Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 3 January 2024
New Orleans Man Indicted for Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 21, 2023, RAKHEEM KENNER, age 20, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count indictment for drug and weapons violations.
In Count 1, KENNER is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted, KENNER faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.
In Count 2, KENNER is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). If convicted, KENNER faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with the minimum being at least 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. This sentence must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence.
According to a federal complaint previously filed against KENNER, on November 27, 2023, investigators obtained a signed search warrant for a vehicle involved in a shooting incident. Investigators collected various narcotics and firearms inside the vehicle. It was determined that KENNER was the driver of the vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
New Haven Man Admits Committing Multiple Gunpoint Robberies in 2022Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN BORRERO, 20, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to offenses stemming from his gunpoint robberies of Connecticut convenience stores and an armed carjacking last summer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF and the New Haven Police Department investigated a series of gunpoint robberies and a carjacking that occurred in late June and early July 2022. The investigation revealed that Borrero committed an armed robbery of a Citgo Gas Station located at 957 Foxon Road in East Haven on June 29, 2022; an armed carjacking followed by an armed robbery of a 7-Eleven Convenience Store located at 1089 Campbell Avenue in West Haven on July 3, 2022; and an armed robbery on an Xpress Mart Gas Station located at 180 Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia on July 7, 2022. In addition, on July 6, 2022, Borrero and his associate, Robert Smith, committed an armed robbery of a Shell Gas Station located at 195 State Street in North Haven.
Borrero pleaded guilty to two counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years, on each count. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
On September 28, 2023, Smith, of New Haven, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He also awaits sentencing.
Borrero has been detained since July 13, 2022, and Smith has been detained since January 3, 2023.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Isaiah Lafoe, age 25, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, pled guilty today to receiving child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Lafoe admitted that on September 30, 2020, and between October 5, 2020, and February 15, 2021, he communicated with a 13-year-old child in Troy, New York, and coerced that minor to send him, via social media applications over the internet, images and videos that depicted the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lafoe received these images and videos on his phone.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Lafoe faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Lafoe will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Mission Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by a Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender. The sentencing took place on January 3, 2024.
John Red Bird, age 41, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Bird was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 10, 2023.
On April 15, 2023, Red Bird got into an argument with his intimate partner at their shared residence in Mission, and he struck her in the face multiple times. A family member called 911 and Red Bird was subsequently arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers. At the time of this incident, Red Bird had six prior convictions in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court for domestic assaults against the same intimate partner.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Red Bird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering U.S. for the Sixth TimeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mexican national in Branson, Mo., who has been deported five times pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally reentering the United States.
Oscar Ignacio Lopez-Ortega, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
Branson, Mo., police officers attempted to apprehend Lopez-Ortega at a local hotel on March 1, 2022, but he jumped from a third-story balcony and fled into the woods. Although officers used a police dog to search for him, they were unable to track him.
Branson officers apprehended Lopez-Ortega at another local hotel on Nov. 26, 2022. Police officers were dispatched to assist a Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division worker who had contacted Lopez-Ortega’s wife and children at the hotel. When the officer searched their hotel rooms, he found large bags fills with marijuana under one of the beds. Lopez-Ortega was found hiding under another bed and arrested.
Lopez-Ortega has been deported five times. Most recently, on May 17, 2021, he was deported from the United States to Mexico at Brownsville, Texas, after serving his prison sentence for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
Under federal statutes, Lopez-Ortega is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Branson, Mo., Police Department.
Mexican Citizen Extradited to United States on Narcotics Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – A citizen of Mexico who was extradited to the United States on narcotics trafficking charges had her initial appearance in New Jersey federal court, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Norma Flores-Fernandez, aka “Norma Camarillo,” 55, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Flores-Fernandez was arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States on Sept. 24, 2023, and extradited to the United States. She had her initial appearance on Jan. 2, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court, pleaded not guilty, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Flores-Fernandez was part of a Guadalajara, Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that distributed narcotics, including cocaine and heroin, throughout the United States from March 2018 through December 2019. Flores-Fernandez coordinated the distribution of approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine in Chicago and approximately 5.6 kilograms of heroin in New Jersey, both of which were seized by law enforcement.
Four of Flores-Fernandez’s conspirators – Oscar Alberto Flores-Fernandez, 53, Dario Camarillo, 60, Laura Vanessa Diosa-Giraldo, 30, and Emilio Gutierrez-Martinez, aka “Jose Silvetre-Soto,” 39 – previously pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses. Oscar Alberto Flores-Fernandez, who is also a Mexican citizen, was previously extradited to the United States from Peru.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute heroin each carry a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison and a statutory maximum fine of $10 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons in Chicago, Illinois; and special agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Lafonda Sutton-Burke in Chicago, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Lima, Peru; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Guadalajara, Mexico; and Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago; DEA - Los Angeles; and the U.S. Marshals Service; for their assistance in the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest of Flores-Fernandez and her extradition to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sellinger thanked officials in Mexico for their assistance in the investigation.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George M. Barchini of the OCDETF Unit and Mark J. Pesce of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
floresfernandez.indictment.pdfMembers of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in the Natchitoches, Louisiana Area Receive Federal Prison Sentences Totaling over 109 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Seven members of a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Natchitoches, Louisiana area have all been sentenced, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced all of the defendants for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The last remaining one was sentenced on December 22, 2023. The names of those defendants and their sentences are as follows:
James Christopher Weeks, 51, of Montgomery, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Weeks pleaded guilty to the charge on October 14, 2022.
Savannah Maria Weeks, 31, of Arcadia, Louisiana, was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. S. Weeks pleaded guilty to the charge on June 29, 2022.
Eric Joseph Sandifer, 36, of Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Sandifer pleaded guilty to the charge on November 29, 2022.
Ashley Danielle Dowden, 39, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Dowden pleaded guilty to the charge on August 3, 2022.
Candiace Shree Bronson, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Bronson pleaded guilty to the charge on September 26, 2022.
Louis Vernon Jackson, 39, of Natchitoches, was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Jackson was the only defendant who went to trial and was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of firearms and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, by a jury in April 2023.
Adam James Johnson, 41, of Natchitoches, was sentenced to 235 months (19 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge on March 16, 2023.
In early March 2020, agents with the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force (“NMJDTF”) received information regarding a group of individuals selling large amounts of methamphetamine in the Natchitoches area. Law enforcement agents began an investigation into these illegal drug trafficking activities and learned that James Weeks, his daughter, Savannah Weeks, Adam Johnson, Louis Jackson, and Eric Sandifer, were major methamphetamine distributors in northwest Louisiana. Dowden and Bronson were working closely with them in this drug trafficking organization. Through their investigation, agents conducted surveillance of these defendants on numerous occasions and in both Natchitoches and Alexandria, Louisiana. They were also able to obtain information from other sources as to the drug trafficking activities of these defendants.
Through their investigation, agents learned that J. Weeks, who was serving a 192-month imprisonment sentence in the Yazoo City Medium federal prison facility on a Western District of Louisiana drug conspiracy conviction, was conducting drug trafficking operations from the federal prison facility. J. Weeks was communicating through Facebook Messenger with S. Weeks, Johnson, and other co-conspirators about methamphetamine trafficking. On March 26, 2020, a K9 utilized by HSI-Riverside, California, alerted on a package at the San Bernardino, California, shipping facility destined to J. Weeks’ mother and daughter, S. Weeks, in Arcadia, Louisiana. A state search warrant was obtained, and six pounds of methamphetamine were recovered. J. Weeks admitted to agents that he had met a methamphetamine source of supply through another inmate in prison and that he was involved in the package being sent to his mother’s residence. J. Weeks introduced these sources to Johnson, who purchased the methamphetamine from them on several occasions.
In March 2020, agents conducted surveillance on Johnson’s home in Natchitoches and observed Dowden arrive and enter the residence. Shortly thereafter, both Dowden and Johnson left in separate vehicles. They were subsequently stopped for a traffic violation and agents recovered suspected drugs in Dowden’s possession. A search warrant was also later executed at Johnson’s residence which resulted in the discovery of approximately 3,720 grams of methamphetamine in the attic of Johnson’s home. Dowden hid two large bags containing the suspected methamphetamine in the attic at the direction of Johnson and also took trips to Dallas with him to retrieve the methamphetamine in exchange for large amounts of cash. A chemical analysis conducted by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory determined the substance was in fact methamphetamine, having a total net weight of 3,716.7 grams and ranging between 89.4 and 98.4% purity level.
