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14 February 2024
Elderly Ontario Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – Efren Avilez-Lopez, 81, and Maria Medina-Zeveda, 70, husband and wife, and both Mexican nationals illegally living in Ontario, Oregon, were sentenced for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine in Idaho, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
On February 12, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Avilez-Lopez to nine years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On February 13, 2024, Chief Judge Nye sentenced Medina-Zeveda to 37 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda were ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Both will be deported after completing their sentences.
According to court records, on April 15, 2023, Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda sold an undercover officer five pounds of methamphetamine in a Nampa store parking lot. On April 25, 2023, they both sold an undercover officer 20 pounds of methamphetamine in a Nampa store parking lot.
Then on May 12, 2023, Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda drove from Ontario to Los Angeles, to pick up a large load of methamphetamine. On their way home, they were stopped by law enforcement in Owyhee County, where it was discovered they were transporting four family members, including a minor child. A dog, which was trained and certified to detect the odor of illegal drugs, alerted on the vehicle and when officers searched the vehicle, they located twenty-one pounds of methamphetamine in the floorboards.
“These defendants were a driving force behind a significant drug trafficking organization that, thanks to law enforcement, has been dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “While it is not common for us to find drug traffickers at this stage of life, make no mistake: these defendants earned their sentences. We will continue to do our part to ensure that justice is applied fairly and equitably to all, regardless of age or background.”
“The drug threat can come from anywhere and is not restricted to any age or demographic, as this case dramatically illustrates,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Whether these criminals are old or young, the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners will relentlessly pursue those who poison our communities with methamphetamine or other dangerous drugs.”
“Strong partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement is key to bringing successful conclusions to cases like this,” said Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff. “We are proud of the teamwork being done across jurisdictions to combat drug crime.”
“I am proud of our continued partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement partners, which ultimately led to this successful operation,” said Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram.
“This case highlights the incredible working relationships among our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in and around the Treasure Valley,” said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “It also shows that the illicit drug trade — inherently operated by Transcontinental Criminal Organizations like the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels — knows no bounds. These individuals are not what the average person would think of when they hear the term drug dealer. This was a couple in their 70s and 80s who bought and sold extremely high quantities of methamphetamine, endangering countless lives, including those of their own family.”
“By working together, law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions continue joining forces to combat illicit drugs in our communities. Embodying the principles of "Esto Perpetua," our collaborative efforts relentlessly strive to dismantle the networks responsible for distributing drugs throughout Idaho. We are not only upholding the law but safeguarding the well-being of our citizens,” said Idaho State Police Major Russ Wheatley.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Probation and Parole, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Caldwell Police Department, the City-County Narcotics Unit, the Idaho State Police, the Oregon State Police, the Ontario Police Department, the Owyhee County Prosecutor’s Office, and the High Desert Drug Task Force in Oregon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Nafzger prosecuted the case. U.S. Attorney Hurwit expressed his gratitude to each of the law enforcement agencies for their efforts on this case who achieved justice through their hard work.
The High Desert Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. They are supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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El Departamento de Justicia publica una actualización del Plan de Acción de EquidadRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy la publicación de su Plan de Acción de Equidad 2023 (el Plan), que forma parte de los esfuerzos más amplios del Departamento destinados a implementar la Orden Ejecutiva del Presidente Biden sobre Avanzar Más la Equidad Racial y el Apoyo para Comunidades Desatendidas en Todo el Gobierno Federal. La actualización del Plan de Acción de Equidad del Departamento de Justicia se finalizó en diciembre de 2023 y ayudará a guiar las estrategias de equidad del Departamento en el año fiscal 2024. El Plan conmemora el compromiso del Departamento con ayudar a todas las personas, incluidas las comunidades históricamente marginadas y desatendidas, a acceder a los programas y recursos del Departamento, salvar complejos obstáculos legales y regulatorios para reivindicar sus derechos, comprender la amplitud del trabajo del Departamento y comprometerse de manera significativa con los responsables de la toma de decisiones del Departamento de Justicia.
“El Departamento de Justicia se compromete a garantizar que nuestros programas y servicios estén al alcance de todas las comunidades que los necesiten”, manifestó el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland. “Las cinco estrategias de este Plan se proponen adelantar la misión más amplia del Departamento de hacer valer el estado de derecho, mantener al pueblo seguro y proteger los derechos civiles, al laborar para eliminar las barreras que impiden que las comunidades vulnerables accedan a recursos críticos”.
Para el año fiscal 2024, el Departamento de Justicia se ha comprometido a avanzar en las siguientes cinco estrategias de equidad:
- Eliminar las barreras en cuanto al acceso al financiamiento de subvenciones y recursos para organizaciones dirigidas por y que prestan servicios a comunidades históricamente marginadas y desatendidas que han enfrentado barreras sociales y sistémicas a fin de acceder y recibir recursos federales, así como para las comunidades afectadas de manera desproporcionada por la delincuencia, la violencia y la victimización.
- Apoyar los programas correccionales y de reinserción destinados a reducir la reincidencia y mejorar los resultados para las personas involucradas en el sistema judicial (incluidas las de comunidades históricamente marginadas y desatendidas y aquellos que se ven afectados de manera desproporcionada por la delincuencia, la violencia y la victimización), incluso mejorando la cobertura de atención médica y los apoyos de continuidad de la atención, reduciendo las barreras para obtener una identificación emitida por el gobierno, abordando las cargas asociadas con la incapacidad de pagar multas y tarifas, y mejorar los modelos de supervisión comunitaria para disminuir la incidencia de revocaciones por infracciones técnicas.
- Promover una fuerza laboral que sea inclusiva, diversa y experta en la aplicación de la ley para fortalecer la confianza pública y mejorar los resultados de seguridad pública al eliminar las barreras de representación dentro de las agencias del orden público federales, estatales, tribales, locales y territoriales para las comunidades subrepresentadas.
- Mejorar la respuesta del personal encargado del orden público y de la justicia penal frente a los delitos que afectan de manera desproporcionada a las mujeres, las niñas, las personas transgénero y las personas no conformes con el género (incluida la violencia de género y el tráfico sexual) proporcionando y/o apoyando: capacitación específica sobre cómo investigar y enjuiciar estos delitos; capacitación y recursos sobre enfoques, atención y servicios con sensibilidad a los efectos del trauma y culturalmente receptivos disponibles para las víctimas; así como recursos y apoyo para establecer relaciones y aumentar el acceso a los servicios y la asistencia para las comunidades históricamente marginadas y desatendidas.
- Garantizar que las comunidades desatendidas (incluidas las personas con dominio limitado del inglés y las personas con discapacidades, entre otras) estén informadas sobre y puedan acceder a los servicios legales para abordar los delitos ambientales, la contaminación, el cambio climático y otros peligros ambientales, y que reciban ayuda para navegar por el panorama legal y reglamentario necesario a fin de garantizar el acceso al agua y aire limpios, y otros recursos naturales.
Estas estrategias de equidad procuran acatar los mandatos establecidos en la Orden Ejecutiva 14091 y se basan en las cinco prioridades de equidad descritas en el Plan de Acción de Equidad 2022 del Departamento de Justicia.
A medida que evolucione este trabajo crucial, se publicarán actualizaciones en https://www.justice.gov/equity. Se puede obtener más información sobre la agenda de equidad de la Administración Biden-Harris y las iniciativas relacionadas en www.whitehouse.gov/equity y revisar todos los demás Planes Federales de Acción de Equidad en www.performance.gov/equity.
- Eliminar las barreras en cuanto al acceso al financiamiento de subvenciones y recursos para organizaciones dirigidas por y que prestan servicios a comunidades históricamente marginadas y desatendidas que han enfrentado barreras sociales y sistémicas a fin de acceder y recibir recursos federales, así como para las comunidades afectadas de manera desproporcionada por la delincuencia, la violencia y la victimización.
Eagle River man sentenced to 35 years for sexually abusing minor for over 5 yearsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in order to produce and possess child pornography.
According to court documents, Michael Vernon Ross, 32, began sexually abusing a 7-year-old child in 2017. The abuse occurred weekly and lasted for multiple years.
Ross documented some of the abuse through pictures and videos kept on his cell phone. The defendant was in possession of over 450 photos and 30 videos of varied length depicting his sexual abuse of the victim.
On Sept. 3, 2021, classmates of the victim told school staff that they believed the child was being abused. The school took appropriate and timely action to report the abuse to law enforcement, which led to the prompt investigation and prosecution of the defendant.
Ross pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count sexual exploitation of a child for production of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. Ross was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, 25 years’ supervised release, and is required to pay over $28,000 in restitution.
In imposing the maximum sentence for the production of child pornography, the court noted that while it doesn’t have the power to “bring back the victim’s childhood, there can be provision for just punishment.”
“Mr. Ross’ actions were deplorable. He preyed on a member of our most vulnerable community and caused irreparable damage to those involved,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “Individuals who choose to target children should expect to be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in collaboration with our law enforcement partners. This case highlights why encouraging your children and peers to report suspected abuse is paramount, because it helps our teams continue to prioritize efforts to keep Alaska’s children safe.”
“The defendant’s years-long child exploitation crimes are among the most egregious and have no place in our society,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “May this sentence serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for child predators, and will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The Anchorage Police Department thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the prosecution of these offenses. The sexual exploitation of anyone is unacceptable in the Municipality of Anchorage and all communities. The abuse of our youth is a serious matter that will be diligently investigated,” said APD CACU Detective S. Davies. “The Anchorage Police Department encourages anyone who learns of a disclosure of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, or makes observations of those crimes, to please make a report. It is our hope that the sentence received by Mr. Ross will bring closure to those involved and have a deterrent effect for others.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the
Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
If you are a victim of child abuse or suspect someone you know is a victim, you can report to APD at [email protected] or 3-1-1/(907) 786-8900, the state OCS at [email protected] or 1(800) 478-4444, or the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
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District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from a Residence and a Church in DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Sterling McLaughlin, 30, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on October 20, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Sterling is to be arraigned on February 22, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on October 20, 2023, and January 3, 2024, Sterling took packages from two locations in the Capitol Hill area, one from a residential home and the other from church. Sterling was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sterling has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 24 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chorong Song.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Columbia Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm While Out on Bond for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nicholas Vanover, 26, of Columbia, was sentenced to an additional term in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Vanover had been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a previous federal case. After he pled guilty to the prior felon in possession charge, he was allowed to stay out on bond awaiting sentencing. While awaiting sentencing, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives learned that Vanover was continuing to sell marijuana from his apartment.
