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19 January 2024
Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Six Explosive IncidentsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cushmir McBride, 24, of Yeadon, PA, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, as well as five separate counts alleging maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive.
In addition, on January 11, 2024, Nasser McFall, 23, of Claymont, DE, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for the explosive incidents described below. On June 29, 2022, McFall had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, as well as four separate counts alleging maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive.
McBride and McFall, along with Kamar Thompson, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, were charged by indictment in April of 2021 for their involvement in four separate incidents in Fall 2020: the robberies of a Target and a Wawa, and attempts to rob two different Wawas, all with multiple explosive devices. McFall was also charged with setting off an explosive device at a bank in Philadelphia later that year. McBride and McFall were previously arrested and charged by complaint, and Thompson was already in federal custody facing charges in a separate case involving the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On November 3, 2021, Thompson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, six counts alleging maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On January 20, 2022, McBride and McFall were charged by superseding indictment, which added a charge alleging that McBride set off an explosive device at a Wells Fargo bank ATM in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia on March 2, 2021. The superseding indictment also alleged that McBride, McFall, and Thompson stole over $400,000 from Capital One Bank (Target), PNC Bank (Wawa), and Wells Fargo.
As background:
On October 26, 2020, a Philadelphia police officer-involved shooting occurred in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia, resulting in the death of Walter Wallace, Jr. Peaceful protests began that evening and continued into the following days, accompanied by a period of civil unrest, with widespread incidents of looting and violence in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
On October 28, 2020, defendants McBride, Thompson and McFall conspired to break into a Target in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and set off an explosive device in order to steal money from an ATM inside. The defendants had broken into a Wawa the following day, October 29, on Richmond Street in Philadelphia, where they once again set off explosive devices in order to steal money from the ATM. On October 31, 2020, the defendants broke into another Wawa in Northeast Philadelphia and detonated an explosive device. The indictment further alleged that the defendants set off an explosive device in another Wawa in Claymont, DE, on November 4, 2020, in an attempt to rob this store in the same manner. All three defendants were later charged with setting off an explosive device inside an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank in Philadelphia on December 2, 2020. McBride was then charged with setting off an explosive device at a Wells Fargo ATM in Philadelphia on March 2, 2021. The defendants were able to steal approximately $417,000 during the course of the conspiracy.
“The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment freedoms,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “However, violence and destruction of property like this clearly jeopardize the rights and safety of all citizens. As evidenced by McBride’s plea and McFall’s sentence, if you seek to use peaceful protests as cover to pursue your own violent criminal agenda, my office and our law enforcement partners will bring you to justice.”
“Both defendants recklessly used explosive devices at least six times, each with the potential to cause significant damage and injure countless people,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is committed to protecting our communities from harm and working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt violent explosives-related activity. I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department, Delaware State Police, Upper Chichester Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from Delaware State Police and Upper Chichester Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
Crow Agency meth trafficker sentenced to five years in prison for role in large conspiracy based on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Crow Agency man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine as part of a large, multiple-state conspiracy that was based on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jeffrey Prettypaint, 30, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court allowed Prettypaint to self- surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
In court documents and in court, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated a large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking organization that was centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one known as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations and the Billings community from about January 2022 to March 2023. Prettypaint is one of approximately two dozen defendants charged in the conspiracy and was considered to be in the mid-level of the conspiracy.
The government alleged that Prettypaint was directly involved with major players above him in the drug distribution ring and could go to Spear Siding and other property to get meth. In February of 2023, Prettypaint sent the following text message to one of the main co-conspirators and suppliers:
“..we picked up 3oz this morning but we need 4oz, Hahaha, ask [co-conspirator] if he can tip me hahaha 3+3+4=10 zips in 5 days, and Tell [co-conspirator 2] may I please have an Xmas bonus or some crystal tips. Pretty sure [co-conspirator 3] n I clesring [sic] a quarter pound a day not. Everyone coming to us.”
Prettypaint also was aware of a co-conspirator having a “safe house” where they could get fentanyl and meth. In September 2022, Prettypaint told an individual that the person could buy a pound of meth from Spear Siding for $6,000. The individual went to Spear Siding and purchased a half a pound of meth for $3,000. Further, Prettypaint excelled at dealing meth and suggested in his own messages ways to make it better. In discussing expanding the business with Prettypaint, a top co-conspirator told Prettypaint to be thinking about a “few other peeps who might want to purchase or who can be great distributors,” as well other locations. Prettypaint responded that they needed to “expand to other locations and start using cash apps.” Throughout the investigation, law enforcement determined that Prettypaint was being supplied meth from sources for Spear Siding and was redistributing meth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
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.
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Cottage Grove Woman Indicted for Posting Violent Threat OnlineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment Thursday charging a Cottage Grove, Oregon woman with posting a violent threat online, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Elizabeth Ballesteros West, 56, has been charged with one count of transmitting an interstate threat.
According to court documents, in late September 2023, the FBI received an anonymous tip that West was threatening coworkers on Facebook. Later, in November 2023, the FBI learned West had established an account on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she was allegedly using to post and repost memes, videos and statements containing violent messages targeting Black and Jewish people and immigrants. Several of West’s posts included what appeared to be self-produced photos of firearms including several handguns, a shotgun, and an AR-style assault rifle.
On January 3, 2024, West admitted to posting and reposting messages on X that contained hateful and violent rhetoric. West also admitted to possessing multiple shotguns and AR-15 assault rifles at her Cottage Grove residence.
One week later, on January 9, 2024, the FBI executed federal search warrants on West’s person, vehicle, and residence. They located and seized 12 handguns, 16 rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm accessories, and a journal that appeared to contain writings and drawings that included additional hateful and violent statements. On January 12, 2024, FBI agents arrested West without incident at her workplace in Eugene.
West made her first appearance in federal court Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Cottage Grove Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Ernesto Mayo-Huerta, 31, of Attalla, to 99 months in prison. Mayo-Huerta pleaded guilty in September 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on August 1l, 2022, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) agents and Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Attalla, Alabama. Upon entering the residence, agents located Mayo-Huerta in the living room and immediately detained him without incident. Agents found approximately $4,489 in cash on Mayo-Huerta. In addition, $1,800 of buy money was co-mingled with the cash found on Mayo-Huerta from the “buy-walk” executed by an ALEA agent.
From one room, agents recovered large totes containing packages of marijuana; a Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol; a GSG - 5 .22 caliber rifle; a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun; a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol; a Springfield Arms 16-gauge shotgun; an HW7, .22 LR caliber revolver; an Arminius, .38 special revolver; a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver; and a semi–automatic shotgun. From a second room, agents recovered a bag of marijuana; a Tactical Innovations T-15 rifle; a Mossberg .22LR caliber rifle; a Rock Island Armory .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol; an Anderson, Model AM-15 pistol; a Zip-loc bag containing $13,792 in cash; and a fanny pack containing $14,912 in cash. In total, agents recovered $33,193 dollars in cash, 14 firearms, and 57.5 pounds of marijuana from the residence.
The ATF investigated the case along with ALEA SBI, ADETF Region F, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
Columbia Man Involved in Gun and Drug Trafficking Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Justin Washington, 24, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Stolen Firearms and Possession of a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on Oct. 22, 2022, deputies of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence based on his involvement in multiple car break-ins throughout Richland County. During the search warrant, deputies recovered four firearms, 9mm and 300 blackout ammunition, multiple gun magazines, over $4,300 dollars in cash, more than 220 grams of marijuana, a window punch, and several tools related to breaking into motor vehicles.
