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Monday 29 January 2024
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Richard Neiss, 52, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also ordered to forfeit his interests in several firearms.
Neiss was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
On June 29, 2022, Neiss was driving a vehicle in Rapid City, when he was stopped by law enforcement. Neiss was the sole occupant. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of six firearms, which Neiss is not allowed to possess due to having a felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Neiss was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Nathan David Hankins, 31, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ten years of Hankins’ federal custody time will run consecutively with previously imposed state and federal custody sentences. Hankins was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hankins was indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He was convicted at a court trial on October 26, 2023.
The conviction stems from Hankins exploiting a 14-year-old female with whom he had a relationship in March of 2014. Hankins was 21 years old at the time.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Hankins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 12 1/2 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. The sentencing took place on January 25, 2024.
Ismael Hernandez, 30, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hernandez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and two counts of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
Starting around July of 2022, and continuing until June 6, 2024, Hernandez traveled to Colorado to obtain fentanyl. He then brought fentanyl back to South Dakota and sold it to other people. Overall, he was responsible for between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl. Also, during this time law enforcement recovered firearms from him on two separate occasions. Hernandez is prohibited from having firearms due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hernandez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 years for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Ike Sowder, 41 was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sowder was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
Beginning around June of 2022, Sowder became involved with co-conspirators in obtaining counterfeit fentanyl pills. Co-conspirators brought the fentanyl to western South Dakota and Sowder actively distributed the fentanyl to others for use and distribution. It was reasonably foreseeable to Sowder that between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl would be distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
Sowder was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Donald Shepersky, 68, was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Shepersky will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Shepersky was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 25, 2023.
Shepersky was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to an upload of child pornography to Kik. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on Shepersky’s residence and located multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination of those devices found hundreds of images of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Shepersky was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Vine Phillip Hayes, age 49, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hayes was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on November 9, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from Hayes’ role in the beating death of a man near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in November of 2021. In the early morning hours of November 28, 2021, Hayes and co-defendants Lance Red Cloud and Michael Red Cloud drove the victim, an adult male, to a remote area outside of Pine Ridge. The defendants pulled the victim out of their vehicle and beat him. They then drove back to Pine Ridge, leaving the victim lying on the ground with severe injuries. The victim subsequently died from his injuries.
Lance Red Cloud pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder, based on his role in the attack, and was sentenced on August 11, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Michael Red Cloud pleaded guilty to Accessory to Second Degree Murder, based on his role in the attack, and was sentenced on December 11, 2023, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
Hayes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Plaquemines Parish Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DWAN RILEY, age 37, and RODERICK PARKER, age 53, both Plaquemines Parish, residents, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. RILEY pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. PARKER pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.
According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents began investigating RILEY, PARKER, and others in October 2019 for narcotics distribution in the metro New Orleans area. The investigation revealed HERBERT RICHARDSON and RAY MARSHALL to be RILEY’s primary sources of supply for counterfeit oxycodone pills, which also contained heroin and fentanyl. On numerous occasions, RICHARDSON and MARSHALL supplied RILEY with 100 to 250 pills containing heroin and fentanyl. Further, MARSHALL regularly supplied RILEY with cocaine as well as supplying PARKER with 25 - 50 heroin and fentanyl pills. RILEY and PARKER would, in turn, distribute the narcotics to their own customers.
RILEY and PARKER each face up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Owner of tax preparation business sentenced to prison for defrauding pandemic relief funding programsRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Georgia woman was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to repay more than half a million dollars she fraudulently obtained from COVID-19 small business relief programs.
Gladys Harun, 44, of Byron, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to lying to a federal investigator, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Harun to pay $552,679 in restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Harun used her knowledge as a tax preparer to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds intended for small businesses struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Such greed-fueled theft from government programs hurts businesses legitimately in need of vital relief efforts.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, Harun was a franchisee of a tax preparation service with multiple locations in Georgia. She admitted to lying to investigators from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General about applications she filed for herself and on behalf of others, including her customers, to obtain more than $550,000 from a California lender through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
“Schemers who stole taxpayer dollars from SBA ‘s Paycheck Protection Program will be brought to justice,” said SBA-OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “This sentence demonstrates that those responsible will be held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”
“This successful effort with our partner agencies is just one example of the Secret Service commitment to aggressively investigate fraud, especially cases that involve government programs designed to help businesses,” said Resident Agent in Charge J. Craig Reno of the U.S. Secret Service Savannah Resident Office. “The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, arrest, and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit fraud in Georgia and across the nation.”
“Harun’s sentencing shows after the expiration of the PPP and EIDL programs more than two years ago, those who fraudulently obtained funds are still being held accountable,” said Maisha Horton, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “There are individuals who believe they’ve gotten away with stealing taxpayers funds through those programs; however, IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners vigorously continue investigating suspects and forwarding our findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for adjudication.”
The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
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.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kyle Jay Hunter Baronville (36, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Baronville faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Baronville in Orange County. During the first controlled purchase, Baronville sold the confidential source 357.3 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. During the second purchase, Baronville sold the confidential source 892.5 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
One Iranian and Two Canadian Nationals Indicted in Murder-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – One Iranian and two Canadian nationals have been charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through March 2021, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, and Adam Richard Pearson, 29, conspired with each other in a plot to murder two residents of the state of Maryland. The defendants, one of whom is based in Iran, used an encrypted messaging service called “SkyECC” to recruit individuals who would travel into the United States to carry out the killings, to discuss the identities and locations of the would-be victims, to plan logistics and mechanics of how to carry out the murders, and to negotiate payment for completion of this “job” in Maryland. The intended victims of this plot, who at the time resided in Maryland, had previously fled to the United States after one of them defected from Iran.
Concurrent with today’s indictment, the Treasury Department took action against Zindashti’s criminal network that targets Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for kidnapping and assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime. Pursuant to today’s designations, Zindashti and several of his key associates are prohibited from engaging in any transaction or dealing that involves a U.S. person or occurs in the United States.
“To those in Iran who plot murders on U.S. soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes – and wherever you are – and deliver justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“As alleged, Mr. Zindashti and his team of gunmen, including a Minnesota resident, used an encrypted messaging service to orchestrate an assassination plot against two individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “Thanks to the skilled work of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents, this murder-for-hire conspiracy was disrupted and the defendants will face justice.”
