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Friday 1 December 2023
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jeffrey Grant Cruikshank (43, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sex abuse material after a prior conviction for possession of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Cruikshank to forfeit a cellphone and GoPro camera that he had used to commit the offense. Cruikshank pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023.
According to court documents, the investigation began with CyberTips from multiple platforms. Ultimately agents found depictions of child sex abuse material on electronic devices that belonged to Cruikshank. They also found evidence of Cruikshank searching for child chat rooms. Cruikshank was previously convicted for similar behavior and is a registered sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Listening Session with New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault ProgramsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Aja N. Brooks, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, met with representatives from the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP). Alexandria Taylor, Executive Director, Virginia Pérez-Ortega, Director of Community Collaborations, Kim Benally, Director of Tribal Sexual Assault Services, and Rachel Cox, Director of Technical Assistance, presented statements. The listening session focused on building a partnership between NMCSAP and the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) and how that partnership could benefit tribal and rural communities in New Mexico.
NMCSAP is a network of 15 sexual assault programs and 11 sexual assault nurse examiner programs which provide education, support, and advocacy to survivors, service providers, the media, non-profit and governmental organizations that prevent and respond to sexual violence in New Mexico. In October, NMCSAP received a $950,000 grant from the Department Of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.
Alexandria Taylor opened the session by speaking about NMCSAP’s recent accomplishments, including advocating for increased funding for sexual assault programs, tribal research, and a statewide sexual assault hotline. Taylor also highlighted expanded services to Alamogordo, Hobbs, Carlsbad and Grants, and the integration of the New Mexico Children’s Alliance, which supports eleven children’s advocacy centers around New Mexico, into the coalition.
Speaking to his office’s priorities, USA Uballez explained that the USAO had developed a Tribal Liaison Program. Under the program, an Assistant United States Attorney from the Indian County Crimes Section is assigned as a liaison to each of the 23 Tribes in New Mexico and tasked with building and maintaining government-to-government relations. USA Uballez hopes that building relationships with tribal communities will decrease instances of domestic violence and sexual assault. USA Uballez also expressed that he hoped a partnership with NMCSAP would expand the USAO’s outreach, prevention, training and coordination efforts, specifically in relation to crimes against children, sexual assault and domestic violence in tribal communities.
Taylor and Benally shared that prior to 2021, there was no funding for sexual assault services available to tribal communities. Over the course of one year, NMCSAP is supporting 6 different tribal communities that received Federal funding for sexual assault services and are now focused on mobilizing the systems around these services and also helping to secure funding for the 17 remaining tribes in New Mexico. Taylor and Kim expressed a need for training on the investigation and legal process and how to facilitate communication between the agencies and the victims and their families.
Pérez-Ortega and Cox brought attention to the lack of services available to human trafficking victims and shared that New Mexico’s unique position on the border makes our state a promising national leader in developing programs. NMCSAP offered to use their expertise and relationships to help the USAO build initiatives and projects that support victims and connect them to expert witnesses who have insight into both the trauma experienced by human trafficking victims and the unique perspectives of New Mexican communities.
Taylor explained that Victim of Crime Act Awards (VOCA) funding is currently at the lowest level since 2006 and may face more reductions in FY2025. VOCA funds programs that provide an array of services to victims of crimes, and reductions in funding would result in fewer direct services, and possibly a closure of multiple programs. Taylor requested assistance from USA Uballez to ensure funds are being directed to VOCA, explaining that statewide coalitions across the country are also asking the United States Attorneys in their district to do the same. USA Uballez responded he would be willing to fight for more funding and seek other funding resources.
USA Uballez closed the session by expressing that he was excited to partner with NMCSAP and that his office looks forward to working with them to facilitate connections, relationships and training.
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Quinton 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 Eugene Lee Dozier, age 46, of Quinton, Oklahoma, was sentenced for unlawfully transferring a handgun to an out-of-state resident. Dozier was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 18 months of supervised release, and 30 hours of community service.
The charges arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 6, 2022, Dozier pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 29, 2021, Dozier, who did not possess a Federal Firearms License, transferred a handgun to a person he knew was not an Oklahoma resident, a violation of federal law.
The Honorable Bernard M. Jones, II, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Oklahoma City.
Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
Postal Service Employee Indicted for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that TIMOTHY MCMILLAN, JR., age 43, of New Orleans, was indicted on November 30, 2023 for Theft of Mail by a Postal Service employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
According to the indictment, on October 11, 2023, MCMILLAN stole and removed money from a letter entrusted to him, while performing his assigned duties as an employee of the United States Postal Service.
If convicted, MCMILLAN faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Parker Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Domestic Violence AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ryan Niles Ameelyenah, 29, of Parker, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 120 months in prison on count one and 60 months in prison on count two, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Ameelyenah was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (count one) and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury of an Intimate Partner (count two) by a Phoenix jury on August 17, 2023.
On July 9, 2022, Ameelyenah, an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), assaulted the victim, who was an intimate partner, causing her to sustain serious and substantial bodily injury. The assault occurred on the CRIT Indian Reservation and the victim is an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina J. Reid-Moore and W. Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01296-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-191_Ameelyenah# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Paralegal Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $2 Million from Employer's ClientsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jennifer Elaine Roarke, 54, of Hickory, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, for embezzling more than $2 million from the clients of the law firm that employed her, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from 2007 to 2021, Roarke, who is also known as Jennifer Claveria, was employed as an assistant and a paralegal for a law firm in Hickory, North Carolina. The law firm handled, among other things, the administration and management of trusts for clients, including the trusts’ bank accounts. As part of her duties, Roarke was responsible for opening mail, depositing checks into trust bank accounts, and processing invoices. As Roarke admitted in court today, from 2015 to September 2021, Roarke executed the embezzlement scheme by causing at least 190 fraudulent and unauthorized bank wires, totaling more than $2 million, from the law firm’s clients’ trust bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by Roarke. Roarke used the embezzled funds to pay for personal items, make mortgage, car, and credit card payments, and to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
Roarke was released on bond following the plea hearing. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Pair Sentenced to 45 Months Incarceration on Cocaine Conspiracy ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Jose Solano, 53, and Andrew Wilson, 49, were sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert Molloy to 42 months incarceration after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
According to court documents, on October 13, 2021, a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source arranged for the purchase of 25 kilograms of cocaine at a cost of $312,000.00 from Solano. On October 14, 2021, agents and the confidential source arrived at the Havensight Mall, St. Thomas, the location of the exchange. Solano, Wilson, Matthew Hazel, Lodwin Ashton and Cesar Thomas-Leveret later arrived at Havensight to complete the cocaine sale and were arrested. Agents recovered approximately 25 bricks of cocaine from the trunk of Solano’s G35 Infiniti and one loaded semi-automatic Walther Arms handgun from the driver’s seat. An additional loaded Glock firearm was also recovered. The suspected cocaine was laboratory tested and determined to be cocaine with a net weight of approximately 25.11 kilograms. Ashton and Thomas-Leveret also pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and are await sentencing.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations Air Marine Operations, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Virgin Islands Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa Ortiz. 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.
On World AIDS Day, Justice Department Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting Civil Rights of People Living with HIV and AIDSRead the Press Release
On World AIDS Day 2023, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the civil rights of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) more than 30 years ago, the department has worked vigorously to protect and advance the rights of the more than one million Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
“The Justice Department strives to defend the rights of all Americans, including people living with HIV and AIDS,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “On World AIDS Day, we recognize our responsibility and reaffirm our commitment to prevent discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. We continue our fight to stop the spread of stereotypes and misinformation about the disease to remove senseless burdens and to ensure that those living with HIV and AIDS are treated fairly. We carry out this work with a commitment to racial equity given that Black and Latino communities are disproportionately affected by HIV.”