After receiving his Miranda rights, Washington admitted to his possession of the items recovered by law enforcement and stated to law enforcement that he stole the firearms in his possession. He also told law enforcement that he would often sell the firearms he stole from motor vehicles.
During this incident, Washington was on parole for Breaking into a Motor Vehicle, a felony which prohibited him from possessing firearms and ammunition.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Washington to 90 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Columbia Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall, Elle Klein, and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to over Nine Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a firearm was sentenced on January 18, 2024, to 110 months in federal prison.
Ethan Porter, age 33, of Cedar Rapids, received the sentence after a July 11, 2023, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Porter admitted that, in June 2022, he possessed a Taurus pistol while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of three felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Porter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Porter was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 23-6.
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CEO of Crypto Investment Platform Charged in Multi-Million Dollar International Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
This morning, Horst Jicha, a German national, will be arraigned at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with securities fraud and conspiracies to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for his role in a cryptocurrency scheme called USI Tech. Jicha was arrested, and the charges against him were unsealed when he entered the United States on December 23, 2023 attempting to vacation in Miami, Florida.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, in the early days of crypto, the defendant deployed a multilevel marketing scheme to defraud U.S. investors excited about the crypto market,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Although the defendant did not return to the United States for half a decade, my Office and the FBI worked to ensure that when he did, he would be brought to justice. Our Office is committed to prosecuting any criminal actor defrauding U.S. investors for their own gain, regardless of where in the world they may come from.”
“Too often honest investors fall victim to schemes surrounding emerging financial opportunities. Horst Jicha allegedly advertised a platform that made cryptocurrency investing simple and more accessible to investors, with guaranteed returns. In reality the platform was just a facade, and when questions arose, Jicha stole millions of his investors’ money and fled the country. No matter how long it takes, the FBI will continue to bring to justice criminal financial fraudsters,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
As alleged in the indictment, USI Tech was an online platform that began in Europe and purported to make cryptocurrency investments easy and accessible to the average retail investor. In reality, it was a multilevel marketing scheme that relied on investors recruiting other investors below them to buy various purported cryptocurrency investments. Jicha was one of USI Tech’s founders and its Chief Executive Officer. In 2017, Jicha brought USI Tech to the United States and aggressively marketed it to U.S. retailers on social media and through in-person presentations in which he falsely guaranteed high returns on investments and made false claims about the legality of the platform’s investment offerings.
In early 2018, after USI Tech faced regulatory scrutiny in the United States, it ceased all U.S. operations overnight, leaving investors with no ability to access their money and resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Much of the missing money – Ether and Bitcoin valued at approximately $150 million as of the date of his arrest – was sent to cryptocurrency deposit addresses controlled by Jicha after USI Tech ceased operations. Jicha had not returned to the United States for over five years, until the date of his arrest.
If you believe that you have been a victim of this crime, please contact [email protected].
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud and General Crimes Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin Farrell, Genny Ngai, and Daniel Marcus are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.
Defendant: HORST JICHA
Age: 64
Germany
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-342 (OEM)CEO Sentenced for Transnational “Cherry-Picking” Scheme Involving Foreign Exchange and Cryptocurrency Futures ContractsRead the Press Release
A chief executive officer of an investment firm was sentenced today to two years in prison followed by one year and six months of home confinement and ordered to forfeit approximately $1.6 million for a “cherry-picking” scheme, in which he fraudulently misappropriated profitable trades to himself and saddled his investors with losses.
According to court documents, Peter Kambolin, 48, a U.S.-Russian national of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, was the owner and chief executive officer of Systematic Alpha Management LLC (SAM), an investment firm that Kambolin marketed as offering algorithmic trading strategies involving futures contracts. Established in 2007, by 2011, SAM had more than $720 million in assets under management. Between January 2019 and November 2021, Kambolin, who at the time was a commodity trading advisor and a commodity pool operator, engaged in a cherry-picking scheme in which he fraudulently allocated profits and losses from futures trades in a manner designed to benefit his own accounts unfairly at the expense of his clients. Kambolin also misrepresented to his clients that SAM employed trading strategies focused on cryptocurrency futures contracts and foreign exchange futures contracts, when in reality, approximately half of Kambolin’s trading in each pool involved equity index futures contracts. In doing so, Kambolin defrauded investors located in the United States and abroad by, among other things, depriving them of profitable trades. Kambolin used the proceeds of the scheme to fund personal expenses, including rent for a beachfront apartment, and transferred proceeds to foreign bank accounts his co-conspirator controlled in Belarus and Dominica.
During the relevant period, Kambolin executed trades for pool participants together with trades he executed on behalf of his proprietary accounts, and fraudulently allocated the profits and losses of the trades to benefit his own accounts.
Kambolin pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission previously charged Kambolin and SAM by complaint.
Trial Attorney Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
CEO of Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme “IcomTech” Sentenced to Five-Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MARCO RUIZ OCHOA was sentenced principally to five years in prison for his role in promoting a large-scale cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme known as IcomTech. OCHOA was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon. On September 27, 2023, OCHOA pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ochoa took advantage of the hype around cryptocurrency to con unsuspecting victims into investing in the IcomTech pyramid scheme. This significant sentence sends a message to anyone considering following in his footsteps: that path leads to serious prison time.”
According to the Indictment and statements made in court:
DAVID CARMONA started IcomTech in 2018, and IcomTech promotional materials put OCHOA forward as IcomTech’s CEO until 2019, when a new CEO replaced him. IcomTech was a purported cryptocurrency mining and trading company that promised to earn its victim-investors (“Victims”) profits in exchange for their purchase of purported cryptocurrency-related investment products. OCHOA and the other promoters of IcomTech, including his co-defendants CARMONA, JUAN ARELLANO, MOSES VALDEZ, and DAVID BREND, falsely promised their respective Victims, among other things, that profits from the company’s cryptocurrency trading and mining would result in guaranteed daily returns on Victims’ investments. In reality, IcomTech did not engage in cryptocurrency trading or mining for its Investors, and OCHOA and IcomTech’s other promoters used Victim funds to pay other Victims to further promote the schemes and to enrich themselves.
IcomTech promoters, including OCHOA, traveled throughout the United States and internationally, where they hosted lavish expos and small community presentations aimed at luring Victims to invest in the schemes, including in the Southern District of New York. During larger-scale events, IcomTech promoters presented on purported investment products and the compensation plan, encouraged Victims to invest as a means of achieving financial freedom, and boasted about the amount of money they were earning. IcomTech promoters often showed up at larger-scale events in expensive cars and wearing luxury clothing as a way of exhibiting their purportedly legitimate success from IcomTech. The atmosphere of these events was festive and designed to generate excitement about the schemes.
Victims invested in IcomTech by purchasing investment products from promoters using cash, checks, wire transfers, and actual cryptocurrency. Following a Victim’s investment, a Victim would be provided with access to an online portal where the Victim could monitor the purported returns. While Victims saw “profits” accumulate on the online portal, most Victims were unable to withdraw any of these so-called profits and ultimately lost their entire investments. By contrast, IcomTech’s promoters, including OCHOA, siphoned off, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars in Victim funds, which they withdrew as cash, spent on IcomTech promotional expenses, and used for personal expenditures such as luxury goods and real estate.
