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22 January 2024
Virginia Man and Woman Convicted of Forced Labor at Gas Station and Convenience Store for Multiple YearsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Following a two-week trial, a federal jury on Friday convicted a Richmond-area couple with conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, harboring for financial gain, and document servitude in connection with their operation of a gas station and convenience store in North Chesterfield.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that, between March 2018 and May 2021, Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, forced the victim, Singh’s cousin, to provide labor and services at Singh’s store, including working as the cashier, preparing food, cleaning, and managing store records. Singh and Kaur used various coercive means, including confiscating the victim’s immigration documents and subjecting the victim to physical abuse, threats of force and other serious harm and, at times, degrading living conditions, to compel him to work extensive hours for minimal pay.
“These defendants engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victim with false promises of an education in the United States and instead subjecting him to grueling hours, degrading living conditions, and a litany of mental and physical abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Forced labor and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our society, and I am grateful to our team of prosecutors, agents, and support staff for ensuring that justice was done in this case.”
In 2018, the defendants enticed the victim, then a minor, to travel to the United States with false promises of helping enroll him in school. After arriving in the United States, the defendants took his immigration documents and immediately put him to work. They also left the victim at the store to sleep in a back office for days at a time on multiple occasions, limited his access to food, refused to provide medical care or education, used surveillance equipment to monitor the victim both at the store and in their home, refused his requests to return to India, and made him overstay his visa. The evidence further showed that Singh pulled the victim’s hair, slapped and kicked him when he requested his immigration documents back and tried to leave, and on three different occasions threatened the victim with a revolver for trying to take a day off and for trying to leave.
“The defendants exploited the victim’s trust and his desire to attend school in the United States, and then inflicted physical and mental abuse against him, all so they could keep him working for their profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Human trafficking is a disgraceful and unacceptable crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the Justice Department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”
“These convictions demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of human trafficking and should also serve as a reminder to those who seek to engage in this illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office. “We will continue working with our local, state and federal partners to aggressively identify, investigate and bring those responsible to justice.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 8. Singh and Kaur face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and mandatory restitution for the forced labor charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Peter S. Duffey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org/. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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. 3:23-cr-92.
Virginia Man and Woman Convicted of Forced Labor at Gas Station and Convenience Store for Multiple YearsRead the Press Release
Following a two-week trial, a federal jury on Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia convicted a Richmond-area couple of conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, harboring for financial gain and document servitude in connection with their operation of a gas station and convenience store in North Chesterfield, Virginia.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that, between March 2018 and May 2021, Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, forced the victim, Singh’s cousin, to provide labor and services at Singh’s store, including working as the cashier, preparing food, cleaning and managing store records. Singh and Kaur used various coercive means, including confiscating the victim’s immigration documents and subjecting the victim to physical abuse, threats of force and other serious harm and, at times, degrading living conditions to compel him to work extensive hours for minimal pay.
“The defendants exploited the victim’s trust and his desire to attend school in the United States, and then inflicted physical and mental abuse against him, all so they could keep him working for their profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Human trafficking is a disgraceful and unacceptable crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the Justice Department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”
“These defendants engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victim with false promises of an education in the United States and instead subjecting him to grueling hours, degrading living conditions and a litany of mental and physical abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Forced labor and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our society, and I am grateful to our team of prosecutors, agents and support staff for ensuring that justice was done in this case.”
“Today’s convictions demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of human trafficking and should also serve as a reminder to those who seek to engage in this illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office. “We will continue working with our local, state and federal partners to aggressively identify, investigate and bring those responsible to justice.”
In 2018, the defendants enticed the victim, then a minor, to travel to the United States with false promises of helping enroll him in school. After arriving in the United States, the defendants took his immigration documents and immediately put him to work. They also left the victim at the store to sleep in a back office for days at a time on multiple occasions, limited his access to food, refused to provide medical care or education, used surveillance equipment to monitor the victim both at the store and in their home, refused his requests to return to India and made him overstay his visa. The evidence further showed that Singh pulled the victim’s hair, slapped and kicked him when he requested his immigration documents back and tried to leave, and on three different occasions threatened the victim with a revolver for trying to take a day off and for trying to leave.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 8. Singh and Kaur face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution for the forced labor charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Richmond Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Peter S. Duffey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $4.5 Million in Restitution for Victims, Criminal Fines, and Other Penalties in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today that the office’s Financial Litigation Program, which is part of the Asset Recovery Division, collected over $3.5 million in criminal monetary penalties, which includes restitution, fines, and assessments, and in civil debts for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2023. In some cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked in conjunction with litigating components of the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the total collected, approximately $2 million were criminal restitution, fines, and/or assessments, and approximately $1.5 million were civil debts. In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit, the other part of the Asset Recovery Division, deposited to the Asset Forfeiture Fund approximately $1 million in proceeds and instruments of crime in criminal and civil forfeiture actions.
In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through the Financial Litigation Program, collected approximately $1.9 million in criminal restitution that was or will be distributed to victims of crime. Other criminal collections such as fines go into the Crime Victims Fund. From there, funds are distributed to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, and similar programs across the country. Money recovered from the illegal proceeds of criminal activity through forfeiture is returned to victims, used to offset the costs of operating federal prisons, and shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Other recoveries go back to agency creditors.
“Our Asset Recovery Division works tirelessly to recover money for victims and recouping the ill-gotten gains of those convicted of federal crimes in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “As taxpayers, we should all be proud of the outstanding work these dedicated public servants have done over the past year.”
As for civil debts and penalties, the Financial Litigation Program collects civil penalties for violations of regulations involving, among other things, controlled substances, environmental protection, damage to federal property, and procurement fraud. It also collects civil debts for defaulted loans from federal taxpayer-funded programs.
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U.S. Attorney Recognizes Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To commemorate the month and continue to raise awareness about this important issue, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea reaffirmed his office’s commitment to fight against human trafficking by bringing traffickers to justice, assisting trafficked victims, and enhancing public awareness through community outreach.
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion that is physical and/or psychological. The exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion is used by the trafficker.
“Human trafficking is a despicable crime that is happening, unfortunately, right here in Wisconsin,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “Our federal prosecutions, described below, show our commitment to combat human trafficking and bring traffickers to justice. But there’s more work to be done. That’s why today, and every day, we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners, victim service providers, government entities, and the community to combine and strengthen our anti-trafficking efforts.”
U.S. Attorney O’Shea encouraged victims to come forward. “If you are a person forced into prostitution or human trafficking, help is available. There are advocates committed to help you find support and resources. There are local, state, and federal law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating human trafficking. There are prosecutors who will work with law enforcement to hold traffickers accountable.”
U.S. Attorney O’Shea further encouraged anyone who knows about human trafficking to come forward, “Human trafficking is especially pervasive because people don’t want to get involved or are too afraid to come forward. If you know or suspect that someone is being trafficked, please report it using the contact numbers below. You can save that person’s life and the lives of many others. Most often, you can remain anonymous.”
Our Office’s Human Trafficking Prosecutions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing anti-trafficking efforts have resulted in many prosecutions that have led to convictions and prison sentences. In 2023, our prosecutions resulted in a notable sentencing and guilty plea:
United States v. Adrian Edwards. On November 9, 2023, Edwards, 40, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor. Edwards encountered the 16-year-old victim in Utah in January 2021, when the two were at a mutual friend’s house. The victim confided to the defendant that she had a difficult home life and he offered to help her with a place to stay if she needed it. A few days later, the victim called Edwards to take him up on his offer. He bought her a train ticket to Iowa, where he picked her up and brought her to Wisconsin. When she arrived in Wisconsin, he told her she was expected to perform sex acts for money. He immediately took pictures of her and posted ads on websites offering various sexual services in exchange for money. Edwards set the prices, arranged the meetings, arranged for hotels, and kept the bulk of the money gained from the trafficking activity. Edwards was indicted in July 2021, and a federal arrest warrant was issued. He was ultimately arrested in January 2022 in Arizona.