Over the past year, the Civil Rights Division has prioritized enforcement of the ADA and other laws to seek equal opportunity for and to combat discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.
For example, today, the Justice Department announced its finding that Tennessee, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office violated the ADA by enforcing the State’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with HIV. The Tennessee aggravated prostitution statute elevates misdemeanor conduct to a felony based on an individual’s HIV status and mandates registration on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry.
In addition, in August, the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services secured a settlement resolving allegations that a home healthcare provider discriminated against a person with HIV. The agreement requires the home healthcare provider to ensure that people with disabilities, including those who have or are perceived as having HIV, receive equal opportunities to obtain the provider’s services. The provider will also train its employees and pay damages to the person who experienced this discrimination.
The department also continues to monitor recent settlement agreements and consent decrees that involve alleged discrimination against people with HIV, including:
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A consent decree resolving a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana. The lawsuit alleged that the town’s police department prevented a qualified applicant from becoming a police officer based on his HIV diagnosis. The agreement requires Clarksville to pay monetary damages to the complainant, revise its policies and train its personnel;
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A settlement agreement with an in-home caregiving agency in Wisconsin that allegedly refused to provide in-home services to an individual with HIV. The agreement requires the agency to pay monetary damages to the individual, adopt a non-discrimination policy and train its staff;
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Two settlement agreements with tattoo studios in California and Colorado that allegedly refused services to clients who informed the studios of their HIV-positive status. The agreements require the tattoo studios to pay monetary damages to the complainants, develop a non-discrimination policy and train their employees;
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Two consent decrees resolving cases alleging that doctors in California refused to provide routine medical care to a patient because of her HIV status. One lawsuit alleged that when the patient tried to make an appointment, she was told that the doctor could not see her because she had HIV, and the second lawsuit alleged that another doctor denied the patient a Pap smear, a regular preventative procedure, because he found her a “high risk” patient. The consent decrees require each doctor to pay monetary damages to the complainant and a civil penalty to the United States, to receive training on the ADA and the care of patients with HIV and to implement a non-discrimination policy; and
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A settlement agreement with the Nevada Department of Corrections to resolve systemic discrimination in its correctional practices. The department’s investigation found that the state impermissibly isolated and segregated inmates with HIV, failed to keep their HIV status confidential and denied them equal employment opportunities as well as classification and housing at lower custody levels. The agreement requires Nevada to develop or amend policies and procedures to ensure equal and integrated housing, classification and employment opportunities, to train staff on the ADA and to implement an ADA grievance procedure.
Along with its enforcement efforts, the department continues to engage in outreach to educate people living with HIV and AIDS, businesses, state and local governments and other covered entities on their rights and responsibilities under the ADA. The department also provides technical assistance and responds to questions from individuals and covered entities through our ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 833-610-1264 (TTY).
To learn more about the Civil Rights Division’s work, please visit Civil Rights Division | Department of Justice and ADA.gov.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearms ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Clyde Lamar Pace, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 1, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for a firearms conspiracy and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Pace to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pace’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
A drug trafficking investigation in the Omaha area revealed Pace was using social media to communicate the sale of controlled substances and firearms between January 2021 and April 2022. Pace used his social media account to make arrangements to sell controlled substances and weapons to other account users. Pace also posted photos of firearms and controlled substances from within his residence on his social media account. On May 2, 2022, law enforcement searched Pace’s Omaha residence and seized a weapon and a pound of marijuana.
Co-defendant Braniff was sentenced on October 27, 2023, to 21 months’ imprisonment for drug user in possession of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bellevue Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Mark P. Nielson, 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 1, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Nielson to 130 months’ imprisonment for the drug distribution and a consecutive 60-month term for the firearm possession. There is no parole in the federal system. After Nielson’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Nielson forfeited $1,914 of U.S. currency to the United States.
On July 17, 2022, Omaha police officers saw a 2002 Dodge Stratus parked at the gas pumps of Casey’s located at 3435 S. 42nd Street, Omaha. Officers saw the driver of the car, later identified as the Nielson, asleep in the driver’s seat. Containers of alcohol were seen inside the car as well as a handgun on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat.
The firearm behind the driver’s seat was a Sig Sauer P320 9mm handgun. DNA testing showed that Nielson’s DNA was on the firearm. Officers also located 83 grams methamphetamine, $1,914.00, and an additional handgun magazine next to the Sig Sauer in the car.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Omaha Police Department.
Northampton County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for His Role in A Fentanyl Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tyrell Donta Ravenell, a/k/a “Beast,” age 36, of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 28, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to a term of 14 years’ imprisonment for his role in a fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Ravenell previously pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy on August 9, 2023, and admitted that beginning in 2018 and continuing to the time of indictment in June 2023, he conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 400 grams but less than 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl throughout Northampton and Monroe Counties. Ravenell’s sentence was also enhanced because he unlawfully possessed firearms in relation to his drug trafficking.
Judge Mannion also ordered Ravenell to serve a term of five years of supervised release following release from custody.
This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also 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.
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Nicholasville Man Convicted of Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Nicholasville, Ky., man, Billy J. Wilkins, 43, was convicted late Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Frankfort, after a three-day trial, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
According to evidence at trial, on November 4, 2021, officers with the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence occupied by Wilkins. During the search of the residence, officers located significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as two loaded firearms, one of which had an extended magazine attached.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Kevin Grime, Jessamine County Sheriff’s Department, announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Wilkins is scheduled to appear for sentencing on March 6, 2024, and he faces not less than 10 years, up to life, in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
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.
New York Woman Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Bribing Mail Carriers to Steal Postal Arrow KeysRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York woman was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for her role in a scheme to bribe mail carriers to steal postal arrow keys in order to unlock mail receptacles and to use stolen items from the mail to obtain funds fraudulently from banks, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Halimatou Ndiaye, 28, of the Bronx, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging her with one count of bribery of U.S. Postal Service mail carriers and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on Nov. 28, 2023, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Ndiaye schemed to bribe mail carriers in East Orange and Newark by offering them cash, typically $5,000, in exchange for the mail carriers giving her and another individual a postal arrow key, which could be used to access a variety of postal service mail receptacles. Ndiaye and others sought USPS arrow keys so that they could steal mail. For example, from June to July 2021, Ndiaye and the other individual drove to various locations in East Orange and Newark, where they stopped mail carriers and handed them a note indicating they would give $5,000 to the mail carrier in exchange for an arrow key.
In addition, from January 2021 to July 2021, Ndiaye conspired with others to obtain funds fraudulently from banks by using stolen checks and bank cards to draw funds from bank accounts linked to the stolen items and using the identification of others to fraudulently obtain funds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Ndiaye to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $6,361.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Nevada Man Admits to Distributing Fentanyl via MailRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Nevada resident pleaded guilty today to the distribution of fentanyl via the U.S. Mail, which resulted in serious bodily injury after the fentanyl nearly killed a Park City, Utah resident.
According to court documents, and admissions made during his change of plea hearing, Colin Andrew Shapard, 22, of Las Vegas, Nevada, mailed a package containing numerous fentanyl pills on Feb. 1, 2022, to a Park City resident. Shapard admitted that he knew fentanyl was a controlled substance and illegal to distribute. On Feb. 10, 2022, the recipient of the package suffered serious bodily injury after he ingested the pills, which caused him to lose consciousness. The victim’s father found him unconscious and called 911. Upon arrival, emergency medical personnel administered Narcan to the victim. Narcan is a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, and is effective only on opioids. The victim was hospitalized and survived. The following day, DEA agents discovered that the victim overdosed on blue M30 fentanyl pills, which were purchased from Shapard.
The investigation also revealed that Shapard mailed opioids to Utah multiple tunes. See former press release here.