On March 3, 2020, while on supervised probation by Louisiana State Probation and Parole, Sandifer was arrested on a drug charge out of Oklahoma. Officers responded to his residence and found Sandifer who advised that there was methamphetamine in the vehicle in his yard and he admitted that he had been using the vehicle for several weeks. A search warrant was obtained and executed, and officers seized approximately 127 grams of actual methamphetamine, a digital scale, and baggies from inside the vehicle. Sandifer also had messages on his cell phone in which he was communicating with Johnson regarding methamphetamine trafficking in Natchitoches.
During their investigation, agents conducted surveillance at the Motel 6 in Natchitoches and the Best Western in Alexandria. On April 16, 2020, they observed Jackson pull into the parking lot of the Motel 6 and then depart the property. Agents obtained search warrants on those rooms which yielded 34 Tramadol pills, a Marlin rifle; model: 336CS; caliber: 30-30, a SCCY pistol; model: CPX-1, and several pieces of paperwork with Bronson’s name. On May 13, 2020, agents observed S. Weeks and a male arrive at the Best Western hotel and enter a room. S. Weeks departed and was subsequently pulled over in a traffic stop. Agents seized approximately 132 grams of actual methamphetamine from her, and it was confirmed to be actual methamphetamine.
A search warrant was obtained and executed on the Best Western hotel room, where Bronson and Jackson were present. Agents seized approximately 498 grams of methamphetamine, $11,300 in U.S. currency, and a purse belonging to Bronson. Bronson and Jackson were subsequently arrested. A chemical analysis was conducted on the suspected narcotics by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and determined the substances seized from S. Weeks and the Best Western hotel room were in fact methamphetamine, having a net weight of 132.7 grams with 89.9% purity and 498.2 grams with 92.7% purity level, respectively.
“The successful investigation by the local and federal law enforcement agents in this case has resulted in over 20 pounds of methamphetamine being taken off the streets of northwest Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “These types of investigations take a lot of hard work and man hours to develop, and our communities are much safer after getting these bad actors off the streets. I commend the efforts of these local and federal partners and we will continue to prosecute those who choose to traffic drugs in our district.”
“This investigation, and its subsequent successful prosecutions, were the result of a complete law enforcement team effort,” stated Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright. “The Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force invested significant resources over the past three years and joined with other sheriff’s offices and federal law enforcement partners to take action and remove over 600 grams of methamphetamine from our community. And seven narcotics distributors are now in prison as a result of their dangerous criminal activity."
“We appreciate the diligent and ongoing effort of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting these cases in federal court,” stated Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Jo Harrington. “Some of the defendants, including Johnson, are also facing charges in Natchitoches Parish. I also commend our local law enforcement agencies for their hard work and effort in removing illegal narcotics from our parish."
This case was investigated by the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force (NMJDTF), Department of Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, ATF, Natchitoches City Police, and Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cytheria D. Jernigan and Brian C. Flanagan and United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
# # #
Marksville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Rapides Parish Council on AgingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Kayla M. Vead a/k/a Kayla Lachney, 41, of Marksville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Lachney pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, to two counts of wire fraud as a result of embezzlement of funds. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $388,946.82.
According to information presented in court, Lachney began work for the Rapides Parish Council on Aging (“RPCOA”) as a bookkeeper on or about July 2018. Part of her duties included processing payroll, using the RPCOA credit card, and forwarding the Executive Director and their accounting firm with its financial records such as bank statements. Lachney had deposit accounts at financial institutions including Simmesport State Bank and Bank of Montgomery.
While employed at RPCOA, Lachney caused checks to be issued on its account, purportedly payable to vendors, but she actually forged endorsements and deposited those checks into her personal account. In order to conceal her theft, which occurred while she was obtaining a discharge of debts via Chapter 13 bankruptcy, Lachney concealed and mislabeled her fraudulent checks in RPCOA’s internal accounting ledger. For example, on September 11, 2019, Lachney caused a RPCOA check to be issued on RPCOA's bank account made payable to Kayla Vead in the amount of $4,700. This check was in addition to her regular payroll check and deposited into her personal Bank of Montgomery account on or about September 11, 2019, after which she converted the funds to her own use. In another instance of her embezzlement scheme, on August 3, 2020, Lachney caused a check to be issued on RPCOA’s bank account made payable to Kayla Vead in the amount of $1,800. This check was in addition to her regular payroll check and deposited into her Bank of Montgomery account, after which she converted the funds to her own use. Lachney provided an altered version of this check to RPCOA’s accounting firm, which made it appear as though this check had been issued to D&T Wholesale Office. During her three-year scheme, Lachney wrongfully obtained over $100,000 each year on average and used those funds to establish businesses such as Southern Sass Closet and Kay’s Bridal Boutique.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan.
# # #
Laurel Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 12 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Laurel man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 12.46 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Danny Ray Cole, 46, was captured on audio and video recordings distributing pills to a buyer. It was determined that the pills contained methamphetamine.
Cole will be sentenced on April 16, 2024. He faces up to twenty 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 of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans made the announcement.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.
Laredo resident admits to impersonating licensed nurseRead the Press Release
LAREDO– A 35-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to false statements related to health care matters, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Nora Nely Avila admitted that from January 2017 through December 2019, she impersonated a nurse and performed work she was not licensed to do at multiple hospitals and home health companies in the Laredo area.
These health care providers hired Avila after she fraudulently presented a nursing license of another individual. The patients and health care providers were part of the federally funded Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Avila also obtained employment as nurse trainer in the federally funded Job Corps program and was assigned to train future nurses.
In total, Avila received $52,241.66 in compensation for working as a licensed nurse when she was not licensed to do so.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the plea and has set sentencing for April 9. At that hearing, Avila faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Avila was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor – OIG, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with City of Miami Beach to End Premature Medical Exams of Police ApplicantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with the City of Miami Beach, Florida, to resolve its claims that the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by asking police applicants to take medical and psychological exams too early in the hiring process.
“The ADA bars employers from asking applicants about health or disability until the end of the hiring process,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our settlement with the City of Miami Beach will ensure that police applicants know that they are being evaluated based on their skills and qualifications, rather than on their disability.”
Under the ADA, employers are required to wait until a conditional job offer is made before asking about an applicant's health or disability, including medical and psychological exams. This requirement helps an applicant know if their health or disability led to their offer being revoked, so they may challenge potential disability-based discrimination.
The department found that the city did not isolate medical and psychological exams at the end of the hiring process. Instead, it required police applicants to take medical and psychological exams before or at the same time as physical agility tests, and its review of information such as the candidate’s education, past employment, military service, finances, criminal history and social media posts.
Under the agreement, the city will ensure that its hiring practices comply with the ADA, including the timing of medical examinations, and will continue to train its employees on this requirement. When requested, the city will provide an applicant whose conditional job offer is revoked with the reason why, including any medical or disability-related reasons. The city will also host a training on the ADA and best practices for background investigations for representatives from Florida’s municipal and county law enforcement agencies. The city fully cooperated with the department’s investigation, including by voluntarily revising its background investigation process to fully align with the ADA.
This matter was handled by the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
agreement_between_the_us_and_the_city_of_miami_beach_executed_1_3_2024.pdfJustice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Texas Regarding Unconstitutional SB 4 Immigration LawRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed suit against the State of Texas to challenge Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and Foreign Commerce Clause. The Constitution assigns the federal government the authority to regulate immigration and manage our international borders. Pursuant to this authority, Congress has established a comprehensive framework governing the entry of noncitizens into the United States and the removal of noncitizens from the country. Because SB 4 is preempted by federal law and violates the U.S. Constitution, the Justice Department seeks a declaration that SB 4 is invalid and an order preliminarily and permanently enjoining the state from enforcing the law.
“SB 4 is clearly unconstitutional,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and longstanding Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress. The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its responsibility to uphold the Constitution and enforce federal law.”
