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5 March 2024
Mexican National Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ALEJANDRO AGUILAR-RAMOS, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on February 27, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 78 months incarceration, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Judge Vitter also ordered a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, in March of 2023, AGUILAR-RAMOS knowingly conspired and agreed with others to pick up a bag containing over 9 kilograms of methamphetamine in Dallas, Texas, then work with others to transport the bag and the narcotics within, from Texas to Kenner, Louisiana.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Methuen Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analog and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man pleaded guilty yesterday to drug conspiracy charges involving distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analog and cocaine.
Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analog. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024. Lopez-Gonzalez was indicted in April 2023 along with Erickson Castro Perez and Gustavo Adolfo Reyes Gonzalez.
Between June 2022 and January 2023, Lopez-Gonzalez and his alleged co-conspirators sold fentanyl and fentanyl analog to undercover law enforcement on six separate occasions in Haverhill and Boxford. A search of a Haverhill-based stash location used by Lopez-Gonzalez and his alleged co-conspirators on Jan. 23, 2023, resulted in the seizure of additional quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analog, cocaine and other narcotics. Additionally, an illegal firearm, ammunition, more than $35,000 in U.S. currency and two high-end watches were also seized from Lopez-Gonzalez's home.
In total, approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl analog was seized over the course of the investigation.
Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez is the second defendant in this case to plead guilty. Castro Perez plead guilty in February 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analog, provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mescalero Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Assault on Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jeremy Dennis was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Dennis, 43, of Mescalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Dennis pled guilty to assault on a federal officer in Indian Country on June 26, 2023.
According to publicly available court documents, on Dec. 25, 2022, shortly after 10 p.m., an officer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs responded to the Dennis’ residence on the Mescalero Apache reservation to conduct a welfare check. Dennis’ family members had called the police because Dennis was smoking methamphetamine in the laundry room of the house. The officer attempted to arrest Dennis’ for child abuse for smoking with a minor in the house, but Dennis grabbed his minor child and would not let go. The officer and a family members tried to release Dennis’s grip on the child but were unable to do so. Finally, the officer deployed pepper spray on Dennis, which caused him to release the child and the family member was able to grab the child and leave the area.
Dennis then punched and kicked the officer before throwing him to the ground and straddling him. Dennis grabbed the officers bulletproof vest pressed it into the officer’s neck, attempting to strangle him and cut off his air supply. Backup arrived on scene and together the officers were able to subdue Dennis.
Upon his release from prison, Dennis will be subject to 2 years of supervised release.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Mercer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Denise R. Allen, 29, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 16, 2023, Allen and another individual were apprehended at a gun store in Princeton, West Virginia. Following their arrest, Allen and the other individual consented to a search by law enforcement officers of a truck they had rented using a stolen identity. Officers found 431 grams of methamphetamine, 21 grams of fentanyl and two Glock 9mm semiautomatic handguns during the search of the rental truck. Allen further admitted that she and the other individual possessed the methamphetamine and fentanyl and intended to distribute it.
Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at last three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-196.
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McAlester Resident Sentenced for Assaulting Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Buster Leo Garrett, age 57, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for an assault on an intimate partner which resulted in substantial bodily injury.
The charges arose from investigations by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On February 17, 2023, Garrett pleaded guilty to one count of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner in Indian Country. According to investigators, on June 25, 2021, Garrett assaulted an intimate and dating partner while boating on Lake Eufaula. The attack resulted in substantial bodily injury to the victim. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Garrett was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Funds Intended to Help Veterans at Risk of SuicideRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was indicted in connection with defrauding a nonprofit health care provider to obtain funds designated for reducing suicide rates among veterans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, was indicted on wire fraud and federal program fraud charges. Duren will appear in federal court in Concord today.
According to the charging documents, Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was in charge of overseeing a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide. At Duren’s recommendation, the health care provider hired a company called “E3 Foundation” to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant. E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a “Dr. Michael Rapp.” However, unbeknownst to the health care provider, Duren controlled E3 Foundation and was pretending to be “Dr. Michael Rapp” on emails and calls.
Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $25,000 before being discovered. He used a website called “Invoice Generator” to create fake invoices. Duren and E3 Foundation also did not provide the services and products that he billed for. Instead, Duren misused the Staff Sergeant Fox program funds on personal purchases, including landscaping, a Royal Caribbean cruise, and payments to models on OnlyFans.com.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of federal program fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $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.
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Maryland Man Sentenced for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Malachi Michael George, age 20, of Cumberland, Maryland, was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for trafficking firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation began with a shots-fired incident in Maryland, leading officers to several firearms traced to Quinton Baker. Baker purchased the firearms in Mineral County, West Virginia, and sold them to George. George then sold those firearms for cash. During a search of George’s home, investigators witnessed George discard a 9mm pistol, a bag of crack cocaine, and $4,000 out of one of the apartment’s windows.
George will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Baker was sentenced to five years of probation earlier this year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Charged in Shooting of a DCHA Police OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor Scott Terrill, 40, of Landover, Maryland, had an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court on a criminal complaint charging federal firearms offenses – in addition to Superior Court charges of felony assault on a law enforcement officer – for the February 29, 2024, shooting of a District Housing Authority Police officer in Southeast Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. The injured officer was seriously wounded and is still recovering from his injuries.
According to court documents, two police officers from the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) were dispatched to a Southeast apartment building for a report of a disturbance early on the morning of February 29, 2024. During his interactions with the responding DCHA officers, Terrill pulled out a handgun and fired a shot, striking one DCHA officer in the abdomen. Terrill fled through the hallway and down a westside staircase. The officers chased Terrill while calling for backup and split up. As the uninjured officer exited the building, he observed two flashes of muzzle fire and heard two additional gunshots, appearing to be exchanged between Terrill and the injured DCHA officer. The uninjured officer then rendered aide to the injured DCHA officer, who had been shot. When help arrived, the DCHA officer was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.
Additional officers responded to the scene and began canvassing for Terrill. Citizens reported seeing Terrill enter 1331 4th Street, SE. Law enforcement barricaded the building. Surveillance cameras inside the building captured Terrill placing a handgun into a trashcan in the building’s parking garage. Minutes later, Terrill is seen via video surveillance seen pulling a fire alarm. Terrill eventually was detained by the Emergency Response Team without incident. Investigators found a Smith & Wesson 40 Caliber handgun in the trashcan.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, prosecutors asked Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather to order Terrill detained pending trial. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 8, where the court will determine whether to release Terrill or detain him.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Indicted and Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez, 25, of Jayuya, PR, for child exploitation.
According to court documents, from December 2021 throughout May 2023, Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez sexually exploited four different minor females, between the ages of 12 and 16, with the intent that the minors engage in sexual activity, and to obtain sexually explicit images of the minors.
Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez is facing four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor for using a cellular phone, instant messaging services, and social media to engage in sexual activity and to engage in sexually explicit conduct with four different female minors; four counts of sexual exploitation of children for engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct; and two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
“Once again we call on all citizens: If you see something, say something,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “Those who engage in child exploitation and create child sexual abuse material will be tracked down and held accountable for their heinous conduct.”
“This case is an example that if we all work together by sharing information and using our common sense to report something that just doesn’t seem right, we can save children from sex predators. We want to thank our HUD-OIG colleagues who understood the importance of collaboration and worked hand in hand with our team to make this investigation possible,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan. “The investigation is ongoing, and we need the public to come forward and be a part of the solution. If you have been a victim of this subject or know someone who may have been, call 787-987-6500. The FBI San Juan Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Squad works around the clock to detect, locate, and arrest sexual predators.”
