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29 January 2024
U.S. Attorney’s Office Asks the Public to Turn Human Trafficking Awareness into Action Throughout the YearRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY - As Human Trafficking Awareness month concludes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky asks the public to remain vigilant and continue to shed light on this devastating crime that too often goes undetected. Everyone can play a role in detecting and preventing human trafficking. “Join our office in this important mission by turning awareness into action,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “Know the red flags and when you see them, report. Your tip could be the lifeline a victim desperately needs and the first step in bringing traffickers to justice.”
Look for the signs. Human trafficking is widespread, and no community is immune, including those within the Western District. Trafficking occurs all around us, in our urban cities and across our rural farm communities. Situations can be found in the shadows of the legal businesses we frequent and the service industries we rely on everyday. Trafficking also increases around major events and trade shows that attract large numbers of tourists to our towns, including the Kentucky Derby, basketball tournaments, and farm shows. Learn who is most vulnerable to trafficking and how to spot the signs around you at: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs.
Report suspected activity. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect you know one, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733), or local law enforcement. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911. If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, submit a tip through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Call Center at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Tips can be submitted anonymously.
Reporting makes a difference. Tips, no matter how small, could be the critical piece that unlocks an investigation. Recently published Bureau of Justice statistics show an increase in human trafficking suspects referred to and prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. Nationwide, a total of 2,027 persons were referred for federal prosecution for human trafficking offenses in fiscal year 2021, a 49% increase from the 1,360 persons referred in 2011. The number of persons actually prosecuted for human trafficking more than doubled from 2011 to 2021 (from 729 persons to 1,672 persons, respectively).
Reporting also allows law enforcement to join forces with trauma-informed service providers and connects those being exploited to the support and resources they need to escape from their traffickers, end the cycle of exploitation, and rebuild their lives. Direct help is available to survivors by calling or texting the VictimConnect Hotline at 1-855-4VICTIM. Live chat and the VictimConnect Resource Map identifying local service providers are available at https://victimconnect.org/get-help/.
“Every individual deserves a life of freedom and human dignity, so human trafficking awareness must continue throughout the year,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “And while raising awareness is important, we must also turn awareness into action in order to dismantle trafficking networks and support survivors. I encourage the public to join forces with us in our continuing fight to end human trafficking and empower survivors.”
Additional resources and information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Enhanced White-Collar Enforcement Through Increased Staffing and Investigative CoordinationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC), announced its expansion of its Economic Crimes Section of the office, and that section’s enhanced enforcement in the prosecution of White-Collar Crime through increased partnerships with federal and state law enforcement agencies.
“Our nation is facing ever-increasing frauds and scams, fleecing innocent people of their well-earned savings and taxpayers of their investment in our Nation,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We have strengthened our relationships with over 20 agencies investigating white-collar crime in the region. We’ve launched multi-agency working groups on critical issues such as Investment Fraud, Public Health, COVID Fraud, Health Care Fraud, Public Corruption, Elder Fraud, Environmental Crimes, and Money Laundering. These efforts have spurred a surge in the number of investigations opened, and defendants prosecuted in this office.”
Just in 2023, significant white-collar cases brought or prosecuted by the Eastern District of North Carolina included, but were not limited to, the following:
Raleigh ENT Doctor Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Adulterating Surgical Devices, for Defrauding Medicare, and for Stealing Patient Identities. Following a lengthy trial, Anita Louise Jackson of Raleigh was sentenced to 300 months in prison for adulterating surgical devices used in more than 1,400 sinus surgeries performed on Medicare patients between 2011 and 2018. Jackson was also ordered to forfeit 4.7 million dollars. (Case No. 5:21-CR-00259-D).
Whiteville Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Ponzi Scheme. Joseph Floyd, age 76, of Whiteville, NC, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for conspiring to sell and deliver unregistered securities in connection with a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme operated for nearly a decade under the guise of a purported investment program. Floyd was also ordered to pay over 10 million dollars in restitution to the victims of the offense. (Case No. 7:23-CR-1-B).
Raleigh man sentenced to 17 years for healthcare fraud. Furman Ford, 54, of Wake County, convicted at a federal trial, was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment. Ford conspired to defraud the Medicare Program by submitting false claims for never provided services. (Case No. 5:20-CR-448-D-1)
NCDOC Officer pleads guilty to Covid-19 Fraud Scheme. Sean Dillard, 55, of Hertford County, pled guilty and sentenced to a year in prison for the theft of government property for fraudulently submitting North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) loan applications for emergency rental assistance. (Case No. 2:23-CR-11-FL)
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft Conspiracy Involving Fraudulent Financing of Vehicles in Excess of $1 Million. Basilio Rafael Garcia, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. As part of the scheme, the personal identifying information of a Puerto Rico resident was stolen, transferred, and used to fraudulently finance and purchase more than 1 million dollars’ worth of vehicles and watercraft from dealerships in the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina. (Case No. 5:22-CR-48-D).
Former Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Executing a Multimillion Dollar Ponzi Scheme. Shaun Good of Wilmington was sentenced to 87 months in prison for carrying out a 7-million-dollar investment fraud scheme while employed as an investment advisor for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC in Wilmington. From 2012 to February 2022, Good solicited investments from business clients and others for purported real estate projects and tax-free municipal bonds, touting these opportunities as low-risk investments that would pay returns of between 6% and 10% over three- or six-month terms. (Case No. 7:22-CR-00096-D).
NC Man Sentenced to 7 Years Imprisonment for Leasing Fraud Scheme. Dan Raymond, the owner of several computer equipment and small business financial consulting companies, was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment for orchestrating more than 20 million dollars in fraudulent lease deals. As part of his plea, Raymond agreed to forfeit 4.7 million dollars in fraud proceeds, along with nearly $170,000 in proceeds from the sale of a residence, $11,650 in cash, and various jewelry, two Rolex watches, gold and silver bars, collectible coins, and apparel from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. (Case No. 5:23-CR-96-BO).
Sixteen Plead Guilty in COVID Fraud Scheme. A Texas couple, Edward Whitaker and Schunda Coleman pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to commit money laundering for helping dozens of North Carolina residents fraudulently obtain more than 15 million dollars in Paycheck Protection Act (PPP) COVID-19 loans. To date, 14 other defendants have pled guilty for the scheme. (Case No. 5:22-cr-00257-D).
Pharmacy Owner and Technician Both Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud. James Craig Belland Melisha Oxendine West were each sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for their roles in a 4-million-dollar health care fraud scheme run through a pharmacy in Robeson County owned by Bell that had operated under the name Townsend’s Pharmacy. The pharmacy billed Medicare, Medicaid, and various private health plans for prescription drugs that were never actually dispensed by the pharmacy. (Case Nos. 7:22-cr-00107-FL and 7:21-cr-00129-FL).
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Two Years Prison for Mail Theft Scheme. Anthony Messiah Brooks, 21, of Wake County, was sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Stolen Mail and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Mail. Brooks was found with 500 pieces of checks, U.S. currency, money orders, gift certificates, and personal identifying information for unknown individuals, all of which came from various blue collection boxes through the Raleigh area. (Case No. 7:22-CR-00068-D)
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for the case number.
Two Ohio Men Convicted of Gambling and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
On Friday, a federal jury convicted two Ohio men of tax, gambling, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction crimes related to their operation of illegal gambling businesses in Canton and their scheme to conceal the illicit proceeds from those businesses to avoid paying taxes. Two others involved in the conspiracy pleaded guilty.
Convictions
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2009 and 2018, Christos Karasarides Jr. and Ronald DiPietro, together with others, operated multiple illegal gambling businesses, including Skilled Shamrock, as part of an organized criminal operation. At Skilled Shamrock, which primarily operated slot machines, patrons gambled more than $34 million between 2012 and 2017, with Skilled Shamrock’s owners retaining more than $7 million. Karasarides and DiPietro sought to conceal their ownership of the gambling businesses through the use of nominee owners and sham contracts.