“Texas cannot disregard the United States Constitution and settled Supreme Court precedent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We have brought this action to ensure that Texas adheres to the framework adopted by Congress and the Constitution for regulation of immigration.”
As outlined in the complaint, Texas’s law would create two new state crimes that attempt to regulate immigration, with charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony. Additionally, SB 4 would give state judges the ability to order removal from the United States. The Supreme Court, in Arizona v. United States, has previously confirmed that decisions relating to removal of noncitizens from the United States touch “on foreign relations and must be made with one voice.” SB 4 impedes the federal government’s ability to enforce entry and removal provisions of federal law and interferes with its conduct of foreign relations.
The suit was filed on behalf of the United States, including the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.
ComplaintJacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Firearms and Conspiring to Commit Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antonio Jose Melean Reyes (29, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire. Reyes faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to his plea agreement, on May 15, 2021, Reyes attempted to smuggle 3 firearms and 57 rounds of ammunition from Jacksonville to Venezuela. Reyes concealed the firearms and ammunition in a futon that he attempted to mail using a freight forwarding service. Employees from the freight service observed the firearms during a routine x-ray of the parcel carrying the futon and contacted law enforcement. On May 22, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents seized the 3 firearms, which included a Glock 17 pistol and 2 Smith and Wesson M&P 15 rifles. The Glock pistol and one of the Smith and Wesson rifles had obliterated serial numbers. Forensic technicians at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) restored the obliterated serial numbers, which allowed ATF agents to trace the firearms to a subject in Jacksonville. The shipping documents also included Reyes’s phone number and address.
Following Reyes’s arrest on unrelated state charges on August 11, 2023, federal agents from ATF, HSI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched Reyes’s cellphone and found conversations between Reyes and another individual discussing trafficking firearms to Venezuela. From Reyes’s phone, agents also learned Reyes and others were involved in a murder-for-hire plot. Between July 12 and August 9, 2023, Reyes and others surveilled two intended victims to murder them based on a $60,000 debt. Reyes and others followed the two victims to various locations around Jacksonville, including outside their home. Reyes attempted to hire a hitman for $15,000, but federal agents prevented any murder from occurring by arresting Reyes on a criminal complaint.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
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.
Iowa Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Johana Madrid, 29, of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Madrid to 150 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On August 17, 2022, in Wayne County, Nebraska, a call came in about two suspicious people attempting to get into a resident’s car. Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded and encountered Oscar Villa and Johana Madrid on the side of the road on Nebraska Highway 35 and 849 Road. Both claimed they were on their way to Iowa for drug treatment but couldn’t really explain how they wound up on the side of the road. Madrid admitted to having methamphetamine in her bookbag and a firearm was located on the ground nearby. They also found a large meth shard in the fitted sheet Madrid had originally draped over herself.
Villa and Madrid were taken into custody. While in custody, troopers searched Madrid’s phone which showed a map of a field near the intersection where the two were encountered which contained a location pin. Using that map and pin, troopers found a bookbag that was covered by soybean plants. Inside the bookbag was approximately 20 pounds of pure meth.
Villa was sentenced on November 29, 2023, to a term of imprisonment of 240 months.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Peoria, Illinois man pled guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Shontia Berry, 47, was convicted in 2009 of a sex offense that required him to register as a sex offender for life in any jurisdiction in which he resides, works, or attends school. The Mississippi Sex Offender’s registry showed Berry registering in Mississippi in July of 2022. Berry then relocated to Alabama and registered there, but then moved back to Lamar County, Mississippi and did not register or update his Mississippi Registration as required by law.
The United States Marshal Services located Berry in February, 2023, in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. An investigation revealed that Berry had been working and residing in Mississippi since July 29, 2022.
Berry will be sentenced on April 9, 2024, and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine Berry’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Todd W. Gee and United States Marshal Mark Shepherd made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
Hartford Man Admits Trafficking Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LUIS IVAN DIAZ, 25, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court before to a narcotics distribution offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Connecticut State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Diaz after his DNA was found on a gun that was thrown from a vehicle during a State Police pursuit on March 8, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force had also identified Diaz as a fentanyl trafficker. Diaz was located and arrested on November 3, 2022. At the time of his arrest, Diaz possessed approximately 35 grams of fentanyl, 23 grams of cocaine, and five grams of crack cocaine.
Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on March 15 in Bridgeport.
Diaz has been detained since his arrest.
The DEA’s Hartford 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. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and Kenneth L. Gresham.
Hartford Felon Who Possessed Loaded Gun While on Federal Supervised Release Sentenced to 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GABRIEL HORACE WILLIAMS-BEY, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a handgun, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams-Bey’s criminal history includes a state firearms conviction, multiple state narcotics convictions, and a federal narcotics conviction for which he was sentenced, in June 2016, to eight years of imprisonment and four years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison in August 2021.
On June 30, 2022, Hartford Police attempted to stop William-Bey’s vehicle. Williams-Bey fled at a high rate speed, was eventually caught by police, and then attempted to flee again on foot. After Williams-Bey was apprehended, a search of his vehicle revealed a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Williams-Bey has been detained in federal custody since July 12, 2022. On October 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Judge Nagala sentenced Williams-Bey to 37 months of imprisonment for the firearm offense, and a consecutive 11 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Gresham and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Greenacres Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill a U.S. Congressperson and the Congressperson’s ChildrenRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 72-year-old man from Greenacres, Florida was arrested this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with threatening to kill a U.S. Congressperson and the Congressperson’s children.
According to the complaint, on December 19, 2023, Michael Shapiro left five voicemail messages for a U.S. Congressperson at the Congressperson’s congressional office in Washington, D.C. In one of the messages, Shapiro stated that he was going to “come after you and kill you …” In another message, he stated that he was going to “come and kill your children …” Shapiro allegedly placed the threatening calls from his home in Greenacres. The complaint further alleges that Shapiro pleaded guilty in federal court in 2019 for making threatening communications to another victim.
Shapiro made his initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart for the Southern District of Florida.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), made the announcement.
The USCP is investigating the case, with assistance from USCP’s Tampa Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto for the Southern District of Florida and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-mj-8623.
###
Gaston County Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced Patrick Andrew Shomo, 42, of Gastonia, N.C., to 286 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between December 2021 and February 2022, Shomo was trafficking methamphetamine in and around Gaston County. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted several controlled drug buys of methamphetamine with Shomo. Law enforcement conducting surveillance also observed Shomo engage in drug transactions with other individuals. On December 15, 2021, law enforcement searched the hotel room where Shomo had been staying, from which they recovered digital drug scales, Xanax pills, fentanyl, more than half a kilogram of methamphetamine, and 17 rounds of ammunition.
During that time, Shomo was on federal supervised release after serving a term of imprisonment for an armed drug trafficking conviction. On February 15, 2022, law enforcement attempted to arrest Shomo at his residence on a supervised release violation arrest warrant. Shomo refused to comply and instead barricaded himself in the residence with two firearms. After several hours, law enforcement were able to arrest Shomo and recover from the residence the firearms and additional narcotics.
On July 26, 2022, Shomo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Gastonia Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Division of Community Supervision for their investigative efforts.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven R. Kaufman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Four Gang Members Charged with Multiple Shootings and Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Amaury Guzmán, Ian Diez, Ruffi Fernández and Jonathan Rodríguez, members of the Trinitarios street gang, with a string of violent crimes including multiple shootings and armed carjackings between November 2022 and February 2023. The defendants were previously arrested and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants repeatedly and violently terrorized the community with multiple shootings and armed carjackings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Members of our community should not have to live in fear of gun violence in their homes, on the streets, or in their cars. My Office is dedicated to ensuring the safety of the community and bringing those who shoot and rob community members to justice.”
“Taking violent offenders off the street should send a message to Trinitarios members and their associates that violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated” said James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office. “New Yorkers should have the opportunity to live, work, and play without fear, and we ask the community to join us in our stand against violence. You can make a difference. If you have information about crime in your community, call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or submit information online to tips.fbi.gov to help ensure a safe environment in all our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
The November 19, 2022 Shooting
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, Guzmán, Fernández and others conspired to rob a marijuana dealer in Queens on November 19, 2022. Guzmán approached the victim as he sat inside his parked car with a companion in the passenger seat. Guzmán fired a shot into the victim’s car, wounding the passenger in the neck. The passenger survived but underwent extensive surgery to remove the bullet from his neck.