“Today’s charges show a pattern of Iranian groups trying to murder U.S. residents on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Mr. Zindashti and his accomplices’ alleged plot is reprehensible, and the FBI will not tolerate such acts against U.S. residents, and we will continue to pursue these individuals until they are brought to the U.S. to face justice.”
As alleged in the indictment, between December 2020 and January 2021, Zindashti and Ryan communicated about “jobs,” “equipment,” “tools” and plans to “make some money.” In January 2021, they discussed a job in the United States, with Ryan noting that doing a job in the United States was challenging, but that he “might have someone to do it.” That same day he messaged Pearson about a “job” in Maryland. Pearson stated, “shooting is probably easiest thing for them,” and that he was “on it.” Ryan recommended “2 guys go with proper equipment.” Pearson said he would encourage the recruits for the job to “shoot [the victim] in the head a lot [to] make example” and that he would tell them “we gotta erase his head from his torso.”
On or about Jan. 30, 2021, Zindashti messaged Ryan on SkyECC seeking an update on the job. Ryan responded that he was getting “things in order” and that he would need money. A few days later, Zindashti told Ryan that Zindashti’s organization was ready to move forward. Zindashti and Ryan then agreed on a $350,000 payment for the “job,” in addition to $20,000 to cover expenses. After Zindashti introduced Ryan to Co-Conspirator 1, Ryan responded: “We have a 4 man team ready.”
Over the days that followed, Ryan and Co-Conspirator 1 continued to correspond on SkyECC about the plot. Specifically, Co-Conspirator 1 sent Ryan information about the would-be victims, including their photographs and images of a map that highlighted the victims’ known address. In or around March 8, 2021, Co-Conspirator 1 facilitated a $20,000 payment to Ryan for purposes of covering travel expenses associated with the plot.
All three of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Pearson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States.
Zindashti currently resides in Iran. Ryan and Pearson are currently incarcerated in Canada on unrelated offenses.
The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota, Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Zindashti et al. IndictmentOne Iranian and Two Canadian Nationals Indicted in Murder-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
One Iranian and two Canadian nationals have been charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through March 2021, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, and Adam Richard Pearson, 29, conspired with each other in a plot to murder two residents of the state of Maryland. The defendants, one of whom is based in Iran, used an encrypted messaging service called “SkyECC” to recruit individuals who would travel into the United States to carry out the killings, to discuss the identities and locations of the would-be victims, to plan logistics and mechanics of how to carry out the murders, and to negotiate payment for completion of this “job” in Maryland. The intended victims of this plot, who at the time resided in Maryland, had previously fled to the United States after one of them defected from Iran.
Concurrent with today’s indictment, the Treasury Department took action against Zindashti’s criminal network that targets Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for kidnapping and assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime. Pursuant to today’s designations, Zindashti and several of his key associates are prohibited from engaging in any transaction or dealing that involves a U.S. person or occurs in the United States.
“To those in Iran who plot murders on U.S. soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes – and wherever you are – and deliver justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“As alleged, Mr. Zindashti and his team of gunmen, including a Minnesota resident, used an encrypted messaging service to orchestrate an assassination plot against two individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “Thanks to the skilled work of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents, this murder-for-hire conspiracy was disrupted and the defendants will face justice.”
“Today’s charges show a pattern of Iranian groups trying to murder U.S. residents on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Mr. Zindashti and his accomplices’ alleged plot is reprehensible, and the FBI will not tolerate such acts against U.S. residents, and we will continue to pursue these individuals until they are brought to the U.S. to face justice.”
As alleged in the indictment, between December 2020 and January 2021, Zindashti and Ryan communicated about “jobs,” “equipment,” “tools” and plans to “make some money.” In January 2021, they discussed a job in the United States, with Ryan noting that doing a job in the United States was challenging, but that he “might have someone to do it.” That same day he messaged Pearson about a “job” in Maryland. Pearson stated, “shooting is probably easiest thing for them,” and that he was “on it.” Ryan recommended “2 guys go with proper equipment.” Pearson said he would encourage the recruits for the job to “shoot [the victim] in the head a lot [to] make example” and that he would tell them “we gotta erase his head from his torso.”
On or about Jan. 30, 2021, Zindashti messaged Ryan on SkyECC seeking an update on the job. Ryan responded that he was getting “things in order” and that he would need money. A few days later, Zindashti told Ryan that Zindashti’s organization was ready to move forward. Zindashti and Ryan then agreed on a $350,000 payment for the “job,” in addition to $20,000 to cover expenses. After Zindashti introduced Ryan to Co-Conspirator 1, Ryan responded: “We have a 4 man team ready.”
Over the days that followed, Ryan and Co-Conspirator 1 continued to correspond on SkyECC about the plot. Specifically, Co-Conspirator 1 sent Ryan information about the would-be victims, including their photographs and images of a map that highlighted the victims’ known address. In or around March 8, 2021, Co-Conspirator 1 facilitated a $20,000 payment to Ryan for purposes of covering travel expenses associated with the plot.
All three of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Pearson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States.
Zindashti currently resides in Iran. Ryan and Pearson are currently incarcerated in Canada on unrelated offenses.
The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota, Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Zindashti et al. indictmentOmaha Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Possessing Multiple Firearms as a Felon and over a Pound of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert Peck Jr., 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on Thursday, January 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for felon in possession of a firearm and possession of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Peck to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Peck’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In July 2020, the Omaha Police Department received multiple Crime Stoppers tips regarding Peck selling narcotics and possessing firearms despite his felon status. While executing a search warrant of Peck’s apartment in Omaha, law enforcement seized over a pound of marijuana and four firearms. Peck had previously been convicted of a felony for possession of more than a pound of marijuana and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Northridge Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Charge and Admits to Threatening Mass Shooting of SynagoguesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of stalking and admitted to engaging in a 14-month campaign in which he threatened a victim and threatened to shoot synagogues and “exterminate” Jewish people and Asian Americans.
Andre Morrow Lackner, 35, of Northridge, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking.
