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26 January 2024
Tucker County man admits to federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey D. Hebb, age 53, of Thomas, West Virginia, has admitted to possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to court documents, officers were called to a home in Tucker County on reports of shots fired and threats. Hebb was found at the home with an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. During the investigation, two unregistered explosive devices were found in Hebb’s home.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; and the Tucker County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
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Three Former Department of Homeland Security Employees Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three former federal employees were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to steal proprietary software and sensitive law-enforcement databases from the U.S. government for use in a commercial venture.
The sentencings were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG); and Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG).
Murali Y. Venkata, 58, of Aldie, Va., is a former Acting Branch Chief of the Information Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG). Venkata was convicted on Apr. 11, 2023, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, theft of government property, wire fraud, and obstruction. Venkata was sentenced to four months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, who also ordered Venkata to serve two years of supervised release with eight months of home incarceration, and to serve 60 hours of community service.
Charles K. Edwards, 63, of Sandy Spring, Md, was the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). In January 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to theft of government property, and conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States. Edwards was sentenced by Judge Moss today to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Sonal Patel, 49, of Sterling, Va., had been employed in DHS-OIG’s information technology department. Patel was sentenced by Judge Moss today to two years probation with one year of home incarceration, and a fine of $40,000. In April 2019, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Venkata, Edwards, and Patel were all previously employed at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). The trio conspired to steal proprietary U.S. software and databases containing sensitive law-enforcement information and the personally identifying information (PII) of over 200,000 federal employees from DHS-OIG and USPS OIG. They planned to use the stolen software and databases to create a commercial software product to be offered for sale to government agencies. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators disclosed the stolen software and databases containing PII to software developers located in India. After Venkata learned of the investigation, he deleted incriminating text messages and other communications in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
DHS-OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey for the District of Columbia. Significant assistance was provided by former PIN Senior Litigation Counsel Victor Salgado, former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kent, and Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Tennessee Man Sentenced for Possessing Machinegun on Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras DayRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEATON MANGHANE, age 24, a resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced on January 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2) to 20 months imprisonment, to run consecutively to any sentence ultimately imposed on his unrelated pending charges in Tennessee. This term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, MANGHANE was carrying a loaded handgun equipped with a Glock auto-sear in his pocket, while walking on Bourbon Street around 2:00 a.m. on February 21, 2023, Mardi Gras Day. The auto-sear device turned the semi-automatic firearm into a fully-automatic machinegun. After MANGHANE’s arrest, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives tested the firearm and confirmed that it functioned as a machinegun.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Possession and Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Jones IV, a/k/a “Klout,” (24, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each distribution count and up to 40 years in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in February and March 2023, Jones sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. During each of the transactions, Jones hid the methamphetamine inside the gas cap of his vehicle. He then drove to a pre-determined meeting location in St. Petersburg, where the drugs were retrieved as Jones remained inside his vehicle.
During a search of Jones’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered assorted drug paraphernalia including a digital scale, plastic resealable bags, a heat seal, and distribution quantities of methamphetamine. Jones later admitted to selling drugs from his home and took ownership of the methamphetamine found in the residence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.
Stowaway on Los Angeles-Bound Flight from Denmark Found GuiltyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Russian man was found guilty by a jury today of a federal crime for boarding a flight from Denmark to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) without a ticket, passport or visa last November.
Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, 46, who held both Russian and Israeli passports, was found guilty of one count of being a stowaway on an aircraft, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, on November 3, 2023, Ochigava tailgated an unsuspecting passenger through a security turnstile at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark so that he could enter one of the airport’s terminals without a boarding pass. The next day, he passed through the boarding gate undetected and stowed away aboard a Scandinavian Airlines flight to Los Angeles. During the flight, the cabin crew noticed Ochigava because he moved between multiple unassigned seats.
When the flight landed in Los Angeles on the afternoon of November 4, Ochigava encountered Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the immigration checkpoint at LAX. CBP officers were unable to find any record of Ochigava and discovered that he was not listed as a passenger on that particular Scandinavian Airlines flight or any other incoming international flight. Ochigava was unable to produce a passport, a visa, or other travel document to enter the United States.
In response to CBP officers’ questions, Ochigava gave false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including telling CBP that he left his passport on the airplane.
Ochigava has been in federal custody since his arrest at LAX on November 4, 2023.
United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled a February 5 sentencing hearing for Ochigava.
The FBI and CBP investigated this matter. The United States received additional assistance from the Copenhagen Airport Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jason A. Gorn and Brandon E. Martinez-Jones of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison in Connection with Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday found a fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death of a 17-year-old in 2021 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Keith Edward “Kesso” Matthews, 24, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Matthews admitted selling pills that resembled the painkiller Percocet to his co-defendants, Katlyn Mae Brewer and / or Cameron Luke Houston, up to three times a week. On those occasions Brewer and/or Houston would buy 20 to 40 pills at $10 to $20 per pill.
The investigation began with the fentanyl overdose death of a teen, identified in court documents as “J.G.,” on Feb. 3, 2021. Investigators learned that J.G. had been purchasing “M-30” Percocet pills from Brewer and Houston. On February 3, J.G. was attending an outpatient treatment facility and contacted Houston and Brewer via Snapchat to buy “Percocet pills.” Matthews disputed that he provided the fatal drugs that Brewer delivered to J.G., but Judge Ross on Friday found that he did, based on a preponderance of the evidence.
After J.G.’s death, and during the investigation, confidential informants purchased pills containing fentanyl from Matthews three times between March 31, 2022 and April 12, 2022. Each time they paid $2,000 for just under 200 tablets. Matthews admitted selling between 400 grams and 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl to Houston, Brewer and others over at least a year’s time.
“Once again, someone lost their life because this man sold an illegal product that he knew could kill,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in eastern Missouri. “Fentanyl doesn’t just take the lives of those who use illegal drugs. Their families and friends are left seeking justice, and today justice was served.”
Both Brewer, now 26, and Houston, 22, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and are scheduled to be sentenced February 21.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis County Police Department.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender. The sentencing took place on January 22, 2024.
Edward Wilson, a/k/a Eddie Wilson, age 41, was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wilson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He was convicted of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender on October 5, 2023, after a three-day jury trial.
On May 29, 2023, shortly after 8:00 am, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services responded to St. Francis after the victim called 911 reporting an assault. The victim reported to officers that Wilson had assaulted her the night prior, punching her in the face and kicking her in the body numerous times. The responding officers noticed marks on the victim’s face and body consistent with her statement. Wilson has previously been convicted of domestic assault on two separate occasions in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Wilson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – David Jackson, 45, of Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced on January 24, 2024, to an aggregate sentence of 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons for distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Jackson will also be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following that sentence of imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Jackson prepared, packaged, and sold heroin while in possession of a firearm. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid found that Jackson qualified as a career offender based on certain prior convictions.
Jackson remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service, where he has been since his federal arrest on June 8, 2022. The defendant pleaded guilty on July 5, 2023, before Judge Shadid.
The statutory penalties for distribution of heroin are up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a $1,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime require a minimum sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence in the case.
The Springfield Police Department’s Pro-Active Crime Unit investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Jackson is part of a committed effort to combat gun violence in Sangamon County, Illinois, by law enforcement including the Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The firearms case against Washington 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.
Springfield Man Indicted for Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for a drug offense involving fentanyl and cocaine.
Christian Caballero, 30, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
According to the indictment, on July 31, 2023, Caballero allegedly possessed fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Chicopee Police Chief Patrick J. Major made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shiprock Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Tyrell Jordan Benally appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Benally, 25, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial.
According to the indictment, on January 1, 2024, Benally assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Benally faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.
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Sequoyah Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Allen Talley, age 53, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a domestic violence conviction.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On February 9, 2023, Talley pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of a Firearm After Conviction of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence. According to court documents, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant on the Talley’s residence on October 24, 2022, and discovered Talley to be in possession of a 12-gauge pump-action shot gun. In 2021, Talley was convicted by an Oklahoma district court on two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Talley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Second KDY Crew Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Crime Spree of Multiple Carjackings and Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Azriel Ethan Echavarria, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to committing a string of armed carjackings and violent armed robberies with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during 2022.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.
Echavarria pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery.
According to the plea paperwork, Echavarria admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings.
The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled Echavarria’s sentencing for May 10, 2024.
One of Echavarria’s co-conspirators, Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 12, 2024, after pleading guilty in the same spree of carjackings and violent armed robberies.
Had the case gone to trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Echavarria conspired his two charged co-defendants to commit a spree of robberies and carjackings of individuals and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Specifically, Echavarria and his two co-defendants committed five commercial robberies, two armed carjackings, and at least 12 armed robberies over the course of their conspiracy.
According to the government’s evidence, Echavarria and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in the District based on both territory and its vast membership.
The trio’s violent spree occurred during the first three months of 2022. The men typically planned their robberies the night before and executed early in the morning. To avoid detection from law enforcement, the trio typically began a day’s robberies by stealing a vehicle to use in their subsequent robberies. If the vehicle was occupied or if the owner was close by, the men used firearms, force, and intimidation to carjack it. After the sprees, the men sold the vehicles for added profit. A hallmark of the defendants’ robberies was the use of force and/or violence against their victims.
