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23 February 2024
Meridian Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to 245 months in federal prison for four armed robberies across Mississippi.
According to court documents, Matthew Byrd, 42, committed four armed robberies of local businesses across Mississippi between April 20, 2022, and May 15, 2022. The robberies took place in Lauderdale County, Forest County, and Hinds County. During each robbery, Byrd displayed a firearm to intimidate the clerk and steal merchandise and cash from the business.
Byrd previously pled guilty to three counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department, East Mississippi Drug Task Force, Meridian Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Newton County Sherriff’s Department, and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Member of Violent Criminal Enterprise Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a violent criminal enterprise was sentenced yesterday for her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) throughout Western Massachusetts.
Khristy Guzman, 39, of Holyoke, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and 24 months of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Guzman pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2023.
According to court documents, Guzman was identified as a member of a violent criminal enterprise in Springfield. During the investigation, controlled purchases and intercepted communications allegedly between Vincente Gonzalez and his co-conspirators, including Guzman, revealed that, beginning in or about April of 2021, the defendants allegedly prepared and trafficked large amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Holyoke and Springfield areas.
In furtherance of the trafficking activity, the enterprise used violence and threats of violence to allegedly control Gonzalez’s territory on Elm Street in Holyoke. Guzman’s role in the conspiracy was to manage the day-to-day sales of cocaine allegedly occurring in Gonzalez’s territory on Elm Street. According to the court documents, the Government argued that Guzman, and allegedly her co-conspirators, aided in making local residents, including children, feel like prisoners in their own homes. The simple act of going outside put residents in direct contact with violence and exposed them to be witnesses to countless crimes.
Guzman is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. Miguel Burgos was sentenced in September 2023 to 60 months in federal prison, followed by a term of four years of supervised release. Brigham Ocasio-Ramos is expected plead guilty on Feb. 28, 2024. Vincente Gonzalez is scheduled for a jury trial on May 6, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt; and Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police’s Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team and the Hampden District Attorney’s Office’s Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit 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.
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.
McLean Man Pleads Guilty in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Small Business Administration by fraudulently obtaining approximately $455,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds.
According to court documents, Mehdi Pazouki, 65, was the owner and sole employee of Systems Integration Services Inc., an IT consulting company that Pazouki ran from his home in McLean. Between August 2020 and August 2021, Pazouki applied for and received approximately $455,000 in PPP loans and EIDL funds, which he falsely certified would be used for business-related purposes, but which he actually intended to, and did, use to fund his gambling at area casinos, pay down personal debt, and purchase real estate.
Within days of receiving his first EIDL disbursement, Pazouki spent over $27,000 in EIDL money at Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia. Pazouki also used the PPP and EIDL money for down payments on two different real estate properties, to pay off his personal credit card debt, and to fund his personal investment account. Pazouki also falsely represented to the SBA in loan forgiveness applications that the PPP money had been used for legitimate business expenses, which resulted in the complete discharge of the loans.
Pazouki is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Duane E. Townsend, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-29.
Mason City Man Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Tirrell Harlan Hopkins, Jr., age 23, from Mason City, Iowa, has been charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on February 14, 2024, in United States District Court in Sioux City.
The Indictment alleges that, on or about November 18, 2023, Hopkins, knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowing he was then an unlawful user of a controlled substance as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802, namely marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine, and knowing he had previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, possessed a firearm and ammunition, and the firearm and ammunition were in and affecting commerce.
Hopkins is also charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing, with intent to distribute, less than 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), having previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver marijuana, a felony drug offense on December 10, 2018, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
If convicted on all charges, Hopkins faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $2 Million fine, and 6 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Hopkins appeared today in federal court in Sioux City and was held without bond. Hopkin’s next appearance for a detention hearing is set for February 28, 2024.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03008.
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Marrero Woman Sentenced to Probation for Misprision of a FelonyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – ROSE B. DEMERS, age 68, of Marrero, La., was sentenced on February 22, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier to 18 months of probation after previously pleading guilty to misprision of a felony related to funds received from a fraud victim, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, DEMERS received $8,600 from an out of state fraud victim on or about July 9, 2021. Rather than contact the authorities, DEMERS converted some of the funds to her own use and attempted to wire the funds to a person posing as an Internal Revenue Agent. DEMERS acted as a middleman for a fraudster who directed financial fraud victims to send DEMERS money, which she would then convert to MoneyGrams, etc., and forward to the fraudster.
In addition to the sentence, DEMERS was sentenced to pay restitution in the amount of $200 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
If you need assistance or to report elder abuse, please contact your local adult protective services agency through the Eldercare Locator or by call the helpline at 1-800-677-1116 Monday – Friday 9am - 8pm EST. To report elder fraud, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Economic Crimes Section, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Manly, Iowa, Man Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Drug UserRead the Press Release
Cory Allen More, age, 33 from Manly, Iowa, has been charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on February 14, 2024, in United States District Court in Sioux City.
The Indictment alleges that, on or about October 23, 2023, More, knowing that he was then an unlawful user of a controlled substance as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802, namely marijuana, knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition, and the firearm and ammunition were in and affecting commerce.
If convicted, More faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
More appeared today in federal court in Sioux City and was held without bond. More’s next appearance for a detention hearing is set for February 28, 2024.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Manly Police Department, Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03006.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
MPD Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Violation for Fatal Shooting of D.C. MotoristRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Enis Jevric, 42, a Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), pleaded guilty today in federal court to violating the constitutional rights of 27-year old An’Twan Gilmore by using excessive force, on August 25, 2021, in a police shooting that killed Mr. Gilmore. Jevric also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter under D.C. law. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the Washington Field Office. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 1, 2024.
According to documents filed with the court, the defendant willfully used unconstitutionally excessive and unreasonable force by shooting Mr. Gilmore. Specifically, shortly before 3:00 am on August 25, 2021, the defendant and other MPD officers were dispatched to respond to a call for an armed man—later identified as Mr. Gilmore—who was either asleep or unconscious in the driver’s seat of a car that was stopped at the intersection of New York Avenue and Florida Avenue, N.E. The defendant approached the car and directed another officer to knock on its windows to rouse Mr. Gilmore. When Mr. Gilmore awoke, the car moved forward several feet, stopped briefly, and then moved forward again. As it did so, the defendant fired his MPD-issued firearm at the car four times. The car rolled down New York Avenue, and the defendant fired at it six more times. Three of the defendant’s shots struck Mr. Gilmore, who died a short time later from his wounds. No other officer fired at Mr. Gilmore.
“Police officers are sworn to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the community, and we are grateful for the overwhelming majority of Metropolitan Police Department officers who do their difficult and dangerous jobs honorably,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “But Officer Jevric violated the Constitution and abused his position by recklessly using deadly force where none was necessary, resulting in the tragic and unjustified loss of Mr. Gilmore’s life—a tragedy that has permanently changed the lives of Mr. Gilmore’s family and friends. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the civil rights of everyone within the District and to holding accountable all who violate those rights.”
“As a sworn police officer, Jevric knew the acceptable boundaries in which he was authorized to use deadly force,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “His willful disregard of these rules resulted in Mr. Gilmore’s tragic and untimely death. While no judicial process will adequately address the loss that the Gilmore family has suffered in this situation, we are committed to ensuring the fullest administration of justice on behalf of the victim and his family.”