United States v. Austin Koeckeritz. On November 23, 2023, Koeckeritz, 40, River Falls, Wisconsin, pled guilty to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. According to court documents, Koeckeritz used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel one adult victim into engaging in commercial sex acts in the River Falls area between August 2020 and August 2022. Koeckeritz also caused a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts in between October 2021 and January 2022. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2024, at 01:00 pm before Chief Judge James D. Peterson.
How to Report Human Trafficking
If you believe you or someone else are the victim of human trafficking or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Specialists are available to answer calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also send a text to 233733 or submit a tip online.
U.S. Attorney Announces Human Trafficking Task Force Partnership in Southeastern North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael Easley announced efforts to combat human trafficking, including expansion of a dedicated task force in Southeastern North Carolina, including Wilmington and Jacksonville. This task force partnership follows the launch of a similar effort in the Raleigh-Cary area last year. As part of the annual observation of January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Easley also highlighted several successful human trafficking prosecutions led by his office. In 2023, 12 defendants received sentences averaging 98 months, with one defendant receiving a sentence of more than 32 years in prison. Numerous other individuals are facing charges that have not yet resolved.
“Our unique task force model is dismantling networks in North Carolina. Today we are expanding upon the work already underway in Southeastern North Carolina, bringing together our law enforcement and community partners to rescue victims and prosecute those who are exploiting vulnerable individuals for labor, services, or commercial sex,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “I commend the work of the FBI and our local partners to lay the groundwork for this expanded partnership.”
The dedicated human trafficking task force for Southeastern North Carolina will meet regularly to share intelligence and investigative leads, receive specialized training, develop investigative tools and expertise for law enforcement agencies, and to foster community partnerships to provide the services needed to assist trafficking victims. The task force includes law enforcement partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Police Department, and the Whiteville Police Department, as well as federal and state prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and the North Carolina District Attorney’s Offices for the 5th and 6th Prosecutorial Districts.
"For years the FBI and our local law enforcement partners have been working tirelessly to combat human trafficking along North Carolina's coast," said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI. "We are deeply appreciative to the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District for dedicating additional resources to join our mission to hold those accountable who enslave others for their own profit."
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is proud to be part of this all-important human trafficking task force working in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and our local, state, and federal partners,” said Kyle D. Burns, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte, which covers both North and South Carolina. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that affects the most vulnerable members of society and by dedicating significant resources to this endeavor, we’re able to work jointly to dismantle these criminal organizations that seek to exploit these victims for their own financial gain.”
“The Sheriff's Office has had a zero-tolerance approach to human trafficking,” said New Hanover Sheriff Ed McMahon. “We will continue to dedicate resources and work with our partners to eradicate this evil crime.”
“The criminals and criminal organizations involved in human trafficking deserve the full attention of prosecutors and law enforcement. Justice for them should be swift and resolute. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is proud to join our partners and we applaud this effort to bring justice to those who so rightly deserve it,” said North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Schurmeier.
Prosecution of Human Traffickers
Finally, the office is highlighting several human trafficking prosecutions from 2023 that have helped to put traffickers and members of their organizations behind bars. Notable cases from 2023 include the following:
USA v. Timothy Bavaro (No. 7:20-CR-115-M)
On March 14, 2023, Timothy Bavaro was sentenced to 180 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $90,000 in restitution to multiple victims for his role as the leader and organizer of a prostitution enterprise that he operated from at least 2015 to 2019 across various states (including New York, South Carolina, and North Carolina), victimizing at least seven women. Information from the victims and a cooperating witness all provided information regarding Bavaro’s prostitution business, including Bavaro’s physical abuse of victims and the fear that many victims cited as the reason they continued engaging in commercial sex for his financial gain. Victims reported they were required to give Bavaro anywhere from 50-100% of their earnings while still having to pay their expenses, leaving them with little to nothing. Bavaro appealed, but on December 21, 2023, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the sentence imposed by the district court and dismissed the remainder of Bavaro’s appeal.
USA v. Yomere Juan Busbee (No. 5:20-CR-393-M)
On March 24, 2023, Busbee – a violent pimp and drug dealer from Fayetteville – was sentenced to 390 months in prison. In September 2022, a federal jury in Wilmington found Busbee guilty on six counts related to the kidnapping of four victims, including a minor, as well as several drug and gun offenses that came to light during an investigation into the defendant’s sex trafficking activities. Two co-defendants pled guilty and received sentences of 108 and 90 months, respectively.
USA v. Roderick Wall (No. 7:22-CR-90-D)
On May 25, 2023, the court sentenced Roderick Wall to 78 months in prison for his role in a drug conspiracy, during which he facilitated commercial sex out of his house. According to court documents and information presented in court, Wall posted online advertisements for sexual services and allowed females to engage in commercial sex out of his home, often while supplying the females with drugs. Wall’s wife and two minor children lived in the home with him and were present during some of the drug transactions and during a search warrant on August 18, 2021. Additionally, Wall sold fentanyl to a pregnant woman, and home surveillance footage showed another pregnant female injecting fentanyl supplied by Wall.
USA v. Kevin Harold Rudolph (No. 5:19-CR-336-FL)
Marcus Antwan Gambrell and co-defendant Kevin Rudolph were charged with sex trafficking of a 14-year-old minor and using the internet to promote prostitution. In addition, Gambrell faced charges for manufacturing child pornography, and Rudolph for possession of a firearm by a felon. Rudolph pled guilty to sex trafficking of a minor and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 180 months in prison on April 5, 2023.
USA v. Ok Hwa Lee, et al. (No. 7:21-CR-00079)
From January to April 2023, the court sentenced five defendants who had been indicted in connection with an investigation into illicit massage parlors where sexual services were being provided. The indictment charged them with conspiracy, bribery, and operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce. All five defendants pled guilty in 2022, and all five were sentenced in 2023 to 10 years collectively. The leader of the organization, Ok Hwa Lee, 55, was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Shanyu Song, 50, and Xuejin Bai, 51, were sentenced to 26 and 12 months and one day, respectively. Additionally, Lee was ordered to forfeit $151,000; Song $146,000; and Bai $55,000. Ming Ji Cao was sentenced to 18 months, and a $1000 fine, and Og Bun Park was sentenced to 15 months and a $750 fine.
USA v. Brittney McCoy, et al. (No. 7:23-CR-22-M-RJ)
In March 2023, Brittney Chantel McCoy was indicted with sex trafficking of a minor and operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce. McCoy pled guilty to sex trafficking of a minor on August 9, 2023, and is set for sentencing in January 2024.
Melody Faye Nobles was initially charged with McCoy but was also subsequently indicted in a superseding indictment in August 2023, charging sex trafficking of a minor and operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce. Nobles allowed her co-defendant, McCoy, and a then 16-year-old minor victim to engage in commercial sex in her home in Wilmington, NC, in exchange for a portion of the money that McCoy and the minor earned. Later that same month, Nobles allowed the minor to travel to Jacksonville, NC, to engage in commercial sex, again in exchange for the proceeds.
Nobles pled guilty to operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce in September 2023 and was sentenced on December 12, 2023, to 48 months imprisonment and ordered to register as a sex offender.