According to court documents, from June 2021 to October 2022, Lackner sent a series of abusive text messages to the victim. In these messages, Lackner directed a series of anti-Semitic remarks to the victim, including, “Hitler was right about you people,” “I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this earth,” “Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?” and “I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this Earth.”
Lackner also texted the victim multiple racist statements against Asian Americans, including “We need to start more Asian hate and wipe” Asian people “off the planet too.”
The text messages Lackner sent the victim placed her in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury to herself or one of her immediate family members, according to court documents.
Lackner has been in federal custody since December 2022.
“My office will remain steadfast in standing up to hate and working to unite our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We must hold accountable those like this defendant who make vile, anti-Semitic, and racist threats that put victims in fear for their lives. I applaud law enforcement for acting decisively to intervene and protect the victim.”
“The defendant's abhorrent words and actions caused his victim to experience fear of harm and death,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI urges victims of stalking to contact law enforcement to make a report.”
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a June 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Lackner will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
New Underwood Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a New Underwood, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Kent Joy, 48, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised. Joy was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Joy will be also required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Joy was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction and Possession of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 1, 2023.
The conviction stems from Joy, a person previously convicted for a child pornography offense, knowingly receiving child pornography between April 18, 2018, and September 19, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Joy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DARRAN BOYKINS, age 29, pled guilty on January 25, 2024 to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). BOYKINS up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. BOYKINS’s sentencing is set for April 25, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2021, New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an aggravated assault with a firearm at a residence in the Seventh Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. During the investigation, officers discovered ammunition in a dresser in the residence, along with BOYKINS’s Louisiana identification card. BOYKINS had prior felony convictions punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year, that made his ammunition possession illegal. Most recently, BOYKINS was convicted on January 23, 2019, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Castle Resident Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison and Six Years of Supervised Release for Repeat Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, and for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school, while on federal supervised release for a prior cocaine base trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Forrest Gilmore, 28, also ordering Gilmore to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
In pleading guilty in this case, Gilmore admitted responsibility for distributing 450 grams of cocaine and 25 grams of cocaine base/crack between June 2020 and June 2021 in the New Castle area. In a prior case, he previously was convicted and sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine base in the New Castle area. He was released from his prior federal prison sentence to supervised release in April 2020 and, within two months, started trafficking cocaine and cocaine base again in New Castle in violation of his release conditions and the United States Code.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gilmore.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office Collects Nearly $7.5 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that the District of Nevada collected $7,488,459.50 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $6,794,786.25 was collected in criminal actions and $693,673.25 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Nevada worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $196,131.99 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $56,131.99 was collected in criminal actions and $140,000 was collected in civil actions.
“This significant collection amount is a result of the diligent work by Assistant United States Attorneys and personnel in our Financial Litigation Program and Asset Forfeiture Unit,” said United States Attorney Frierson. “Throughout Fiscal Year 2023, we worked with partners to recover full amounts due to the United States and victims of crimes. These recovered funds will be used for direct victim compensation, victim assistance and state victim compensation grants. I thank our Civil Division team for their dedication and hard work in enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed.”
Highlights of the District of Nevada’s Fiscal Year 2023 collection efforts include:
- United States v. Michael Jones – Working jointly, several Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured the partial pre-payment of restitution from Michael Jones in the amount of $3,000,000. This combined effort ensured that payments would be made to the victims of Jones’ white collar fraud scheme which promised to secure small business grants from the government or other charitable organizations.
- United States v. Lance Kellow – Our office collected $273,375.40 from Lance Kellow as a result of targeted collection litigation. Kellow was convicted by a jury of mail, wire and bank fraud, and was ordered to pay over $800,000 to three financial institutions. The United States has collected and paid over $310,000 to the victims of Kellow’s crimes.
- United States v. Melissa Landgraf – Following the Landgraf’s conviction for wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was advised that Landgraf and her husband were in the process of selling their home in a non-public sale. After advising the escrow company of the restitution lien in favor of Landgraf’s victims, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received the net proceeds of sale in the amount of $134,385.84 and was able to distribute it to Landgraf’s embezzlement victim, who was her prior employer.
The U.S. Attorneys’ 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 victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,313,323 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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Multi-Agency Take Down Results in Illegal Narcotics, Firearm Offenses, and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs, together with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, announced that more than a dozen individuals were charged in federal court in connection with narcotics, firearms, and conspiracy offenses after a targeted violent crime reduction initiative in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas. The indictments are a result of a series of coordinated arrests made following a targeted multi-agency investigation that spanned several months.
In February of 2023, in response to rising violent crime in the Myrtle Beach area, the FBI Columbia Field Office assisted local and state law enforcement agencies in an advanced, intelligence-based, multi-faceted law enforcement operation. The FBI identified communities in Myrtle Beach that were experiencing high levels of gang and narcotics-related violence. The purpose of the operation was to target criminal entities, specifically those engaged in the illegal possession and distribution of narcotics, such as the Rollin’ 90s Crips, G-Shine Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials concentrated resources and personnel in these areas to curb the narcotics trafficking and its related violence.
The joint investigation has led to 13 defendants facing federal charges. Agents seized multiple firearms, ammunition, and various dangerous drugs such as fentanyl.
The following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- Tyrone Louis Harts, Jr., 35, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5oo grams or more of cocaine and less than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Additionally, Harts was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Brandon Javon Sutton, 31, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
- Cedric Lamar Brown, 43, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 4oo grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a quantity of cocaine. Additionally, Brown was charged with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Elizar Edward Marcus, 44, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
- Dorian Derrell Williams, 30, of Conway, and James Jenkins, Jr., 34, of Loris, were charged with conspiring to distribute 4oo grams or more of fentanyl.
- Akeem O’Brien Tisdale-Giles, 33, of Georgetown, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
- Maurice Fleming, 42, of Manning, Edward Pigotte, 45, of Myrtle Beach, and Theron Levon Holmes, 45, of Georgetown, were charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
- Ronald Eric Campbell, 43, of Florence, was charged with conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
- Matthew Tennerrol Brown, 39, of Columbia, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Adam Temple, 39, of Little River, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Police Department, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, Georgetown City Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Conway Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Coastal Carolina University Police Department, 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 15th Circuit DEU, Horry County Fire and Rescue, Charleston Fire Department, Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office, Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The federal cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of Assistant United States Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Ellis.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mobile Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Raheem Morrissette was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Morrissette has four prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. In March 2023, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Morrissette in the Third Precinct during a traffic stop and he had a firearm in his possession. Today United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Morrissette to 57 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender on Monday admitted being caught with child pornography.
