Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 8 December 2023
Sapulpa Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Sapulpa man was sentenced today for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced John Warner Hamilton, Jr, 48, citizen of the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, to 180 months of imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. Upon his release, Hamilton will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Hamilton secretly recording an unclothed minor child on his cellphone. He further admitted to setting up a camera to record from another room and the videos were saved to his device for later viewing.
Hamilton will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Saint James Parish Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On December 7, 2023, United States District Judge Carl Barbier sentenced CRANDALL WASHINGTON to 168 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of the indictment pending against him for both conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Specifically, WASHINGTON was indicted on November 4, 2021 for possessing with intent to distribute 909 grams of crystal methamphetamine. According to court documents, WASHINGTON was stopped in his vehicle by law enforcement with three different bags of crystal methamphetamine, weighing approximately two (2) pounds. Following completion of his prison sentence, WASHINGTON also faces five (5) years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Round Rock Fraudster Sentenced for Stealing More Than $600,000 in Cryptocurrency Through SIM Swapping SchemeRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Round Rock man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 24 months in
prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.According to court documents, from August 2019 to February 2021, Daniel Akira Mills, 22,
participated in a criminal wire fraud conspiracy that employed SIM swaps to defraud victims of
hundreds of thousands of dollars in property. Participants in the scheme gained unauthorized access
to online accounts of victims through a cyber intrusion technique referred to as “SIM swapping.”
During a SIM swap attack, cyber threat actors gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number by
linking that number to a subscriber identity module (SIM) card controlled by the threat actors,
resulting in the victim’s calls and messages being routed to a device controlled by the threat actors.
The threat actors then use control of the victim’s mobile phone number to obtain unauthorized access
to accounts held by the victim that are registered to the mobile phone number. Among other things,
scheme participants posted unauthorized messages on their victims’ social media accounts and
posted private photographs stolen from the accounts of celebrities. They also stole more than
$600,000 in cryptocurrency from dozens of victims nationwide.In addition to imposing a prison sentence, the court ordered Mills to pay more than $530,000 in
restitution to the victims.“We now run much of our lives through smartphones. From social media to managing our finances,
they have become essential tools. This can be very helpful, but also comes with many risks,” said
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “By ‘SIM swapping,’ or stealing
the phone numbers of victims to assume their identities, Mills and his cohorts defrauded innocent
members of society and caused great harm. My office will not hesitate to hold fraudsters like Mills
accountable for their irresponsible destructive actions.”The U.S. Secret Service and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office’s REACT Task Force
investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted the case.
###
Romance Scammer Convicted at Trial of Money Laundering, Wire Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
An Aubrey woman was convicted at trial Thursday of defrauding elderly victims in romance schemes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
After 7 days of trial and 10 hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Ijeoma Okoro, 33, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“I am so proud of the federal agents and our office’s prosecutors in this case, who worked diligently to hold the defendants accountable for conspiring to defraud these innocent victims of money and then conspiring to launder that money,” said U.S. Attorney Simonton. “Such schemes are especially despicable because the perpetrators prey on the emotions of the people they are victimizing. Our U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively seek to bring such criminals to justice.”
“Ms. Okoro and her coconspirators stole money from retirement accounts, pensions and other sources as part of several romance scams,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “These individuals preyed on unsuspecting women and men, gaining their trust and confidence, in order to ultimately empty their bank accounts. This verdict should send a clear message to those who would consider conducting or participating in these types of fraudulent financial schemes.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the fraudsters assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com and Zoosk, searching for targets.
Once the fraudsters had ingratiated themselves to their often divorced or widowed victims with promises of long-term commitment, the fraudsters concocted elaborate stories about why they needed financial assistance. A common story was that the fraudster had to travel overseas for work and was unable to access a bank account. To solve a work-related crisis or pay for urgent medical treatment for a family member, the fraudster asked the victims to send money to cover the expenses, promising to repay them in the near future. The trusting victims sent thousands of dollars to bank accounts opened by the defendant and her coconspirators in the Northern District of Texas. The defendant then distributed the fraudulent proceeds to coconspirators and claimed a cut for herself.
The defendant now faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison on the money laundering conspiracy count, and an order to repay the victims the losses that she and her coconspirators caused the victims.
IRS – Criminal Investigation led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Frisco Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Walters, Jenna Rudoff and Elyse Lyons prosecuted the case.
Rienzi Man Sentenced in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Rienzi man was sentenced today to twelve and a half years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, William Leonard, 40, of Rienzi, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Leonard was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen Davidson to 151 months for the conspiracy as a career offender. He was further sentenced to 3 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Leonard was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from Texas and distributing it throughout the Northern District of Mississippi. Leonard participated in the conspiracy by making multiple purchases of methamphetamine from the head of the drug trafficking organization for distribution throughout North Mississippi. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned more than one year. Leonard was indicted along with sixteen (16) other individuals.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Hampton and Feleica L. Wilson prosecuted the case.
Portsmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man pleaded guilty yesterday to illegal possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2022, Portsmouth Police Department received a 911 call about two men with firearms. In response, officers were dispatched to a BP gas station located on George Washington Highway in Portsmouth, Virginia. When officers arrived on scene, two men immediately fled on foot. Officers observed Brian Levarr Perry, Jr., 24, seated in a van and another man standing near the van. The other man fled on foot. Officers arrested Perry and conducted a pat down of Perry’s person. During the pat down, the officers found a Glock Model 33 firearm in the defendant’s waistband. The Glock firearm had an auto sear attached to it.
Perry is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Montoya is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-22.
People’s Republic of China Citizens Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Saipan, MP – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Chun Yang and Yurong Wang, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were sentenced by the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiracy to Possess Over 50 grams of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1).
CHUN YANG (age 46) - Sentenced to 70 months incarceration, five years of supervised release following release, 100 hours of community service in lieu of a fine, and a $100 special assessment fee. Yang was also ordered to report to U.S. immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison.
YURONG WANG (age 50) - Sentenced to 46 months incarceration, five years of supervised release following release, 100 hours of community service in lieu of a fine, and a $100 special assessment fee. Wang was also ordered to report to U.S. immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison.
On June 21, 2022, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Customs and Biosecurity Agents discovered 1,809.80 grams of methamphetamine inside of a mail parcel during a routine inspection at the U.S. Post Office on the island of Saipan. The parcel was mailed from California. Upon discovery of the methamphetamine, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joined the investigation. On June 22, 2022, DEA and the CNMI Department of Public Safety (DPS) Drug Enforcement Task Force (DETF) conducted surveillance while the parcel was claimed from the post office, transported after exchanges between multiple persons and vehicles, and ultimately delivered to Wang. After receiving the package, Wang brought it to an apartment where she met Yang and Xing Rui Gao (also a PRC citizen). The three individuals intended to distribute the drugs on Saipan. They were promptly arrested after opening the package.
Gao was charged separately and pled guilty on October 4, 2023. Sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2024. None of the defendants had lawful immigration status at the time of the offense.
“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of partnerships among Commonwealth and federal law enforcement,” stated United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson. “A substantial amount of methamphetamine was kept out of our communities. I applaud the efforts of all involved in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“Operation Cloudy Day” was 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.
This investigation was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration with cooperation from the CNMI Customs and Biosecurity Agency, the CNMI DETF, and prosecuted by Albert S. Flores, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Parents Sentenced to a Combined 90 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing and Exploiting their 18-Month-Old BabyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Tristan Mullins, 27, and Desley McLemore, 27, of Indianapolis have been sentenced to decades in federal prison for their roles in sexually exploiting and assaulting their approximately 18-month-old child.
According to court documents, McLemore and Mullins were the parents of an infant. From at least 2019 through January 2022, Mullins and McLemore were in an on-again, off-again dating relationship. In June of 2020, McLemore gave birth to a child. The baby primarily lived with McLemore; however, Mullins had periodic visits with the baby, both at his residence and at McLemore’s.
Beginning in December 2021, during times when each defendant had physical custody of the baby, McLemore and Mullins sexually abused the baby and produced more than 98 videos and images depicting sexually explicit conduct.
On January 18, 2022, IMPD officers received a tip from Google alerting them to McLemore and Mullins’ uploads of files depicting their sexual abuse and exploitation of their child. Both parents were immediately located and arrested by law enforcement officers.
Mullins and McLemore admitted their conduct, and Mullins admitted to sharing the child sexual abuse material with others via Kik, Facebook, Snapchat and on adult pornography websites. Mullins wrote extremely graphic and crude captions and commentary for the videos he sent to others.
Both Mullins and McLemore pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, by a Parent or Guardian, and Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
Tristan Mullins was sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. Desley McLemore was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment followed by supervised release for life.