The November 20, 2022 Murder
The following day, on November 20, 2022, shortly after midnight, Guzmán and others stole a white Mercedes Benz sedan from the driveway of a residence in Carteret, New Jersey and drove it to Queens. Later that evening using the stolen Mercedes, Guzmán and Rodríguez approached the driver of a parked BMW sports coupe. Rodriguez approached the driver at gunpoint and fired in his direction as the victim attempted to flee. The victim was shot once in the back, quickly lost control of his car and then flipped over onto a sidewalk. The victim was shot once in the back and died from the gunshot wound moments later.
The November 22, 2022 Armed Carjacking
Two days later, on November 22, 2022, Guzmán, Rodríguez and others once again used the stolen Mercedes to approach a victim who had recently parked his BMW X5 on a residential block in Queens. The crew attacked the victim at gunpoint and stole the keys to his BMW X5. They then fled in the stolen Mercedes and in the victim’s BMW X5 only to crash into each other minutes later. Rodríguez was arrested near the scene of the collision, but Guzmán managed to escape. A 9mm ghost gun was recovered from the wrecked Mercedes which, based on ballistic analysis, was the same gun used in the fatal and non-fatal shootings days earlier based on ballistic analysis.
The December 12, 2022 Shooting
Several weeks later, on December 12, 2022, Guzmán, Fernández and Diez approached the driver of a Range Rover in Queens intending to carjack him. Diez menaced the driver with a hard object. As the victim attempted to flee, Fernández fired a gun towards the Range Rover causing a bullet to lodge in the center console of the victim’s car.
The February 1, 2023 Armed Carjacking
On February 1, 2023, Guzmán and others attacked a victim at gunpoint on a residential block in Queens and struck him in the head with their guns while stealing the keys to his Ford Mustang. They fled in the victim’s Mustang and in a stolen Dodge Charger that they used to carry out the carjacking. Lacerations to the victim’s head required hospitalization.
If convicted, Guzmán and Rodriguez are facing up to a life sentence, Fernandez is facing up to 20 years, and Diez is facing up to 15 years. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andy Palacio and Gabriel Park are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Heyward and Theodore Rader.
The Defendants:
AMAURY GUZMÁN
Age: 24
Brooklyn, NYIAN DIEZ (also known as “Gallina”)
Age: 19
Brooklyn, NY
RUFFI FERNÁNDEZ (also known as “Mojatoto”)
Age: 26
Staten Island, NY
JONATHAN RODRÍGUEZ
Age: 22
Queens, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-107 (MKB)
Former Georgia Bankers Association accountant sentenced to two years in prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Gino Lassiter has been sentenced to prison for embezzling approximately $700,000 from the Georgia Bankers Association (“GBA”) and Georgia Bankers Association Trust (“GBA Trust”) between 2014 and 2021.
“Professionals, like Lassiter, who exploit their positions of trust to steal from their employers cause financial harm as well as institutional damage to the organizations they commit to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “It is regrettable that Lassiter’s previous conviction for fraud did not deter him from engaging in further criminal conduct. But thanks to an investigation by the Department of Labor he has been held accountable and will return to prison.”
“The extent of this fraudulent scheme represents the lengths to which these individuals went to harm hard-working employees who depend on benefits they have rightfully earned,” explained Employee Benefits Security Administration Acting Regional Director Crystal Coleman in Atlanta. “This type of fraud creates great public mistrust, hurts participants who depend on their essential benefits and the employers who provide their coverage, and increases healthcare costs for all of us.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: The GBA is a trade and professional organization headquartered in Atlanta that represents the interests of banks and thrift organizations in Georgia. The GBA’s membership includes virtually every FDIC-insured institution doing business in the state. The GBA Trust is an ERISA-covered multiple employer welfare arrangement (or “MEWA”). As a MEWA, the GBA Trust offered a variety of insurance plans for the employees of the GBA’s members.
Lassiter, who had been previously convicted for federal bank fraud in the mid-1990s, served as the GBA’s accountant from May 1998 to March 2021. For approximately seven years, Lassiter embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the GBA and GBA Trust by using a GBA-issued credit card to make improper and unauthorized purchases. As the GBA’s accountant, Lassiter was able to conceal his embezzlement in a variety of ways, including by making fictious entries, misrepresenting the nature of payments, and overstating the number of payments in the GBA’s general ledger.
For example, Lassiter would record in the ledger overinflated payments that supposedly reflected other employees’ legitimate credit card expenditures. In actuality, the amount would be the exact same amount that Lassiter embezzled over a given period. Lassiter was also able to conceal his scheme by overinflating invoices that GBA issued to the GBA Trust. This was possible because the GBA was responsible for paying off the credit card expenses of the GBA Trust’s employees. The GBA Trust would in turn reimburse the GBA for these expenses. Lassiter inflated these invoices by the amount of his fraudulent credit card purchases.
Gino Lassiter, 58, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor M. Ross to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $450,148.10. On July 12, 2023, Lassiter pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former EKU Professor Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Richmond, Ky., man, Kyle Knezevich, 36, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to attempting to produce child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on September 7, 2023, an Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) student located a hidden camera in a men’s bathroom on campus. An investigation revealed that the camera had been placed in the bathroom by Knezevich, who at the time was a professor at the University. After the discovery, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Knezevich's home and electronic devices.
A search of those devices revealed that Knezevich knowingly produced surreptitious recordings of both adult and minor males, from approximately 2009 through 2023. The videos were recorded in bathroom settings, including locker rooms, urinals, and the bathroom of his personal residence. In these videos, minor males can be seen in various states of nudity, including using the restroom, undressing, and showering. As part of his plea, Knezevich admitted that his intent in creating the videos was to capture the minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); and Chief Brandon Collins, EKU Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, KSP, and EKU Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
Knezevich is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice 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 (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.
-END-
Former Airline Pilot Accused of Threatening to Shoot Delta Captain During Flight is Scheduled to Appear in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
UPDATE
Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Jonathan J. Dunn in this case was dismissed on August 16, 2024.
SALT LAKE CITY – A former pilot accused of threatening to shoot his co-pilot is scheduled to appear at a Salt Lake City Federal District Court Thursday. The pilot was serving on active duty with the U.S. military overseas at the time he was indicted in October 2023.
According to court documents, Jonathan J. Dunn, 42, of Rapid City, North Dakota, and a former Delta Airlines First Officer, threatened to shoot the flight’s captain during a flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City on Aug. 22, 2022. Dunn, a former Federal Flight Deck Officer, was a pilot authorized by TSA to carry a firearm on the flight deck for security. During the flight, a passenger had a medical issue and the flight’s captain advised Dunn the flight could be diverted to Grand Junction, Colorado, if the passenger’s condition worsened. Dunn objected to the contingency plan and described in substantial detail how he would shoot the captain multiple times for “going crazy” and he would later explain he had to shoot all the rounds he possessed because the captain was “still twitching.”
Dunn is charged with interference with a flight crew. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kennedy of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
jonathan_dunn._dismissal_of_felony_indictment_without_prejudice.pdf jonathan_dunn.motion_for_leave_to_dismiss_indictment.pdf jonathandunn_detentionmemo.pdf
Florida Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Sale of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew has sentenced Yvens Philone (36, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Philone had pleaded guilty on October 30, 2023.
According to court documents, between May 5 and 20, 2022, Philone sold 6 firearms, including one that Philone had described as a “Mac-10 machine gun,” to a confidential informant working with ATF and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Philone also sold the confidential informant nearly 60 grams of methamphetamine and 11 grams of fentanyl. Before possessing the firearms that he sold, Philone had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery, burglary, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Philone is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
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.
Fitchburg Man Sentenced to Four Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Calvin Henderson, 46, Fitchburg, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to four years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Henderson pleaded guilty to this charge on October 19, 2023.
On January 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Henderson’s apartment in Fitchburg and recovered three handguns, along with drug packaging. Henderson admitted that one of the handguns was his. He also admitted that he flushed cocaine down the toilet just before law enforcement entered the apartment. Henderson cannot legally possess firearms because he has prior felony convictions for offenses including substantial battery and possessing a firearm as a felon.