On February 8, 2022, for instance, Echavarria and his co-defendants traveled from Northeast Washington to Chevy Chase, Md., to steal a Toyota Rav4. After stealing the SUV, the trio traveled to a convenience store on the 8100 block of Fenton St., in Silver Spring.
At the store, Echavarria approached a delivery man making a scheduled drop off while armed with a handgun. As a co-defendant waited in the Rav4 as the getaway driver, Echavarria and his other co-defendant punched the delivery man and then pistol whipped them with his weapon. A co-defendant then took the delivery man’s wallet and cases of product from the delivery truck. After completing the robbery, the trio fled the scene.
On February 20, 2022, Echavarria and his co-defendants stole a Honda Ridgeline truck in Silver Spring, Md., shortly before 6 a.m. Less than an hour later, police received multiple reports of suspects in a black Ridgeline truck who were attempting to break into other vehicles. That same morning, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers responded to a convenience store on the 3500 block of University Boulevard West, in Kensington, Md. Victims reported that three armed men had entered the store and robbed the cashier of currency and a cell phone. While a co-defendant robbed the register, Echavarria placed a customer in a chokehold. When the customer resisted, the co-defendant fired a round to intimidate the customer into complying with their demands.
On the way out, Echavarria stopped another customer, held a pistol to the customer’s right temple, then grabbed the customer’s car keys from his left pants pocket. The three armed men fled in the customer’s Lexus SUV.
That same morning, MCPD officers separately responded to an armed robbery of a mini market on the 4800 block of Boiling Brook Parkway, in Rockville, Md. Again, a co-defendant discharged his firearm to intimidate the cashier into complying with his demands. All three armed men fled the store in what appeared to be the same stolen Ridgeline used earlier.
At 7:25 a.m., an MCPD officer spotted the stolen Ridgeline and stolen Lexus SUV and pursued the vehicles southbound on 16th Street towards the District at speeds topping 100 m.p.h. The MCPD officer ultimately lost sight of both vehicles. That same morning, Echavarria and his co-defendants committed an armed robbery of someone waiting at a bus stop in the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, one block from the D.C./Maryland line. One of the armed men placed the victim in a chokehold. The other pistol-whipped the victim in the face. The two stole the victim’s wallet and fled.
Additional carjackings and violent robberies followed. Early on the morning of March 2, Echavarria and his co-conspirators drove a black Dodge Charger with stolen plates from Northeast Washington to Maryland. On the 6000 block of 64th Ave., Riverdale, the conspirators spotted a driver inside of a black Audi A6 sedan in a commercial parking lot and boxed the Audi in with the Charger. Two of the gunmen exited the Charger with firearms pointed at the driver. The driver handed over their keys and their wallet. The gunmen fled in the stolen Audi back towards the District.
Soon thereafter, Echavarria and his co-defendants entered a convenience store on the 11000 block of Georgia Ave., in Silver Spring, and robbed the counter clerk at gunpoint of $500 and lottery tickets.
Echavarria was arrested February 6, 2023, in Washington D.C.
The prosecution of Echavarria, along with his two codefendants, are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
The above efforts are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and ATF’s Washington Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.
Second Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Michigan in Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
FLINT — Reginald L. Hunter, 27, of Mobile, Alabama pleaded guilty before U. S. District Court Judge Kay F. Behm for his role in traveling to Michigan in a murder-for-hire scheme, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit Field Division, and Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
According to court documents, on February 7, 2022, an individual identified as Person-1 solicited Hunter and his co-defendant Julius K. Jordan to travel from Alabama to Flint, Michigan, to murder someone in exchange for money. That individual sent money to Hunter and Jordan to travel to Michigan. Once Jordan and Hunter arrived in Michigan, they met with Person-1 who provided Jordan and Hunter with assault rifles. They later began looking for the individual who they were hired to kill.
On the evening of February 15, 2022, as Jordan and Hunter drove through a neighborhood looking for their intended victim, Jordan failed to stop at a stop sign. Michigan State Police troopers saw Jordan commit the traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the troopers saw the assault rifles in the car. The troopers seized a short barrel, semi-automatic rifle with a collapsible stock from the floorboard near Jordan’s feet. They also seized another semi-automatic rifle from the front passenger floorboard near Hunter’s feet. Both rifles were loaded with chambered rounds and high-capacity magazines.
Jordan previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. Hunter is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2024. The investigation of Person-1 remains ongoing.
“These defendants were hired guns who agreed to end someone’s life for money, but the outstanding work of the Michigan State Police undoubtedly saved a life,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue to focus our efforts on those driving violence in our community, including those near and those who elect to enter our community to commit violent acts.”
“This case represents a tale as old as time - choices have consequences. Hunter pleaded guilty to a choice he made to come up to Michigan from Alabama to murder someone. Now, he will have many years to reflect about his life choices behind bars. The message is simple - if you commit gun crime in Michigan, expect to pack your bags for prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Deir.
"The thwarted murder-for-hire plot in this case underscores the significance of collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the citizens in our community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Had it not been for the combined efforts of the ATF, Michigan State Police, and Flint Police Department working together as part of the Genesee County Safe Streets Task Force, the consequences could have been far more catastrophic. The FBI is committed to investigating violent crimes such as this and we remain steadfast in our goal of making Michigan's streets safer for everyone."
This investigation was conducted by troopers of the Michigan State Police and special agents of the ATF’s Flint Field Office and the FBI’s Flint Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jules M. DePorre and Anthony P. Vance.
School Instructional Assistant Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tyler Edward Perkins, age 30, of Huntingtown, Maryland, today to seven years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. The statement of facts also established that Perkins distributed child sexual abuse material to others and Judge Chuang took that into account in imposing today’s sentence. Judge Chuang also ordered that Perkins must pay restitution of $12,000 and upon his release from prison, Perkins will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to his guilty plea agreement, Perkins was an instructional assistant at a school for children requiring special education services. On June 1, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perkins’s residence after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips from the instant messaging platform Kik, that accounts associated with usernames, which investigation determined were controlled by Perkins, had uploaded files containing child pornography to Kik. Kik also determined that many of the uploaded files were distributed to other users in private chats.
Law enforcement investigating the CyberTips were able to identify Perkins’s residence as being associated with the distribution of child pornography. During the search of his residence, law enforcement seized several electronic devices. A digital forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained at least 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including videos, documenting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent minors. Further, some of the material portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct. The investigation did not reveal any evidence of Perkins committing any sexual assault or having illegal contact with any child.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Maryland State Apprehension Team, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Sarma and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Retired School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Traveling to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Leroy Lawrence Bolger, Jr., 75, of Kingsland, Georgia, was sentenced to more than three years in federal court after pleading guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early March 2022, members of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including Homeland Security Investigations, conducted an undercover investigation targeting online sexual offenders. As part of this investigation, an officer created an undercover online persona of an adult male seeking individuals to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter residing in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Bolger responded to the undercover officer’s internet ad and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the undercover officer. In their conversations, Bolger discussed his desire to engage in various sex acts with the undercover officer’s purported 13-year-old daughter, including sexual intercourse. Bolger also agreed to pay $50 to have sex with the child.
On March 1, 2022, Bolger drove from Kingsland, Georgia to a predetermined location in Beaufort, South Carolina to meet the purported father and 13-year-old daughter, and to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the girl. When Bolger arrived, he encountered law enforcement officers instead and was placed under arrest. Bolger admitted that he had planned to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the girl. He also stated that he was a retired teacher and athletics coach who had worked in schools in North Carolina and Florida during his 38-year career.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Bolger to 46 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including Homeland Security Investigations, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Beaufort Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor is prosecuting the case.
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Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Doron Markowitz (50, Port Charlotte) to 20 years in federal prison for producing images depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Markowitz to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Markowitz had pleaded guilty on August 16, 2023.
According to court documents, between August 23 and September 2, 2022, Markowitz produced images of a minor being sexually abused. In September 2022, the mother of a 13-year-old minor learned of the sexual abuse and contacted law enforcement to report Markowitz. The minor described an incident in which the minor believed that Markowitz had used his cellphone to take a photo of the minor being sexually abused. Shortly thereafter, Markowitz was located in Port Charlotte and his cellphone was seized by law enforcement.
On September 6, 2022, during an interview with law enforcement, Markowitz admitted that he had sexually abused the minor at least 10 times. The following day, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Markowitz’s cellphone. A subsequent forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed four images depicting the sexual abuse of the minor. The images had been taken on August 23 and September 2, 2022.
This case was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On January 25, 2024, a Pittsburgh resident was sentenced in federal court to 15 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release in connection with his possession of a machine gun, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Dontrel Bentley, age 34.
According to information presented to the court, during a traffic stop on October 24, 2022, an officer with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police recovered a loaded AR-15 style rifle next to the driver, Dontrel Bentley. A search of Bentley’s person revealed that he had in his pocket a .223 caliber round and an auto sear device, which, when installed within the trigger group of a semiautomatic rifle, renders the rifle fully automatic. Bentley admitted that he personally modified the rifle at his home and that the auto sear device belonged to him. The investigation revealed that the seized rifle fired as a fully automatic weapon. Federal law prohibits the possession of machine guns.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bentley.