“Babies are precious and vulnerable, and most parents have an instinctual desire to protect them from harm. Tristan Mullins and Desley McLemore’s instead chose to exploit their baby in the most cruel and unimageable ways before she was even old enough to walk or speak,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The people responsible for these monstrous crimes will now spend decades in federal prison where they cannot exploit another child. Our community is safer thanks to the dedication and talents of our ICAC task force, law enforcement partners, and federal prosecutors, who responded immediately to stop the abuse and save this child.”
“The pursuit of those who choose to victimize children is some of the most important work we are doing as an agency,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Adams, of the U. S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service is a proud member of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and want to thank the FBI and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for their partnership in this investigation.”
“The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force remains vigilant and dedicated to protecting society’s most vulnerable victims, our children. Parents and caretakers who violate the sanctity of trust by failing to protect their children and sexually exploiting them for their benefit will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted,” said Christopher Cecil, Commander of the Indiana ICAC.
The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, IMPD, and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered Mullins to pay $30,500 to the victim and others, and McLemore to pay $20,000 in restitution to the child.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston and former Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
###
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ryan Keith Kincaid, 46, of South Charleston, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Kincaid admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2023, Kincaid conspired with other individuals to distribute quantities of cocaine in the Charleston area. During a search of Kincaid’s apartment, approximately 11 ounces of cocaine, used drug packaging consistent with approximately 26 kilograms of cocaine, a loaded pistol, and over $400,000 in cash were seized. Kincaid was ultimately responsible for trafficking 112 kilograms of cocaine which would have earned him over 3 million dollars.
Kincaid is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Kincaid and 24 other defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. 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.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is 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. 2:23-cr-31.
###
Oneida Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances and the Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 7, 2023, Gerald B. Diamond II (age: 26), a former resident of Green Bay and an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, received a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison following convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and prohibited possession of a firearm. Diamond previously pled guilty to these offenses on August 21, 2023.
According to court documents, law enforcement stopped the defendant on March 6, 2023, while he was driving a vehicle east of Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Diamond was arrested on an outstanding warrant related to previous probation violations. A search of the vehicle revealed over two pounds of marijuana, 14.23 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl, 6.69 grams of fentanyl, 2.1 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, other controlled substances, numerous items of paraphernalia consistent with the use and sale of drugs, .22 caliber ammunition, and a Ruger .22 caliber revolver. Additionally, $566 in U.S. Currency was recovered from the vehicle. The other occupants of the vehicle stated that Diamond was traveling to a nearby mobile home court to supply drugs to a known drug dealer. Diamond later admitted the drugs, cash, firearm, and paraphernalia belonged to him. At the time, Diamond was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions in Brown and Sawyer County Circuit Courts.
Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Diamond to concurrent 12-year sentences on each count and imposed a three-year term of supervised release to be served upon his release from prison. In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime, the need to deter those who might consider similar actions and the need to protect the community from the destructive effects of abuse of controlled substances.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted. The Sawyer County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin State Crime Lab provided valuable assistance.
###
For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer
Kenneth B. Gales at 414 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation for Damaging Pregnancy CenterRead the Press Release
An Ohio woman pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 15, Whitney M. Durant, aka Soren Monroe, 20, of Worthington, intentionally damaged the property of HerChoice, a pregnancy center located in Bowling Green, Ohio, by defacing the clinic’s building, spray painting the words, “LIARS,” “Fund Abortion,” “Abort God,” and “Jane’s Revenge.” Durant was a Bowling Green State University student at the time of the incident.
“Defacing facilities that provide reproductive health services will not be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the FACE Act to protect all patients who seek reproductive health services and all persons and facilities that provide such services.”
“As reflected by today’s guilty plea, the United States will enforce federal laws that protect uninterrupted access to all clinics providing reproductive health services, whether they provide women with options that include abortion care or whether they solely encourage women to consider non-abortion alternatives,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Here, the vandalized clinic did not provide abortion care, but that did not give the defendant license to deface the clinic’s property in protest, violating federal law in the process.”
“The First Amendment provides a constitutional right to peacefully protest, but Ms. Durant’s actions of defacing a reproductive health care center crossed a line,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate FACE Act violations and protect every American’s access to reproductive health care services.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for April 9, 2024. Durant faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison for the misdemeanor charge. A federal Magistrate Judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office, Toledo Resident Agency and Bowling Green Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges and Wood County Prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation for Damaging Pregnancy CenterRead the Press Release
An Ohio woman pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 15, Whitney M. Durant, aka Soren Monroe, 20, of Worthington, intentionally damaged the property of HerChoice, a pregnancy center located in Bowling Green, Ohio, by defacing the clinic’s building, spray painting the words, “LIARS,” “Fund Abortion,” “Abort God,” and “Jane’s Revenge.” Durant was a Bowling Green State University student at the time of the incident.
“Defacing facilities that provide reproductive health services will not be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the FACE Act to protect all patients who seek reproductive health services and all persons and facilities that provide such services.”
“As reflected by today’s guilty plea, the United States will enforce federal laws that protect uninterrupted access to all clinics providing reproductive health services, whether they provide women with options that include abortion care or whether they solely encourage women to consider non-abortion alternatives,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Here, the vandalized clinic did not provide abortion care, but that did not give the defendant license to deface the clinic’s property in protest, violating federal law in the process.”
“The First Amendment provides a constitutional right to peacefully protest, but Ms. Durant’s actions of defacing a reproductive health care center crossed a line,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate FACE Act violations and protect every American’s access to reproductive health care services.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for April 9, 2024. Durant faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison for the misdemeanor charge. A federal Magistrate Judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office, Toledo Resident Agency and Bowling Green Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges and Wood County Prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov.
For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department ’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Notice to Victims in United States v. Charles Edwards, Sonal Patel, and Murali VenkataRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Edwards and Murali Venkata are charged in United States District Court for the District of Columbia case number 20-cr-66 and Sonal Patel is charged in case number 19-cr-81. Charles Edwards, Sonal Patel, and Murali Venkata, who were then employed at the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, engaged in an unlawful scheme to convert government property for private gain between October 2014 and April 2017. They stole valuable code and databases belonging to the government. Their plan was to use the stolen property to develop a commercial software product, which they intended to sell back to the government at a profit. They hired a software development company in India to build the purported commercial product. To facilitate the Indian developers’ work, they gave the developers access to vast amounts of sensitive information contained within the stolen databases, including law-enforcement records, information regarding witnesses and confidential informants, and the Personally Identifying Information (“PII”) of hundreds of thousands of government employees. Upon learning that he was under investigation, Venkata deleted incriminating text messages, call records, and emails in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
Sonal Patel and Charles Edwards both pled guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government. On April 4, 2019, Sonal Patel pled guilty pre-indictment to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. On March 5, 2020, a grand jury returned Indictment charging defendants Charles Edwards and Murali Venkata with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (count one); theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2 (count two); wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 & 2 (counts three through eleven); and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A & 2 (counts twelve through fifteen). The Indictment also charged Venkata with destruction of records, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519 (count sixteen). On January 14, 2022, Charles Edwards pled guilty to count one and count two. Murali Venkata decided to go to trial, which began on March 28, 2022. On April 11, 2022, the jury returned a verdict finding Venkata guilty of all counts on which they deliberated: Counts one, two, eleven, thirteen, and sixteen. The Court subsequently dismissed counts twelve through fifteen.
Sentencing dates have now been scheduled for all three defendants. The sentencing for Murali Venkata is currently scheduled for January 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The sentencing for Charles Edwards is currently scheduled for January 12, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EST. The sentencing for Sonal Patel is currently scheduled for January 26, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EST. All of the sentencings will be held before Judge Randolph D. Moss in Courtroom 8 of the U.S. District Courthouse. The courthouse address is 333 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20001.
If you believe you were a victim of Edwards, Patel, and Venkata’s unauthorized disclosure of PII, please find more information here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/us-v-edwardspatelvenkata.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cars Stolen from Norfolk Southern RailyardRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MATHEW MAYE, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 7, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to two counts of possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, MAYE and others stole a 2023 Ford F-150 and 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks, from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. The cars were moving as part of an interstate shipment of freight and destined for Ford dealerships in Louisiana and Mississippi when MAYE and his accomplices stole them. During the following week, MAYE was seen on surveillance video driving the stolen F-150 and riding as a passenger in the stolen Bronco Sport.
As to each count of possessing the stolen cars, MAYE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Federal Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHRIS ROBERTSON, JR., age 24, of New Orleans, was indicted on December 1, 2023, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to the indictment, ROBERTSON, JR. has previous convictions for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number and attempted illegal carrying of weapons while in possession of a controlled substance.