While on bond and awaiting sentencing for his prior firearm guilty plea, he violated the conditions of his bond by having multiple positive drug tests. Probation officers obtained an arrest warrant for his bond violations and U.S. Marshals served the warrant at Vanover’s apartment. When they entered the apartment, they saw a digital scale with marijuana with several large capacity ammunition magazines. They obtained a search warrant and found a .40 caliber handgun with a drum magazine capable of accepting 50 rounds of ammunition, several extended magazines capable of accepting more than 15 rounds of ammunition, an AK-47 style rifle, four large bags containing more than 500 grams of marijuana, approximately $16,000.00 in U.S. currency, a money counter, and a pharmacist-sized (one pint) bottle of codeine cough syrup, which had been stolen during a pharmacy robbery in Kershaw County.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Vanover to 75 months imprisonment consecutive to the 63-month term he is currently serving for his prior conviction. Following his incarceration, he will serve a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Cocaine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 10+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dante Rashaun Ramseur, 44, of Hickory, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release on federal drug charges, announced Dena J. King U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement conducting an investigation into drug trafficking networks in Catawba County determined that Ramseur was distributing significant quantities of cocaine in the Hickory area. The cocaine was supplied to Ramseur by his co-defendants, Holly Christine Furlough, 31, and Carlos Hernandez Landeiro, 33, both of Charlotte. Court records show that, between September 2022 and January 2023, Ramseur sold cocaine to an undercover officer on multiple occasions. Ramseur was arrested in February 2023, after he attempted to sell six kilograms of cocaine to the undercover officer. During the investigation, Ramseur conducted the drug transactions with the undercover officer throughout the Hickory area, including within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court determined that Ramseur obstructed justice by intimidating an individual associated with the case. As a result, Ramseur received a sentencing enhancement.
On September 20, 2023, Ramseur pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture of cocaine, and distribution of cocaine. 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.
Furlough and Landeiro have each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine near a school. A sentencing date for the defendants has not been set.
This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes the DEA, the FBI, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Cherokee County Residents Plead Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ricky Dale Degase, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and Andrea Dawn Winsett, age 34, of Park Hill, Oklahoma, entered guilty pleas to charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Degase also entered a plea of guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
The Indictment against Degase alleged that on March 7, 2023, Degase knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, along with a loaded firearm prohibited to him as a convicted felon. At the plea hearing, Degase admitted that after a traffic stop on March 7, 2023, he was found to be in possession of 22.36 grams of actual methamphetamine which he intended to distribute, along with a loaded 9mm pistol. At the time of the offenses, Degase knew he had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
The Information against Winsett alleged that on March 7, 2023, Winsett knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. At the plea hearing, Winsett admitted that on March 7, 2023, after being arrested for driving under the influence, she was found in possession of 14.75 grams of actual methamphetamine which she intended to distribute.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Degase and Winsett will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Carmel Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Federal Prison for $2 Million International Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Tuong Quoc Ho, a/k/a Robert Parker, 36, a resident of Carmel, Indiana, has been sentenced to 102 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to twenty counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of multiple unauthorized access devices, one count of unlawful possession of identification, and two counts of money laundering.
According to court documents, beginning in 2013 and lasting through February of 2020, Ho devised and led a complex, international scheme to defraud multiple victims throughout the United States and abroad of approximately $2 million.
To carry out the scheme, Ho and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtained personally identifiable information (“PII”) including names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, social security numbers, and credit card numbers of hundreds of victims throughout the United States and worldwide. They used that PII to create fraudulent PayPal and eBay accounts in the victims’ names. Ho then placed expensive items, such as Vera Bradley handbags, American Girl dolls, PlayStations, and blood pressure monitoring devices for sale on eBay. Ho did not have the majority, if any, of the items on hand at the time of the sale, but instead purchased the items after they were sold through online retailers using stolen credit card information that he unlawfully obtained, and had those items directly shipped from the retailer to the buyer. Ho and his co-conspirators sold many of the items at prices lower than market value, but still profited off those items because they were purchased with stolen credit cards.
Ho linked his personal bank information to the fake PayPal and eBay accounts and collected the money. Ho’s personal bank accounts were linked to over 500 hundred fraudulent PayPal accounts. When PayPal suspected suspicious activity on the account, it restricted the accounts and required additional documentation to re-establish access. Ho modified and used PII of identity theft victims to create fraudulent driver’s licenses, passports, utility bills, and bank statements to make them appear to belong to the account holder.
In total, Ho stole over $2 million and wired $1.2 million to family and other individuals in Vietnam. Ho also laundered the money, using over $300,000 to purchase his home in Carmel, Indiana.
On October 24, 2018, Carmel Police Department officers executed search warrants at Ho’s residence and other buildings owned by Ho and arrested him on state charges. CPD recovered over 400 packages of merchandise addressed to Ho’s alias, “Robert Parker.” At least $78,000 worth of that merchandise was purchased with stolen credit cards. Ho continued to operate his scheme after his home was searched by law enforcement until his arrest by federal authorities in 2020.
“Over seven years, the Defendant stole hundreds of identities and millions of dollars, exploiting eCommerce and financial platforms in a complex international scheme,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Making the public safer from these pernicious identity theft schemes is a critical priority for our office, in partnership with outstanding investigators like the FBI and Carmel Police Department. The serious federal prison sentence imposed today should serve as a warning to fraudsters that we are dedicated to finding you and holding you accountable for the harm you cause.”
“This case shows the significant value of partnership in the law enforcement community,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The Carmel Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the FBI combined our efforts in a complicated and intricate case to put a long-time criminal behind bars for many years to come.”
The FBI and Carmel Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Ho be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison and pay $217,147.87 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryAnn T. Mindrum and James M. Warden, who prosecuted this case.
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Bộ Tư pháp phổ biến bản cập nhật về Kế hoạch Hành động Công bằngRead the Press Release
Hôm nay, Bộ Tư pháp đã phổ biến Kế hoạch Hành động Công bằng năm 2023 (gọi tắt là Kế hoạch), là một phần trong nỗ lực rộng hơn của Bộ nhằm thực hiện Sắc lệnh Hành pháp của Tổng thống Biden về Thúc đẩy hơn nữa công bằng chủng tộc và hỗ trợ cho các cộng đồng không được phục vụ đúng mức, thông qua Chính quyền Liên bang. Bản cập nhật Kế hoạch Hành động Công bằng của Bộ Tư pháp đã được hoàn tất vào tháng 12 năm 2023 và sẽ hướng dẫn các chính sách tạo công bằng của Bộ trong Năm tài chánh 2024. Kế hoạch nhắc lại quyết tâm của Bộ trong việc hỗ trợ tất cả mọi người – bao gồm các cộng đồng mà trải qua lịch sử đã bị thiệt thòi và không được phục vụ đúng mức – khi tiếp cận các chương trình và nguồn lực của Bộ, giúp họ len lỏi qua các rào cản pháp lý và các quy định phức tạp để đòi hỏi các quyền của họ, giúp họ hiểu được tầm rộng lớn công việc của Bộ để giao tiếp có ý nghĩa với những người trong Bộ Tư pháp có quyền đưa ra quyết định.
“Bộ Tư pháp cam kết đảm bảo rằng các chương trình và dịch vụ của chúng tôi sẽ đến được với mọi cộng đồng cần chúng,” Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Merrick B. Garland cho biết. “Năm chiến lược trong Kế hoạch này nhằm mục đích thúc đẩy sứ mệnh rộng lớn hơn của Bộ nhằm duy trì pháp quyền, giữ an toàn cho mọi người và bảo vệ quyền công dân bằng cách nỗ lực xóa bỏ các rào cản ngăn cản các cộng đồng nguy hiểm tiếp cận các nguồn tài nguyên quan trọng.”
Trong năm tài chánh 2024, Bộ Tư pháp đã cam kết thúc đẩy năm chính sách tạo công bằng sau đây:
- Loại bỏ các rào cản đối với việc tiếp cận các khoản tài trợ và nguồn lực cho các tổ chức được lãnh đạo bởi và chủ yếu phục vụ các cộng đồng mà trải qua lịch sử đã bị thiệt thòi và không được phục vụ đúng mức, đã từng đối mặt với các rào cản mang tính xã hội và hệ thống khi muốn tiếp cận và nhận các nguồn lực của Liên bang, cũng như các cộng đồng bị ảnh hưởng không đồng đều bởi tội phạm, bạo lực và trở thành nạn nhân.
- Hỗ trợ các chương trình khắc phục và tái hòa nhập xã hội nào có mục tiêu giảm bớt tình trạng tái phạm và cải thiện kết quả cho những người bị vướng mắc vào công lý (bao gồm cả những người thuộc các cộng đồng mà trải qua lịch sử đã bị thiệt thòi và không được phục vụ đúng mức và những người bị ảnh hưởng không đồng đều bởi tội phạm, bạo lực và trở thành nạn nhân), bao gồm những chương trình nhằm cải thiện cách chăm sóc sức khỏe và liên tục hỗ trợ chăm sóc, giảm các rào cản để có được giấy tờ tùy thân do chính quyền cấp, giải quyết gánh nặng liên quan đến việc không đủ khả năng trả tiền phạt và lệ phí, cải thiện các mô hình giám sát cộng đồng để giảm tỷ lệ phải thu hồi quyết định do lỗi kỹ thuật.
- Tiến đến việc thành lập một đội ngũ nhân viên thực thi pháp luật toàn diện, đa dạng và chuyên nghiệp để củng cố niềm tin của công chúng và cải thiện kết quả an toàn công cộng bằng cách loại bỏ các rào cản đối với tỷ lệ đại diện trong các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật liên bang, tiểu bang, bộ lạc, địa phương và lãnh thổ cho các cộng đồng ít được đại diện.
- Cải thiện cách phản ứng của nhân viên thực thi pháp luật và tư pháp hình sự đối với các tội phạm gây ảnh hưởng không đồng đều đến phụ nữ, thiếu nữ, người chuyển giới và người không biểu lộ giới tính truyền thống (bao gồm bạo lực dựa trên giới tính và buôn bán tình dục) bằng cách cung cấp và/hoặc hỗ trợ: đào tạo có chủ đích về cách điều tra và truy tố các tội phạm này; đào tạo và nguồn lực về các phương pháp tiếp cận, chăm sóc và phục vụ cho nạn nhân, các phương pháp này có giải thích cho nạn nhân về chấn thương và phù hợp với văn hóa của nạn nhân; và các nguồn lực và hỗ trợ để xây dựng mối quan hệ và tăng mức tiếp cận các dịch vụ và giúp đỡ dành cho các cộng đồng mà trải qua lịch sử đã bị thiệt thòi và không được phục vụ đúng mức.