USA v. Brieania Shidae Pinnock, et al. (No. 5:23-CR-210-FL-KS)
In June 2023, the government indicted Brieania Shidae Pinnock, charging her with eight human trafficking and child pornography offenses, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography, operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce, and distribution of child pornography. Co-defendant Trinity Sky Alston was charged with four counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, child pornography. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
USA v. Christopher Todd Evans (No. 7:23-CR-82-M-RJ)
In July 2023, the government indicted a long-term human trafficking investigation, charging two human trafficking-related counts, including promotion or facilitation of prostitution and operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
USA v. Deangelo Taborn, et al. (No. 7:23-CR-92-D-BM)
In August 2023, the government indicted DeAngelo Rarhem Taborn and co-defendant on Imani Jovianna Franco on multiple human trafficking and firearm offenses, including conspiracy, sex trafficking, interstate travel for prostitution by coercion or persuasion, interstate travel for prostitution (Mann Act), operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce and felon in possession of a firearm. Taborn faces eight charges and Franco faces seven. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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If you or anyone you know needs help or has information to provide regarding a potential human trafficking situation, please contact law enforcement by calling 911 if the situation appears unsafe, or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline:
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- https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
- 1-888-373-7888
- *Text 233733
- Email: [email protected]
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
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Two More Plead Guilty to Roles in Huntington Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kayla Dawn Powell, 37, of Hurricane, and Donald James Duty, 52, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. Powell and Duty admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Powell admitted to participating in the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl with others from at least June 2023 through November 2023. During that period, Powell received quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from a source or from others at the source’s direction in the Huntington area that she distributed to various customers in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On June 6, 2023, Powell sold approximately 3.6 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $250 in a vehicle parked at a business on MacCorkle Avenue in St. Albans. Powell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Duty’s Jackson Avenue residence in Huntington and seized 19 firearms, approximately 73 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 108 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Duty admitted that he intended to distribute the seized fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Powell is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2024, and Duty is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Powell and Duty are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Co-defendant Denzil Roger Grant II, 50, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine on January 17, 2024, and awaits sentencing. The indictment against the other defendants remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Two Defendants Charged with Obstruction of Justice in Connection with Sentencing ProceedingsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Erin Keegan, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging LEO HERNANDEZ with obstruction of justice in connection with his October 2022 sentencing proceeding in a federal narcotics case. HERNANDEZ will be presented today before the Honorable Sarah Netburn.
Mr. Williams and Christopher Hileman, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General (“State-OIG”), also announced the unsealing of an indictment charging OBIOMA IWOBI with obstruction of justice in connection with his March 2023 sentencing proceeding in a federal fraud case. IWOBI’s case has been assigned to the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Leo Hernandez and Obioma Iwobi allegedly provided false information to federal judges in improper attempts to obtain leniency at sentencing. The obstruction of justice charges announced today should send a clear message that this Office will not tolerate attempts by criminal defendants to manipulate the court system.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “As alleged, Leo Hernandez has shown once again he is neither reformed nor remorseful for the crimes of which he is accused. I commend HSI New York’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their continued emphasis on securing justice.”
State-OIG Special Agent in Charge Christopher Hileman said: “Our office commends and appreciates the vigilance and efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in addressing the alleged attempts by a subject to obtain leniency during his sentencing hearing through the submission of false attestations. This indictment shows that the U.S. criminal justice system will hold accountable those who seek to deceive and defraud it.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint charging HERNANDEZ and the Indictment charging IWOBI:[1]
HERNANDEZ was prosecuted for participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in United States v. Leo Hernandez, No. 20 Cr. 79 (RMB). In advance of the sentencing proceeding in that case, HERNANDEZ obstructed the sentencing proceeding by, among other things, (i) falsely stating to the U.S. Probation Office for the Southern District of New York that he had an opioid addiction, which was then incorporated into HERNANDEZ’s presentence investigation report, and (ii) causing his attorney in that case to make false representations to the Court in connection with sentencing regarding HERNANDEZ’s purported addiction, including a claim that the addiction motivated the criminal conduct for which HERNANDEZ was prosecuted. However, in truth and in fact, HERNANDEZ had no such addiction and provided false information to the Court in an improper attempt to obtain leniency at sentencing.
IWOBI was prosecuted for participating in a fraud and identity theft scheme in United States v. Obioma Iwobi, No. 22 Cr. 652 (ER). In advance of the sentencing proceeding in that case, IWOBI caused false and fraudulent letters to be submitted, and caused false and misleading statements to be made, to the Court in an improper attempt to obtain leniency at sentencing.
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HERNANDEZ, 42, of Staten Island, New York, and IWOBI, 43, who is currently incarcerated in Seagoville, Texas, are each charged with one count of obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, HSI New York’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force’s Trade Enforcement and Interdiction Group, the NYPD, and State-OIG.
The cases are being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the HERNANDEZ prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Josiah Pertz is in charge of the IWOBI prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint and Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the Indictment and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Business Owners Pleaded Guilty to Federal Program Theft in Relation to the Misappropriation of Operational Funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –Martin D. Cruz-Vázquez, President of FiveStar Pest Control Inc. (FiveStar), and Luis O. Agosto-Meléndez, President of CoolBreeze Air Conditioning, Inc. (CoolBreeze) pleaded guilty to the theft of federal program funds provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the administration of Public Housing Projects (PHPs) in Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, Martin D. Cruz-Vázquez utilized FiveStar to obtain fraudulent contracts with American Management and Administration Corporation (AMAC) and to submit fraudulent invoices for work that was not rendered. From 2014 to August 2022, Martin D. Cruz-Vázquez illegally obtained approximately $363,937 in HUD operational funds that were earmarked for the administration of PHPs.
Similarly, from 2014 to August 2019, Luis O. Agosto-Meléndez utilized CoolBreeze to obtain fraudulent contracts with AMAC causing the theft of approximately $73,199.46 in HUD operational funds.
Both schemes were carried out with the assistance of AMAC’s management, including president Walter Pierluisi-Isern, who were convicted in 2023 for related federal program theft in excess of $3.7 million. See https://www.justice.gov/usao-pr/pr/walter-pierluisi-isern-eduardo-pierluisi-isern-and-american-management-and.
“The U.S. Department of Justice will continue to prosecute those who attempt to defraud government programs,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “These plea agreements send a clear message to those who misuse government funds that they will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“The guilty pleas relating to theft of funds from a HUD program meant to benefit low-income families is a signal that repercussions await all those that would seek to illegally obtain taxpayer dollars through fraudulent schemes,” said HUD OIG Southeast Region Special Agent-in-Charge, Jerome Winkle. “HUD OIG remains committed to working with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and ensure vulnerable people in our communities are provided critical resources upon which they can rely.”
The defendants Luis O. Agosto-Melendez and Martin D. Cruz-Vazquez are scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2024 and April 30, 2024, respectively, and face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General investigated this case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.
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Tulsa Resident Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that David Allen Martin, age 45, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse. Martin is also subject to a life term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police.
On March 2, 2023, Martin pleaded guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. According to court documents, Martin sexually abused a seven year old child. The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Martin will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson commended the work of the investigative team that brought the case, and of the attorneys who brought the prosecution, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich, together with the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who form the Special Victims Unit for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Three Waterbury Residents Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that RAMONA ESPINOSA, 57, MANUEL LIRIANO, 38, and JOSE COLLADO, 36, all of Waterbury, have been charged with federal fentanyl distribution offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force identified Espinosa, Liriano, and Collado as fentanyl pill traffickers. In September 2023, investigators made two controlled purchases of a total of 550 fentanyl pills from Espinosa. On November 29, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of 2,000 fentanyl pills from Espinosa and, on that date, identified Collado as her drug supplier.
On December 12, 2023, a court-authorized search of a Waterbury residence shared by Espinosa and Liriano resulted in the seizure of approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills. Espinosa was arrested on a federal criminal complaint at that time. Liriano was arrested on December 16 and Collado was arrested on December 27.
On December 27, 2023, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Espinosa, Liriano, and Collado with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. In addition, the indictment charges Espinosa with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which also carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and Espinosa with three counts, and Liriano and Collado with one count, of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Espinosa appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Liriano and Collado were previously arraigned and also entered pleas of not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Espinosa, Liriano, and Collado are each released on a $50,000 bond pending trial.
This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.
Tahlequah 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 Michael Shane Lowrey, age 51, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
The charges arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 9, 2022, Lowrey pleaded guilty to the offense. On January 1, 2021, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office dispatched deputies to investigate a shooting at a local residence. Deputies answering the call discovered Lowrey with a self-inflicted accidental gunshot wound. Upon questioning, Lowrey admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm despite his felony conviction.
The Honorable Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Oklahoma City.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Six-Time Convicted Felon Charged with Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Lawrence Lamar Singleton II (34, Orlando) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Singleton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Singleton that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer firearm, a Smith & Wesson firearm, Blazer ammunition and Lake City Army ammunition, which are alleged to be involved in the offense.