If convicted, ROBERTSON, JR. faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Braunfels Man Indicted for Alleged Role in Multimillion-Dollar Firearm Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned a superseding indictment charging a New Braunfels man with eight counts related to the smuggling of firearm parts into Mexico and a conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Chandler Britain Bradford, 34, allegedly engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally provide thousands of semi-automatic rifles to a Mexican citizen who resided in the Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico area. Bradford is alleged to have supplied enough firearm parts to arm the recipient with approximately 4,800 semi-automatic rifles, despite not having a license to export firearm parts from the United States to Mexico. Court documents allege that Bradford provided his co-conspirator with the parts, tools, and counsel needed to facilitate a full firearm manufacturing enterprise in northern Mexico, and that Bradford received more than $3.5 million from his co-conspirator.
Bradford is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms; one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony; four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case with assistance from the Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Missoula woman admits felony for stealing U.S. Forest Service truckRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula woman accused of stealing a $40,000 pickup truck from the U.S. Forest Service admitted to a theft crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kasey Nichol Hugs, 39, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Hugs faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for April 10, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hugs was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Dec. 26, 2020, a white Dodge Ram 2500 crew cab pickup truck, valued at approximately $40,000, was stolen from the Missoula Forest Service Fire Sciences Laboratory. Surveillance footage showed a female, later determined to be Hugs, walking among the parked vehicles attempting to gain access to them. Hugs eventually opened the driver door of the Dodge and drove it off the lot. On Jan. 19, 2021, the truck was located on the side of Highway 200 in Lincoln. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found documents bearing the name, Kasey Hugs, a gray backpack that Hugs appeared to be wearing the night she stole the truck and several receipts from Missoula businesses. Surveillance video on the dates and times listed on the receipts depicted Hugs at those businesses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Forest Service and Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation.
XXX
Man Indicted for Trafficking Methamphetamine, FentanylRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Charles Lee Dickerson on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams of Actual Methamphetamine and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams of Fentanyl.
According to court documents, On November 20, 2023, Kalispel Tribal Police (KTP) Officers received a call from the Tribal Gaming Authority team monitoring surveillance cameras at Northern Quest Resort and Casino. The Tribal Gaming Authority team reported security camera video showing an alleged drug transaction between two people in two vehicles in the Casino Parking lot.
KTP Officers reviewed the video and observed a man, later identified as Charles Lee Dickerson, smoking off a foil while seated in the driver seat of a red Jeep Trackhawk. Officers also saw what appeared to be a hand-to-hand exchange between Dickerson and another man in the parking lot.
KTP Officers detained and read Dickerson his Miranda warnings which Dickerson confirmed he understood. Officers then asked for consent to search him for an ID and search a satchel he was wearing at the time of the stop. Officers found approximately 12 grams of cocaine. Dickerson also had 136 “skittles” (multi-colored pills suspected to contain fentanyl) in his pants pocket. Officers also found $18,000 in U.S. Currency in the satchel.
During questioning at the Spokane DEA District Office, Dickerson stated a man had given him a quantity of meth and 10,000 pills from Mexico and that it would be found in the Jeep Trackhawk. Agents searched the vehicle and found one pound of meth, thousands of multi-color pills believed to contain fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine.
“Illegal drugs and fentanyl have become a scourge across the United States and especially in Native Communities. My office is committed to aggressively stopping, and bringing to justice, those who peddle this deadly poison in Indian country”, stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for our Tribal and law enforcement partners who work together to protect our communities and make them safer and stronger.”
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Convicted of Firearms Trafficking SentencedRead the Press Release
Fort Worth man who trafficked firearms from Texas to California to convicted felons was sentenced today to 9 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Justin Douangmala, 41, was charged via criminal complaint in July and pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to traffick in firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 933(a)(3). He was sentenced today to 9 years in federal prison.
Mr. Douangmala is among the first defendants in the Northern District of Texas to plead guilty to an offense outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed into law by President Biden in June 2022.
According to court documents, during a search warrant at Mr. Douangmala’s residence several firearms and drugs were located in his Fort Worth residence. Cell phone conversations further revealed Mr. Douangmala and others discussing silencers and firearms. In one of those messages, an individual asked Mr. Douangmala to send him pictures of firearms he had access to (as seen in the image below). Mr. Douangmala admitted to sending multiple firearms from Texas to California to a convicted felon. At the sentencing hearing, it was shown that Mr. Douangmala was also receiving large quantities of drugs from this individual in California that he was trafficking the firearms to in exchange.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the case.
Madison Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Illegal Gun Possession & Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Messiah A. Fleming, 21, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 48 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Fleming pleaded guilty to these charges on September 1, 2023.
In October and November 2022, Fleming was intercepted over a wiretap speaking with a drug trafficker in Madison who was selling fentanyl pills which were designed to appear like commercially manufactured oxycodone pills. Fleming was often ordering hundreds of fentanyl pills at a time and believed to be distributing them in the Madison area.
On November 24, 2022, a Madison Police Department officer observed a vehicle parked at a grocery store in Madison shortly after midnight with non-matching registration plates. The officer made contact with the driver, Fleming. The officer could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed a large quantity of cash at Fleming’s feet. When asked to see paperwork for the vehicle, Fleming stepped out of the car and shut the door. When the officer attempted to detain Fleming over a fear he would run, Fleming physically resisted and ordered his brother, who was also in the car, to grab a bag and the keys and leave. His brother did so while Fleming struggled with the officers.
Once Fleming was detained, officers searched his car and found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and bullet in the chamber, in the glove box. Officers also found multiple unlabeled pill bottles containing the fentanyl pills and labeled as oxycodone, additional handgun magazines, and over $6,000 in cash. A forensic analyst later determined that Fleming’s DNA was on the Glock handgun.
At the time of these incidents, Fleming was on probation for a state case involving possession of a machine gun and possession of narcotic drugs. His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to one year in state prison.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that Fleming received a significant break in his last case by receiving probation and immediately engaged in similar conduct resulting in the current federal case. He added that Fleming was dealing with a dangerous drug, fentanyl, as well as a dangerous weapon, a handgun with an extended magazine, and the sentence imposed was meant to protect the public from his conduct.
The charges against Fleming were the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Madison Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Kentucky Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Forgery of Federal Judge's SignatureRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On December 8, 2023, Sunshine Ann Miller, 44, currently of Whitley City, Kentucky, was sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Honorable Katheryn A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Miller agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging her with forging the signature of a United States District Judge in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 505. Following her imprisonment, she will be on supervised release for two years.
According to court filed documents, in August 2019, Miller sought to extort money from an elderly, bedridden resident of Scott County, Tennessee. While serving as the victim’s caregiver, Miller provided him with a counterfeit federal warrant, upon which she had forged the signature of Pamela L. Reeves. Prior to her passing on September 10, 2020, Reeves had been a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Miller’s conviction was the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, U.S. Secret Service, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was led by Secret Service Task Force Officer Jonathan Scott.
Assistant United States Attorney Frank M. Dale, Jr. represented the United States.
###
Jury Convicts Denver Man of Fentanyl, Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Denver, Colorado, man has been convicted at trial for transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine through Kansas City, Mo., aboard a bus and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Ahmad Rashad Rhodes, 44, was found guilty on Thursday, Dec. 7, of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Officers with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station on March 20, 2023, when Rhodes arrived on a bus that originated in Los Angeles, California. As passengers disembarked, a police drug-sniffing dog alerted to the scent of illegal drugs in a suitcase in the undercarriage of the bus as well as a backpack in the passenger compartment of the bus. Officers determined both items belonged to Rhodes and contacted him.
After a brief struggle, Rhodes was taken into custody when he admitted to officers he had a gun in the crossbody bag he was wearing. Officers searched Rhodes and found a key chain in his coat with two metal pill holders attached; one pill holder contained 61 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl and the other contained 33 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl.
In the crossbody bag Rhodes was wearing, officers discovered 3,200 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl, a clear plastic baggie that contained 60 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .38-caliber pistol. Officers searched the rest of Rhodes’s luggage and found a digital scale, over 100 unused small, plastic baggies and marijuana.
Rhodes was taken into custody when he admitted to officers that he had a gun inside the fanny pack he was wearing. Officers searched Rhodes and found a key chain in his coat with two metal pill holders attached; one pill holder contained 61 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl and the other contained 33 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl.
Rhodes told officers he was enroute to Louisville, Kentucky, and was fleeing from Colorado due to a pending drug-trafficking case in which he was set to be sentenced.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Rhodes has eight prior felony convictions related to the use or trafficking of illegal drugs, including two convictions in Colorado for which he pled guilty and then failed to appear for sentencing, and a prior felony conviction for illegally possessing a firearm.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, ending a trial that began Wednesday, Dec. 6.