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.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on January 25, 2024, to charges of robbery and firearms violations, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Richard James, 33, pleaded guilty to six counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in April and May of 2021, James committed a series of armed robberies of cellular telephone stores in the Pittsburgh area. The Court was also informed that the defendant was found in illegal possession of a firearm in August 2021. As a convicted felon, under federal law, James is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that the defendant remain detained.Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of James, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Swissvale Police Department.
Phoenix Man Arrested for Making Online Death Threats Against the President and Vice PresidentRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –David Michael Hanson, 41, of Phoenix, was arrested on Wednesday for making online threats against the President and Vice-President. Hanson was charged by federal criminal complaint on Tuesday with five counts of Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency and five counts of Interstate Communication of Threats.
The complaint alleges that in November and December of 2023, while living in Arizona, Hanson used a social media platform to post threats to murder the President and Vice President of the United States. On November 19, 2023, Hanson posted online a series of threatening statements including one that stated, “#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered.” After the U.S. Secret Service spoke to Hanson and warned him that it was a federal crime to post such threats, on December 23, 2023, Hanson posted another series of similar threats aimed at the President and Vice-President.
Each count of Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count of Interstate Communication of Threats carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Secret Service is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-6010MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-010_Hanson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Newport News Man Convicted of Receiving Cocaine Parcel in MailRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Newport News man yesterday of possession of two kilograms of cocaine that he received in the mail.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, James Arthur Scott, 33, waited in a parking lot in Hampton for more than an hour and a half to take personal delivery of a parcel from California to be delivered to “Lit Wick.” Prior to delivery, law enforcement agents had intercepted the parcel at a UPS facility in Newport News. Further inspection of the parcel revealed two shoeboxes inside several layers of packaging. The shoeboxes were filled with wax. Inside the wax was a kilogram of cocaine, one in each shoebox, totaling two kilograms of cocaine.
A controlled delivery of the two shoeboxes was conducted, and Scott was identified in a rental car waiting for the delivery. Scott accepted delivery of the parcel and placed it in his vehicle. A vehicle takedown was conducted and the parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine was found on Scott’s front seat. UPS identified Scott as receiving at least four other deliveries in the same parking lot for packages to be delivered to “Lit Wick.”
Scott was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of forty years in prison when sentenced on June 4. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Heath and Eric M. Hurt are prosecuting the case.
Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-79.
New Orleans Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Control Act and Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROXANNE CARTER, age 36, pled guilty on January 23, 2024 before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long to a five-count superseding bill of information. Specifically, CARTER pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, distribution of a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
CARTER also pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
As to Counts one, two and three, CARTER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. As to Count four, CARTER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and up to life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. As to Count five, CARTER faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) supervised release. As to each count, CARTER also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, CARTER conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in Orleans Parish. CARTER also possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, specifically possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. CARTER admitted she was a prohibited person and knew she had a prior felony conviction that prohibited her from possessing a firearm.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Jefferson Parish Crime Laboratory. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit
Nearly 200 Defendants Charged in Series of Arrests Targeting Drug-Trafficking Organizations NationwideRead the Press Release
Nearly 200 people have been charged as part of a series of arrests targeting large-scale drug-trafficking organizations operating throughout the United States.
“Over just three days and across 10 states, the Justice Department has charged nearly 200 individuals for their alleged roles in major drug trafficking operations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These cases represent just a fraction of the work our agents and prosecutors are doing every day to target, disrupt, and dismantle the cartels and drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning the American people.”
“Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die from illicit drugs trafficked into our communities, including fentanyl and other synthetic opioids,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This wave of indictments and arrests — stretching from Alaska to Mississippi and from Nebraska to West Virginia — shows the reach of the Justice Department and our partners across the country and around the world when it comes to disrupting narcotics trafficking.”
The cases announced this week were brought by federal law enforcement in four districts leading to the arrest of defendants from 10 states that cover crime rings operating in the Eastern, Southern, and Midwest regions of the U.S. and throughout Alaska.
These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy implemented under Attorney General Garland to leverage the resources of the Department’s federal prosecutors, agents, investigators, criminal justice experts and grant programs to combat violent crime.
Every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside state and local partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. These cases represent the ongoing, targeted efforts by U.S. Attorney’s Offices to seize deadly drugs and to prosecute those whose actions bring violence in communities.
On Jan. 25, the District of Alaska announced charges against 54 defendants in connections with a large-scale organized crime ring operating within the state of Alaska, allegedly run by an inmate from a California prison. Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, 57, is accused of using contraband cell phones to communicate with his suppliers in Mexico and their brokers, leaders in California and Oregon, and distributors of the drug trafficking enterprise in Alaska. From February 2022 to July 2023, law enforcement intercepted over 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 27.3 kilograms of meth, 11.3 kilograms of heroin, and 118 grams of cocaine connected to the enterprise The indictments allege the enterprise mainly used high-level suppliers to send drug packages through the U.S. Postal Service from Oregon and California to Alaska. Distributors located in Alaska would allegedly receive the packages and traffic the drugs to Alaskan communities, from the most populous cities to some of Alaska’s smallest villages.
On Jan. 24, the Northern District of West Virginia announced charges against 82 defendants for a drug trafficking ring operating in the Eastern Panhandle. According to court documents, Gary Bernard Brown Jr., 38, of Baltimore, supplied others with large quantities of fentanyl capsules and powder for redistribution in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The investigation yielded 10 kilograms of fentanyl with a street value of $1.2 million. The fentanyl being trafficked was blue and packaged in colorful capsules, potentially attractive to children. It was enough fentanyl to create more than 33,000 of the capsules for sale. Officers also found cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets during the investigation.
On Jan. 23, the District of Nebraska announced charges against 19 defendants for their roles as part of a meth distribution ring operating throughout Nebraska with ties to Kentucky and California. Alejandro Ruiz, 41, allegedly ran the crime syndicate out of California and trafficked meth and other narcotics from Mexico into California and then into the Midwest, including central Nebraska. In addition to meth seized through controlled buys, law enforcement also seized three firearms.
On Jan. 23, the Southern District of Mississippi arrested 40 individuals stemming from a four-year federal investigation of multiple drug-trafficking organizations distributing meth, cocaine, and other illegal narcotics. The case included defendants throughout Mississippi with connections to Mexico, California, Texas, Alabama, and elsewhere. Some defendants are charged with committing a meth drug offense while minors, including a young toddler, were at the location. Investigators seized 36 firearms, five kilograms of crystal meth, and one kilogram of cocaine.
The investigation and prosecution of these cases are part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operations, which aim to identify, disrupt, and dismantle 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.
Moss Point Man Sentenced to 5 years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A Moss Point man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2022, Anthony Loyd Parson, Jr., 37, fled on foot after making an erratic stop in a vehicle he was driving when Moss Point Police Department officers were attempting to conduct a traffic stop. Officers found outside Parson’s door a cell phone and a firearm with a serial number that had been removed. Parson had previous felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a drive-by shooting.
Parson was indicted by a federal grand jury, and he pled guilty on October 19, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Moss Point Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores Sentenced for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 25, 2024, Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores, 40, of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 90 months in prison after her guilty plea to one count of aiding and abetting the receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography (also known as child sexual abuse material, or CSAM). U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Vasquez Flores to serve a five-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, Vasquez Flores participated in the production of a video which showed her inflicting sadistic abuse of a prepubescent boy who was known to her. In the video, Vasquez Flores slapped and hit the boy, whose arms and legs were bound. She placed her fully clothed genital area over the boy’s face and bounced on it. She also held her hands over his mouth and nose and appeared to suffocate him. By the end of the video, it appeared that the child was unconscious. Vasquez Flores made the video knowing that it would be sent to a sexual sadist who would use the video for sexual stimulation.
A link to the video was sent on October 13, 2018, to Sean Fiore, Vasquez Flores’ co-defendant. On March 25, 2022, Judge Reiss sentenced Fiore to serve 27-years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, following his guilty plea to murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap and murder a person overseas, conspiracy to produce child pornography (CSAM), and possession of child pornography (CSAM). Judge Reiss also ordered Fiore to pay restitution to the victims of his offense conduct.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the investigation of Vasquez Flores and Fiore.
Barbara A. Masterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, Patrick Jasperse, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Eduardo Palomo, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, represented the government. Sara Puls and Steven Barth of the Office of the Federal Public Defender represented Vasquez Flores.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Vasquez Flores.
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 Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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 .
Monterey Caterer Charged with Defrauding the Government Out of $4 Million in Covid-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Dory Lindsay Ford with charges related to COVID fraud, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office; and Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Weston King.
According to the indictment, Ford, 57, of Monterey, California, operated a catering company called Aqua Terra Culinary, Inc. (Aqua Terra). During the pandemic, Ford applied for and received approximately $4 million in loans and grants from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL).
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in or around March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP.
Section 5003 of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) established the RRF and appropriated $28.6 billion to the SBA for the purpose of making grants under the RRF. The SBA awarded funding through the RRF to restaurants, bars, and similar businesses serving food and drink. The purpose of this funding was to provide support to eligible entities that suffered revenue losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation measures.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program is an SBA program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
According to the indictment, Ford obtained approximately $4 million in PPP, RRF, and EIDL funds by using false and fraudulent, representations, promises, and omissions and concealed material facts. The indictment alleges that Ford used the COVID-19 loan and grant money to purchase real estate properties in the country of Belize, to invest in the stock market, and to fund a different business venture instead of using the loan money for proper expenses, such as payroll costs, rent or mortgage payments, and supplies.