“Today’s arrest reflects the unwavering commitment of our agents to seek justice for victims and hold bad actors accountable for this conduct,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Daniel López with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southeast Region. “HUD OIG will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and ensure our communities are safe.”
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to life, and for production of child pornography he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen years up to 30 years; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) provided significant assistance during the ongoing investigation.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, is prosecuting the case.
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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Man Convicted of $5.6M International Advance-Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted an Indiana man yesterday for his role in an international advance-fee scheme orchestrated from Nigeria that defrauded victims of over $5.6 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from at least February 2015 to January 2018, Tochukwu Nwosisi, 52, of Indianapolis, participated in an advance-fee scheme involving fraudulent offers of investment funding and inheritances to victims around the world. His co-conspirators, who were based in Nigeria, induced victims to make large wire payments to bank accounts in the United States on the false belief that payment of the purported advance fees was necessary before the bank would release their funding or inheritance. Nwosisi served as a money launderer who accepted victim funds into his U.S. bank accounts and directed the proceeds to the ringleaders in Nigeria.
The jury convicted Nwosisi of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI Houston Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Hileman of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (DOS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and DOS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Latham for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Mail Carrier Sentenced for Obstructing the Mail and Diverting Mail PackagesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for obstructing the mail by diverting multiple packages in his custody.
Rafael De Los Angeles, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (approximately one day in prison) and six months of supervised release. In December 2023, De Los Angeles pleaded guilty to five counts of obstruction of mail.
On five separate occasions in August 2017, De Los Angeles knowingly and willfully obstructed the passage of five mailed packages he was responsible for delivering. On each occasion, De Los Angeles drove the packages to different locations that were not listed as the delivery addresses. There, he scanned the packages to record them as having been delivered to the correct addresses before ripping off the address labels and giving the packages to someone other than the listed recipients.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Luke Goldworm of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 78 Months’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dario George, age 32, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy Mannion, to 78 months’ imprisonment of the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, George previously pleaded guilty and admitted to distributing between 280 grams and 400 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area in 2021 and 2022. The charge stems from an investigation in which investigators made four purchases of fentanyl from George and then, on May 19, 2022, obtained a search warrant for George’s residence in Nanticoke. A search of that residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 30,000 individual bags of fentanyl and additional amounts of heroin and cocaine, $8098 in U.S. currency, and drug packaging materials.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Covington, Louisiana man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 1,000 pills laced with fentanyl.
Santana Phillipe Elzy, 23, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Agents surveilled the motel and were able to narrow down the suspected parties and rooms. During surveillance, agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the Motel 6 to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Once the vehicle departed, agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the occupants of the vehicle, who were identified as Christopher Fricke, Kolby Sims, Emma Stoute, and Dakari Sykes, participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction with an individual, later identified as Santana Elzy, at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Louisiana. After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop where they recovered approximately 1,000 fentanyl laced pills and it was confirmed that Elzy had sold the group the pills for distribution in the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
Elzy plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Christopher Fricke and Emma Stoute have pled guilty and will be sentenced later this year. The cases against Dakari Sykes and Kolby Sims remain pending.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Evans Hughes, 51, of Sumerco, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2018, Hughes sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the South Charleston area of Kanawha County. Hughes admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on seven other occasions between July 2018 and November 2018.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-83.
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Liberty County woman sentenced for passport-related federal violationsRead the Press Release
Beaumont, Texas – A Mexican national illegally living in Dayton has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Margarita Torres Barajas, 50, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a passport application and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on March 4, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on October 11, 2021, Barajas entered the U.S. Post Office in Beaumont to apply for a U.S. passport. Barajas claimed to be a citizen of the United States while in fact, she was a citizen of Mexico. Barajas used a social security card and Puerto Rican birth certificate she found in New York City to apply for the passport. The social security card and birth certificate belonged to a U.S. citizen. Barajas also used these items to apply for a state identification card from another state.
This case was investigated by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
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Leader of $6.8 million pandemic fraud scheme sentenced to 5 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – The leader of a wide-ranging fraud scheme that stole more than $3.3 million from federally funded pandemic assistance programs was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Paradise Williams, 29, personally received more than $2 million in fraudulent proceeds and spent the money on luxury cars, lavish trips, cosmetic surgery, jewelry, and designer goods. Overall, the fraud ring sought to steal more than $6.8 million, in pandemic benefits from nearly every major pandemic assistance program. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “These were serious and terrible crimes. [Williams and her co-defendants] stole from programs designed to help members of their community during the pandemic.”
“Paradise Williams was relentless in her efforts to steal pandemic benefits throughout the entire duration of our national emergency, and it is unconscionable that she funded a life of luxury by stealing millions in taxpayer funds that should have prevented King County residents from being evicted in the winter,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Combatting pandemic fraud is a priority for our district, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for exploiting a national crisis.”
According to records in the case, from June 2020 to February 2022, Williams personally submitted over 125 fraudulent applications for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds administered by King County, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits. Williams enlisted over 50 associates, including her five codefendants, to obtain more than $3.3 million by posing as fake tenants, landlords, and small business owners in need of assistance. In submitting these applications, Williams, among other things, created falsified bank statements, tenant ledgers, and landlord attestations.
Upon receipt of the illegal funds, Williams and her associates methodically laundered the funds through cash withdrawals, wire transfers, and expensive luxury purchases. In addition to fraudulently obtaining over $700,000 directly from administrating agencies, Williams received more than $1.2 million in kickback payments from her associates for facilitating the fraudulent submissions.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Williams will pay restitution in the amounts of $2,791,241 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and $512,730 to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The defendant will forfeit $2,023,104, the proceeds Williams personally obtained through the scheme. Williams will also forfeit a Lexus sedan and a Range Rover SUV that she purchased with the fraudulent gains.
Williams’ codefendants D’Arius Jackson, Tia Robinson, Rayvon Peterson, and David Martinez previously entered guilty pleas for their participation in the scheme. Judge Chun sentenced Jackson to three years in prison and Robinson to 18 months in prison. Martinez is scheduled for sentencing March 11, 2024, and Peterson is scheduled for sentencing March 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Lawrence Man Sentenced to over Seven Years for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Francis Manuel Santos Arias, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Arias pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Eddy Reyes Tejada in December 2022.
In January 2022, Arias was identified as a cocaine and fentanyl distributor seeking customers in the greater Boston and Lawrence areas. During the investigation, Arias distributed a total of over 700 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness over the course of four controlled purchases.
Tejada was sentenced in November 2023 to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the drug conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level 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.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024 in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Fredis Manuel Guerrero Guzman, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024.
Guzman was indicted by a federal grand jury along with Melvin Antonio Perez Medina and Fraily Rodriguez Morillo in November 2022.
Between March 2022 and August 2022, Guzman, Morillo and Medina conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, in Lawrence, Woburn, Wilmington and Andover. Specifically, Guzman and Morillo distributed 50 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in April 2022. In July 2022, Morillo and Perez Medina distributed an additional nearly 130 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness on one occasion, as well as over 560 grams of a fentanyl and fentanyl analogue mixture to cooperating witnesses on another occasion.
In August 2022, Perez Medina was arrested and found in possession of nearly two kilograms of a mixture containing fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue hidden inside of a cereal box.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Perez Medina was sentenced to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Morillo pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2024.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and of possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution and/or possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl as well as aiding and abetting provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Correction; the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Watertown, Reading, Peabody, Hudson, Concord and Waltham Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This case 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.