At least as early as August 2018, Victims who attempted to withdraw money from their online portal accounts had difficulty doing so and, when they complained to promoters, they were met with excuses, delays, and hidden fees, if they were able to make any withdrawals at all. Despite these complaints, IcomTech promoters, including OCHOA, continued to promote IcomTech and accept Victims’ investments. As complaints mounted, IcomTech began offering proprietary crypto tokens for sale as a means of injecting liquidity into IcomTech. Promoters of the schemes claimed that these tokens, known as “Icoms,” would eventually be worth a significant amount of money when they were accepted by companies for payment for goods and services. This was false. In reality, “Icoms” were essentially worthless and resulted in further financial loss to Victims. By in or about the end of 2019, IcomTech stopped making payments to Victims and IcomTech collapsed.
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In addition to the prison term, OCHOA, 35, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $914,000 in criminal proceeds.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for their assistance.
If you believe you are a victim of the IcomTech fraud, updated information regarding the case and victims’ rights, as well as contact information for the victim witness coordinator is available here.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Gianforti, Michael Maimin, Josiah Pertz, and Cecilia E. Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
Broken Bow Resident Pleads Guilty to MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Devon Leroy Battiest, age 43, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with Murder in Indian County—Second Degree.
The Information alleged that Battiest unlawfully killed the victim with malice aforethought. According to investigators, on May 6, 2023, Battiest entered a Broken Bow residence armed with a firearm. Battiest confronted the victim, who was a guest at the house, and shot the victim multiple times.
The crime occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Broken Bow Police Department, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police.
The Honorable Gerald Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The Battiest was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré Honored as 2023 AUSA of the Year by Homeland Security InvestigationsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Nicole DuPré of the Middle District of North Carolina has been honored as the 2023 Assistant United States Attorney of the Year for the state of North Carolina by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston.
Each year, the HSI Charlotte regional office recognizes the outstanding work and partnerships of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors from North Carolina and South Carolina.
AUSA DuPré received the award in recognition of her work on the investigation and prosecution of Chester Fletcher Wallace. On July 14, 2023, after a four-day trial, Wallace was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and five counts of using force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause five victims to engage in commercial sex acts. Wallace was sentenced in November 2023 to six concurrent life terms of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $914,401.07.
“AUSA DuPré, co-counsel Tanner Kroeger (currently a trial attorney with the National Security Division of the Department of Justice), and the agents investigating this case worked tirelessly to ensure that the victims received justice,” said U. S. Attorney Hairston. “This award is extremely well-deserved and recognizes AUSA DuPré’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. This heinous crime targets the most vulnerable in our society, and our office will continue to fight against individuals who exploit others for profit.”
Each year, the Department of Justice recognizes National Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, to better educate the public about the signs of human trafficking and bring awareness to the victims. For more information about the signs of human trafficking or to get help for you or someone you know who may be a victim of human trafficking, visit https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/about-blue-campaign.
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Arkansas Woman Charged with Tax Evasion and Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Fort Smith, Arkansas, returned an indictment yesterday charging an Arkansas woman with evading her federal income taxes and failing to file income tax returns.
According to the indictment, Kristine J. Collins, of Centerton, did not file individual income tax returns for 2017 through 2022, despite earning sufficient income requiring her to do so. Collins was allegedly employed by a company as a senior manager in asset protection, responsible for protecting the company against internal fraud and theft. The indictment alleges that Collins supplied her employer with employee withholding certificates (Forms W-4) falsely claiming she was exempt from federal income tax withholding each year. In August 2022, when questioned by IRS special agents conducting a criminal investigation into her failure to file tax returns, she allegedly made several false statements. In approximately March 2023, Collins allegedly filed another false Form W-4 claiming exemption from income tax withholding for 2023. During the years covered in the indictment, Collins allegedly earned gross income in excess of $750,000.
If convicted, Collins faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each tax evasion count and one year in prison for each tax return count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Andres Chinchilla and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arkansas Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Raylon Sharrod Triplett-Armstrong, age 33, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The charges arose from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the McAlester Police Department.
On February 22, 2023, Triplett-Armstrong pleaded guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance that contained a detectable amount of fentanyl. According to investigators, Triplett-Armstrong traveled from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to McAlester, Oklahoma, intending to conduct a drug transaction. When Triplett-Armstrong arrived in McAlester, officers initiated a traffic stop and a search of the vehicle revealed over 900 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
“The illegal distribution of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl poses a tremendous danger to our communities,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute offenders.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Triplett-Armstrong will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States.
Alleged Fraudster Extradited from Brazil to Face New ChargesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JOHN VOLOSHIN, also known as “Josh Thomas,” 68, formerly of New Haven and Woodbridge, has been extradited to the U.S. from Brazil to face fraud, identity theft, and money laundering offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in May 2012, Voloshin was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 33 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for operating multiple fraud schemes that caused losses of more than $1.5 million to individuals and lenders. He was released from prison in May 2014. In November 2014, he was sentenced to an additional nine months of imprisonment for violating the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release for repeatedly lying to his supervising probation officer by concocting a bogus job for a real estate concern in London. He was released from prison in June 2015. In the fall of 2015, Voloshin engaged in another fraud scheme by soliciting money from individuals and falsely representing that the money would be fully invested to generate very high returns. In November 2017, he was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment for the offense and for violating his supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $275,000 in restitution, in addition to his restitution obligation from his 2012 conviction. He was released from prison in May 2018.
On September 23, 2020, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Voloshin with seven counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of money laundering. The indictment, which was unsealed today, alleges that between January and April 2019, Voloshin defrauded a company in Bloomfield for which he provided accounting and tax preparation services to individuals and companies. Voloshin stole blank checks for both the company’s business account and the company owner’s personal account, forged the owner’s name on the checks, and negotiated the checks for his own benefit. Voloshin also stole and negotiated checks and money orders that were written out as payment by third parties to the company. As part of the scheme, Voloshin incorporated an entity in Wyoming with a name very similar to that of the company, opened a bank account in the name of the sham company, deposited misappropriated checks into the account, and used the stolen funds for his own benefit.
Voloshin was arrested on July 14, 2021, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has been in custody since that time. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the new charges against him.
Bank fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment on each count, and money laundering carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. Voloshin also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release from his 2017 conviction.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked Interpol and Brazilian authorities for their assistance in apprehending this defendant, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for coordinating the extradition proceedings in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Sean P. Mahard.
18 January 2024
Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Murder Her MotherRead the Press Release
An Illinois woman was sentenced yesterday to 26 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to murder her mother while they vacationed in Bali, Indonesia, in August 2014.
According to court documents, Heather L. Mack, 28, originally from Chicago, admitted in a plea agreement that she and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, conspired to kill Mack’s mother while Mack and her mother vacationed in Bali. Mack arranged for Schaefer to travel to Bali using her mother’s credit card. After Schaefer arrived, Mack and Schaefer exchanged a series of text messages about how and when to kill Mack’s mother, which included a discussion about suffocating or beating the victim. Shortly after these text messages were exchanged, on Aug. 12, 2014, Schaefer entered the victim’s hotel room and, while Mack was present, brutally beat and killed the victim. Mack and Schaefer then placed the victim’s body into a suitcase and tried to leave the hotel in a taxi. When the driver of the taxi refused to accept their fare, Mack and Schaefer fled the hotel and abandoned the suitcase containing the victim’s body in the taxicab. Mack and Schaefer were arrested by Indonesian police the day after the murder at another hotel in Bali.
“Heather Mack planned to violently murder her own mother while on vacation in Bali,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In Bali, Mack stood by while her mother was savagely beaten to death and then callously and unsuccessfully tried to dispose of her mother’s body. This significant sentence holds the defendant to account for this heinous crime. The department will continue to pursue justice for Americans, both at home and abroad.”