Shepard pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced Apr. 4, 2024, at 3:00 in courtroom 7.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Task Force Officers from the United States Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
Naturalized U.S. Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Role in Abuse of PrisonersRead the Press Release
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and former resident of Connecticut, was arrested yesterday in Morgantown, West Virginia, on criminal charges related to allegations that she lied to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 51, of West Virginia, allegedly served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the armed conflict in that country in the 1990s. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic allegedly participated in the physical and mental abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, and membership in a particular social group. The indictment alleges that, when applying for naturalization, Tomanic falsely represented that she had not persecuted anyone because of their religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and had never committed a crime for which she had not been arrested.
“Nada Tomanic has enjoyed the privileges of U.S. citizenship for more than 10 years – privileges she allegedly obtained by lying to cover up human rights abuses she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure that the United States does not serve as a safe haven for persecutors.”
“It is alleged that this defendant shielded her past abuse of human rights and repeatedly lied during the immigration and citizenship processes to gain entry into this country and become a U.S. citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “I thank our investigative partners both here and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for ignoring the passage of time to ensure that justice is done.”
“Nada Tomanic allegedly participated in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners and lied about it to the U.S. government decades later,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, our international partners, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center are fervently committed to investigating human rights abuses no matter where or how long ago the atrocity occurred.”
Tomanic is charged with two counts of unlawful procurement of naturalization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A conviction would also result in the automatic revocation of Tomanic’s U.S. citizenship.
The FBI is investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI’s online tip form at www.tips.fbi.gov/, or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or through ICE’s online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Naturalized U.S. Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Role in Abuse of PrisonersRead the Press Release
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina was arrested yesterday in Morgantown, West Virginia, on criminal charges related to allegations that she lied to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 51, of West Virginia, allegedly served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the armed conflict in that country in the 1990s. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic allegedly participated in the physical and mental abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, and membership in a particular social group. The indictment alleges that, when applying for naturalization, Tomanic falsely represented that she had not persecuted anyone because of their religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and had never committed a crime for which she had not been arrested.
“Nada Tomanic has enjoyed the privileges of U.S. citizenship for more than 10 years – privileges she allegedly obtained by lying to cover up human rights abuses she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure that the United States does not serve as a safe haven for persecutors.”
“It is alleged that this defendant shielded her past abuse of human rights and repeatedly lied during the immigration and citizenship processes to gain entry into this country and become a U.S. citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “I thank our investigative partners both here and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for ignoring the passage of time to ensure that justice is done.”
“Nada Tomanic allegedly participated in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners and lied about it to the U.S. government decades later,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, our international partners, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center are fervently committed to investigating human rights abuses no matter where or how long ago the atrocity occurred.”
Tomanic is charged with two counts of unlawful procurement of naturalization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A conviction would also result in the automatic revocation of Tomanic’s U.S. citizenship.
The FBI is investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI’s online tip form at www.tips.fbi.gov/, or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or through ICE’s online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Individuals Charged for Armed Robberies of Postal Letter CarriersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of two federal complaints charging five individuals with armed robberies of United States Postal Letter Carriers.
According to the first criminal complaint, on September 5, 2023, Jordan Michelle Brown (20, Tampa), Jordan Murray (19, Tampa), and Darine Underwood (18, Tampa) robbed a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier at gunpoint as the carrier was delivering mail at a Temple Terrace apartment complex. Brown, Murray, and Underwood held the mail carrier at gunpoint while demanding his keys and attempting to remove the keys that were hooked to the mail carrier’s pants. The individuals then grabbed the mail carrier’s cellphone and smashed it on the ground, before running to their getaway vehicle. Brown, Murray, and Underwood have been charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier.
According to the second criminal complaint, on September 21, 2023, Christopher Raymond (20, Miramar) and Andre Hylton (19, Miramar) robbed two Postal Letter Carriers as the carriers were delivering mail on their routes in South Tampa. Raymond and Hylton pointed a firearm at one of the carriers and demanded his serialized keys. Raymond and Hylton were ultimately identified through GPS data from their vehicle which revealed that they had traveled from Miramar to Tampa for the purpose of committing the armed robberies. Raymond and Hylton have been charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In another separate case, last month, Jahiem Faison (19, Tampa) was sentenced to nine years and three months in federal prison for armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to court documents, on July 23, 2022, Faison and a juvenile co-conspirator approached a U.S. Postal Letter Carrier as he was delivering mail at a Riverview apartment complex. Faison brandished a firearm, pressing the firearm into the mail carrier’s chest while demanding his keys. Faison kept the firearm pressed against the mail carrier while the carrier removed his keys and handed them to Faison’s juvenile co-conspirator.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa Spergel.
A criminal complaint 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.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 7 Years’ Imprisonment for His Role in A Fentanyl Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonathyn White, a/k/a “Jay,” age 28, of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to a term of 7 years’ imprisonment for his role in a fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, White pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy on May 30, 2023, and admitted that beginning in 2019 and continuing to July of 2021, he conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 40 grams but less than 160 grams of fentanyl throughout Monroe County. His sentence was also enhanced because he maintained a premise for the purpose of storing and distributing fentanyl.
Judge Mannion also ordered White to serve a term of 8 years of supervised release following release from custody.
This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also 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.
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Military Lawyer Indicted for Attempted Sexual Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – On November 30, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Ross Andrew Brown, 42, of Kailua, for attempted sexual enticement of a minor. Brown is a lawyer serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and is stationed in Hawaii. Brown will be arraigned on the one-count Indictment on December 20, 2023.
Brown was originally charged by Criminal Complaint on April 17, 2023. The Complaint alleges that during April 12 to 16, 2023, Brown communicated via social media platforms Whisper and Telegram with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the communications, Brown allegedly discussed the sexual activity in which Brown and the fictious girl would engage. On April 17, Brown drove to Schofield Barracks allegedly to meet the fictitious girl and was arrested by federal law enforcement agents. After arrest, a United States Magistrate Judge denied the government’s motion to detain Brown pending trial and released him on conditions.
If convicted, Brown faces a term of imprisonment between ten years and life, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release for a term of up to life. The charge in the Indictment is merely an accusation, and Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The charge is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is handling the prosecution.
Massachusetts Commercial Fisherman Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for evading taxes on income he earned as a commercial fisherman.
According to court documents, Joaquin Sosa, of New Bedford, worked as a commercial fisherman and deckhand operating primarily out of the Port of New Bedford. Despite receiving approximately $1.9 million in income between 2012 and 2021, Sosa did not file tax returns reporting the income and did not pay the substantial income taxes owed on the income he earned. Sosa also worked under false identities over the years. To further conceal the source and disposition of his income, Sosa cashed his paychecks from fishing companies at check-cashing businesses, at times using false identities, and used the cash to fund his personal lifestyle. In total, Sosa caused a tax loss to the IRS of $520,415.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani for the District of Massachusetts ordered Sosa to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $520,415 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro and Acting Section Chief John Kane of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Wild for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.
Maryland MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a MurderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Oscar Efrain Zavala Urrea, age 23, an El Salvadoran national residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty to his participation in a racketeering conspiracy, including a murder, related to his activities as part of the MS-13 gang.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in the plea agreement, from at least January 2020, Zavala Urrea was a member or associate of the MS-13 Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique and agreed with members of MS-13 to conduct and participate in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity that included murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and drug distribution.
In the Spring of 2020, a MS-13 member, who was a former roommate of Victim 20, was assaulted by Victim 20 and others because they believed that MS-13 member had stolen property from Victim 20. After being told of the assault, MS-13 members indicated that the gang would have to retaliate against Victim 20 to maintain its standing. MS-13 gang members also believed that Victim 20 was associated with the rival 18th Street gang, which was another sufficient reason to kill him.