David Earl Dey, 38, of Randolph County, Missouri near Moberly, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The investigation began in August of 2022, when the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Dey was in possession of child sexual abuse material that he stored on flash drives. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office also received a tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Dey had uploaded child pornography. Dey is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2008 of first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation and sexual misconduct involving a child.
Dey denied owning flash drives or computers, but a court-approved search of his home found a cell phone and two hidden laptops. The electronic devices contained 102 videos and 764 images containing child pornography, many showing the sexual abuse of toddlers, Dey’s plea agreement says. About 4,000 more files containing “child erotica” were also found.
Dey is scheduled to be sentenced May 1. Both sides have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Sex and Firearm CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mississippi man was sentenced today to 51 month years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in October 2023, Dennis Scott, Jr. pled guilty to traveling from Mississippi to Alabama to engage in commercial sex with a minor and to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. In October 2022, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, the Demopolis Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security were conducting an operation. Scott responded to an online advertisement and began communicating with an undercover agent that Scott believed to be a 14 year old female. When Scott arrived at the meeting location, he was met by local and federal law enforcement. Scott, who was previously convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm, possessed a firearm at the time of his arrest. Today United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Scott to 51 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, and the Demopolis Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mission Man Convicted of Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Louis Andrew Rabbitt, Jr., age 42, of Mission, South Dakota, of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon, and Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex Offender following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 25, 2024.
The charge of Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in custody and a mandatory minimum of five years consecutive to any sentence for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and/or a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. The charge of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. A $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund applies to each count, totaling $300.
Rabbitt was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and December of 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rabbitt failed to update his sex offender registration after moving from his registered address in July of 2023. Rabbitt had continued to fail to update his sex offender registration when the U.S. Marshals Service arrived to arrest Rabbitt pursuant to an arrest warrant on September 20, 2023. In an effort to avoid arrest, Rabbitt threatened Deputy U.S. Marshals with a baseball bat before being apprehended.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service with the assistance of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Venhuizen and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 22, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for the Theft of the “Ruby Slippers” from the Classic 1939 Film “the Wizard of Oz”Read the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, sentenced Terry Jon Martin, age 76, of Grand Rapids, MN, to time served, one year supervised release and $23,500 Restitution to the Judy Garland Children’s Museum for theft of major artwork, an object of cultural heritage from the care, custody, or control of a museum.
Investigation revealed that in 2005, Martin stole an authentic pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz,” from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The ruby slippers, which were recovered by the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department in July 2018, are widely viewed as among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history.
“It took brains, heart, and courage to bring this case to a successful conclusion, and those are qualities our FBI partners have in spades,” Schneider said. “This result is the product of determined efforts by FBI investigators. They secured the safe return of an iconic piece of Americana and, working together with our career prosecutors, provided a measure of justice in this case.”
“The FBI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, worked diligently to bring this case to a resolution," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Today's sentencing underscores our commitment to safeguarding iconic artifacts. The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to exploit and unlawfully acquire pieces of historical memorabilia."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Art Crime Team, and the Grand Rapids, MN, Police Department, with support from FBI Salt Lake City and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley, District of North Dakota.
This matter was assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 515(a).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota will have no additional comment or statements outside this press release.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Mexican National who was living in Richland, Mississippi, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Ivonne Elena Cortez-Acosta, 51, was first apprehended by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in 2000, when she attempted to smuggle 23.84 kilograms of marijuana in the backseat of her vehicle. As a result, she was booked, placed in removal proceedings, and subsequently removed from the United States and returned to Mexico as a Mexican national.
At some point, Cortez-Acosta reentered the United States without inspection and assumed the name and identity of a United States citizen. After assuming the identity, Cortez-Acosta fraudulently applied for Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC). This document can be used to gain access to critical infrastructure areas or sites. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Transportation Security Administration Office were able to intervein and apprehend Cortez-Acosta prior to her receiving a TWIC card.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge Phil Spampinato of the Transportation Security Administration made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Transportation Security Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Transporting and Storing 60 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Francisco Javier Torres Mora, aka Johnathan Benjamin Torres, 30, a Mexican national residing in McFarland, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 60 pounds of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in April 2021, Torres possessed 60 pounds of methamphetamine at a commercial property that he intended to distribute. Law enforcement officers seized the methamphetamine after wire intercepts indicated that Torres was holding the methamphetamine for Jorge Calderon-Campos, 42, also a Mexican national, who was the target of a wiretap investigation that resulted in the seizure of an additional 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram of heroin. The wiretap investigation also uncovered an illegal cockfighting enterprise involving Calderon-Campos, who is charged in a second indictment with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
Co-defendant Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 28, a Mexican national also residing in McFarland, was involved in the 26-pound methamphetamine transaction, and was sentenced earlier this month to 57 months in prison. An associate of Calderon-Campos, Horacio Ortega-Martinez, 36, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, previously entered a guilty plea to the unlawful possession of gamecocks for an animal fighting venture and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Charges are pending against Calderon-Campos and four other co-defendants The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was the product of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff's Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a false identification document bearing someone else’s social security number was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Diego Nava-Barrios, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cascade, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.
In a plea agreement, Nava-Barrios admitted he knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2016 at a business in Anamosa, Iowa, in September 2016 at a business in Cascade, Iowa, and in December 2016 at a business in Farley, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The number on the Social Security card was a real Social Security number assigned to a United States citizen.
Nava-Barrios was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nava-Barrios was sentenced to 99 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sosa-Jimenez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-03.
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Massachusetts Man Arrested for Threatening Local Synagogue; Allegedly Threatened to Kill Members of Jewish Community and Bomb Places of WorshipRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Millis, Mass. man was arrested by federal authorities today for allegedly threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship.
John Reardon, 59, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive. Reardon was arrested this morning and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. Reardon was previously arrested by local law enforcement Jan. 25, 2024 and has remained in custody since.