- Bảo đảm rằng các cộng đồng không được phục vụ đúng mức (bao gồm thành phần trình độ tiếng anh hạn chế và thành phần khuyết tật, bên cạnh thành phần khác) nhận thức được và có thể tiếp cận các dịch vụ pháp lý để giải quyết tội phạm môi trường, ô nhiễm, biến đổi khí hậu và các mối nguy môi trường khác và được giúp đỡ để len lỏi qua các khung cảnh pháp lý và quy định cần thiết để có được nước sạch, không khí sạch và các tài nguyên thiên nhiên khác.
Các chiến lược tạo công bằng này nhằm tuân thủ các nhiệm vụ được quy định trong Sắc lệnh Hành pháp 14091 và xây dựng dựa trên năm chính sách về công bằng được nêu trong Kế hoạch Hành động Công bằng năm 2022 của Bộ Tư pháp.
Trong quá trình thực hiện công việc quan trọng này, chúng tôi sẽ có các bản tin cập nhật và được đăng tại https://www.justice.gov/equity. Quý vị có thể tìm hiểu thêm về chương trình thực hiện công bằng và các kế hoạch có liên quan của Chính quyền Biden-Harris tại www.whitehouse.gov/equity và xem xét tất cả các Kế hoạch Hành động Công bằng Liên bang khác tại www.performance.gov/equity.
- Loại bỏ các rào cản đối với việc tiếp cận các khoản tài trợ và nguồn lực cho các tổ chức được lãnh đạo bởi và chủ yếu phục vụ các cộng đồng mà trải qua lịch sử đã bị thiệt thòi và không được phục vụ đúng mức, đã từng đối mặt với các rào cản mang tính xã hội và hệ thống khi muốn tiếp cận và nhận các nguồn lực của Liên bang, cũng như các cộng đồng bị ảnh hưởng không đồng đều bởi tội phạm, bạo lực và trở thành nạn nhân.
Buffalo man sentenced for his role in narcotics conspiracy which resulted in a triple homicideRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jariel Cobb a/k/a Doobie a/k/a Black, 52, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, use of fire to commit a felony, and conspiracy to damage and destroy a vehicle used in interstate commerce by fire, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, Maeve E. Huggins, and Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that beginning in 2014, Cobb, and others, began receiving and selling marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. Cobb, and his co-conspirators utilized 973 Fillmore Avenue to store, package, and sell the illegal narcotics. In furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy, on September 15, 2019, Cobb arranged a purchase of a kilogram of cocaine from Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred, who served as Cobb’s sources of supply. Valentin-Colon, along with his wife. Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, their minor son, and Roman-Audiffred, arrived in their vehicle, a white minivan, at a residence on Roebling Avenue, as directed by Cobb. Roman-Audiffred exited the van and entered the residence’s kitchen, at which time a co-defendant hit her in the head with a blunt object and she fell to the floor. The co-defendant then went outside and shot and killed both Valentin-Colon and Merced Plaud, in the presence of their minor son, who was seated in a child’s car seat. The co-defendant then drove the minivan and parked it on Scajaquada Street near Kilhoffer Street in Buffalo.
A short time later, Cobb and a co-defendant moved the body of Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred from the kitchen into the residence’s basement, where they dismembered her body. Cobb placed the body parts into multiple trash bags and placed them into the trunk of his vehicle, and then drove to a residence on Box Avenue, removed the trash bags, and placed them into a burning fire in a fire pit area in the backyard.
The following day, during the early morning hours of September 16, 2019, Cobb and another co-defendant retrieved the minivan from Scajaquada Street, with the bodies of Miguel Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud still inside, as well as their minor son. Cobb and the co-defendant drove the minivan into the yard of a residence on Tonawanda Street and doused the vehicle and the bodies with gasoline, lighting the vehicle and bodies on fire. They took the minor child and left him on a stranger’s porch on Potomac Avenue in Buffalo.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory, under the direction of Commissioner James Jancewicz. Additional assistance was provided by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney John Flynn.
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Brooklyn Man Convicted for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving over 50 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brooklyn man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in which he transported dozens of kilograms of cocaine from New York to Boston.
Dinelson Hernandez-Rodriguez, 30, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2024. Hernandez-Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury along with nine others in October 2021.
In October 2019, an investigation began into a DTO trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in Boston and Taunton. Intercepted communications established that the DTO was supplied in part by individuals in New York. In August 2020, Hernandez-Rodriguez drove from New York to Hyde Park with kilograms of cocaine hidden in a trap compartment inside his car. One day prior, a co-conspirator also transported kilograms of cocaine from New York to Hyde Park. In total, Hernandez-Rodriguez and his co-conspirator transported more than 50 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution in Boston.
After cocaine was distributed in the Boston area, Hernandez-Rodriguez attempted to transport $240,240 in drug proceeds – again, hidden in the trap inside his car – back to New York but was intercepted by law enforcement.
Hernandez-Rodriguez is the ninth defendant to be convicted in this case, either by guilty plea or following a jury trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Connecticut State Police and the Boston, Taunton and Stratford (Conn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and K. Nathaniel Yeager of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baltimore Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Mark Ryals, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlicensed dealing in firearms.
The sentence 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 (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in early July 2021, law enforcement received information that Ryals was illegally selling firearms from his residence in Baltimore. That month, an undercover law enforcement agent asked Ryals to sell him firearms. Ryals agreed to make the sale and on July 15, 2021, Ryals sold the undercover officer two privately manufactured 9mm pistols and a .17 caliber firearm silencer for $2,250. Ryals knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a final protective order that was served on him on June 30, 2021. Ryals also knew that he didn’t have a license to deal or sell firearms.
According to court documents, between July 15 and August 11, 2021, Ryals sold firearms to undercover law enforcement personnel on six separate occasions, resulting in the purchase of 21 additional firearms from the defendant.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on August 12, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ryals’ residence and recovered two privately manufactured 9mm pistols, one of which was equipped with a large capacity magazine; a short barreled 12-gauge shotgun with no serial number; a .22 caliber firearm; 237 rounds of assorted ammunition and $1,190 in cash, most of which was ATF funds used in the controlled purchases. Additionally, officers recovered firearms accessories and tools used in the creation of privately manufactured firearms, including a Dremel press with red plastic shavings on it. Ryals waived his Miranda rights and agreed to an interview with law enforcement, during which Ryals admitted that he had been making firearms and selling them.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin, who prosecuted 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-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic ViolenceRead 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 Norbert Michael Tsosie pleaded guilty in federal court to assault of intimate partner by strangulation or suffocation. Tsosie, 31, of Tsalie, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been set.
A federal grand jury indicted Tsosie on May 24, 2023. At his plea hearing, Tsosie agreed that on November 2022, he and his intimate partner, Jane Doe argued, and as the argument escalated, he attempted to strangle her.
At sentencing, Tsosie faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case.
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Anchorage man sentenced to 20 years following drug, firearm convictionRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, subsequent to his conviction by a federal jury of one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in July 2023.
According to court documents, Charles Rashid Malik Lee, aka “Cheese,” 41, had been under investigation by federal authorities. The FBI And Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant on Lee’s residence and vehicle in Anchorage in Oct. 2021.
Agents found Lee inside the residence in the process of flushing heroin down the toilet. Agents searched the residence and discovered a total of over 150 grams of meth, 100 grams of heroin and 90 grams of cocaine. According to evidence presented at trial, these drugs had a street value of over $54,000.
Agents also found tools commonly used by drug traffickers, including digital scales, branded baggies and two loaded handguns, among other items. It was later determined that one of the digital scales had Lee’s fingerprint on it. Agents also discovered over $165,000 in cash hidden in multiple locations around the residence, including in a crawl space.
“This successful prosecution shows that illegal drug distribution has no place in Alaska and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, in partnership with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and vigorously prosecute any perpetrator who chooses to distribute these dangerous drugs and seek justice for any damage they cause.”
“The defendant’s dangerous drug trafficking activities threatened the safety of our community and his own family,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Anyone who profits from violence and drug trafficking activities at the expense of public safety will be held accountable by the FBI and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
“Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to hold criminals such as Mr. Lee accountable for his actions,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will not tolerate armed drug traffickers in our community, as the sentence in this case shows.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the DEA Seattle Field Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.
This investigation and prosecution were part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
UPDATE: This release has been amended to include a quote from FBI Anchorage.
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Albion man arrested, charged with production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Norman Kelly, 66, of Albion, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography, which carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on October 20, 2023, Kelly arrived at the Port of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on a flight from Incheon, South Korea. During an inspection of his baggage, Kelly removed a cellular phone from his pocket, and had a computer bag, which contained a laptop computer, and four USB thumb drives. Due to a lack of eye contact during questioning, inconsistencies in his travel story, and nervous behavior, the devices were authorized to be examined. A Customs and Border Protection officer examined the cell phone, laptop and one of the thumb drives and discovered what appeared to be suspected child pornography. The phone, laptop and thumb drives were seized, and a subsequent forensic review recovered 530 image files and six video files of child pornography.
Kelly made an initial appearance before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. Additional assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, Michigan.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Acusadas 17 personas por plan de contrabando de fentanilo y otras drogas ocultas en extintores a través de la frontera entre EE. UU. y MéxicoRead the Press Release
LOS ÁNGELES – Esta tarde está programada una audiencia de acusación formal para el último inculpado al que se arrestó en virtud de la determinación de un jurado de acusación federal, que alega la existencia de un plan para ingresar fentanilo, metanfetaminas y heroína por contrabando desde México a Estados Unidos. Estos narcóticos habrían sido introducidos en extintores de incendios y ocultos en cargamentos de chatarra.
La organización de narcotráfico utilizó camiones con acoplado para importar extintores rellenos con drogas a través de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México, según surge de documentos judiciales. Durante la investigación, que se extendió por dos años y recibió el nombre de Operación “Smoke Jumpers”, las autoridades realizaron 13 incautaciones en las que se obtuvieron cerca de 680.992 píldoras de fentanilo, 3 kilogramos de polvo de fentanilo, 17 kilogramos de heroína y 10.418 píldoras que contenían metanfetaminas.