Karasarides owed the IRS more than $2 million in taxes on income he earned gambling and from other businesses he ran, which the IRS was trying to collect. DiPietro, who was also a Certified Public Accountant, assisted Karasarides in thwarting the IRS’s collection efforts by falsely representing to the IRS, including by preparing tax returns for Karasarides, that Karasarides did not have the assets or income to pay his taxes. Evidence at trial also showed that Karasarides conspired to launder money from his gambling businesses to make it more difficult for the IRS to seize his home by using a straw purchaser to disguise his ownership of it.
Karasarides and DiPietro used the proceeds of their schemes to purchase luxury vehicles and buy and sell property. Karasarides also took several extravagant gambling trips, making millions of dollars of bets at legal casinos throughout the country. They also kept thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash or silver at their homes and other properties they controlled. For instance, law enforcement seized more than $150,000 in cash from Karasarides’ house.
Sentencing for both men is scheduled for May 1 before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent for the Northern District of Ohio. Karasarides faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, five years in prison for tax evasion, five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five years in prison for falsification of records, three years in prison for each count of operating an illegal gambling business, three years in prison for witness tampering and three years in prison for filing false income tax returns.
DiPietro faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, three years in prison for operating an illegal gambling business, five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for each count of preparing false income tax returns.
Pleas
Just prior to the trial, Thomas Helmick, who served as a nominee owner of one of Karasarides’ illegal gambling businesses, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States. Helmick is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent on May 2. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
During the course of the trial, Christopher Karasarides, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by executing false documents and acting as a nominee owner for some of Christos Karasarides’ assets. Christopher Karasarides is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent on April 30. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office; the Ohio Casino Control Commission and Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission-Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sam Bean and Hayter Whitman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Howell for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Two Ohio Men Convicted of Gambling and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
On Friday, a federal jury convicted two Ohio men of tax, gambling, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction crimes related to their operation of illegal gambling businesses in Canton and their scheme to conceal the illicit proceeds from those businesses to avoid paying taxes. Two others involved in the conspiracy pleaded guilty.
Convictions
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2009 and 2018, Christos Karasarides Jr. and Ronald DiPietro, together with others, operated multiple illegal gambling businesses, including Skilled Shamrock, as part of an organized criminal operation. At Skilled Shamrock, which primarily operated slot machines, patrons gambled more than $34 million between 2012 and 2017, with Skilled Shamrock’s owners retaining more than $7 million. Karasarides and DiPietro sought to conceal their ownership of the gambling businesses through the use of nominee owners and sham contracts.
Karasarides owed the IRS more than $2 million in taxes on income he earned gambling and from other businesses he ran, which the IRS was trying to collect. DiPietro, who was also a Certified Public Accountant, assisted Karasarides in thwarting the IRS’s collection efforts by falsely representing to the IRS, including by preparing tax returns for Karasarides, that Karasarides did not have the assets or income to pay his taxes. Evidence at trial also showed that Karasarides conspired to launder money from his gambling businesses to make it more difficult for the IRS to seize his home by using a straw purchaser to disguise his ownership of it.
Karasarides and DiPietro used the proceeds of their schemes to purchase luxury vehicles and buy and sell property. Karasarides also took several extravagant gambling trips, making millions of dollars of bets at legal casinos throughout the country. They also kept thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash or silver at their homes and other properties they controlled. For instance, law enforcement seized more than $150,000 in cash from Karasarides’ house.
Sentencing for both men is scheduled for May 1 before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent for the Northern District of Ohio. Karasarides faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, five years in prison for tax evasion, five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five years in prison for falsification of records, three years in prison for each count of operating an illegal gambling business, three years in prison for witness tampering and three years in prison for filing false income tax returns.
DiPietro faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, three years in prison for operating an illegal gambling business, five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for each count of preparing false income tax returns.
Pleas
Just prior to the trial, Thomas Helmick, who served as a nominee owner of one of Karasarides’ illegal gambling businesses, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States. Helmick is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent on May 2. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
During the course of the trial, Christopher Karasarides, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by executing false documents and acting as a nominee owner for some of Christos Karasarides’ assets. Christopher Karasarides is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent on April 30. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office; the Ohio Casino Control Commission and Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission-Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sam Bean and Hayter Whitman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Howell for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Two More Men Charged with Hacking Fantasy Sports and Betting WebsiteRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a six-count criminal Complaint charging NATHAN AUSTAD, a/k/a “Snoopy,” and KAMERIN STOKES, a/k/a “TheMFNPlug,” in connection with a scheme to hack user accounts at a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. AUSTAD was arrested today in Farmington, Minnesota, and is expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz in the District of Minnesota. STOKES was arrested today in Memphis, Tennessee, and is expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff in the Western District of Tennessee.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Nathan Austad and Kamerin Stokes were involved a scheme to hack into the accounts of tens of thousands of victims and then to sell access to those stolen accounts online. Our office is relentless in tracking down the perpetrators of cybercrime. Earlier this month, we announced an SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program to encourage early and voluntary self-disclosure of criminal activity. To all cybercriminals: call us before we call you.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Cyberattacks are growing increasingly more sophisticated, targeting all manner of businesses and posing a great risk to economic security. Nathan Austad and Kamerin Stokes were allegedly part of a cyber intrusion that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being stolen from victims’ accounts. As these defendants found out, if you conduct a cyberattack for profit, you can bet the FBI can and will bring you to justice.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about November 18, 2022, AUSTAD, Joseph Garrison, and others launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website. During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies, which can be purchased on the darkweb. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers, in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password. Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, there was a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website accounts using a large list of stolen credentials.
AUSTAD and Garrison successfully accessed approximately 60,000 accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack. In some instances, the individuals who unlawfully accessed the Victim Accounts were able to add a new payment method on the account, deposit $5 into that account through the new payment method to verify that method, and then withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account through the new payment method (i.e., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker), thus stealing the funds in the Victim Account.
Access to the Victim Accounts were sold on various websites that traffic in stolen accounts, which are frequently referred to as “Shops.” AUSTAD and Garrison sold some of the Victim Accounts on shops that they each directly controlled, and AUSTAD’s shop was named after the character Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip. A photo of AUSTAD’s Shop website with victim companies redacted is below:
As to other of the Victim Accounts, AUSTAD and Garrison sold them in bulk to co-conspirators, who in turn sold them on their own Shops. STOKES controlled his own Shop, used the alias “TheMFNPlug,” and purchased Victim Accounts in bulk from Garrison. Garrison and STOKES messaged each other as to what prices STOKES should charge and what Garrison’s cut of the sales should be. Garrison provided STOKES with Victim Accounts with a total listed account value of over $125,000.
Photos from STOKES’s Instagram account advertising the availability of Victim Accounts for purchase on his Shop are below, with the name of the Betting Website redacted:
On or about December 2, 2022, AUSTAD messaged about the existence of this investigation, “everyone 3hould’ve been prepared for this before cashing out lol,” and a co-conspirator replied, “lol fbi can’t do shit.” On or about May 19, 2023, AUSTAD messaged about the existence of this investigation, “like we I know the risk when we started lol . . . everyone knows their committing fraud.”
In order to advertise the success of his Shop that sold stolen accounts, AUSTAD used artificial intelligence image generation tools to create images using the following prompts: “8k hyper-realistic digital art snoopy hacking into 8k hyper-realistic computer with hacker stuff on the screen,” “8k hyper realistic snoopy designed jet but instead of smoke trails it has money trails,” and, “100 bill hyper realistic but instead of the president its snoopy.” AUSTAD also controlled cryptocurrency accounts that received cryptocurrency worth approximately $465,000, and those accounts appear to be proceeds of his credential stuffing attacks and sale of stolen accounts.
Ultimately, AUSTAD, STOKES, Garrison, and others stole approximately $600,000 from approximately 1,600 Victim Accounts.
Garrison was previously arrested in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, and, on November 15, 2023, he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in connection with that attack. Garrison’s sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
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AUSTAD, 19, of Farmington, Minnesota, and STOKES, 21, of Memphis, Tennessee, are each charged with (i) conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (ii) unauthorized access to a protected computer to further intended fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (iii) unauthorized access to a protected computer, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (iv) wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (v) wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (vi) aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Minnesota and the Western District of Tennessee for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Two Albuquerque Men Charged with 2023 Crime SpreeRead 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 that James Adam Metts and Demetrius Antonnie Bailey have been charged in relation to a summer 2023 crime spree. Bailey, 40, of Albuquerque, previously appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with one count of interference with commerce by robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Today, Metts, 45, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with eight counts of interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Bailey and Metts will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for January 29, 2024.