“The allegations here about the series of threats Mr. Reardon made against the Jewish community are deeply disturbing and reflect the increasing torrent of antisemitism across our country and right here in Massachusetts. The numbers do not lie — incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia are spiking. We will continue to work every day with our federal, state and local partners to track down people who allegedly engage in such hateful conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“John Reardon is accused of using his words as a weapon, leaving a threatening message to frighten members of the Congregation Agudas Achim,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. While the FBI does not and will not police ideology, we take all threats to life seriously, and so should anyone thinking about making one.”
According to the charging documents, on the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, Reardon allegedly called Congregation Agudas Achim, a synagogue in Attleboro, Mass. and left a voicemail making the following statements:
- “You do realize that by supporting genocide that means it’s ok for people to commit genocide against you;”
- “With supporting the killing of innocent little children, that means it’s OK to kill your children;”
- “From the river to the sea;”
- “People are going to use your logic against you, you stupid f**ks;”
- “Guess what? We are going to use your logic —if you can kill the Palestinians, we can kill you;”
- “If you can bomb their f**king places of worship we can bomb yours, if you can kill their children we can kill yours;”
- “You people need to stop the f**king genocide;”
- “End the genocide, or it is time to end Israel and all the Jews;”
- “I supported Jewish people though. Not anymore. A matter of fact I think we should kill you(s) all;” and
- “Have a lousy day and oh don't be surprised if there's pig blood on your steps tomorrow.”
It is further alleged that, within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue as well as a local Jewish affiliated organization. Reardon was arrested by local law enforcement after the calls were made.
The charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Attleboro and Wrentham Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Bristol County District Attorney’s Office; and Bristol County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe and Torey B. Cummings of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Resident Indicted for Multiple Robberies of Georgetown BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 30, a Maryland resident, has been arrested on felony charges after robbing the same business in Georgetown multiple times while using a firearm. McBean is charged in an indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, with four felony counts of violating the Hobbs Act, which prohibits individuals from actual or attempted robbery which affects interstate commerce.
As detailed in the indictment, from November 23, 2023 to January 8, 2024, McBean robbed the Glover Park Market located at 2411 37th Street NW. During this timeframe, McBean robbed the market of over $1000, often using a handgun and ordering the store employee to give him the money from the register.
Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on Friday, January 26, 2024, following his indictment. He made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Monday, January 29, 2024, before the Honorable Judge G. Michael Harvey. A detention hearing is currently set for Thursday, February 1, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Lipes and Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
Manderson Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Sequoyah Mark West, Jr., 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
West was indicted for Second Degree Murder by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge of Voluntary Manslaughter on November 17, 2023. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The conviction stems from West killing a man by beating and asphyxiation in April of 2023, at Manderson.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
West was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 30 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Maine man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord in connection to trafficking approximately14 kilograms (30 pounds) of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Brian Strout, 46, of Turner, Maine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely methamphetamine. Chief Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. The defendant and his co-defendant spouse, Tara Christian, were charged by indictment on August 1, 2022. Christian pleaded guilty to similar charges on December 7, 2023.
On July 7, 2022, investigators received information that Strout and Christian were obtaining a supply of methamphetamine while at a casino in Everett, Massachusetts. Investigators conducted surveillance at the casino and located Strout and Christian loading bags into their vehicle and driving north toward New Hampshire on Interstate 93. When investigators stopped the vehicle, the defendants were found with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that a FedEx package containing even more methamphetamine was enroute to the defendants in Maine. Agents located and searched the package and seized an additional 11.2 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
The charging statute provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police, and Everett (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a Murder in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced MS-13 member Kevin Alexander Castillo Calderon, a/k/a “Fantasma,” “Ghost,” “Eterno,” and “Josue Argueta Gonzalez,” age 25, of Adelphi, Maryland, to 26 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, including a murder, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, operate throughout the United States, including in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Castillo Calderon and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Weedams Locos Salvatruchs (“WLS”) clique of MS-13.
Members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, at all times, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in court documents, on August 8, 2020, WLS members, including Castillo Calderon, WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres and Franklyn Sanchez, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Castillo Calderon, Torres, Sanchez and other WLS members agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. Castillo Calderon then picked up a large rock and dropped it on Victim 4’s head. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, other WLS members were called and ordered to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. In addition, at Torres’ direction, Castillo Calderon took the guns used to shoot Victim 4 and Victim 4’s cell phone, put them in a bag he was carrying and disposed of the evidence. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
Castillo Calderon was also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while flashing firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Brayan Alexander Torres a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, and Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Freddy,” “Magic,” “Miclo,” and “Delinquente,” age 26, both of Adelphi, Maryland, were each previously sentenced to 28 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
These cases are 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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
These cases are also Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. 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.
United States Attorney Barron and Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri commended the FBI, HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, including murder, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
According to court documents, Kevin Alexander Castillo Calderon, also known as Fantasma, Ghost, Eterno, and Josue Argueta Gonzalez, 25, of Adelphi, and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS) clique of MS-13. MS-13 is one of the largest street gangs in the United States and is composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other Central American countries.
Members of MS-13 are expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, at all times, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
On Aug. 8, 2020, WLS members, including Castillo Calderon and co-defendants WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres, 30, of Adelphi, and Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, 26, also of Adelphi, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Castillo Calderon, Torres, Sanchez, and other WLS members agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then other WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. Once in the stream, Castillo Calderon picked up a large rock and dropped it on Victim 4’s head. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, other WLS members were called and ordered to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. In addition, at Torres’ direction, Castillo Calderon took the guns used to shoot Victim 4 and Victim 4’s cell phone, put them in a bag he was carrying, and disposed of the evidence. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
Castillo Calderon was also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of physical violence by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while displaying firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Castillo Calderon pleaded guilty in August 2023 to RICO conspiracy.
Torres and Sanchez were each previously sentenced to 28 years in prison upon their prior guilty pleas. The court also ordered each to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department investigated the case, with substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Montgomery County Police Department.
Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. Call the FBI tipline at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or the HSI tipline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Kyle Man Sentenced to over 22 Years in Federal Prison for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
Rapid City - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Lloyd S. Yankton Jr., 43, was sentenced to a total of 22 years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Judge Kobes imposed a 90-month sentence on each of the three counts and ordered the sentences to run consecutively.