As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that his conduct constituted unconstitutional, unreasonable force, and that he acted willfully, in reckless disregard of Mr. Gilmore’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force by police. He also admitted that his conduct created an extreme risk of death to Mr. Gilmore and was a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with extensive assistance from the FBI Laboratory including the Laboratory Shooting Reconstruction Team. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Louise Gina Polyansky, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Louise Gina Polyansky, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Polyansky to 87 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
Starting around November 2020, Polyansky agreed and worked with several others to obtain and distribute meth in the Lincoln area. As part of the conspiracy, from about December 2020 until about May 2021, co-conspirators received packages by mail containing pound to multi-pound quantities of meth to addresses located in Lincoln. Part of this meth was then supplied to Polyansky to distribute. Polyansky had obtained approximately seven pounds total from co-conspirators between November 2020 and April 2021. Polyansky was also identified as someone that was distributing ¼ pound to ½ pound quantities of meth from August 2021 to September 2021. Finally, Polyansky was identified as someone that would wire drug proceeds to individuals in Arizona.
Other conspirators included Scott Berndt, who was sentenced on December 20, 2023, to a term of imprisonment of 168 months. Rebecca Frankenstein was sentenced on December 7, 2023, to a term of imprisonment of 90 months. Tommy Meyer was sentenced on December 7, 2022, to a term of imprisonment of 244 months.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Longmont Man Charged in Four Denver Area Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nicholas Alfonso Archuleta, age 40, has been charged in connection with a series of bank robberies in the Denver metro area. Archuleta is charged with four counts of bank robbery.
According to allegations in the indictment, during the months of December 2023, and January 2024, Archuleta robbed three banks and attempted to rob a fourth in the cities of Thornton, Denver, Boulder, and Greenwood Village, Colorado.
The Defendant had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter on February 21.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, the Thornton Police Department, the Denver Police Department, the Boulder Police Department, and the Greenwood Village Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn is handling the prosecution.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00052-CNS
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Federal Firearms Charges Relating to the Killing of Woman in 2023Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced that David Anthony Aguilar was sentenced to 53 months in prison. Aguilar, 27, of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm on Sept. 25, 2023.
According to publicly available court records, on Jan. 25, 2023, officers from the Las Cruces Police Department responded to a report of a gunshot victim at an apartment in Las Cruces. Upon arrival, officers located a deceased victim with a single gunshot to the head. A 12-gauge short barrel shotgun was located on the floor next to the victim. The victim’s neighbor reported to officers that they went to the victim’s apartment after hearing an argument followed by a loud bang. When the neighbor knocked on the front door, Aguilar answered holding the short barrel shotgun and told the neighbor to call 911 because the victim had shot herself. When the neighbor returned to their apartment, they witnessed Aguilar and another man identified as Margarito Serena fleeing the scene.
Aguilar and Serena were apprehended by officers that same day. During an interview, Aguilar claimed that he and the victim had physically fought over the shotgun and that he had accidentally discharged the firearm. Aguilar claimed that Serena had brought the shotgun to the apartment earlier that day and they had fled the scene because they were both convicted felons.
Serena, 30, of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm on April 27, 2023. Serena was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Upon his release from prison, Aguilar will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison are prosecuting the case.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone experiencing domestic violence can reach an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). In New Mexico, the Domestic Violence Resource Center is available by telephone at (505) 843-9123 or online at https://dvrcnm.org/.
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Kodiak man sentenced to 17 years for drug, firearm crimesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Kodiak man was sentenced to over 17 years in prison for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possessing multiple firearms as a felon.
According to court documents, agents executed search warrants on Mark Nason’s vehicle and residence in September 2022. Agents found a total of roughly 1.6 kilos of meth, 1.5 kilos of fentanyl and 70 grams of heroin, and five firearms in his vehicle and in his bedroom. Law enforcement also recovered over $56,800 in cash proceeds from the defendant’s distribution of controlled substances.
After his arrest, Nason reached out to associates and asked them to retrieve drugs from his storage units in Anchorage and sell the drugs to make money for his bail. Law enforcement located roughly 4.9 kilos of meth, 1.2 kilos of fentanyl, 150 grams of heroin and five firearms. In total, law enforcement seized over 6.5 kilos of meth and 2.7 kilos of fentanyl that the defendant possessed with intent to sell. The sentencing memorandum alleges, in total, the defendant possessed over 1.3 million potentially lethal doses.
At the time of this conduct, the defendant was previously convicted of multiple felonies starting at the age of 20. These felonies included theft, larceny, assault and misconduct involving firearms. The court cited the defendant’s extensive criminal history, the impact of fentanyl on small communities and a priority to protect the community from potential future crimes when delivering the sentence. U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Kindred stated, “the distinction here is, though I appreciate his attempts to show how he has changed … at some point in time, someone’s criminal history becomes so voluminous that you can’t overlook it.”
The defendant is also required to serve 10 years’ supervised release as part of his sentence.
“The defendant has been incarcerated almost continuously since he was 20 years old and is a habitual violent offender,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute perpetrators who choose to commit illegal acts and pose a great public safety threat to Alaskans.”
“The Alaska State Troopers are committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold anyone that distributes dangerous drugs accountable for their actions,” said Captain Cornelius Sims, Commander of the Alaska State Trooper’s Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit. “Drug overdose claims the lives of hundreds of Alaskans each year, and law enforcement will continue to do our part to disrupt the tidal wave of illegal narcotics flowing into Alaska.”
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service in concert with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to protecting the citizens of Alaska and will continue to be aggressive in our fight to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Shultz of the Coast Guard Investigative Service Northwest Field Office.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service Northwest Field Office and Alaska State Troopers, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber prosecuted the case.
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Jury Finds Remaining Co-Defendants Guilty of Multi-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Other Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Alfred Lamar Shavers (49, Bunnell) and Tyrone James Jones (56, Palm Coast) guilty of conspiring to distribute controlled substances. Jones was also convicted of distributing methamphetamine on two separate occasions, and Shavers was convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Their sentencing hearings have been scheduled for May 28, 2024. Shavers, Jones, and seven co-conspirators were charged in a superseding indictment resulting from a joint, multi-state investigation Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Jones and Shavers were local drug dealers who operated in Volusia and Flagler counties. They were part of a drug trafficking organization that imported large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into California and Arizona, and then transported it in commercial trucks across the country into the Middle District of Florida. Jones distributed several pounds of methamphetamine on multiple occasions during the investigation.
During the investigation, Shavers purchased and sold distribution quantities of cocaine on several occasions from his Bunnell residence. On October 31, 2022, search warrants were executed at six locations in Palm Coast, Bunnell, and Daytona Beach—including Shavers’s residence. During the search of Shavers’s residence, law enforcement seized nine firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunitions, cocaine, a digital scale, and small baggies. Shavers is a previously convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Shavers stipulated to the forfeiture of all the firearms in the superseding indictment.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation which includes the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the DeLand Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Johnson County man sentenced to federal prison for lead role in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Johnson County man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking, and awaits sentencing with other defendants after pleading guilty to dog fighting charges.
Travis Lee Martin, a/k/a “Fat,” 42, of Wrightsville, Ga., was sentenced to 200 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and 100 Grams or More of Heroin, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen ordered the sentence to run consecutively to a pending sentence Martin faces in a related dogfighting case, fined Martin $5,000 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence is a testament to the outstanding investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other law enforcement agencies that identified and dismantled Martin’s multi-county drug trafficking and dog fighting operations,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “These collaborations are vital in eradicating dangerous criminal activity in our communities.”