According to the indictment, on July 11, 2023, Metts and Bailey allegedly took tools from Harbor Freight Tools using force, violence and fear of injury. During the incident, Metts pointed a firearm at John Doe 1, an employee of Brosnan Security at Harbor Freight Tools. Additionally, on Sept. 28, 2023, Bailey allegedly possessed a firearm and ammunition, knowing that he had previously been convicted of multiple crimes.
Following the July robbery, Metts allegedly robbed a Metro by T-Mobile of cash and merchandise using force, violence and fear of injury on Aug. 26, a T-Mobile on Sept. 1, another Metro by T-Mobile on Sept. 9, a Verizon on Sept. 12, another T-Mobile on Sept. 14, and a JC Penney and third T-Mobile on Sept. 16. During the Sept. 16 incident at T-Mobile, Metts allegedly brandished a firearm.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Bailey faces up to 20 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Metts faces a minimum of seven years and up to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
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Three More Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Talon Aaron McIntosh, also known as “Trey” and “T,” 28, and Mario Alonzo Pettway III, also known as “Mike,” 23, both of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distribution of a quantity of mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and Ladonna Rae Abner, 49, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl. All three admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 3, 2023, McIntosh sold a half-pound of methamphetamine for $1,000 to a confidential in Huntington. McIntosh admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately 439 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $2,000 in Huntington on September 7, 2023.
On October 3, 2023, Pettway sold approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $200 in Nitro. Pettway admitted to that transaction and to selling a total of approximately 8 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant in St. Albans on three occasions between April 13, 2023, and May 2, 2023. Pettway further admitted to selling approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant in St. Albans on June 26, 2023.
McIntosh and Pettway admitted that they participated in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023. McIntosh and Pettway also admitted that on August 14, 2023, McIntosh arranged for Pettway to distribute approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine and 3.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington.
On October 4, 2023, Abner sold approximately 1 gram of fentanyl for $120 to a confidential informant in Nitro. Abner admitted to that transaction and to selling a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant on October 17, 2023.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested McIntosh, Pettway and Abner. Officers also searched Abner’s residence and two other residences in Nitro. Officers seized approximately 3.5 grams of suspected fentanyl at Abner’s residence. Officers found additional amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl and 11 firearms and ammunition at the second Nitro residence. Pettway admitted to possessing the firearms and to intending to sell the methamphetamine and fentanyl seized at that residence. Officers seized approximately 206 grams of methamphetamine and a Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol and ammunition at the third Nitro residence. McIntosh admitted that he and others used that residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
McIntosh and Pettway are scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2024, and Abner is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
McIntosh, Pettway and Abner are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Three other defendants have pleaded guilty. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Three Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Found with over 400 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the arrest of three individuals for conspiring to distribute over 400 pounds of methamphetamine in Nashville, Tennessee, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
The complaint charges Zachery Manier, 49, Danny Ray Jones, Jr., 48, and Reginald Levon Cooper, 40, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
During the investigation, agents learned that a target Drug Trafficking Organization (“DTO”) was using the U.S. Postal Service to ship drugs to various residences in the Middle District of Tennessee. As part of the investigation, on January 24, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Nashville residence believed to be a stash house for the DTO, where agents recovered over 400 pounds of methamphetamine. Manier, Jones, and Cooper were arrested at the residence.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office with substantial assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Farzad and Mitchell Galloway are prosecuting the case.
A Criminal Complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced charges against two individuals and the guilty plea of a third individual for orchestrating a $1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was charged in an indictment unsealed today for allegedly co-founding HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation. Rodney Burton, 54, of Miami, and Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland, were promotors of HyperFund.
“The defendants are charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $1.89 billion. As alleged in court documents, the defendants falsely represented that investors would receive substantial returns paid from cryptocurrency mining operations, which did not in fact exist,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation, we are committed to uncovering sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets and bringing those who perpetrate them to justice.”
“The level of alleged fraud here is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, or any other financial frauds, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This office and our law enforcement partners will hold perpetrators accountable for these and other fraud schemes.”
According to court documents, from June 2020 to November 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators allegedly offered and sold investment contracts to the public through HyperFund’s online investment platform. HyperFund’s promotional materials allegedly made various false claims, including that investors who purchased HyperFund “memberships” would receive between 0.5% to 1% daily in passive rewards until the company either doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment. To convince investors that HyperFund could make such payments, HyperFund allegedly claimed that its payments would be disbursed in part from its revenues from large-scale crypto mining operations, when in truth, HyperFund did not have such operations. Beginning in at least July 2021, HyperFund allegedly began to block investor withdrawals.
“Today’s charges are a testament to the incredible work of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “I commend our law enforcement partners, including those at HSI Baltimore, for their outstanding collaboration. HSI will continue to protect American investors from financial predators.”
“The illegal activity alleged in this case is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Meisenheimer of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. “These charges send a clear message that we have the tools and internal fortitude to protect our financial systems by diligently investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable those who seek to defraud the American public.”
Lee is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Burton is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. Chunga pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and IRS:CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Spencer Todd for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Individuals Charged in $1.89 Billion Cryptocurrency Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Three individuals are charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland for orchestrating a $1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Sam Lee, age 35, an Australian citizen residing in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly co-founding HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation. The indictment was returned on January 25, 2024, and unsealed today. Co-conspirator Rodney Burton, a/k/a “Bitcoin Rodney,” 54, of Miami, Florida, is charged by criminal complaint for his role as an alleged promoter of HyperFund. Co-conspirator Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to her role in the fraud scheme.
The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) New York; and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Meisenheimer of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“The level of alleged fraud here is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, or any other financial frauds, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This office and our law enforcement partners will hold perpetrators accountable for these and other fraud schemes.”
“The defendants are charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $1.89 billion. As alleged in court documents, the defendants falsely represented that investors would receive substantial returns paid from cryptocurrency mining operations, which did not in fact exist,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation, we are committed to uncovering sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets and bringing those who perpetrate them to justice.”
“Today’s charges are a testament to the incredible work of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “I commend our law enforcement partners, including those at HSI Baltimore, for their outstanding collaboration. HSI will continue to protect American investors from financial predators.”
“The illegal activity alleged in this case is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” said David Meisenheimer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office. “These charges send a clear message that we have the tools and internal fortitude, to protect our financial systems by diligently investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable, those who seek to defraud the American public.”
According to court documents, from June 2020 to November 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators allegedly offered and sold investment contracts to the public through HyperFund’s online investment platform. HyperFund’s promotional materials allegedly made various false claims, including that investors who purchased HyperFund “memberships” would receive between 0.5% to 1% daily in passive rewards until the company either doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment. To convince investors that HyperFund could make such payments, HyperFund allegedly claimed that its payments would be disbursed in part from its revenues from large-scale crypto mining operations, when in truth, HyperFund did not have such operations. Beginning in at least July 2021, HyperFund allegedly began to block investor withdrawals.
If convicted, Lee faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. Burton has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. At a detention hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, Burton was ordered to be detained. If convicted, he also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of those counts.
Brenda Chunga, a/k/a “Bitcoin Beautee,”pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, for her role as a promoter of HyperFund. According to her plea agreement and other court documents, Chunga conducted online investor meetings, including in Maryland, to promote HyperFund’s investment programs and which detailed the purported returns that prospective investors could earn from investing in HyperFund. Chunga admitted that she personally received at least $3 million in fraud proceeds from her participation in the conspiracy. As detailed in her plea agreement, Chunga will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $3 million, but could be significantly higher. Chunga faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
Neither an indictment nor a criminal complaint is a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment or criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Spencer Todd, and Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Tama Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Stabbing His BrotherRead the Press Release
A Tama man who stabbed his brother 10 times was sentenced today to nearly four years in federal prison.
Victor Arquis Garcia, age 26, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 9, 2023, guilty plea to assault causing serious bodily injury.