Yankton was indicted for Kidnapping, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2023.
The conviction stems from Yankton assaulting his significant other with a blow torch and a metal bar in July of 2023, which caused serious bodily injury. Yankton also beat the same woman in July of 2022 with a metal pole, which was a dangerous weapon.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Yankton was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kern County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution, and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Andrew James Sarnowski, 25, of Rosamond, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, for production, distribution, and receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Sarnowski produced multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of a minor less than a year of age and shared them online through an encrypted social media application. Pursuant to a search of his residence, additional electronic devices belonging to Sarnowski were identified and found to contain hundreds of additional child pornography files, including those depicting prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Jamestown woman pleads guilty for her role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stacey Beardsley aka Stacey J. Peterson, 37, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Roemer to misprision of felony, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between late 2018, and March 2020, Beardsley’s husband, Rocco Beardsley, was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Rocco Beardsley purchased and distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in the Jamestown area. Stacey Beardsley knew of these drug trafficking activities, financially benefited from his activities, and actively concealed and assisted in his drug trafficking activities. Following an arrest in May 2019, Rocco Beardsley called Stacey Beardsley from jail and asked her to go to Erie, PA, to get his “stuff.” She failed to notify any authority about the request, and instead drove to Erie, PA, as requested to pick up Rocco Beardsley’s stuff, including drugs. On her way back to Jamestown, Stacey Beardsley was stopped by law enforcement and a search of her vehicle recovered quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2020, two controlled purchases of drugs from Rocco Beardsley took place at the residence he shared with Stacey Beardsley, who failed to notify any authority of the federal felony conduct. Charges are pending against Rocco Beardsley.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division. OCDETF.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Information Technology Professional Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen MacBooksRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Andrew Halvorsen, 49, of Livermore, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Halvorsen worked as the Senior Director of Information Technology for a cloud-based machine data analytics company. In his role at the company, Halvorsen was responsible for ordering Apple MacBooks for company employees. In November 2019, Halvorsen began stealing MacBooks that he ordered and sold for cash to an individual who, in turn, resold and shipped them to buyers outside the state of California. In total, Halvorsen stole and sold at least 141 MacBooks. The cost to his employer of those MacBooks was over $535,000.
This case is a product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller is scheduled to sentence Halvorsen on April 15, 2024. Halvorsen faces 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.
Houma Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JARRETT SCURTO, age 36, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 25, 2024 to 210 months imprisonment, five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. SCURTO previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).
According to court documents, on April 28, 2021, SCURTO, a known methamphetamine distributor in Terrebonne Parish, was stopped by law enforcement while traveling on Louisiana Highway 182. A subsequent search of SCURTO’s vehicle revealed the presence of 58 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden in his trunk.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Terrebonne Parish Sherriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – LUIS LEMUS-MARTINEZ, age 34, was indicted on January 25, 2024, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, LUIS LEMUS-MARTINEZ, (“LEMUS-MARTINEZ”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on October 14, 2009. If convicted, LEMUS-MARTINEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine , up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr.,of the General Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Hobbs Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced today that Zachary Ray Gonzales was sentenced to 63 months in prison. Gonzales, 28, of Hobbs, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 10, 2023.
According to court records, on March 19, 2022, deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Gonzales for an arrest warrant for first-degree murder. Gonzales was arrested and the vehicle he had been driving was towed. Deputies secured a search warrant for the vehicle. During the resulting search, deputies located a handgun on the rear passenger side floorboard. Gonzales had multiple prior felony convictions. As a previously convicted felon, Gonzales could not possess a firearm or ammunition.
In 2023, Gonzales pled guilty to state charges of voluntary manslaughter, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery and was sentenced to 15 years in state prison, which will run consecutive to the federal 63-month sentence. Therefore, Gonzales will serve over 20 years in prison between his state and federal time. Upon his release from prison, Gonzales will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ry Ellison is prosecuting the case.
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HSI San Juan Arrests Two Men on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two men were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.
On January 26, 2024, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested Elvin Jhohanie Molina-Rosado, a 35-year-old man from Corozal.
A federal grand jury indicted Molina-Rosado on January 24, 2024, with four counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, Sexual Enticement of a Minor, Receipt of Child Exploitation Material, and Possession of Child Exploitation Material.
According to court documents, from February of 2020 through April of 2022, the defendant used his computer, cellular phones, and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a female minor, between 12 and 14 years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Molina-Rosado produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view, said material containing images of child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, is prosecuting the case.
In a separate case, Edwin Martínez-Ortiz, a 45-year-old man from Caguas was arrested on January 26, 2024, by HSI’s agents from the Fajardo office.
A federal indictment and arrest warrant were issued on January 24, 2024, against Martínez-Ortiz with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children and Possession of Child Exploitation material.
According to the indictment, from March of 2016 through May 1, 2022, the defendant knowingly used a cellular phone to induce a minor between 10 and 16 years of age to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce and transmit the depiction of such conduct. During the same period, Martínez-Ortiz possessed, and accessed with intent to view, images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Martínez-Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
“We are committed to bringing the defendants in these cases to justice and protecting every child,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the agents and state and local partners who are relentless in their pursuit of child predators.”
Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan said: “Crimes Against Children have a direct impact in our society. Individuals that attack our most vulnerable will be prosecuted and taken to face justice. HSI Agents will protect our children from these predators by dedicating all efforts towards gathering evidence from electronic devices and our multidisciplinary team will assist the victims and their families to ensure their mental health during these investigations.”
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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About Homeland Security Investigations
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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Guam Cryptocurrency Broker Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for $5.5 Million Bitcoin SchemeRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Julien Abat Weymouth, age 32, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. He was charged with Operating an Unlawful Money Transmitting Business, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1960. The Court also ordered 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
From January 2020 to April 2021, Julien Abat Weymouth was engaged in the operation of an unlawful money transmitting business involving the exchange and transfer of cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin. Weymouth solicited cash and cryptocurrency from “clients" or "investors" within and outside the District of Guam, and transmitted the bitcoin to a third-party, William Ichioka, located outside of Guam for purported investment purposes. Ichioka operated a fraudulent investment scheme known as Ichioka Ventures. Ichioka was prosecuted separately in the Northern District of California.