“The successful prosecution of the defendant’s heinous crime was the result of exhaustive investigative work by law enforcement in the United States and Indonesia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “The sentence imposed sends a message that the U.S. justice system remains a powerful tool to hold accountable those who harm American citizens abroad.”
“The FBI works diligently with its international law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators of violent crime to justice and closure to victims’ families,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. “The sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating violent crime—no matter how long or how far it takes us.”
“This case is the result of the FBI’s unwavering commitment to seeking justice for all Americans throughout the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “We will never stop working with our partners to hold violent offenders accountable, no matter where in the world they commit their crimes.”
In 2015, Mack and Schaefer were convicted in Indonesia of local criminal charges related to the murder. Mack was sentenced to 10 years in prison and released after serving seven years. Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison and currently remains imprisoned in Indonesia.
In November 2021, upon arrival in the United States, Mack was arrested on U.S. federal charges relating to the murder. Schaefer was also charged in the U.S. indictment, and those charges remain pending against him. Mack pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national.
The FBI Chicago Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Senior Trial Attorney Frank G. Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini for the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case.
Venice Man Charged with Threatening to Commit A Mass Casualty Event and Unlawful Possession of A SilencerRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Alexander Lightner (26, Venice, FL) with interstate transmission of a threat to injure and unlawful possession of a silencer. If convicted on all counts, Lightner faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to court filings, on December 29, 2023, Lightner made the following threats on an internet messaging platform indicating his intention to carry out a mass shooting: “2024 there shall be saints u fuq”; “Highscore shall be defeated”; “I’ll delete this, but I say to you there is no surrender only death. Only purpose”; “When my @ says last seen a week ago remove me from everything.”; “It’s called a .308 black tip.”; and “Those that know me know. It’s over, you have not seen the wrath of the Aryan that has no purpose left.” In the racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (“RMVE”) community, a “saint” is an individual who commits an act of mass violence in furtherance of RMVE ideology, and the term “high score” refers to the death toll amassed by an attacker, or saint, who commits an act of mass violence.
Federal law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at Lightner’s residence. During the search, agents recovered an unregistered firearm silencer, ammunition, and multiple firearms from Lightner’s bedroom.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.
Van Zandt County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding elderlyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Wills Point woman has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Lisa Lynn Smith, 62, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. Smith was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,236.94 to her elderly victim.
According to information presented in court, Smith carried out a scheme to defraud an elderly Plano man by telling him lies about urgent personal and family expenses that she was facing. Smith also convinced the victim that she was going to receive a lawsuit settlement for over $2.5 million, and that she would use the money to pay the victim back for the money that he was giving to her. The victim would provide funds to Smith by various means including allowing Smith access to a credit card, which she used for various purposes such as repeatedly renting cars for her family members. In fact, Smith’s lawsuit paid nothing close to this amount and Smith was using the money for personal and family expenses that she did not disclose to the victim.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Frisco Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reports over $169 Million in Civil and Criminal Collections in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today that criminal and civil matters handled by the Eastern District of California in Fiscal Year 2023 resulted in collections totaling $169,209,799.
Of this amount, the Eastern District of California directly collected $52,209,799. This included more than $11.6 million in criminal actions and more than $40.5 million in civil actions. Additionally, the Eastern District of California worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,181,933 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, more than $32,000 was collected in criminal actions and more than $2.1 million was collected in civil actions.
Separately, the Department of Justice collected $117 million in a matter handled by the Eastern District of California with assistance from DOJ’s Commercial Litigation Branch. In April 2023, the Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation paid $117 million to the Department of Justice pursuant to a settlement agreement previously reached in PG&E’s bankruptcy proceedings. This agreement required PG&E to compensate the United States for damages caused by multiple fires occurring within the Eastern District of California prior to the bankruptcy, including the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.
“Thanks go to the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff in this office whose collection efforts protect the residents of the Eastern District of California and safeguard precious taxpayer resources,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We are also thankful to our DOJ and law enforcement partners who make much of this work possible. Together we remain committed to protecting the public, vigorously pursuing funds that rightfully belong to U.S. taxpayers, and seeking compensation for crime victims.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of California, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected more than $8.6 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Observes National Human Trafficking Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
“Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit, and it has no place in today’s society,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Vassallo. “We remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting traffickers within the borders of Wyoming.”
The Justice Department’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking sets forth a comprehensive, multi-year strategy to enhance Department-wide efforts to combat all forms of human trafficking. Actions in 2023 to implement this National Strategy and to advance all aspects of the Department’s broad-based anti-trafficking mission include:
- Designation by the Attorney General of a National Human Trafficking Coordinator and a National Child Exploitation Coordinator to coordinate Department-wide and interagency implementation of strategies for countering human trafficking and child exploitation threats, respectively.
- Establishment of a Human Trafficking Working Group of U.S. Attorneys through the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys and its Civil Rights Subcommittee.
- Formation of a specialized Human Trafficking Program Management Team within the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit to develop and disseminate expertise and training on victim-centered, trauma-informed anti-trafficking strategies to FBI Field Offices nationwide and enhance coordination of human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and victim services.
- Implementation of the revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, including delivery of survivor-informed training to all relevant Department personnel on enhanced protections for vulnerable victims and specialized issues impacting human trafficking victims.
- Training of all Department Immigration Judges on detecting human trafficking victims and indicators in immigration-related proceedings through the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
- Expanded efforts to combat forced child labor, including:
- Leadership of the interagency Forced Labor Initiative Steering Group in conducting strategic assessments of forced child labor threats and guiding criminal forced labor investigations and prosecutions in relevant jurisdictions;
- Participation in the interagency Child Labor Exploitation Task Force and issuance of guidance to all Office for Victims of Crime grantees, in collaboration with the Department of Labor, on identifying, assisting, and referring victims of forced child labor and child labor exploitation; and
- Introduction of resolutions on combating forced child labor to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime Working Group on Trafficking in Persons
- Sustained efforts to combat child sex trafficking, including through:
- Release of the Department’s 2023 National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction;
- Operations conducted by the FBI and federal, state, local, and Tribal partners over a two-week period that identified and located 59 missing children and 59 victims of potential federal or state sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, or related offenses, as well as 126 suspects and 141 potential adult victims of such offenses; and
- Issuance of an Office on Violence Against Women Training and Technical Assistance grant to implement the Building Capacity to Serve Youth Survivors of Sex Trafficking Project; youth sex trafficking grantees and service providers; deliver youth-centered, survivor-informed expertise; and enhance outreach to traditionally underserved youth populations.
- Enhanced responses to human trafficking affecting Tribal communities through training, technical assistance, and coordination among Tribal, territorial, federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners, including through the Tribal Consultation on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women; Not Invisible Act Commission; National Indian Country Training Initiative; and Strengthening Sovereign Responses to Sex Trafficking in Indian Country and Alaska program.
- Issuance of over $95 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office for Victims of Crime, as the largest federal funder of services for human trafficking victims and survivors, including grant funding for direct services and legal services and training and technical assistance to enhance grantees’ capacity to provide services to labor trafficking victims.
- National Institute of Justice-funded research and evaluation studies to inform evidence-based best practices involving multidisciplinary task forces, victim services, and responses to emerging forced labor and forced criminality threats.
- Continued collaboration among U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to secure convictions, substantial sentences, and significant restitution awards in a wide range of human trafficking prosecutions nationwide.
Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
Information on the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $3.4 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Southern District of Illinois collected $3,414,959.96 in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2023, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe announced Thursday. Of this amount, $1,951,689.87 was collected in criminal actions and $1,463,270.09 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, Southern District of Illinois employees worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $4,148,633.35 in jointly pursued cases. Of this amount, $9,266.10 was collected in criminal actions and $4,139,367.25 was collected in civil actions.