According to the plea agreement, over the course of several weeks Zavala Urrea and other MS-13 members met to plan the murder of Victim 20, including discussing what role each participant would play, conducted surveillance to determine when Victim 20 left the apartment, and obtained guns to be used in the murder. The night of May 25, 2020, Zavala Urrea and other MS-13 gang members gathered in a park in Silver Spring, Maryland and Zavala Urrea met with each gang member to discuss the plan to murder of Victim 20, which was to happen the next morning.
As detailed in court documents, on May 26, 2020, at approximately 7:05 a.m., two FLS MS-13 gang members approached Victim 20 as he left his apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland and fired handguns at him repeatedly, hitting him eight times. Victim 20 died as a result of the gun shots.
Following the murder, Zavala Urrea and a co-conspirator traveled to Annapolis where they met a third MS-13 gang member. Zavala Urrea and the co-conspirator changed their clothes and disposed of the old clothing. They gave the third gang member a backpack containing two firearms for safe keeping. A few days later, Maryland State Police stopped the third gang member who had the backpack containing the two firearms.
Zavala Urrea admitted that, to assist the gang to raise money, he also participated in the sale of marijuana and the collection of extortion money from brothels and other businesses, providing the proceeds to gang leadership.
The government and the defendant have agreed to recommend that, if the Court accepts the plea, Zavala Urrea should be sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron commended the FBI, HSI, Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Anatoly Smolkin, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Marshall Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Making Bomb Threat to Edgar County BusinessRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a man from Marshall, Illinois, to spend more than three years in federal prison after he called in a bomb threat to a company in Paris, Illinois.
Justin L. Switzer, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully threatening the use of explosives.
According to court documents, Switzer called in a bomb threat to North American Lighting Company, Inc. in Paris, Illinois on Nov. 2, 2022. He admitted to calling the business and stating “two minutes to detonation”.
In response to the bomb threat, North American Lighting evacuated personnel, which caused the company to lose approximately $456,000 in gross revenue. In addition to his prison sentence, Switzer was ordered to pay $456,000 in restitution.
FBI Springfield Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Burke and Liam Coonan prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Madison BuildingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Madison, Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building. Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
On Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.
In March 2023, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston, Massachusetts to Guatemala City, departing March 28, 2023. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport that day.
“I am deeply grateful to our local and federal law enforcement partners for their dedication and persistence in solving this crime,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “In our shared American experiment, conflicting views must be resolved through discussion, the courts, and the ballot box. Arson and other acts of domestic terrorism are crimes that will be punished and have no place in a healthy democracy.”
“There is no place in our society for flagrant disregard for safety through firebombing a place of business, and today’s change of plea is one step further to closure for the victims,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert, of the St. Paul Field Division. “This was a complicated investigation. I am proud of the work our agents put into this and am appreciative of the tremendous team effort that went into this investigation.”
“The firebombing was an unacceptable attack on the safety and constitutionally protected rights of every citizen in the state of Wisconsin,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “I commend the thorough and exhaustive investigative efforts of the FBI with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose efforts led to the identification and subsequent guilty plea. Let this be a warning to anyone who seeks to use intimidation through threats or committing acts of violence, the FBI along with our partners will work together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.”
Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charge against Roychowdhury is the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the defendant’s appearance in Boston following his arrest.
Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing BuildingRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building.
According to court documents, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. On Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.
In March, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, departing March 28. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport that day.
Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charge against Roychowdhury is the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Dane County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the defendant’s appearance in Boston following his arrest.
Man Charged in $148M Medicare and Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Baton Rouge returned an indictment today charging a Louisiana man for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of over $148 million in medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing services.
According to court documents, Brad Paul Schaeffer, 48, of Zachary, was a co-owner and chief executive officer of MedComp Sciences, LLC (MedComp), a diagnostic laboratory located in Zachary. From approximately January 2013 through approximately August 2022, MedComp, at the direction of Schaeffer, allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid for definitive testing of at least 15 substances in urine specimens it received, regardless of the patient’s treatment plan and history, or the request of the referring provider. To perpetuate the fraud, Schaeffer, through MedComp, allegedly took several actions, among them, writing off patient co-pays, directing MedComp staff to fill out and submit order forms on providers’ “behalf,” concealing the true nature, permissibility, and extent of testing from providers, orchestrating a pass-through billing scheme using hospitals, and paying kickbacks to physicians disguised as laboratory ownership interests. Schaeffer then allegedly used the fraudulent proceeds for his own benefit, including spending thousands of dollars to renovate a pool and on a pool house in his backyard, and to restore a truck.
Schaeffer is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud, and three counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office, and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha E. Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth E. White for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Luzerne Man Convicted of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Vincent Watson, age 47, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was convicted after a jury trial of production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the evidence at trial proved that between October 23 and 24, 2021, Watson produced four videos and one still image of child pornography in Wilkes-Barre. The videos and image showed Watson having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl, posing her in the nude for the camera, and giving her alcohol. Following two days of testimony, the jury found Watson guilty on all counts after a deliberation of less than 30 minutes.
“One of HSI’s primary missions is to protect children from dangerous predators who seek to exploit them for their own greed or self-gratification,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “Watson’s conviction sends a clear message that HSI and our partner agencies will devote every resource available to investigating, prosecuting and convicting those who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens.”
United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani has tentatively set sentencing for April 2024.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Plains Township Police Department, Kingston Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Lab, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni are prosecuting the case.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 15 to 150 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lowell, Michigan Resident Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Lowell, Michigan pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Frank Davis, age 30, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on August 9, 2022, Davis induced a minor during an online chat to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of the conduct and to send the sexually explicit material to Davis. On the same date, Davis knowingly received videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On August 18, 2022, as well as on other dates in August 2022, Davis sent to the minor obscene videos depicting himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2024, at 8:45 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Davis remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations-Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police, Homeland Security Investigations-Grand Rapids (Michigan), and the Lowell Police Department (Michigan) conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davis.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Longtime Employee of Harford County Manufacturer Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for a $20 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Elliott Dennis Kleinman, age 69, of Bel Air, Maryland, yesterday to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion, in connection with a kickback scheme that defrauded his employer of more than $20 million. Judge Chasanow also ordered Kleinman to pay restitution of $19,300,757 and to forfeit $2,038,997.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Kleinman was a longtime employee of Company 1, a family-owned global business headquartered in New York, but with manufacturing facilities in Belcamp and Abingdon, Maryland, both in Harford County. Beginning in 2012, Kleinman and another employee, Eugene DiNoto, began to use their management positions at Company 1 to execute a fraudulent billing scheme whereby they would get illegal kickbacks from various drum vendors doing business with Company 1, which used drums to store and transport its products. As the facility managers, Kleinman and DiNoto oversaw the purchasing and storing of drums for use at the Harford County manufacturing facilities. They also had authority to review drum invoices and authorize payments to the drum vendors.
Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., is the owner and President of Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. (TBD), located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and of another drum supply company called Hartford Fibre Drum, Inc. ( Hartford), both of which did business with Company 1. After TBD became a drum supplier to Company 1, Kleinman and DiNoto entered into arrangement with Urcioli whereby TBD could continue selling drums to Company 1 if Urcioli agreed to fraudulently invoice Company 1 for more drums than TBD actually sold and delivered to the company. If Urcioli agreed to falsify its invoices in this way, Kleinman and DiNoto said that they and TBD could split the extra money Company 1 paid TBD for the made-up drum deliveries 50/50. DiNoto told Urcioli that he would split his share of the kickbacks with Elliot Kleinman 75/25. Urcioli agreed to participate in the false billing scheme. In December 2013, Urcioli told DiNoto about Hartford, the other drum supply company Urcioli owned. After receiving records that proved that Hartford was a legitimate company, DiNoto and Urcioli agreed to expand the kickback scheme to include Hartford.