According to the indictment, on May 14, 2023, Singleton possessed two firearms and ammunition. At the time of the alleged offense, Singleton had prior felony convictions for burglary of a dwelling, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and driving while license suspended (two prior convictions). As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
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.
Shiprock Man Charged with Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Crandall Craig Martin was arraigned today in federal court on an indictment charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Martin, 40, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial in this case.
According to the indictment, on August 10, 2022, Martin possessed a firearm knowing that he had been previously convicted of both felony offenses and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The government alleges that Martin stole a shotgun from the Navajo Nation Police Department evidence locker intending to exchange it for alcohol. Martin was apprehended without incident by Navajo Nation Police shortly after taking the shotgun.
An indictment is only an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Martin faces up to 10 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release thereafter.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment# # #
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Shelby County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Shelbyville, Ky., man, Clinton Lyon Mayes, 51, was sentenced on Wednesday, January 10, to 120 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Mayes appeared for a reporting day with the Kentucky Probation and Parole department. He admitted that he had a smart phone that contained “young” pornography. The Parole Officer searched the phone and located images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Under federal law, Mayes must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Filed Division; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Timothy Mark Moore, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Secret Service, ATF, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
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Rock Island, Illinois Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island man was sentenced on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, to 67 months in federal prison for felon in possession of ammunition.
According to public court documents at the time of his plea hearing, George Harper, Jr., 34, was involved in a shooting incident located at the Kwik Star on 1650 West Kimberly Road in Davenport, Iowa. During the shooting, Harper fired multiple rounds from a firearm possessed unlawfully. Prior to his possession of the ammunition, Harper had been convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in Scott County, Iowa.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Harper, Jr. is required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
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, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery Spree that Ended in Violent High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – An Arizona man was sentenced today to 312 months in federal prison for committing armed robberies of nine stores in Southern California and Arizona during a crime spree in summer 2022 that ended in a high-speed chase in which he fired upon federal agents and, after police rammed his car, shot himself.
Samuel Sven Smith, 28, of Phoenix, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who also ordered him to pay $8,873 in restitution.
In May 2023, Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and two counts of brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
From July 31, 2022, until his arrest on August 20, 2022, Smith went on an armed robbery spree in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, as well as in Arizona. Specifically, Smith admitted robbing a Big Lots store in Riverside and PetSmart stores in Signal Hill, Orange, San Bernardino, Fontana, Pico Rivera, Redlands, Phoenix and Rancho Cucamonga.
In each of these nine robberies, Smith brandished a firearm to control store employees.
“Smith showed complete disregard for the safety of others when he went on his crime spree, threatening store employee with firearms and then opening fire on federal agents,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We cannot accept such blatant violence on our streets and my office is committed to doing all it can to protect the people of our district.”
After Smith robbed the Rancho Cucamonga PetSmart store on August 20, 2022, stealing $400 from a store employee, he exited the store and was met by law enforcement, which included federal officers. Smith then opened fire at the officers.
Smith then entered his vehicle and sped off, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase, during which he fired his gun numerous times at pursuing officers. The chase ended when law enforcement rammed into Smith’s vehicle.
According to court documents, when law enforcement approached Smith’s car, they determined he had suffered a gunshot wound underneath his chin. Smith told officers who were performing life saving measures, that when they rammed into his vehicle, he accidentally shot himself, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.
“This is the type of vicious career criminal that ATF’s task force in Orange County targets daily,” said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “We work with our law enforcement partners to put these offenders in prison to stop their terrorizing of our communities. I want to thank all the men and women on the task force who risk their lives daily.”
The ATF Orange County Violent Crime Task Force investigated this matter. The task force, which is responsible for investigating serial robberies around Southern California, is composed of investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Brea Police Department; the Fullerton Police Department; the Santa Ana Police Department; and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Orlando Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison on Fentanyl and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Jason Santos (27, Orlando) to eight years and four months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The court also ordered Santos to forfeit 11 firearms and various ammunition, which are traceable to the offense. Santos had pleaded guilty on September 22, 2023.
According to court documents, on February 15 and March 14, 2023, Santos sold cocaine to an undercover deputy from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement subsequently obtained a search warrant for a residence out of which Santos was operating and recovered 11 firearms, various ammunition, a tactical bag, and drug paraphernalia, including scales and empty clear bags. Officers also recovered various controlled substances, including, fentanyl, cocaine, LSD, MDA, methamphetamine, cannabis, alprazolam, and mushrooms.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
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.
Orlando Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antavious Anton Gray, Jr. (23, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Gray faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on October 19, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Gray was a passenger. The driver gave law enforcement consent to search the vehicle, wherein they located a semi-automatic Smith & Wesson firearm with an extended magazine in a satchel on the floorboard where Gray had been sitting. A lab analysis revealed Gray’s DNA was on the firearm. At the time, Gray had a prior felony conviction for possession of a firearm by a person found to have committed a delinquent act. As a convicted felon, Gray is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
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.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Les Van Bumpus, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced today to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Bumpus admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2022 and March 22, 2023, Bumpus was living in Dunbar and conspired with others to distribute what he believed was heroin but now knows was fentanyl. Bumpus admitted to purchasing fentanyl from a co-defendant who often fronted the fentanyl to him and allowed Bumpus to pay him back after he sold it.
On March 22, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bumpus’ Dunbar residence and found approximately 89 grams of fentanyl and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. Bumpus admitted to making at least $500 in profit per week from distributing fentanyl.
Bumpus has a long criminal history that includes three prior felony convictions for offenses including distribution of 5 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on April 15, 2010, and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms in Kanawha County Circuit Court on January 27, 2020.
Bumpus is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Bumpus is among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Okmulgee Resident Sentenced for Eluding Peace OfficerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clinton Randall Primeaux, age 29, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for endangering others while eluding a police officer.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Henryetta Police Department.
On January 19, 2024, Primeaux pleaded guilty to eluding a peace officer in a manner as to endanger any other person in Indian country. According to investigators, on October 20, 2021, Primeaux led officers on a high-speed chase through Henryetta and onto Interstate 40. Primeaux’s vehicle eventually came to a stop in Clearview, Oklahoma. The crime occurred in Okmulgee and Okfuskee Counties, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Oklahoma City.
Ohio Man Found Guilty of Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Related to the Breach of the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was found guilty in the District of Columbia today of felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions in inciting the mob with a bullhorn during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
William Dunfee, 58, of Frazeysburg, Ohio, was found guilty of two felony charges of obstruction of an official proceeding or aiding and abetting and civil disorder. Dunfee was also convicted of a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Dunfee was convicted following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2024.
According to court documents, Dunfee, a pastor of the New Beginnings Ministry Warsaw, in Warsaw, Ohio, posted a video to social media on Dec. 27, 2020, via the Ministry’s Facebook page, telling his congregation that “The Government, the tyrants, the socialists, the Marxists, the progressives, the RINOs, they fear you. And they should. Our problem is we haven’t given them reason to fear us.” Later he stated, “As I said earlier in another previous sermon is this, they used to tell us, you know what, you settle your differences at the ballot. How did that work out for us? It’s not over.” He added, “January 4th through 6th … Are you ready?”
On Jan. 6, 2021, Dunfee illegally entered the Capitol grounds and, using a bull horn, he repeatedly exhorted the crowd. In a video filmed at the Capitol, Dunfee tells the mob: “This election has been stolen right out from underneath of our noses and it is time for the American people to rise up. Rise up. Rise up. Today is the day in which it is that these elected officials realize that we are no longer playing games. That we are not sheeple that are just going to be corralled according to their whims and their wills.” Later in the video, Dunfee stated, “We will stand up for our country. We are standing up for our freedoms. We are standing up for our president. And today is the day these elected officials, these senators and these congressmen, understand that we are not going to allow this to continue any longer.”
At 1:35 p.m., Dunfee announced: “Mister police officers, we want you to understand something. We want you to understand something. We want Donald Trump and if Donald Trump is not coming, we are taking our house. We are taking our house.”