Lancaster, Texas, Man Found Guilty of Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—After a two-day trial, a Texas man has been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Tuesday, a federal jury found Kaeron Washington, 33, Lancaster, Texas, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the sole count in the Indictment. Washington has previous convictions for aggravated robbery and drug possession.
After deliberating less than two hours, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky presided over the trial and will sentence Washington at a later date. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
On February 18, 2022, physical surveillance was conducted at 7212 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, Arkansas. Law enforcement observed a group of individuals parked in front of a closed business on Geyer Springs at approximately 9:00 p.m. The occupants of the vehicle were observed smoking and passing items back and forth between vehicles for approximately 30 minutes. As investigators approached the vehicle, they activated their emergency lights and could smell an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from the vehicles.
Contact was made with Kaeron Washington, the driver of a white Mercedes. As investigators approached the vehicle, Washington was observed opening the driver's door of the vehicle and throwing an item towards the rear of the vehicle. A bag of suspected marijuana was later located in the area. The passenger in Washington’s vehicle advised law enforcement officials that he had a gun at his feet. After the passenger was taken out of Washington’s vehicle, law enforcement seized the gun that was observed on the floorboard. An officer observed a small bag of suspected marijuana in the seat when the passenger exited the vehicle. During a further search of Washington’s vehicle, officers located a Glock pistol in the center console next to the driver’s seat.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Little Rock Police Department, and the GET Rock Task Force.
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Lake St. Louis Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of Young GirlRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a Lake St. Louis, Missouri man to 25 years in prison for recording his sexual abuse of a young girl.
Steve G. Flores, now 52, produced hundreds of pictures and videos of the victim, and stored them on electronic devices and online. Authorities were initially alerted by a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from a cloud storage company.
Flores pleaded guilty in December to one count of production of child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department and St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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.
Kentwood Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that TRACY DAVIS, age 51, of Kentwood, LA, was sentenced on February 27, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jay C Zainey to 51 months incarceration, after previously pleading guilty to one (1) count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, one (1) count of Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and one (1) count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Judge Zainey also ordered a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.
According to court documents, DAVIS was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hammond Police Department began investigating DAVIS due to a complaint that DAVIS was distributing narcotics in the Kentwood area. A search warrant was obtained for two residences and a vehicle associated with DAVIS, that resulted in the seizure of cocaine and multiple firearms from within the residences and vehicle.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hammond Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Justice and Interior Departments Outline Commitment, Next Steps in Effort to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking CrisisRead the Press Release
The Departments of Justice and the Interior today released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The response recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States.
“These recommendations are an important and necessary step toward healing the trauma, pain, and loss that Tribal communities have endured for generations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is committed to working with our partners at the Department of the Interior to put an end to the missing or murdered Indigenous persons and human trafficking crisis. We are deeply grateful to the Not Invisible Act commissioners and the survivors and family members of victims who testified before the Commission about their heartbreaking experiences. Those testimonies and the Commission’s recommendations will continue to guide our work.”
“Addressing violent crimes against Indigenous peoples has long been underfunded and ignored, as a cause of intergenerational trauma that has affected our communities since colonization,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Through historic efforts like the Not Invisible Act Commission, we’re identifying recommendations created by Indian Country, for Indian Country. This will ensure that epidemics like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Crisis and Human Trafficking are addressed with the resources they demand.”
The Justice and Interior Departments’ response addresses the Commission’s areas of concern including:
- Law enforcement and investigative resources;
- Recruitment and retention of law enforcement;
- Data collection and reporting;
- Cross-jurisdictional coordination;
- Family and survivor resources;
- Improving public safety resources; and
- Alaska-specific issues.
The Not Invisible Act Commission was created by the Not Invisible Act, the enactment of which was led by Secretary Haaland during her time in Congress. The Commission included law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing or murdered individuals, and survivors. As mandated by the Act, the Commission developed recommendations for federal government actions to take on focused topics to combat violent crime against Indigenous people and within Indian lands, and to address the epidemic of missing people, and the murder or trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, as specified under the law.
Background on Efforts to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP)
At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of the Interior, Justice, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. In March 2022, the President signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and reinforced Tribal sovereignty by recognizing Tribes’ inherent authority to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities.
At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that the BIA Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI, and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches. In addition, at the Tribal Nations Summit, the Attorney General announced the selection of the Justice Department’s first Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who works to ensure that victims of crimes have a voice in every step of the criminal justice process where the federal government has jurisdiction.
Attorney General Garland traveled to Alaska last August, meeting with Tribal leaders and representatives of Native Tribal organizations to discuss public safety challenges and partnerships with Tribal communities to combat the MMIP crisis.
Since the establishment of the NIAC in 2020, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible.
In June 2023, the Justice Department launched the MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places regional attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people, and it will work closely with the Native American Outreach Services Liaison to improve the Justice Department’s response to the MMIP crisis.
The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime expanded the scope of allowable activities under its Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside grant program to permit Tribal communities to pay for costs related to generating awareness of individual missing persons cases involving American Indians and Alaska Native persons, supporting search efforts and coordination of Tribal, state, and federal responses to MMIP cases.
Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services Issue Request for Public Input as Part of Inquiry into Impacts of Corporate Ownership Trend in Health CareRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly launched a cross-government public inquiry into private-equity and other corporations’ increasing control over health care.
Private equity firms and other corporate owners are increasingly involved in health care system transactions, and, at times, those transactions may lead to a maximizing of profits at the expense of quality care. The cross-government inquiry seeks to understand how certain health care market transactions may increase consolidation and generate profits for firms while threatening patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care and affordable health care for patients and taxpayers.
The agencies issued a Request for Information (RFI) requesting public comment on deals conducted by health systems, private payers, private equity funds and other alternative asset managers that involve health care providers, facilities or ancillary products or services. The RFI also requests information on transactions that would not be reported to the Justice Department or FTC for antitrust review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
“Preserving competition in health care markets is a priority for the Justice Department because of its important impact on the health and well-being of Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This RFI will enable the agencies to accurately understand the modern market realities of the health care industry and forcefully enforce the law against unlawful deals. Hearing from patients, workers and market participants will be critical in developing future enforcement and policy efforts relating to consolidation in the health care sector.”
“When private equity firms buy out healthcare facilities only to slash staffing and cut quality, patients lose out,” said Chair Lina M. Khan of the FTC. “Through this inquiry, the FTC will continue scrutinizing private equity roll-ups, strip-and-flip tactics and other financial plays that can enrich executives but leave the American public worse off.”
“Increasing competition in health care markets gives people more choices. Competition helps ensure patients have access to high-quality, lower cost care, and that health care workers receive higher pay and work under better conditions. And it saves taxpayers money,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra of HHS. “We need to do more to understand the impact of private equity and corporate dealmaking on our policymaking, regulatory decisions and enforcement actions. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to improving transparency and competition in health care.”
Research has shown that competition in health care provider and payer markets promotes higher quality, lower cost health care, greater access to care, increased innovation, higher wages and better benefits for health care workers. Comments submitted in response to the joint RFI will inform the agencies’ enforcement priorities and future action, including potential regulations aimed at promoting and protecting competition in health care markets and ensuring appropriate access to quality, affordable health care items and services.
The agencies’ RFI builds upon the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recent RFI on Medicare Advantage and a RFI issued by the FTC and HHS on how pharmaceutical middleman groups may be contributing to drug shortages. The RFI issued today stems from a December 2023 announcement outlining efforts by the Justice Department, FTC and HHS to lower health care and drug costs, while promoting competition to benefit patients and health care workers.