From approximately January 2012 to January 31, 2020, DiNoto contacted Urcioli at least once a week to discuss the number and type of drums that DiNoto actually wanted delivered to Company 1’s Maryland facilities. During the same conversation, DiNoto told Urcioli how many additional drums to charge, but not deliver, to Company 1. After Urcioli created the invoices that fraudulently billed Company 1 for both delivered and undelivered drums, DiNoto approved the invoices and sent them to Company 1’s headquarters to be paid. In addition, Urcioli created a handwritten purchase order ticket that summarized the breakdown of actual and bogus drum orders and how the kickback amounts were calculated. Urcioli placed a copy of the purchase order ticket in an envelope along with DiNoto’s and Kleinman’s share of the kickback amount payable via checks from TBD and Hartford, and then sent the envelope to DiNoto’s and Kleinman’s personal residences.
Urcioli wanted to pay the kickbacks to Kleinman and DiNoto by check so the payments would look like payments to drum wholesalers and be deductible as a cost of goods sold on TBD’s tax returns. Kleinman wanted his kickback checks payable to a company he formed called “EDK Management, LTD.” Urcioli agreed, and in addition to making the kickback checks drawn on TBD and Hartford accounts payable to that company, Urcioli wrote the word “drums” on the checks to further the pretense of legitimate purchases.
Between January 2012 and January 31, 2020, Urcioli falsely invoiced Company 1 a total of $20,300,757 and Kleinman’s share of the kickbacks was approximately $2,307,121. Kleinman opened and maintained two commercial bank accounts for EDK, one in the name of “EDK Management Ltd,” and the other in the name of “EDK Management Ltd t/a Main Street Cigars,” a retail store he owns, located in Bel Air, Maryland. Kleinman deposited the drum vendor’s checks into EDK’s business account, where it was withdrawn as cash, used to pay personal expenses, or transferred to the bank account for Main Street Cigars.
For the period of 2017 through 2019, TBD paid Kleinman a total of approximately $1,034,911 in kickbacks for his role in the fraudulent billing scheme. Kleinman’s 2017 through 2019 income tax returns filed with the IRS did not report those kickback payments as personal or business income, resulting in a loss to the U.S. government of approximately $291,143.
Eugene Andrew DiNoto, age 53, of Bel Air, Maryland, and Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., age 78, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud .
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Lodge Grass man admits meth trafficking in large-scale operation on Crow Indian Reservation and assaulting a womanRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man suspected of being a leader in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation based on the Crow Indian Reservation and of beating a woman with a weapon admitted to charges on Nov. 30 in two separate cases, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Wendell Monroe Lefthand, 54, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Lefthand faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. In a separate case, Lefthand pleaded guilty to assault of a spouse resulting in substantial bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. Lefthand faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Lefthand was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents in the drug trafficking case, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, conducted a large-scale investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations. Lefthand is one of the individuals affiliated with the investigation.
The government further alleged that Lefthand and other family members occupied the Spear Siding property. The investigation determined that Lefthand was the source of supply for others until his arrest in June 2022. The investigation also determined that Lefthand was a leader of the operation at the property and had amassed a significant drug debt. After his arrest on an unrelated matter, Lefthand continued to influence the operation by directing individuals to provide others with marijuana and meth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the drug trafficking case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
In the assault case, the government alleged that on April 4, 2021, Lefthand and his wife, along three of his wife’s relatives, were staying in a camper near Lodge Grass. Lefthand and his wife verbally argued throughout the day and the argument turned physical. Lefthand’s wife grabbed an item to defend herself because Lefthand had abused her before. Lefthand’s wife ended up on the ground, and Lefthand hit her with a metal bar or piece of wood. Lefthand’s wife and the relatives fled on foot and hid in a ditch by the highway before flagging down a ride. Lefthand’s wife was treated for injuries a few days later.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is prosecuting the assault case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Lafayette Firearms Store Owner and Wife Found Guilty on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two individuals from Broussard, Louisiana, have been found guilty on all counts after a jury trial that began in federal court on Monday, November 27, 2023, and ended Thursday evening, November 30, 2023. The couple was originally indicted for conspiring to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to file sales reports in connection with their firearms business located in Lafayette.
Jeremiah Micah Deare, 37, Sarah Elaine Fogle, 30, were found guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, after the jury heard from over 20 witnesses and numerous trial exhibits demonstrating the illegal sale and attempted illegal sale of hundreds of firearms out of their residence and at gun shows as an unlicensed business. The couple was found to have engaged in the business of dealing firearms without following applicable laws, including the required background checks on their customers. The 246 firearms seized from the couple’s home, many with price tags, were brought into court for the jury to inspect, and the indictment also seeks forfeiture of a total of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses.
Trial testimony and evidence revealed that Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC (Dave’s) and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License, which was located in Lafayette, Louisiana. Deare and Fogle did not hold a Federal Firearms License in their individual capacities. On or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At a warning conference on September 19, 2019, in Baton Rouge, Deare and Fogle were warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete a background check form ATF-4473 (one time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (two times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms. Trial evidence confirmed that, on that same day, the ATF investigator provided an Acknowledgement of Federal Firearms Regulations to inform Deare of their responsibilities as a Federal Firearms License holder, and about laws relating to engaging in the business of selling firearms at gun shows. Trial documents further proved the acknowledgment was signed by Deare acknowledging that he understood he was responsible for familiarizing himself with the laws and regulations.
During trial, testimony and evidence showed that Deare and Fogle, after being warned, willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Deare and Fogle acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law. In addition, firearms brought to Dave’s to be sold on consignment were not logged into Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book and were not placed for sale at Dave’s, but rather were brough to gun shows to sell off of Dave’s A&D book and without background checks.
The jury trial revealed that Deare and Fogle kept firearms at their residence without logging them out of Dave’s store inventory and would travel with the firearms to gun shows conducted at various locations in Louisiana and several other states. Deare and Fogle sold firearms at gun shows to non-Louisiana residents for which no ATF-4473 or background checks were ever completed. Their failure to conduct background checks resulted in the sales of firearms to persons prohibited by law from possessing or purchasing firearms. Additionally, the sales of firearms at gun shows outside the State of Louisiana were not done through a dealer licensed in the state where the gun show was conducted as required by law. The proceeds from the out-of-state gun sales of firearms were not included as revenue for Dave’s, but instead, evidence and testimony revealed Deare and Fogle used it for their own personal gain to avoid any record of these profits with Dave’s, which at the time was in litigation with the previous owner.
Following the trial, a detention hearing was held and Deare was remanded into custody, where he will remain until the sentencing on April 2, 2024. Fogle will remain out on bond, with a restriction prohibiting her from traveling outside the State of Louisiana.
Deare faces a sentence of not more than 5 years in prison on Counts 1 and 2, and not more than 1 year on Count 3 of the Indictment. Fogle faces a sentence of not more than 5 years in prison on Count 1 of the Indictment. Each defendant also faces up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The ATF conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren L. Gardner and Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
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Lab Owner Pleads Guilty to $1.7 Million COVID-19 Test Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Plano man pleaded guilty Thursday to orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $1.7 million from Medicare, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Damon Heath Roberts, 55, was charged via criminal information in September 2023 and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit or receive kickbacks for referrals to a federal health care program. He will be sentenced March 28, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Roberts, owner of JDS Labs, admitted that he and others, including medical providers and others with access to patient information, began sharing Medicare beneficiary information so that JDS Labs could bill Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. Roberts, in exchange for the patient information, would pay a kickback based on the reimbursement from Medicare to the medical providers or other individuals.
Roberts tried to conceal the kickback payments through the use of passthrough arrangements and cash payments.