Nueve acusados fueron arrestados durante operativos policiales que comenzaron el 8 de febrero y continuaron durante el día lunes. Un acusado ya se encontraba bajo custodia de las autoridades estatales. Hay otros siete acusados que están prófugos y se cree que se encuentran en México.
“Estos acusados usaron una red sofisticada para el contrabando de grandes cantidades de fentanilo a nuestro país”, señaló el fiscal federal Martin Estrada. “Sabemos que cada píldora de fentanilo puede ser letal, pero a estos acusados no les importaba la destrucción generalizada que estaban causando. Nuestra institución seguirá trabajando de manera inteligente y enérgica para llevar ante la justicia a organizaciones internacionales de narcotráfico”.
“La autoridades de aplicación de la ley siguen estando a la altura de los desafíos que plantean las organizaciones de narcotráfico cuyos miembros siempre encuentran nuevas formas de ocultar las sustancias venenosas que importan de México a ciudades y pueblos en Estados Unidos”, expresó Amir Ehsaei, director adjunto interino a cargo de la Oficina de Campo del FBI en Los Ángeles. “El FBI y nuestros socios en el Equipo Especial están buscando a siete fugitivos en relación con este caso y piden que toda persona que tenga información sobre su paradero se ponga en contacto con el FBI”.
La imputación formal, que consta de 15 cargos, se publicó el 8 de febrero y acusa a varias personas de cargos de tráfico de drogas y conspiración para el lavado de dinero. Los nueve acusados que fueron arrestados son:
- Oscar Ahumada Leyva, de 43 años, de México;
- Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, de 42 años, de México;
- Gustavo Rivero Rodríguez, de 39 años, de México;
- Carlos Espinoza, de 38 años, de Alhambra;
- Erick Roque Ángeles, de 39 años, de Fontana;
- David Sánchez Balderas, 26 años, de Denver;
- Fernando Salgado, de 36 años, de Riverside;
- Rocío Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, de 32 años, de Ontario; y
- Efren Quibrera Espinoza, de 29 años, de Cudahy.
Seis de los acusados quedaron bajo custodia en las regiones de Los Ángeles e Inland Empire. Cinco de esos acusados han sido imputados formalmente, se declararon no culpables y se dispuso su vinculación a juicio el 2 de abril. Está previsto que Erick Roque Ángeles sea imputado formalmente en el Tribunal Federal de Distrito en Los Ángeles hoy más tarde. Un décimo acusado —Toniel Báez-Duarte, de 33 años, oriundo de Apple Valley— ya se encontraba bajo custodia de las autoridades estatales.
Conforme a una orden que autoriza a examinar un teléfono incautado cuando Carlos Espinoza fue arrestado la semana pasada, la investigación se centró en Carin Trucking, una organización perteneciente a Leyva y con sede en San Diego que operaba al menos seis camiones con acoplado que ingresaban habitualmente a Estados Unidos desde México para llevar a cabo la entrega de presuntos narcóticos en el área de Los Ángeles. Las drogas, que incluían píldoras falsificadas conteniendo fentanilo se encontraban ocultas en extintores inicialmente disimulados como de chatarra y, posteriormente, en extintores que simulaban ser legítimos, según indica la orden de registro presentada el lunes.
“Los investigadores han observado múltiples transacciones de drogas que involucran a conductores de camiones y sus camiones con acoplado”, según indica una declaración jurada en apoyo a la orden de registro. “El conductor del camión conducía a Estados Unidos desde México y cruzaba la frontera, generalmente llevando una carga de chatarra, pero oculto entre la chatarra se encontraba un extintor que contenía drogas. El conductor del camión se dirigía entonces a Los Ángeles para reunirse con un mensajero, quien recogería los extintores cargados con drogas para su ulterior distribución”.
En el documento de acusación formal se exponen señalamientos de que un inculpado ha cometido un delito. Se presume que todo acusado es inocente hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad en un tribunal de justicia.
La acusación alega dos cargos de conspiración relacionada con narcóticos y 12 delitos de tenencia de drogas, para cada uno de los cuales se prevé una pena mínima obligatoria de 10 años en una prisión federal y posible pena perpetua. El cargo 15, que alega la existencia de una conspiración con fines de lavado de dinero, conlleva una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión.
La Operación Smoke Jumpers fue dirigida por el Equipo Especial del FBI en Los Ángeles, que es parte de una Iniciativa de Equipos Especiales de los Grupos Operativos contra las Drogas y la Criminalidad Organizada (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, OCDETF) y prevé el establecimiento de grupos operativos permanentes de carácter interinstitucional que trabajan codo a codo en el mismo lugar. Este modelo de ubicación compartida permite que agentes de diferentes organismos colaboren en operaciones en múltiples jurisdicciones basadas en datos de inteligencia para interceptar y desarticular a los traficantes de drogas, responsables de lavado de dinero, bandas y organizaciones delictivas transnacionales más importantes.
Además del FBI, participaron en la investigación la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE. UU., el Departamento de Policía de South Gate, el sector de Investigación Penal del IRS e Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional.
La Administración para el Control de Drogas, la Patrulla de Carreteras de California, el Departamento de Policía de Pasadena, el Equipo Regional Interior de Control de Narcóticos del Departamento de Alguaciles del Condado de San Bernardino, el Departamento de Policía de Alhambra, el Departamento de Policía de Rialto y el Departamento de Policía de Fontana proporcionaron asistencia fundamental.
Los fiscales federales auxiliares Christopher C. Kendall y Jehan Pernas de la Sección de Narcóticos Internacionales, Lavado de Dinero y Extorsión impulsan la acción penal en esta causa.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Firearm Offenses
Richard Wagner, age 25, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 14. According to court documents, on Mar. 13, 2023, the defendant was stopped for a traffic violation by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). As the WHP trooper approached the vehicle, he noticed that Wagner was trying to conceal something in the backseat. A search of the vehicle revealed a Glock pistol and 9.1 grams of cocaine. Having been previously convicted of a felony, Wagner is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The defendant pled guilty to the charge on Nov. 20, 2023. This crime was investigated by WHP and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom.
Domestic Violence
Xander Noah Miller, age 20, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to two years of supervised probation for assault by striking, beating, or wounding. Senior U.S. District Court Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Feb. 12. According to court documents, the defendant and the victim were seasonal employees in Yellowstone National Park and lived in employee housing. Park Rangers were called to their residence for a domestic violence disturbance. The defendant admitted to fighting with the victim and pled guilty on Nov. 11, 2023. The crime was investigated by the National Park Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook.
Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Sergio Bucio-Cuellar, age 57, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced to time served, plus up to 10 days to allow for deportation, for illegal re-entry into the United States of a previously deported alien. According to court documents, on Dec. 7, 2023, the defendant was arrested by the Cheyenne Police Department for aggravated assault and battery, bodily injury with a weapon, and strangulation of a household member. The defendant claimed to be a citizen of Mexico. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement verified that Bucio-Cuellar had been previously deported and was in the United States illegally. The state charges were dismissed when federal charges were filed. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Feb 14.
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
17 Charged in Scheme to Smuggle Fentanyl and Other Drugs Hidden Inside Fire Extinguishers Across U.S.-Mexico BorderRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An arraignment is scheduled this afternoon for the final defendant arrested on a federal grand jury indictment that alleges a scheme to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico into the United States – narcotics that allegedly were packed into fire extinguishers and concealed in scrap metal loads.
The drug trafficking organization used semi-trucks to import fire extinguishers filled with drugs across the United States-Mexico border, according to court documents. During the two-year investigation, called Operation “Smoke Jumpers,” authorities made 13 seizures that yielded approximately 680,992 fentanyl pills, 3 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 17 kilograms of heroin, and 10,418 pills containing methamphetamine.
Nine defendants were arrested during law enforcement operations that began on February 8 and continued through Monday. One defendant was already in state custody. Seven additional defendants are fugitives believed to be in Mexico.
“These defendants used a sophisticated network to smuggle immense amounts of fentanyl into our country,” said United State Attorney Martin Estrada. “We know that every fentanyl pill can kill, but these defendants did not care about the widespread destruction they were causing. Our office will continue to work intelligently and aggressively to bring international drug-trafficking organizations to justice.”
“Law enforcement continues to meet the challenges presented by drug trafficking organizations whose members constantly find novel ways to hide the poison they’re importing from Mexico to U.S. towns and cities,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners on the Strike Force are seeking seven fugitives in this case and ask that anyone with information as to their whereabouts contact the FBI.”
The 15-count indictment unsealed on February 8 charges various defendants in drug trafficking counts and a money laundering conspiracy. The nine defendants who were arrested are:
- Oscar Ahumada Leyva, 43, of Mexico;
- Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, 42, of Mexico;
- Gustavo Rivero Rodriguez, 39, of Mexico;
- Carlos Espinoza, 38, of Alhambra;
- Erick Roque Angeles, 39, of Fontana;
- David Sanchez Balderas, 26, of Denver;
- Fernando Salgado, 36, of Riverside;
- Rocio Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, 32, of Ontario; and
- Efren Quibrera Espinoza, 29, of Cudahy.
Six of the defendants were taken into custody in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions. Five of those defendants have been arraigned, entered not guilty pleas, and ordered to stand trial on April 2. Erick Roque Angeles is scheduled to be arraigned in United States District Court in Los Angeles later today. A tenth defendant – Toniel Baez-Duarte, 33, of Apple Valley – was already in state custody.
According to a warrant to search a phone seized when Carlos Espinoza was arrested last week, the investigation focused on Carin Trucking, a San Diego-based outfit owned by Leyva that operated at least six semi-trucks that regularly entered the United States from Mexico to deliver suspected narcotics to the Los Angeles area. The drugs, including counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, were concealed in fire extinguishers initially disguised as scrap metal and later in extinguishers that appeared legitimate, according to the search warrant filed Monday.
“Investigators have observed multiple drug transactions involving truck drivers and their semi-trucks,” according to the affidavit in support of the search warrant. “The truck driver would drive into the United States from Mexico, and cross the border usually carrying a load of scrap metal, and concealed inside will be a scrap metal fire extinguisher containing drugs. The truck driver would then make his way up to Los Angeles, to meet a courier, who would pick up the drug packed fire extinguishers for further distribution.”