In selecting a four-year sentence, Judge Conley noted Henderson’s lengthy and violent criminal history beginning when he was 18 years old. When Henderson was 27 years old, he pistol-whipped another person in what Judge Conley described as a horrific beating. Finally, Judge Conley pointed to the danger associated with Henderson’s possessing firearms while dealing drugs.
The charge against Henderson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Eastern District of Pennsylvania Reaches Agreement with Temple University Health System to Provide Greater Education and Equal AccessRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that Temple University Health System, Inc. (“Temple Health”) has reached an agreement with the United States to improve employee training and awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), to resolve allegations that Temple Universal Hospital – Episcopal Campus (“Episcopal Hospital”) violated the ADA by denying full and equal access to Episcopal Hospital’s Emergency Department (“ED”) based on an individual’s disability and use of a service animal.
Under the ADA, all hospitals, as places of public accommodation, must provide emergency services to members of the general public. This resolution arises out of an investigation into whether Episcopal Hospital denied an individual with a service animal access to its ED, which is in violation of the ADA.
“All individuals, including individuals with disabilities who require the use of service animals, should have equal access to all hospital services, especially vital emergency services.” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Episcopal Hospital cooperated with the investigation and has recognized the importance of raising awareness of the ADA and service animals.”
To resolve the matter, Episcopal Hospital has agreed to make improvements to both the timing and frequency of employee training related to the ADA and service animals. Specifically, it will require all newly hired staff and security contractors to review its service animal policy, and complete ADA training, within the first week of employment with Episcopal Hospital and on an annual basis thereafter. Episcopal Hospital has further agreed to post a quick-reference reminder about the ADA and service animals at the entrance of the ED.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is committed to investigating alleged violations of the ADA. Those interested in learning more about obligations under the ADA may access www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mansi G. Shah and Deborah W. Frey handled the matter.
Drug trafficking indictment charges 18 defendants with meth and heroin distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: Eighteen defendants from the Laurens and Toombs County, Ga., area are in custody awaiting further legal proceedings after their initial court appearances from a 55-count drug trafficking indictment in U.S. District Court.
Each of the 18 defendants is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, with others additionally charged with possession and distribution of drugs and illegal firearms use and possession, along with multiple charges related to the use of cell phones inside and outside Georgia prison facilities to advance the conspiracy, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This case once again demonstrates that small communities are not immune from the disastrous consequences of drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The continued vigilance of our law enforcement partners helps ensure illegal drug distribution operations are identified and disrupted.”
The case, investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, began in response to significant drug trafficking activity in Toombs and Laurens counties. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, along with local law enforcement agencies, coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration to infiltrate the network and obtain evidence to prosecute the defendants named in the indictment.
Those named in the indictment include:
- Brett Youmans, 45, of Dublin, Ga. Youmans currently is an inmate at the Coffee County Correctional Facility serving the remainder of a state sentence for illegal gun possession.
- Woodrow Scott, 52, an inmate at Macon State Prison where he is serving a life sentence for murder.
- Constance Marie Scott, 51, of Brookhaven, Ga., sister of Woodrow Scott.
- Patrick Portwood, 42, of Dublin, Ga. Portwood currently is an inmate at the Burress Correctional Training Center serving the remainder of a state sentence for methamphetamine distribution.
- Jermaine Maurice Brown, 46, of Vidalia, Ga.
- John Taylor Jackson, 35, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Brittany Nicole Cook, 33, of Lyons, Ga.
- Joshua Brown, 22, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Stacy NeeSmith, 40, Dublin, Ga.
- Cordell Stallings,55, of Lyons, Ga.
- Joshua James Carlo, 47, of Uvalda, Ga.
- Willie Brown, 52, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Jody Ivey, 42, of Ivey, Ga.
- Antone Victoria, 43, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Tiffany Marie Turbyfill, 33, of Twin City, Ga.
- Laquanta King, 35, of Atlanta.
- Wesley McRae, 40, of Hawkinsville, Ga.
- Jaquan Collier, 24, of Vidalia, Ga. Prior to his arrest, Collier worked as a jailer at Toombs County Detention Center.
In addition to drug charges, several of the defendants are charged with illegal gun possession. The indictment includes notice of forfeiture of 16 firearms seized during the investigation.
Indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, and the Vidalia Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III.
District Man Found Guilty of Assault and Other Firearms Related Charges for Threatening Several People Inside a Wawa in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Edwards, 48, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on Jan. 2, 2024, after a trial by a Superior Court jury of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and other firearm-related charges arising from threatening another man and a cashier with a loaded gun inside the Wawa at Thomas Circle NW in the early morning hours of January 22, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for February 23, 2024.
According to the trial evidence, Edwards got into an argument with another man near the Wawa. That man ran into the store to escape Edwards, but Edwards followed him and again confronted him. A Special Police Officer (SPO) working at Wawa escorted Edwards out of the store. Minutes later, Edwards went back to the store and again chased the man around the store, and then pulled out a loaded handgun and pointed it at both that man and the Wawa’s cashier who was standing in front of him. Edwards eventually left the store, and threatened the SPO, who was on the phone with 911.
Police arrived within minutes, and subsequently apprehended Edwards nearby, and recovered the loaded weapon in his tent.
Edwards was later arrested on August 17, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Colchester Man Who Defrauded Technology Company SentencedRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MYRON WARE, 49, of Colchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to three years of probation for defrauding a computer technology company.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2017 and 2020, Ware identified companies and organizations that previously had purchased computer parts and components from a Texas-based computer technology company. On approximately 30 occasions, Ware contacted the victim company and falsely represented himself to be speaking on behalf of a customer he had identified. Ware typically reported that a previously delivered part or component was not functional and requested a replacement. After the victim company shipped a replacement item to an address Ware had provided, and which was in the vicinity of the customer he was posing as, he traveled to the address to receive delivery of the package. Ware sold most of the parts and components he received to others and kept some for his own use.
Ware stole tens of thousands of dollars in products from the victim company through this scheme. Judge Bolden ordered Ware to pay restitution of $77,068.40.
On March 9, 2023, Ware pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for COVID-19 Fraud, Drug Distribution, and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Donte O’Neill Clements, 35, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $993,081 in victim restitution for participating in a COVID-19 fraud scheme, drug distribution, and illegal gun possession, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from June 2020 to September 2021, Clements conspired with Kaila Leaann Shanteau-Jackson to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of Arizona, by fraudulently receiving and cashing COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) payments diverted to Clements by Jackson. During the relevant time period, Jackson was employed as a vendor-contractor and held the position of Pre-Paid Claims Initiation Agent for a financial institution that serviced the UI benefit program in Arizona. As part of her employment, Jackson had access to the financial institution’s Pre-Paid Administration System (PAS) and was responsible for mailing UI benefits to qualified recipients in the form of pre-paid debit cards.
According to court documents, Jackson used her employment credentials to divert and re-route UI benefits payments intended for 138 victims to Clements, herself, and others. To effectuate the scheme, Jackson changed in the PAS database the rightful recipients’ address information to addresses in Charlotte to which Clements and others had access. Once Clements and others received the re-routed pre-paid debit cards, they either withdrew the benefits in cash from ATMs or conducted retail purchases with the stolen funds. During the scheme, Clements and Jackson diverted approximately $993,000 in UI benefits to themselves.
In August 2022, Clements pleaded guilty to wire fraud for the COVID-19 fraud scheme. In addition, Clements pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, stemming from criminal charges brought against him under a separate indictment filed in the Western District of North Carolina.
Clements remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In July 2022, Jackson pleaded guilty to wire fraud for her role in the COVID-19 scheme and is awaiting sentencing.