Under federal statutes, Rhodes is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on April 11, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. Baker and Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jefferson County Felon Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Jefferson County man was sentenced yesterday to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Timothy Lewis, 53, was found guilty by a federal jury on March 13, 2023, for being a felon in possession of firearm. He was sentenced yesterday to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to evidence presented at trial, on June 25, 2018, Lewis illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P 40 PRO Series, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. Lewis had previously been convicted of the following felonies.
On January 31, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court under case number 16-CR-2203, Lewis was convicted of burglary in the third degree, receiving stolen property under $10,000, theft by unlawful taking over $500, and tampering with physical evidence.
On July 29, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court under case number 14-CR-1604, Lewis was convicted of complicity to burglary in the second degree.
On September 7, 2012, in Jefferson Circuit Court under case number 12-CR-0775, Lewis was convicted of complicity to receiving stolen property under $10,000 and theft by unlawful taking (two counts).
On October 19, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court under case number 06-CR-3183, Lewis was convicted of receiving goods by fraud, burglary in the second degree (three counts), theft by unlawful taking over $300 (twelve counts), theft by unlawful taking over $300 – auto (two counts), receiving stolen property over $300 (three counts), receiving stolen property over $300 - vehicle, criminal possession of forged instrument in the second degree, fraudulent use of a credit card (three counts), tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Julie Mason.
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.
xxx
Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Chase Higgins, 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year in prison to run consecutively to his current prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 21, 2023, Higgins told an FCI Beckley staff member during a search of his person that he had a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his pants. The staff member found the shank in a leg of Higgins’ pants. The shank was a piece of plastic about six inches long, with one end sharpened to a point. Higgins admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-71.
###
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Dec. 5 was:
Daniel Mark Miller, 60, of Tucson, Arizona, on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Miller faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Miller was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Service and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-128.
Jamicca Yvonne West, aka Charlie, 24, of Tacoma, Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. If convicted of the most serious crime, West faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug charges and a mandatory five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. West was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-92.
Cole Two Moons, 24, of Lame Deer, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and strangulation. If convicted of the most serious crime, Two Moons faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Two Moons was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-126.
Appearing on a criminal complaint was:
Brent Michael Waller, 42, of Joliet, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Waller faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Waller was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Carbon County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-160.
Paul Franklin, 41, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Franklin faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Franklin was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-157.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Houston Man Charged with Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JIAQIN YE, age 28, a resident of Houston, Texas, was indicted on December 7, 2023, for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) related to a government imposter scam.
According to the charging documents, YE traveled from Houston, Texas, to a residence in Covington, Louisiana, for the purpose of picking up approximately $34,500.00 from the victim of a government imposter scam. When YE arrived, he was arrested by the FBI and made false statements relating to his prior involvement in similar schemes.
YE faces up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment due after conviction. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information on how to prevent being the victim of fraud, please visit the Federal Trade Commission website at https://www.ftc.gov/. You can also report internet crime on the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center website found at https://www.ic3.gov/.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former San Francisco Department of Building Inspection Engineer Pleads Guilty to Honest Services Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - Rodolfo “Rudy” Pada pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to participating in an honest services fraud conspiracy, announced Criminal Division Deputy Chief Matthew Yelovich and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The plea was accepted by the Hon. Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Pada, 68 of Millbrae, CA, admitted that he accepted bribes from individuals seeking building and construction permits from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Pada worked as a plan checker at DBI from 1984 to September 2017, reviewing and approving construction plans and providing builders with the permits necessary for residential and commercial construction projects in San Francisco.
According to the plea agreement, the bribes to Pada, which began in 2003 and continued until September 2017, consisted of cash, free meals, drinks, and other benefits, paid by executives at a construction planning and design firm. Pada accepted the bribes in return for expediting and approving permits for their building and construction plans. In addition, Pada solicited and accepted an interest-free $85,000 loan facilitated by one of the executives.
DBI is a regulatory city agency in San Francisco responsible for overseeing enforcement of building, electrical, plumbing, and housing codes for the City of San Francisco’s more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings. Contractors and builders submit construction plans to DBI for approval and permitting; the plans are required to be reviewed and approved by DBI to insure that the proposed construction and building meets city codes and regulations.
Pada, was initially charged by a criminal complaint in May 2022. On Nov. 3, 2023, Pada was charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Under the plea agreement, Pada pleaded guilty to the single count in the Information.
Judge Illston scheduled Pada’s sentencing hearing for March 29, 2024. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ward is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Aarian Beiti. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Lumentum Executive Sentenced to 24 Months for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that AMIT BHARDWAJ, the former Chief Information Security Officer at Lumentum Holdings Inc. (“Lumentum”), was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods to 24 months in prison for his participation in a scheme to commit insider trading based on material, non-public information (“MNPI”) that BHARDWAJ misappropriated from his employer, Lumentum. BHARDWAJ previously pled guilty to 13 counts relating to the insider trading scheme.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Amit Bhardwaj violated the trust placed in him by his employer by tipping his associates with valuable, non-public information regarding Lumentum’s planned corporate acquisitions. Today’s sentence should serve as a stark reminder to corporate executives regularly entrusted with confidential business information that if you try to illegally profit from this information, you will pay a stiff price.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings:
In approximately December 2020, BHARDWAJ learned that Lumentum was considering acquiring Coherent, Inc (“Coherent”). Based on this information, BHARDWAJ purchased Coherent stock and call options, then tipped three associates –– his friend Dhirenkumar Patel, another friend, and one of BHARDWAJ’s close family relatives –– and these individuals all traded in Coherent securities as a result. BHARDWAJ and Patel agreed that Patel would pay BHARDWAJ 50% of the profits that Patel earned by trading in Coherent based on the MNPI provided by BHARDWAJ. When Coherent’s stock price increased substantially following the announcement of the Lumentum acquisition, BHARDWAJ, his close family member, his friend Patel, and another friend closed their positions in Coherent securities and collectively profited by nearly $900,000.
In or about October 2021, BHARDWAJ learned that Lumentum was engaged in confidential discussions with Neophotonics Corporation (“Neophotonics”) about a potential acquisition. BHARDWAJ provided this information to Srinivasa Kakkera, Abbas Saeedi, and Ramesh Chitor, and these individuals all subsequently traded in Neophotonics securities. In connection with Chitor’s trading, BHARDWAJ and Chitor agreed that Chitor and BHARDWAJ would split the profits equally. When Neophotonics’s stock price increased substantially following the announcement of the Lumentum acquisition in November 2021, Kakkera, Saeedi, and Chitor closed their positions in Neophotonics securities and collectively made approximately $4.3 million in realized and unrealized profits.
After they were interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) voluntarily and served with federal grand jury subpoenas on approximately March 29, 2022, BHARDWAJ took steps to obstruct the federal investigation of their conduct. On the day of the March 29, 2022, FBI interviews, BHARDWAJ drove to the homes of certain of his co-conspirators to encourage them not to tell the federal authorities the truth about their insider trading scheme. BHARDWAJ and his associates subsequently met in person on multiple occasions and discussed, among other things, potential false stories that would conceal their insider trading scheme. They also created false documents to buttress lies regarding payments that were, in reality, related to the insider trading scheme.
* * *
In addition to the prison sentence, BHARDWAJ, 49, of San Ramon, California, was ordered to forfeit $547,286 and pay a fine of $975,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. He also acknowledged the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated civil proceedings against BHARDWAJ.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hobson and Noah Solowiejczyk are in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Carrollwood Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced John Kennedy Braun (51, Brandon) to 20 years in federal prison for robbing a bank in the Carrollwood neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. Braun’s co-defendant, Timothy Paul Longworth (44, Tampa), was previously sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in federal prison for his role in the bank robbery.
According to statements made in court, on the morning of August 8, 2022, Longworth entered a bank in Carrollwood, jumped over the teller’s counter, and demanded cash. While doing so, Longworth carried a black airsoft pistol. Longworth left the bank with $4,172 in cash and proceeded to a shopping center where Braun was waiting to pick him up. In addition to serving as the getaway driver, Braun had cased other banks with Longworth, assisted in planning the escape route, and helped to hide evidence of the bank robbery. Braun had previously been convicted of robbing two banks in Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
First of two defendants sentenced to prison for Christmas Day 2022 attack on power substationsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – One of two Pierce County men who vandalized electrical substations as part of a burglary scheme, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, to 18 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jeremy Crahan, 40, pleaded guilty in September 2023, admitting he joined co-defendant Matthew Greenwood in a conspiracy to knock out power so they could rob ATM machines. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “Power stations are a key part of our community, and they are key infrastructure. Our reliance on this infrastructure cannot be overstated, especially in the dead of winter. . . Causing damage to key infrastructure is not tolerable.”
“These defendants launched a scheme that left thousands of people in the cold and dark in the middle of winter, A scheme that was dangerous – for them and for the workers that had to make repairs to the high voltage equipment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Their motivation was greed – but all they got was a small amount of money from a restaurant cash register while doing more than $235,000 in damage.”