“Throughout the last fiscal year, federal prosecutors and financial litigation staff worked tirelessly to collect millions of dollars in restitution from individuals charged with fraud and other crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “These funds help support victims regain a sense of normalcy and offer assistance to law enforcement officers with their efforts to apprehend criminals.”
In the largest civil settlement for FY 23, the Southern District of Illinois finalized a deal to recover $745,000 to resolve allegations about a migraine headache treatment device from Jet Medical Inc. Jet agreed to pay $200,000 to settle criminal allegations, and Jet and two related companies agreed to pay another $545,000 in a civil settlement.
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in southern Illinois, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,904,603 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $11.5 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore announced today that the Western District of Missouri collected $5,814,684 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $4,453,163 was collected in criminal actions and $1,361,521 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5,678,378 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“In 2023, the attorneys and support staff in our Monetary Penalties Unit worked diligently to collect nearly $11.5 million on behalf of taxpayers and victims of crime,” Moore said.
“Our job doesn’t end when a defendant is sentenced or a civil case is settled,” Moore added. “I’m proud to say that over the past year, victims of fraud, sex trafficking, and other crimes have received much needed restitution for what they lost at the hands of criminal defendants. Our team seized assets and collected money judgments from criminals who attempted to profit from their illegal activities. And those who owed a debt to the United States were held accountable to pay what they owed.”
Additionally, the Western District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $5,298,876 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $37,515 was collected in criminal actions and $5,261,361 was collected in civil actions.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
U.S. Attorney's Office Collects $3,517,919.40 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross announced today that the Eastern District of Arkansas collected $3,517,919.40 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $3,417,560.11 was collected in criminal actions and $100,359.29 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Arkansas worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $278,701.75 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $6,690.49 was collected in criminal actions and $272,011.26 was collected in civil actions.
“On behalf of victims and taxpayers in the Eastern District of Arkansas, our Office’s Financial Litigation Program and Asset Forfeiture Unit aggressively work to ensure civil and criminal financial obligations are met,” Ross said. “The hard work put in these programs often goes unnoticed. I am extremely proud of their dedication and commitment to ensure victims justly receive compensation and assessed fines are paid.”
Following are two cases that represent the work the Eastern District of Arkansas does to recover money.
United States v. Marcus O. Millsap, Case No. 4:17-CR-00293-045 BSM (E.D. AR).
On May 26, 2023, Marcus Millsap was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to immediately pay $200,300 ($200k fine and $300 in assessments). Millsap failed to pay, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office was able to garnish the full $200,300 Judgment amount from a bank account belonging to Millsap. On August 30, 2023, the Court entered an Order directing the bank to pay the full $200,300 to the Clerk of Court.
Millsap, associated with the white supremacist gang New Aryan Empire, was a violent drug trafficker in Pope County and indicted in September 2019. After a jury trial, Millsap was found guilty of conspiracy to violate racketeering laws, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
United States v. Everett Martindale, Case No. 4:19-CR-00688 DPM (E.D. AR)
On June 30, 2023, Everett Martindale was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison and ordered to pay $246,375.00 in restitution. Martindale paid a total of $197,375 towards his restitution shortly after sentencing. The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) credited $51,000 that Martindale had already paid on a forfeiture money judgment towards the restitution judgment amount.
Martindale and six other defendants were involved in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Martindale worked as an attorney and legal representative for most of the claimants recruited by other defendants.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $226,132 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@EDARNEWS
Two sentenced for robbing multiple commercial businesses at gunpointRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two men have been ordered to prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during crime sprees in two separate, unrelated, but similar cases, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Angel Servellon, 30, El Salvador, pleaded guilty Aug. 10, 2023, while DaVonte Williams, 29, Houston, entered his plea Aug. 29, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has now ordered Servellon to serve 24 months for the three robberies as well as an additional 168 months for the firearm charges which must be served consecutively. The total 233-month-term will be followed by three years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the fact Servellon would be removed from the United States.
In a separate, but similar case sentenced Jan. 17, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller imposed a 151-term of imprisonment for Williams for two robberies. He also received an additional 84 months for the firearm charge which must be served consecutively for a total of 235 months. The total 235-month sentence will also be followed by three years of supervised release.
“Although these men went on different crime sprees, targeting a drug store, convenience store and gas station, and while both were sentenced by different judges, the result was essentially the same - almost 20 years in prison,” said Hamdani. “As the son of an immigrant who donned a convenience store uniform every night at the conclusion of his morning shift as a taxi driver, I am hopeful that sentences like these will deter future gun toting would-be criminals and keep safe the clerks who work, often by the hour and late into night, serving our communities in stores large and small.”
On Feb. 16, 2020, Servellon walked into a Village Food Store located on Chimney Rock. He went behind the counter, pointed a firearm at a cashier and ordered her to open the register and give him the money. The clerk, fearing for her life, complied, and Servellon soon fled.
Less than two weeks later, he jumped the counter at an Exxon gas station on Fondren, pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded all the money from the register. His crime spree continued to March 3, 2020, when went to another Exxon, again pulled out a firearm and demanded cash from the cashier. After he fled with the money, law enforcement witnessed him pull into an apartment complex, exit the vehicle and attempt to run. However, authorities quickly caught him and found a firearm magazine in his pocket. An additional search of the area led to the discovery of a semi-automatic handgun Servellon had thrown in the bushes of the apartment complex. It matched the firearm brandished during the robberies.
In a separate case, Williams commenced his string of robberies Jan. 12, 2022, at an Exxon gas station located on the Eastex freeway which continued the same night at a CVS located on Tidwell. During his robberies, Williams would enter the commercial businesses and brandish a firearm at the employees, demanding money from the registers.
Law enforcement had been searching for a specific vehicle after the Exxon robbery and saw a similar one leaving the CVS at a high rate of speed. They attempted to stop it, but the driver, later identified as Williams, accelerated and failed obey traffic laws.
The investigation led to Williams’ car and vehicle. At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered a firearm that matched the one used during both robberies. Williams also matched the person seen on the surveillance video, including having a distinct limp.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Crime Gun Strike Force and the Houston Police Department handled both investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts prosecuted the cases.
Two Men Sentenced on Federal Narcotics and Money Laundering ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On January 17, 2024, two individuals were sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment by United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand on their convictions for violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
George Charlan, 36, a former resident of Grants Pass, Oregon, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, and Derek Hillebrand, 27, a former resident of Troutville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.
According to information presented to the court, Charlan and Hillebrand were key members of a cross-country narcotics distribution conspiracy. Charlan orchestrated a shipment of over 280 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100 kilograms of marijuana from California and Nevada to individuals in Jefferson County, Clearfield County, and Allegheny County. Of that amount, Hillebrand received and distributed at least 220 pounds of methamphetamine and 100 kilograms of marijuana to his customers, who subsequently distributed the narcotics to their customers throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania. Charlan then directed Hillebrand to mail large amounts of United States currency (representing drug proceeds that were used to purchase additional narcotics) from the Western District of Pennsylvania to California, and one of his co-conspirators to transport the remaining drug profits to Charlan. In total, Hillebrand mailed over one million dollars in United States currency to California during the course of the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Charlan and Hillebrand, with additional assistance from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department. 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.
Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Conspiracy Targeting Credit UnionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Davon Parson, age 20, of Albany, and Dnauticah Taylor-Sterman, age 21, of Albany, have pled guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In separate pleas before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Parson and Taylor-Sterman each admitted that between February and October 2022, they were members of a conspiracy to defraud SEFCU by, among other things, applying for loans using stolen identities of real people and withdrawing the loaned money in cash. Both Parson and Taylor-Sterman admitted that they applied for loans in other people’s names using fake New York driver’s licenses with their photographs but bearing the names and dates of birth of other people. Taylor-Sterman pled guilty today and Parson pled guilty on January 10, 2024.
Parson and Taylor-Sterman were previously charged by an indictment, along with Evan Cutler and Allahson Allah, formerly known as Gwyn Cancer. According to the indictment and statements made by prosecutors in court, the conspirators obtained customer account information from Caeshara Cannon, age 33, of Albany, a former Member Service Manager at SEFCU, and used that information to create counterfeit checks, which were presented for negotiation at SEFCU branches in the Northern District of New York. The conspirators also obtained personal identifying information of real people, which they used to fraudulently obtain loans from SEFCU, and then withdrew the proceeds in cash.
The charges to which Parson and Taylor-Sterman pled guilty carry a minimum term of 2 years in prison and a maximum term of 32 years, a fine of up to $1.25 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years. Parson will be sentenced on May 10, 2024 and Taylor-Sterman will be sentenced on May 17, 2024.
Cannon pled guilty on September 14, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is scheduled for sentencing on July 12, 2024.
The following charges remain pending against the following individuals:
- Allah, age 53, of Albany, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
- Cutler, age 24, of Queensbury, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
As to these defendants, the charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bethlehem Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting this case.
Three convicted in alien smuggling plot for Mexican cartelRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Three individuals have pleaded guilty to their roles in a human smuggling conspiracy involving the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Laredo residents Bernardo Aniceto Garza, 26, and Francisco Suarez, 19; and Mexican citizen Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, 25, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens.
“The cartels are increasing the use of social media as part of their illegal business model,” said Hamdani. “Applications, such as Facebook, allow these organizations to advertise human smuggling services to large audiences along the U.S. border. In this case, the Facebook ads helped facilitate the transportation of women and children by smugglers armed with dangerous weapons.”
On Aug. 23, 2023, authorities discovered a Facebook post that appeared to be advertising transportation services for undocumented aliens via sleeper cabs of tractor trailers. An undercover investigation revealed Segura coordinated the transportation of three undocumented aliens for approximately $8,000. Law enforcement learned Segura arranged for a black Ford Raptor to make the pickup in Laredo that afternoon.
Authorities spotted a black Ford Raptor arrive at the meet location. Garza was driving. Undercover law enforcement then contacted Segura to cancel the previously arranged pickup. Garza left and travelled to a nearby parking lot to pick up three other individuals. He then transported them to a truck yard and loaded the aliens into a parked tractor. Authorities stopped Garza’s vehicle minutes after he left the truck yard and located a firearm inside the Ford Raptor.
Law enforcement approached the tractor and located two women and a 15-year-old minor inside the vehicle. All three were citizens of Mexico and El Salvador and illegally present in the United States.
On Sept. 16, 2023, authorities encountered Segura in Laredo and identified him as a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. Segura admitted the CDN had recruited him in Mexico to smuggle aliens and that he worked with Suarez to do so. Law enforcement located a cell phone in Segura’s possession that was still logged into the Facebook account used to advertise and coordinate the smuggling event.
On Sept. 19, 2023, authorities apprehended Suarez in a separate smuggling attempt during which he was acting as a scout. Suarez admitted he worked for Garza and provided him with the three migrants he was caught transporting Aug. 23, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will set sentencing at later date. At that time, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Suarez and Guzman will remain in custody pending that hearing, while Garza was permitted to remain on bond.
Laredo Police Department, Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
The case is supported through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s overall efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona and Southern District of California. Numerous components of the Criminal Division are part of JTFA and provide dedicated support for the program which the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section leads. The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section also provide support. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 265 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 200 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial asset forfeiture.
Third Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Corbett, 51, of Butte County, pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in aid of racketeering as part of a long-running investigation into California Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, Aryan Brotherhood (AB) members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, and drug trafficking crimes. The charges allege that AB members oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their California prison cells using smuggled cellphones to direct drug trafficking activities, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities inside and outside of the prisons.
According to the plea agreement, on July 28, 2018, Corbett murdered an inmate at High Desert Prison as part of an AB-related killing. Corbett admitted that he committed the murder because the victim falsely claimed to be an AB member and had run up a significant drug debt at his previous prison – both violations of the AB’s expected codes of conduct. Corbett willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, murdered the victim in order to maintain his status within the gang.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, Ross Pearson, and David Spencer are prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller is scheduled to sentence Corbett on April 8, 2024. Corbett faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Three remaining defendants, Ronald Yandell, Billy Sylvester, and Danny Troxell are scheduled for trial in February 2024. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Texas Resident Sentenced for Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – BRIA PETERS, age 28, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 5 five years probation on January 17, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle after previously pleading guilty to making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
According to the court documents, PETERS made false statements to an approved lender on or about May 27, 2021, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan. Consequently, PETERS later received a PPP loan totaling approximately $29,166.00. PETERS stated in her PPP application that in 2020, she owned a clothing business impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, she had no such business.
In addition to 5 years probation, PETERS was ordered to pay $55,141 in restitution and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee .
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
Taylor County woman sentenced to 12 years for federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kayla Marie Cline, age 32, of Flemington, West Virginia, was sentenced to 148 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cline was operating a methamphetamine distribution operation from a home in Taylor County. Cline worked with others to travel to and from the Morgantown area to meet her supplier or to conduct drug sales. Investigators connected more than three pounds of methamphetamine to Cline.
The case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Taunton Woman Who Bribed RMV Road Test Examiner for Driver's Licenses Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton woman was sentenced yesterday for bribing a road test examiner at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not take road tests.
Neta Centio, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and forfeiture of $19,305. On Aug. 21, 2023, Centio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud.
Centio paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not even showed up for the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. Centio used CashApp to pay the road examiner in exchange for fraudulent passing scores on road tests, ultimately paying over 40 individual bribes to her co-conspirator. After Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. . . . Break the phone.”
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Tarrant County man indicted for trafficking fentanyl through the mailRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Fort Worth man has been indicted for federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Jimmie Jalen Humphries, 28, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in November 2023, charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Humphries made his initial appearance on January17, 2024 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson. Humphries is set for a detention hearing before Judge Johnson on January 22.
According to the indictment and information presented in court, in April 2023, Humphries mailed approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills from Frisco, Texas to the Washington, DC area. Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration later identified Humphries as the source of the fentanyl. Humphries was on supervised release for federal firearms violations out of Michigan at the time of the alleged offense. During his arrest, a search warrant was executed on Humphries’ residence, resulting in the seizure of fentanyl pills, large sums of U.S. currency, ammunition, and extended high-capacity pistol magazines.
If convicted, Humphries faces from 10 years to life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Brooks.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Forty Years in Federal Prison for Six Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Keshawn Jarmarlin Robinson, 22, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for six counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, six counts of brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime – in this case a series of armed robberies by a repeat offender – is central to our mission to protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence illustrates our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with such federal crimes of violence.”