Roberts submitted nearly $4 million in claims for the over-the-counter COVID-19 tests and received approximately $1.7 million in reimbursement for the claims. In addition, Roberts paid approximately $149,066 in bribes and kickbacks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit – DFW are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting the case.
Kasilof couple charged with federal regulations violations for illegal commercial game transportation in Noatak National PreserveRead the Press Release
KOTZEBUE, Alaska – A Kasilof couple were charged with multiple federal regulation violations related to alleged illegal commercial transportation of game hunters in Alaska following a multi-year investigation by National Park Service (NPS) rangers.
According to court documents, Matthew Owen, 66, illegally transported caribou hunters in the Noatak National Preserve, located in northwest Alaska, in 2019 and 2020. The transportation was connected to a commercial entity and violated multiple federal regulations regarding commercial activity on NPS land.
Mr. Owen is charged with one count false information, in violation of 36 CFR §2.32(a)(3)(ii); 10 counts of engaging in business without a permit, in violation of 36 CFR §5.3; and three counts failure to follow a lawful order, in violation of 36 CFR §2.32. Additionally, Julie Owen, 60, is charged with one count false information, in violation of 36 CFR §2.32(a)(3)(ii) and one count of violation of provisions of a permit, in violation of 36 CFR §5.3.
If convicted, the defendants face six months’ imprisonment and a $5,000 fine for each charge. The defendants could also be required to pay all costs of the legal proceedings as part of their sentence. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Hunting is critical to subsistence and is a key piece of Alaskan culture. Hunting, and all associated activities, must be done legally and in accordance with regulations,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “Our office will continue to work closely with the National Park Service and our other wildlife law enforcement partners to uphold the relevant rules and regulations related to hunting on public land.”
“Caribou are a vital species in the ecosystem and for communities in Northwest Alaska,” said Western Arctic National Parklands Superintendent Ray McPadden. “Caribou are protected within Noatak National Preserve. Our team takes all possible hunting violations seriously and goes to great lengths to make sure folks are doing the right thing.”
NPS is responsible for managing natural resources and permitting all commercial activity within Noatak National Preserve; NPS Law Enforcement Rangers actively patrol park lands and investigate suspected violations of Federal laws and regulations. The NPS takes all suspected violations seriously and encourages the public to report potential crimes and suspicious activity to the NPS Crime Tip Line at 1-888-653-0009 or online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or by email at [email protected].
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department Finds that Enforcement of Tennessee State Law Discriminates Against People with HIVRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today its finding that the State of Tennessee, including its Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO), violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by enforcing the state’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Today’s announcement comes on World AIDS Day, an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.
The department’s comprehensive investigation found that the state and the SCDAO subject people living with HIV to harsher criminal penalties solely because of their HIV status, violating Title II of the ADA.
“Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution law is outdated, has no basis in science, discourages testing and further marginalizes people living with HIV,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People living with HIV should not be treated as violent sex offenders for the rest of their lives solely because of their HIV status. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are protected from discrimination.”
Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute elevates what would otherwise be misdemeanor conduct to a felony because the individual has HIV, regardless of any actual risk of harm. A person convicted of aggravated prostitution faces three to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, while a person convicted of a misdemeanor charge based on the same conduct is subject to a sentence of no more than six months and up to a $500 fine. While the aggravated prostitution statute applies statewide, it has been enforced most frequently in Shelby County.
Aggravated prostitution is also categorized as a “violent sexual offense” mandating registration by those convicted on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, in most cases for life. The state maintains the registry through the TBI. Individuals placed on the registry due to convictions for aggravated prostitution are restricted in where they may live, work and go in public, and have experienced increased homelessness and unemployment. These individuals also face public disclosure of information about their HIV status, which can lead to harassment and discrimination. The department opened this investigation in response to complaints about enforcement of the statute.
The department’s letter provides Tennessee, TBI and the SCDAO, with written notice of its findings and details the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.
2023.11.30_tn_hiv_lof_final.pdfJefferson Parish Man Charged with Violation of National Firearm ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOSEPH METZLER, III, age 44, of Gretna, was indicted on November 30, 2023 for possession of a silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to the indictment, on May 9, 2023, METZLER possessed a silencer that was not registered to him, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d).
If convicted, METZLER faces a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $10,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Nov. 28 was:
Roxanna Rae Lewis-Stella, 59, of Lewistown, on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lewis-Stella faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud charge and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft charge. Lewis-Stella was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Fergus County Sheriff Office and Montana Adult Protective Services conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-105.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Nov. 28 was:
Joshua Allen Morgan, 39, of Billings, on charges of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and commission of sex offense by a registered sex offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Morgan faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release on the attempted sex trafficking charge and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any sentence imposed on the sex trafficking charge. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-137.
Tracey E. Flowers, 50, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Flowers faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Flowers was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-134.
Shannon Tyrone Seminole, 39, of Lame Deer, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth, distribution of meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. If convicted of the most serious crime, Seminole faces one year to 40 years in prison, a $2 million fine and at least six years of supervised release on the drug charges and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Seminole was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-140.
Windelyn Valdo Shoulderblade, Jr. 33, a transient, on charges of failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shoulderblade faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Shoulderblade was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-141.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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High-Ranking Honduran Drug Cartel Member Sentenced to 21 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, Mario Rojel Urbina Miranda, 41, was one of the highest-ranking members of an international drug trafficking organization based in Honduras known as the “Los Valles” Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), which imported multi-ton quantities of cocaine from to the United States.
For years, Urbina was responsible for coordinating the trafficking of tons of cocaine through Honduras, en route to the United States from South America, and for the collection of millions of dollars of drug proceeds. For example, during just a two-month period in 2014, the defendant was personally involved in trafficking over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine through Honduras. More broadly, the DTO bribed public officials in Honduras and relied on violence and the threat of violence to protect its extensive trafficking activity. Urbina is the thirteenth related defendant to plead guilty in this investigation.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; and David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Alito and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the Virginia State Police, FBI Sacramento Field Office, the Sacramento OCDETF Strike Force, DEA and FBI Tegucigalpa Country Offices, and the Honduran National Police for their significant assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-135.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal Reentry into the United States after Vehicle Crash Results in Six DeathsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, JOSE PAXTOR-OXLAJ, 43, of Guatemala, was charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry after removal from the United States, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, on November 21, 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in an accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, in which his six passengers died, and a seventh passenger was critically injured. An investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed Paxtor-Oxlaj was ordered to be removed by an Immigration Judge on June 29, 2010, and had been removed from the United States to Guatemala on July 9, 2010. According to ICE investigators, Paxtor-Oxlaj did not have permission to reenter the United States after his prior deportation.
If found guilty, Paxtor-Oxlaj, depending on the extent of his criminal history, could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and Elizabeth Joynes.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that Paxtor-Oxlaj is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Grand Island Man Sentenced to 52 Years for Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Scott Lee Meyer, 34, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 1, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to produce child pornography and production of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Meyer to 624 months’ imprisonment. Meyer will then serve the remainder of his life on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Meyer was additionally ordered to pay $11,250 in restitution as well as a $9,000 special assessment which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes.
This case initiated in July of 2022 with an investigation by the FBI in an attempt to identify children in a series of child pornography images which were being shared online. Through the investigation it was determined that the files were associated with Scott Meyer and Scott Simmons. Simmons was previously sentenced to 60 years in prison on July 6, 2023, regarding the same case.
On August 25, 2022, a search warrant was received to search Meyer’s and Simmons’ residence. During the search warrant, it was determined that the residence was where many of the child exploitation files were produced. Numerous electronic devices were seized from the residence. Meyer was at the residence during the execution of the search warrant. He agreed to be interviewed and admitted that he and Simmons had engaged in photographing and recording prepubescent boys in a sexually explicit manner. He admitted that these images and videos were produced at their residence and other locations to include various hotels. Four child victims were identified and interviewed by child advocate interviewers.