Evidence at the plea hearing and sentencing showed that in November 2022, Garcia and his brother were drinking at their residence in Tama, Iowa, when the two became intoxicated. A fight broke out between the two and Garcia retrieved a knife from the kitchen. As the two continued to fight, Garcia stabbed his brother ten times resulting in injuries to the brother’s leg, armpit, and stomach. The victim’s injuries required surgery to repair. Garcia has a long criminal history including 14 prior criminal convictions.
Garcia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Garcia was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and the FBI.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-11.
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Stash House Operator Sentenced for Human Smuggling Charges in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A California woman was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 76 months in prison for her role as a stash house operator and facilitator for a human smuggling organization (HSO).
According to court documents Veronica Pech, 57, of Ridgecrest, California, operated several stash houses in Del Rio and facilitated the harboring and transport of undocumented noncitizens. Pech had organized pickups from the brush of many migrants, harbored them at her stash houses, and ultimately arranged for them to be transported into the interior of the U.S. From Jan. 1, 2021, through March 30, 2021, Pech harbored approximately 500 undocumented noncitizens.
As a leader and organizer, Pech was also responsible for the finances of the HSO’s harboring operation in Del Rio, paying the rent of a stash house, paying guides and load drivers, paying for the migrants’ food and drinks, and ensuring funds were appropriated and sent to the organization’s upper leadership.
On March 30, 2021, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Pech and apprehended 35 undocumented migrants she was harboring at her main stash house. She pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. In addition to the imprisonment, Pech was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
Co-defendant Dakota Leon, 31, who operated as a load driver for the HSO, was sentenced in March 2023 to 46 months for conspiracy to transport aliens.
"Pech ran multiple stash houses and played many key roles in the operation of the organization that, in just three months, smuggled more than 500 migrants through Del Rio.” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Special thanks to the U.S. Border Patrol criminal investigators for disrupting and dismantling a major human smuggling organization operating from Del Rio to Comanche."
“Not only did these human smugglers conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws multiple times for their own profit, but they did so by thinking they would get away with their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “Thanks to the outstanding teamwork between HSI and BP, these smugglers will be spending the next several years behind bars.”
“Consequences are necessary to combat transnational criminal organizations,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley for the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector. “I am proud of how our strong law enforcement partnerships made this success possible and brought justice for our community.”
HSI and USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
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Spartanburg Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Marijuana Through Greenville Spartanburg AirportRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Raquentin Kendrick Gray-Miller, 34, of Spartanburg, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on Jan. 25, 2022, Gray-Miller and another man flew into Greenville Spartanburg International Airport with suitcases containing approximately 50 pounds of marijuana. The traffickers loaded the marijuana into a coconspirator’s vehicle and drove into a parking garage beside the terminal. While attempting to transfer some of the marijuana into another vehicle, two men drove up and attempted to rob the traffickers at gunpoint. A gunfight broke out in the parking garage between two of Gray-Miller’s coconspirators and the robbers. Dozens of shots were fired and one of the traffickers was severely injured before the robbers fled in their car.
United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong sentenced Gray-Miller to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the GSP Airport Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty January 26, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Kenneth Dawdy, 39, from Sioux City, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Dawdy admitted his participation in a conspiracy from January 2021 through June 2023 that distributed at least 3500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Dawdy also admitted to being a “middle-man,” assisting others in the conspiracy by acquiring and delivering money and methamphetamine to others.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Dawdy was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Dawdy faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4055.
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Sex Offender Previously Convicted of Child Rape Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A lifetime Level 2 sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Eric Robert Johnson, 50, of Billerica, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 2, 2024. Johnson was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
“Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime because it further victimizes the innocent children who were abused to create these horrific images and drives demand for the creation of more abusive material,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Johnson, a lifetime sex offender previously convicted of child rape, possessed over 5,000 files showing the sexual abuse of children, including infants. He is clearly a danger to our communities, and now faces significant time in federal prison. Our office will continue to relentlessly pursue individuals who harm children.”
“Images of children being sexually abused aren’t just documenting a moment in time. They’re a window into the horrific, ongoing reality for many of these kids. Sex offenders like Eric Robert Johnson who collect this material perpetuate the demand for it, which means more children will be exploited,” said Jodi Cohen Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s imperative for the FBI and our law enforcement partners to intercept such predators when we find them, and we’re grateful Mr. Johnson accepted responsibility today for his criminal conduct.”
Searches of Johnson’s person and residence in February and March of 2022 resulted in the recovery of 25 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic devices. Multiple hard drives were found hidden next to Johnson’s bed as well as in Johnson’s basement ceiling, shelves, cabinets and in an ammunition can located in a crawl space at the residence. At the time of the search, the laptop was running a program to wipe, delete or remove files from an attached hard drive and was approximately 56% complete before being disabled by an on-scene forensic examiner.
A subsequent forensic examination revealed over 5,000 files depicting CSAM on seven of the seized devices, including images and video files depicting the sexual abuse of minor victims as young as infants and toddlers. Further forensic examination determined that 15 of the seized devices were encrypted or had hardware and could not be searched.
Additionally, during the search of Johnson’s residence, at least three mutilated dolls with the vaginal region sliced to make a hole were seized. Two children’s backpacks containing various children’s clothing including bathing suits and a nightgown, were found under his bed, along with a bag of children’s costumes. Additionally, children’s diapers were also observed throughout the residence.
Johnson was previously convicted in 1992 on state charges in New Hampshire of two counts of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault of a Child Under 13 Years of Age. At the time of the searches, Johnson was a Level 1 registered sex offender in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Per the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, Johnson is currently a Level 2 registered sex offender.
The charge of possession of child pornography after a prior conviction for a sex offense provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus, Luke A. Goldworm and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
San Fernando Valley Man Sentenced to 2½ Years in Prison for Selling Used and Counterfeit Medical Devices Used for Skin TreatmentRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Tarzana man was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for running a nearly $6 million scheme in which he knowingly sold used skin-tightening medical devices that were deliberately misbranded as new, as well as counterfeit devices that he claimed were to be used with fat-reducing laser machines.
Kambiz Youabian, 50, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay $5,937,049 in restitution and ordered the forfeiture of $1,685,396 in seized assets.
Youabian pleaded guilty in January 2023 to one count of mail fraud and one count of introducing a misbranded medical device into interstate commerce.
Youabian owned and operated MSY Technologies Inc., a West Los Angeles-based company that did business under the names “Thermagen” and “Global Electronic Supplies” (GES).
From March 2016 to June 2022, Youabian purchased used transducers, which are medical devices used to tighten the skin of dermatology patients by delivering ultrasound energy to a patient’s skin. Used properly, transducers are designed to provide no more than 2,400 treatments. After this number is reached, the devices are considered depleted and should be disposed of in accordance with health code regulations.
Through GES, Youabian purchased depleted transducers for nominal sums, typically $50. Youabian then remanufactured the depleted transducers and added fabricated serial numbers to make the transducers appear to be new.
Then, through his Thermagen company, Youabian fraudulently marketed and sold – for many times more than he paid for them – the remanufactured transducers to health care providers and customers as “new” transducers with 2,400 remaining treatments. To conceal his connection to Thermagen, Youabian used names of fabricated Thermagen employees on correspondences with victim providers and used out-of-state commercial mailboxes for Thermagen’s return of address on shipments, which he sent through the U.S mail.
For example, in February 2020, Youabian, through Thermagen’s website, sold a device falsely advertised as “new” and “containing 2,400 lines” – and with a retail price of $1,695 – to a buyer. Youabian then shipped the device – which contained a fake serial number – from Los Angeles to Florida via the United States Postal Service.
Youabian also shipped counterfeit PAC keys, medical devices used to operate laser machines designed to reduce fat on patients, through the mail.
He then transferred his ill-gotten gains to bank account his controlled, including accounts he opened in the names of MSY Technologies, himself, and his au pair.
In June 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at Youabian’s home and the GES-Thermagen office in West Los Angeles. In the GES-Thermagen office, law enforcement seized 75 transducers in various states of refurbishment, a manufacturing workstation containing tools and transducer parts, and detailed records of GES and Thermagen’s expenses.