Martin and 11 co-defendants were named in a 27-count drug conspiracy indictment unsealed in December 2022, identifying an operation distributing methamphetamine and heroin in Laurens, Treutlen, Johnson, and Emanuel counties. The three-year investigation led to multiple searches of residences and vehicles, resulting in numerous seizures of drugs, cash and firearms. Martin’s guilty plea in the case acknowledges the forfeiture of $80,050 in cash seized during the investigation.
All of the remaining defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to related charges and are serving sentences of up to 87 months in prison.
During the drug trafficking investigation, authorities also rescued 96 dogs suspected to be part of a dog fighting operation from three Johnson County locations, a location in Laurens County and one in Washington County. Martin and four co-defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Welfare Act, a charge that carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. Among those co-defendants is Sentell Eugene Carey, 40, of Wrightsville, Ga., who is serving four years’ probation after also pleading guilty in the drug trafficking case. Judge Bowen will schedule sentencing hearings after U.S. Probation Services completes pre-sentence investigations for each defendant.
The dogs were seized in a civil action brought by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service contracted with an agency to provide veterinary service, care and rehabilitation of the rescued dogs.
“Illicit drugs like methamphetamine and heroin have destroyed countless lives,” Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold criminals accountable.”
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations, actively investigates allegations of animal abuse. This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will no longer be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis. “We would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock for aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of animal fighting, and our federal, local state law enforcement partners, for their dedicated work in this investigation.”
The drug trafficking case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland.
The criminal dog fighting prosecution was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock, while the civil forfeiture of the dogs was coordinated by Southern District of Georgia Civil Division Chief Shannon Heath Statkus.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Edgar Guintivano (52, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Guintivano entered a guilty plea on November 16, 2023.
According to court documents, on February 21, 2023, officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department conducted a traffic stop due to Guintivano not having a valid driver license. Guintivano had 256 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle. In addition to the narcotics, Guintivano had a loaded Glock pistol on his person, as well as two batons. Inside the vehicle, there was an additional firearm, as well as seven knives in the driver’s door panel.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.
Indianapolis Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Two Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Deandre Govan, 21, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on October 10, 2021, Victim 1 arrived to work at a restaurant on the West side of Indianapolis. As he walked to the door of the restaurant, he was approached by Deandre Govan. Govan brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and took the victim’s wallet and cell phone and ordered him to unlock it. Govan forced the victim to give him the keys to his car and fled the scene in the stolen car. The following day, IMPD officers found the victim’s car on University of Indianapolis (UIndy) campus.
On October 12, 2021, Victim 2 was parked on UIndy’s campus in her 2010 white Ford Focus with the window down, when Govan approached her vehicle and brandished a black semiautomatic firearm. Govan instructed her to hang-up her phone and unlock the device. Govan took her phone, money, and forced her out of the vehicle. Govan fled the scene in the stolen car.
Around the same time, IMPD received multiple reports of robberies at an apartment complex located at the intersection of South Keystone and East Hannah Avenues. On October 13, 2021, maintenance men at the apartment complex were standing outside of one of the residential buildings when Govan rode by on a bicycle. The men did not recognize him to be a resident within the complex, so they asked him what he was doing there. Govan became hostile and brandished a black semiautomatic pistol and pointed it at the face of one of the workers.
Shortly after, IMPD investigators located Govan at the intersection of South Keystone and East Hanna Avenues. Govan initially resisted arrest but was quickly detained. Investigators located a Glock 45 9mm semiautomatic pistol on Govan’s person and was able to identify him as the carjacker by his tattoos and clothes.
“Armed criminals like this defendant who terrorize our communities must be held accountable,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that there is no place in society for these violent crimes and that armed, violent criminals are a priority for federal prosecution. We are deeply committed to working closely with our partners at the FBI and IMPD to reduce gun violence in Indianapolis.”
“Carjacking is a violent crime that endangers the public and I hope this sentence will bring comfort to his victims knowing he is behind bars and not free to terrorize others,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “It also demonstrates the teamwork between the FBI and our partners at the IMPD and should send a clear message that violent criminals preying on our community will not be tolerated.”
The FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Govan be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Indiana Man Charged with Impersonating Federal Officials and Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on February 22, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Brandon Anderson, 34, of Greenwood, Indiana, with two counts of impersonation of an officer or employee of the United States and one count of making a false statement to a department or agency of the United States.
Anderson entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on February 23, 2024 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Following his arraignment, Anderson remained on pretrial supervision subject to conditions of release.
According to court records, Anderson, while wearing a tactical uniform with black body armor and a holstered firearm, impersonated a federal law enforcement official on two occasions. Anderson was not in fact a federal law enforcement official during either occasion, but instead was a privately contracted security guard for a federal agency. In addition, investigation of Anderson revealed that, in becoming a security guard for the federal agency, he falsely stated that he had served in the United States Marines and received an honorable discharge, when in fact he had not served in the Marines at all.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Anderson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Anderson faces up to five years of imprisonment if convicted of false statement and up to three years of imprisonment if convicted of false personation. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Burlington Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Anderson is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls.
Husband and Wife from Knoxville Sentenced for Roles in Heroin and Meth ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Knoxville, Tennessee couple, who conspired with others to traffic heroin and methamphetamine into Lee County, Virginia, were sentenced today to lengthy prison terms.
Billie Jo McGuire, 30, and her husband, Billy Justin King, 30, both pled guilty in October 2022 to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Billy King also pled guilty to possessing a firearm in possession of a drug trafficking crime.
Today, King was sentenced to 15 years in prison and McGuire was sentenced to 24 months.
McGuire and King conspired with Robert Earl Warr, Robert Lee Jenkins, and others, including John Joel Foster, Ray Anthony McSwain, Garrett Lee Teffeteller, Darin Thomas, and David Edward Farmer, to sell heroin and methamphetamine in and around Lee County, Virginia, and the Knoxville, Tennessee area.
According to court documents, as part of the broader conspiracy, King and McGuire trafficked methamphetamine and heroin from Eastern Tennessee into Lee County, Virginia for redistribution. While King was the ‘leader’ between the pair, McGuire assisted her husband’s drug activities by weighing the drugs, counting money, answering King’s cell phone, and coordinating drug customers.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department, the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, the Sevier County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Huntingdon County Man Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Chris Weaver, age 50, of Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, was charged on February 21, 2024, in a criminal information with receiving child pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information charges Weaver with being in receipt of child pornography between July 1, 2020 and January 31, 2023, in Huntingdon County.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is 20 years imprisonment, a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Hulbert Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cairl Glenn Hayes, Jr., age 48, of Hulbert, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison on two separate cases for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 5, 2022, Hayes pleaded guilty to a single count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and remained on bond pending sentencing. According to investigators, on April 26, 2022, law enforcement officers conducting a traffic stop in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, discovered Hayes in possession of a firearm. Hayes was sentenced to 18 months in prison for this offense.
On August 9, 2023, Hayes was indicted for a second incident of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hayes entered a guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm on September 11, 2023. According to investigators, on July 10, 2023, law enforcement officers conducting a traffic stop in Cherokee County again discovered Hayes in possession of a firearm. Hayes was sentenced to 12 months in prison for the second offense.
At the time of both traffic stops, Hayes knew he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
The Court ordered the sentences in each case to run concurrently.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Hayes 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 Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Homemade Firearm Results in Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A man who was found in possession of a homemade large-caliber pistol in the Meskwaki Casino in 2022 was sentenced February 22, 2024, to five years in federal prison.