In addition to the launch of the RFI, all three agencies will also be participating today in a virtual public workshop that will explore the impact of private equity in health care and will discuss what the federal government is doing to address any harmful effects.
All market participants — including patients, consumer advocates, doctors, nurses, health care providers and administrators, employers, insurers and more — are invited to share their comments in response to the RFI. The agencies seek comments on a variety of transactions, including those involving dialysis clinics, nursing homes, hospice providers, primary care providers, hospitals, home health agencies, home- and community-based services providers, behavioral health providers, as well as billing and collections services.
The public will have 60 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov, no later than May 6. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida School District to Protect Civil Rights of Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the Pasco County School District in Florida to resolve the department’s investigation into alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in school discipline, threat assessment practices and referrals of students to law enforcement. The department conducted its investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The department’s investigation found that the district routinely suspended students or called police for disability-related behavior that could have been addressed through proper support and de-escalation. The investigation also found problems with how the district conducted threat assessments (a process to identify, evaluate and respond to potential school security concerns). When these assessments involved students with disabilities, the district systematically failed to consider the relationship between a student’s disability and their behavior, and whether appropriate support for the student would address the behavior that prompted the assessment. Instead, the district often unnecessarily referred students to law enforcement to be arrested or to start the process for an involuntary admission into a mental health facility under Florida’s Baker Act.
The agreement requires the district to end discriminatory practices under which students lost hours of classroom time, were treated unfairly in the threat assessment process, and even faced the prospect of being arrested or sent to a mental health facility against their will. The department will monitor the district’s implementation of the agreement and will also continue to monitor and enforce an ongoing desegregation order that covers the district.
“As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we remain committed to disrupting the school to prison pipeline and ensuring that the doors of academic opportunity are open to all,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Too often schools rely on suspensions and law enforcement to address disability-related behaviors of students, without considering what they can do to help those students stay in and succeed at school. Equal participation in schools for students with disabilities means providing those students with the services and interventions they need to succeed. This agreement is part of our ongoing efforts across the country to combat practices that push students out of the classroom.”
“Each and every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate and enforce the protections of the ADA to end discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. I am heartened by the district’s commitment to this significant agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of students with disabilities in our community.”
The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation and has committed to improving its services for students with disabilities. Among other actions, under the agreement, the district will:
- Ensure that district personnel accurately assess disability-related behaviors, identify appropriate interventions for those behaviors and monitor the implementation of those interventions;
- Hire a consultant with expertise in behavior interventions who will assist in updating its policies and practices;
- Update its student code of conduct, threat assessment process and process for calling law enforcement to ensure that the district is adequately considering disability-related behaviors and modifying its policies and procedures to avoid discrimination based on disability;
- Develop appropriate trainings to help schools implement the agreement and respond appropriately to student behavior and
- Improve data collection and analysis systems and regularly evaluate data to ensure students with disabilities are not excluded from school for disability-related behaviors through the district’s discipline, threat assessment and law enforcement referral practices.
The enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.
View the department’s letter to the district here.
View the settlement agreement here.
View settlement agreement summary here.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida School District to Protect Civil Rights of Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the Pasco County School District in Florida to resolve the department’s investigation into alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in school discipline, threat assessment practices and referrals of students to law enforcement. The department conducted its investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The department’s investigation found that the district routinely suspended students or called police for disability-related behavior that could have been addressed through proper support and de-escalation. The investigation also found problems with how the district conducted threat assessments (a process to identify, evaluate and respond to potential school security concerns). When these assessments involved students with disabilities, the district systematically failed to consider the relationship between a student’s disability and their behavior, and whether appropriate support for the student would address the behavior that prompted the assessment. Instead, the district often unnecessarily referred students to law enforcement to be arrested or to start the process for an involuntary admission into a mental health facility under Florida’s Baker Act.
The agreement requires the district to end discriminatory practices under which students lost hours of classroom time, were treated unfairly in the threat assessment process, and even faced the prospect of being arrested or sent to a mental health facility against their will. The department will monitor the district’s implementation of the agreement and will also continue to monitor and enforce an ongoing desegregation order that covers the district.
“As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we remain committed to disrupting the school to prison pipeline and ensuring that the doors of academic opportunity are open to all,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Too often schools rely on suspensions and law enforcement to address disability-related behaviors of students, without considering what they can do to help those students stay in and succeed at school. Equal participation in schools for students with disabilities means providing those students with the services and interventions they need to succeed. This agreement is part of our ongoing efforts across the country to combat practices that push students out of the classroom.”
“Each and every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate and enforce the protections of the ADA to end discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. I am heartened by the district’s commitment to this significant agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of students with disabilities in our community.”
The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation and has committed to improving its services for students with disabilities. Among other actions, under the agreement, the district will:
- Ensure that district personnel accurately assess disability-related behaviors, identify appropriate interventions for those behaviors and monitor the implementation of those interventions;
- Hire a consultant with expertise in behavior interventions who will assist in updating its policies and practices;
- Update its student code of conduct, threat assessment process and process for calling law enforcement to ensure that the district is adequately considering disability-related behaviors and modifying its policies and procedures to avoid discrimination based on disability;
- Develop appropriate trainings to help schools implement the agreement and respond appropriately to student behavior and
- Improve data collection and analysis systems and regularly evaluate data to ensure students with disabilities are not excluded from school for disability-related behaviors through the district’s discipline, threat assessment and law enforcement referral practices.
The enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.
View the department’s letter to the district here.
View the settlement agreement here.
View settlement agreement summary here.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Interstate Domestic Violence and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Paul Richard Tomlinson, age 24, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for interstate violation of a protective order and possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Martinsburg Police Department was called to a domestic incident at a home in the city. Tomlinson had gotten into a physical altercation with his girlfriend’s father. Investigators found a firearm in Tomlinson’s car. Tomlinson is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior felony conviction and was arrested. Tomlinson’s former girlfriend told officers that Tomlinson sexually and physically abused her during a cross-country trip. She was then granted a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order. While being held on the firearms charge, Tomlinson asked his mother to contact the victim on his behalf on multiple occasions to encourage the victim to drop the charges.
Tomlinson will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
This case was prosecuted as a part of the Northern District of West Virginia’s Domestic Violence Reduction Initiative, formed in early 2023 to protect domestic violence victims, take dangerous criminals off the streets, and enhance community safety. The program focuses on keeping firearms out of the hands of violent offenders.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County Man Admits to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Andrew Sensel, age 23, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sensel, a known unlawful user of controlled substances, was arrested after he was found with a loaded 357 Magnum during a traffic stop.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
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Houston group arrested for running pharma-grade drug stash houseRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Six Houstonians have been taken into custody for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically pharmaceutical grade drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kerry Lewis Walker, 36, Gerald Dewayne Williams, 65, Trey Demon Neal, 34, James Glen Turk, 21, Quineshia Evangeline Hollins, 33, and Uzoanuuli Uzoaku WJ Payne, 52, will make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 2 p.m.
The indictment returned Feb. 14, and unsealed upon the arrests, alleges the group operated the “Green Houses,” a street level stash house in Fifth Ward that sold pharmaceutical controlled substances. Williams and Walker allegedly ran the Green Houses with the assistance of Neal and Turk.
Hollins was the owner of First Choice Rx 245 pharmacy and supplied the Green Houses with drugs from her business, according to the charges.
The indictment further alleges Payne was a pharmacist at First Choice. Law enforcement allegedly intercepted him driving a new shipment of controlled substances from the pharmacy without any lawful reason.