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The indictment alleges two narcotics conspiracies and 12 drug possession offenses, each of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a potential life sentence. Count 15, which alleges a money laundering conspiracy, carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Operation Smoke Jumpers was led by the FBI Los Angeles Strike Force, which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative and provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
In addition to the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the South Gate Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations participated in the investigation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, the Pasadena Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Inland Regional Narcotic Enforcement Team, the Alhambra Police Department, the Rialto Police Department, and the Fontana Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher C. Kendall and Jehan Pernas of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
13 February 2024
United States Files Lawsuit Against Philadelphia Resident, Alleging Violations of FAA Regulations When Flying DronesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the United States has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against Michael DiCiurcio of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In its complaint, the United States alleges that DiCiurcio operated small unmanned aircraft systems (“sUAS”) — commonly known as drones — unlawfully and unsafely in the Philadelphia area between at least December 2019 to the present, in violation of Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) requirements.
The United States alleges that DiCiurcio operated flights at night, in close proximity to the William Penn Statue, PSFS Building, and the Liberty One Building. On one occasion, the sUAS almost struck a church steeple during flight. The United States alleges that, during certain flights, DiCiurcio improperly operated the sUAS inside of controlled airspace near the Philadelphia International Airport, over people and cars, and, in at least one instance, lost control of the sUAS, causing it to fly uncontrolled over Philadelphia.
The FAA warned DiCiurcio in writing and provided him with counseling and education regarding requirements for safe operations of a sUAS under the Federal Aviation Regulations. The United States alleges that DiCiurcio nonetheless has continued to operate sUASs illegally and in a careless or reckless manner that endangers others. The United States seeks substantial civil penalties and an injunction to prevent additional illegal conduct.
“Failing to adhere to the safety requirements for flying drones endangers people and property,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “All drone operators have a responsibility to ensure that they observe all applicable regulations and guidance. Our office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the FAA regulations and we will vigorously enforce violations wherever we find them.”
“We work hard to educate people about safely flying their drones, and we don’t hesitate to take strong enforcement action when pilots deliberately flout the rules,” said Deputy FAA Administrator Katie Thomson.
The allegations regarding unsafe sUAS flights in violation of FAA regulations are described in detail in the complaint. The case is captioned United States of America v. Michael DiCiurcio, Case No. 24-cv-00612 (E.D. Pa.).
The case has been investigated by the FAA’s Flight Standards Division and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Viveca D. Parker.
All civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
United States Attorney’s Office for Western District of Pennsylvania Collects Approximately $56 Million in Civil, Criminal, and Forfeiture Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today that the Western District of Pennsylvania collected $36.8 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $23.7 million was collected in criminal actions and $13.1 million was collected in civil actions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working closely with partner law enforcement agencies, also collected an additional $19.1 million in asset forfeiture actions in 2023. Forfeiture is a process by which criminal defendants are stripped of their criminal proceeds and the property used to facilitate criminal activity. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund are used for a variety of law enforcement purposes and, where appropriate, restored to crime victims.
“Last year, this office recovered and forfeited over $50 million, demonstrating our commitment to holding criminal defendants financially accountable, assisting victims of crime, and protecting the federal treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “I want to recognize and commend the tireless efforts of our financial litigation and asset forfeiture teams, who use all available resources to recover funds in our cases.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victims, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
United States Attorney Jane E. Young Announces New Criminal Division LeadershipRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces the appointments of Assistant United State Attorney Jennifer C. Davis to serve as the Criminal Division Chief and Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. McDonald to serve as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Davis has 30 years of experience serving in the District of New Hampshire, most recently as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief. Prior to her roles in leadership, she conducted complex long-term narcotics investigations as the District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator and National Opioid Coordinator. She has also served as a mentor for her colleagues as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel.
AUSA Davis has prosecuted a vast array of crimes including health care and security fraud, illegal firearm and narcotic possession, immigration, and white-collar theft. Earlier in her career, AUSA Davis received a detail appointment as the Assistant Director for Criminal Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Education, where she oversaw the implementation of trainings for the country’s federal prosecutors. She is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.
“This Office is fortunate to have Jen’s dedication, experience, dependability, and leadership,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “For many years, Jen has served as a mentor to federal prosecutors, both in New Hampshire and nationally, and a dependable ally to our law enforcement partners. These characteristics, coupled with her strong legal and analytical skills, make her exceptionally equipped to lead the Criminal Division.”
AUSA MacDonald has served in the District of New Hampshire’s criminal division since 2015. While AUSA MacDonald has prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases throughout her career, she specializes in computer crime, most notably matters involving cryptocurrency.
AUSA MacDonald received a detail appointment in 2022 as a founding member of the United States Department of Justice’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which is tasked with investigating and prosecuting the criminal misuse of digital assets. Prior to this specialized assignment, AUSA MacDonald worked on a myriad of criminal cases, including white collar theft, computer hacking, child exploitation, human rights violations, drug trafficking, and human trafficking cases. She also served as the Project Safe Childhood and Human Trafficking Coordinator for the District of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
“Georgie is a welcomed addition to the leadership team in the District of New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “She is a skilled attorney with impeccable trial and advocacy skills, who also commands the respect of her colleagues throughout the country and in this Office. She will undoubtedly be a beacon for the criminal attorneys given her legal acumen and boundless enthusiasm.”
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U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young Announces the Appointment of the First Dedicated Civil Rights Assistant U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces the appointment of Matthew Vicinanzo as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA). AUSA Vicinanzo will handle civil and criminal Civil Rights matters in the District of New Hampshire.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicinanzo comes to the U.S. Attorney’s Office with a breadth of experience from private practice,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Matt is a New Hampshire native who cares deeply about our communities. He is eager to expand the Civil Rights practice in this Office, and further support the civil and constitutional rights of Granite Staters.”
Most recently, AUSA Vicinanzo represented clients in civil and criminal matters as Counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP, where he handled investigations and litigation related to the federal False Claims Act, anti-fraud statutes, and complex commercial disputes. AUSA Vicinanzo clerked for United States Chief Judge Jeffrey R. Howard, and he attended Georgetown University Law Center.
AUSA Vicinanzo is expected to investigate and prosecute civil and criminal Civil Rights matters. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was allocated two new attorney positions to address civil rights, and domestic terrorism/violent crime in New Hampshire. An AUSA focused on domestic terrorism and violent crime was appointed in October 2023.
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Two New York Residents Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that WINIFER ACOSTA JIMINEZ, 29, and OVIDALIS JIMINEZ PUJOLS, 38, both of New York, have been charged by indictment with a fentanyl trafficking offense.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a wholesale supplier of fentanyl and other narcotics with multiple distribution points in the northeastern United States. Investigators arranged a controlled purchase of two kilograms of fentanyl, which Acosta Jiminez and Jiminez Pujols transported from New York to Milford, Connecticut, on February 22, 2023.
On January 23, 2024, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Acosta Jiminez and Jiminez Pujols with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
Jiminez Pujols, who has been detained since his related state arrest on February 22, 2023, appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Acosta Jiminez pleaded not guilty on January 31, 2024, and is released on a $100,000 bond pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises at Motel in AlbuquerqueRead 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 for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, announced today that Pragneshkumar Patel and Johnathan Craft were sentenced to 30 and 70 months in prison, respectively, for their part in running a drug-involved premises at a motel in Southwest Albuquerque. Additionally, Patel was ordered to pay fines in the amount of $40,000 and $9,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit the Best Choice Inn at 7640 Central Avenue SE in Albuquerque. Patel, 36, of Mobile, Alabama, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises and Craft, 37, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm on July 13, 2023.
A federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment against Patel, Craft and their co-defendant Kamal Bhula, on November 5, 2019. According to publicly available court records, between March 2018 and June 2019, Patel leased the Best Choice Inn to Bhula, who took over as the on-site manager. Craft lived and worked at Best Choice Inn as a manager, claiming to be in charge when Bhula was away. Craft sold drugs from his room, allowed others to do the same, and permitted individuals to use drugs on the premises. The Best Choice Inn gained profits by imposing a “visitor fee” on individuals who frequented the establishment. As a manager, Craft knew that many of the people for whom a visitor fee was imposed specifically frequented the business to engage in illegal activity, including selling and using drugs. As the owner, Patel profited from the visitor fees imposed on those using and selling drugs at the Best Choice Inn.
“Drug traffickers exploit vulnerable members of our community to generate profits,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “These individuals face enough challenges without predatory business owners using addiction to drive corporate profits. When this greedy out-of-state hotel owner capitalized on the desperation of the most marginalized New Mexicans to line his own pockets, he lost his hotel, tens of thousands of dollars, and his freedom.”
“One of our core missions is to make our communities safer and healthier,” said Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “The men and women of the DEA will not tolerate local businesses masquerading as legitimate enterprises in order to carry on their illegal drug trafficking.”
“These sentences are a testament to the power of strength in numbers,” said Jason T. Stevens, acting special agent in charge of HSI El Paso. “This multi-agency investigation discovered a dangerous threat to public safety. HSI’s drug-trafficking investigative efforts are a top priority, and our special agents are committed to targeting individuals and trans-national organizations that make it their business to poison our communities for their financial gain.”
Upon their release from prison, Patel and Craft will each be subject to three years supervised release.
Kamal Bhula pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises on July 13, 2023, and remains in custody pending sentencing which is scheduled on March 26, 2024.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Jack E. Burkhead are prosecuting the case.
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Tse Bonito Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Gerald Lee was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Lee, 37, of Tse Bonito, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor on Aug. 9, 2023.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Lee on Oct. 12, 2022. According to publicly available court documents, on May 15, 2021, when he was 35 years old, Lee forcibly raped the 15-year-old victim, Jane Doe, at his mother’s house within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Afterwards, Lee warned Jane Doe not to tell anybody about what he had done, but Jane Doe eventually told a teacher and counselor at her school. Lee initially claimed that he and Jane Doe were in a consensual sexual relationship and that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident before ultimately admitting that he raped Jane Doe.
Upon his release from prison, Lee will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case.
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Tracy Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Scheme to Steal California Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kaymeisha Keyes, 32, most recently of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and August 2021, Keyes executed a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by filing over 70 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD, seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. During the scheme, Keyes collected personally identifiable information of numerous individuals — including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers — and used their identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. The filings represented, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These unemployment insurance claims were fraudulent because, for example, the claimants were not unemployed, they were not eligible for California unemployment insurance benefits, or Keyes did not have authority to file claims on their behalf.