Weymouth guaranteed his clients and investors a percentage return on their alleged investment and kept any excess return over and above the guaranteed rate as his fee. As part of his scheme, Weymouth solicited and accepted funds and cryptocurrency from individuals involved in illegal activity. Operating as a cryptocurrency exchanger and engaged in the business of transmitting funds on behalf of others to third parties for a fee, he failed to register with FinCEN and failed to comply with federal regulations governing money transmitters.
During the time of his scheme, Weymouth transmitted funds and cryptocurrency worth approximately $5,517,323.48. He generated significant personal profits which he reinvested into various forms of cryptocurrency, held in bank accounts, and funded the purchase of vehicles and other assets. As part of his plea agreement, Weymouth stipulated to the forfeiture of over 200 Bitcoin with a present value of over $8 million, 6 vehicles, and $127,000 in a PenFed bank account.
“Cryptocurrencies are often used to facilitate fraudulent activity,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “These financial assets do not guarantee anonymity, as generally perceived by criminals. Our office will continue to target unlicensed money transmitting, money laundering, and any other unlawful transactions associated with cryptocurrency.
“U.S. Secret Service Guam Resident Office is dedicated to protecting our nation’s citizens within the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands,” said Resident Agent in Charge Neal de Paz. “We appreciate federal law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Guam Police Department, whose hard work and dedication ensured successful outcome in this complex investigation.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Getaway Driver from Stratton Sentenced to 4 Years for Role in Violent Attempted Theft of Drugs from Rangeley HomeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Stratton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court today for his role in a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced John Raymond, 36, to 48 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, in July 2016, Raymond, along with others, developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 28, 2016, Raymond purchased drugs from the owner of the residence, confirming the illegal drug trafficking. He then drove two of the co-conspirators to the residence later the same evening, remaining in the car while the two men entered the home. During the commission of the robbery, the intended target of the robbery shot and killed one of the co-conspirators. Raymond fled the scene when he heard the commotion and was later stopped by police officers while driving another co-conspirator to a bus station.
Co-conspirators Andre Muller (aka “Dre Muller”), 53, and Robert Holland (aka “Kurt Holland”), 44, both of New York, were both convicted in a jury trial in November 2023 and are awaiting sentencing. Hector Munoz, 56, of Florida pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 12, 2024 to 54 months imprisonment.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Maine State Police; Rangeley Police Department; U.S. Border Patrol; and Carrabassett Valley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
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Georgia Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced John David Horton (38, Georgia) to 10 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl. Horton had pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2022, agents with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit were conducting surveillance when they observed Horton exit a vehicle carrying a black bag. After Horton returned to the vehicle with the bag, agents continued to conduct surveillance and observed multiple traffic violations, resulting in a traffic stop. A police canine then provided a positive alert to the odor of illegal narcotics, leading to a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers located a black bag matching the bag Horton was observed carrying, which contained 283.8 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine and 167.4 grams of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Georgia Man Admits Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Norcross, Georgia with connections to St. Louis on Monday admitted fraudulently obtaining a pandemic loan.
Chad E. “JBo” Brown, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of bank fraud and one count of using a false writing or document. As part of his plea, Brown admitted fraudulently applying for and receiving a $20,833 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was intended to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 27, 2021, Brown applied for the PPP loan for Popular Music Group LLC. He listed gross income in 2020 of $178,653 and submitting a fraudulent 2020 IRS Schedule C showing the same amount of gross income for the company. On his tax returns for that year, however, Brown reported an adjusted gross income of $7,249, and the only Schedule C was for “towing services.” That Schedule C listed gross income of $8,250. Brown did not file a Schedule C for Popular Music Group in 2019 or 2020.
The $20,833 was deposited into Brown’s credit union on June 29, 2021. Brown did not use the money for expenses authorized by the Small Business Administration. He wired $10,025 to a marketing and promotion company, withdrew $2,703 in cash and transferred money to his sister, his girlfriend and others, his plea agreement says.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced April 24. The bank fraud charge is punishable by a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both. The false document charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Brown is currently being held in jail, in part because he is a self-reported member of the “Black Mafia Family” street gang.
The broader investigation into the Black Mafia Family is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Louis County Police Department and other members of the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Four Plead Guilty to Healthcare Offenses, Including Doctor and Lab OwnersRead the Press Release
Four defendants in separate, but related, cases pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to pay and receive kickbacks in relation to toxicology tests, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Mark Rubin, 58, Renee Field, 44, Kelly Nelson, 52, and Carlos Hornedo, 61, were all charged via felony informations in December 2023. Mr. Rubin, on January 17th, and Mr. Hornedo, on January 10th, both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks. On December 13th, Ms. Field and Ms. Nelson both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks. The defendants each face a maximum penalty of not more than five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and may be ordered to pay restitution.
According to the plea documents filed in the case, Ms. Fields was the owner and the Clinical Director at RK Clinical Solutions, LLC (“RK”). Ms. Nelson was the co-owner of RK. RK sought to financially incentivize medical providers to send tests to RK by providing them with illegal financial incentives that were disguised as legitimate business transactions.
Dr. Rubin, a pain management doctor, agreed to submit the majority of his toxicology orders to RK in exchange for kickbacks He also agreed to order a significant number of toxicology tests to justify the kickbacks. RK was paid by Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in excess of $481,000 and in exchange, Dr. Rubin received over $330,000 in kickbacks. The kickbacks consisted of medical advisor agreement, in which Dr. Rubin would be paid for theoretical advisory services. Dr. Rubin did not perform services sufficient to justify his compensation, was not paid on an hourly rate, and the agreements were used as a way to funnel kickbacks to Dr. Rubin.
In a similar fashion, Dr. Hornedo, a medical doctor, agreed to order certain toxicology tests for patients he saw and ordered the test to be performed by Unified Laboratory Services, LLC (“Unified”) and Spectrum Diagnostic Laboratory, LLC (“Spectrum”). Dr. Hornedo agreed to submit a substantial number of his toxicology orders to Unified and Spectrum in exchange for kickbacks. He submitted orders that resulted in billings by Unified and Spectrum in excess of $4,100,000 to federal health care programs. In exchange, Dr. Hornedo received approximately $412,000 in kickbacks, $45,000 in lease payments, $109,000 in medical advisor payments and ownership shares in Reliable Labs, LLC.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and the Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General is investigating the case, along with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Nancy Larson are prosecuting.