Som Boun Cam, age 56, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 18, 2023 guilty plea to possessing a smooth bore, .410 gauge pistol, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
In a plea agreement, Cam admitted that on April 14, 2022, he was in the Meskwaki Casino hotel when he was involved in a scuffle with another guest and misplaced his backpack. Hotel staff subsequently found the backpack, and when they looked in it on April 18, 2022, they found methamphetamine and a homemade smooth bore .410 gauge pistol. On April 19, 2022, Cam returned to the hotel to claim his property. Cam admitted he had manufactured the firearm. This was a firearm that was required to be registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, but it was not registered to him. Cam has a 1995 felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and methamphetamine, a 2017 felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, and multiple assault convictions.
Cam was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cam was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Cam 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 Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-00050.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Henryetta Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jaylon Christopher Heneha, age 26, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for a federal firearms offense.
The charges arose from investigations by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 2, 2023, Heneha pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on January 22, 2023, officers with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police discovered Heneha in possession of a firearm during the course of another investigation. At the time he possessed the gun, Heneha knew he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Heneha 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 Richard A. Lorenz represented the United States at sentencing.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAHQUAN BLACKWIN, also known as “Mula,” 27, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a fentanyl trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating Blackwin and others for distributing fentanyl and cocaine in the Hartford area. In July and August 2022, investigators made four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Blackwin.
Blackwin was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 17, 2022. On that date, a search of Blackwin’s Judson Street apartment revealed approximately 750 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of cocaine, 32 grams of crack cocaine, 700 grams of psilocybin, and five kilograms of marijuana. Investigators also found and seized two loaded Polymer 80 handguns (“ghost guns”), one of which was fitted with a high-capacity magazine, and a loaded Glock 43X handgun.
Blackwin pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. Judge Dooley schedule sentencing for June 6.
Blackwin has been detained since his arrest.
The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Gang Member Admits Racketeering and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted to his role in a racketeering conspiracy and to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Amir Warden, aka “Stamps,” aka “Killa,” 31, pleaded guilty on Feb. 22, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to two counts of a superseding information that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Warden was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. Warden held a leadership role within the enterprise and conspired with other members and associates to distribute controlled substances. On Aug. 19, 2019, he distributed heroin. On Sept. 29, 2022, Warden, a convicted felon, knowingly possessed three loaded firearms, three high-capacity drum magazines, and approximately 1,300 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Warden faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the racketeering conspiracy and a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms charge. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II;, the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Unit.
warden.sinformation.pdfFort Worth Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A methamphetamine trafficker who pleaded guilty on the eve of trial was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christian Allen Meers, 45, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2023 and indicted the following month. On Sept. 25, 2023, the morning his trial was set to begin, Mr. Meers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
According to court documents, Mr. Meers operated his narcotics trafficking business out of a string of hotels, moving from hotel to hotel every few days to avoid detection by law enforcement.
On June 14, 2023, law enforcement officers in Fort Worth detained Mr. Meers and a female associate following a traffic violation. Inside Mr. Meers’ satchel, they found the key card to a nearby La Quinta Inn. His associate told officers there was methamphetamine stashed inside a bag in the hotel room.
During a search of the room, officers found a Louis Vuitton bag stuffed with plastic baggies filled with more than 4,500 grams of meth, along with two firearms that had previously been reported stolen.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Frank Gatto prosecuted the case.
Former Senior Executive at Chinatown-Based Bank Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charge for Embezzling More Than $700,000Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former chief financial officer at a downtown Los Angeles bank has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $700,000 of his employer’s funds and admitted stealing bank employees’ identities to open life insurance policies in their names to benefit his wife, the Justice Department announced today.
Sammy Sims, 61, of West Covina, pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to one count of bank fraud.
According to his plea agreement, the Chinatown-based Eastern International Bank hired Sims in September 2017 as the lender’s CFO. As a condition of his employment, Sims agreed that he would not use the bank’s confidential information for his personal benefit or for others. The bank’s policy also required Sims to promptly disclose any conflicts or appearances of conflict with the bank’s interests. Sims’s scheme to defraud his employer lasted from February 2018 until at least April 2021.
From August 2018 to October 2020, Sims wired $86,000 in bank funds to the United States Treasury and California Franchise Tax Board to make payments towards the personal federal and state income taxes for himself and his wife. Sims concealed these transactions by creating false entries in the bank’s general ledger that falsely represented that the payments were for the bank’s tax accounts.
In April 2019, Sims used approximately $14,161 in bank funds to a debt collection agency to help pay off a debt that he had incurred. Sims concealed this transaction by creating a false entry in the bank’s general ledger that falsely stated the payment was for data processing software.
From April 2019 to December 2020, Sims took approximately $113,264 in money belonging to the bank to pay the balances on his personal credit card. Sims hid these expenses in the bank’s general ledger by falsely labeling them as bank expenses. During this time, he also siphoned approximately $81,815 from the bank by using a bank credit card, meant for work purposes, for his personal expenses, including steak dinners and a trip to Las Vegas.
Sims, from February 2020 to April 2021, also lied to several bank employees by telling them they had to switch their bank-funded life insurance policies because of their age. What neither the employees nor the bank knew was these policies were obtained through Sims’s wife, a licensed life insurance broker who received a commission for each life policy she sold. For some employees, Sims obtained their personal identifying information without their consent and then used this information to purchase life insurance policies from his wife. Sims used a checking account belonging to the bank to wire approximately $311,608 of the bank’s money to several life insurance companies to partially pay for the premiums for these policies.
When Sims was later confronted about the life insurance policies opened using bank employees’ personal identifying information, he lied by saying the employees’ identities could have been stolen through a cybersecurity hack or by unauthorized disclosures by the bank’s personnel department. Sims resigned from the bank shortly after being confronted about the life insurance policies.
In total, Sims unlawfully took at least $737,849 of bank funds for his personal use and benefit.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a May 10 sentencing hearing, at which time Sims will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Former Puerto Rico Legislative Assistant Sentenced for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A former legislative assistant to a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for engaging in a scheme to accept a fraudulently inflated government salary in exchange for providing kickbacks to a legislator and the legislator’s family members.
According to court documents, from early 2013 until July 2020, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, 35, of Carolina, served as a legislative assistant for María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, also known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. In early 2017, Charbonier-Laureano inflated Acevedo-Ceballos’ salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to over $2,100. Acevedo-Ceballos’ bi-weekly, net government salary further increased to between $2,700 and $2,900 from the middle of 2017 until June 2020. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo-Ceballos would keep a portion and pay kickbacks ranging between $1,000 and $1,500 to Charbonier-Laureano, Charbonier-Laureano’s husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, and Charbonier-Laureano’s son, throughout the course of the scheme.
Acevedo-Ceballos pleaded guilty in November 2023 to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
In January, a federal jury convicted Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera of one count of conspiracy; two counts of theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of money laundering. The jury also convicted Charbonier-Laureano of obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone. Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera are scheduled to be sentenced on April 10. 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 W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jonathan E. Jacobson and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Divion’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Theft of a Postal Service KeyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) key.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a November 2023 trial, Kristen Arieale Williams, 32, was employed as a mail carrier at the post office in Prichard. The jury heard evidence that in late October 2022, Williams stole and sold a USPS “arrow” key to a coconspirator. Arrow keys are government property and will open, among other things, all blue USPS collection boxes in a particular geographic area. Stealing and possessing such a key with fraudulent intent is a federal crime. Williams’s coconspirator paid Williams $2,500 in cash for the key. Law enforcement caught Williams’s coconspirator using the key to steal mail from collection boxes outside the Bel Air Mall in Mobile in November 2022. The coconspirator stole hundreds of pieces of mail using the key.