Minutes later, at 1:44 p.m., Dunfee pushed a metal barricade against officers with the U.S. Capitol Police, who were attempting to hold the line. He pushed against the barricade a second time at approximately 1:58 p.m. He moved to the front of a crowd of rioters at the East Front entrance to the Capitol. Dunfee walked away from the East Front doors as others moved into the building, but he remained in the area. As rioters exited the building, one stated, “We did it. We shut ‘em all down. We did our job.” Dunfee responded, “Hallelujah,” and later told the crowd, “Mission accomplished.”
Surveillance cameras captured Dunfee’s actions that day. Three images showed Dunfee physically resisting U.S. Capitol Police by pushing against a metal barricade and entering the restricted areas of the U.S. Capitol grounds.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
North Charleston Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Ice and MethRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Maurice “Black” Adams, 29, of North Charleston, was sentenced to more than 16 and a half years in federal prison for distributing ice, methamphetamines, cocaine, and fentanyl.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Adams was one of 15 defendants indicted for distributing significant amounts of drugs imported from Mexico. The conspirators used various methods to have the controlled substances delivered to the United States, including various mail services. The packages would be mailed from Arizona and other western states to addresses in South Carolina. Adams took delivery of at least 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamines, one kilogram of cocaine, almost one kilogram of fentanyl, and more than two kilograms of ice during his participation in the conspiracy.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Adams to 198 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the North Charleston Police Department, and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the case.
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Nineteen-Time Convicted Felon Charged with Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Rosado (28, Winter Park) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Rosado faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Rosado that the United States intends to forfeit a Taurus pistol, a Radical Firearms rifle, a Silver Eagle shotgun, and Sellier & Bellot and Norma ammunition, which is alleged to be involved in the offense.
According to the indictment, on August 20, 2023, Rosado possessed a pistol, a rifle, a shotgun, and various ammunition. At the time of the alleged offense, Rosado had 19 prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian.
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.
Nine Individuals Sentenced for Passing Counterfeit Bonds and Related Offenses in Alabama’s Wiregrass AreaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentences of eight individuals convicted of creating and passing dozens of counterfeit bonds. The counterfeit bonds purported to have a total value exceeding $1,000,000. He also announced the related sentencing of one defendant convicted of illegally possessing a firearm. Details of the cases are as follows.
According to court records, in 2021, 38-year-old Zachary Lee Hale, a resident of Daleville, Alabama, began making fake United States Treasury Bond Certificates and redeeming them at credit unions and banks in the Wiregrass area. Once he figured out that his scheme was successful, Hale recruited at least six others to join him and pass additional counterfeit bonds. Court documents indicate that Hale and his co-conspirators were responsible for at least $1,093,911.00 in loss to various financial institutions. Hale pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and bank fraud in October of 2023. On January 17, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Hale to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Also sentenced on January 17, 2024, were five others who redeemed Hale’s fake bonds or recruited others to do so:
- Stephanie Jean Abercrombie, 42, from Daleville, Alabama, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and bank fraud.
- David Michael Penuel, 45, a resident of Kinston, Alabama, received a sentence of 18 months, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to bank fraud.
- Joni Marie Andrews, 43, also from Kinston, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
- Marsha Renee Skeen, 52, another resident of Daleville, received a sentence of one year of probation following a guilty plea to misprision of a felony.
- Timothy Bryant Baxter, 45, a Troy, Alabama resident, was sentenced to six months of home confinement as a condition of two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and bank fraud.
Previously, on November 8, 2023, Joseph Fletcher Lee, Jr., 48, originally from Marianna, Florida, received a sentence of 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and bank fraud. Lee was also involved in Hale’s scheme.
After all defendants were sentenced in Hale’s scheme, the judge ordered each one to pay restitution for the amount of loss they caused.
Two additional unrelated prosecutions resulted from this investigation. On November 13, 2023, a judge sentenced 38-year-old John Robert Whyte, a resident of Munford, Alabama, to 18 months in prison for manufacturing counterfeit obligations and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Dustin Andrew Riley, 32, from Skipperville, Alabama, received a sentence of 21 months in prison on August 17, 2023, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Manufacturing and redeeming counterfeit bonds is not a victimless crime,” stated Acting United States Attorney Ross. “Financial institutions and the American taxpayer pay the price of these selfish schemes. I am thankful to every agency involved in these investigations.”
“The U.S. Secret Service has a long tradition of investigating those who aim to exploit our financial systems and target innocent victims,” stated Resident Agent in Charge Robert T. Haralson with the United States Secret Service’s Montgomery Resident Office. “We are thankful for the hard work and dedication of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, as we worked together to bring these offenders to justice. With support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will continue to investigate, arrest, and support prosecution of criminals who choose to commit fraud in Alabama and across the nation.”
The United States Secret Service investigated these cases, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, the Enterprise Police Department, the Daleville Police Department, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office. United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the cases.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Nigerian national, and Dallas, Texas resident, was sentenced on Thursday, January 18, 2024, to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud charges.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Emmanuel Azubuike Ogbeide, 28, was a member of a fraudulent business email compromise (BEC) scheme with his father, Kingsley Ogbeide, and his girlfriend, Vemuna Katjaimo, in the Southern District of Iowa. BEC scams are initiated by tricking employees of legitimate businesses to change their bank information via email. Large sums of money are subsequently wired to illegitimate bank accounts controlled by fraudsters.
Ogbeide knowingly falsified bank accounts with co-defendants, Kingsley Ogbeide and Vemuna Katjaimo, and directly defrauded various businesses in the Southern District of Iowa and elsewhere. Following the fraudulent money wires from the businesses, Ogbeide actively participated in moving large sums of money between fraudulent accounts to avoid detection.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Ogbeide will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Ogbeide, joint and severable with the other co-defendants, was also ordered to pay $1,587,127.87 in restitution to the business victims.
Co-defendants, Kingsley Ogbeide and Vemuna Katjaimo, were sentenced on September 20, 2023, to 121 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release and time served, respectively. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/pr/ugandan-man-sentenced-121-months-federal-prison-money-laundering-charge.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
New prosecutor joins U.S. Attorney’s Office in ClarksburgRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has added a new prosecutor to its Clarksburg location.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Will Rhee has joined his office and will handle a diverse criminal caseload, to include violent crime and white-collar cases. Rhee was a professor at the West Virginia University College of Law for the past 15 years and prior to that, served as a Trial Attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Rhee is a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, having received numerous awards to include the Army Commendation Medal.
“I am thrilled to add Will Rhee to our team,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “His deep knowledge of the law, his prior experience with the Department of Justice, and his commitment to public service make him the perfect fit to assist with the busy criminal docket in Clarksburg and elsewhere.”
Rhee earned his undergraduate degrees from Yale and his law degree from Northwestern.
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New Orleans Women Sentenced for Involvement in Gang CaseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JASMINE GRIFFIN and BYRONEISHA BUTLER, were sentenced on January 18, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for their involvement in a gang case.
GRIFFIN previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 371, and Misprision of a Felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4.
BYRONEISHA BUTLER also previously pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony.
U.S. District Judge Milazzo sentenced GRIFFIN to two years’ probation for each charge, to run concurrently, and a $200.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
Judge Milazzo sentenced BUTLER to two years’ probation, a $500.00 fine, and a mandatory $200.00 special assessment fee.
According to public documents, in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated a group responsible for committing violent crimes and illegal drug trafficking, primarily in New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward. GRIFFIN and BUTLER, and eight others, were involved in conspiracies to possess firearms, traffic drugs and commit armed robberies of drug dealers.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty for Possessing Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 18, 2024, LARYAN REED, age 20, of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). REED’s sentencing is set for April 18, 2024.
As a consequence, REED faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court records, on February 17, 2023, the Friday before Mardi Gras, officers observed REED walking on Bourbon Street with an object shaped like a firearm in his waistband. When officers attempted to stop REED, he physically resisted but was eventually, detained, and found in possession of 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit .
Nevada Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jamie Lyn Music, 41, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Music and Raymond Jaquette Howard were passengers on Interstate 64 near Huntington, West Virginia. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 399.6 grams of fentanyl in a backpack. Music admitted that she possessed and intended to sell the fentanyl.
Howard, 35, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on October 11, 2022. Howard admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl found in the backpack or direct others to sell the fentanyl on his behalf. Howard also admitted to selling approximately 1.01 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Huntington motel on September 22, 2021. On November 16, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Howard’s motel room and found approximately 4.6 pounds of fentanyl and a loaded Glock 43x pistol hidden in the ceiling. Howard admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl.
Howard was sentenced on January 17, 2023, to 14 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release
United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-102.
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Moss Point Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 14 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Moss Point man was sentenced to a total of 195 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 14 grams of fentanyl.
Richard Terrell Magee, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2022, agents conducted a controlled purchase of 14 grams of fentanyl from Magee in Jackson County, Mississippi. Magee was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 21, 2023. He pled guilty on October 19, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Moss Point Man Sentenced to over 21 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Moss Point man was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 112 grams of methamphetamine.
Ronald Charles Glaude, Jr. AKA “Bug”, 34, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on February 22, 2019, law enforcement agents utilized a confidential informant to purchase a clear plastic bag containing a total package weight of approximately 112.5 grams of methamphetamine for $1600.00 from Glaude at a residence in Moss Point, Mississippi.
Glaude was indicted by a federal grand jury and he pled guilty on October 26, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pascagoula Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to Eight Years’ Imprisonment for Attempting to Entice A MinorRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 19, 2024, Matthew Robinson, age 31, formerly of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for attempting to entice a minor online.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Robinson pleaded guilty to attempting to entice an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual intercourse, between July 16, 2022 and August 2, 2022. During that time period, Robinson exchanged sexually explicit conversations and photographs with a person that he believed to be 13 years of age. Robinson has been in custody since his arrest on August 2, 2022.
The case was investigated by agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Michigan Medical Provider Convicted of Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Michigan businessman today of aggravated identity theft for placing the name and address of another man with the same name in legal documents to avoid a settlement payment of more than $6 million.
According to documents and evidence presented at trial, Hassan Kamal Fayad, of Dearborn, operated three medical practices and a transportation business. To fund business operations, Fayad sold outstanding medical and transportation invoices to a Texas-based investment firm. After Fayad failed to make appropriate payments to the Texas firm pursuant to their contracts, the Texas firm sued him in civil court for damages. Throughout the civil proceedings, Fayad caused the name and address of another Michigan resident who shared Fayad’s first and last name, but lived at a different address, to be placed on multiple legal documents, including on a settlement document which obligated Fayad to pay the Texas firm more than $6.3 million. Fayad’s use of the other Michigan resident’s name and address caused the garnishment of all funds from the other Michigan resident’s bank account.
A date for sentencing has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Christopher P. O’Donnell of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 280 Months for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Detroit man, D’Angelo S. Yarbrough, 31, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to Yarbrough’s plea agreement, on September 22, 2022, Yarbrough was arrested by law enforcement for an outstanding arrest warrant at the Bluegrass Airport. During a search of Yarbrough’s vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 60 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, along with narcotics trafficking equipment including a blender, a press, and a large quantity of cutting agents. In addition to these items, officers also located a loaded firearm, which was determined to be machinegun.
Yarbrough pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2023.
Under federal law, Yarbrough must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ATF, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 30 Years for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Elias Hernandez-Valencia, 48, Mexican national residing in Madera, was sentenced Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between May 22, 2018, and August 8, 2018, Hernandez-Valencia and others were part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. As part of this conspiracy, Hernandez-Valencia directed deliveries of methamphetamine to others within the drug trafficking organization (DTO) and remitting the proceeds from the drug sales to the head of the DTO, a person known as “Tio” (or “Uncle”). Hernandez-Valencia also supervised a methamphetamine conversion laboratory in his home, converting liquid methamphetamine to crystal methamphetamine, generating product for the DTO to sell. Agents executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Valencia’s residence on August 8, 2018, and seized approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, and over 8 kilograms of methamphetamine (including roughly half a gallon of liquid methamphetamine). In Hernandez-Valencia’s bedroom closet, where agents found the heroin, they also found seven assault rifles and a handgun. This is Hernandez-Valencia’s second federal felony drug trafficking conviction in the Eastern District of California; he was previously convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to distribute heroin in 2006.
Hernandez-Valencia is one of several defendants to plead guilty and be sentenced in this case, including Jose Pantoja-Estrada, Luis Rios-Garcia, Georgina Carrillo-Ayala, Roberto Mercado‑Rangel, Kelley Hughes, Bart Hughes, and Jerry Foster. Filiberto Madrigal has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Madera County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MADNET), and the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Conolly is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Member of South Los Angeles Street Gang Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison in Case Involving Fentanyl and Firearm SalesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13 street gang who admitted to distributing kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine and to selling of dozens of firearms and 16 machine gun conversion kits, was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for distributing thousands of fentanyl pills, which weighed a total of nearly two pounds.
Jose Luis Alonso, 28, a.k.a. “AK-47,” of Huntington Park, was sentenced today by United States District Judge David O. Carter. Alonso has been in federal custody since October 2022.
Alonso, the lead defendant in this case, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of distribution of fentanyl.
In his plea agreement, Alonso admitted to distributing approximately 8,944 fentanyl pills, 855 grams of fentanyl powder, and further admitted to 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and four kilograms of cocaine.
He also admitted to selling 36 firearms and 16 machine gun conversion kits from May 2022 to October 2022 without a license and to illegally possessing firearms as a felon.
Alonso’s prior felony convictions include a 2016 conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court for robbery, as well as a 2020 conviction in Kern County Superior Court for prison assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. Alonso’s criminal conduct in this case occurred while he was on probation for his conviction for prison assault.
Each of Alonso’s co-defendants has pleaded guilty to conspiring with Alonso to engage in the business of selling firearms without a license. Jasmine Pereira, 26, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison. Kevin Alonso, 27, also of Los Angeles, is due to be sentenced on February 26, and Berenice Segura, 23, of Huntington Park, is scheduled for sentencing on April 8.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Member for the Elite Assassin Millas Gang Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Firearms Offenses Involving Murder and Assault In-Aid-Of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Tyshawn Corbett, also known as “Reck,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to 45 years in prison. In September 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to three firearm offenses involving murder or assault in-aid-of racketeering, each of which carried a mandatory consecutive term of 10 years.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department, announced the sentence.
“For years, Corbett inflicted violence on rivals and terrorized the East New York community with impunity, but with today’s sentence, he has been punished for his repeated, flagrant disrespect for the law,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is deeply committed to combating gang violence and will continue to work tirelessly with federal and local law enforcement to dismantle these groups.”
“Everyone who was subjected to the intimidation and brutality perpetrated by Mr. Corbett can breathe easier today with news of this meaningful prison sentence,” stated NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “The NYPD, in close partnership with our colleagues at the FBI and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, will continue to focus its resources on the relatively small number of criminals responsible for driving the violence in New York City. Neither we nor the people we serve will ever stand for our neighborhoods to be overrun by illegal drugs, guns, and associated gang violence, and I commend the investigators and prosecutors involved in this case for their steadfast commitment to our public safety mission.”
According to court filings and transcripts, Corbett was a long-time member of the East New York-based Elite Assassin Millas (E.A.M.), a set of the Bloods street gang that operated primarily in East New York. The gang made money through fraud and drug dealing, particularly sales of crack cocaine and marijuana. The gang’s members murdered or attempted to murder its rivals to maintain its power. E.A.M. even referred to its East New York-based chapter as “Gun Town” for the level of violence its members and associates committed and perpetuated.