According to the charges, there are thousands of pharmaceutical grade drugs missing from First Choice without any accompanying prescriptions or proper forms allowing their disbursal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of FBI and and IRS Criminal Investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison and a possible $1,000,000 maximum fine.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Houma Doctor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Misbranded Versions of Injectable Contraceptives to PatientsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that MICHELLE ANDRE, a resident and doctor in Houma pled guilty to a one-count bill of information on February 29, 2024 before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, to distributing misbranded drugs in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 331.
According to court documents, from April 2018 through March 2023, ANDRE introduced misbranded drugs, including Depo-Provera, into interstate commerce. The Depo-Provera lacked adequate directions for use in its labeling.
ANDRE faces a maximum term of up to one year imprisonment and one year of supervised release. Sentencing before Judge Ashe is scheduled for June 6, 2024.
“Selling illegal prescription drugs, particularly sterile injectable products, in the U.S. marketplace puts all consumers’ health at risk,” said Justin Fielder, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Food and Drug Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit and Paul Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Man Arrested for Retaliating Against a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
Nashville – A Honduran man was arrested last week in Antioch, Tennessee, after being charged with conspiring to retaliate and retaliating against a witness (Individual A) who testified in a federal trial.
According to court documents, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 25, and his co-conspirators allegedly agreed to, and did, physically assault Individual A because Individual A testified during a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy federal trial in spring 2023 involving the Mara Salvatrucha street gang, commonly known as MS-13. On November 4, 2023, Santos-Recarte and his co-conspirators allegedly took Individual A by force and at gunpoint and placed him in a truck where they tied his hands together. They allegedly interrogated Individual A for hours about his trial testimony and repeatedly assaulted him before Individual A was able to escape.
Santos-Recarte is charged with conspiring to retaliate and retaliating against a federal witness. If convicted, Santos-Recarte faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to retaliate against a federal witness and a maximum penalty of life in prison for retaliating against a federal witness. Santos-Recarte is currently in federal custody.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
“Our office is grateful for individuals who do the right thing and display the courage to tell a jury about criminal conduct in our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Tom Jaworski. “This arrest shows that our office will not allow threats or retaliation against witnesses to go unpunished. We commend law enforcement for their efforts to see justice done in this case.”
“The integrity and safety of those who participate in our judicial system is at the core of our legal system. The arrest of those individuals who are alleged to have threatened a witness in a criminal trial and inflicted physical harm is a welcomed relief to the citizens of the greater Nashville metropolitan area,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
“For far too long, criminal organizations and transnational gangs like MS-13 have used physical violence and threats of force to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses by reigning terror on local communities,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “By working together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we root out those who seek to undermine these basic constitutional protections for witnesses and end their lawless behavior.”
ATF, HSI, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed Safeeullah and Brooke Farzad for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran Man Arrested for Retaliating Against a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
A Honduran man was arrested last week in Antioch, Tennessee, after being charged with conspiring to retaliate and retaliating against a witness (Individual A) who testified in a federal trial.
According to court documents, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 25, and his co-conspirators allegedly agreed to, and did, physically assault Individual A because Individual A testified during a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy federal trial in spring 2023 involving the Mara Salvatrucha street gang, commonly known as MS-13. On Nov. 4, 2023, Santos-Recarte and his co-conspirators allegedly took Individual A by force and at gunpoint and placed him in a truck where they tied his hands together. They allegedly interrogated Individual A for hours about his trial testimony and repeatedly assaulted him before Individual A was able to escape.
Santos-Recarte is charged with conspiring to retaliate and retaliating against a federal witness. If convicted, Santos-Recarte faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to retaliate against a federal witness and a maximum penalty of life in prison for retaliating against a federal witness. Santos-Recarte is currently in federal custody.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
ATF, HSI, and the Metropolitan-Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed Safeeullah and Brooke Farzad for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hartsville Man Sentenced to More than Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — William Graham Stokes, 40, of Hartsville, was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of Jan. 20, 2023, an officer with Hartsville Police Department made a traffic stop on a Cadillac CTS driven by Stokes. In a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers found a backpack containing a loaded 9mm handgun. Stokes later admitted that the gun was his. At the time of the traffic stop, Stokes was on supervised release from a prior federal felony conviction. That prior conviction prohibited Stokes from legally possessing either the firearm or the ammunition with which it was loaded.
Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Stokes to 71 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Chief Judge Harwell also revoked Stokes’s prior term of supervised release and sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment, with a three-year term of supervision to follow, that sentence to run concurrent with the sentence on the 2023 conduct. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by Hartsville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.
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Hardeeville Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault of Minor on AirplaneRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Susan Holliday, 61, of Hardeeville, has pleaded guilty to assaulting a minor on an airplane.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on May 14, 2023, Ms. Holliday was flying on Breeze Airways from Louisville, Kentucky to Charleston, South Carolina. She was inebriated from drinking alcohol. She was seated next to a 14-year-old girl.
Ms. Holliday rubbed the leg and head of the minor child. Holliday also placed the child’s hand on Ms. Holliday’s chest. These actions caused a disruption on the plane and several passengers, including the child’s mother, intervened. Ms. Holliday was moved to a different seat and a flight attendant stayed with her for the remainder of the flight.
Holliday faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. She also faces a fine of up to $100,000, restitution, and one year of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Richard Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Holliday after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Holmes is prosecuting the case.
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Guilty Plea in May 2023 Shootout Near Nightclub in Northwest Washington D.CRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dirk Easton, 27, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a May 13, 2023, shootout near a DuPont nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Easton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates to assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprison for a term exceeding one year. Judge Bates scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 13, 2023, at around 3 a.m., Easton and a group of men were outside the Abigail nightclub at 1730 M Street, NW. A physical altercation broke out between some of those men and others inside the parking garage. Two of the individuals entered a silver Kia and began to leave the parking garage. Easton, who had not been involved with the earlier altercation, ran into the garage and towards the Kia. Easton pulled out a black Polymer 80 firearm with an extended magazine. The Kia attempted to reverse, leaving the garage. Easton opened fire on the Kia as it reversed out of the garage, striking the vehicle and surrounding area multiple times. Easton was hit with a bullet that ricocheted from his own gun. Easton had previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison.
Three other men were arrested and charged in relation to the May 2023 parking garage shootout. On November 13, 2023, Adrian Vinson pled guilty to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and, on February 20, 2024, was sentenced to 66 months in prison. On October 16, 2023, Tyron Hines pled guilty to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2024. Garrick Richardson was also charged in relation to his possession of a firearm in the parking garage. A status hearing is scheduled in his matter for March 18, 2024.
Easton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $37,500 for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He also faces a mandatory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon and a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Four TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported four times was sentenced today to one year in federal prison.
Pedro Guzman-Matom, age 30, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 8, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Guzman-Matom admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Guzman-Matom was previously deported in November 2012, March 2013, February 2017, and August 2019. On September 18, 2023, immigration officials learned Guzman-Matom had illegally returned to the United States and found Guzman-Matom at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Guzman-Matom was previously convicted in February 2017 in the Northern District of Iowa of illegally reentering the United States, served 98 days and was deported. He was convicted in March 2018 in the Western District of Texas of illegally reentering the United States and sentenced to 13 months in prison along with an additional 10 months for violating his Northern District of Iowa supervised release by returning to the United States without permission.