The indictment charges Ford with bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, as well as three counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and two counts of money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Ford faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $1 million for bank fraud; a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for each count of wire fraud; and a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for both counts of money laundering. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Ford’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 31, 2024, before the Honorable Virginia K. DeMarchi, United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of California.
Assistant United State Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is a result of an investigation by CI and SBA-OIG.
Middle District of Florida Prosecutors Indict 167 Firearms and Violent Crime Defendants During 2023 as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the 2023 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During 2023, which includes the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has indicted 167 defendants. These defendants face federal firearms and violent crime charges. Law enforcement seized approximately 445 firearms associated with these defendants.
During the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, ending on December 31, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida indicted 41 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 93 firearms from our streets in the process. (See chart for case details)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Members of the United States Attorney’s Office spoke with more than 200 middle and high school students during the first quarter of 2024. Assistant United States Attorneys also met with college and law students to discuss firearm and violent crime prevention and prosecution. Prison re-entry events at Baker Re-entry Center and Lawtey Correctional Institute this quarter reached almost 100 inmates.
“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q1 PSN case highlights:
United States v. Edward James Bess, III (Ft. Myers)
On December 12, 2023, Edward James Bess, III (29, Fort Myers) was sentenced to 33 years and 4 months for carjacking causing serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and a second carjacking. Bess carjacked two victims, one in Fort Myers whom Bess shot in the leg before taking the victim’s vehicle. The victim was injured but survived the shooting. Bess carjacked a second victim in Sumter County. Bess was eventually apprehended by law enforcement following a chase.
United States v. Jesse Moore (Jacksonville)
In November 2023, a federal jury found Jesse Rance Moore (46, Bell) guilty of four counts pertaining to Hobbs Act robberies and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the FBI first learned of a masked man robbing a string of pharmacy stores in the Columbia County area after the North Florida Pharmacy in Fort White was robbed at gun point on January 13, 2022. This masked individual was captured on surveillance exiting a blue/grey sedan, walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, and demanding controlled substances, specifically, oxycodone, oxycontin, and Percocet. After holding up multiple store employees and taking the controlled substances, the masked man exited the pharmacy and drove southbound on US Highway 27. Unbeknownst to the robber, a good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Moore. Further, the FBI later discovered that the vehicles used in the previous three robberies either matched the description of a pickup truck registered to Moore or matched the vehicles Moore’s wife had rented just days prior to the robberies. Law enforcement seized articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots associated with the robberies. During trial, evidence seized from Moore’s cellphone was presented to demonstrate that he had googled medications stolen from the pharmacies, the store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of keyword searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida,” which he had Googled just a couple weeks prior to the first robbery. Moore’s sentencing is set for January 30, 2024.
United States v. Kingsley Wilson and Viviana Rodriguez (Ocala)
In November 2023, Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) pleaded guilty to 1 count of dealing in firearms without a license, 14 counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, and 14 counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. In December 2023, his girlfriend, Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee), pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, seven counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and seven counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from FFLs within the Middle District of Florida. Rodriguez purchased an additional 47 firearms during the same period. While purchasing these firearms, Rodriguez falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that she was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. Rodriguez was actually purchasing these firearms for others in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellphone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and others, including Rodriguez, about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Fourteen of the firearms purchased by Wilson and Rodriguez have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada.
United States v. Bernard Rogers (Orlando)
On October 10, 2023, Bernard Rogers was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for committing three armed robberies in July 2022. First, Rogers entered a Cracker Barrel in Melbourne and robbed the cashier of cash using a firearm. He then robbed a cashier at a Dollar General in Orlando, once again stealing cash from the register. Rogers was caught shortly after his third armed robbery, a T.D. Bank in Melbourne. The bank teller gave Rogers a concealed GPS tracker and law enforcement caught him after a brief car chase. Rogers was arrested in his rental getaway car with more than $3,000, the GPS tracker, and a loaded Ruger .380 firearm.
United States v. Antonio Brown and Steven Jackson (Tampa)
On October 4, 2023, Antonio Brown (45, Tampa) was sentenced to 17 years in prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His codefendant, Steven Jackson, was previously sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison. According to court documents, Brown and Jackson robbed two auto parts stores in the Tampa area on August 29, 2021. During the first auto parts store robbery, Brown and Jackson carried firearms and wore surgical masks when they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from cash registers. Brown and Jackson then drove to a second auto parts store where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Later that night, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification. Further investigation provided evidence showing Jackson in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson wore during the robberies in his garbage outside his residence.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
1st Quarter
Javier Velasquez, Jr. (37)
Distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 5 years, up to life in federal prison.
6
Luis Armando Rodriguez-Padilla (27)
Illegal reentry by a previously convicted felon, possession of a firearm by and alien unlawfully in the United States, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 25 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Benjamin S. Winter.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Timothy Crowe (54)
False statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Gabriel Daniel Pinnace (31)
False statement during purchase of firearm, aiding and abetting smuggling firearms, aiding and abetting possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison (false statement), 5 years in federal prison (aiding and abetting).
3
Eric Joel Valdez (22)
Possession of a stolen firearm and transportation of a stolen firearm
Maximum Penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
1
Andre Lee Long (48)
Distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Minimum/maximum penalty: 5 years, up to life, in federal prison and 10 years, up to life in federal prison.
1
Scott Randall Chance, Jr. (22)
Dealing Firearms without a license, possession of an illegal machinegun, distribution of a controlled substance.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison and 10 years in federal prison.
8
Anthony Lavar Wilson (40)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Markee Washington (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun.
Minimum/maximum penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison and 10 years in federal prison.
2
Jaime Rosario Ang (51)
Distribution of 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine and distribution/possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine.
Minimum/maximum penalty: 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison and 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Mar’Kesie Williams (27)
Possession of a machine gun
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
1
Michael Thomas Sawyer (49)
Making false statements to a firearms dealer
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Paul Allen Anderson, Jr. (31)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Minimum/maximum penalty: 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
5
Randolph Wayne Swindle
Making false statements to a firearms dealer.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Roberto Roman Ramirez (50)
False statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Aakash Singh, Michael Coolican, John Cannizzaro, Kirwinn Mike, and Kevin Frein.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Jared Boyle (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 in federal prison.
1
Jerome Junior Swopshire (40)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 in federal prison.
1
Marcus Cleaver Morgan, Jr. (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 in federal prison.
1
James Wendell Jackson
(31)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Tyran Terrell Harris
(23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Gregory Howard Coleman, III (27)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
William Scott Fogg (37)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Kevin Eugene Leeks, Jr. (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Frank Thomas Diviak (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie Boyer, Sara Swartzberg, and Hanna Nowalk.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Gabriel Gladman (23)
False statements with the intent to purchase firearms and selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile under the age of 18.
Maximum penalties: 10 years in federal prison (false statement) and up to 1 year in federal prison (selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile).
16
Nahum Rodriguez-Jaimes (46)
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl (3 counts), and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (per fentanyl count); and up to 15 years in federal prison (firearm offense).
0
Brandale Swails (29)
Hobbs Act robbery.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison.
0
Marcel Morris (33)
Darrence White (27)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Maximum penalty: 40 years in federal prison (fentanyl offense); and up to life imprisonment (methamphetamine offense)
1
Baruch Roche, II (33)
Possession of a firearm in a federal facility.
Maximum penalty: One year in federal prison.
0
Darius Lavon Williams (38)
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine;
possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (drug offense); Minimum mandatory 20 years, up to life, in federal prison (firearms offenses).
2
Kavar Young (32)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Maria Guzman, Diego F. Novaes, and Ross Roberts.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Dainton Steve Drummond (61)
Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Dana Calley (54)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
4
Karon Lyshawn Watson (36)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison under Armed Career Criminal Act.
1
Tramon Jamal Stewart (23)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Shawndell Johnson (31)
Distribution of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
2
Verun Maharajh (31)
Export of firearms and ammunition, shipment of firearms without a license, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Maximum penalty: 35 years in federal prison.
4
Chrissie Fier Williams (38)
Export of firearms and ammunition (3 counts), and shipment of firearms without a license (3 counts).
Maximum penalty: 60 years in federal prison.
18
Victor Morales-Acosta (26)
Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Kristian Moises Ramos (43)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Sartoian, Dana Hill, Richard Varandan, Adam Nate, Megan Testerman, Diane Hu, Matthew Del Mastro, and Noah Dorman.
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
1st Quarter
Grant Elmore Davis, Jr. (71)
Armed bank robbery; discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 25 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
This PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Jesse Rance Moore (46)
Interference with commerce by threats or violence robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; minimum mandatory penalty of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison (brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crime of violence).
1
Paul Bryan McCorkle (55)
Receiving and possessing an explosive by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
0
Samuel Arthur Thompson (53)
Possession and receipt of child sex abuse material; intrusion of protected computer causing damage; production of child sex abuse material; failure to register as a sex offender; possession of firearm by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 10 years, up to 20 years in federal prison; 15 years up to 40 years in federal prison; up to 10 years in federal prison; 25 to 50 years in federal prison; 10 years in federal prison.
