery,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, courts that categorically restricted the use of opioid treatment medication are required to allow people with opioid use disorder to take proven medications that can put them on a path toward recovery and rehabilitation. Ensuring that courts are employing science-driven and data-informed approaches to the opioid crisis is an important priority for the Civil Rights Division. We will continue to enforce our federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, to ensure that people with disabilities are protected from discrimination.”
The settlement agreement announced today advances the Justice Department’s efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD and to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment. The department has issued public guidance and filed statements of interest on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD. It has entered into multiple settlements with jails and prisons to increase access to OUD medication, including recent agreements in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts. It has undertaken enforcement efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD in court supervision programs in Massachusetts. It has also entered numerous settlements to address discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD outside of the criminal justice context, including barriers related to employment, professional licensing, social services and healthcare.
U.S. Attorney Romero and Deputy Civil Chief for Civil Rights Lauren DeBruicker handled this matter for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with attorneys from the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Middle District of Pennsylvania Assistant United States Attorney and Civil Rights Coordinator Michael J. Butler.
For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit https://www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/. For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report. Anyone in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by calling 215-861-8555 or emailing [email protected].
Pennsylvania Courts Agree to Pay $100,000.00 in Damages to Compensate Victims and Redress Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) DiscriminationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS Courts) has agreed to pay $100,000.00 to resolve a federal lawsuit bought by the United States under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134 (ADA). The United States brought this action against the UJS, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the Blair, Jefferson, Lackawanna, and Northumberland County Courts of Common Pleas to vindicate the rights of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have been subjected to discriminatory written and unwritten policies and practices in at least eleven UJS Courts, restricting their ability to take medication administered by their health care providers to treat their disability.
“The battle against the opioid epidemic requires not only the vigorous prosecution of those who traffic in and profit from drugs like heroin and fentanyl, but also requires ensuring individuals with opioid use disorder can take their medically prescribed treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “This agreement with the Commonwealth will help ensure that individuals participating in Pennsylvania’s courts who have opioid use disorder will be allowed to follow their providers’ course of treatment, which may include medication that dramatically reduces opioid overdose deaths. This office will enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect all individuals with disabilities, and this includes our citizens in recovery from addiction.”
Under the settlement agreement, the UJS Courts will compensate six victims of the courts’ discriminatory policies: two from Jefferson County Court, two from Blair County Court, one from Northumberland County Drug Court, and one from Lackawanna County Court. The courts made each individual choose between taking their prescribed medication or face incarceration or termination from the court’s respective treatment program. By forgoing their medication, the individuals faced painful withdrawal symptoms and the risk of relapse, overdose, and death.
Additionally, under the agreement, the UJS Courts will provide training to all Commonwealth court criminal judges and treatment court professionals on the ADA and OUD medication. Three of the named county courts will adopt an anti-discrimination policy related to OUD medication that is attached as an exhibit to the agreement. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will post the policy on their webpage and encourage all other county courts to adopt the same policy. And, finally, all of the defendants will report to the United States on their efforts to comply with the agreement, including detailing any complaints regarding access to OUD medication submitted to any UJS Courts during the agreement’s two-year term.
“People with opioid use disorder caught up in the criminal justice system should be supported in seeking out treatments that can help them attain recovery,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, the UJS courts that categorically restricted the use of opioid treatment medication are required to allow people with opioid use disorder to take the proven medications that put them on a path toward recovery and rehabilitation. These courts are also required to implement new policies and training procedures to prevent disability discrimination in the future. We are pleased to reach this significant resolution, and we will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws like the ADA to ensure people with disabilities are protected from discrimination.”
“My office is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. All too often, people taking medication to treat their OUD are subjected to discrimination based on unfounded stigma associated with these medications. It is a violation of the ADA to deny someone access to programs and services simply because they are taking medication their doctors have prescribed to get and keep their OUD in remission. My office will hold entities that violate the ADA’s anti-discrimination protections accountable.”
The partnership of the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Justice Department demonstrates our ongoing efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD. The Justice Department previously issued public guidance and filed statements of interest on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD. It has entered into multiple settlements with jails and prisons to increase access to OUD medication, including recent agreements in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Eastern Kentucky; and Massachusetts. It has undertaken enforcement efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD in court supervision programs in Massachusetts. It has also entered numerous settlements to address discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD outside of the criminal justice context, including barriers related to employment, professional licensing, social services, and healthcare.
Attorneys Kevin Kijewski, David Knight, and Adam Lewis of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section handled this matter in collaboration with Middle District of Pennsylvania Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler, Civil Rights Coordinator, and Eastern District of Pennsylvania Assistant United States Attorney Lauren DeBruicker, Deputy Civil Chief for Civil Rights.