The U.S. Secret Service, HSI, and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Butte fentanyl trafficker sentenced to four years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte woman who admitted to trafficking fentanyl pills in the Bozeman area was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Amber Marie Cody, 40, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in July 2022 in Bozeman, Cody sold 100 fentanyl pills to an individual. A Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy later stopped a vehicle in which Cody was a passenger for a traffic violation. Cody was arrested on a parole violation and placed in a patrol car, while officers searched her backpack. Officers located a large sum of cash and methamphetamine in the backpack. When the deputy returned to the vehicle, he noticed a bag of pills in the door pocket. Cody denied knowledge of the pills, but a patrol car video showed that Cody slipped one hand out of her handcuffs and removed a large quantity of pills from her bra. Cody then placed the pills in the door pocket and slipped her hand back into the handcuff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
XXX
Bay St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 68 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Bay St. Louis man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 68 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, On July 13, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Charles Jamaal Nichols, 37. Nichols led agents on a foot chase and agents observed him throwing things as he ran. Agents recovered large shards of methamphetamine on the trail where Nichols ran. The methamphetamine was scattered throughout the grass, within gutters that were laying behind a business, and along the fence line. Agents were able to recover 68.5 grams of what was sent to the lab and confirmed to be 97% pure methamphetamine.
Nichols will be sentenced on April 2, 2024, and faces a maximum of twenty 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 of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Baltimore BGF Gang Member Pleads Guilty to a Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge, Including MurderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Wayne Prince, a/k/a “Taz,” age 24, of Baltimore pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family (“BGF”) gang.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in 2018 Prince was a member and associate of the BGF, also known as “Jamaa,” and participated in the BGF criminal enterprise, including a murder, a drug distribution conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute drugs and robbery. BGF is a nationwide gang which began operating in prisons and is now involved in criminal activity, including murder, murder-for-hire, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation, in cities throughout the United States, including Baltimore and throughout Maryland.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 7, 2018, Prince and two co-conspirators attempted to murder an individual at a home that the target owned and was having renovated. A construction crew was on site at the time. During the assault, Prince and a co-conspirator shot and killed one of the construction workers using a .40 caliber handgun. They also shot a second construction worker in the head, but that person survived the attack.
Later that day, Prince bragged to an associate during a recorded jail call, “I’m about to get some money soon,” referring to an expected payment from Co-Conspirator 2 for Prince’s role in the attempted murder of the target. From August 7 to August 9, 2018, Prince exchanged messages with a now-deceased member of Co-Conspirator 2’s inner circle, in which Prince made arrangements to collect payment from Co-Conspirator 2 for his role in the attempted murder of the target.
Prince and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Prince will be sentenced to between 20 and 29 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task 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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez, Patricia C. McLane, and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Armed Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Robert A. Goldsberry, 29, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to six years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Goldsberry pleaded guilty to this charge on October 19, 2023.
On November 3, 2022, Dane County Sheriff’s deputies stopped Goldsberry for speeding on Highway 51 in Madison. When deputies approached the car, they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside and observed Goldsberry—who was the lone occupant—placing his hand on the gear shift multiple times. After deputies asked Goldsberry to step out of the car, he sped away, running multiple red lights and nearly hitting two other vehicles before crashing his car into a traffic signpost. After the crash, Goldsberry jumped out of the car and ran from deputies. He was later arrested and had $3,000 in his pockets.
In Goldsberry’s car, deputies recovered a loaded firearm, 54 bags of marijuana, and 156 oxycodone pills. Goldsberry has prior felony convictions for armed robbery, substantial battery, and drug dealing.
At sentencing, Judge Conley stated Goldsberry has been in and out of jail and has supported himself by dealing drugs. Further, in selecting a six-year sentence, Judge Conley highlighted the need to hold Goldsberry accountable for his dangerous conduct and squandered opportunities under previous terms of state supervision.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
The charge against Goldsberry was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Reinhard prosecuted this case.
A Look Back at Fentanyl Prosecutions in 2023Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark announce the actions taken in 2023 in the Eastern District of California to confront the continuing crisis caused by fentanyl.
In 2023, large amounts of fentanyl were trafficked in or transported across our district. In total, approximately 86 individuals appeared in federal district courts in Sacramento and Fresno charged with fentanyl distribution offenses. Approximately 28 individuals were sentenced for fentanyl trafficking offenses with sentences ranging from two to 17 years in prison. Another approximately 29 pleaded guilty to fentanyl-related charges and now await sentencing, with additional cases still pending.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of a few grains of salt, can kill a person. According to the DEA, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are largely responsible for the influx of fentanyl into this country. Illicit fentanyl comes in two forms: pills and powder. The cartels are mixing fentanyl powder in with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and hiding fentanyl in fake pills that look similar to prescription medications like oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet. Seven out of 10 pills tested at DEA laboratories contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. The cartels and their associates often use social media applications and encrypted platforms to sell their poison. To get more facts about fentanyl, visit One Pill Can Kill.
“While the work done by our office this year is significant, numbers alone cannot tell the whole story. The sons, daughters, spouses, and friends who have lost their lives due to fentanyl overdoses are not numbers, and the law enforcement officers and agents know firsthand the dangers of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies work together to disrupt the supply chain and arrest suppliers. These efforts combined with treating addiction, educating the public, and ultimately reducing demand can end this epidemic. I urge the public to be aware of the threats and dangers of fentanyl.”
“Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat facing our communities today. It is killing Americans at catastrophic rates and devastating families from coast to coast,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Clark. “The Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels are intentionally using synthetic fentanyl, which is cheap, man-made and potent, to increase their profits by driving addiction in the United States. They do not care how many Americans will die, they only care about lining their pockets with the proceeds. Enforcement, treatment, and prevention have never been more important. As DEA continues to pursue and hold accountable every level of the fentanyl supply chain, I encourage you to talk with your family and friends about fentanyl, it could save a life.”
Case Summaries
On Aug. 28, 2023, Michael Ortega, 22, of Clovis, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for selling fentanyl to a person under the age of 21. According to court documents, on July 2, 2020, Ortega sold one and a half counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl to a 17-year-old. The fentanyl caused the teen to overdose with serious bodily injury. Fortunately, the teenager survived and has since recovered. This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA, the Fresno Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya prosecuted the case.
On Oct. 30, 2023, Jose Santana, 46, of Shafter, in Kern County, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. According to court documents, on Nov. 16, 2021, Santana was found in possession of about 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.5 kilograms of heroin, two firearms, and approximately $5,000 in cash. This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.
On Aug. 14, 2023, Pedro Duran, 32, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. During the investigation, Duran was found in possession of 3 pounds of fentanyl in addition to 33 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl pills, and over 3 pounds of marijuana. Duran’s residence also contained additional amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, seven firearms, ammunition, and approximately $8,800 in cash. This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI, HSI, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice, and the California Highway Patrol, the CDCR, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
On May 30, 2023, Vincent Jose Vasquez, 30, of Lodi, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking. According to court documents, in May 2021, Vasquez was found in possession of more than 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, more than 900 grams of cocaine, almost 1 pound of methamphetamine, three firearms, and $21,623 in cash. This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Highway Patrol, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lodi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
On June 27, 2023, Nathaniel Opondo Hubbert, 42, of Grass Valley, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution offenses. According to court documents, on June 24, 2020, Hubbert was found to be in possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Hubbert was connected to at least one overdose of a victim who had to be given medical treatment after using drugs purchased from Hubbert. This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA with assistance from the Lincoln Police Department, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
On Aug. 29, 2023, Julius Rucks, 42, of Oroville, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, in 2018 and 2019, Rucks sold over 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a confidential source and undercover agent. On July 23, 2019, Rucks was found in possession of a large electric pill press, pill dies for stamping the pharmaceutical markings onto the fake pills, large amounts of powdered fentanyl, pill binder and other pill manufacturing materials, and three handguns with loaded magazines. This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA with assistance from the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
Tuesday 2 January 2024
Washington man sentenced for interfering with flight crew on Anchorage flightRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Washington man was sentenced on Dec. 28, 2023, to one year home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release, for interfering with a flight crew in April 2023.
According to court documents, Adam Seymour, 38, of Seattle, Washington, harassed and attempted to grope a female passenger seated next to him, threatened to “kill” a second passenger and assaulted a third while aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 49 inbound to Anchorage from Seattle. In the course of events Seymour, told passengers the plane was going to crash and everyone would die.
With the assistance of two off-duty police officers, flight crew removed Seymour from his seat and restrained him in the jump seat at the front of the airplane. Seymour broke free from his restraints and was restrained a second time. The off-duty police officers remained with Seymour at the front of the aircraft for the remainder of the flight.