1
Diandre Murel (30)
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Mandatory minimum penalty: 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
3
Annette Elaine Jones
Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more methamphetamine.
Mandatory minimum penalty: 10 years, up to life in federal prison.
2
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kirwinn Mike, Laura Taylor, Frank Talbot, and Aakash Singh.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Jared Boyle (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Wendell Doyle Goney (51)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Raymond Devon Haynes (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Kingsley Samuel Richard Wilson (35)
False statement to firearms dealer; dealing in firearms without a license.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
139
Viviana Rodriguez (41)
False statement in required information kept by a firearms dealer.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Craig Antwon Oneal (53)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert Bodnar, Jr., Belkis Crockett, and Sarah Swartzberg.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Floyd Hintteon Green, Jr. (62)
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Kenneth Lorenzo Jackson (48)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty:15 years, up to life, in federal prison under Armed Career Criminal Act.
0
Nicholas Quinton Hanson (31)
Marcus Dewonn Mobley, Jr. (23)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
0
Kenneth Lorenzo Jackson (48)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Mandatory minimum penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Erik Barner (44)
Possession of controlled substance with the intent to distribute it; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (drug offense); minimum mandatory of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison (firearm charge).
0
Ivan Lamar Vasquez (39)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison, qualifies for enhanced penalties under Armed Career Criminal Act.
1
Francisco Cabrera (28)
Armed robbery; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 28 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Jason Washington (42)
Possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine with intent to distribute it.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Donald Robert Smith (29)
Hobbs Act robberies; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to one of the robberies; and discharging a firearm during and in relation to another of the robberies.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison for robbery offenses; minimum mandatory of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison for brandishing the firearm; and a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for discharging the firearm.
0
Oscar Freemond Fowler III (48)
Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (drug offense); maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison (firearm offense).
1
John Knight (46)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Donovan Shabazz (50)
Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
2
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, David W.A. Chee, Shauna S. Hale, Christopher F. Murray, David P. Sullivan, Callan L. Albritton, and Diego F. Novaes.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Angel Ruben Hernandez, Jr. (75)
Failure to record firearms purchaser by FFL dealer (3 counts)
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
9
Nicholas Brooks Race (40)
Bank robbery.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison.
0
Desha Cooper (31)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Carlos Aquino (42)
Possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Minimum mandatory penalty: 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
O’Neil Clifton Gordon (31)
Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Dana Hill, Michael Sartoian, Noah Dorman, Richard Varandan, Kara Wick, and Rachel Lyons.
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
1st Quarter
Manuel Alfredo Dickerson Copland (30)
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of MDMA, possession of oxycodone, and attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Sentence imposed: 26 years, 10 months in federal prison.
2
Steven Dewayne Barnes, Jr. (26)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Sentence imposed: 10 years, 1 month in federal prison.
1
Deshon G. Walker (27)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison.
1
Omar Arriojas (57)
Attempting to smuggle goods from the United States and making a false statement during a firearms acquisition.
Sentence imposed: 18 months in federal prison.
3
Edward James Bess, III (29)
Carjacking causing serious bodily injury; discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and carjacking.
Sentence imposed: 33 years, 4 months in federal prison.
1
Chester Lewis Risco (20)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 10 months in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan, Patrick L. Darcey, Simon R. Eth, and Trent Reichling.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Jonathan Donte Rogers, Jr. (22)
Possession of unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Sentence imposed: 21 months in federal prison.
0
Shawntae Jamell Clark (45)
Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 10 years, 5 months in federal prison.
2
Dwayne Eric Thompson (39)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
1
D’Trevious Sharron Epps (26)
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Sentence imposed: 5 years in federal prison.
2
Pocols Lashawn Jackson (39)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 3 months in federal prison.
10
Maisha K. Daniels (47)
Possessing, selling, and disposing of a stolen firearm.
Sentence imposed: 3 years’ probation.
1
Adam Taylor (33)
Making false statements to a firearms dealer
Sentence imposed: 4 years’ probation.
2
James Frank Little (50)
Making false statements to a firearms dealer
Sentence imposed: 4 years’ probation.
0
Thelonious Kirby (52)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 37 months in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs John Cannizzaro, Kevin C. Frein, Frank Talbot, and Michael Coolican.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Mario Jerard Delaney (33)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 37 months in federal prison.
1
Cody Richard Hawk (51)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison.
1
Timothy Roberts (28)
Possession of an unregistered NFA weapon; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 5 months in federal prison.
3
Christopher Worlds (36)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 6 years in federal prison.
1
Eddie Lee Parks, III (24)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Sarah Swartzberg, Hannah Nowalk. and Tyrie K. Boyer.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Bernard Rogers (35)
Armed robbery.
Sentence imposed: 17 years in federal prison.
1
Christian Arroyo-Rivera (30)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing cocaine.
Sentence imposed: 6 years in federal prison.
1
Allen Lee Glover (25)
Possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 5 months in federal prison.
1
Cristian Burgos (25)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
1
Terrell Robinson (37)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Sentence imposed: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Jennifer Lee Branham (42)
Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.
Sentence imposed: 6 years in federal prison.
0
Zachary Ramyard (22)
Robbery of Postal Carrier
Sentence imposed: 12 years, 1 month in federal prison.
0
Camilo Ignacio Vivas Sanchez (20)
Conspiracy to rob a Postal Carrier, robbery of Postal Carrier
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
0
Jonathan James Pilgrim (42)
Possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute, and Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
1
Jarule Jhlem Jarvis Neal (22)
Possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
2
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Dana E. Hill, Megan Testerman, Shannon Laurie, Kara Wick, Noah P. Dorman, Stephanie A. McNeff, and Karina Valdes.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Basilio Amaury Bron, Jr. (43)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of federal supervised release.
Sentence imposed: 5 years, 4 months in federal prison.
1
Kranston Algeno Rolle (33)
Firearms trafficking.
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
2
Deterrio M. Young (29)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 15 years, 10 months in federal prison.
1
Carvia Harris (35)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 2 years in federal prison.
0
Randell Alexander Love (48)
Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 25 years in federal prison.
0
Terrence Thompson (42)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 6 years in federal prison.
0
Clinton Justesen (49)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 2 months in federal prison.
0
Eugene Washington, Jr. (36)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sentence imposed: 9 years in federal prison.
0
Marquis Henry Mack (33)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison.
0
Johnathan Anton Williams (39)
Distribution of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Sentence imposed: 8 years, 8 months in federal prison.
0
John Charles Anderson (40)
Bank robbery with an assault by using a deadly weapon.
Sentence imposed: 12 years in federal prison.
0
Michael Edward Lindsay (47)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it.
Sentence imposed:
(under the Armed Criminal Act)
15 years in federal prison.
0
Terrence Johnson, Jr. (28)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
0
John Kennedy Braun (51)
Bank robbery.
Sentence imposed: 20 years in federal prison.
0
Michelle Denise Herds (45)
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison.
1
Yvens Philone (36)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
7
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs David W.A. Chee, Michael Kenneth, David P. Sullivan, Callan Albritton, Christopher F. Murray, Diego F. Novaes, and Samantha E. Beckman.
Mexican Mafia Associate Found Guilty of Participating in Attack in Orange County Jail That Left Victim with His Throat SlashedRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An associate of the Mexican Mafia prison gang has been found guilty by a jury of federal charges for participating in an attack on a fellow Orange County jail inmate in 2019, an assault that left the victim with his throat slashed, the Justice Department announced today.
Robert Amezcua, 52, a.k.a. “Flaco,” of Santa Ana, was found guilty Thursday afternoon of one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR), namely, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, Amezcua is a member of the Madison Park clique of the Santa Ana-based Lopers street gang and an associate of the Mexican Mafia.
On December 31, 2019, Amezcua took part in the assault of another inmate at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange. Amezcua delivered more than 20 blows to the victim while another inmate, using a razor blade, slashed the victim’s throat. The victim survived the attack. Amezcua is one of 31 defendants charged in a 33-count federal grand jury indictment brought in 2022.
United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney scheduled a May 20 sentencing hearing at which time Amezcua will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
Of the other two inmates charged with this assault and attempted murder, Mher Darbinyan, 48, a.k.a. “Hollywood Mike,” of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on January 3 to conspiracy to commit assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and admitted in his plea agreement that he and two co-conspirators assaulted the victim. Darbinyan’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 22. Robert Martinez, 41, a.k.a. “Lil Rob” and “Blacky,” of Placentia, another defendant charged in the 2019 attack, is scheduled for trial on June 25 on this charge and additional charges.
Of the 31 defendants charged in the original indictment, a total of four have been convicted at trial, consisting of three convicted of VICAR murder in October 2023, and Amezcua. An additional 15 have pleaded guilty. Three defendants remain for trial scheduled in April on charges of VICAR murder. An additional nine defendants remain scheduled for trial on racketeering, VICAR murder, and related charges on June 25.
The FBI; the Santa Ana Police Department; the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; the Anaheim Police Department; the Fullerton Police Department; the Orange County Probation Department; and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Scally and Greg Staples of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Trial Attorneys Chris Matthews and Grace Bowen of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Hector Lagarda-Gil, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Lagarda-Gil forfeit a 2018 Mazda CX5 automobile and $148,000 in United States currency. Lagarda-Gil pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 21, 2023.