Youabian unlawfully sold thousands of medical devices, including transducers and PAC keys, and receiving at least $5,821,474 in fraudulent proceeds that should have been paid to the companies that are the sole U.S. distributors for these devices. Youabian also caused reputational harm to the device manufacturers and distributors of these medical devices.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel G. Boyle of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.
Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sofia Cisneros-Noyola, 39, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2020, a team of local and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Cisneros-Noyola and her co‑defendants Esmerelda Ceja-Mendez, 43, of Ceres; Julian Loeza, 33, of Ceres; and Victor Ramirez, 37, of Atwater. On Dec. 2, 2020, law enforcement agents stopped Cisneros-Noyola while she was en route from Modesto to a location where she had arranged to conduct a narcotics transaction. Agents searched the vehicle and seized 20,000 counterfeit oxycontin M-30 pills weighing more than 2 kilograms from under the front passenger seat.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio J. Pataca, Sam Stefanki, and Audrey Hemesath are prosecuting the case.
Cisneros-Noyola is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on June 24, 2024. Cisneros-Noyola faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million 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.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi‑agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Rock Hill Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Archie Arsenio Caldwell 35, of Rock Hill, was sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. He also plead guilty to distributing crack cocaine and money laundering.
Evidence presented to the court showed that the FBI Columbia Field Office and the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California. Based upon their investigation, the police were able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area. Based upon surveillance and other law enforcement techniques, the police learned that Caldwell was a member of the group and helped other members obtain flights to California to purchase the illegal substances. Caldwell also flew to California to purchase the illegal substances for other members of the group and orchestrated shipping the packages back. After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers.
Later, the group began ordering fentanyl from California which they used to make fentanyl laced pills which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Based upon their investigation, law enforcement could show that this group shipped more than 255 packages from California. Caldwell was held responsible for 37 grams of crack cocaine, six kilograms of methamphetamine, 27 kilograms of cocaine, seven kilograms of fentanyl and eight kilograms of marijuana. Nineteen defendants were charged in this case in South Carolina. Seventeen defendants pled guilty, including Caldwell, to their involvement and three were convicted at trial.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Caldwell to 200 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This law enforcement operation and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Richard Neiss, 52, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also ordered to forfeit his interests in several firearms.
Neiss was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
On June 29, 2022, Neiss was driving a vehicle in Rapid City, when he was stopped by law enforcement. Neiss was the sole occupant. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of six firearms, which Neiss is not allowed to possess due to having a felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Neiss was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Nathan David Hankins, 31, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ten years of Hankins’ federal custody time will run consecutively with previously imposed state and federal custody sentences. Hankins was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hankins was indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He was convicted at a court trial on October 26, 2023.
The conviction stems from Hankins exploiting a 14-year-old female with whom he had a relationship in March of 2014. Hankins was 21 years old at the time.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Hankins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 12 1/2 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. The sentencing took place on January 25, 2024.
Ismael Hernandez, 30, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hernandez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and two counts of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
Starting around July of 2022, and continuing until June 6, 2024, Hernandez traveled to Colorado to obtain fentanyl. He then brought fentanyl back to South Dakota and sold it to other people. Overall, he was responsible for between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl. Also, during this time law enforcement recovered firearms from him on two separate occasions. Hernandez is prohibited from having firearms due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hernandez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 years for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Ike Sowder, 41 was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sowder was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023.
Beginning around June of 2022, Sowder became involved with co-conspirators in obtaining counterfeit fentanyl pills. Co-conspirators brought the fentanyl to western South Dakota and Sowder actively distributed the fentanyl to others for use and distribution. It was reasonably foreseeable to Sowder that between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl would be distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
Sowder was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Donald Shepersky, 68, was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Shepersky will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Shepersky was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 25, 2023.
Shepersky was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to an upload of child pornography to Kik. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on Shepersky’s residence and located multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination of those devices found hundreds of images of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Shepersky was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2024.
Vine Phillip Hayes, age 49, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hayes was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on November 9, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from Hayes’ role in the beating death of a man near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in November of 2021. In the early morning hours of November 28, 2021, Hayes and co-defendants Lance Red Cloud and Michael Red Cloud drove the victim, an adult male, to a remote area outside of Pine Ridge. The defendants pulled the victim out of their vehicle and beat him. They then drove back to Pine Ridge, leaving the victim lying on the ground with severe injuries. The victim subsequently died from his injuries.
Lance Red Cloud pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder, based on his role in the attack, and was sentenced on August 11, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Michael Red Cloud pleaded guilty to Accessory to Second Degree Murder, based on his role in the attack, and was sentenced on December 11, 2023, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
Hayes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Plaquemines Parish Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DWAN RILEY, age 37, and RODERICK PARKER, age 53, both Plaquemines Parish, residents, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. RILEY pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. PARKER pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.
According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents began investigating RILEY, PARKER, and others in October 2019 for narcotics distribution in the metro New Orleans area. The investigation revealed HERBERT RICHARDSON and RAY MARSHALL to be RILEY’s primary sources of supply for counterfeit oxycodone pills, which also contained heroin and fentanyl. On numerous occasions, RICHARDSON and MARSHALL supplied RILEY with 100 to 250 pills containing heroin and fentanyl. Further, MARSHALL regularly supplied RILEY with cocaine as well as supplying PARKER with 25 - 50 heroin and fentanyl pills. RILEY and PARKER would, in turn, distribute the narcotics to their own customers.
RILEY and PARKER each face up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Owner of tax preparation business sentenced to prison for defrauding pandemic relief funding programsRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Georgia woman was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to repay more than half a million dollars she fraudulently obtained from COVID-19 small business relief programs.
Gladys Harun, 44, of Byron, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to lying to a federal investigator, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Harun to pay $552,679 in restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Harun used her knowledge as a tax preparer to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds intended for small businesses struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Such greed-fueled theft from government programs hurts businesses legitimately in need of vital relief efforts.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, Harun was a franchisee of a tax preparation service with multiple locations in Georgia. She admitted to lying to investigators from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General about applications she filed for herself and on behalf of others, including her customers, to obtain more than $550,000 from a California lender through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
“Schemers who stole taxpayer dollars from SBA ‘s Paycheck Protection Program will be brought to justice,” said SBA-OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “This sentence demonstrates that those responsible will be held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”
“This successful effort with our partner agencies is just one example of the Secret Service commitment to aggressively investigate fraud, especially cases that involve government programs designed to help businesses,” said Resident Agent in Charge J. Craig Reno of the U.S. Secret Service Savannah Resident Office. “The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, arrest, and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit fraud in Georgia and across the nation.”
“Harun’s sentencing shows after the expiration of the PPP and EIDL programs more than two years ago, those who fraudulently obtained funds are still being held accountable,” said Maisha Horton, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “There are individuals who believe they’ve gotten away with stealing taxpayers funds through those programs; however, IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners vigorously continue investigating suspects and forwarding our findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for adjudication.”
The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kyle Jay Hunter Baronville (36, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Baronville faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Baronville in Orange County. During the first controlled purchase, Baronville sold the confidential source 357.3 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. During the second purchase, Baronville sold the confidential source 892.5 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
One Iranian and Two Canadian Nationals Indicted in Murder-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – One Iranian and two Canadian nationals have been charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through March 2021, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, and Adam Richard Pearson, 29, conspired with each other in a plot to murder two residents of the state of Maryland. The defendants, one of whom is based in Iran, used an encrypted messaging service called “SkyECC” to recruit individuals who would travel into the United States to carry out the killings, to discuss the identities and locations of the would-be victims, to plan logistics and mechanics of how to carry out the murders, and to negotiate payment for completion of this “job” in Maryland. The intended victims of this plot, who at the time resided in Maryland, had previously fled to the United States after one of them defected from Iran.
Concurrent with today’s indictment, the Treasury Department took action against Zindashti’s criminal network that targets Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for kidnapping and assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime. Pursuant to today’s designations, Zindashti and several of his key associates are prohibited from engaging in any transaction or dealing that involves a U.S. person or occurs in the United States.
“To those in Iran who plot murders on U.S. soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes – and wherever you are – and deliver justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“As alleged, Mr. Zindashti and his team of gunmen, including a Minnesota resident, used an encrypted messaging service to orchestrate an assassination plot against two individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “Thanks to the skilled work of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents, this murder-for-hire conspiracy was disrupted and the defendants will face justice.”