Over the span of seven days in November 2022, Robinson committed six separate armed robberies of Tallahassee businesses. The first, on November 15, 2022, was a Subway Restaurant. The second, on November 19th, was a Tobacco Outlet store. The third, on November 20th, of a Dollar General store, and the final three robberies were committed on November 22nd, at an Advanced Auto Parts store, a Firehouse Subs restaurant, and a Lemon Pepper restaurant. During each of the robberies, Robinson brandished a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Robinson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
"When crimes are committed in Tallahassee, our detectives work diligently and tirelessly to bring justice to the victim and their families," said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “The collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the successful prosecution reflects our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our community. We hope this sentence serves as a strong deterrent, emphasizing that crime will not go unpunished."
In addition to the six-armed robberies charged federally, evidence was also presented to show that in August 2022 in Tallahassee, Florida, Robinson committed an armed carjacking weeks after being released from the Florida Department of Corrections after serving a prison term for robbery and grand theft of motor vehicle, and months before the charged November armed robbery spree. Additionally, evidence showed that since age 12, Robinson has been a member of the Gangster Disciples national criminal street gang; during investigation of the November 2022 armed robbery spree, a distinct six-point star gang tattoo aided investigators in identifying and arresting Robinson.
“The vast majority of the Panhandle’s gun crime is fueled by a small number of people,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “And thanks to solid policework and the community’s support, one of Tallahassee’s most prolific offenders will be locked up for a long time.”
Robinson’s imprisonment will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Sugar Land resident sent to prison for Bitstamp cryptocurrency fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 37-year-old man has been sentenced for aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder more than $500,000, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Xiaofei Chen pleaded guilty Oct. 12, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Chen to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, Chen apologized for his criminal conduct and told the court he regretted his actions.
“The emergence of cryptocurrency has revolutionized finance, but has also provided a new playground for identity theft and financial fraud,” said Hamdani. “Whether the stolen money is counted in dollars or bitcoins, the Southern District’s prosecutors will aggressively prosecute identity thieves and fraudsters and not rest until the offenders are behind bars.”
Chen had obtained the name, driver’s license and banking account of a known victim. Chen then arranged a fraudulent wire of $520,000 from that person’s checking account and opened a Bitstamp cryptocurrency exchange account using the victim’s information without consent.
Bitstamp is an online currency exchange where individuals can covert monies into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency. It is based in Luxembourg and headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Chen used the Bitstamp and other cryptocurrency accounts to convert the proceeds into Bitcoin. He then laundered the Bitcoin through numerous transactions.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
Stamford Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw announced that RICK MARRO, 42, most recently residing in Stamford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.
Marro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents, law enforcement began investigating Marro in August 2023 after a 16-year-old male victim reported that he had been sexually exploited by Marro. The victim reported that he met Marro on a dating application, and they then began communicating on Snapchat in April 2023. The victim indicated that they met in person at Marro’s house on multiple occasions, and two of the encounters were sexual in nature. The victim reported that Marro gave him “poppers,” that Marro was “into” asphyxiation, and, on one occasion, Marro strangled him and he passed out “for a minute or two.” A law enforcement review of the victim’s Snapchat account showed that Marro sent him videos that Marro had recorded of them engaged in sexual activity. He also sent the victim a video depicting Marro choking him.
It is further alleged that law enforcement subsequently seized and searched Marro’s cell phone. During the examination of Marro’s phone, law enforcement located the same videos that he recorded and sent the victim showing them engaged in sexual activity. Investigators also located text messages that Marro had sent to another individual in which Marro stated that he “choked [the victim] all the way to unconscious today by accident.”
The complaint charges Marro with production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; receipt and distribution of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
St. Louis County Man Who Absconded from Federal Supervision Sentenced to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a fentanyl dealer who absconded from federal supervision after his guilty plea to 51 months in prison.
Theodise D. Perkins, 23, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty on May 18, 2022, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He admitted being caught with a stolen .45-caliber pistol, 19.77 grams of fentanyl in capsules and baggies and $1,004 during a traffic stop in St. Louis on March 4, 2020. The driver of the vehicle in which Perkins was riding led police on an extended car chase and Perkins attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody, throwing away a loaded gun in the process.
Following his guilty plea, Perkins allowed to remain out on bond. He repaid this trust by absconding from pre-trial supervision and failing to show up for his sentencing hearing. He was arrested June 27, 2023 and has been held in jail since that time. The recommended sentencing guidelines for Perkins were 21 months higher than they would have been had he not fled supervision.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Sex Offender Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from St. Charles, Missouri on Thursday admitted possessing child pornography and contacting a child via Snapchat.
Ronald L. Thurber, 73, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to possession of child pornography as a prior offender. He admitted searching for child sexual abuse material online and possessing that material in a Google account. He also had hundreds of pictures and videos on his laptop computer and cell phone. Investigators have identified the child victims in 190 of those files.
Thurber also admitted masturbating while corresponding with a 10-year-old in Washington state via Snapchat.
Thurber was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted in a 1979 rape and sodomy case in St. Louis County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The investigation began after the material in his Google account triggered multiple tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Thurber is scheduled to be sentenced April 3. The charge is punishable by between 10 and 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For information about keeping kids safe online, please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s NetSmartz program.
South Georgia Waste Collection Site Closed, Company Sentenced for Improperly Storing Hazardous ChemicalsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A New Jersey-based hazardous waste collection and disposal corporation with locations in Valdosta, Georgia, and Lumberton, North Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for violating federal law in its handling of dangerous chemicals.
Care Environmental Corporation, through its authorized representative Francis J. McKenna, Jr., was sentenced to five years of probation, a $50,000 fine and $135,0000 restitution for remediation and cleanup by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Lawson on Jan. 17, after it previously pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly storing carbon disulfide, a hazardous material, without a permit on Aug. 14, 2023.
“Care Environmental Corporation put Valdosta residents and the South Georgia ecosystem at risk when it failed to properly dispose of hazardous waste and then compounded that failure after state and federal authorities highlighted its wrongdoings and offered a plan to correct its actions,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with our federal, state, and local partners, our office will hold corporations accountable for criminal actions which hurt the environment and put people at risk.”
“Improperly handling and storing hazardous waste not only violates environmental regulations but places surrounding communities at risk of an accidental release, explosion or worse,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno of EPA-CIDs Regional Office in Atlanta, GA. “I hope this sentencing reminds all those that mishandle hazardous waste that EPA and its partners will work to hold wrongdoers accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This case demonstrates how local, state, and federal agencies work together to uphold and enforce laws designed to protect human health and the environment. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division appreciates and would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the staff who collectively held Care Environmental Corporation accountable for its actions and developed plans to remediate this facility. Such blatant violations of our environmental laws pose serious risk to the surrounding community and to the natural resources of the State of Georgia and must be redressed,” said Sara Lips, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division.
According to court documents, Care—a hazardous waste disposal corporation headquartered in Hackettstown, New Jersey—leased a warehouse in Valdosta from 2004 to 2019, where they collected and stored pesticides, poisons, chemicals and other wastes collected from homes and generators throughout the eastern United States. McKenna is the sole officer, director, owner and operator of Care.
In Dec. 2018, Care ceased receiving materials at the facility pursuant to a voluntary closure and a 12-month plan entered into with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) that called for Care to properly dispose of all of the hazardous materials stored at the facility. In connection with that plan, CARE underwent regular inspections of the facility by GAEPD and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and made regular reports to GAEPD and EPA that reflected the amount of the stored hazardous waste that had been shipped for disposal and the amount remaining. During that time, Care continued to store the waste, including hazardous waste materials.