A forensic examination was completed of Meyer’s and Simmons’ personal cellphones. Each phone contained more than 400 files of child pornography. A large majority of these files found on the phones were original productions of the minor victims in this case.
Meyer was previously convicted in 2013, for two counts of sexual assault of a child in the 1st degree in Hall County District Court, Nebraska. Meyer and Simmons met while both were serving sentences for child-sex offenses in Nebraska. Meyer and Simmons distributed the images and videos they produced of the victims in this case on the Tor network using encrypted forms of email to further hide their identities. They additionally directly shared the files they created with at least one acquaintance they made while serving their prior sentences.
Following today’s sentencing, Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr expressed “The sentencing today of Scott Meyer and the July Sentencing of Scott Simmons reflect the seriousness of the crimes these men jointly committed. Their actions were reprehensible, unspeakable, and carefully planned for their own gratification without regard for the lives they were affecting. The sentences imposed although significant do not erase the impact their conduct will have on the children and their families for years to come.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Gloucester County Postal Employee Admits Mail TheftRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man who worked as a postal employee admitted today stealing more than $170,000 in cash that had been sent through the mail, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Joseph Fenuto, 51, of Blackwood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him withone count of mail theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2021 to August 2022, Fenuto was employed as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier with delivery routes in Blackwood. Fenuto was assigned to a postal route which included the Gloucester Premium Outlets in Blackwood. Fenuto accepted parcels from numerous retail establishments, which he was required to place in the mail stream for delivery to the addresses listed on the parcels. Many of these parcels contained cash, which the retail stores had received from sales of their products and goods to customers.
Fenuto admitted he had stolen more than 50 such parcels containing cash from numerous retail stores at the Gloucester Premium Outlets. Fenuto said he stole $171,110 from parcels that he was required to ensure remained in the mail stream for their delivery to a bank in Ohio.
The mail theft charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Gloucester Township Police Department under the direction of Chief David J. Harkins for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
fenuto.information.pdfFormer School Bus Driver Sentenced to Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Stephen Donald Kearney (61, St. Petersburg) to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Kearney to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses. Kearney is also required to register as a sex offender. Kearney had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.
According to court documents, Kearney used a file sharing platform on his computer to download videos that depicted young children being sexually abused. In February 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kearney’s residence and seized his computer. A forensic search of the computer revealed thousands of images and various videos of child sexual abuse material, to include depictions of children under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ross Roberts.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Pediatrician Sentenced to 7½ Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Scores of Images of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former pediatrician was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on dozens of DVDs as well as possessing hundreds of such images on his personal computing devices.
Gary David Goulin, 62, of the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine and an additional $22,100 in special assessments. He is required to register as a sex offender and will be placed on supervised release for a period of 15 years once he is released from prison.
Goulin pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In November 2021, Goulin knowingly possessed four DVDs that contained sexually explicit material involving minors who were under the age of 12 years old. Goulin further admitted in his plea agreement to knowingly possessing an additional 57 DVDs that contained CSAM. The average run time on these DVDs was three hours and 21 minutes.
In August 2021, Goulin used his cellphone to knowingly receive a video of CSAM. In total, Goulin possessed more than 600 images that he knew constituted child pornography, some of which showed children engaging in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
“[Goulin] received and possessed a large collection of child pornography materials – over 204 hours of videos and images,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “At the same time that he possessed these materials, he was entrusted with caring for children as a pediatrician at a hospital.”
Goulin was charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. That case was dismissed considering the federal charges against Goulin, which a grand jury brought via indictment in October 2022.
In November 2021, the Medical Board of California prohibited Goulin from practicing medicine.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah S. Lee of the General Crimes prosecuted this case.
Former Nashua Man Sentenced for Transporting Stolen Apple Products Worth $2 MillionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Nashua man was sentenced in federal court for transporting stolen Apple products worth $2 million, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Guangwei “William” Wu, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. Wu was also ordered to pay $2 million in restitution, which he has already repaid. On June 22, 2023, Wu pleaded guilty to the interstate transportation of stolen property.
“The defendant engaged in a sophisticated fraud scheme where he accepted a bribe of significant value, diverted shipments of stolen Apple products worth approximately $2 million, and then forged a federal agent’s signature to cover his tracks. These are serious offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The Court’s imposed sentence of incarceration in federal prison and full restitution are just consequences for his bold crimes.”
“Guangwei Wu accepted a bribe, shipped $2 million worth of stolen Apple products to Hong Kong, and then lied about it. Actions like his hurt hard-working business owners trying to make an earnest living, and today’s sentence holds Mr. Wu accountable for his crimes,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service continuously seeks to identify and stop complex fraud schemes. Guangwei Wu’s reshipping scheme of stolen Apple products resulted in millions of dollars in losses,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “We will continue our work with our law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of criminal activities.”
The defendant owned and operated a transshipping company in Manchester called Hai Xing Qiao. In fall 2022, the victim company purchased Apple products, including iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macbooks, and then hired Hai Xing Qiao to forward the products onto Hong Kong. However, Yongfu Huo, another Hong Kong-based company, paid a bribe of over $700,000 to the defendant to have the products shipped to Yongfu Huo instead. To cover up his tracks, the defendant claimed that law enforcement had seized the Apple products and sent the victim company a false document titled “Disclaimer of Ownership” purportedly issued by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The defendant also forged the signature of a federal agent on the document.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
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Former Marblehead Postal Worker Sentenced for Conversion of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with two schemes to convert USPS funds.
Zeon Johnson, 28, of Saugus, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to time served (one day in prison) and two years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered to pay $18,206 in restitution to USPS. On Sept. 6, 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conversion of government money.
Beginning in approximately August 2018, Johnson worked as a Sales and Service Distribution Associate for USPS at the Marblehead Post Office. As part of his job, Johnson sold stamps and processed money order transactions for USPS customers. From approximately July 2019 through June 2020, Johnson converted over $18,000 in USPS funds for personal use by stealing cash funds paid by customers for stamps and issuing USPS money orders payable to himself.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Elysa Wan of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former LIRR Employee Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Inspection ReportRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Stuart Conklin, a former employee of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), pleaded guilty to making a false entry in a report required to be kept by the LIRR under federal laws governing rail road safety and operations. Conklin was charged with the offense in a criminal complaint in March 2021 and subsequently indicted in April 2022. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to two years in prison.
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Department of Transportation; and Daniel G. Cort, Inspector General for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, announced the guilty plea.
“As dramatically evidenced by the derailment, the rail bond Conklin falsely claimed to have inspected was a critical piece of rail road equipment, essential to ensuring the safety of passengers,” said United States Attorney Peace. “While thankfully no one was seriously hurt in this accident, it is a stark reminder of the importance federal oversight plays in the safety and integrity of our transportation system.”
“Anyone choosing to intentionally ignore Federal laws and requirements put in place to ensure the safety of the traveling public will be pursed to the fullest extent of the law,” stated DOT-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher A. Scharf. “Today’s guilty plea is the result of an unwavering commitment to safety demonstrated together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”
“Falsifying inspection reports puts the safety of the public and MTA employees and property at risk.” said MTA Inspector General Daniel G. Cort. “Individuals, like Conklin, who shirk their responsibilities and endanger others should be held accountable and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their partnership in doing just that.”
As set forth in the complaint and indictment, Conklin was employed by LIRR as a signalman and his responsibilities included performing regular inspections of rail bonds. Rail bonds are electronic jumpers around joints in the rails of a railroad track to ensure continuity of conductivity for signal currents. On April 26, 2019, Conklin falsely indicated in an inspection report that he had inspected a particular rail bond in Speonk, New York and that the bond had passed inspection. Video footage from a LIRR camera showed that Conklin in fact did not inspect the bond during his shift that day.