“Today’s charges show a pattern of Iranian groups trying to murder U.S. residents on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Mr. Zindashti and his accomplices’ alleged plot is reprehensible, and the FBI will not tolerate such acts against U.S. residents, and we will continue to pursue these individuals until they are brought to the U.S. to face justice.”
As alleged in the indictment, between December 2020 and January 2021, Zindashti and Ryan communicated about “jobs,” “equipment,” “tools” and plans to “make some money.” In January 2021, they discussed a job in the United States, with Ryan noting that doing a job in the United States was challenging, but that he “might have someone to do it.” That same day he messaged Pearson about a “job” in Maryland. Pearson stated, “shooting is probably easiest thing for them,” and that he was “on it.” Ryan recommended “2 guys go with proper equipment.” Pearson said he would encourage the recruits for the job to “shoot [the victim] in the head a lot [to] make example” and that he would tell them “we gotta erase his head from his torso.”
On or about Jan. 30, 2021, Zindashti messaged Ryan on SkyECC seeking an update on the job. Ryan responded that he was getting “things in order” and that he would need money. A few days later, Zindashti told Ryan that Zindashti’s organization was ready to move forward. Zindashti and Ryan then agreed on a $350,000 payment for the “job,” in addition to $20,000 to cover expenses. After Zindashti introduced Ryan to Co-Conspirator 1, Ryan responded: “We have a 4 man team ready.”
Over the days that followed, Ryan and Co-Conspirator 1 continued to correspond on SkyECC about the plot. Specifically, Co-Conspirator 1 sent Ryan information about the would-be victims, including their photographs and images of a map that highlighted the victims’ known address. In or around March 8, 2021, Co-Conspirator 1 facilitated a $20,000 payment to Ryan for purposes of covering travel expenses associated with the plot.
All three of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Pearson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States.
Zindashti currently resides in Iran. Ryan and Pearson are currently incarcerated in Canada on unrelated offenses.
The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota, Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Zindashti et al. IndictmentOne Iranian and Two Canadian Nationals Indicted in Murder-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
One Iranian and two Canadian nationals have been charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through March 2021, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, and Adam Richard Pearson, 29, conspired with each other in a plot to murder two residents of the state of Maryland. The defendants, one of whom is based in Iran, used an encrypted messaging service called “SkyECC” to recruit individuals who would travel into the United States to carry out the killings, to discuss the identities and locations of the would-be victims, to plan logistics and mechanics of how to carry out the murders, and to negotiate payment for completion of this “job” in Maryland. The intended victims of this plot, who at the time resided in Maryland, had previously fled to the United States after one of them defected from Iran.
Concurrent with today’s indictment, the Treasury Department took action against Zindashti’s criminal network that targets Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for kidnapping and assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime. Pursuant to today’s designations, Zindashti and several of his key associates are prohibited from engaging in any transaction or dealing that involves a U.S. person or occurs in the United States.
“To those in Iran who plot murders on U.S. soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes – and wherever you are – and deliver justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“As alleged, Mr. Zindashti and his team of gunmen, including a Minnesota resident, used an encrypted messaging service to orchestrate an assassination plot against two individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “Thanks to the skilled work of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents, this murder-for-hire conspiracy was disrupted and the defendants will face justice.”
“Today’s charges show a pattern of Iranian groups trying to murder U.S. residents on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Mr. Zindashti and his accomplices’ alleged plot is reprehensible, and the FBI will not tolerate such acts against U.S. residents, and we will continue to pursue these individuals until they are brought to the U.S. to face justice.”
As alleged in the indictment, between December 2020 and January 2021, Zindashti and Ryan communicated about “jobs,” “equipment,” “tools” and plans to “make some money.” In January 2021, they discussed a job in the United States, with Ryan noting that doing a job in the United States was challenging, but that he “might have someone to do it.” That same day he messaged Pearson about a “job” in Maryland. Pearson stated, “shooting is probably easiest thing for them,” and that he was “on it.” Ryan recommended “2 guys go with proper equipment.” Pearson said he would encourage the recruits for the job to “shoot [the victim] in the head a lot [to] make example” and that he would tell them “we gotta erase his head from his torso.”
On or about Jan. 30, 2021, Zindashti messaged Ryan on SkyECC seeking an update on the job. Ryan responded that he was getting “things in order” and that he would need money. A few days later, Zindashti told Ryan that Zindashti’s organization was ready to move forward. Zindashti and Ryan then agreed on a $350,000 payment for the “job,” in addition to $20,000 to cover expenses. After Zindashti introduced Ryan to Co-Conspirator 1, Ryan responded: “We have a 4 man team ready.”
Over the days that followed, Ryan and Co-Conspirator 1 continued to correspond on SkyECC about the plot. Specifically, Co-Conspirator 1 sent Ryan information about the would-be victims, including their photographs and images of a map that highlighted the victims’ known address. In or around March 8, 2021, Co-Conspirator 1 facilitated a $20,000 payment to Ryan for purposes of covering travel expenses associated with the plot.
All three of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Pearson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States.
Zindashti currently resides in Iran. Ryan and Pearson are currently incarcerated in Canada on unrelated offenses.
The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota, Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Zindashti et al. indictmentOmaha Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Possessing Multiple Firearms as a Felon and over a Pound of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert Peck Jr., 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on Thursday, January 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for felon in possession of a firearm and possession of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Peck to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Peck’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In July 2020, the Omaha Police Department received multiple Crime Stoppers tips regarding Peck selling narcotics and possessing firearms despite his felon status. While executing a search warrant of Peck’s apartment in Omaha, law enforcement seized over a pound of marijuana and four firearms. Peck had previously been convicted of a felony for possession of more than a pound of marijuana and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Northridge Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Charge and Admits to Threatening Mass Shooting of SynagoguesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of stalking and admitted to engaging in a 14-month campaign in which he threatened a victim and threatened to shoot synagogues and “exterminate” Jewish people and Asian Americans.
Andre Morrow Lackner, 35, of Northridge, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking.
According to court documents, from June 2021 to October 2022, Lackner sent a series of abusive text messages to the victim. In these messages, Lackner directed a series of anti-Semitic remarks to the victim, including, “Hitler was right about you people,” “I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this earth,” “Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?” and “I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this Earth.”
Lackner also texted the victim multiple racist statements against Asian Americans, including “We need to start more Asian hate and wipe” Asian people “off the planet too.”
The text messages Lackner sent the victim placed her in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury to herself or one of her immediate family members, according to court documents.
Lackner has been in federal custody since December 2022.
“My office will remain steadfast in standing up to hate and working to unite our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We must hold accountable those like this defendant who make vile, anti-Semitic, and racist threats that put victims in fear for their lives. I applaud law enforcement for acting decisively to intervene and protect the victim.”
“The defendant's abhorrent words and actions caused his victim to experience fear of harm and death,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI urges victims of stalking to contact law enforcement to make a report.”
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a June 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Lackner will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
New Underwood Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes, sitting in district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, has sentenced a New Underwood, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Kent Joy, 48, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised. Joy was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Joy will be also required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Joy was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction and Possession of Child Pornography with a Prior Child Pornography Conviction by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 1, 2023.
The conviction stems from Joy, a person previously convicted for a child pornography offense, knowingly receiving child pornography between April 18, 2018, and September 19, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Joy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DARRAN BOYKINS, age 29, pled guilty on January 25, 2024 to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). BOYKINS up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. BOYKINS’s sentencing is set for April 25, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2021, New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an aggravated assault with a firearm at a residence in the Seventh Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. During the investigation, officers discovered ammunition in a dresser in the residence, along with BOYKINS’s Louisiana identification card. BOYKINS had prior felony convictions punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year, that made his ammunition possession illegal. Most recently, BOYKINS was convicted on January 23, 2019, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Castle Resident Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison and Six Years of Supervised Release for Repeat Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, and for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school, while on federal supervised release for a prior cocaine base trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Forrest Gilmore, 28, also ordering Gilmore to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
In pleading guilty in this case, Gilmore admitted responsibility for distributing 450 grams of cocaine and 25 grams of cocaine base/crack between June 2020 and June 2021 in the New Castle area. In a prior case, he previously was convicted and sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine base in the New Castle area. He was released from his prior federal prison sentence to supervised release in April 2020 and, within two months, started trafficking cocaine and cocaine base again in New Castle in violation of his release conditions and the United States Code.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gilmore.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office Collects Nearly $7.5 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that the District of Nevada collected $7,488,459.50 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $6,794,786.25 was collected in criminal actions and $693,673.25 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Nevada worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $196,131.99 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $56,131.99 was collected in criminal actions and $140,000 was collected in civil actions.