For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit: https://www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing [email protected].
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Owner of Closed Substance Use Treatment Facility in Florida Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Defraud Health InsurersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Terrence Livorsi, 69, of Glenside, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $287,654.72 in restitution, a $10,000 fine, and $100 special assessment for conspiring to commit health care fraud, arising from his operation of an Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”). Livorsi used the EAP to funnel patients to addiction treatment at facilities and programs that he owned in Florida, in order to bill patients’ medical insurance for treatment, including treatment that was not medically necessary.
Livorsi offered his EAP services free of charge and marketed the services mainly to public sector labor unions in New Jersey. Livorsi and his EAP encouraged union officials and representatives to call when a union member was in distress or facing workplace discipline. Upon referral of a union member for EAP services, Livorsi and/or an employee of the EAP collected information from the person, including asking the prospective patient about his or her use of alcohol or drugs. Many prospective patients did not have substance use disorders but were nevertheless fraudulently referred to Recovery Institute of South Florida (“RISF”), a substance use treatment facility that Livorsi also owned and operated. Patients were pressured to fly to Florida immediately for treatment at RISF, allegedly to save their jobs. The people that Livorsi and his staff members referred to RISF were not told that Livorsi owned RISF or that he would benefit financially by billing their health insurance.
From at least January 2014 until RISF closed in April 2018, it was the business of Livorsi’s EAP to send patients to treatment at RISF. RISF depended on the EAP to refer patients for treatment and made money by billing insurers for those referred patients. The EAP, which did not charge anyone for its services, depended on RISF to finance its operations. As the sole owner of both RISF and the EAP, Livorsi controlled every aspect of their operations, including the finances and bank accounts of both organizations. Livorsi directly profited when RISF profited. Livorsi directed RISF to pay bonuses to his staff, including himself, for admissions to RISF that the employee had procured. Although he was not a licensed caregiver and was infrequently present at RISF, Livorsi exercised control over when patients could be discharged from RISF and would keep patients as long as possible to maximize the opportunities to bill insurance.
Livorsi was charged by an information filed April 11, 2023, and entered a plea of guilty on May 8, 2023.
“Terrence Livorsi’s scheme was to use an Employee Assistance Program he owned to funnel patients to a drug treatment facility that he also owned — whether they had substance abuse issues or not — keep them there as long as possible, and profit,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He gave no thought to these people’s wellbeing, or their lives and livelihoods, just the money he could bilk from their insurance plans. Health care fraud is an incredibly costly crime and a high priority for the Department of Justice. That’s why we and the FBI will continue to work together to hold fraudsters like Terrence Livorsi accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Health Care Fraud Task Force, which includes agents from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Employee Benefit Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.
Omaha Woman Sentenced to 7 ½ Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Wendi Reich, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced February 1, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Reich to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Reich’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On December 13, 2021, Omaha Police officers executed a search warrant on Wendi Reich’s Omaha residence and recovered 300 grams of meth from her possession. The investigation revealed that Reich was being supplied pound quantities of meth by codefendant Cornejo-Lopez, who pled guilty and was sentenced to 400 months’ imprisonment on October 25, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ocean County Man Admits Federal Hate Crimes for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted committing a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.
Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with five counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. Marsh is charged with willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, because they were Jewish.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant violently attacked five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them, simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. Today, he pleaded guilty to these hate crimes and a carjacking, and my office will ask the judge to impose a sentence that holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate filled rampage. The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality across our state and our nation. That hate is not who we are. We are stronger as a people because no matter what you look like, how you worship, where you come from, or who you love, your civil rights must be respected and protected. My office has no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“This defendant is being held accountable for his series of depraved, antisemitic assaults against members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” Assistant Attorney General Clarke said. “Hate-filled acts of violence, intended to harm, intimidate and isolate communities, have no place in our society. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute perpetrators of antisemitic violence across our country.”
“We have said time and again as we investigate a significant rise in hate crimes, hating someone isn’t a crime, but hating someone and then attacking them based on that hate is a violation of federal law,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Marsh admits he targeted five innocent people in 2022 because they were Orthodox Jews. Personal beliefs don’t give someone the right to attack and attempt to kill another human being because they may not ascribe to a similar religion or way of life. We have a clear message for the communities we serve in New Jersey, if you are a victim of a hate crime or have information the FBI and our law enforcement partners should know, please report it. Silence won’t solve it, and we can’t help if we don’t know about it. You can go to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On April 8, 2022, Marsh carried out a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish Community in and around Lakewood. Each of Marsh’s victims were attired in traditional garments worn by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and were assaulted because they were visibly identifiable Orthodox Jews.