Within the gang, Corbett developed a reputation as a “shooter” for being willing to shoot and kill other people. In this case, Corbett pleaded guilty to committing three shootings. In April 2015, Corbett shot and killed Michael Tenorio. Then, between 2016 and 2018, Corbett engaged in extensive efforts to stalk and kill another individual (John Doe #1). Corbett attempted to shoot and kill John Doe #1 in March 2016 but John Doe #1 survived the shooting. When that murder attempt failed, Corbett and other members of E.A.M. stalked John Doe #1 to try to kill him again. On June 28, 2018, Corbett located John Doe #1 and fired at him repeatedly at close range, striking him approximately six times. John Doe #1 survived the shooting but was left paralyzed. Evidence presented during the trial of a co-defendant showed that Corbett participated in at least four additional shootings over the years.
The government’s case has led to the convictions of six members and associates of E.A.M. in addition to Corbett, including E.A.M.’s leader, Quandel Smothers, who was convicted at trial and is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Genny Ngai and Matthew Galeotti are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TYSHAWN CORBETT (also known as “Reck”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-213 (KAM)
Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester woman pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Katie Girgus, age 30, is the second of the 22 defendants in this conspiracy to plead guilty, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2024. The defendant was indicted on April 26, 2023.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant sold a total of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl and 3.5 grams of crack cocaine between June and November of 2022. Customers would call 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 would then arrange to meet with the customer, primarily in Manchester, to sell them drugs. She would often meet the customer at an agreed-upon address, pick the customer up in her car, and complete the drug transaction inside 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 Plundered Investors’ Money in $8.1 Million Ponzi Scheme Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 22, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Richard Lee Ramirez was sentenced in federal court today to seven-and-a-half years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in losses to investors.
Between 2018 and 2022, Ramirez and his company, JMJ Capital Group (JMJ), obtained more than $8.1 million from dozens of investors and caused more than $5.4 million in losses through his scheme and misrepresentations.
Ramirez was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022 and pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering charges in August 2023. In addition to Ramirez’s prison sentence, the court ordered forfeiture of $8,188,928 and restitution to 34 victims totaling $5,440,192.50.
The defendant solicited investments by lying to investors. Ramirez made several different misrepresentations, telling various investors, for instance: JMJ purchased and resold personal protective equipment (PPE); factored accounts receivable; sold furniture to major home improvement retailers; and contracted with a cruise line to rebuild and refurbish ships’ air conditioning units. JMJ did no such business.
Ramirez promised investors high short-term and medium-term returns on their money—between 10 and 30 percent—but they never received those returns. Ramirez also falsely told investors they could withdraw their money at any time, and sent them fake funding agreements and falsified account statements to carry out the scheme.
Rather than using investors’ money as promised, Ramirez used it to pay for his own personal expenses and to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors. He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on travel, lodging, clothing, jewelry, and entertainment, and he spent over a half million dollars of investor funds on luxury cars including a Rolls Royce and Cadillac Escalade. Ramirez also used the money to take luxury vacations, to charter private jets and yachts, and to make an escrow payment on a property in San Diego County.
“Fraud and greed don’t pay unless you are in the market for a lengthy prison sentence. We hope this outcome provides some relief to the 34 victims, many of whom suffered devastating losses,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.
“The lasting effects of financial crimes on unsuspecting victims can be devasting both personally and economically,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to seek justice for individuals and businesses who are victimized by criminals who seek to defraud others for personal gain.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Horn and Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr2264-BAS
Richard Lee Ramirez Age: 54 Encinitas, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Securities Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 78j(b), 78ff, and Title 17, C.F.R., Section 240.10b-5
Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 981(a)(1)(C), 982(a)(1), 982(b), and Title 28, U.S.C., Section 2461(c)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $5 million fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Securities and Exchange Commission
Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Stolen Identities and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Dennis Antonio Bonner, 66, was sentenced to 48-months in prison for a week-long crime spree in March 2023, where he accessed, or attempted to access, the bank accounts of two victims with accounts at First National Bank.
“Identity theft causes financial and emotional wreckage for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Our economic crimes team is determined to stop these callous crooks and put them behind bars where they belong.”
Bonner, a resident of New York, travelled to First National Bank branches in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina to withdraw money from the personal bank accounts of his victims. Bonner presented a fraudulent driver’s license in order to access the victim’s accounts. In total, he withdrew $38,500 from the victims’ bank accounts. He attempted to withdraw an additional $20,000 at a First National Bank Branch in Nags Head, North Carolina where he was ultimately stopped and arrested by local law enforcement.
Bonner previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in September 2023. He admitted to working with unindicted third parties to get fraudulent identification cards made and gain access to the personal identifying information and bank account information of the two individuals with accounts at First National Bank.
Bonner has previously been convicted and sentenced for similar theft and impersonation crimes. Since 2011, he’s faced charges in more than seven separate states for financial crimes, including identity theft, forged instruments, impersonation, possession of counterfeit identity cards, credit card theft, larceny, and forgery.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00159.
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Lynn Man Who Was Arrested at Logan Airport Transporting Nearly $40,000 in Drug Proceeds SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing narcotics.
Melvin Nieves, 25, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Nieves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Nieves was among 23 individuals charged in October 2022 in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. The defendants were subsequently indicted along with two additional alleged co-conspirators in December 2022. According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area. Nieves is the second defendant to be sentenced in the case.
Nieves was responsible for the distribution of approximately 400 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing undisclosed amounts of fentanyl. At the time of Nieves’ arrest in October 2022, he had just checked a suitcase at Logan Airport that contained $30,000 in cash drug proceeds he was transporting to California to purchase additional controlled substances. Nieves also possessed an additional $8,054 in drug proceeds, as well as assorted jewelry and a Louis Vuitton bag – both of which were purchased from earlier drug sales.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit 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.
Louisiana Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
A Louisiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Edward Richmond Jr., 40, of Geismar, Louisiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Richmond is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct.
Richmond was arrested today in Baton Rouge and will make his initial appearance in the Middle District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, Richmond traveled to Washington, D.C., from Ohio with a group of approximately nine other individuals who planned to attend the rallies planned for the day. Richmond wore a black helmet, goggles, shoulder pads, an orange two-way radio, and a Louisiana State Flag patch on his chest during the attack.
Court documents say that video footage taken from the U.S. Capitol building closed-circuit television (“CCTV”) footage from Jan. 6, 2021, depicts Richmond in the area of the Lower West Terrace Tunnel that day. This area was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement officers on January 6th. In addition to the CCTV footage, Richmond is seen on body-worn camera footage using a baton to strike law enforcement officers in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel multiple times.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office, which identified Richmond as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #182 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Baton Rouge Resident Agency of the New Orleans Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Local Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Selling Drugs to Portland High School StudentsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for selling drugs to Portland high school students.
Jonathan Ash Clark, 43, of Portland, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and six months’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2022, officials at Cleveland High School in Portland contacted the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to request assistance locating a missing student. School officials told police the student was last seen with Clark who they suspected was involved in distributing controlled substances to students. To quickly locate the student who was possibly at risk, the responding PPB officers requested assistance from PPB’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (NOC) and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT).
Later the same day, NOC and HIT investigators located Clark with a group of students and he was arrested without incident. A search of Clark’s person and belongings returned small quantities of cocaine and MDMA and a digital scale. In an interview after his arrest, Clark admitted to knowingly selling drugs to high school students he referred to as “kids.”
On September 29, 2022, Clark was charged by criminal complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, distributing controlled substances to persons under 21, and using a person under 18 in drug operations. Later, on October 18, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Clark on similar charges. On October 10, 2023, Clark pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a controlled substance to a person under 21.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and PPB. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 38 Years for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man, Mayank Patel, 58, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 38 years in federal prison, for production and distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Patel admitted producing images and videos of himself sexually assaulting a minor victim and possessing those depictions on his electronic devices. Patel also admitted to being a part of at least 30 online communities that specifically existed to receive and distribute child sexual abuse material. Patel received, distributed, and possessed hardcore and violent child sexual abuse material that included serious bodily harm to infants as part of his participation in these various online communities.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
Under federal law, Patel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, KSP, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Lead Defendant in Multimillion-Dollar Boiler Room Scam that Targeted Timeshare Owners Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Long Beach resident was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for leading a telemarketing scheme in which boiler room tactics were used to scam dozens of timeshare owners out of more than $5 million by giving them false promises of financial relief.