Guzman-Matom was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Guzman-Matom was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Guzman-Matom is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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 23-CR-1025.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man was sentenced on March 1, 2024 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Romeo Waldemar Gabriel Lopez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time served (approximately six months in prison) and one year of supervised release. In December 2023, Gabriel Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Gabriel Lopez was first deported in April 2016 following a conviction for operating under the influence (OUI). His second deportation was in October 2016, after he was apprehended illegally crossing the border in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Gabriel Lopez was later apprehended in Texas after illegally crossing the border again in December 2016. He was subsequently deported for a third time in April 2017. In February 2020, Gabriel Lopez was found to have unlawfully reentered the United States again when he was arrested and charged with a second OUI. He was removed from the United States again in March 2020. Sometime after his March 2020 removal, Gabriel Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States and was arrested on charges of assault and battery, which were later dismissed.
In July 2022, he pleaded guilty to the second, pending OUI charge and was sentenced to probation. After being incarcerated for violating the conditions of his probation in August 2023, Gabriel Lopez was transferred into the custody of immigration authorities in September 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Washington Resident Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 65 months of incarceration followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction of federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Tecko Tartt, 37.
According to information presented to the Court, as a result of a long-term wiretap investigation, federal agents searched Tartt’s residence on May 31, 2021, and seized a loaded handgun, 216 bundles of fluorofentanyl, two bags of cocaine, and $20,932 in United States currency.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Perryopolis Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tartt.
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.
Former Sutter County Church Administrator Convicted for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge found Chanell Easton, 38, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, guilty Monday of two counts of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On May 19, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment, charging Easton with 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Easton pleaded guilty to the fraud counts on Oct. 17, 2023, but persisted in her not guilty plea to the remaining two counts. A jury trial was waived, and the one-day trial was held before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2013 to 2018, Easton worked as the church administrator at a church in Yuba City. During her employment, Easton stole over $360,000 from the church, including from its food pantry and youth ministry, during a years-long embezzlement scheme. Easton used credit cards associated with the church to make personal purchases — at a hair salon, retail stores, online retailers, a vacation rental service, and to buy VIP concert tickets — and then paid off the resulting balance with the church’s money. One of the credit cards Easton used during her scheme belonged to the church’s youth minister, and Easton used his identity to make thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases on Zappos.com. Easton’s use of the youth minister’s identity allowed her to obscure her embezzlement and to shift suspicion away from herself, thereby allowing her fraudulent scheme to continue.
Easton also transferred money directly from the church’s bank accounts to her own personal account, paid down the balance of her own personal credit card, and paid her cellphone provider for her personal bills and for new phones. Easton also stole money from the church by writing checks to others for personal expenses and by writing checks to herself, on which she forged the signatures of the church’s treasurer or the head volunteer of the church’s food pantry.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Lee Bickley are prosecuting the case.
Judge Mendez is scheduled to sentence Easton on June 25, 2024. Easton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft. 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.
Former Spencerport teacher pleads guilty to receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ian Milam, 38, of Pittsford, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan K. McGuire and Melissa M. Marangola, who are handling the case, stated that Milam was a math teacher at Cosgrove Middle School in the Spencerport, NY, School District. On January 29, 2023, Milam created the Snapchat accounts “matteckler” and “mikeywikey37,” and used these Snapchat accounts to pose as a 15-year-old male and engage in sexually explicit communications with a number of minor females, ages 11 to 15-years-old. During one of these conversations in May 2023, Milam persuaded a 12-year-old minor student to take and send him naked pictures of herself.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Former New York Cheese Producer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Raw Milk Products Linked to Listeria OutbreakRead the Press Release
A former raw milk cheese manufacturer and the company he owned and managed pleaded guilty today to charges related to cheese that was linked to a 2016-2017 outbreak of listeriosis, the disease caused by the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.
Johannes Vulto and his company, Vulto Creamery LLC, each pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce. Vulto oversaw operations at Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including those relating to sanitation and environmental monitoring. In pleading guilty, Vulto and Vulto Creamery admitted that between December 2014 and March 2017, they caused the shipment in interstate commerce of adulterated cheese.
According to the plea agreement, environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility between approximately July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for Listeria species. The Listeria family includes both harmless species and L. monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis in humans. In March 2017, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) linked Vulto Creamery’s cheese to an outbreak of listeriosis, Vulto shut down the Vulto Creamery facility and issued a partial recall that was expanded to a full recall within weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the listeriosis outbreak resulted in eight hospitalizations and two deaths.
“It is crucial that American consumers be able to trust that the foods they buy are safe to eat,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold responsible food manufacturers that sell dangerously contaminated products.”
“This investigation and prosecution holds accountable the defendant and his business who through unsafe practices caused illness and death to consumers in an entirely preventable tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “The law enforcement and regulatory partners involved in this case will continue to work together to bring to justice those who endanger the public through unsafe and unsanitary products and facilities.”
“U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their food is safe and wholesome,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “When companies and individuals put themselves above the law by producing food that endangers and harms the public, as occurred in this case, we will see that they are brought to justice.”
Listeriosis is a severe, invasive illness that can be life-threatening in some cases. Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis due to consumption of foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are pregnant women and their newborns, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems.
Vulto and Vulto Creamery pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks in Syracuse, New York. A sentencing date will be set by the court. Further information about the case will be posted under “Information for Victims in Large Cases” at the Consumer Protection Branch’s website: www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry for the Northern District of New York prosecuted the case.
For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Former New York Cheese Producer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Raw Milk Products Linked to Listeria OutbreakRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Johannes Vulto, age 64, a former raw milk cheese manufacturer, and Vulto Creamery LLC, the company Vulto founded and owned, each pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, relating to the sale and distribution of cheese that was linked to a 2016-2017 outbreak of listeriosis, the disease caused by the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. These guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; and Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office.
In pleading guilty, Vulto admitted that he oversaw operations at the Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including those relating to sanitation and environmental monitoring. Vulto and Vulto Creamery both admitted that between December 2014 and March 2017, they caused the shipment in interstate commerce of adulterated cheese. According to the plea agreement, environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility between approximately July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for Listeria species. The Listeria family includes both harmless species and L. monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis in humans. In March 2017, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) linked Vulto Creamery’s cheese to an outbreak of listeriosis, Vulto shut down the Vulto Creamery facility and issued a partial recall that was expanded to a full recall within weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the listeriosis outbreak resulted in eight hospitalizations and two deaths.
“This investigation and prosecution hold accountable the defendant and his business who through unsafe practices caused illness and death to consumers in an entirely preventable tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Freedman. “The law enforcement and regulatory partners involved in this case will continue to work together to bring to justice those who endanger the public through unsafe and unsanitary products and facilities.”
“It is crucial that American consumers be able to trust that the foods they buy are safe to eat,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Boynton. “The department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold responsible food manufacturers that sell dangerously contaminated products.”
“U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their food is safe and wholesome,” said Special Agent in Charge McMillan. “When companies and individuals put themselves above the law by producing food that endangers and harms the public, as occurred in this case, we will see that they are brought to justice.”
Listeriosis is a severe, invasive illness that can be life-threatening in some cases. Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis due to consumption of foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are pregnant women and their newborns, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems.
The charge to which Vulto pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison, a term of supervised release of up to one year, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge to which Vulto Creamery pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of Probation and a maximum fine of up to $500,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Vulto and Vulto Creamery will be sentenced on July 9, 2024, by United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks.
The case has been investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and it is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Northern District of New York Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Further information about the case will be posted under “Information for Victims in Large Cases” at the Consumer Protection Branch’s website: www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Former Loudon County Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On March 4, 2024, Brian J. Phillips, 32, currently residing in Georgia, was sentenced to five months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Phillips waived an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of the use of excessive force under color of law, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242. Following his incarceration, Phillips will be on supervised release for a period of two years.