Trial evidence showed that Williams also conspired to commit bank fraud involving counterfeit checks deposited into her bank account. The counterfeit checks were derived from checks stolen from the mail and bore the true names, addresses, and bank account numbers of multiple victims who testified at trial. The jury reviewed incriminating text messages and other data extracted from Williams’s cell phone and the cell phone of a coconspirator. The jury also heard excerpts of a recorded confession that Williams gave to law enforcement in March 2023. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose applied an obstruction-of-justice enhancement, finding that Williams lied during sworn testimony that she gave at trial.
In addition to the 30-month prison sentence, Judge DuBose ordered Williams to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison, during which time she will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Williams to pay $48,334.10 in victim restitution and $500 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS–Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. The Brewton Police Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration–Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Florence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun and Drugs ViolationsRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Rayshawn Mortress Tutt Smoot, 34, of Florence, was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and crack cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on Aug. 11, 2022, investigators with the Florence Police Department, deputies with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, and agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division went to arrest Smoot in Florence for active arrest warrants. Upon arriving at the residence, officers observed a car parked on a vacant lot and Smoot in the driver’s seat. Officers also saw a pistol with a drum magazine on the front passenger seat. During a search of the car, officers found approximately 33 grams of crack cocaine, approximately five grams of cocaine, a digital scale, and a box of sandwich baggies along with the pistol. The pistol had a drum magazine which was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Smoot to a total of 106 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. 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 the FBI Columbia Field Office, Florence Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.
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Final Corporate Defendant Sentenced in Major Clean Air Act CaseRead the Press Release
Court Orders $750,000 Fine for Disabling Emissions Controls on Semi-Trucks
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a company and several individuals have been sentenced for violating the Clean Air Act by engaging in an aftermarket scheme to disable the emissions control systems of semi-trucks. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney confirmed the felony convictions of corporate defendant Diesel Freak, LLC, of Gaylord, and ordered the business to pay a fine of $750,000 and serve a term of probation. It was the largest fine imposed over the course of the case in which the Court ordered over $1.8 million in fines. Judge Maloney also sentenced the owner of the business, Ryan Lalone, and two employees, Wade Lalone and James Sisson, each to 1-year probation. Today’s hearing concludes sentencing for all 14 defendants charged in the case. In imposing the sentences, Judge Maloney commented on the “systematic violations” of the Clean Air Act that occurred in this case.
“Holding corporations responsible for environmental crimes is tremendously important,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This case is one of the largest of its kind ever charged in the United States and today’s sentences send a clear message that polluters who break environmental laws will be held accountable. Environmental rules safeguard the water we drink, the lakes we fish, and the air we breathe. It’s critical that we protect our people and our planet from harmful pollutants.”
The company and the individual defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act.
Diesel Freak, LLC, is a diesel repair and electronics modification facility headquartered in Gaylord, Michigan. Diesel Freak designs and builds electronic monitoring and modification kits that adjust engine power and fuel efficiency through Wi-Fi connections with trucks on the road. During the conspiracy period, which ran from approximately 2015 through November 2018, when Diesel Freak was searched by the EPA, Diesel Freak conducted remote reprogramming, or tuning, of on-board diagnostic systems (“OBD”), including deletions of environmental controls, allowing diesel engines for large open-road trucks to work cheaper, without environmental restrictions, causing pollution beyond that allowed by law. Mr. Lalone estimated that 70 percent of Diesel Freak’s business was full emissions control deletions. This process is sometimes referred to as a “deletion,” that is, “deleting” the emissions controls from the vehicles. “Deleting” emissions controls from the vehicles can improve performance and fuel economy and save maintenance costs but is unlawful and causes significant environmental harm. Tampering with or removing emissions controls can drastically increase the emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and non-methane hydrocarbons found in vehicle exhaust. Exposure to and inhalation of these chemicals at greater levels is associated with serious health risks.
“Exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to serious health conditions, such as asthma and respiratory illness, and contributes greatly to poor air quality -- concerns the defendants in this case ignored in favor of financial profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lisa Matovic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (“EPA-CID”). “The sentencings in this case show that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable individuals who disregard health and environmental laws designed to protect our communities from dangerous air pollution.”
The purpose of the Clean Air Act is, among other goals, “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” In passing the Act, Congress found that “the increasing use of motor vehicles[] has resulted in mounting dangers to the public health and welfare.”
U.S. Attorney Totten also noted that those with information about other companies and individuals involved in tampering with emissions controls in connection with this investigation can contact EPA-CID at (734) 214-4913. General environmental violations can be reported to EPA through the website https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
EPA-CID investigated the matters with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Investigation Section. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Presant and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Baker and Meagan Johnson prosecuted the cases.
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Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Firearms and Narcotics in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall sentenced Ronald Delaespada to 10 years in prison for his role in a firearms trafficking scheme and for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. Delaespada pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2023.
Delaespada’s co-defendant Rayon Lovett pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking charges in February 2023 and was sentenced to 85 months’ imprisonment in October 2023. Delaespada’s co-defendant and brother Owen Welch pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking charges in July 2023 and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan DiGirolamo, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York (ATF), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“Delaespada is a career criminal who sold illegal guns, including an assault-type rifle, near a school, a church and on bustling streets in the heart of Brooklyn, without regard for how these lethal weapons could be used,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence will keep the defendant off the street for years, a punishment he deserves for his blatant disrespect for the law and his dangerous conduct. I commend the brave NYPD undercover officer, along with the Special Agents of ATF, whose excellent work kept 17 lethal weapons off the streets of our community.”
“While communities across this country are coming together in grief because of the devastation of gun violence — some people are unlawfully selling firearms to others with blatant disregard for the impact on the lives of others. ATF will continue to do all we can to reduce gun violence by stopping the traffickers who flood our communities with illegal firearms. Crime gun intelligence enhances our ability to identify both amateur and prolific traffickers,” stated ATF Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge DiGirolamo. “Every crime gun off the streets is a potential life saved. Excellent work by the men and women of ATF NY Joint Firearms Task Force, our partners at NYPD and EDNY.”
“This kind of meaningful prison sentence shows our courageous police officers that New Yorkers will not tolerate such lawless behavior in our neighborhoods,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend our dedicated undercover officer, and I thank our colleagues at the ATF and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for continuing to be highly effective partners in our public safety mission.”
Between February and June 2022, Delaespada, Lovett and Welch were jointly responsible for selling 17 firearms, including the semi-automatic weapons depicted above, to an undercover NYPD officer in Brooklyn.
The defendants conducted these firearms sales in vehicles outside of homes in the Prospect Park South neighborhood of Brooklyn, including in locations near Prospect Park, across from a church, and near an elementary school. The firearms sales often occurred in the middle of the afternoon and in broad daylight, with the defendants brazenly walking down public streets carrying bags of dangerous firearms. On June 15, 2022, Lovett and Welch sold the undercover officer a KelTec KS7 shotgun and an American Tactical AR-15-style rifle, with a high-capacity magazine attachment, for several thousand dollars.
Delaespada, who was convicted in 2015 in the Eastern District of Virginia for narcotics trafficking and possessing a firearm as a felon, was on federal supervised release when he committed the instant offense and has multiple felony convictions in the State of New York.