“This significant collection amount is a result of the diligent work by Assistant United States Attorneys and personnel in our Financial Litigation Program and Asset Forfeiture Unit,” said United States Attorney Frierson. “Throughout Fiscal Year 2023, we worked with partners to recover full amounts due to the United States and victims of crimes. These recovered funds will be used for direct victim compensation, victim assistance and state victim compensation grants. I thank our Civil Division team for their dedication and hard work in enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed.”
Highlights of the District of Nevada’s Fiscal Year 2023 collection efforts include:
- United States v. Michael Jones – Working jointly, several Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured the partial pre-payment of restitution from Michael Jones in the amount of $3,000,000. This combined effort ensured that payments would be made to the victims of Jones’ white collar fraud scheme which promised to secure small business grants from the government or other charitable organizations.
- United States v. Lance Kellow – Our office collected $273,375.40 from Lance Kellow as a result of targeted collection litigation. Kellow was convicted by a jury of mail, wire and bank fraud, and was ordered to pay over $800,000 to three financial institutions. The United States has collected and paid over $310,000 to the victims of Kellow’s crimes.
- United States v. Melissa Landgraf – Following the Landgraf’s conviction for wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was advised that Landgraf and her husband were in the process of selling their home in a non-public sale. After advising the escrow company of the restitution lien in favor of Landgraf’s victims, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received the net proceeds of sale in the amount of $134,385.84 and was able to distribute it to Landgraf’s embezzlement victim, who was her prior employer.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,313,323 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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Multi-Agency Take Down Results in Illegal Narcotics, Firearm Offenses, and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs, together with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, announced that more than a dozen individuals were charged in federal court in connection with narcotics, firearms, and conspiracy offenses after a targeted violent crime reduction initiative in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas. The indictments are a result of a series of coordinated arrests made following a targeted multi-agency investigation that spanned several months.
In February of 2023, in response to rising violent crime in the Myrtle Beach area, the FBI Columbia Field Office assisted local and state law enforcement agencies in an advanced, intelligence-based, multi-faceted law enforcement operation. The FBI identified communities in Myrtle Beach that were experiencing high levels of gang and narcotics-related violence. The purpose of the operation was to target criminal entities, specifically those engaged in the illegal possession and distribution of narcotics, such as the Rollin’ 90s Crips, G-Shine Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials concentrated resources and personnel in these areas to curb the narcotics trafficking and its related violence.
The joint investigation has led to 13 defendants facing federal charges. Agents seized multiple firearms, ammunition, and various dangerous drugs such as fentanyl.
The following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- Tyrone Louis Harts, Jr., 35, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5oo grams or more of cocaine and less than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Additionally, Harts was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Brandon Javon Sutton, 31, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
- Cedric Lamar Brown, 43, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 4oo grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a quantity of cocaine. Additionally, Brown was charged with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Elizar Edward Marcus, 44, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
- Dorian Derrell Williams, 30, of Conway, and James Jenkins, Jr., 34, of Loris, were charged with conspiring to distribute 4oo grams or more of fentanyl.
- Akeem O’Brien Tisdale-Giles, 33, of Georgetown, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
- Maurice Fleming, 42, of Manning, Edward Pigotte, 45, of Myrtle Beach, and Theron Levon Holmes, 45, of Georgetown, were charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
- Ronald Eric Campbell, 43, of Florence, was charged with conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
- Matthew Tennerrol Brown, 39, of Columbia, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Adam Temple, 39, of Little River, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Police Department, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, Georgetown City Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Conway Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Coastal Carolina University Police Department, 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 15th Circuit DEU, Horry County Fire and Rescue, Charleston Fire Department, Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office, Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The federal cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of Assistant United States Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Ellis.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mobile Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Raheem Morrissette was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Morrissette has four prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. In March 2023, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Morrissette in the Third Precinct during a traffic stop and he had a firearm in his possession. Today United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Morrissette to 57 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender on Monday admitted being caught with child pornography.
David Earl Dey, 38, of Randolph County, Missouri near Moberly, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The investigation began in August of 2022, when the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Dey was in possession of child sexual abuse material that he stored on flash drives. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office also received a tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Dey had uploaded child pornography. Dey is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2008 of first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation and sexual misconduct involving a child.
Dey denied owning flash drives or computers, but a court-approved search of his home found a cell phone and two hidden laptops. The electronic devices contained 102 videos and 764 images containing child pornography, many showing the sexual abuse of toddlers, Dey’s plea agreement says. About 4,000 more files containing “child erotica” were also found.
Dey is scheduled to be sentenced May 1. Both sides have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Sex and Firearm CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mississippi man was sentenced today to 51 month years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in October 2023, Dennis Scott, Jr. pled guilty to traveling from Mississippi to Alabama to engage in commercial sex with a minor and to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. In October 2022, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, the Demopolis Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security were conducting an operation. Scott responded to an online advertisement and began communicating with an undercover agent that Scott believed to be a 14 year old female. When Scott arrived at the meeting location, he was met by local and federal law enforcement. Scott, who was previously convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm, possessed a firearm at the time of his arrest. Today United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Scott to 51 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, and the Demopolis Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mission Man Convicted of Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Louis Andrew Rabbitt, Jr., age 42, of Mission, South Dakota, of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon, and Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex Offender following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 25, 2024.
The charge of Commission of a Crime of Violence while Failing to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in custody and a mandatory minimum of five years consecutive to any sentence for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and/or a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. The charge of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. A $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund applies to each count, totaling $300.
Rabbitt was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and December of 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rabbitt failed to update his sex offender registration after moving from his registered address in July of 2023. Rabbitt had continued to fail to update his sex offender registration when the U.S. Marshals Service arrived to arrest Rabbitt pursuant to an arrest warrant on September 20, 2023. In an effort to avoid arrest, Rabbitt threatened Deputy U.S. Marshals with a baseball bat before being apprehended.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service with the assistance of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Venhuizen and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 22, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for the Theft of the “Ruby Slippers” from the Classic 1939 Film “the Wizard of Oz”Read the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, sentenced Terry Jon Martin, age 76, of Grand Rapids, MN, to time served, one year supervised release and $23,500 Restitution to the Judy Garland Children’s Museum for theft of major artwork, an object of cultural heritage from the care, custody, or control of a museum.
Investigation revealed that in 2005, Martin stole an authentic pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz,” from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The ruby slippers, which were recovered by the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department in July 2018, are widely viewed as among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history.
“It took brains, heart, and courage to bring this case to a successful conclusion, and those are qualities our FBI partners have in spades,” Schneider said. “This result is the product of determined efforts by FBI investigators. They secured the safe return of an iconic piece of Americana and, working together with our career prosecutors, provided a measure of justice in this case.”
“The FBI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, worked diligently to bring this case to a resolution," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Today's sentencing underscores our commitment to safeguarding iconic artifacts. The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to exploit and unlawfully acquire pieces of historical memorabilia."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Art Crime Team, and the Grand Rapids, MN, Police Department, with support from FBI Salt Lake City and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley, District of North Dakota.
This matter was assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 515(a).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota will have no additional comment or statements outside this press release.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Mexican National who was living in Richland, Mississippi, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Ivonne Elena Cortez-Acosta, 51, was first apprehended by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in 2000, when she attempted to smuggle 23.84 kilograms of marijuana in the backseat of her vehicle. As a result, she was booked, placed in removal proceedings, and subsequently removed from the United States and returned to Mexico as a Mexican national.