Following a recommendation for a sentence of 12 months incarceration, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska imposed 12 months of home confinement and included a requirement to engage in community service and a two-year term of supervision. During the hearing, the Court commented regarding the increase in misconduct aboard aircraft in recent years and recognized that air travel is a necessity for Alaskans and that all passengers should be able to travel free from harassment.
“For some Alaskans, air travel is the only way to travel from their home to important resources like medical appointments, making it an essential mode of transportation within the state. All Alaskans should feel safe while they travel on a plane,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Engaging in violent, harassing or obscene behavior while on an aircraft is a federal crime and can result in serious penalties. Potential perpetrators should think twice before engaging in similar conduct aboard an aircraft because we will prosecute these crimes.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney prosecuted the case.
###
United States Settles Suit Against Telecommunications Service Provider for Assisting and Facilitating Illegal RobocallsRead the Press Release
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider XCast Labs Inc. (XCast) has agreed to a court order resolving allegations that it violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by assisting and facilitating illegal telemarketing campaigns. The stipulated order, which was entered today by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, prohibits XCast from violating the TSR and has additional provisions to ensure its compliance, including required processes for screening its customers and the calls it transmits to identify potential illegal telemarketing. The order also imposes a $10 million civil penalty judgment, which is suspended based on XCast’s inability to pay.
According to the complaint filed on May 12, XCast provided VoIP services that transmitted billions of illegal robocalls to American consumers, including scam calls fraudulently claiming to be from government agencies. Those robocalls delivered prerecorded marketing messages, and many of them were delivered to numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. Additionally, many of the calls failed to truthfully identify the seller of the services being marketed, falsely claimed affiliations with government entities, contained other false or misleading statements to induce purchases or were transmitted with “spoofed” caller ID information. The complaint alleged that XCast continued to transmit these calls even after being alerted to their illegality.
“Today’s order is another example of the Justice Department’s efforts to protect American consumers from illegal robocalls and to stop telecommunications providers from enabling those calls,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the Telemarketing Sales Rule.”
“XCast was warned several times that illegal robocallers were using its services and did nothing,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Companies that turn a blind eye to illegal robocalling should expect to hear from the FTC.”
Attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Trial Attorney Zachary Dietert and Assistant Director Rachael Doud, in conjunction with staff in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, handled the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
Two Men Facing Federal Charges in Connection to Seizure of Commercial Pill Presses, Drugs, and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Timothy Gary Maddox on 10 felony counts and Nicholas Bryan Adams on 7 felony counts in connection to the seizure of drugs, firearms, and two commercial pill presses.
One of the pill presses seized by investigators is the first known commercial press associated with illegal fentanyl manufacturing in the Eastern District of Washington. The presses are believed to be able to produce thousands of pills per hour.
Investigators also seized more than a dozen firearms, suppressors, switches used to convert firearms from semi-auto to full auto, and more than $57,000 in cash. Investigators also seized quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
“Our community is safer and stronger as a result of the investigative work of the numerous law enforcement agencies, who came together to investigate this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Seizures of large-scale pill presses like this are key to cutting off the deadly supply of illegal fentanyl in the Inland Northwest and elsewhere.”
Maddox and Adams were arrested in connection to a months-long drug investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Regional Street Crimes Unit consisting of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, Spokane Valley Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Individuals Charged with Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Santiago Gonzalez-Rodriguez (58, Louisville, KY) and Elier Sanchez-Suasteque (37, Lehigh Acres) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute, and possession with the intent to distribute, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, between September 23 and October 2, 2023, Gonzalez-Rodriguez and Sanchez-Suasteque conspired to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. On October 2, 2023, they knowingly possessed over 5 kilograms of cocaine in Tampa.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Brooke Padgett.
Polk County Woman Sentenced for Role in Construction-Related Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Gabriela Inamagua to 12 months and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and the Internal Revenue Service. The court also ordered Inamagua to pay restitution to two victim insurance companies and to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $8,953,629.24. Inamagua had pleaded guilty on October 4, 2023.
According to court documents, Inamagua owned and managed two “shell” construction companies which purported to supply construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Inamagua’s companies were required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Her companies had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Inamagua’s employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Inamagua or others then regularly received “payroll checks” from contractors that they cashed at various financial institutions to pay Inamagua’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.
During the time period charged, Inamagua falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that her companies had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Inamagau also caused the transmission of false and fraudulent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that her companies’ employees had full worker’s compensation coverage.
In reality, Inamagua’s companies received and cashed more than $34 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Inamagua had reported to her worker’s compensation insurance companies. As a result, these employees—who were, in reality, the employees of other entities—performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurance companies that dealt with Inamagua’s companies lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover. The insurance companies sustained losses on the insurance premiums that were not paid.
As a result of these misrepresentations, Inamagua’s companies also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and evaded laws that required the payment of state and federal payroll taxes on behalf of these workers. Inamagua’s companies did not collect or remit all required payroll taxes to the United States. In addition, the contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were also able to avoid responsibility for those taxes. The amount of those unpaid payroll taxes totaled more than $8.9 million.
“The construction industry as a whole suffers when fraudsters exploit the system by creating fictitious shell companies to illegally pay workers off the books in order to scam insurance companies and avoid employment taxes,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Tara K. Reed. “Today's sentencing is a reminder that all businesses and employees are responsible for their fair share of taxes. IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners will continue building cases with these schemes and bringing those responsible to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Nigerian National Arrested in Ghana Facing Federal Charges for an Alleged $7.5 Million Business Email Compromise Scheme Involving Two Charitable OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – An eight-count federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging Olusegun Samson Adejorin, of Nigeria, for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer related to a $7.5 million scheme to defraud two charitable organizations by impersonating employees, and gaining access to the employees’ email accounts. Adejorin was arrested in Ghana on December 29, 2023 and is detained pending his initial appearance in Ghana.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the eight-count indictment, between June and August 2020, Adejorin perpetrated a scheme to defraud Victim 1, a charitable organization located in North Bethesda, Maryland and Victim 2, a charitable organization located in New York, New York by gaining access to employee email accounts and impersonating employees to induce financial transactions. The indictment alleges that Adejorin posed as an employee of Victim 2 to request withdrawals of Victim 2’s funds from Victim 1, a charitable organization that provided investment services to Victim 2. Withdrawals over $10,000 required approval from at least one of several individuals authorized by Victim 1. According to the indictment, Adejorin fraudulently obtained the credentials of employees at Victim 1 and Victim 2 and posed as those employees to send emails from their accounts, including emails making fraudulent requests for the withdrawal of investment funds. As part of the scheme, Adejorin also allegedly purchased a credential harvesting tool designed to steal email login credentials, registered spoofed domain names, and concealed the fraudulent emails from a legitimate employee by causing the fraudulent emails to be moved to an inconspicuous location within Employee 1’s mailbox.
The indictment alleges that, as part of the scheme, Adejorin caused more than $7.5 million of Victim 2’s funds to be sent, pursuant to fraudulent withdrawal requests, from Victim 1 to bank accounts that were not Victim 2’s bank accounts.
If convicted, Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of wire fraud; a maximum of five years in federal prison for unauthorized access to a protected computer; and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of the two counts of aggravated identity theft. The maximum penalty for two of the wire fraud counts could be increased by seven years for knowingly falsely registering and using a domain name. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, Baltimore Field Office, for its work in the investigation and thanked the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana, and the Republic of Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, and the Ghana Immigration Service, for their valuable assistance in this case. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with a VehicleRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Steven O’Neil appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with two counts of assaulting and impeding a federal employee using a deadly and dangerous weapon. O’Neil, 39, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court records, on December 21, 2021, O’Neil was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and sentenced to 27 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. On August 11, 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant because O’Neil absconded from his term of supervised release. On August 15, 2023, as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, officers with the U.S. Marshals Service, executed the arrest warrant, O’Neil intentionally assaulted John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 with a black Chevrolet Suburban while the officers were engaged in their official duties.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, O’Neil faces up to 20 years imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release thereafter.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva M. Fontanez is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
24-2
Jemez Pueblo Man Charged with Assault of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Dylon Scott Sandia appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with assault upon a federal officer involving physical contact. Sandia, 32, of Jemez Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the Jemez Pueblo, will remain in custody pending trial, which is currently scheduled for February 12, 2024.