Since at least October 2021, EDD partnered with ID.me — a private company used by the EDD for ID verification of claimants — to implement a system for verifying claimant identities before EDD can process unemployment insurance claims. In executing this fraudulent scheme, Keyes submitted false information to ID.me that allowed fake and stolen identities to be verified. This false information included images of fake driver’s licenses that contained photos of Keyes and co-schemers and the names of the purported claimants. She also submitted photos of herself and co-schemers that were used to verify the photos on the fake driver’s licenses. Once these false identities were verified, Keyes filed the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD under the same identities.
In the fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, Keyes requested that the unemployment insurance benefits be mailed to various addresses under her control, including her residence in Tracy. EDD approved dozens of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits. Keyes then activated the EDD debit cards and spent the benefits on herself. The scheme sought over $2 million in unemployment insurance benefits and caused EDD and the United States to incur actual losses exceeding $1.1 million.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Correctional Safety, and the California EDD – Investigation Division with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.
Keyes is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on May 11, 2024. Keyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count. She faces a two-year mandatory prison sentence on the aggravated identity theft count, which must run consecutive to any sentence received on the wire fraud count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is prosecuted as part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Tenderloin Fentanyl Dealer Armed with Ghost Gun Sentenced to More Than Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Esmun Moyses Moral-Raudales was sentenced yesterday to 80 months in prison for crimes including distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge.
Moral-Raudales, 28, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of distributing fentanyl, all in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute it, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(vi).
According to his plea agreement, Moral-Raudales admitted that, during two drug deals in the Tenderloin in January and February 2023, he sold a total of 103.8 grams (gross weight) of fentanyl and 95 grams (gross weight) of methamphetamine. He also admitted that, at the time of his arrest in Oakland in March 2023, he had 317.7 grams (gross weight) of fentanyl on his person and in his car, and that he had a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic handgun (a “ghost gun”) in his backpack.
At the time he committed the offenses for which he was sentenced yesterday, Moral-Raudales was on federal supervised release following a 2020 drug trafficking conviction that also resulted from his sale of drugs in the Tenderloin.
“Recidivist drug dealers who prey on the Tenderloin are a clear and present danger to our community, especially those who arm themselves with guns,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “This Office will marshal all resources needed to ensure that repeat players in the Tenderloin drug market face justice.”
“Moral-Raudales was given the opportunity to change his life after his first federal drug trafficking conviction. Instead, he recklessly chose to endanger our community by selling poison in the Tenderloin while arming himself with a weapon,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. “DEA will be relentless in our pursuit of those who repeatedly and brazenly violate the law.”
In addition to sentencing Moral-Raudales to prison, Judge Donato ordered the defendant to serve four years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Erick Machado. The prosecution is the result of a months-long investigation by the DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Beware of pills bought on the street. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Dealing, Fatal Shooting of TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who was dealing fentanyl and fatally shot a 16-year-old with a fully automatic pistol in downtown St. Louis in 2022 to 15 years in prison.
Judge Schelp also ordered John M. Whitney Jr., 22, of Bridgeton, to pay $8,341 for his victim’s funeral expenses.
In March of 2022, Whitney was selling drugs outside a loft building on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. After entering the lobby and heading to the elevators, he used a Glock handgun equipped with an aftermarket “switch” to fatally shoot a 16-year-old. Whitney claimed he was acting in self-defense after the teen drew his weapon first, Whitney’s plea agreement says. Surveillance video shows Whitney and the teen simultaneously drawing firearms and Whitney opening fire with the Glock as the teen turned towards Whitney with his pistol raised. Whitney then exchanged fire with the teen’s associate before both fled the building.
The teen was socializing with others in the lobby. In a letter to Judge Schelp, the teen’s mother said it was his first time going out to have fun and that he was in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” “My heart is broken for the rest of my life,” she wrote.
Whitney continued selling drugs and possessing firearms after killing the victim.
In his plea agreement, he admitted selling fentanyl twice to someone working for the Drug Enforcement Administration. A court-approved search of his apartment on April 22, 2022, found a different Glock pistol with an aftermarket switch that converted it a fully automatic weapon, as well as three AR-15-style rifles, a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, raw fentanyl in a plastic bag and capsules containing fentanyl.
"Guns and drugs are often coupled when we encounter drug distributors," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, supervisor of DEA operations in Eastern Missouri. "These criminals are engaged in illegal activities and believe they must protect them through equally illegal means. It's our job to show them how wrong they are, and take the dealers off the streets to prevent more harm."
Whitney pleaded guilty in November to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoff Ogden is prosecuting the case.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 15 Years on Drug and Firearm Charges Following Guilty Verdict at TrialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Johnathan Leslie Allen, also known as “Ghost,” to a total of 180 months in federal prison on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Allen was convicted of those crimes on November 17, 2023, following a multi-day jury trial. Senior Judge Peterson also sentenced to Allen to 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from prison.
According to court documents and information disclosed at trial and sentencing, in October of 2022, Allen sent several text and Facebook messages to two coconspirators to obtain several ounces of methamphetamine for Allen to sell.
Allen and one of his coconspirators obtained the drugs and then went to a Wal-Mart in Spokane Valley, where the coconspirator sold the drugs to an Undercover Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”).
The very next day, Allen brought a Ruger 9mm firearm to the Spokane Transit Authority bus plaza in downtown Spokane. Allen gave it to the same coconspirator to sell to the Undercover Agent, which the coconspirator did.
Allen and his coconspirators were indicted in January 2023 and a warrant was issued for Allen’s arrest. Allen was arrested on February 7, 2023, on the gaming floor of the Northern Quest Casino. At the time Allen was placed in custody, he was carrying a loaded, chambered 9mm firearm in the pocket of his sweatshirt. His coconspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Allen proceeded to trial. After four days of trial testimony, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts. At Allen’s sentencing hearing, the United States introduced evidence from Allen’s own Facebook account that showed Allen had been involved in distributing illegal narcotics and illegally possessing guns in the Spokane area separate from his charged conduct in this case.
“I am grateful for the dedication of the investigators, agents, and prosecutors, who brought Mr. Allen to justice. As a result of such dedication, a dangerous offender, two illegal firearms, and illegal narcotics have been removed from the Spokane community,” stated Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Today’s sentence further reflects the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to vigorously prosecuting those who distribute illegal drugs and firearms in Eastern Washington.”
“Drugs and guns are a losing combination,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Mr. Allen’s willingness to sell drugs and illegally possess firearms earned him this well-deserved sentence. ATF will vigorously investigate those who are conducting dangerous actions such as these in our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Herzog.
Six Members of Evansville Fentanyl and Meth Trafficking Ring IndictedRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six individuals for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Lovechild McGuire, 30, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Christopher Flax, 47, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Amiee Ranes, 43, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Trent Marion, 38, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Unique Carter, 26, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Camri Outlaw, 28, of Evansville
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
According to the indictment, on numerous occasions between June 1, 2023, through December 5, 2023, the alleged traffickers were responsible for possessing and distributing more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine, 14,000 fentanyl pills, and 1 kilogram of cocaine.
Lovechild McGuire allegedly served as the leader and supervisor of the drug trafficking operation. McGuire obtained the methamphetamine from an unknown source of supply and stored it in homes belonging to Carter and Outlaw. Carter also rented a storage unit in her name to store the controlled substances for McGuire. McGuire’s distributors, Flax, Ranes, Marion, and Carter, sold the drugs throughout Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Evansville Vanderburgh Country Drug Task Force investigated this case. This case is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who is prosecuting this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shooter During Marijuana Robbery Sentenced to Ten YearsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to ten years and one day in prison for shooting another man in broad daylight while robbing his victim of approximately 6.5 ounces of marijuana.
According to court documents, Brycen Scott Beal, 19, arranged a meeting to purchase a small amount of marijuana from D.M. When D.M. arrived at the agreed location in the residential parking lot of the Patriots Crossing Apartment Complex in Newport News, at midday on February 21, 2023, Beal did not purchase any marijuana. Instead, Beal reached into the vehicle D.M. was driving and grabbed a backpack containing approximately 6.5 ounces of marijuana. As Beal ran off, he fired three gunshots at D.M. using a Glock 23 .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two of Beal’s shots penetrated the windshield and one hit D.M. in the leg, seriously injuring him.
D.M. drove off and reported the incident. Medical services were deployed to aid D.M., and the Newport News Police (NNPD) reported to the scene. Through the course of the investigation, NNPD confirmed Beal was the shooter with security camera footage of the apartment complex that captured the incident, as well as forensically matching the firearm seized from Beal’s residence, pursuant to a lawful search warrant, with the three shell casings recovered from the scene.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-64.
Schenectady Woman Indicted on Social Security Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – AnnMarie Ditoro, age 41, of Schenectady, New York, was indicted earlier this month on charges of social security fraud.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office, made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that Ditoro misused her children’s Social Security benefits after Schenectady County Department of Social Services removed her children from her custody. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ditoro was arraigned on February 7 and ordered released pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Ditoro faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised of up to 3 years. 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.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General is investigating this case, which is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck.
Ruskin Man Sentenced for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Benjamin Lara (39, Ruskin) to one year and one day in federal prison for mail fraud. The court also ordered Lara to pay $68,086.23 in restitution. Lara entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2023.
According to court documents, between March 2016 and July 2017, Lara was employed as a personal banker at a bank in West Bradenton. Through this position, Lara assisted an 85-year-old bank customer. Lara later used information gained through his position to send 31 automatic bill payment checks in his name, to his home address in Ruskin, from that customer’s accounts. Lara also electronically transferred funds from the victim’s account onto three pre-paid cards. In total, between December 2017 and July 2019, Lara stole $68,086 from the victim’s bank account.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Professional Rock Climber Convicted of Sexual Assaults in Yosemite National ParkRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury found Charles Barrett, 39, guilty today of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite National Park, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the victim went to Yosemite for a weekend of hiking, and Barrett, who was working and living in the park, sexually assaulted her three times. During trial, three other women testified that Barrett also sexually assaulted them. These assaults were not charged because they were outside federal jurisdiction but were admitted at trial as relevant to the charged assaults.
“This defendant used his renown and physical presence as a rock climber to lure and intimidate victims who were part of the rock-climbing community. His violent sexual assaults were devastating to the victims, whom he later threatened in the lead-up to trial,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Today, the defendant has been held accountable for his crimes. My office will continue its work to make National Parks such as Yosemite a safe place for all."
This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael G. Tierney and Arin C. Heinz are prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez is scheduled to sentence Barrett on May 21, 2024. Barrett faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
If you have information related to this case or believe you may be a victim, please submit a tip online, call 888-653-0009, or email [email protected].