At 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in Lakewood by deliberately striking him with the vehicle. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
The four hate crimes violations charging Marsh with attempting to kill those victims each carry a statutory maximum term of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The hate crime violation charging Marsh with assaulting the other victim carries a statutory maximum term of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The carjacking charge carries a statutory maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Marsh is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark; officers of the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; officers of the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; prosecutors and detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division.
marsh.information.pdfNorman Man to Serve Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Lying About Not Being Under Felony Indictment or Subject to Protective Order when He Attempted to Purchase a FirearmRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, THOMAS LAVERNE BROWN, 50, of Norman, was sentenced to serve 57 months in federal prison for making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On January 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Brown, charging him with making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm, two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. The Indictment further alleges that in August 2022, Brown was found in possession of several firearms. On June 6, 2023, Brown pleaded guilty to making a false statement during the attempted firearm purchase.
According to public record, on August 20, 2021, Brown was charged with felony domestic assault and battery by strangulation in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2021-1139. Public record further reflects that on October 6, 2021, a protective order had been issued against Brown in Cleveland County District Court case number PO-2021-328. That protective order was effective through October 6, 2026. In July 2022, Brown then attempted to purchase a firearm at a Norman pawn shop. Under federal law, it is illegal to receive a firearm while under indictment for a felony or possess a firearm while subject to a protective order. In connection with that attempted purchase, Brown filled out paperwork for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and falsely indicated on the paperwork that he was not under indictment for a felony or subject to a protective order.
At the sentencing hearing on January 29, 2024, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Brown to serve 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and the need to promote respect for the law.
This case is the result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of “Operation 922.” Operation 922 is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. “Operation 922” prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Nonimmigrant visa holder sentenced for violating US gun lawsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old citizen of Niger has been sent to federal prison on firearms charges related to his status in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for approximately one hour following a one-day trial before returning guilty verdicts March 14, 2023, against Moctar Ahmadou Gouroudja Ahmadou.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Ahmadou to serve 78 months in federal prison. He is also expected to lose his status in the country and face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence concerning his discussions with the individual associated with the attack on Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, about Ahmadou’s downloading of jihad videos including beheadings and that he discussed the possibility of traveling to Palestine to commit jihad. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Ahmadou had been invited to this country to study under a student visa and had violated that privilege.
“Moctar Ahmadou, like thousands every year, traveled to the United States under an F-1 visa in search of an American education,” said Hamdani. “But when he took that quest for knowledge to a gun range, picked up a gun, handled the ammo and fired it, he went from student to criminal. This sentence sends a strong message to those like Ahmadou--stay in the classroom and away from the gun range otherwise your American education will come not from a University but from the prison library.”
Even though Ahmadou was lawfully present in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, he violated the terms of that status by illegally using a firearm and ammunition.
Ahmadou entered the United States March 24, 2016, from Niger. At the time, he had a nonimmigrant F1 visa, or student visa, to study at the North American University in Stafford. Under that status, he was not permitted to possess or use firearms or ammunition.
However, the jury heard that on or around May 17, 2021, Ahmadou participated in handling and firing a handgun at a Texas-based gun range. He purchased a course called “First Shot” which provided training on pistol shooting and range time. Immediately after completing the course, Ahmadou rented a Glock 45. He was seen at the firing line at the gun range holding a pistol and shooting down range towards a target.
On May 18, 2021, Ahmadou returned to the same gun range to participate in handling and firing a rifle. The course consisted of firearms safety, manipulation and shooting a rifle. He also possessed and shot a Smith & Wesson, model MP15, .223 caliber rifle and purchased and possessed four boxes of Fiocchi .223 caliber ammunition which he used with the rifle.
Ahmadou has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the investigation with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service; Homeland Security Investigations; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Customs and Immigration Service; and Texas Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Schammel and Richard Bennett prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s Counter Terrorism Section.
New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LARRY WILLIAMS, age 37, of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 30, 2024 for federal firearms and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents, WILLIAMS admitted to possessing a firearm and several narcotics after a foot chase and subsequent arrest by New Orleans Police Department officers. In Count 1, WILLIAMS admitted to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as quantities of cocaine, hydrocodone, and tapaentadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A) and (b)(1)(B). For this offense, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The two other counts involve the firearm WILLIAMS possessed at the time of his arrest with the narcotics in Count 1. In Count 2, WILLIAMS admitted possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). For this offense, he faces at least five years imprisonment and up to life, consecutive to any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. In Count 3, WILLIAMS admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). For this offense, he faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release.