According to the indictment, on May 29, 2023, Sandia intentionally assaulted an officer with the Jemez Pueblo Police Department, who, by virtue of a special law enforcement commission, is considered a federal officer, while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Sandia faces 8 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jemez Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
24-5
Founder and Former CEO of Tingo Companies Charged with Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging ODOGWU BANYE MMOBUOSI, a/k/a “Dozy Mmobuosi,” with securities fraud, making false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and conspiracy charges. MMOBUOSI is still at large.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Dozy Mmobuosi allegedly orchestrated a massive scheme to inflate Tingo Group’s financial statements and make it appear as though the cellular and agriculture companies he founded were profitable and cash rich companies when, in fact, they were not. With this Indictment, Mmobuosi’s alleged deceitful scheme comes to an end.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Mmobuosi’s alleged fraud is an unseemly display of greed and corruption of our financial markets. Securities schemes like this can be devastating for victim investors. That’s why the FBI is committed to bringing financial fraud to light and perpetrators like Mmobuosi to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court and court filings:[1]
From at least in or about 2019 through in or about 2023, ODOGWU BANYE MMOBUOSI orchestrated a scheme to enrich himself by falsely representing that Nigerian companies he founded, Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods, were operational, profitable businesses generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue respectively. MMOBUOSI then sold Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods to companies listed in the United States, including Tingo Group (listed on Nasdaq as “TIO”) and Agri-Fintech Holdings (traded in the Over-the-Counter Markets under symbol “TMNA”). As a result, MMOBUOSI caused Tingo Group and Agri-Fintech to issue financial statements that falsely portrayed Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods to be cash-rich, revenue-generating companies when, in fact, they were not. MMOBUOSI then looted Tingo Group and Agri-Fintech by misappropriating cash from those companies and engaged in well-timed sales of their shares at inflated prices, generating millions of dollars of profits from his scheme.
* * *
MMOBUOSI, 45, of Nigeria, has been charged with one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one count of securities fraud under Title 15, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of making false filings with the SEC, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purpose only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. He also expressed appreciation for the SEC, which separately initiated civil proceedings against the defendant.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Davis and Kiersten A. Fletcher are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Federal jury convicts father and son for killing a Niagara Falls man in furtherance of a drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that a federal jury has convicted Lavon Parks, a/k/a Dutch, 32, and his father, James C. Parks, 58, both of Niagara Falls, NY, of narcotics conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and discharge of firearm causing death. In addition, Lavon Parks was also convicted of attempt to possess, with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys P. Richard Antoine, Caitlin M. Higgins, and Joel L. Violanti, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that between May 2017, and March 2019, the defendants were part of a conspiracy to sell cocaine in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY areas. On the afternoon of January 21, 2018, Kevin Turner was murdered in a shooting in front of a Niagara Street residence in Niagara Falls. Turner was an alleged crack cocaine dealer who had recently moved from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, where, the night before the shooting, he was staying just a few blocks from the scene of the shooting. The afternoon of the shooting, Turner went to the Niagara Street residence to sell crack cocaine. After exiting the residence, Turner was shot and killed. Evidence was presented by the Government that Lavon Parks and James Parks were driving around the area in a truck immediately before the shooting, apparently looking for someone. Video evidence placed a truck registered to Lavon Parks’ then-girlfriend in the immediate area of the shooting both before and after the murder. Ballistics recovered from the scene of the shooting matched a firearm that was recovered approximately two weeks later from an individual in Niagara Falls who was not near the scene at the time of Turner’s death. The firearm, however, was one of several firearms that were illegally trafficked from Pittsburgh, PA, by an individual who testified that he sold this type of firearm, along with at least seven others, to Lavon Parks in exchange for drugs.
The investigation included a series of controlled buys and payments involving defendant Lavon Parks. Investigators seized approximately 8.5 kilograms of cocaine and $52,000 in U.S. currency from postal parcels shipped from Puerto Rico to various locations in the Western District of New York, Florida, Alaska, Georgia, and Pennsylvania using the United States Postal Service. The shipments were made to co-conspirators. Additionally, the investigation identified $55,700 in U.S. currency and/or money orders shipped in parcels from co-conspirators to Puerto Rico as payment to the source of supply for the cocaine.
The jury verdict is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2024, for Lavon Parks and June 27, 2024, for James Parks, both before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who presided over the trial of the case.
# # # #
Coventry Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN MATAVA, 59, of Coventry, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds were to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll.
The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, such as Celtic Bank, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2020, Matava applied to Celtic Bank for a $100,000 PPP loan for J.M. Builders LLC. The application submission included several false representations, including that J.M. Builders LLC had eight employees and an average monthly payroll of $40,000; that the monies would be used for payroll, lease, mortgage, interest and utilities; and that the business owner was not subject to pending formal criminal charges. At the time of the PPP loan application, there were no records of payroll or employees with the Connecticut Department of Labor for J.M. Builders LLC, and Matava was subject to criminal charges in two pending cases related to arrests in 2017 and 2018.
On April 22, 2020, Celtic Bank disbursed $100,000 to a bank account for J.M. Builders LLC on which Matava was the signatory. The account was opened on April 21, 2020, and had a balance of $0 immediately prior to the loan funds being disbursed. Between April 2020 and January 2021, Matava used the funds primarily for personal expenditures, including $3,498 to pay a dog breeder, $4,777 for payments to an RV superstore in Connecticut, and legal fees, including a $2,000 retainer, for four court cases in Rockville, Connecticut.
In January 2021, Matava sought $100,000 in additional PPP funds from Celtic Bank, and included with the application several additional false statements and fraudulent tax documents. Celtic Bank denied the application.
Matava was arrested on January 7, 2023. He pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and to one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for March 29.
Matava is released on a $60,000 bond, in home detention, pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Sean P. Mahard.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Albuquerque Woman Charged with Escape and Federal Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jennifer Lynn Miller with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and with escape for leaving the custody of Maya’s Place, an institutional facility in which she was lawfully confined. Miller, 43, of Albuquerque, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on Sept. 21, 2023, Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the Querque Hotel and discovered multiple bundles of fentanyl and suspected methamphetamine in a room allegedly rented by Miller. Inside of the room, Agents found a Bill of Sale for a vehicle or vessel with the buyer’s name listed as “Jennifer Miller.” Additionally, Agents found that “Jennifer Miller” was the name associated with the room rental and the credit card used to purchase the room. The address and phone number provided for the room was linked to an address and phone number associated with the name “Miller.” On Oct. 10, 2023, as a part of Miller’s conditions of release pending indictment, Miller was released to the custody of Maya’s Place, a transitional housing program. On October 23, 2023, Miller allegedly escaped from Maya’s Place in violation of her conditions of release.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Miller faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison for each of the drug offenses and 0-5 years of imprisonment for the escape charge.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Nichols is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
24-4
Albuquerque Man Charged with Unlawful Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Anthony Lutz appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with a single count of unlawful dealing in firearms. Lutz, 41, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending trial.
According to the indictment, between approximately Sept. 21, 2019, and Aug. 4, 2023, Lutz engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lutz faces up to 5 years imprisonment and up to 3 years of supervised release thereafter.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
View the Indictment# # #
24-3
Albuquerque Man Charged in a Second Superseding Indictment for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced today that a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Buddy Eugene Gallegos, 42, of Albuquerque, New Mexico with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the second superseding indictment, on April 13, 2022, Gallegos allegedly possessed 11 firearms and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted in New Mexico state court for a felony offense, and did so in furtherance of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Gallegos faces up to life in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
View the Second Superseding Indictment# # #
24-1
Friday 29 December 2023
Two New York City Men Charged with Visa Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two New York men have been arrested on charges related to visa fraud.
Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, were charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Patel was arrested in Seattle on Dec. 13, 2023 and, following an initial appearance in the Western District of Washington, was ordered detained pending trial. Singh was arrested in Queens, N.Y. on Dec. 13, 2023 and had his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York. Singh appeared in federal court in Boston yesterday afternoon. Patel is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, starting in March 2023, Patel and his co-conspirators, including at times Singh, set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least eight convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants across the United States, including at least four in Massachusetts. It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigration status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
In the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Patel allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.