As set forth in filed court documents, at the time of the offense, Phillips was employed as a correctional officer by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. On January 25, 2021, Phillips was assigned to the Loudon County Jail to monitor a pod of detainees and inmates eating dinner, including detainee E.H. The defendant watched as E.H., who had already received one dinner tray, entered the line to get a second dinner tray, which was not permitted. The defendant started to approach E.H. When E.H. received a second dinner tray, defendant knocked the tray from E.H.’s hands, sending food into the air and onto the ground. The defendant grabbed E.H. by the wrist to take control of him. The defendant then wrapped his arms around E.H.’s waist and hip-slammed E.H. headfirst into the concrete floor, fracturing E.H.’s skull and rendering E.H. momentarily unconscious.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorneys William A. Roach, Jr., and Jeremy S. Dykes prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
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Former Kentucky Sheriff’s Deputy Found Guilty of Federal Civil Rights Charges Following Multiple Assaults and ObstructionRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Lexington, Kentucky, yesterday found former Boyle County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Deputy Tanner Abbott, 31, guilty of criminal civil rights violations and obstruction of justice.
Evidence at trial proved that, during the first four months of 2021, Abbott willfully violated the civil rights of four people by using excessive force while arresting them, and obstructed justice by writing and directing another to write false reports to cover up his violations.
“We’re grateful to this jury of Kentucky citizens who held an officer accountable for repeatedly and violently brutalizing people he was arresting, even though they were not resisting arrest and did not pose a threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This prosecution makes clear our commitment to confronting law enforcement criminality from the bottom to the top. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officers who abuse their authority and violate their public trust by preying upon those they are sworn to protect.”
“This case is a disgraceful example of betrayal of trust, a profound violation of the rights of others, and a danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “When those charged with enforcing the law and protecting the public turn to violating the rights of others and trying to cover it up, that does real damage. It not only injures victims, but also undermines the hard work and true dedication of so many in law enforcement. The defendant will now face the consequences of such a grave betrayal of the public trust.”
“Law enforcement officers are given a gun, a badge and an incredible amount of power when it comes to protecting the communities they serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Therefore, when the FBI learns of allegations of color of law violations, they are taken seriously and investigated rigorously. Through our thorough investigation of former Sheriff Deputy Abbott, and re-enforced by the jury’s guilty findings, it was found that on more than one occasion, he clearly abused his power and deprived individuals of their civil rights. Seeking justice for victims of police misconduct continues to be of the upmost importance to the FBI.”
According to evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 20, 2021, Abbott conducted a traffic stop on two young men driving to a restaurant in Danville, Kentucky. When the driver requested to speak with the defendant’s supervisor, Abbott punched him in the face, pulled him out of the car and struck him several more times as he lay on the ground, not resisting arrest or posing any threat. When the passenger, the driver’s brother, stepped out of the car and pleaded with Abbott to stop the beating, the defendant struck him in the face with an elbow, breaking his glasses.
On Feb. 2, 2021, Abbott was involved in another traffic stop during which the passenger of the stopped vehicle was arrested. While the passenger was being handcuffed, the defendant suddenly and without justification punched him in the face, although the passenger’s actions posed no threat to the defendant at the time. The defendant then conspired with another officer to write a report in which the other officer falsely alleged that the victim had advanced aggressively toward Abbott before being punched.
On March 31, 2021, the defendant went to a hotel in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, intending to search the room of a guest. He obtained a key to the room he wished to search by falsely representing to hotel staff that he had a search warrant, then used the key to force his way into the room, over the guest’s objection. Once inside, without consent or other lawful authority, he conducted an intrusive search of the guest’s personal property. Abbott then wrote a false report in which he claimed the guest had consented to the search.
On April 28, 2021, the defendant arrested a driver who had failed to pull over when the defendant attempted to conduct a traffic stop of his car. After the chase ended and the driver had been arrested and handcuffed, Abbott approached the driver and punched him in the face, although he was not resisting arrest and posed no threat to the defendant or anyone else.
The jury convicted Abbott of four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, one count of conspiracy and one count of falsification of records within federal jurisdiction. Abbott was also found not guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. A sentencing here is scheduled for June 7, at 10:00 AM in Lexington.
The FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Indicted for Making Hate Crime Threats against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan ChapterRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A West Palm Beach man was indicted by a grand jury for repeatedly threatening the Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan Chapter, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chad Baugh, Chief of the Canton Police Department.
As alleged in the indictment, Michael Shapiro, 72, of West Palm Beach, Florida, placed three separate phone calls to CAIR’s office located in Canton, Michigan, and left voicemails containing the following threats:
- December 8, 2023: “I’m going to kill you bastards. I’m going to kill you bastards.”
- December 14, 2023: ““I’m going to kill you m****r f*****g bastards. Muslims! I’m going to kill you m****r f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
- December 15, 2023: “You’re a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? M***** f******. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you m****r f*****s!”
Michael Shapiro, 72, was charged with three counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The indictment also alleges that Shapiro intentionally selected the victim of his threats because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of the people who work at and are assisted by CAIR.
“Today’s charges should serve as a warning that those who threaten violence, especially when they intend to instill fear on an entire community, will be identified, investigated, and aggressively prosecuted,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Threats motivated by religious bias can have a devastating impact on an entire faith community. For this reason, hate crimes are one of the FBI’s highest investigative priorities,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We remain committed to working with our partners at the Canton Police Department and across the state to detect and prevent violent incidents motivated by bias or hate. We also urge the public to report any suspected hate crimes to your local police or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324. You may also submit an online tip at tips.fbi.gov.”
"The Canton Police Department extends sincere thanks to the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for their partnership in addressing threats by Michael Shapiro against the CAIR Michigan Chapter,” said Chief Baugh. “Such collaborative efforts reinforce our commitment to combating hate crimes and ensuring community safety. We are resolute in our mission to uphold the safety and rights of every individual."
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Shapiro faces up to 5 years in prison for each of the 3 counts. If convicted, a federal court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.
Federal Jury Convicts Sheriff’s Deputy for Providing Firearm to a FelonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Johnny Alvarado 33, of Lakewood, was found guilty of providing a firearm to a felon. A federal jury in Denver returned a guilty verdict against Alvarado on Monday, March 4, 2024.
According to the facts established at trial, a United States probation officer made a routine home visit to Kyle Garcia, a felon on supervised release. While there, the probation officer located a loaded firearm in a closet. During that visit, Garcia admitted to having the firearm, handling it, and racking the slide to see if there was ammunition in the firearm. Garcia received the firearm from his brother-in-law, Johnny Alvarado, an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Deputy. Alvarado admitted to the probation officer that he provided the firearm to Garcia knowing he was a felon.
Garcia pled to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 66 months of probation. Alvarado will be sentenced at a later date.
United States District Court Judge John L. Kane presided over the jury trial.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Celeste Rangel and Aurora Special Assistant United States Attorney Leah Perczak handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Case Number: 23-CR-00271-JLK
Fayette County Auto Salesman Sentenced for Role in COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab sentenced Terrence Newmeyer Jr., 46, to one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, including six months of home incarceration and six months of home detention. Newmeyer was also ordered to pay restitution in the total amount of $31,280.
According to information provided to the Court, Newmeyer was a salesman at RC Auto, a used car dealership in Fayette County. Along with his co-conspirator and RC Auto owner Joshua DeWitt, Newmeyer filed a series of fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loans, including on behalf of customers, telling some that they were applying for funds that could be used to purchase a vehicle from the dealership. DeWitt and Newmeyer used the fraudulently obtained pandemic benefits for themselves and the dealership, by—among other things—accepting them as payment for vehicles and services sold.