A co-defendant, Jesus Omar Encincas-Burruel, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release on December 1, 2023.
Lagarda-Gil negotiated and coordinated the delivery of over 300 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover agents during a four-month period in 2022. On March 29, 2022, Lagarda-Gil met with an undercover agent in Las Vegas, Nevada, and personally delivered 45 pounds of methamphetamine to the agent after receiving the methamphetamine from Encinas-Burruel. In June of 2022, Lagarda-Gil traveled to Las Vegas again and delivered another 61 pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. On July 1, 2022, Lagarda-Gil was arrested after delivering 217 pounds of methamphetamine to agents.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations – Tucson office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1607-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-009_LaGarda-Gil# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Marion Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Ice MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who sold over 30 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 20 years in federal prison.
Robert Lee Michael Bates, age 31, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 2, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at prior hearings in the case showed that David Belton, a/k/a “Blood,” and others orchestrated shipments of between 30 to 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine between Los Angeles, California, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, between 2017 and March 2022. Belton paid other individuals to transport the ice methamphetamine, typically in a vehicle that contained a specially made hidden compartment. Once the ice methamphetamine arrived in Cedar Rapids, Belton or his associate would retrieve the methamphetamine and distribute it to other members of the organization for sale to customers. Evidence at prior hearings showed that Bates was intercepted over a wiretap of phones used by the Belton organization. Evidence showed Bates was ordering pounds of ice methamphetamine and 100 ecstasy pills from the organization.
Bates was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Bates was sentenced to 248 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bates is the last of twelve co‑defendants in the investigation to be sentenced:
- Kiyonte Levell Sowell was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment;
- Albert Henry Bailey was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment;
- Jesus Vera was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment;
- Calub Joseph Storlie was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment;
- Christopher Eric Curley was sentenced to 175 months’ imprisonment;
- David Poitier Belton was sentenced to 396 months’ imprisonment;
- Derek Michael Mims was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment;
- Phillip Lanell Rogers was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment;
- Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr. was sentenced to 216 months’ imprisonment;
- Elmer Mims was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment; and
- Timothy Michael Webber was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment.
Bates is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.
Mandeville Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 25, 2024, DEBORAH C. KLOOR, age 60, of Mandeville, pleaded guilty to access device fraud before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown.
According to court documents, KLOOR admitted to embezzling money from her Folsom-based employer, identified as “Company A” in the indictment, where she worked as a bookkeeper. KLOOR also stole funds from that business’s owner, “Individual B,” for whom KLOOR worked as a personal assistant. KLOOR admitted to using Company A’s credit cards and Individual B’s bank accounts and Amazon account without authorization, for her own personal benefit. From approximately January 2015 through December 2019, KLOOR admitted to misappropriating $446,324.04 from Company A and from Individual B, without their knowledge or permission.
KLOOR faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment. She would also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Chief Judge Brown scheduled KLOOR’S sentencing for April 25, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Field Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, Senior Litigation Counsel, is in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in a Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester woman pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire. She is the third of the 22 defendants in the conspiracy to plead guilty, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Alesha Neault, age 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2024. The defendant was indicted on April 26, 2023.
On September 13, 2022, the defendant sold approximately 10 grams of fentanyl, and another 10 grams of fentanyl on October 6, 2022. Customers called a phone number for a “dispatch” line used to purchase narcotics and would speak to a dispatcher who would put the defendant in touch with the customer to complete the drug sale. The defendant or her associate would then arrange a meeting place for the drug transaction. On both occasions, the defendant met the customer at an agreed-upon location in Manchester, picked the customer up in a car in which she was a passenger, and provided the customer with fentanyl in exchange for money inside of the car.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Jarad Hodes are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Man Who Laundered over $300,000 in Drug Trafficking Proceeds to Colombian Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Venezuelan man was sentenced yesterday for laundering drug trafficking proceeds from around the world.
Manuel Calderin Calderin, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 27 months in prison and one year of supervised release. In October 2023, Calderin Calderin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover investigation began into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. An undercover investigator infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer who could pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia.
Calderin Calderin was a business owner in Colombia who used his business bank account to receive drug proceeds in Colombia. During the course of the conspiracy, Calderin Calderin received over $300,000 in wire transfers to his account. After receipt, Calderin Calderin withdrew the funds from his account to pay out the money in Colombia to the owners. Calderin Calderin also created fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment for Covid-Relief and Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Brownstein, age 52, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani to 36 months of imprisonment, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brownstein and his coconspirators used stolen identities to create forged identification documents and credit and debit cards. The conspirators used those forged items and stolen identities to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise. The conspirators also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans issued under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including by submitted false federal tax documentation. The conspirators fraudulently obtained over $100,000 in pandemic stimulus funds.
The PPP was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria were met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.
Brownstein’s coconspirator, Reynard Lewis, age 30, formerly of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, previously was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses, and sentenced to serve 42 months of imprisonment. The coconspirators were ordered to pay $111,579.92 in restitution to the victims of their crimes.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Pottsville Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Lexington Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Related to COVID-19 ReliefRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington woman, Sandybell Fierro, 23, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for wire fraud and money laundering.
According to her plea agreement, on April 5, 2021, Fierro submitted a materially false application to the Small Business Administration (SBA), to obtain an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fierro falsely stated in the application that she established a personal services business, “Sandybell Fierro” in 2018, that the business had 17 employees, that she had sold $94,000 worth of goods in the last 12 months, and that the business had a gross revenue of $197,000. However, no such business existed.
As a result of Fierro’s misrepresentations in the application, she was awarded a EIDL in the amount of $206,000, which she used for her own benefit. As part of her sentencing, Fierro was ordered to pay $206,000 in restitution to the SBA.
Under federal law, Fierro must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Mattingly Williams and Brittany Dunn-Pirio prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing A Firearm During Drug TransactionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Mar’tavoius Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Brown had pleaded guilty on September 14, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on August 19, 2022, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Fort Myers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
Lee County Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Alanzo Lamart Edison, a/k/a “Nuely,” (42, Cape Coral) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine. The court ordered that Edison’s federal sentence be served consecutive to a 15-year Florida state sentence previously imposed for unrelated criminal conduct. Edison had pleaded guilty on October 10, 2023.
According to court records, Edison sold fentanyl to an FBI informant on three occasions between November 2022 and January 2023. During the transactions, Edison was wearing a GPS monitor in connection with his pre-trial release for a pending Lee County felony criminal case. In April 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at a residence in Lehigh Acres associated with Edison and recovered more than a half-kilogram of controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
Last member of robbery crew targeting shoppers pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 24, Wayne Tarpley, 30, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty for his involvement in a series of armed robberies targeting retail shoppers.
Tarpley’s co-defendants, Tyreke Lafane Jackson, 23, and Da’Vontae Bobby McCrae, 23, both of Miami, previously pleaded guilty. Tarpley, Jackson, and McCrae pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to the agreed upon factual proffers, on Aug. 19, 2022, McCrae and Tarpley discussed going “Downtown [to] lurk the jewelers [and] see who walk in with a big bag obvious money … and follow [them] or if it’s sweet get em where they stand.” Later that day, Jackson crashed a car into a vehicle leaving the Design District. McCrae and Tarpley got out of the car and robbed the victims, at gunpoint, of a watch they had just purchased. Tarpley and McCrae also admitted their involvement in a Sept. 13, 2022, robbery where they chased, tackled, pistol whipped and robbed a victim who was walking to an event.
Tarpley is scheduled to be sentenced on Apr. 23. Jackson and McCrae are scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, and Feb. 23, respectively, before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. The defendants face up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the guilty pleas.
MPD and ATF Miami Field Division investigated the case with assistance from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Lapointe thanked the State Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arielle Klepach and Hayden P. O’Byrne are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the community, to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Anyone with information related to possible gun crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20132.
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Lake Worth woman and man convicted of sex trafficking two young girlsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Lake Worth woman and a man pleaded guilty in federal district court to four counts of sex trafficking two minor girls on Jan. 23 and Jan. 9, respectively.
As part of their guilty pleas, Maria Eugenia Barrios Calero, 44, admitted that she planned with Ricardo Tobon Flores, 44, for Flores to pay her for having sex with two minor girls at a motel in Lake Worth, Florida.
On Aug. 6, 2023, a local motel owner observed two young females in a hotel room sitting on a bed, while Flores argued with another male about paying for the motel room and Calero stood by. The motel owner contacted law enforcement while Calero and Flores drove off in a car with the two young females. Calero, Flores and the young females then returned to the motel. Law enforcement officers from the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, who had responded to the scene, confirmed that Flores and Calero had engaged in commercial sex trafficking of the two minor females. Law enforcement officers discovered that Flores had paid $200 to have sex with both underage females and had coordinated the transaction with Calero, who was to take $50 from each girl for having sex with Flores.
Calero’s sentencing is scheduled for April 2, at 11:00 a.m. Flores’s sentencing is scheduled for March 14, at 11:00 a.m., both before U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg in West Palm Beach. Calero and Flores each face up to life in prison, lifetime supervised release, and payment of restitution to his victims.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) announced the guilty plea.