Approximately one month later, on May 23, 2019, a westbound LIRR train collided with the rear of an eastbound train in Speonk, New York. The rear of the westbound train did not register in the LIRR signal system as occupying a section of side track, causing the eastbound train to be cleared to pass on the main track when there was not enough space to do so.
A subsequent LIRR investigation determined that the rail bond that Conklin had falsely indicated he had inspected on April 26, 2019, was broken and that the broken rail bond was the cause of the signal malfunction and the derailment.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Turner Buford and Sara K. Winik are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Special Agent Rebecca Sidhu and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett.
The Defendant:
STUART CONKLIN
Age: 66
Magnolia, TXE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-171 (JS)
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to 63 Months for Sexual Abuse of Two Female InmatesRead the Press Release
A former federal correctional officer was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $25,000 special assessment for his sexually abusive conduct against two female victims who were serving prison sentences at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
John Bellhouse, 40, formerly of Pleasanton, California, was initially charged with sexual abuse of an inmate on Feb. 17, 2022. A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment on Sept. 29, 2022, charging Bellhouse with two counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual contact that occurred between December 2019 and December 2020. A jury convicted Bellhouse of all counts.
“John Bellhouse exploited his position of trust at the Federal Bureau of Prisons by sexually abusing multiple women in his custody – and today he has been held to account,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The sentence of imprisonment imposed today is the latest example of the Justice Department’s continuing work to address the egregious misconduct that took place at FCI Dublin and prioritize the eradication of sexual assault from our prison system.”
“While today’s sentencing cannot undo the horrific abuse that Bellhouse’s victims endured, it sends a clear message that FBOP employees who abuse inmates in their custody and care will be brought to justice. Our investigation of sexual abuse at FCI Dublin remains ongoing, and we will continue to aggressively pursue justice for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of FBOP employees,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.
“The horrendous sexual abuse committed by convicted offender John Bellhouse is cruel and despicable,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “As a federal corrections officer, Bellhouse sexually abused inmates under his care and attempted to cover-up his crimes. These violations are inexcusable breaches of the trust and authority granted to government officials. This sentencing is a reminder that the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue those who physically harm others and hold them accountable.”
“This conduct was a disturbing deviation from the expectations and requirements of all federal correctional officers,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Bellhouse violated his oath and abused the power given to him, all to victimize the people he was supposed to protect. This sentence makes clear that the sexual abuse of inmates by guards will not be tolerated.”
Bellhouse was employed as a correctional officer at the FCI Dublin, California, an all-female low security federal correctional institution. Trial evidence showed that, beginning December 2019 through October 2020, Bellhouse sexually abused and committed abusive sexual contact against a victim incarcerated and serving a prison sentence at FCI Dublin under Bellhouse’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. Bellhouse engaged in oral sex with the victim in the prison Safety Warehouse and Safety Office and touched the victim’s vagina and breasts in the prison Safety Office.
Evidence presented at trial also demonstrated Bellhouse committed abusive sexual contact against a second victim between October and December of 2020. Trial evidence showed that the acts occurred in the Safety Office at the FCI Dublin Camp.
The trial evidence further showed that Bellhouse sexually abused another inmate in 2020 and 2021 when he reached through a window in her cell and grabbed her breast, and on another occasion put his finger in her vagina without her consent while she was in her cell after showering.
In a memorandum filed in connection with Bellhouse’s sentencing, the government provided additional information regarding Bellhouse’s criminal conduct while he was a correctional officer. In the memorandum, the government argued that in addition to the three women who testified at trial about Bellhouse’s sexual abuse of them, Bellhouse also abused other women. Further, the government’s memorandum describes how Bellhouse used his ability to access everyday items such as Starbucks coffee, yarn, jewelry, and cleaning supplies, to get his victims both to acquiesce in the abuse and to keep them quiet about his conduct. For example, according to the memorandum, Bellhouse would provide items to coax compliance with his demands. Because these items were considered contraband at FCI Dublin, mere possession of them exposed inmates to potential punishments such as solitary confinement and loss of good time credits.
Bellhouse was convicted of two counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual conduct. Bellhouse must surrender by Feb. 2, 2024. His restitution hearing is set for Feb. 1, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. ET.
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Priedeman and Andrew Paulson for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Sara Slattery, Leeya Kekona, and Kay Konopaske.
Five People Charged for Their Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization Controlled by Sex, Money, Murder Street GangRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five people have been charged for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Essex County, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
The original complaint was filed on Nov. 1, 2023, and on Nov. 9, 2023, a superseding complaint was filed charging certain defendants with gun offenses based on the recovery of multiple firearms during searches that occurred when the defendants were arrested.
Fuquan Williams, 33; Dwight Dixon, 52; Nafee Patterson, 41; Jabriel Mason, 20; and Daqwuan Barkley, 29, all of Essex County, New Jersey, are charged by superseding complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Williams, Patterson, Mason, Barkley and Dixon made their initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court. Mason, Patterson, and Barkley have been ordered released on bail, while Williams, and Dixon remain detained pending trial.
Patterson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and Williams is charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are members of a drug trafficking organization that operated an open-air narcotics market in the area of Kent and Brenner streets in Newark. The drug trafficking organization is affiliated with, and the defendants are members and associates of, the Sex, Money, Murder subset of the Bloods street gang. When the defendants were arrested, law enforcement officers recovered multiple loaded firearms and additional quantities of narcotics.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Theodore N. Stephens, II; officers of the New Jersey State Department of Corrections; detectives of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; and police officers and detectives of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief William C. Robinson, for their assistance with the investigation.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha C. Fasanello and Jason Goldberg of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
williamsetal.scomplaint.pdfFelon Indicted and Arrested for the Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was indicted and arrested in connection with his possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Eric Edmondson, 45, was indicted with one count of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon on November 15, 2023. Edmondson appeared in federal court on November 28, 2023, and was detained.
On September 11, 2023, Edmondson was found in possession of a privately manufactured 9mm firearm (also known as a ghost gun) and 5 rounds of commercially available ammunition after a motor vehicle stop. As a previously convicted felon, Edmondson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
The charge provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a three-year term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The New Hampshire State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal grand jury indicts Frewsburg sex offenderRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury gas returned an indictment charging Jeffrey Paden, 57, of Frewsburg, NY, with receipt and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and previously filed complaint, the New York State Police (NYSP) received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual in Frewsburg, NY, uploaded images of child pornography on the internet. Subsequent investigation traced the images to Paden, who is currently on federal supervised release following a 2015 conviction for possession of child pornography. Paden was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release. On September 12, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant on 12 electronic devices seized earlier in the investigation by the NYSP and recovered multiple images of child pornography.
Paden was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Attempted Murder and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 1, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury against John Turscak, 52.
The complaint alleges that while incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution Tucson, Turscak stabbed another inmate, D.C., who had previously been convicted of federal crimes in another district, approximately 22 times with an improvised knife.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Attempted murder and assault with intent to commit murder violations each carry maximum penalties of 20 years’ incarceration, while assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury each carry maximum penalties of 10 years’ incarceration.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-192_Turscak
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Federal Grand Jury Indicts Ute Fish and Wildlife Officer in 2022 Shooting on Tribal Land in Uinta CanyonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Waneka Rosebud Cornpeach, age 40, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Utah for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, both while within Indian Country.
According to the indictment, on or about July 17, 2022, the defendant allegedly fired her weapon at two different victims, resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment charges the defendant with four counts: two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon while within Indian Country in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(3) and 1153, and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury while within Indian Country in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(6) and 1153.
The defendant made her initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Daphne A. Oberg on November 30, 2023.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Churnet from the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution of the case in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.
The charges in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.