Pittsburgh Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Raymon Brown, 28, as the sole defendant in this case.
According to the Indictment, on February 1, 2024, Brown was found in possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Owners and Operators of illicit marijuana business sentenced to federal prison for violations of federal and state lawRead the Press Release
Seattle – A father and son from Seattle were each sentenced today to 30 months in prison for their scheme to violate the state’s marijuana production regulations and produce and sell marijuana on the black market, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Qixian Wu, 59, and Yong Cong Wu, 30, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. At their sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said the men knew what they were doing violated state law and he was concerned “about the firearms connected with the grows.”
“Even after multiple visits from state regulators, the Wu family continued to illegally grow and sell marijuana – some of it likely tainted with illegal pesticides,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “By seeking licensing under the regulatory scheme—while not complying in any meaningful way with this system—the Wu family not only violated federal law, but also, threatened the viability of the state’s approach to the legalization of marijuana in Washington.”
According to records filed in the case, as early as November 2016, regulators began noticing irregularities in reports from the Wu’s licensed marijuana production business—New Direction—located on West Marginal Way SW. Inspections in July, August and September 2018 identified product that was not appropriately tagged or tracked. Samples taken in September were tested and found to be tainted with illegal pesticides. In October, inspectors from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) seized all the product at New Direction.
Despite the regulatory attention, the Wu family did not change operations and continued to falsify reports with respect to the marijuana produced at New Direction.
Yong Cong Wu and his brother—who is scheduled for sentencing in April—also operated a second business, Affordable Indoor Growing Supplies (AIG), which provided marijuana grow equipment to other illegal growers throughout the area. The men deposited cash derived from illegal marijuana sales into the accounts of the gardening store business to hide the fact that these deposits, in fact, involved illicit drug proceeds. They also used a casino next to the gardening store to launder the funds.
When investigators searched the home and businesses associated with the Wu family in October 2020, they seized more than 3,000 marijuana plants and over 100 kilograms of processed marijuana. At the garden store they seized $69,456 in cash drug proceeds and $34,800 in money orders. At the Wu family residence investigators seized $152,631 in cash drug proceeds, eleven firearms, a 2018 Mercedes G-550 and a 2020 Mercedes G63 W4—purchased outright in September 2020 for more than $235,000.
In all, the defendants are forfeiting the commercial property that facilitated their illicit conspiracy, two luxury cars, and about $250,000 in cash as proceeds of crime. The defendants also agreed to abandon the firearms seized from the family residence. Both men will be on three years of supervised release following the prison terms.
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 case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), King County Sheriff’s Office, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Silvio with substantial investigative assistance from OCDETF Auditor Becky Carnell.
Ohio County Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Chelsea Marion Banks, age 28, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Banks was working with another person to sell drugs in the Wheeling area. Investigators executed search warrants on Banks’s Wheeling home and two Pennsylvania storage units, yielding more than a kilogram of fentanyl, cocaine, stolen firearms, ammunition, and more than $208,000 in cash.
Banks will be under United States Probation supervision for three years following her release from prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Wheeling Police Department; and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “This effort is a vital step in reducing gun violence in our communities.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted during the February term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Daveon Daniels, 25, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Matthew Lacey, 26, of Savannah, is charged in a superseding indictment with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He originally was indicted on the same charge in November 2023 and the superseding indictment adds enhanced penalties; and,
- Justin Anthony Brown, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Two Savannah men also were named in a recently unsealed January indictment: Jacerio Maurice Famble, 35, and Aaron Jamonta Bennett, 32, are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Psilocyn and Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Psilocyn and Marijuana. Famble also is charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Jonathan Duncan, 38, of Savannah, sentenced to 64 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol and drugs in Duncan’s vehicle during a November 2022 traffic stop. As noted in his guilty plea, Duncan has a prior state conviction for illegal gun possession.
- Keith Ponsell, 34, of Jesup, Ga., sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found an illegal “pen” gun in Ponsell’s pocket during a traffic stop in Jesup in June 2022.
- William Zaccaeus Hightower, 24, of Blackshear, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, and Possession of a Machinegun. Pierce County sheriff’s deputies found a pistol and drugs in Hightower’s vehicle after an attempted traffic stop in May 2022 ended with Hightower striking a police vehicle and crashing. ATF agents determined the Glock 9mm pistol in Hightower’s possession was fitted with a device rendering it fully automatic.
- Christopher David Baskett, 46, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested Baskett in September 2020 while investigating reports of gunfire in downtown Augusta. After an initial confrontation, deputies located a pistol in Baskett’s vehicle. Baskett has a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter in South Carolina.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Mexican man receives life in prison for holding hostages at ransomRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for holding multiple men against their will and demanding ransom, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Edgardo Hernandez-Zamora pleaded guilty June 8, 2023, to hostage taking.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Hernandez-Zamora to serve the rest of his life in federal prison.
Co-conspirators Adrian Ramirez, 20, and Adrian Ramirez-Vasquez, 39, both from Mexico, also pleaded guilty to their roles and previously received 48 and 60 months in prison, respectively. Not U.S. citizens, both men are expected to face removal proceedings following their terms of imprisonment.
In February 2023, law enforcement arrived at a residence in Laredo after learning of a potential kidnapping. During their investigation, authorities heard loud banging coming from a window within the home and observed men crying and screaming in Spanish “they were kidnapping us.”
Authorities determined the men were being held against their will while Hernandez-Zamora communicated with their family members to demand a ransom. Hernandez-Zamora threatened to tie the victims up and cause them physical harm and that they would not see their families again if they did not comply.
One of the family members paid $3,500 as a partial payment of the ransom demand for their release.
Ramirez and Ramirez-Vasquez were both found to have conspired with Hernandez-Zamora in operating the stash house.
Hernandez-Zamora has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation with assistance from the Webb County Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
Menasha Man Sentenced to 25 years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Toddler on VideoRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2024, John D. Schaefer (age: 35) of Menasha, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment for production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2252A(a)(2)(A).
In November of 2022, law enforcement was contacted by the defendant’s roommate who stated that he had been shown a video produced by Schaefer depicting the sexual abuse of a child who was approximately 15 months old. Further investigation revealed that Schaefer sexually assaulted the child while acting as a babysitter. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized Schaefer’s electronic items, which contained the video of that abuse and over 2.2 terabytes of child sexual abuse material.
During the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the horrific nature of the defendant’s actions, the long-term mental health effects that his actions had on his victim and on the children depicted in the over 156,000 images and videos that he possessed and distributed. Judge Griesbach found a strong need to protect the community and sentenced Schaefer to 25 years’ imprisonment. Upon release from prison, Schaefer will serve a lifetime on supervised release and must register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
This case was investigated by the Menasha Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oshkosh Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.
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Massachusetts man sentenced to 15 years in prison for child pornography distributionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Feb. 9, a Massachusetts man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $33,500 in West Palm Beach federal court after being previously convicted of 15 counts of distribution of child pornography.
During the summer of 2023, Eric Bahre, 41, of Westfield, Massachusetts, sent dozens of videos of child pornography, including the sado-masochistic abuse of infants and toddlers to a woman in South Florida in a chatroom. During his communication, Bahre emphasized that the videos were for the woman to share them with her “child.”
In June 2023, HSI West Palm Beach and HSI Springfield federal agents, along with Westfield Police Department (WPD), Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSD), and the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) officers found electronic devices containing videos and photographs of child exploitation material in Bahre’s house. They also found evidence of Bahre’s communications with the woman, and others, in chatrooms dedicated to the distribution of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the sentence.
HSI West Palm Beach Office investigated the case with assistance from HSI Springfield Office, WPD, HCSD, and MSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
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-cr-80093.
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Man Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Prison for St. Louis Murder, Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A felon convicted of drug trafficking charges that included a 2019 St. Louis murder was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to life plus 10 years in prison.
Freeman Whitfield IV, 29, was an enforcer for a large drug conspiracy, evidence and testimony at Whitfield’s trial in October showed. The conspirators brought drugs from Houston and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to the St. Louis area. A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation that started in 2018 eventually resulted in the seizure of more than $1.5 million in drug proceeds, as well as 25 kilograms of cocaine, 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 10 kilograms of heroin, luxury vehicles, watches and guns.
Antonio Boyd, who distributed drugs for Whitfield’s supplier and co-conspirator, Guy R. Goolsby, was arrested on March 21, 2018. Whitfield decided to kill Boyd after hearing rumors that he might be cooperating with investigators, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mantovani told jurors during Whitfield’s trial. Boyd was fatally shot Dec. 9, 2019, outside a home in the 2500 block of West Palm Street in St. Louis. Another man was shot and wounded.
In a related DEA investigation, Whitfield sold fentanyl to an undercover officer in March and July of 2020, as well as others. During a court-approved search of Whitfield’s homes, investigators recovered an AK-style pistol, an AR-15-style pistol, thousands of rounds of ammunition, other firearms, body armor, a police scanner, cash, six cell phones, digital scales and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.
Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Enforcement Administration“The Drug Enforcement Administration knows violence is a principal element of drug trafficking, as this case clearly demonstrates,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, supervisor of DEA operations in Eastern Missouri. "This enforcer protected the command and control of a drug trafficking organization dealing in the triple threat of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin. It’s particularly satisfying for us in law enforcement that he will no longer endanger the lives of our citizens with illegal drugs or the gun violence that takes so many St. Louis lives.”
Whitfield was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October of seven felonies: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, heroin and cocaine; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, causing the death of Antonio Boyd through premeditated murder; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Goolsby was sentenced in 2020 to 151 months in prison.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the Bridgeton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mantovani and Geoff Ogden prosecuted the case.
Los Lunas Man Who Shot New Mexico State Police Officer in 2022 Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Caleb Elledge pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Elledge, 26, of Los Lunas, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Elledge on June 28, 2022. According to publicly available court records, on Feb. 11, 2022, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Lt. Jeremy Vaughan was on duty when he pulled in the Mr. Gas Mart located at 1192 Highway 333 in Edgewood to service his vehicle. While in the parking lot, a Mr. Gas Mart employee approached Lr. Vaughan and informed him that there was a woman in distress in the bathroom and that she was possible using illegal narcotics. Lt. Vaugh called for backup. A short time later Lt. Vaughan observed the woman exit the gas station and enter the passenger side of a silver four-door sedan driven by Elledge. Lt. Vaughan approached the vehicle on the passenger side and knocked on the window. At that time, Elledge shifted the vehicle into reverse and accelerated, striking the front end of Lt. Vaughan’s vehicle, then fled from the gas station, striking another vehicle in the course. Lt. Vaughan returned to his vehicle and initiated pursuit.