According to the facts in the plea agreement, Greenwood and Crahan hatched the scheme to disrupt power so they could break into ATMs and businesses and steal money. On December 25, 2022, they damaged four substations:
- Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy. Here, the two cut through a fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch damaging equipment and cutting power for 8,000 customers.
- Elk Plain substation in Spanaway, Washington, owned by Tacoma Power. The men cut padlocks on the gate and Greenwood manipulated breakers to damage equipment and cause an outage.
- Graham substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Tacoma Power. The men cut through a perimeter fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch to damage equipment. This outage, combined with the Elk Plain substation outage, caused more than 7,500 customers to lose power.
- Kapowsin Substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Puget Sound Energy. The men cut through a fence and Greenwood tampered with a switch causing sparks, flame, and a power outage.
Crahan shared in the planning and primarily served as a lookout during the attacks on the substations.
Following the December 25, 2022, substation vandalism, the men spent time looking for additional ways to cause power outages by felling trees. The goal was to cut power so that they could burglarize businesses and steal from ATMs. Law enforcement arrested them before they could put the tree plan into action.
Matthew Greenwood has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2024.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Federal inmate convicted in death of inmateRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen C. Crawford, age 44, a federal inmate formerly housed at United States Penitentiary Hazleton, was found guilty of the death of a fellow inmate.
After a five-day trial, a jury found Crawford guilty of voluntary manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily harm. According to court documents and statements made in court, Crawford used a prison-made weapon to stab another inmate multiple times. The inmate later died of his injuries.
Crawford faces up to 15 more years in federal prison for the manslaughter charge and faces up to 10 years for each of the assault charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Man Guilty of Receipt, Distribution, and Access with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of receipt, distribution, and access with intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the evidence presented at trial, beginning on or about August 2, 2020, through January 25, 2022, Michael Francis Hamer, 56, knowingly and frequently obtained, distributed, and accessed child pornography online. On multiple occasions, he used Facebook and Gmail to directly message self-identified minor victims, some as young as 11 years old, to request and distribute images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. Hamer also joined Facebook Messenger group chats that were named “Boys sex video,” “Kids Video Sex,” and “#Good Boy?,” among others, to solicit and access child sexual abuse images.
Hamer was previously convicted in Minnesota state court for solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct. Hamer admitted to possessing child pornography during his 2012 conviction.
Following a two-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, Hamer was found guilty yesterday on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and two counts of access with intent to view child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hillary A. Taylor and Emily A. Polachek tried this case.
Federal Court Permanently Stops City of Springfield, Illinois, from Enforcing Discriminatory Ordinance and Awards Civil PenaltiesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – This week, a federal court in Illinois entered a permanent injunction against the City of Springfield, Illinois, prohibiting it from enforcing a local spacing ordinance that bans people with disabilities from living in homes within 600 feet of one another if the home has five or fewer residents. The court’s order follows a July 2022 trial at which a jury awarded $293,000 in damages to the home’s residents, their families, and Individual Advocacy Group (IAG), the state-licensed agency that provides services to the home’s residents.
“Discriminatory zoning laws that ban people with disabilities from living in the community violate the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Restrictive zoning laws and policies that prevent people with disabilities from integrating into society at large have no place in our marketplace today. The Court’s decision makes clear that there are real consequences to cities and other municipalities when they unlawfully and immorally exclude people with disabilities from residential neighborhoods.”
“I commend the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and my office for obtaining this groundbreaking civil rights decision,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois.
“This case illustrates what can happen when government action erodes a basic civil right: a group of individuals almost lost their home,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua I. Grant for the Central District of Illinois. “As many Springfield residents have expressed to our office, our community should be open to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Department of Justice to ensure that the Fair Housing Act’s guarantee of equal housing and access to justice is available to all citizens in the Central District of Illinois.
In 2014, three residents with intellectual and physical disabilities moved into a single-family home in Springfield where they received community residential services from IAG. Such arrangements, known as Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), permit residents with disabilities to live in an integrated community setting rather than an institution. Even though the home was operating in compliance with state requirements, the city attempted to shut it down in 2016 by relying on a local spacing ordinance that prohibited two homes for individuals with disabilities from operating within 600 feet of one another.
The Justice Department filed suit against the City of Springfield in 2017. In 2020, the court ruled that the city had violated the FHA by enforcing the spacing ordinance against the home. In July 2022, a jury determined that the city should pay a total of $293,000: $162,000 in compensatory damages to the residents of the home and their guardians and $131,000 in compensatory damages to IAG.
The court also awarded the United States $61,982.50 in civil penalties against the city for violating the Fair Housing Act. In awarding civil penalties against the city, the court recognized that the city’s attempts to close the home and its restrictive zoning ordinance impeded the integration of people with disabilities from institutions into the community, a right guaranteed by the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. As the court explained, the civil penalty award against the City of Springfield will “make clear to municipalities that these facially discriminatory spacing rules may not be used to hinder the trend of shifting persons with disabilities from institutions to community-based residences.” The court further permanently enjoined the city from taking any action against the owners or residents of the home, ordered the city to undergo fair housing training and awarded $53,654,50 in prejudgment interest on the jury’s damages award to IAG. This is one of the largest civil penalties the Department of Justice has obtained against a municipality in Illinois for violations of the FHA.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing because of disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov
Federal Court Permanently Stops City of Springfield, Illinois from Enforcing Discriminatory Ordinance and Awards Civil PenaltiesRead the Press Release
This week, a federal court in Illinois entered a permanent injunction against the City of Springfield, Illinois, prohibiting it from enforcing a local spacing ordinance that bans people with disabilities from living in homes within 600 feet of one another if the home has five or fewer residents. The court’s order follows a July 2022 trial at which a jury awarded $293,000 in damages to the home’s residents, their families and Individual Advocacy Group (IAG), the state-licensed agency that provides services to the home’s residents.
“Discriminatory zoning laws that ban people with disabilities from living in the community violate the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Restrictive zoning laws and policies that prevent people with disabilities from integrating into society at large have no place in our marketplace today. The court’s decision makes clear that there are real consequences to cities and other municipalities when they unlawfully and immorally exclude people with disabilities from residential neighborhoods.”
“I commend the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and my office for obtaining this groundbreaking civil rights decision,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “We will continue to ensure that the Fair Housing Act’s guarantee of equal housing and access to justice is available to all people in my district.”
In 2014, three residents with intellectual and physical disabilities moved into a single-family home in Springfield where they received community residential services from IAG. Such arrangements, known as Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), permit residents with disabilities to live in an integrated community setting rather than an institution. Even though the home was operating in compliance with state requirements, the city attempted to shut it down in 2016 by relying on a local spacing ordinance that prohibited two homes for individuals with disabilities from operating within 600 feet of one another.
The Justice Department filed suit against the City of Springfield in 2017. In 2020, the court ruled that the city had violated the FHA by enforcing the spacing ordinance against the home. In July 2022, a jury determined that the city should pay a total of $293,000: $162,000 in compensatory damages to the residents of the home and their guardians and $131,000 in compensatory damages to IAG.
The court also awarded the United States $61,982.50 in civil penalties against the city for violating the Fair Housing Act. In awarding civil penalties against the city, the court recognized that the city’s attempts to close the home and its restrictive zoning ordinance impeded the integration of people with disabilities from institutions into the community, a right guaranteed by the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. As the court explained, the civil penalty award against the City of Springfield will “make clear to municipalities that these facially discriminatory spacing rules may not be used to hinder the trend of shifting persons with disabilities from institutions to community-based residences.” The court further permanently enjoined the city from taking any action against the owners or residents of the home, ordered the city to undergo fair housing training and awarded $53,654,50 in prejudgment interest on the jury’s damages award to IAG.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing because of disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
EDVA Seizes Three Domains Used by Lebanese Hizballah and Its AffiliatesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of three domains used by Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs), Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and their members associated with Lebanese Hizballah.
According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize three domains registered to Verisign, Inc. – ctexlb.com, imarwaiktissad.com, and russia-now.com.
These three domains are subject to seizure as assets of entities and organizations engaged in planning or perpetrating acts of terrorism against the United States, its citizens and residents, and their property. These domains also afford a source of influence over those entities and organizations. The seizure of these domains will cut off that source of support and influence.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office; and Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, announced the seizure of the domain names.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers and National Security Division Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-SW-698.
Duvall, Washington, man sentenced to ten years in prison for trying to sexually exploit 11-year-old childRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Duvall, Washington, man was sentenced today to ten years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Michael Burke, 37, was awaiting sentencing for possession and distribution of images of child sexual abuse, when he used an internet chat site to try to obtain sexually explicit images of an 11-year-old child. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez imposed twenty years of supervised release to follow prison, saying, “one of [a judge’s] primary concerns is community protection… the protection of children I hold at the highest level of all.”