HSI West Palm Beach Office and PBSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/project-safe-childhood.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-80181.
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Justice Department and the FTC Update Guidance that Reinforces Parties’ Preservation Obligations for Collaboration Tools and Ephemeral MessagingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that both agencies are updating language in their standard preservation letters and specifications for all second requests, voluntary access letters and compulsory legal process, including grand jury subpoenas, to address the increased use of collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging platforms in the modern workplace. These updates reinforce longstanding obligations requiring companies to preserve materials during the pendency of government investigations and litigation.
“These updates to our legal process will ensure that neither opposing counsel nor their clients can feign ignorance when their clients or companies choose to conduct business through ephemeral messages,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission expect that opposing counsel will preserve and produce any and all responsive documents, including data from ephemeral messaging applications designed to hide evidence. Failure to produce such documents may result in obstruction of justice charges.”
“Companies and individuals have a legal responsibility to preserve documents when involved in government investigations or litigation in order to promote efficient and effective enforcement that protects the American public,” said Director Henry Liu of the FTC Bureau of Competition. “Today’s update reinforces that this preservation responsibility applies to new methods of collaboration and information sharing tools, even including tools that allow for messages to disappear via ephemeral messaging capabilities.”
Companies continue to adopt new technologies to do their work, and in recent years there has been an increase in use of collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging applications, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Signal. Some of these technologies allow, or even automatically enable, immediate and irretrievable destruction of communications and documents. Documents created through use of these technologies have long been covered by Justice Department and the FTC document requests. However, companies have not always properly retained these types of documents during government investigations and litigation.
Today’s announcement underscores the continued cooperation between the Antitrust Division and FTC’s Bureau of Competition on criminal enforcement of antitrust laws and related issues that arise in antitrust actions.
Justice Department Secures Settlement Agreement with State of New York Executive Chamber to Resolve Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Under Title VIIRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has signed an agreement with the State of New York Executive Chamber (Executive Chamber) to resolve the department’s claims that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew Cuomo engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agreement memorializes the reforms already carried out by current Governor Kathy Hochul as well as additional reforms aimed at preventing sexual harassment and retaliation in the Executive Chamber.
Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Title VII also forbids employers from retaliating against current and former employees for complaining about workplace discrimination or otherwise asserting their Title VII rights.
The department’s investigation, conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, found that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (1) subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; (2) tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis and (3) retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment.
Former Governor Cuomo and many complicit senior staff left the Executive Chamber in 2021. Since the department’s investigation began in August 2021, the Executive Chamber has implemented changes to its policies and practices intended to prevent and address the alleged misconduct. The agreement announced today memorializes these efforts and calls for additional reforms, including:
- Expanding the Executive Chamber’s Human Resources Department;
- Creating new policies and procedures for the external reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints involving high-level Executive Chamber employees, including the Governor;
- Developing and implementing robust training and anti-retaliation programs and
- Creating mechanisms to assess the reforms’ effectiveness on a systemic basis.
“Executive Chamber employees deserve to work without fear of sexual harassment and harsh reprisal when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The conduct in the Executive Chamber under the former governor, the state’s most powerful elected official, was especially egregious because of the stark power differential involved and the victims’ lack of avenues to report and redress harassment. With this settlement agreement, the Executive Chamber under Governor Hochul is undertaking additional actions that will address system failures of the past while helping prevent the recurrence of systemic sexual harassment and retaliation in the future.”
“We appreciate the Governor’s stated determination to make sure that sexual harassment does not recur at the highest level of New York State government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “We share that goal and enter into this agreement to advance our common goal of creating clear, comprehensive and, most importantly, enduring policies preventing sexual harassment in the Executive Chamber.”
The enforcement of Title VII and other federal laws against employment discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. This agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative, which seeks to eradicate sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach and developing effective remedial measures to address and prevent sex discrimination and harassment.
More information about the work of the Civil Rights Division, the division’s Employment Litigation Section and civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/crt, www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section and www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights.
Justice Department Secures Settlement Agreement with State of New York Executive Chamber to Resolve Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Under Title VIIRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has signed an agreement with the State of New York Executive Chamber (Executive Chamber) to resolve the department’s claims that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew Cuomo engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agreement memorializes the reforms already carried out by current Governor Kathy Hochul as well as additional reforms aimed at preventing sexual harassment and retaliation in the Executive Chamber.
Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Title VII also forbids employers from retaliating against current and former employees for complaining about workplace discrimination or otherwise asserting their Title VII rights.
The department’s investigation, conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, found that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (1) subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; (2) tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis and (3) retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment.
Former Governor Cuomo and many complicit senior staff left the Executive Chamber in 2021. Since the department’s investigation began in August 2021, the Executive Chamber has implemented changes to its policies and practices intended to prevent and address the alleged misconduct. The agreement announced today memorializes these efforts and calls for additional reforms, including:
- Expanding the Executive Chamber’s Human Resources Department;
- Creating new policies and procedures for the external reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints involving high-level Executive Chamber employees, including the Governor;
- Developing and implementing robust training and anti-retaliation programs and
- Creating mechanisms to assess the reforms’ effectiveness on a systemic basis.
“Executive Chamber employees deserve to work without fear of sexual harassment and harsh reprisal when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The conduct in the Executive Chamber under the former governor, the state’s most powerful elected official, was especially egregious because of the stark power differential involved and the victims’ lack of avenues to report and redress harassment. With this settlement agreement, the Executive Chamber under Governor Hochul is undertaking additional actions that will address system failures of the past while helping prevent the recurrence of systemic sexual harassment and retaliation in the future.”
“We appreciate the Governor’s stated determination to make sure that sexual harassment does not recur at the highest level of New York State government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “We share that goal and enter into this agreement to advance our common goal of creating clear, comprehensive and, most importantly, enduring policies preventing sexual harassment in the Executive Chamber.”
The enforcement of Title VII and other federal laws against employment discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. This agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative, which seeks to eradicate sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach and developing effective remedial measures to address and prevent sex discrimination and harassment.
More information about the work of the Civil Rights Division, the division’s Employment Litigation Section and civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/crt, www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section and www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights.
Justice Department Announces Surge of Resources to Fight Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will surge additional law enforcement tools and resources to target those most responsible for violent crime and carjackings in Washington, D.C.
“Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime.”
“We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The surge of resources to these efforts will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and to take even more drivers of violence off our streets.”
The additional resources include a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC), which is led by the FBI with partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Using data analytics, GVAC will identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to combat violent crime and carjackings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has already charged hundreds of such cases in recent years, including a case announced this week against five alleged fentanyl traffickers, three of whom were charged with firearms violations in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The case was a result of a year-long multiagency investigation into narcotics distribution points in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C.
To increase the capacity to prosecute the additional investigations generated from GVAC and other efforts, the initiative will also detail federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to work violent crime cases in D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is moving additional prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases.
This announcement builds on similar prosecutorial and investigative resource surges throughout the country as part of the Department’s strategy to combat violent crime in targeted communities. In November 2023, the Justice Department announced a significant increase in prosecutorial resources in Memphis, Tennessee, and in September 2022, the Justice Department similarly announced additional prosecutors detailed to fight target gangs in Houston.
These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy announced by Attorney General Garland in May 2021, aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic. Since then, every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. In addition, the Department has also focused on strengthening its national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, as well as the National Public Safety Partnership, which makes Department tools and expertise available to more than 50 specific local law enforcement agencies.
All of these efforts are emblematic of the Department’s recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.
Jury Finds Registered Sex Offender from Michigan Guilty of Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity with A Minor; Sexual Exploitation of A Minor; And Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A registered sex offender from Michigan has been convicted of committing multiple sex offenses in Arkansas at the conclusion of a three-day trial. On Wednesday, a federal jury found Jeremy Robert Ward, 33, of Marine City, Mich., guilty on all nine counts for which he was indicted: one count of interstate travel with the purpose of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity with a minor, six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.
The jury returned their verdict after deliberating for approximately 90 minutes. United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker presided over the trial and will sentence Ward at a later date. One of Ward’s charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
“This defendant, who is already a convicted sex offender, continued this abhorrent behavior by acting on his desire to have sex with a minor. He used social media to seek out the victim and took advantage of her innocence,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This verdict the jury reached sends a clear message that Arkansas juries will not hesitate to convict sex offenders for this type of conduct. If you seek to have sex with children, you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent under federal law.”
Ward was previously convicted in 2013 in Michigan of three counts possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of accosting a child for an immoral purpose. He is a registered sex offender in Michigan.
Ward met the 12-year-old minor victim online in September 2022 when he added her to his Snapchat account. He exchanged messages with the victim for approximately three weeks before traveling to Arkansas from his home in Michigan to meet her. On October 15, 2022, he met her face-to-face when he drove up to her in his pickup truck while she was riding her bike near her neighborhood in Bryant. During her encounter with Ward, the victim began surreptitiously recording a portion of her exchange with him. On the video, Ward told her, “I was hoping to take you home” and “I just wish she [her mom] would let you go, especially since I drove all the way down here.” Ward also told the minor victim that she must “think I’m gonna kidnap you or something,” to which she replied, “You probably are about to at this point.” He later asked if she knew of any “private spots,” in an attempt to find a more secluded place to be with her.