Michael McDonagh, 43, who currently resides in Cohasset, Massachusetts, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter, who also ordered him to pay $5,469,271 in restitution.
McDonagh pleaded guilty in May 2023 to one count of wire fraud.
This criminal case’s lead defendant, McDonagh founded and/or controlled several telemarketing companies – Irvine-based Global Transfer Inc., Costa Mesa-based Global Transfer SoCal Inc., Santa Ana-based Nationwide Transfer Inc., and Signal Hill-based Nationwide Exit Specialist Inc. – that purported to offer timeshare relief. Once one telemarketing company became inundated with consumer complaints, McDonagh would form a new telemarketing company to perpetuate the fraud.
From 2015 to May 2019, “openers” who worked for the McDonagh-controlled telemarketing companies contacted timeshare owners and offered to help them terminate their timeshare interest for a fixed fee. If the timeshare owner expressed interest in the telemarketing companies’ services, the call was transferred to a “closer” who convinced victims to sign contracts with the telemarketing companies to get them out of their timeshare for a “one-time fee.”
Within weeks of the victim paying the fee, the victims were contacted and told a series of lies to induce them to pay more money. For example, some victims were falsely told that they would obtain – for an additional fee – a large settlement payment based on purported litigation against the victim’s timeshare company.
McDonagh and his co-schemers also made false promises of securing – for an additional fee – a large “restitution” payment from the victim’s timeshare company because the timeshare company had purportedly rented out the victim’s timeshare property without the victim’s permission.
More than $5 million in actual losses were caused by McDonagh or his co-schemers whom he employed at his telemarketing companies.
The other four defendants charged with along with McDonagh also have pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and await sentencing.
“[McDonagh] and those who operated in the scheme he orchestrated defrauded over 500 victims, robbing many of them of significant savings – and some of over $100,000,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “During the multi-year scheme, [McDonagh] exhibited callousness to the plight of his victims, including telling his co-schemers to take ‘no prisoners’ and have ‘[n]o remorse.’”
The United States Secret Service and the Huntington Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced for Smuggling Cocaine from the Dominican Republic to FloridaRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Roman Batista (38, Kissimmee) to five years in federal prison for importing cocaine into the United States. Batista had pleaded guilty on September 25, 2023.
According to court documents, on July 10, 2023, Batista flew from the Dominican Republic to the Orlando International Airport. After securing his checked luggage from the baggage claim area, Batista was referred for a bag examination. Customs and Border Protection Officers conducted an examination of Batista’s luggage wherein 2,994 grams of cocaine was located hidden in a speaker.
“CBP is focused on attacking every link in the global illegal narcotic trafficking chain. The diligent work by our CBP Officers prevented these illicit drugs from ever finding their way on to the street of Orlando or beyond,” stated Miami/Tampa Director of Field Operations Carlos Martel. “One of CBP’s main mission is to relentlessly prevent the flow of illicit narcotics into our nation and our job is performed 24/7.”
“This sentencing is a testament to Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to stop those who exploit our nations travel system to further their illicit narcotic distribution networks,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “The outstanding law enforcement partnership we have with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Orlando International Airport has ensured this criminal will now face the consequences of his actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
Key figure in Operation Ghost Busted sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County, Ga., woman who was a large-scale meth trafficker and also worked with a corrupt guard to smuggle drugs into prison has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison.
Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” 26, of Waverly, Ga., was sentenced to 324 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Byrd to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Rachael Byrd provided a pipeline from an Atlanta methamphetamine supplier to a corrupt prison guard, and to the conspiracy’s leader inside prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “She fueled meth addiction in communities throughout south Georgia, and this substantial sentence holds her accountable.”
Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January 2023 as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy – linked to the white supremacist Ghost Face Gangsters – that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
Byrd served as a leader in the drug trafficking organization, transporting and distributing multiple kilos of meth from an Atlanta-area supplier to other distributors and street-level dealers in south Georgia. She served as the outside link to her boyfriend, James D. NeSmith, 26, who was an inmate serving a life sentence for murder in Telfair State Prison, relaying his instructions to others in the conspiracy. Byrd also supplied meth to former prison guard Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga., who smuggled the drugs to NeSmith in prison.
NeSmith was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty, and Briley was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in multiple south Georgia counties. The network operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. Before their indictment in Operation Ghost Busted, the defendants in the case had a combined total of more than 245 prior felony convictions.
Nearly 70 of the defendants have been sentenced or await sentencing after entering guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, while the remainder await further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“Byrd helped to lead a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for plaguing the streets of our communities with drugs and crime, and she learned the fate for her corruptions,” said Will Clarke, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick Office. “This significant sentence is the result of the hard work and coordination of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners working to bring illegal drug trafficking to an end in Georgia.”
“The sentencing of Rachael Byrd is yet another strike against the powerful and violent drug trafficking organizations whose reach stretches across international borders and directly threatens our communities in the United States,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners on both sides of the border to pursue those who threaten our communities through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs.”
“Illegal drugs are dangerous and threaten the safety of Georgia communities,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI is committed to working with our local and federal partners to investigate the horrific crimes connected to criminal street gangs.”
Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Isaiah Vaniah McDade, 46, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 10, 2022 and September 16, 2022, McDade sold approximately 5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant over the course of five separate transactions. McDade admitted to those transactions and further admitted to selling the confidential informant a quantity of methamphetamine during the September 2, 2022 transaction and 3.46 grams of cocaine during the September 16, 2022 transaction.
From November 3, 2022 through December 2, 2022, McDade discussed the distribution of controlled substances during phone calls intercepted by law enforcement officers. McDade admitted that those intercepted discussions were of the distribution of 33.5 grams of heroin, 7 grams of methamphetamine and 30.8 grams of cocaine.
On August 17, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McDade’s residence and seized $5,115.
McDade is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-143.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement with Oklahoma State Agency to Ensure Oklahoma Mobile Apps Are Accessible to People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Service Oklahoma, a state agency, to resolve its findings that the agency violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining a mobile application that is inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.
“When public entities make services available through mobile apps, they may not exclude people with disabilities by failing to make their technology accessible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, Service Oklahoma will ensure their mobile apps comply with the ADA by removing barriers that prevent Oklahomans with disabilities from accessing public services. As more state and local governments turn to mobile apps for critical public services, the Justice Department will work to ensure that people with disabilities are guaranteed the ADA’s promise of equal access.”
The department investigated Service Oklahoma’s predecessor entity based on a complaint from a blind Oklahoma resident alleging that the Oklahoma Mobile ID Application is inaccessible to individuals with vision disabilities. In November 2023, the department issued a letter of findings concluding that the mobile app imposes critical accessibility barriers for people with vision disabilities. The department found that Service Oklahoma violates the ADA by denying people with disabilities equal access to the mobile app and by failing to ensure that communications with them are as effective as communications with others.
Under the agreement, Service Oklahoma will ensure that any mobile app that it creates, administers or maintains is accessible to individuals with disabilities and conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA, which are industry guidelines for making web content accessible. Service Oklahoma will take other corrective actions, including soliciting accessibility feedback and requests from the public, retaining an ADA coordinator, providing ADA training to employees and reporting to the department.
This settlement agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Tech Equity Initiative to combat disability discrimination that occurs through technology such as websites and mobile apps. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. If you believe you’ve been discriminated against, you may file a complaint online at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced on Thursday, January 18, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison for Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
According to public court documents and sworn testimony during sentencing, Sanchez Lavelle Watson, 43, was identified by law enforcement after officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in Iowa City in reference to a man waving a gun and threatening others. Officers located a vehicle that was known to have left the scene and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Watson was identified as the driver prior to Watson fleeing from police in the vehicle. The vehicle eventually stopped, and Watson proceeded to flee on foot. Nearby the stopped vehicle, officers located a fanny pack containing a handgun with an extended magazine and marijuana. The fanny pack was known to be associated with Watson. As a convicted felon, Watson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Watson will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department.
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, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.