Former Owner of Austin Dental Practices Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Pearland man was sentenced in federal court in Austin to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution after being convicted of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Clinton Finch Herzog, 49, defrauded investors in his dental practices of hundreds of thousands of dollars between 2016 and 2018. Herzog’s investors agreed to make capital investments in limited liability companies created by Herzog to manage dental practices. Herzog promised, among other things, that the relevant limited liability companies would not commingle investor funds with assets of any other person. Herzog routinely violated the limited liability company agreements by commingling investor funds with his own personal funds and by diverting investors’ money for his own personal use, including to pay for expensive meals, airline tickets and travel expenses, liquor, and jewelry.
In addition to imposing the 36-month prison sentence, the court sentenced Herzog to a supervised release term of three years and ordered him to pay $2,182,760.63 in restitution.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen prosecuted the case.
*The mention of “Austin Dental Practices” in the headline of this press release does not infer that Mr. Herzog was the owner of the business named Austin Dental, and the two are not implied to be associated with each other.
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Former Lawton Hotel Manager Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Federal Prison for $103,000 Bribery Scheme with Former Army Training Center ManagerRead the Press Release
Former Army Manager also sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribes to favor hotel
OKLAHOMA CITY – This month, ALFRED PALMA, 65, of Duncan, and CANDY HANZA, 51, of Medicine Park, were each sentenced to serve time in federal prison for bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count Indictment against Palma and Hanza. According to the Indictment, Palma, a United States Army employee and public official, was the manager of the Institutional Training Directed Lodging and Meals (ITDLM) program at Fort Sill, through which he booked hotel rooms for soldiers who attended off-post trainings. Hanza worked as the general manager of a local hotel in Lawton. The Indictment alleges that Hanza paid Palma bribes to direct soldiers to Hanza’s hotel.
In July 2023, Palma and Hanza pleaded guilty to the bribery scheme. Palma pleaded guilty to receiving bribes totaling $103,200.00 from Hanza in return for favoring the hotel at which Hanza worked as general manager. Palma further admitted that he used the cash bribes to purchase money orders from Walmart, which he later deposited into his personal checking account, along with the checks that Hanza gave him. Hanza pleaded guilty to paying a bribe to Palma as a public official.
At a sentencing hearing on January 19, 2024, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Hanza to serve 18 months in federal prison.
At a sentencing hearing on January 25, 2024, Judge Wyrick sentenced Palma to serve 29 days in federal prison, followed by eleven months in home confinement. In announcing Palma’s sentence, Judge Wyrick emphasized the importance of general deterrence in public corruption cases, noting that when people in positions of public trust accept bribes then there is a cost to the government and to society.
A restitution hearing for both defendants will be held at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Former IRS Contractor Sentenced for Disclosing Tax Return Information to News OrganizationsRead the Press Release
A former IRS contractor was sentenced today to five years in prison for disclosing thousands of tax returns without authorization.
“Charles Littlejohn abused his position as a consultant at the Internal Revenue Service by disclosing thousands of Americans’ federal tax returns and other private financial information to news organizations. He violated his responsibility to safeguard the sensitive information that was entrusted to his care, and now he is a convicted felon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message that those who violate laws intended to protect sensitive tax information will face significant punishment.”
According to court documents, Charles Littlejohn, 38, of Washington, D.C., while working at the IRS as a government contractor, stole tax return information associated with a high-ranking government official (Public Official A). Littlejohn accessed tax returns associated with Public Official A (and related individuals and entities) on an IRS database after using broad search parameters designed to conceal the true purpose of his queries. He then uploaded the tax returns to a private website in order to avoid IRS protocols established to detect and prevent large downloads or uploads from IRS devices or systems. Littlejohn then saved the tax returns to multiple personal storage devices, including an iPod, before contacting News Organization 1. Between around August 2019 and October 2019, Littlejohn provided News Organization 1 with the tax return information associated with Public Official A. Littlejohn subsequently stole additional tax return information related to Public Official A and provided it to News Organization 1. Beginning in September 2020, News Organization 1 published a series of articles about Public Official A’s tax returns using the tax return information obtained from Littlejohn.
“This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who is considering emulating Mr. Littlejohn’s actions,” said Acting Inspector General Heather Hill of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “TIGTA relentlessly investigates individuals who illicitly access and disclose taxpayer information, regardless of their personal motivation. TIGTA appreciates the commitment of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in ensuring those who abuse their positions of public trust are held accountable for their actions.”
In July and August 2020, Littlejohn separately stole tax return information for thousands of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. Littlejohn was again able to evade detection by uploading the tax return information to a private website. In November 2020, Littlejohn disclosed this tax return information to News Organization 2, which published nearly 50 articles using the stolen data. Littlejohn then obstructed the forthcoming investigation into his conduct by deleting and destroying evidence of his disclosures.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in October 2023 to unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information.
TIGTA investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson and Deputy Chief Jennifer Clarke of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man on drug charge involving death of a toddlerRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Javonte Holloway, 23, of Buffalo, NY, with distribution of controlled substances causing death and trafficking in counterfeit drugs causing death. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on December 2, 2022, Holloway distributed fentanyl, which caused the death of a toddler. In addition, Holloway sold counterfeit M-30 oxycodone hydrochloride pills containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino, III, New York Field Division, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Drug Trafficking Complaint Follows Seizure of Thirty-two Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the arrest of three individuals for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 32 kilograms of cocaine in Spring Hill, Tennessee, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
The complaint charges Karla Lissette Hernandez, 41, Karla L. Ayala Hernandez, 18, and Ronald Giovanni Flores, 37, all from Houston, Texas, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On January 17, 2024, the three were travelling in a truck which a Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputy determined was speeding and following another vehicle too closely in snowy and icy conditions. None of the occupants had a valid driver’s license. A K9 indicated the possible presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 32 kilograms of cocaine wrapped in black electrical tape, 30 of which were concealed inside the door panels of the truck.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
A Criminal Complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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