Lt. Vaughan successfully utilized the pursuit intervention technique (a maneuver that involves intentional, vehicle-to-vehicle contact and consists of a pursuing officer applying lateral pressure with the front corner of their vehicle to the rear quarter panel of the fleeing suspect's vehicle, resulting in a predictable spin) on the sedan and the two cars came to a stop facing southbound with the passenger side of Elledge’s vehicle pinned to the passenger side of Lt. Vaughan’s unit. At that time, Elledge fired a gun into Lt. Vaughan’s unit, striking Lt. Vaughan on the left side of his neck. Lt. Vaughan exited his unit and exchanged gunfire with Elledge before Elledge and the female passenger fled the scene on foot.
Emergency medical services arrived on scene and transported Lt. Vaughan to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Officers from multiple agencies arrived on scene and set up a perimeter designed to locate Elledge and the female passenger, but they were unsuccessful.
On Feb. 12, 2022, NMSP received a tip as to Elledge and the female passenger’s whereabouts in Macintosh, New Mexico. Agents from NMSP executed a search warrant on a residence located at 31 Juana Lane and Elledge and the female passenger were taken into custody. As he was escorted from the residence, Elledge apologized for shooting the officer. Inside the residence, agents located the handgun Elledge had used during the incident. As a previously convicted felon, Elledge knew that he could not possess a firearm and ammunition.
Lt. Vaughan and many of his colleagues from the New Mexico State Police were in the courtroom when Elledge entered his plea.
Per the terms of his plea agreement, Elledge agreed to be sentenced to 9 years in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Edgewood Police Department, and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office assisted the New Mexico State Police with the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
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Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Prison for Dark Web Drug Conspiracy and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabriel Alva, 32, of Winnetka, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine over the dark web, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Alva and his co-conspirators ran multiple drug vendor accounts on various dark web contraband marketplaces, including “Diablow” on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, “RaiseAppeals” on the Dream marketplace, and “RaisedByDiablow” on the Nightmare marketplace. Alva’s dark web vendor pages offered crystal methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics for sale. Alva accepted payment in cryptocurrency for the narcotics he sold on the dark web and converted approximately $1.3 million worth of various cryptocurrencies into cash while operating his vendor accounts.
Federal law enforcement agents executed search and arrest warrants at Alva’s residence in May 2019. Agents seized nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, more than 2 kilograms of cocaine, and nearly 24 kilograms of methamphetamine. Agents also recovered six firearms inside Alva’s residence (including a Remington shotgun, a Smith & Wesson assault rifle, and an unserialized AR-15 assault rifle), as well as a silencer, a scope, and several magazines of ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond, and includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Create and Distribute Animal Crush VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nicole Danielle Devilbiss (35, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos. Devilbiss faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to the plea agreement, in September 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Jacksonville received information regarding an individual residing in Jacksonville, who was identified as an administrator of a social media application group chat that was dedicated to the abuse, torture, and death of various-aged monkeys. The HSI investigation revealed that numerous people involved in the group exchanged hundreds of messages about the abuse and torture of monkeys, as well as videos depicting the abuse and torture of monkeys. The purpose of the group was to fund, view, distribute, and promote animal crush videos that depicted the torture, murder, and sadistic mutilation of animals, specifically baby and adult monkeys. The co-conspirators agreed to create animal crush videos using videographers and animals in other countries, to include Indonesia, which would then be sent to the United States. The name of the group changed multiple times to innocuous names that were inconsistent with the goals and interests of the group, which appeared to be in an effort to avoid detection by law enforcement.
This investigation led to the identification of Devilbiss as a member of that group. Law enforcement was able to obtain some of those messages and videos that were exchanged involving her.
Devilbiss and her co-conspirators collectively funded the creation of animal crush videos using online payment applications. Co-conspirators outside the United States received this funding and used it create animal crush videos. Between April 14, 2022, and continuing through May 23, 2023, Devilbiss sent at least three payments to her co-conspirators using an online payment application for the purpose of funding the creation of animal crush videos. The IP addresses from the Devilbiss’s transactions were tied to her internet account at her residence.
A federal search warrant was executed at her residence and numerous electronic devices were seized. Devilbiss’s devices were reviewed and analyzed. Law enforcement found numerous videos depicting the torture of monkeys.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Elisibeth Adams.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 144 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Randy Williams, Jr., 52, of Jackson, sold methamphetamine from his residence to an individual. Williams was held accountable for distributing a total amount of 144 grams of methamphetamine, with 81 grams having a purity of 100%.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department, and Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Ian Freeman Ordered to Pay More Than $3.5 Million in Restitution to Victims and to Forfeit Proceeds of His Bitcoin Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Ian Freeman was ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $3.5 million to 29 victims and forfeit various other assets that were seized during the investigation, U.S Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Ian Freeman, 43, of Keene, was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to pay restitution totaling $3,502,708.69 to 29 victims of his offense. The Court also issued a preliminary order of forfeiture of various other assets that were seized during the investigation. On October 2, 2023, Ian Freeman was sentenced to 96 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a fine of $40,000. Freeman was convicted by a federal jury on December 22, 2022, following a ten-day trial.
“Ian Freeman’s money laundering business caused many vulnerable people unnecessary anguish. Nothing will ever take away the pain he caused these victims, but I am grateful that the dedicated prosecution team on this case was able to make many of them financially whole,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “It is rare for victims of romance scams and other international fraud schemes to have their money returned to them because of the anonymity that businesses like Ian Freeman’s offer fraudsters. I urge everyone to protect themselves and their older loved ones by learning the indicators of these types of scams, so that you are better prepared to prevent being victimized.”
"This court order forcing Ian Freeman to pay millions of dollars in restitution to dozens of elderly victims across the country who suffered agonizing losses is a significant step toward justice,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “While no amount of money can make up for the emotional toll Mr. Freeman’s actions have inflicted, it does ensure that he has been held both criminally and financially responsible for what he did. The FBI will never stop working to shut down fraud schemes like this one to protect older folks and help them hang on to their hard-earned money. If you’re being victimized, or know of someone who is, please reach out to the FBI – anonymously, if you like.”
Freeman laundered over ten million dollars in proceeds of romance scams and other internet frauds by exchanging U.S. dollars for bitcoin. By failing to register his business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network as required by law, disabling “know your customer” features on his bitcoin kiosks, and ensuring that bitcoin customers did not tell him what they did with their bitcoin, among other things, Freeman created a business that catered to fraudsters. By charging exorbitant fees, Freeman made more than a million dollars.
Records and exhibits in the 10-day trial proved that as part of the conspiracy, Freeman and his co-conspirators opened and operated accounts at financial institutions in the names of various churches including the Shire Free Church, the Church of the Invisible Hand, the Crypto Church of New Hampshire, and the NH Peace Church. Freeman instructed bitcoin customers, who were often victims of scams, to lie to the financial institutions and describe their deposits as church donations. From 2016 to 2019, he paid no taxes, and concealed his income from the Internal Revenue Service.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. The national Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and the Department of Justice, Tax Division, provided valuable assistance in the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald, John Kennedy, and Seth R. Aframe.
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Human smuggler convicted for attempting to transport aliens in tractor bedRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a 63-year-old Laredo man for unlawfully transporting undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Zenen Torres-Perdomo guilty following a day and a half trial.
On Aug. 1, 2023, Torres-Perdomo drove a tractor-trailer to the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint. At initial inspection, a K-9 alerted authorities to the sleeper area of the tractor. Law enforcement subsequently discovered eight illegal aliens huddled together in the bed compartment of the tractor.
At the trial, Torres-Perdomo testified and argued he had no knowledge of the illegal alien’s presence in his vehicle. The jury ultimately did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Torres-Perdomo faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Torres-Perdomo was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Young Min Burkett prosecuted the case.
Homestead Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Machine Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The four-count Second Superseding Indictment named Erik Addison, 27, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on May 8, 2023, Addison possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. The Indictment further alleges that, on the same date, Addison possessed a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and that he possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, with a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Douglas C. Maloney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A second superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Approximately $10 Million from a New Hampshire-Based Investment CompanyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to stealing approximately $10 million from a New Hampshire-based investment company, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Roberto Montano, a/k/a Jorge Roberto Montano Midence, a/k/a Roberto Pellegrini, a/k/a Alberto Yardi, 58, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024. Montano was charged by complaint in 2015 and was indicted in 2021.
Montano is a Guatemalan citizen who managed two forestry projects in Guatemala for a New Hampshire-based investment adviser between 2007 and 2014. Beginning in approximately late 2009, Montano embezzled the projects' funds by (1) diverting cash and concealing the diversions using altered bank and financial statements; (2) mortgaging the projects’ properties without authorization and investing the proceeds in failed business ventures; and (3) stealing teak forestry subsidies paid by the Guatemalan government. To conceal his embezzlement, Montano altered or deleted entries in financial statements and moved funds back-and-forth between accounts during audits. For example, the defendant provided the victim a false bank statement reporting that one of the bank accounts had a cash balance of approximately $1,147,604 when it actually had a zero balance.
After Montano was alerted to an investigation into the fraud in 2014, he participated in a Skype call with the victim in which he admitted to embezzling funds “many years ago.” He admitted he “cooked the books” and “illegally” mortgaged properties. Montano was in Miami at the time and promised that he would travel to New England. He also said he would not flee and added, “If I have to go to prison, I’ll go to prison.”
The defendant instead fled the United States for Guatemala. While in Guatemala, the defendant participated in another call with the victim where he again admitted to embezzlement and fraud totaling approximately $10 million. However, the defendant was also wanted by Guatemalan authorities, and he moved to Nicaragua, where he has been living for several years under an alias. Most recently, Montano was known as “Alberto Yardi,” a purported life coach and yoga instructor.
Since 2014, the FBI was actively engaged in efforts to locate and arrest Montano. Montano was ultimately arrested on November 1, 2023, at Miami International Airport. Once he was taken into custody, Montano provided law enforcement a five-page document admitting his guilt. The first two sentences read, “I am guilty. I abused the trust [the victim] placed in me.”
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount stolen, whichever is greater. 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.
FBI is leading the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Republic of Guatemala, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Panama City, Panama, the FBI Miami Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. State Department, specifically the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, and the Embassy of Italy in Managua, Nicaragua. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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