When Delaespada was arrested, he possessed more than 80 pills containing fentanyl, more than 38 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and more than 50 grams of cocaine and more than 30 grams of crack cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew Reich are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
RONALD DELAESPADA
Age: 48
Brooklyn, New YorkRAYON LOVETT
Age: 37
Brooklyn, New YorkOWEN WELCH
Age: 44
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-341 (LDH)
Federal Jury Convicts Arizona Man of Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Alan J. Disomma Jr., 60, of Payson, Arizona, today of two counts of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity
Evidence at trial proved that on December 10, 2021, Disomma began messaging a woman located in West Virginia whom he believed to be the mother of two minor girls. Disomma stated in his messages to the individual that he wished to engage in sexual relations with both girls. Disomma also brought up possibly traveling to West Virginia to meet the girls during this online conversation.
From December 21, 2021 to December 18, 2022, Disomma exchanged text messages with the woman and continued to express his interest in engaging in sexual relations with both girls. During this text messaging, Disomma asked about flying to West Virginia to visit them and also stated that he had previously engaged in sexual relations with a prepubescent girl and subjected her to bestiality. Disomma also expressed interest in having the woman and the girls move to Arizona to live with him.
On December 18, 2022, Disomma flew from Arizona to Charleston, West Virginia, where he planned to meet the individual and travel with her to her residence where he intended to engage in sexual activity with both girls. Upon his arrival in Charleston, Disomma was arrested by law enforcement officers.
Disomma faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine when he is sentenced. Disomma must also register as a sex offender.
“Over the course of one year, Mr. Disomma repeatedly communicated his desire to engage in sexual relations with two minor girls and then traveled more than 1,800 miles to act on that desire,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and the West Virginia State Police for their investigation of this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Lesley C. Shamblin and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all three counts in the indictment.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the jury trial.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-227.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Metcalfe County Felon for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky returned an indictment on February 14, 2024, charging a Metcalfe County man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on November 23, 2023, Damien N. Wilson, 29, of Russell Springs, Kentucky, possessed a Ruger, model SR9, 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol. Wilson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On December 16, 2022, in Casey Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine – first offense.
On January 13, 2022, in Casey Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine – first offense.
On February 20, 2019, in Russell Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance – methamphetamine.
On March 28, 2018, in Adair Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine – first offense.
Wilson was arraigned on February 21, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He remains in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Felon for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a six-count indictment on February 6, 2024, charging a Louisville man with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between January 11, 2022, and July 26, 2023, Marcus Allen Crook, 32, conspired to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. On July 26, 2023, Crook possessed a Glock, model 17 Gen 4, nine-millimeter pistol, a Glock, model 20 Gen 4, ten-millimeter pistol, and a FN, model 509, nine-millimeter pistol, in furtherance to his drug trafficking. Crook was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense.
On December 7, 2012, in Jefferson Circuit Court, in Case Number 09-CR-3791, Crook was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree (not vehicle related).
Cook made his initial court appearance on February 21, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He remains detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the HSI and the KSP, with assistance from the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Shannon is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Edmonton Felon for Illegally Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on September 13, 2023, charging a Metcalfe County resident with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on February 23, 2023, Aaron Dale McKinney, 47, possessed a Springfield Armory (HS Produkt), model XD-45, 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, and ammunition. McKinney was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On May 25, 2021, in Metcalfe Circuit Court, McKinney was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, third or more offense (methamphetamine).
On September 26, 2017, in Metcalfe Circuit Court, McKinney was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine, first offense.
McKinney made his initial appearance on February 21, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office with assistance from the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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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February Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the February Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Cesar Arvizo. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Arvizo, 44, of Burlington, Colorado, is charged with conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine in Feb. 2024. He is further charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-059
Marco Dionte Atkins. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Atkins, 19, of Tulsa, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation member, is charged with intentionally assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon in Nov. 2023. He is further charged with knowingly carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-051
Jason Nathaniel Daugherty. Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. Daugherty, 38, of Broken Arrow, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with involuntary manslaughter after driving left of center line under the influence of alcohol, killing Sherrie Tucker in Mar. 2023. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-052
Juan Adolfo De Lira-Davila. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lira-Davila, 31, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Oct. 2015, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-061
Christopher Glenn Drake. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Drake, 43, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in Jan 2024. He allegedly possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Drake possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony in Wagoner County. He is further charged with maintaining a residence for distributing drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-058
Sarah Elizabeth Neighbors; Roselinde Faith Serna; Kylie Raeanne Clarkson. Drug Conspiracy (Counts 1 and 2); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 5). Neighbors, 33, of Choteau, Serna, 29 and Clarkson, 35, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to distribute and knowingly possessing more than 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute in Jan. 2024. Neighbors is further charged with intentionally possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and maintaining a residence for distribution of drugs in Jan. 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-054
Jorge Luis Peres Ambriz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez Ambriz, 32, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2018, at or near El Paso, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-060
Greg Allen Reddout. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Reddout, 44, of Tulsa, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with intentionally assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon in Feb. 2024. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-055
Luis Gerardo Trejo-Zambrano; Luis Antonio Soria; Bryan Ulysses Martinez; Darmel Dashun Batemon Jr.; Marcos Zamrano-Rivera Jr.; Kalob Nathaniel Burton; Christopher Yahir Martinez. Conspiracy and Attempt to Traffick Firearms (Counts 1 and 3); Kidnapping (Count 2); Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 4, 9 and 10); Possession of an Unregistered Silencer (Count 5); Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony (Count 6); Transporting Firearms in Interstate Commerce While Under Indictment (Counts 7 and 8) (superseding). Trejo-Zambrano, 22, of Watts, Soria, 21, of Siloam Springs, AR, Bryan Martinez, 18, of Springdale, AR, are charged with conspiring to dispose of one or more firearms on Sep. 10, 2023. Trejo-Zambrano, Soria, Bryan Martinez, and Zamarbrano-Rivera, 22, of Springdale, AR, knowingly kidnapped someone on Sep. 10, 2023. Trejo-Zambrano, Batemon, 21, of North Little Rock, AR, Burton, 23, Maumelle, AR, and Christopher Martinez, 20, of Little Rock, AR, allegedly conspired to dispose of one or more firearms between Sep. 15 and Sep. 16, 2023. Trejo-Zambrano purportedly possessed an unregistered silencer and willfully received a firearm knowing he was under indictment. Soria and Batemon are also charged with transporting firearms while under indictment. Trejo-Zambrano, Zambrano-Rivera, and Burton are further charged with possessing a firearm after being convicted of one or more felonies in various states. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-045
Morgan Cole Womack. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Womack, 40, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. He is further charged with intentionally possessing methamphetamine for distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-057
Farmington Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – 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 Willard Haven Dedios pleaded guilty in federal court to sexual abuse of an incapacitated person. Dedios, 60, of Farmington, and an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Dedios on Nov. 9, 2022. In his plea agreement, Dedios admitted that on May 26, 2022, he engaged in a sexual act with Jane Doe while she was unconscious and that he took photos of his acts and Jane Doe’s condition.
At sentencing, Dedios faces up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
24-79
Ex-Energy Trader for Vitol Convicted of Foreign Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Javier Aguilar, a former trader at Vitol, Inc. (Vitol), was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all counts of a superseding indictment relating to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to officials of Petroecuador, the Ecuadorian state-owned oil company. Aguilar was also convicted of laundering money used to bribe Ecuadorian officials and officials at PEMEX Procurement International (PPI), a wholly owned affiliate of the Mexican state-owned oil company, PEMEX. The verdict followed an eight-week trial before Senior United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano. When sentenced, Aguilar faces up to 30 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict represents another victory in this Office’s commitment to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant and his co-conspirators sought to enrich themselves through criminal backroom deals. The people of Ecuador and Mexico deserved better and companies that play by the rules should know that the process is not rigged. The Department of Justice and my Office will continue to prioritize holding to account individuals who enrich themselves through bribery.”