At some point, Cortez-Acosta reentered the United States without inspection and assumed the name and identity of a United States citizen. After assuming the identity, Cortez-Acosta fraudulently applied for Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC). This document can be used to gain access to critical infrastructure areas or sites. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Transportation Security Administration Office were able to intervein and apprehend Cortez-Acosta prior to her receiving a TWIC card.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge Phil Spampinato of the Transportation Security Administration made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Transportation Security Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Transporting and Storing 60 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Francisco Javier Torres Mora, aka Johnathan Benjamin Torres, 30, a Mexican national residing in McFarland, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 60 pounds of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in April 2021, Torres possessed 60 pounds of methamphetamine at a commercial property that he intended to distribute. Law enforcement officers seized the methamphetamine after wire intercepts indicated that Torres was holding the methamphetamine for Jorge Calderon-Campos, 42, also a Mexican national, who was the target of a wiretap investigation that resulted in the seizure of an additional 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram of heroin. The wiretap investigation also uncovered an illegal cockfighting enterprise involving Calderon-Campos, who is charged in a second indictment with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
Co-defendant Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 28, a Mexican national also residing in McFarland, was involved in the 26-pound methamphetamine transaction, and was sentenced earlier this month to 57 months in prison. An associate of Calderon-Campos, Horacio Ortega-Martinez, 36, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, previously entered a guilty plea to the unlawful possession of gamecocks for an animal fighting venture and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Charges are pending against Calderon-Campos and four other co-defendants The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was the product of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff's Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a false identification document bearing someone else’s social security number was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Diego Nava-Barrios, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cascade, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.
In a plea agreement, Nava-Barrios admitted he knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2016 at a business in Anamosa, Iowa, in September 2016 at a business in Cascade, Iowa, and in December 2016 at a business in Farley, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The number on the Social Security card was a real Social Security number assigned to a United States citizen.
Nava-Barrios was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nava-Barrios was sentenced to 99 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sosa-Jimenez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-03.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Massachusetts Man Arrested for Threatening Local Synagogue; Allegedly Threatened to Kill Members of Jewish Community and Bomb Places of WorshipRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Millis, Mass. man was arrested by federal authorities today for allegedly threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship.
John Reardon, 59, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive. Reardon was arrested this morning and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. Reardon was previously arrested by local law enforcement Jan. 25, 2024 and has remained in custody since.
“The allegations here about the series of threats Mr. Reardon made against the Jewish community are deeply disturbing and reflect the increasing torrent of antisemitism across our country and right here in Massachusetts. The numbers do not lie — incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia are spiking. We will continue to work every day with our federal, state and local partners to track down people who allegedly engage in such hateful conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“John Reardon is accused of using his words as a weapon, leaving a threatening message to frighten members of the Congregation Agudas Achim,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. While the FBI does not and will not police ideology, we take all threats to life seriously, and so should anyone thinking about making one.”
According to the charging documents, on the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, Reardon allegedly called Congregation Agudas Achim, a synagogue in Attleboro, Mass. and left a voicemail making the following statements:
- “You do realize that by supporting genocide that means it’s ok for people to commit genocide against you;”
- “With supporting the killing of innocent little children, that means it’s OK to kill your children;”
- “From the river to the sea;”
- “People are going to use your logic against you, you stupid f**ks;”
- “Guess what? We are going to use your logic —if you can kill the Palestinians, we can kill you;”
- “If you can bomb their f**king places of worship we can bomb yours, if you can kill their children we can kill yours;”
- “You people need to stop the f**king genocide;”
- “End the genocide, or it is time to end Israel and all the Jews;”
- “I supported Jewish people though. Not anymore. A matter of fact I think we should kill you(s) all;” and
- “Have a lousy day and oh don't be surprised if there's pig blood on your steps tomorrow.”
It is further alleged that, within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue as well as a local Jewish affiliated organization. Reardon was arrested by local law enforcement after the calls were made.
The charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Attleboro and Wrentham Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Bristol County District Attorney’s Office; and Bristol County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe and Torey B. Cummings of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Resident Indicted for Multiple Robberies of Georgetown BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 30, a Maryland resident, has been arrested on felony charges after robbing the same business in Georgetown multiple times while using a firearm. McBean is charged in an indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, with four felony counts of violating the Hobbs Act, which prohibits individuals from actual or attempted robbery which affects interstate commerce.
As detailed in the indictment, from November 23, 2023 to January 8, 2024, McBean robbed the Glover Park Market located at 2411 37th Street NW. During this timeframe, McBean robbed the market of over $1000, often using a handgun and ordering the store employee to give him the money from the register.
Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on Friday, January 26, 2024, following his indictment. He made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Monday, January 29, 2024, before the Honorable Judge G. Michael Harvey. A detention hearing is currently set for Thursday, February 1, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Lipes and Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
Manderson Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2024.
Sequoyah Mark West, Jr., 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
West was indicted for Second Degree Murder by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge of Voluntary Manslaughter on November 17, 2023. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The conviction stems from West killing a man by beating and asphyxiation in April of 2023, at Manderson.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
West was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 30 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Maine man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord in connection to trafficking approximately14 kilograms (30 pounds) of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Brian Strout, 46, of Turner, Maine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely methamphetamine. Chief Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. The defendant and his co-defendant spouse, Tara Christian, were charged by indictment on August 1, 2022. Christian pleaded guilty to similar charges on December 7, 2023.
On July 7, 2022, investigators received information that Strout and Christian were obtaining a supply of methamphetamine while at a casino in Everett, Massachusetts. Investigators conducted surveillance at the casino and located Strout and Christian loading bags into their vehicle and driving north toward New Hampshire on Interstate 93. When investigators stopped the vehicle, the defendants were found with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that a FedEx package containing even more methamphetamine was enroute to the defendants in Maine. Agents located and searched the package and seized an additional 11.2 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
The charging statute provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police, and Everett (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a Murder in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced MS-13 member Kevin Alexander Castillo Calderon, a/k/a “Fantasma,” “Ghost,” “Eterno,” and “Josue Argueta Gonzalez,” age 25, of Adelphi, Maryland, to 26 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, including a murder, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, operate throughout the United States, including in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Castillo Calderon and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Weedams Locos Salvatruchs (“WLS”) clique of MS-13.
Members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, at all times, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in court documents, on August 8, 2020, WLS members, including Castillo Calderon, WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres and Franklyn Sanchez, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Castillo Calderon, Torres, Sanchez and other WLS members agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. Castillo Calderon then picked up a large rock and dropped it on Victim 4’s head. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, other WLS members were called and ordered to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. In addition, at Torres’ direction, Castillo Calderon took the guns used to shoot Victim 4 and Victim 4’s cell phone, put them in a bag he was carrying and disposed of the evidence. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
Castillo Calderon was also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while flashing firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Brayan Alexander Torres a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, and Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Freddy,” “Magic,” “Miclo,” and “Delinquente,” age 26, both of Adelphi, Maryland, were each previously sentenced to 28 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
These cases are also Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron and Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri commended the FBI, HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, including murder, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
According to court documents, Kevin Alexander Castillo Calderon, also known as Fantasma, Ghost, Eterno, and Josue Argueta Gonzalez, 25, of Adelphi, and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS) clique of MS-13. MS-13 is one of the largest street gangs in the United States and is composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other Central American countries.
Members of MS-13 are expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, at all times, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
On Aug. 8, 2020, WLS members, including Castillo Calderon and co-defendants WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres, 30, of Adelphi, and Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, 26, also of Adelphi, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Castillo Calderon, Torres, Sanchez, and other WLS members agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then other WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. Once in the stream, Castillo Calderon picked up a large rock and dropped it on Victim 4’s head. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, other WLS members were called and ordered to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. In addition, at Torres’ direction, Castillo Calderon took the guns used to shoot Victim 4 and Victim 4’s cell phone, put them in a bag he was carrying, and disposed of the evidence. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
Castillo Calderon was also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of physical violence by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while displaying firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Castillo Calderon pleaded guilty in August 2023 to RICO conspiracy.
Torres and Sanchez were each previously sentenced to 28 years in prison upon their prior guilty pleas. The court also ordered each to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department investigated the case, with substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Montgomery County Police Department.
Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. Call the FBI tipline at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or the HSI tipline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.