Burke pleaded guilty in September 2023, admitting that, while he was awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, he reached out to the 11-year-old child seeking sexually explicit images. Burke also sent the child such images. The crime was discovered after Burke was sentenced to probation for the earlier criminal conduct.
In asking for the ten-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “His actions are unconscionable. Not only because of the harm he has undeniably caused this child victim as detailed in her statement and not only because the defendant himself is a father of four, but because the defendant was facing the full force of federal prosecution and was still unable to curb his appetite for child exploitation material.”
Burke has been in custody since his arrest on May 4, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon.
Duquesne Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Material Depicting Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Duquesne, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
George Cobbs, age 41, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 14, 2021; September 22, 2021; and September 30, 2021, Cobbs attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for April 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 90 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Cobbs remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Duquesne Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cobbs.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison and 3 Years of Supervised Release for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of the Dominican Republic, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on his conviction of illegal reentry by a deported alien, United States Attorney Eric Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Rudys Osvaldo Torres, age 50, of the Dominican Republic on December 7, 2023.
According to information presented to the court, on or about March 15, 2021, Torres, an alien who had previously been deported and removed from the United States, and who had knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully reentered the United States, was found in the United States in Somerset County, Pennsylvania without having applied for and received permission from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police and Customs Enforcement for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Torres.
Defendants Sentenced in Labor Racketeering Case in the Port of San JuanRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Court sentenced six defendants for fraudulent and extortionate schemes perpetrated in the Port of San Juan Case. On August 11, 2022, four of the defendants were charged with running a criminal enterprise dedicated to extorting and misleading shipping companies into paying fees for the loading and unloading of cargo at the Port of San Juan—Piers 9, 10, and 11—under the threat of strikes and blockades on the part of union members of the ILA-1740 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO (“ILA”) and under false representations that companies had to pay a fee in order to be able to use “union-free labor” for the loading and unloading of cargo. The other two defendants were charged with doing “chimbos,” a scheme where the defendants used the union card of another when working at the docks so that it appeared that the union member was working. Because it appeared that the person on the union card was working, the hours worked were fraudulently counted for the non-working union member’s yearly-hour requirement to qualify for healthcare benefits in the employee-benefit plan called Plan de Bienestar UTM-PRSSA.
The Court imposed the following sentences per defendant:
Pedro Pastrana-González: Count 1, RICO—21 months of imprisonment, one year of supervised release, restitution of $242,042.69
Iara I. Clemente-Rivera,: Count 1, RICO—three years of probation, restitution of $150,000
Carlos C. Sánchez-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Kaito/Caito/Presidente”: Count 1, RICO—three years of probation, restitution of $10,000
Jorge I. Batista-Maldonado: Counts 1, RICO—two years of probation, restitution of $50,000
José A. Fernández-Cruz, a.k.a. “Toñito”: Count 6, Conspiracy to Willfully Convert Funds and Falsify Records of the Plan de Bienestar UTM-PRSSA—one year of probation, restitution of $3,567.17
Carlos A. Hernández-Laguer, aka “Brea”: Count 6, Conspiracy to Willfully Convert Funds and Falsify Records of the Plan de Bienestar UTM-PRSSA— one year of probation, restitution of $3,567.17
Significantly, because of the convictions, under 29 U.S.C. § 1111, all of the defendants are prohibited from serving in any position with decision making authority and other-prohibited capacities in an employee-benefit plan for thirteen years. Furthermore, Carlos C. Sánchez-Ortiz, agreed to be prohibited under 29 U.S.C. § 504 from holding union office for thirteen years. Hence, Carlos C. Sánchez-Ortiz must immediately resign from his positions as president of the union ILA-1740 and the Plan de Bienestar UTM-PRSSA.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Megan Underwood, Northeastern Regional Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS); Crystal Colemen, Acting Regional Director, Atlanta Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA); and Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspector, Miami Division made the announcement.
The FBI was in charge of the investigation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor—Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor—Office of Labor-Management Standards, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistance was also provided by the San Juan Municipal Police, the Carolina Municipal Police, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.
The investigation was carried out in consultation with attorneys of the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández prosecuted the case.
###
Dana Point Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Export High-End Computer Servers to IranRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for conspiring to procure and illegally ship high-end computer servers from the United States to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) and U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Johnny Paul Tourino, 69, of Dana Point, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also fined him $20,000. Tourino has agreed to forfeit approximately $2 million in seized funds.
On March 3, Tourino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, which controls and restricts the export of certain goods from the United States to foreign nations, as well as U.S. sanctions against Iran.
According to court records, Tourino owned and operated Spectra Equipment Inc., a Laguna Niguel-based computer support and services company. Between September 2015 and March 2017, Tourino negotiated the sale of five business-class computer servers valued at $2.1 million and attempted to have them sent to Iran for use by two Iranian financial institutions, Bank Mellat and Bank Keshavarzi.
In February 2017, when the manufacturer of the servers asked Tourino to identify the end-user, he falsely stated that the servers were being sold to a bank in Africa and “NOT going to Iran.” Later that month, Tourino, through his lawyer, falsely represented to the manufacturer that the servers were going to Slovenia.
Roughly one week later, Tourino sent three checks to the manufacturer as partial payment for the servers. After learning that the Department of Treasury had blocked funds from Iran that were to be used to pay for the servers, Tourino deleted his emails and contacted the Department of Treasury and again falsely stated that the servers were not going to Iran and were destined for Slovenia.
According to court documents, in August 2015, Tourino previously brokered the sale of four business-class computer servers that were ultimately sent to Bank Mellat in Iran. Regarding these servers, Judge Staton noted “the government cannot get back the 2015 servers.” These servers offered high-level encryption allowing the users to shield information from law enforcement detection.
“Mr. Tourino knowingly violated U.S. law and sanctions by attempting to sell millions of dollars’ worth of computer equipment to Iran and doing business with sanctioned Iranian banks that have been the lifeblood of Iran’s international acts of terror and nuclear weapons program,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s sentence exemplifies the unshakeable will of this Office to vigorously investigate and bring to justice persons who would undermine our national security by giving aid and comfort to hostile foreign state actors.”
“Defendant Tourino conspired to illegally export restricted equipment to a foreign adversary and took steps to conceal his activities to avoid law enforcement scrutiny,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Tourino’s activity violated U.S. economic and trade sanctions and, in the process, potentially aided an oppressive terrorist regime and put America’s long-term security interests at risk.”
“We will fully and aggressively enforce restrictions on U.S. exports to parties in Iran,” said Los Angeles Field Office Special Agent in Charge Gregory Dunlap of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement (OEE). “OEE will continue to leverage its unique authorities to pursue violators wherever they are, and will collaborate with our law enforcement partners to achieve this goal.”
“Tourino attempted to profit from a far-reaching, extensive scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran. Tourino repeatedly lied to illegally obtain and supply dual-use items to a foreign nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the Los Angeles Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation. “This sentence is the result of a successful joint investigative effort with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. IRS Criminal Investigation is fully committed to protecting national security by disrupting efforts by our adversaries to violate U.S. export controls.”
The FBI, the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Bradley Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division provided substantial assistance.
Construction Company President Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for 25-Year Fraud on the U.S. GovernmentRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SINA MOAYEDI, the owner of a construction company, Montage, Inc., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, stemming from his 25-year fraud on the United States Government. MOAYEDI pled guilty in April 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official, and aggravated identity theft. MOAYEDI’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who also presided over his guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “From 1995 until 2021, Sina Moayedi defrauded the U.S. Government and various of its agencies through a sprawling, sophisticated scheme. Moayedi lied repeatedly about his company’s ownership and qualifications, including by claiming that it was woman-owned and Hispanic-owned; he lied to obtain a Top-Secret national security clearance; and he repeatedly paid bribes to a State Department employee to illegally obtain inside information. In total, Moayedi’s company fraudulently obtained more than 25 government contracts worth more than $125 million. Even after he was arrested in this case, Moayedi continued to commit crime, destroying electronic evidence of his frauds. For his brazen fraud on the federal government, Moayedi has now been sentenced to prison.”
According to court filings and statements made in Manhattan federal court:
In 1986, MOAYEDI founded Montage, Inc., a U.S.-based business that is primarily involved in Government construction projects, including embassies, consulates, military posts, and marine barracks around the world. From 1995 to 2021, MOAYEDI defrauded the U.S. Government — including the State Department, Treasury Department, Department of Defense, and General Services Administration — by lying in various respects. In bids for contracting work, MOAYEDI mispresented his company’s ownership, his employees’ qualifications, his company’s construction experience, and his company’s financial condition, among other things.