Around the same time, using an application on her cell phone, her father noticed she was outside of the established boundary where she was permitted to be. Her parents went to her location, and her father found the minor victim laying in the grass with Ward, whose pants were around his ankles. Ward then fled into the woods.
The minor victim testified at trial that while she was in the field with Ward, he attempted to commit sexual acts with her. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and Ward communicated through video messages, some of which Ward recorded on his phone. The recorded video messages were recovered from Ward’s phone and included video and still images of the nude minor victim in the shower.
“Each year thousands of children are targeted and victimized by child predators. Mr. Ward’s heinous crimes highlight the prevalent threat Arkansas youth and families face,” said Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder of FBI’s Little Rock Field Office. “This case is yet another example of FBI Little Rock’s commitment to working with our partners to target individuals who seek to exploit the most vulnerable members of our community.”
The statutory penalty for sexual exploitation of a minor ranges from not less than 25 years to not more than 50 years. The statutory penalty for traveling with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor is not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalty for receipt of child pornography is not less than 15 years and not more than 40 years imprisonment. The statutory penalty for of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor is not more than 30 years imprisonment. All offenses of conviction include a potential penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Amanda Fields.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@EDARNEWS
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Distributing Illegal, Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Lucas Shirley II (28, Jacksonville) to five years and five months in federal prison for transferring unregistered short-barreled rifles. Shirley pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.
According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, an undercover (UC) agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and a confidential informant (CI) went to Shirley’s home in Jacksonville posing as leaders of a motorcycle gang. Shirley sold the CI three privately manufactured rifles (to include a machinegun, a short-barreled rifle, and a combination machinegun short-barreled rifle) and a firearm silencer. None of the firearms were registered in the National Firearms Registrations and Transfer Record, as required by law. Inside the home, the UC saw various tools and machines suitable for manufacturing firearm components and accessories.
In the weeks that followed, the CI, UC, and Shirley spoke on the phone and exchanged text messages about firearms Shirley was manufacturing. Shirley told the CI he had armor-piercing ammunition and the firearms he was building were like the ones that U.S. Navy SEALs carry in battle. Through text messages, Shirley also sent the UC photographs of short-barreled rifles and firearm silencers.
On January 24, 2023, the UC went to Shirley’s home and bought four short-barreled rifles equipped with firearm silencers. Shirley confirmed that two of the rifles were machineguns. These silencers and rifles were again not registered in the National Firearms Registrations and Transfer Record. Shirley also gave the UC three privately manufactured derringer-style pistols with the understanding the UC would pay for them at a later date.
On February 2, 2023, the UC and other agents arrested Shirley and executed a federal search warrant. During the search, they found a privately manufactured pistol, a privately manufactured rifle equipped with a silencer, over 200 rounds of ammunition, approximately 12 machinegun conversion devices, a template for manufacturing machinegun conversion devices, two bags containing methamphetamine and marijuana, a pipe suitable for smoking methamphetamine, and various firearm accessories and parts, including components that had been created using 3D printers. They also found tools, raw materials, and equipment, including a 3D printer, which can be used to manufacture firearms, silencers, and machinegun conversion devices. Shirley has never been licensed to manufacture or sell firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
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.
Inmate at USP Canaan Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Assaulting Another Inmate with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Isiah Robinson, age 37, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan, formerly of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on January 23, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to serve 27 months’ imprisonment for assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Robinson previously pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate at USP Canaan with a sharpened piece of metal commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident which occurred in October 2020. The injuries received by the victim inmate were not life-threatening.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
At the time of the incident, Robinson was serving a sentence of 120 months from the District of Maryland for heroin trafficking. That sentence has since expired.
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Inmate at FCI Schuylkill Sentenced to an Additional 12 Months in Prison for Possession of ContrabandRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daquon Brooks, age 25, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 25, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to serve an additional 12 months in prison on the charge of possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brooks, formerly of Washington D.C., previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident in April 2023, in which staff at FCI Schuylkill found Brooks in possession of the weapon.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Brooks was serving a sentence from Washington D.C. for assault with a dangerous weapon and stalking. That sentence does not expire until 2033. The sentence imposed by Judge Munley for the charge of possession of contraband in prison will run consecutive to the Washington D.C. sentence.
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Individual Indicted and Arrested for Sex Trafficking of Children, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and Production and Receipt of Child Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Cándido López-Lebrón, 59, with sex trafficking of children. The United States Coast Guard Investigative Service was in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security.
According to court documents, López-Lebrón, from November 2022, to December 2023, knowingly affecting interstate commerce, recruited, enticed, harbored, transported a female minor between the ages of 11 and 12 years old, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that the female victim had not attained the age of 18 years and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. The defendant used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging service to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the female minor to engage in sexual activity.
In addition, López-Lebrón is charged with one count of production of child exploitation material and one count of receipt of child exploitation material.
“Those who engage in child exploitation, including the sex trafficking of children and possession of child sexual abuse material, will be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to ensure that these defendants are held accountable for their crimes.”
“Homeland Security - Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot stated, “The indictment of Cándido López-Lebrón for child sex trafficking is a powerful testament to our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. This joint effort between the Coast Guard Investigative Service and our Federal, State, and Local Partners underscores our determination and commitment to investigating criminal acts that extend beyond the waterline. We are dedicated to serving and safeguarding this community by ensuring the safety and well-being of our children.”
Homeland Security Investigation San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos stated: “HSI is committed to our children, as a society we need to get together to protect our children, as an agency we won’t stop until every individual that commits a crime against our most vulnerable is prosecuted. Sex trafficking of children is a horrific form of human trafficking that requires everyone’s attention. During Human Trafficking Awareness Month we make a call to “see something, say something” encouraging individuals to report any suspicious activities. By raising awareness and staying vigilant, we can play a vital role in identifying and preventing these crimes.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Indiana County Man Sentenced for Possession of Material Depicting the Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution of $2,000, and an assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of $5000 on his conviction of possession of material depicting the exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Jeffrey Allen Sink, 57, formerly of Commodore, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the Court, in February of 2018, as a result of an ongoing investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, HSI Pittsburgh was advised that Sink, who was a convicted sex offender, was obtaining child sexual abuse material from a mobile communication application. In March of 2018, investigators seized Sink’s electronic devices, including a cellphone, and located videos and images of material depicting the sexual exploitation of minor children.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sink.
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 (CEOS), 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.
Imperial County Dentist Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison and Nearly $8.5 Million in Restitution for Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 26, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Imperial County dentist Javad Aghaloo was sentenced in federal court today to 37 months in prison for defrauding Medicare and then covering it up. His former billing manager, Melissa Rosas, was sentenced to three years of probation with one year of home confinement for obstructing Medicare’s efforts to audit Aghaloo’s dental offices by providing false information.
The pair, along with others, conspired to commit health care fraud by billing Medicare for procedures that were not covered, not performed, or otherwise not necessary. Aghaloo pleaded guilty on October 2, 2023 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud; Rosas pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023 to obstructing a federal audit.
“Doctors should treat patients, not exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This office is committed to protecting vulnerable patients from doctors who take advantage of them, particularly when they do so with no regard for patient safety.”
U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta also ordered Aghaloo to forfeit more than $1 million in property purchased with money obtained from the fraud and pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of $8,476,466.23.
According to court records, Aghaloo and others recruited Medicare beneficiaries to get dental work done at one of Aghaloo’s two dental offices in Imperial County. To recruit Medicare patients, Aghaloo and his employees marketed their dental services as being covered by Medicare. Aghaloo and his employees knew this was untrue since Medicare does not cover dental services.
Once a Medicare beneficiary was in one of Aghaloo’s offices, Aghaloo and others performed some type of procedure (usually a tooth extraction) and submitted false claims to Medicare for the dental work using the person’s Medicare beneficiary number. Since tooth extractions are not covered by Medicare, Aghaloo’s offices submitted false claims for procedures like bone grafts that were never performed.
Between March 1, 2016 and October 18, 2018, Aghaloo’s dental offices submitted more than 7,000 false claims totaling over $18 million to Medicare, for which Aghaloo’s offices received $8,476,466.23.
To conceal the fraud, between April of 2017 and October of 2018, Rosas and Theresa Flores, Aghaloo’s office manager, submitted false documents to Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC., a Federal auditor for the Medicare program. Flores, who also pleaded guilty to obstructing an audit, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, March 8, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Alexander.
DEFENDANT Case Numbers 23cr0616-JO; 23cr2127-JO
Javad Aghaloo Age: 50 Indio, CA
Melissa Rosas Age: 42 Calexico, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Obstructing a Federal Audit, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1516.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General
Illegal Possession of Machine Gun Leads to Federal Prison for Shreveport ManRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juhntrayvious J. White, 20, of Shreveport, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a machine gun. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced White to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to information presented in court, on September 9, 2022, a Shreveport Police Department officer stopped White for a traffic violation on Hearne Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, White took off at a high rate of speed, reaching a speed of over 100 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. The car stopped and White fled from the scene on foot and escaped. Officers found an Anderson Arms AM-15 equipped with an auto sear and White’s cell phone in the vehicle. White was later apprehended by law enforcement officers and admitted that he obtained the auto sear and converted the Anderson Arms AM-15 into a machine gun.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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