DeWitt was sentenced on February 14, 2024, to 10 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the total amount of $60,022.50.
Prior to imposing sentence on Newmeyer, Judge Schwab stated that the fraud conspiracy lasted for many months and involved intentional criminal activity.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, Pennsylvania State Police, and Fayette County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Newmeyer.
Fond Du Lac Psychiatrist Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 4, 2024, John D. Whelan (age: 77), a psychiatrist, was sentenced to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and lying to federal agents, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) &846, and 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Brett H. Ludwig described Whelan as committing an “extremely serious drug offense,” in which Whelan engaged in a scheme to distribute controlled substance prescriptions in exchange for cash. Judge Ludwig recounted how Whelan made more than a quarter of a million dollars by selling improper and illicit prescriptions, abusing his position as a physician. While imposing sentence, Judge Ludwig explained that a significant punishment was necessary because of the serious nature of the offense and to send a message that the “rules apply to everyone, even if you go to medical school.”
“If someone had cash, Mr. Whelan was willing to sell them controlled substances regardless of their actual medical need and regardless of whether the individuals were simply abusing these drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Rather than seeking to truly care for his patients, Mr. Whelan sought simply to fund a lavish lifestyle. I commend everyone who worked together to pursue justice in this case.”
“Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical doctors. Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be investigated to the fullest extent of the law by the DEA. Today’s sentence reinforces the value of local and federal law enforcement working alongside prosecutors to hold rogue practitioners accountable for their actions,” remarked Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge John G.D. McGarry.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LWAM)-Drug Unit investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kevin Knight prosecuted.
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FCI Schuylkill Inmate Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Xyvaion Lawrence, age 23, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in November of 2022, a correctional officer observed Lawrence in possession of a 6-inch homemade knife, commonly referred to as a “shank,” hidden in the waistband of his pants.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un Distrito Escolar de Florida para proteger los derechos civiles de los estudiantes con discapacidadesRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo de conciliación con el Distrito Escolar del Condado de Pasco en Florida para resolver la investigación del departamento sobre la presunta discriminación contra estudiantes con discapacidades en la disciplina escolar, las prácticas de evaluación de amenazas y las remisiones de estudiantes a las fuerzas del orden público. El Departamento llevó a cabo su investigación en virtud del Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés).
La investigación del Departamento encontró que el distrito suspendía, de forma rutinaria, a los estudiantes o llamaba a la policía por un comportamiento relacionado con la discapacidad que podría haberse abordado mediante el apoyo y la disminución adecuados. La investigación también encontró problemas con la forma en que el distrito llevó a cabo evaluaciones de amenazas (un proceso para identificar, evaluar y responder a posibles cuestiones de seguridad escolar). Cuando estas evaluaciones involucraban a estudiantes con discapacidades, el distrito, de forma sistemática, no consideró la relación entre la discapacidad de un estudiante y su comportamiento, y si el apoyo adecuado para el estudiante abordaría el comportamiento que impulsó la evaluación. En su lugar, el distrito a menudo remitió a estudiantes innecesariamente a las fuerzas del orden público para su detención o para iniciar el proceso de admisión involuntaria a un centro de salud mental de acuerdo con la ley Baker de Florida.
El acuerdo requiere que el distrito ponga fin a las prácticas discriminatorias según las cuales los estudiantes perdieron horas lectivas en el aula, fueron tratados de una manera injusta en el proceso de evaluación de amenazas e incluso se enfrentaron a la posibilidad de ser detenidos o enviados a un centro de salud mental contra su voluntad. El departamento supervisará la implementación del acuerdo por parte del distrito y también continuará supervisando y haciendo cumplir una orden de desegregación continua que cubre al distrito.
«Mientras celebramos el 70º aniversario de Brown v. la Junta de Educación, seguimos comprometidos a interrumpir la vía de la escuela a la prisión y a garantizar que las puertas de las oportunidades académicas estén abiertas a todos», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Con demasiada frecuencia, las escuelas confían en las suspensiones y en las fuerzas del orden para abordar comportamientos relacionados con una discapacidad de los estudiantes, sin considerar qué pueden hacer para ayudar a esos estudiantes a permanecer y triunfar en la escuela. La igualdad de participación en las escuelas para estudiantes con discapacidades implica la provisión a esos estudiantes de los servicios e intervenciones que necesitan para tener éxito. Este acuerdo es parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos por todo el país para combatir las prácticas que alejan a los estudiantes del aula».
«Cada niño merece la igualdad de oportunidades para aprender y prosperar», comentó Roger Handberg, el Fiscal Federal del Distrito Centro de Florida. «Nuestra oficina, en asociación con la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento, investigará a fondo y hará cumplir las protecciones de la ADA para poner fin a la discriminación por motivos de discapacidad en todos los entornos, incluyendo en nuestras escuelas públicas. Me anima el compromiso del distrito con este acuerdo tan importante, que, sin lugar a dudas, mejorará la educación y la vida cotidiana de los estudiantes con discapacidades en nuestra comunidad».
El distrito cooperó con el Departamento a lo largo de la investigación y se ha comprometido a mejorar sus servicios para estudiantes con discapacidades. Entre otras acciones, en virtud del acuerdo, el distrito:
- Garantizará que el personal del distrito evalúe con precisión los comportamientos relacionados con una discapacidad, identificará las intervenciones adecuadas para esos comportamientos y supervisará la implementación de dichas intervenciones;
- Contratará a un consultor con experiencia en intervenciones conductuales que le ayudará a actualizar sus políticas y prácticas;
- Actualizará su código de conducta estudiantil, el proceso de evaluación de amenazas y el proceso para llamar a las fuerzas del orden público, con el fin de asegurar que el distrito considere adecuadamente los comportamientos relacionados con la discapacidad y modifique sus políticas y procedimientos para evitar la discriminación por motivos de una discapacidad;
- Desarrollará capacitaciones adecuadas para ayudar a las escuelas a implementar el acuerdo y responderá adecuadamente al comportamiento de los estudiantes; y
- Mejorará los sistemas de recopilación y análisis de datos y evaluará periódicamente los datos para garantizar que los estudiantes con discapacidades no sean excluidos de la escuela por comportamientos relacionados con su discapacidad a través de la disciplina del distrito, la evaluación de amenazas y las prácticas de remisión a las fuerzas del orden público.
La aplicación de la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas de 1974 es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, e información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas está disponible en www.justice.gov/ crt/educational-opportunities-section. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
La Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Centro de Florida trabajó en colaboración con la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas de la División de Derechos Civiles para investigar este caso. Para información sobre la Unidad de Derechos Civiles en la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Centro de Florida y un formulario de quejas para la unidad, vaya a www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.
Visualizar la carta del Departamento al distrito aquí.
Visualizar el acuerdo de conciliación aquí.
Visualizar el resumen del acuerdo de conciliación aquí.
East Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMARI LEWIS, 25, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl pills.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lewis was identified as a street-level dealer of fentanyl pills after Windsor Police intercepted a UPS package with approximately 3,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl inside. The investigation revealed that Lewis also used his SnapChat account to advertise the sale counterfeit oxycodone pills. In December 2021 and January 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad made two controlled purchases of a total of more than 400 fentanyl pills from Lewis.
Lewis was arrested on June 13, 2023. On November 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl.
Lewis, who is released on a $75,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 30.
This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Windsor Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA and the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Stephanie T. Levick.