As to ownership, MOAYEDI falsely represented, repeatedly, that Montage was a female-owned business (or a female- and minority-owned business) in order to secure unmerited advantages in the bidding process. In fact, MOAYEDI founded, owned, ran, and controlled Montage, and he made all material decisions on Montage’s behalf. As MOAYEDI revealed to a bank that inquired about Montage’s ownership status in 2016, “I am the sole owner and president of Montage and have always been.”
As to his employees’ qualifications, MOAYEDI significantly overstated the qualifications of various Montage employees in order to, among other things, meet State Department and contractual requirements for minimum experience in certain key positions. For instance, MOAYEDI claimed, falsely, that certain Montage employees possessed engineering degrees. He also claimed, falsely, that certain individuals worked for Montage when, in fact, they did not.
As to Montage’s construction experience, MOAYEDI submitted bids to the Government in which he repeatedly falsified Montage’s purported construction experience in order to burnish the company’s alleged credentials. To ensure that the U.S. Government did not uncover these lies, MOAYEDI “backstopped” this fabricated experience by creating fraudulent email accounts and personas, so that someone else appeared to be “vouching” that Montage had performed this prior work. This required creating online web domains (the “Fabricated Domains”), so that Montage’s purported references appeared legitimate. These Fabricated Domains were extremely similar to, but one character or word different from, the legitimate web domains associated with actual entities.
As to financial condition, MOAYEDI paid a Certified Public Accountant to prepare at least four different sets of books and records, each of which was provided to a different recipient (e.g., one fraudulent set for the U.S. Government, another fraudulent set for the bank, another fraudulent set for a company that sold construction bonds, etc.).
And to ensure Montage’s eligibility for sensitive U.S. Government contracts, MOAYEDI lied to obtain and maintain his Top-Secret national security clearance, including by concealing his ties to Iran, such as his dual citizenship with Iran, his Iranian passport, and his travel to Iran.
Further, between 2014 and 2020, MOAYEDI repeatedly paid cash bribes and kickbacks to an engineer in the State Department’s Overseas Building Operations division, May Salehi, in exchange for confidential inside information relating to several State Department construction projects, including projects in Ecuador, Spain, and Bermuda. For instance, in late 2016 and early 2017, MOAYEDI paid $60,000 in cash to Salehi after Salehi provided confidential inside bidding information to MOAYEDI about the relationship between Montage’s original bid and his competitors’ bids — information that allowed Montage to raise its bid by nearly $1 million yet remain the lowest bidder on a construction project that was ultimately awarded to Montage.
In addition to fraudulently obtaining government contracts, MOAYEDI’s company also committed fraud in the execution of government contracts, including by using substandard materials, using unqualified personnel, and falsifying an architect’s signature and stamp on architectural plans that had not been reviewed by the architect, including plans that related to safety and structural issues, such as fire protection, roof design, and structural steel drawings.
MOAYEDI also defrauded his primary bank (“Bank-1”) through various misrepresentations. Montage had a multimillion-dollar line of credit at Bank-1, which MOAYEDI maintained through misrepresentations about Montage’s ownership and the value, progress, status, and existence of construction projects that Montage was performing for the U.S. Government. For instance, in or about both 2014 and 2019, MOAYEDI made material misrepresentations to Bank-1 in support of an annual extension of Montage’s line of credit, including misrepresentations about purportedly lucrative “classified” government construction projects with distinctive names like “Area 6,” which, in fact, did not exist.
MOAYEDI also obstructed justice in multiple respects: (i) in September 2021, shortly after his release on bail in this case, MOAYEDI destroyed electronic evidence of his fraud on the U.S. Government by deleting six Fabricated Domains, which (as noted) he had used to help inflate Montage’s purported construction experience in bids for U.S. Government construction projects; (ii) shortly after the execution of search warrants at Montage’s offices in September 2020, MOAYEDI witness tampered by pressuring a co-conspirator to lie to investigators; and (iii) during a civil lawsuit between the State Department and Montage, MOAYEDI lied during a sworn deposition in 2019 by falsely claiming that a Hispanic woman had been the President of Montage “ever since” 2002 and that he was merely the Vice President of Montage.
Finally, in October 2023, the Court held a multiday Fatico hearing regarding the quality of construction that MOAYEDI and Montage provided the State Department. The Court determined that MOAYEDI “provided grossly inadequate construction for several of the contracts of which he was in charge” and “that these numerous defects were intentional.” In particular, the Court found that, “[r]epeatedly, Moayedi falsely inflated the credentials of key personnel -- and in some cases, submitted names of people who never even worked for Montage -- that he touted to the State Department to win bids, only to send in their stead people that he knew were patently unqualified for their roles once he secured the contract in question.”
* * *
In addition to his prison sentence, MOAYEDI, 68, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,588,679.63 and forfeit $17,795,098.50.
May Salehi was previously sentenced to one year in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, and forfeiture of $60,000.
Mr. Williams praised the exceptional investigative work of the State Department, Office of Inspector General; Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Internal Revenue Service.
The Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit is handling this criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison in Connection with Fentanyl Poisoning DeathRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cody Allen Dinkins, 32, of Columbia, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing a quantity of fentanyl resulting in death.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on Aug. 31, 2019, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to an apparent overdose at a residence in Kershaw County. Responders located the victim, who died at the home. A pathologist later determined the victim’s death was caused by fentanyl poisoning.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the incident, and during the investigation, law enforcement uncovered messages which appeared to be a conservation between the victim and Dinkins regarding Dinkins providing the victim with illegal drugs on Aug. 30, 2019. Later, Dinkins confessed to supplying the victim with illegal drugs on Aug. 30, 2019.
“The fentanyl epidemic is a deadly crisis that continues to plague our nation. Our office is committed to holding accountable drug traffickers who endanger our communities,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful to DEA and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office for their continued efforts to protect our communities from the threat posed by drug traffickers.”
“Fentanyl is extremely dangerous to the consumer and leaves behind a trail of devastation and destruction,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The defendant in this case had total disregard for the safety of others.”
“We are thankful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA,” said Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan. “Without their federal prosecution of this case, proper justice could not have taken place through our state court system.”
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Dinkins to 240 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Dinkins was court-ordered to pay $9,117.40 in restitution to the victim’s estate.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.
###
Clothing Wholesaler Ordered to Pay Nearly $10.4 Million for Violating U.S. Drug Trafficking Sanctions and for Customs FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Paramount-based clothing wholesale company was fined $4 million, ordered to pay $6,390,781 in restitution, and placed on probation for five years for undervaluing imported garments in a scheme to avoid paying millions of dollars in customs duties and for doing business with a woman linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel.
Ghacham Inc., which does business under the “Platini” brand name, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong.
In addition to imposing financial penalties, Judge Frimpong required Ghacham Inc. to create and maintain an anti-money laundering compliance and ethics program and submit to review by a third-party monitor review, who will report to the court on an annual basis.
The company pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to pass false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse and one count of conspiracy to engage in any transaction or dealing in properties of a specially designated narcotics trafficker under a statute known as the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. This is the first criminal conviction in this district under the Kingpin Act.
Mohamed Daoud Ghacham, 39, of Bell, a Ghacham Inc. executive, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to pass false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse. He is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
According to court documents, Ghacham Inc. imported clothing from China and submitted fraudulent invoices to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that undervalued the shipments, allowing the company to avoid paying the full amounts of tariffs owed on the imports.
At Mohamed Ghacham’s direction, Chinese suppliers would prepare two invoices for the clothing ordered by Ghacham Inc. – a true invoice, which reflected the actual price paid for the goods, and a fraudulent “customs invoice,” which reflected an understated price. Ghacham Inc. submitted the customs invoices to CBP and customs brokers to fraudulently reduce the tariffs owed on the imports, while it maintained the true invoices in its accounting records.
From July 2011 and February 2021, Ghacham Inc. and Mohamed Ghacham undervalued imported garments by more than $32 million and failed to pay approximately $6,390,792 in customs duties.
Ghacham Inc. also illegally conducted business with María Tiburcia Cazarez Pérez in violation of the Kingpin Act, which prohibits people and businesses in the United States from doing business with “Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers.” Cazarez Pérez was previously listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Kingpin Act for her involvement in the financial network of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Victor Emilio Cazares Salazar, two leaders of the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel. Cazares Salazar was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug trafficking activities in federal cases out of San Diego and New York City.
“The company flouted the Kingpin Act, doing business with member of a money laundering network used by… two of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “It cheated taxpayers out of millions, both to save itself money and to secure an unfair edge against its competition in the Southern California garment market. And it did so through a sustained, extensive effort over the course of more than a decade.”