“Javier Aguilar bribed officials at state-owned oil and gas companies in Ecuador and Mexico using shell companies and sham invoices to obtain business for Vitol, Inc., where he worked as an oil and gas trader. With today’s verdict, the jury has held him accountable for his role in a sophisticated bribery and money laundering scheme that netted Vitol hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Foreign bribery erodes the rule of law, disadvantages honest companies, and emboldens corrupt government officials. The Criminal Division will continue to vigorously pursue wrongdoers who bribe foreign officials and bring them to justice.”
“As demonstrated by this case, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has a long reach,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Veltri. “Aguilar’s egregious attempt to bribe officials in Ecuador and Mexico failed and he will now face tough penalties. I want to commend our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and at the Department of Justice for their close cooperation on this case.”
As proven at trial, Aguilar paid more than $1 million in bribes to Petroecuador and PPI officials to obtain lucrative contracts for Vitol.
Between 2015 and 2020, Aguilar was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office. As a part of the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators agreed to bribe senior Ecuadorian officials to obtain a $300 million contract to purchase fuel oil for Vitol. Aguilar and his co-conspirators used another Middle Eastern state-owned entity to circumvent Petroecuador’s restrictions on contracts with private companies. In return for the promise and payments of bribes, the Ecuadorian officials then ensured that the Middle Eastern state-owned entity and Vitol were awarded the contract. Following the 2017 Ecuadorean presidential election, the officials who received bribes were replaced by new senior officials. To ensure continuity under the then-existing fuel oil contract and to obtain additional business, Aguilar and his co-conspirators agreed to bribe them as well.
To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curacao, Panama, and Cayman Islands. The defendant also used alias email accounts rather than his Vitol email to communicate with his co-conspirators.
The evidence at trial also demonstrated that Aguilar used the same system of shell entities and sham invoices to launder bribe payments to two officials at PEMEX Procurement International. In total, Aguilar paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to these officials to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane gas to PEMEX.
The evidence at trial included testimony from 10 witnesses, including three of the former Mexican and Ecuadorian officials who received bribes from the defendant, as well as consultants who facilitated the bribes, and an intermediary who laundered the bribes for the defendant; bribe payments ledgers; emails, including from the defendant’s alias email accounts; recorded calls and meetings; travel records; and bank records showing how the defendant and his co-conspirators moved money to bribe officials through offshore shell companies. In one of the recorded phone calls played at trial, the defendant told a co-conspirator that his money launderer in Curacao “has to make up some fake contracts.”
Aguilar faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the FCPA counts and 20 years in prison on the money laundering count.
Seven of the defendant’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million.
In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and authorities in Brazil.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad.
The government’s case is being handled by the Business and Securities Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and MLARS. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Matthew R. Galeotti, and Nick M. Axelrod of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case with Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell and Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon of the Fraud Section, Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz and Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith of MLARS, and Paralegal Specialist Peyton Jefferson. The MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this case.
The Defendant:
JAVIER AGUILAR
Age: 49
Houston, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-390 (ENV)
Edina Financial Adviser Charged with Wire Fraud for Stealing $1.6 Million from ClientsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Edina financial adviser has been charged with wire fraud after misappropriating $1.6 million in client investment funds, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Kristi Margaret Berge, 47, was the founder and CEO of Keep Safe Investments, LLC, or “KSI Financial,” a financial planning and investment services firm. Berge also co-owned and operated J&K Connect LLC, a company that invested in real estate through buying, renovating, and re-selling properties. Berge maintained offices for her companies in Edina, Minnesota. Berge is registered as an investment adviser with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and licensed as an investment adviser with the State of Minnesota.
According to court documents, from June 2020 through February 2023, Berge fraudulently misappropriated approximately $1.6 million from some of her clients’ accounts by falsely representing to clients that she would maintain their money in safe and secure investment accounts, such as individual retirement accounts and 401(k) retirement savings plans. Instead, Berge fraudulently misappropriated the money by repeatedly withdrawing client funds in varying amounts between $5,000 and $220,000 and depositing the funds into bank accounts she controlled. Berge then used the clients’ funds to purchase multiple properties in Edina for her real estate business. Berge tried to conceal her fraud by falsely labeling her illicit withdrawals as “management” or “administrative” fees and by creating fabricated records to give the false impression that she had authorization to withdraw clients’ investment funds.
Berge is charged with one count of wire fraud. On March 7, 2024, Berge is scheduled to make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D’Iberville Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A D’Iberville man pled guilty to possession of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, Benjamin Lee Poiroux, 40, was encountered by FBI agents at the Gulfport Airport and gave consent for his electronic devices to be forensically searched. The search of his iPad, laptop, and cellular telephone revealed he possessed over 1,300 visual images and 75 videos of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, also known as child sexual abuse materials.
Poiroux is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Cyber Crime Division at the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Drug Coordinator Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Enrique Heriberto Nunez-Tiznado, 45, of Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 63 months in prison. Nunez-Tiznado pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on December 13, 2023.
Nunez-Tiznado admitted he was a Mexico-based leader of an organization that supplied drugs that were mailed throughout the United States. Nunez-Tiznado used individuals to smuggle drugs into the United States through ports of entry. He then coordinated the mailing of those drugs from Tucson to various locations throughout the United States. Finally, he coordinated the laundering of drug proceeds through a co-defendant’s bank account.
Colombian authorities apprehended Nunez-Tiznado in February 2022, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, and Nunez-Tiznado was extradited from Colombia to the United States on April 12, 2023.
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.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Colombian law enforcement authorities provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Nunez-Tiznado. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 21-2667-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-020_Nunez-Tiznado# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft Following Theft from Residential Front Porch in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Ernest Persha, 62, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on February 21, 2024, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 12, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Persha is to be arraigned on March 5, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 12, 2023, Persha took a package from the front porch of a residence in Northeast, Washington, D.C. Persha was immediately stopped and arrested by officers in the crime suppression unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, who were surveilling the property at the time of the crime.
Persha has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika Norman.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft Following Theft from Residential Front Porch in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, Eugene Fleet, 61, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 12, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Fleet is to be arraigned on March 13, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 12, 2024, Fleet took a package containing a baby blanket from a resident’s porch in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Fleet was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fleet has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Limb.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft Following Theft from CVS in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Peter Harshaw (aka Peter Allen), 64, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on February 21, 2024, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 19, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Harshaw is to be arraigned on February 26, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 19, 2024, Harshaw took store merchandise without paying from the CVS store in Northwest Washington, D.C. Harshaw was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Harshaw has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Naveed Amalfard.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Detroit, MI, Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for His Leadership Role in a Drug Trafficking Organization Targeting two of North Dakota’s Native American ReservationsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Romel Rambus, age 29, of Detroit, Michigan, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, for his leadership role in a drug trafficking organization targeting two of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations. Rambus pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy, and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison, Five Years of supervised release, and $100 special assessment.
A multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement learned of a drug trafficking organization affiliated with the 5674 Reub Gang, a violent street gang operating out of Michigan, which was involved in transporting thousands of oxycodone/fentanyl pills to North Dakota for distribution, in Bismarck, ND, Minot, ND, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. As part of this organization, in approximately 2015, Romel Rambus, after the death of his brother, Reuben Rambus, took over the operation and worked with the Devonsha Dabney to distribute narcotics in North Dakota.