For each of the counts with which WILLIAMS was charged, he faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The Honorable Darrel J. Papillion set WILLIAMS’s sentencing for May 14, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ANYTHONY DOYLE (“DOYLE”), age 40, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 31, 2024 to three (3) counts of distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). In pleading guilty, the defendant faces, as to Counts One and Two, up to twenty (20) years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. As to Count Three, the defendant faces a minimum of five (5) years in prison, up to a maximum of forty (40) years, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. As to each count, DOYLE faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, on at least three (3) separate occasions in August of 2023, DOYLE sold Fentanyl to special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, andExplosives. These transactions were audio and video recorded. Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown set sentencing in this matter for May 16, 2024.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 16 Months’ Imprisonment for Passing over $2,600 in Counterfeit Currency at Stores in Lackawanna, Lycoming, and Columbia CountiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brandon Williams, age 35, of Mercer County, New Jersey, was sentenced on January 31, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to 16 months’ imprisonment on the charge of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams previously pleaded guilty and admitted to passing $1,400 in counterfeit bills at the Michaels store in Dickson City, on April 20, 2022, and to passing $750 in counterfeit bills later that same day at the CVS Pharmacy located on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. On April 23, 2022, Williams passed $280 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Montoursville, $160 in counterfeit bills at the Weis Market in Montoursville and attempted to pass additional counterfeit bills at the Dollar Tree in Bloomsburg but was unsuccessful.
The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Dickson City Police Department, the Scranton Police Department, the Montoursville Police Department, and the Hemlock Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Violent Assaults on Members of the Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to committing a series of bias-motivated violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey.
On Feb. 1, Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in federal court to an information charging him with five counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. Marsh is charged with willfully causing bodily injury to five victims and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of the victims, because they are Jewish.
“This defendant is being held accountable for his series of depraved, antisemitic assaults against members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Hate-filled acts of violence, intended to harm, intimidate and isolate communities, have no place in our society. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute perpetrators of antisemitic violence across our country.”
“This defendant violently attacked five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them, simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Today, he pleaded guilty to these hate crimes and a carjacking, and my office will ask the judge to impose a sentence that holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate filled rampage. The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality across our state and our nation. That hate is not who we are. We are stronger as a people because no matter what you look like, how you worship, where you come from, or who you love, your civil rights must be respected and protected. My office has no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“We have said time and again as we investigate a significant rise in hate crimes, hating someone isn’t a crime, but hating someone and then attacking them based on that hate is a violation of federal law,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Marsh admits he targeted five innocent people in 2022 because they were Orthodox Jews. Personal beliefs don’t give someone the right to attack and attempt to kill another human being because they may not ascribe to a similar religion or way of life. We have a clear message for the communities we serve in New Jersey, if you are a victim of a hate crime or have information the FBI and our law enforcement partners should know, please report it. Silence won’t solve it, and we can’t help if we don’t know about it. You can go to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2022, Marsh carried out a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish Community in and around Lakewood. Each of Marsh’s victims was attired in traditional garments worn by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and was assaulted because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews.
Specifically, at 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, in Lakewood, Marsh forced a man readily identifiable by his appearance as an Orthodox Jew out of his car, assaulting and injuring him. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another man identifiable by his appearance as an Orthodox Jew, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again using the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, struck and attempted to kill another man readily identifiable as an Orthodox Jew while he was walking in Lakewood. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer serious injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still using the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11. Marsh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the four hate crimes violations charging him with attempting to kill victims, a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the hate crime violation charging him with assaulting the other victim and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the carjacking charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Newark Field Office’s Red Bank Resident Agency, Lakewood Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
New Haven Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JASHON SPEARMAN, also known as “J ” and “Deuce,” 35, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a New Haven area drug trafficking ring operating in the West Hills neighborhood of New Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2021, the New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department began investigating Spearman and others for the distribution of fentanyl, heroin crack and cocaine in and around the West Hills neighborhood, including the McConaughy Terrace housing complex located on South Genesee Street in New Haven. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, fixed video surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Spearman was receiving fentanyl and heroin from James Hillard, of New York, and shipments of kilogram quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico, which were arranged by Jean Mangual-Castro, also known as “Mangui,” of West Haven. Spearman then distributed the drugs to others, several of whom processed, packaged, and sold fentanyl and crack at the McConaughy Terrace housing complex.