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated this matter. The U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and IRS Criminal Investigation provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force prosecuted this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Cantina owner and son receive significant sentence for forcing young girl to engage in commercial sexRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A Mexican woman, who legally resided in Mission, and a local Texan have been ordered to federal prison for sex trafficking a young girl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Rita Martinez, 65, pleaded guilty June 30. Her son - Genaro Fuentes, 41, entered his plea Jan. 26 and admitted his role working at the bar and helping to facilitate the commercial sex.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 360-month term of imprisonment for Martinez, while Fuentes was ordered to serve 72 months. Martinez and Fuentes were also ordered to pay $840,000 and $20,000 in restitution to the victims, respectively. In addition, the court forfeited the bar and the home of Martinez. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from eight victims, including a woman who was only 12 years old when Martinez brought her from Mexico and started trafficking her as a sex worker in her cantina. Prior to handing down the prison terms, Chief Judge Crane noted some people just have evil in their hearts.
“Martinez’s decades-long business model was simple yet evil: travel to Mexico, entice poor, young girls across the border with false promises of a better life and then force those girls to engage in sexual acts with her bar’s male patrons,” said Hamdani. “Martinez treated the victims like chattel, while physically and psychologically imprisoning them. Today’s sentence ensures the only person left imprisoned, for decades to come, is Martinez and sends a strong message to human traffickers moonlighting as bar owners: you’re next."
“Human trafficking cannot be tolerated, especially those who exploit many victims and use the promise of America to lure vulnerable women and children into the United States, only to coerce them into commercial sex acts,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to identifying and prosecuting human trafficking cases, and seeking restitution for the victims who survived these heinous crimes.”
“Today’s sentence will ensure that people like Rita Martinez are no longer able to victimize anyone in vulnerable or desperate circumstances,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division. “We want to thank our partners in the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) for their continued assistance in bringing predators like this to justice.”
For decades, Martinez smuggled unwitting women and girls from Mexico into the United States and compelled them to engage in commercial sex work in a cantina she owned and operated in Mission known as Perez Lounge, Rita’s Lounge and Rita’s Sports Bar.
Martinez arranged for the young women and girls to engage in commercial sex acts with men who were patrons at the bar. She accepted money from these clients before allowing them to take them out of the bar to engage in the commercial sex. Martinez claimed she applied the money she received from the commercial sex to the smuggling debt she imposed upon the victims for their illegal transport from Mexico into the United States. In addition to working for Martinez, many victims were forced to reside in Martinez’s home.
Martinez and Fuentes will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the investigation with assistance from the TABC. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Sherri Zack prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Kate Hill of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Materials over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Jason Charles Nicholas (54, Ramona, CA) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse materials over the internet. At sentencing, Nicholas faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to, 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Nicholas was arrested on September 21, 2023 in San Diego County, California, and was ordered detained pending the resolution of this case.
According to court documents, on August 3, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area, posing as the parent of an 11-year-old “child,” was investigating individuals on a particular social media application (app) who were attempting to sexually exploit children. The UC began a private conversation on the app with user “cldad,” who was subsequently identified as Nicholas. Nicholas indicated his desire to meet the UC at a residence in northeast Florida to have sex with the 11-year-old “child.” However, Nicholas abruptly abandoned this plan and began threatening to expose the UC’s purported criminal sexual conduct unless the UC streamed live video of the “child” to Nicholas. The UC refused. Nicholas later apologized for threatening the UC, and the two continued online conversations for several weeks. Nicholas told the UC about his longtime practice of brushing up against and taking surreptitious photos (“creep shots”) of young girls in public places, and also that he had purportedly abused a young child after overdosing the child with medication.
During an online conversation on August 17, 2023, Nicholas sent the UC six videos and two photos that depicted young children being sexually abused. Further investigation by the FBI led to the positive identification of Nicholas as a resident of Ramona, California, and revealed that he had been using the online identity of an actual person who lived in Florida. On September 21, 2023, FBI agents, with assistance from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Nicholas as he was driving to his workplace. A search of Nicholas’ cellphone revealed that it contained at least 2,532 videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, many of which depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego County (California) Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and San Diego. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Bridgeport Teen Charged with 2 Gunpoint RobberiesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a four-count indictment charging DERRICK RIVERA, 19, of Bridgeport, with offenses related to two armed robberies of Bridgeport businesses.
As alleged in the indictment, on November 11, 2022, Rivera committed a gunpoint robbery of a barbershop located on Wood Avenue in Bridgeport, and, on November 25, 2022, Rivera robbed a restaurant located on Wade Street in Bridgeport. During the second robbery, Rivera discharged a firearm, injuring the owner of the restaurant.
The indictment charges Rivera with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years; and one count of discharging a firearm during a robbery, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 10 years.
The indictment was returned on November 28, 2023. Rivera appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Rivera has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on November 25, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Stratford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Biotech CEO Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to securities fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of an official proceeding in connection with his scheme to defraud investors by making false and misleading statements about the purported development of a new, blood-based COVID-19 test, leading to millions of dollars in investor losses.
According to court documents, Keith Berman, 70, of Westlake Village, was the CEO and sole director of Decision Diagnostics Corp. (DECN), a public medical device company. Berman and DECN were in precarious financial condition in the lead up to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Berman wrote in internal emails that he needed a “new story” to “raise millions.” Additionally, Berman had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of company money on personal expenditures, despite publicly claiming not to take any compensation. Faced with these financial difficulties, from February through December 2020, Berman engaged in a scheme to defraud investors by falsely claiming that DECN had developed a 15-second test to detect COVID-19 in a finger prick sample of blood. Despite his claims to the investing public, Berman knew that no such test existed.
Berman also falsely told investors that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was on the verge of approving DECN’s request for emergency use authorization of its purported COVID-19 test. In truth, Berman knew that his company was unwilling and unable to meet the clinical testing required by the FDA but concealed these material facts and misled investors.
As part of the alleged scheme, Berman used a fake persona to repeat false and misleading statements to investors on internet message boards, and to lull unsuspecting investors into inaction by refuting allegations of fraud and threatening potential whistleblowers with civil or criminal sanctions. Berman also obstructed a U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into his conduct, using another false online identity to surreptitiously direct an investor to write a series of false and threatening letters to the highest levels of SEC management, including the SEC Chairman.
Berman pleaded guilty to one count each of securities fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of an official proceeding. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
USPIS and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Christopher Fenton, Kate T. McCarthy, and Matthew Reilly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Angelo Johnson, 27, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Johnson sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, while aided and abetted by another, at a Ewart Avenue residence in Beckley. Johnson admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling a quantity of methamphetamine to the confidential informant in Daniels on October 31, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13.
###
Armed repeat offender, who triggered neighborhood lock-down, sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Pedro Fernandez Kent triggered a neighborhood lockdown in January 2023 when he fled police in North Seattle. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that firearms coupled with drug dealing often lead to deadly results “Everyone recognizes first of all how dangerous the particular conduct was in this case…”
According to records filed in the case, on January 15, 2023, Seattle Police were responding to a domestic violence report in North Seattle when they spotted the distinctive car driven by the suspect, Pedro Kent. Kent attempted to flee from police crashing his car into two curbs, rupturing the tires. Kent abandoned the car and ran into the yards of neighboring homes. Video from area cameras show Kent with a handgun in his hand as he ran into a backyard. Police converged on the area, alerting residents to stay in their homes with the doors locked. One couple called police reporting that the defendant appeared to be hiding in their backyard. A K-9 officer helped take Kent into custody.
In addition to the gun Kent carried when he ran from the car, police located a carbine rifle in the car as well as distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Kent also had a hatchet and a dagger in the car as well as scales and plastic baggies for drug distribution.
Kent was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous King County convictions for burglary, theft, assault, and trafficking in stolen property.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
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.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Wade Platero was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Platero, 27, of Cove, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to abusive sexual contact on Jan. 19, 2023.
According to court records, on Dec. 28, 2021, officers from the Navajo Police Department responded to a domestic violence call at a residence in Cove, Arizona. Subsequently, one of the parties accused Platero of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, Jane Doe, that was in his care. During a subsequent interview, Jane Doe disclosed to forensic interviewers that Platero had begun assaulting her when she was 9 years old, and the incidents had continued until the day of the domestic violence incident. Jane Doe also stated that she was scared for her younger sister’s safety. When questioned by police, Platero attempted to justify his actions by saying that Jane Doe had come on to him in the past. At the time, Platero was more than twice the 12-year-old’s age and in his mid-20s.
In his plea agreement, Platero admitted that he sexually assaulted Jane Doe on Dec. 28, 2021, the day of the domestic violence incident which caused police to become involved.
Upon his release from prison, Platero must adhere to state and federal sex offender registration requirements. His sentence also includes 15 years of Supervised Release by the United States Probation Office after release from incarceration.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC).
PSC is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
23-280