Co-Conspirator Jonathan B. Walker, a/k/a Jay, was sentenced on October 2, 2023, to 180 months incarceration, 5 years of supervised release, and $500 in special assessment fees.
Co-Conspirator Devonsha Dabney a/k/a Kemell, was sentenced on October 10, 2023, to 180 months in federal prison, 4 years of supervised release, and $100 special assessment fees.
Over forty defendants were charged for their involvement in the drug trafficking organization and all defendants have enter pleas of guilty or signed plea agreements with the intent to plead guilty.
“This sentence is another reminder to those who target tribal communities in North Dakota for distribution of dangerous drugs,” Schneider said. “Instead of short-term profits, you’ll be facing a long-term stay in federal prison. Bringing this defendant and his co-conspirators to justice is the result of relentless efforts by our career prosecutors and their multi-agency law enforcement partners.”
The Previous Press Release for this investigation can be seen by clicking the following link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/detroit-mi-man-sentenced-15-years-federal-prison-his-leadership-role-drug-trafficking
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (Detroit), the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Metro Area Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, and Minot Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Alex Stock assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
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Denver Man Charged in Five Denver Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Samuel Richard Ruthstrom, age 41, has been charged by federal complaint in connection with a series of bank robberies in the city and county of Denver.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, in the month of January 2024, Ruthstrom robbed a series of banks around the city and county of Denver.
The Defendant had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella on February 8.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, and the Denver Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn is handling the prosecution.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 1:24-mj-00025-KAS
Dauphin County Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ewhnik Proctor, age 26, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 7, 2024, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that, on separate dates in 2022, Proctor distributed a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessed a firearm while he was prohibited by law from doing so.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses is a combined 35 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Cybertip Leads to Conviction of Lake Charles Man for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Arthur Dorain Deville, 50, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 51 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Deville pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on August 16, 2023.
In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from Dropbox, Inc. in reference to images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being uploaded to one of their accounts. An investigation by agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) revealed that the Dropbox account belonged to Deville.
On October 26, 2022, Deville admitted to agents with LBI and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations that the Dropbox account belonged to him, and he was the only person with access to the account. Deville also confessed to possessing the CSAM maintained in the Dropbox account. An analysis of the deleted files in Deville’s account contained CSAM involving minor children not having reached the age of puberty.
The case was investigated by Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Crystal Springs Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Mississippi – A Crystal Springs man was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 429.9 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Marcus Baldridge a/k/a Possum a/k/a Lil One, 40, of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, negotiated the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to an individual. During the sale, Baldridge realized he lacked two ounces to complete the pound. Baldridge left the buy location to meet with his source of supply, then returned to the location and provided the two ounces of methamphetamine to his co-conspirator, Dremarcus Taylor, who subsequently provided the two ounces to the buyer to complete the transaction. The substances sold by Baldridge were analyzed by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride with a combined net weight of 429.9 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine.
Dremarcus Taylor entered a plea of guilty for his role and is scheduled for sentencing on May 21, 2024.
This case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hinds County, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Arnett of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Distributing Fentanyl Which Killed TeenagerRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Marlene McGuire, 59, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in the death of a juvenile. McGuire was found guilty by a federal jury in Denver in September of 2023.
According to the facts established at trial, on January 30, 2022, McGuire sold four pills which contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl to the three juveniles near a fire station in the Security-Widefield area of Colorado Springs. On January 31, 2022, the father and stepmother of one of the juveniles—a 16-year-old boy—discovered the boy deceased in his bedroom in their home. The boy’s parents and paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but the boy had already died. Police and a deputy coroner found paraphernalia used for smoking fentanyl pills in the boy’s room and near his body, as well as two remaining blue pills in a baggie in his dresser drawer. After an autopsy, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office determined the otherwise healthy boy’s cause of death was acute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl toxicity. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Western Laboratory tested the two pills found in the boy’s dresser drawer. Both pills contained para-fluorofentanyl, a dangerous chemical analogue of fentanyl. One of the two pills also contained fentanyl, lidocaine, and xylazine.
An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) identified McGuire and a co-defendant as the individuals who sold the blue pills that killed the boy. The investigation also revealed that they had been engaged in a conspiracy to sell various controlled substances—including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and blue pills—since at least May 2020. On February 21, 2022, the FBI and CSPD executed a federal search warrant at McGuire’s long-time residence in Colorado Springs. In addition to finding both McGuire and a co-defendant in the residence, law enforcement officers located and seized methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and a blue pill which contained fentanyl.
“Fentanyl again has ended the life of someone far too soon, and it is infuriating that an adult contributed so strongly to a young person’s untimely death,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We are grateful to our agency partners for their perseverance in getting this drug off the street.”
“Sadly, communities continue to grapple with the effects of fentanyl sales and deaths. Law enforcement alone can’t solve the latest drug crisis, but the FBI will continue to work with partners like the Colorado Springs Police Department to target the worst offenders and hold them accountable,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This sentence should send a strong message to those who choose to sell fentanyl.”
“I am saddened by the tragic loss of a young member of our community to the fentanyl epidemic,” said Colorado Springs Police Department Chief Adrian Vasquez. “Fentanyl is having deadly consequences here in Colorado Springs. This case underscores the effectiveness of our collaborative efforts with our federal partners, including the FBI, and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable those in our community who prey on others. This sentence also highlights the reason CSPD continues to advocate for stricter state laws that could be used to increase accountability for these crimes.”
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced the defendant on February 22, 2024. After serving her custodial sentence, the defendant will have six years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Colorado Springs Police Department conducted the investigation. The prosecution as handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Alyssa Mance.
CASE NUMBER: 1:22-cr-00080-RMR
Clothing Wholesaler Executive Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Customs Fraud Scheme to Avoid Paying Millions of Dollars in DutiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Paramount-based clothing wholesale company executive was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for undervaluing imported garments in a scheme to avoid paying millions of dollars in customs duties.
Mohamed Daoud Ghacham, 40, of Bell, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered him to pay $6,390,781 in restitution.
Ghacham pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to pass false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse.
Ghacham’s company, Ghacham Inc., which does business under the “Platini” brand name, imported clothing from China and submitted fraudulent invoices to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that undervalued the shipments, allowing the company to avoid paying the full amounts of tariffs owed on the imports.
At Mohamed Ghacham’s direction, Chinese suppliers would prepare two invoices for the clothing ordered by Ghacham Inc. – a true invoice, which reflected the actual price paid for the goods, and a fraudulent “customs invoice,” which reflected an understated price. Ghacham Inc. submitted the customs invoices to CBP and customs brokers to fraudulently reduce the tariffs owed on the imports, while it maintained the true invoices in its accounting records.
From July 2011 to February 2021, Ghacham Inc. and Mohamed Ghacham undervalued imported garments by more than $32 million and failed to pay approximately $6,390,792 in customs duties.
Ghacham Inc. pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to pass false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse and one count of conspiracy to engage in any transaction or dealing in properties of a specially designated narcotics trafficker under a statute known as the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for doing business with María Tiburcia Cazarez Pérez.
Cazarez Pérez previously was listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Kingpin Act for her involvement in the financial network of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Victor Emilio Cazares Salazar, two leaders of the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel. Cazares Salazar was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug trafficking activities in federal cases out of San Diego and New York City.
In December 2023, Judge Frimpong fined Ghacham Inc. $4 million, ordered it to pay $6,390,781 in restitution, and placed it on probation for five years.
Mohamed Ghacham was not charged in connection with the Kingpin Act violation.
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated this matter. The U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and IRS Criminal Investigation provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force prosecuted this 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.