On February 4, 2022, investigators arrested Spearman and Hillard after they met in the Bronx and a search of Hillard’s car revealed more than 7,000 folds of heroin/fentanyl and approximately $30,000 in cash.
On February 8, 2022, investigators executed court-authorized search warrants at several locations, including a residence on Ward Street in New Haven where Spearman distributed narcotics, and vehicles in which Spearman was suspected of storing narcotics. A search of a minivan revealed approximately 19 kilograms of cocaine; a search of a vehicle registered to Spearman revealed $750,400 in cash, assorted jewelry valued at over $112,000, and fentanyl, crack, and heroin; and a search of the Ward Street residence revealed additional cash, several money counters, and numerous cellphones. Investigators also seized five firearms during the searches.
On February 15, 2022, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Spearman, Hilliard and six co-defendants with narcotics trafficking offenses. On April 19, 2022, Spearman, Mangual-Castro, and two others were charged in a separate indictment with offenses related to the trafficking of cocaine through the mail from Puerto Rico.
Spearman has been detained since his arrest. On June 30, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin.
Judge Nagala ordered Spearman to forfeit the seized cash, jewelry, firearms, and three vehicles.
All 11 defendants charged during this investigation pleaded guilty. On May 11, 2023, Mangual-Castro was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. On December 12, 2023, Hillard was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, and the New Haven Police Department. The FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force includes participants from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Three Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,100 in restitution to the victims of three violent carjackings committed within a 24-hour period in March 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“This individual put several lives at risk by going on an armed carjacking spree and evading law enforcement by driving 120 miles per hour through a residential neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “This case offers a snapshot of a disturbing trend of violent and reckless behavior. Wilson-Branch’s spree is one of the reasons our office has focused our resources on prosecuting violent carjacking cases.”
“Wilson-Branch's cowardly and reprehensible actions, aimed at terrorizing innocent victims for personal gain, have no place in a just society,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not tolerate criminals depriving our citizens of safety within their own communities. We will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to target, identify and bring to justice violent offenders.”
According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 20, along with another individual, approached two people in Minneapolis who had just parked and exited a Mercedes Benz SUV to unload groceries. Wilson-Branch pointed a Springfield Armory assault rifle at the victims and demanded they hand over everything they had. At gunpoint, the victims provided Wilson-Branch with the keys to the vehicle and other items. Wilson-Branch got into the carjacked SUV and drove away.
Approximately eight hours later, at around 4:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual carjacked a Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in Minneapolis. Wilson-Branch and others pulled the carjacked SUV up next to the Highlander, and demanded the victim’s car keys at gunpoint. An AirTag inside the carjacked vehicle tracked the vehicle to Saint Paul, where it was left and abandoned at approximately 4:30 a.m., and Saint Paul police later recovered the carjacked vehicle.
About thirty-minutes later, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual drove the carjacked SUV to Saint Paul and parked behind an Audi A6. When the owner approached the Audi A6, Wilson-Branch and the other individual exited the carjacked SUV armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and the Springfield Armory rifle. Both men pointed the firearms at the victim and forced him to give up his keys, wallet, and phone. The victim was also forced at gunpoint to unlock his cell phone, which was later used to make unauthorized money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Wilson-Branch and others. Wilson-Branch drove away in the carjacked Audi and the other individual drove away in the carjacked Mercedes Benz SUV. Officers with the St. Paul Police Department spotted the two carjacked vehicles about 30 minutes later in the area of Maryland Avenue and Western Avenue. When officers attempted a traffic stop, both vehicles fled police at high rates of speed through residential areas and onto the highway and evaded the pursuit.
Officers with the Woodbury Police Department later located the carjacked Audi A6 in a mall parking lot and apprehended Wilson-Branch in another building after a short foot chase. Two of the firearms used in the carjackings, each fully loaded with high-capacity magazines, and a recently stolen box of ammunition, were located inside the Audi A6, along with the keys to the previously carjacked Toyota Highlander.
Wilson-Branch pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023, to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, and admitted to aiding and abetting a third carjacking. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Meth Dealer with Firearm Sentenced to over a Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine from his garage in Lowden, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2024, to 121 months in federal prison.
Dalton James Griebel, age 31, from Davenport, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 10, 2023 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
In April 2022, Griebel sold methamphetamine to an individual inside the garage of Griebel’s home in Lowden. At the time of the sale, Griebel had a firearm in his waistband. When law enforcement later searched the home, they found additional methamphetamine, a digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and parts of firearms and ammunition.
Griebel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Griebel was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Griebel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Cedar County Sherif’s Office, the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, the Muscatine Special Operations Response Team, Tipton Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Clarence Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR- 00020.
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