An inspection of the Valdosta facility in Oct. 2019 found approximately 2,100 55-gallon drums, 200 large totes, and two storage tanks containing waste substances in the warehouse. GAEPD and EPA Emergency Response Coordinator inspectors observed improperly stored hazardous materials inside the warehouse and office areas of the building that presented a threat to human health and the environment, and serious fire and explosion hazards. The integrity of a number of the drums and totes were compromised, resulting in leaking and potential spillage. Inspectors found a large jug containing carbon disulfide, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) listed hazardous waste. The knowing storage of the carbon disulfide in the amount found at the warehouse was in violation of the provisions of RCRA. Inspectors also found quantities of various other chemicals, including red and yellow phosphorus, carbon tetrachloride, hydrogen sulfide, cyanide, mercuric cyanide and elemental mercury. The warehouse was shut down in Dec. 2019.
The condition of the warehouse resulted in remediation efforts by the EPA, which included containment and cleanup. CARE operated another warehouse facility in Lumberton, North Carolina, that also required remediation and cleanup. The cost of remediation and cleanup was $43,625.28 for Valdosta and $90,590.70 for Lumberton, North Carolina, for a total of $134,215.98.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID) and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD).
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Six Indicted for Interstate Theft Scheme Along East CoastRead the Press Release
A five-count indictment was unsealed earlier today variously charging six defendants with interstate transportation of stolen property, interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicle and conspiracy counts, in connection with a 20-month scheme to steal rental cars from Hertz Global Holdings (Hertz) and other car companies, and merchandise from the retail stores Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (Lowe’s) and The Home Depot, Inc. (Home Depot). Defendants Christopher World, Lovell Ambrister and Hassen Lewis were arrested this morning, during which a gun with an extended magazine was found, and will be arraigned later today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. Defendants Trent Dance and Von Vincent are detained on other charges in Valhalla, New York and Auburn, New York, respectively, and they will be arrested and arraigned at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn at a later date. Defendant William Harvin is still at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges.
“As alleged, the instruction manual for these defendants was simple: commit crimes at every stage, and repeat. They stole over $300,000 in cars to drive to stores, which they robbed of over $500,000 in merchandise – and replayed this scheme at least 130 times across the East Coast,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Let this serve as a warning: retail theft has real consequences.”
Mr. Peace thanked the New York State Police; the Connecticut Department of Public Safety; the New York City Police Department; the Freeport Police Department, Freeport, New York; the South Burlington Police Department, South Burlington, Vermont; the Vestal Police Department, Vestal, New York; and the Wappingers Falls Police Department, Wappingers Falls, New York, for their assistance with the investigation.
"These six defendants allegedly attempted to benefit by stealing from home improvement stores up and down the East Coast. Today they have found out what the FBI has proven repeatedly—crime doesn’t pay. The arrests serve as a warning to anyone who believes they can pull off and profit from robberies– the FBI will ensure your crime spree is brought to an end," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
As alleged in the government’s court filings, from about April 2022 to December 2023, the defendants stole rental cars from Hertz and others along the East Coast, drove those cars from New York to various branch stores of Lowe’s and Home Depot along the East Coast, and stole home improvement merchandise, often Lutron lighting products, for resale in New York. As a result of the scheme, the defendants together stole at least $516,000 in merchandise from 71 Lowe’s branches and 59 Home Depot branches in 13 states, spanning from South Carolina to Maine. At least 21 of the stores were located in the Eastern District of New York. Each of the defendants personally participated in dozens of the thefts, and many of the defendants face arrest warrants for their thefts in multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina. The defendants also stole at least $320,000 in rental cars in four states, including New York.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants face a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the interstate transportation counts and a maximum of 5 years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Victor Zapana is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Eileen Rosado.
The Defendants:
CHRISTOPHER WORLD (also known as “Birdo”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkLOVELL AMBRISTER (also known as “Stali”)
Age: 22
Bronx, New YorkTRENT DANCE (also known as “Tre Savv”)
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkWILLIAM HARVIN (also known as “Pook”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkHASSEN LEWIS (also known as “Fan Boy”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkVON VINCENT
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-7 (AMD)
Six Defendants Arrested and Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Multiple Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Six defendants were arrested on January 17, 2024, in connection with a conspiracy to distribute cocaine sent through the U.S. Postal Service to New Hampshire. The defendants were indicted on December 20, 2023, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Three defendants appeared in federal court in Concord for an initial appearance on January 17, 2024. The remaining defendants will appear in federal court for initial appearances on a later date.
The following defendants were indicted in connection with these charges:
- Lewistone Baez Miranda, 48, of Manchester, NH. Baez Miranda is in custody.
- Joshua Baez Core, 25, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Baez Core is in custody.
- Euris Rosario Rodriguez, 38, of Manchester, NH. Rosario Rodriguez is in custody.
- Siul Mary Rosa Cruz, 28, of Manchester, NH. Rosa Cruz is in custody.
- David Orme, 51, of Manchester, NH. Orme is in custody.
- Sasha Ramirez Muniz, 42, of Manchester, NH. Ramirez Muniz is in custody.
According to the charging document and statements made in court, each of the defendants was involved in a drug trafficking organization that shipped large amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester, New Hampshire, using the United States Postal Service. Members of the organization would pick up the packages of cocaine in Manchester and provide them to Lewistone Baez Miranda and others for distribution. The largest mail parcel shipped by the drug trafficking organization recovered by the United States Postal Inspection Service contained 4 kilograms of cocaine.
The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Sioux Falls Man Charged with Preparation of False Tax Returns and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man for 23 counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Return and 23 counts of Wire Fraud.
Amon Eustache Aboua, age 54, was indicted in January of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 16, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and up to $4,600 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Aboua is the owner of African Communities United, d/b/a ACU Tax Services. Between February 2, 2018, and April 2, 2019, Aboua prepared false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns and submitted them to the IRS for several taxpayers. Those returns were false in that the returns represented that the taxpayers were entitled to claim deductions when, in fact, they were not. Aboua submitted those tax returns electronically and caused fraudulently-inflated refunds, which unjustly enriched Aboua.
The charges are merely accusations and Aboua is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
Aboua was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Santa Ana Man Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor for Sexual PurposesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcos Lucero, 32, of Santa Ana, was sentenced today to 15 years and six months in prison for attempted online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Lucero asked an 11-year-old girl for explicit pictures, and she sent them to him via a social media application. Lucero continued communicating with her when, unbeknownst to Lucero, an undercover law enforcement agent took over the minor victim’s account. Lucero suggested meeting up for sex, and on Sept. 15, 2021, he traveled from Santa Ana to Fresno to have sex with the 11-year-old.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on January 16, 2024.
Kyle Black Bull, age 34, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Black Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 28, 2023.
In the evening hours of April 16, 2022, the victim was at a residence in Parmelee, South Dakota, with the defendant and two other males. The victim and the defendant had both been consuming alcohol during the evening. As the night progressed, the victim fell asleep on the couch. In the early morning hours of April 17, the victim awoke to the defendant engaging in intercourse with her. The victim was not capable of consenting, due to being asleep, and the defendant was aware that the victim was incapable of consenting.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Black Bull was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rockwood Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of tax evasion and filing a false income tax return, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Jason R. Svonavec, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Svonavec evaded tax liability in 2017 by illegally expensing the construction of his home in Somerset, Pennsylvania, through entities he operates called Heritage Coal and Natural Resources LLC and Banshee Crane. In 2018, he filed a tax return reporting false tax deductions for Heritage Coal and Natural Resources LLC.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024, in Johnstown, PA. The law provides for a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a fine of $500,000, 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Svonavec.
Repeat Sex Trafficker Indicted for Trafficking Four Women Using Violence and ThreatsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man, previously convicted of multiple counts of sex trafficking, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston today for allegedly sex trafficking multiple adult women.
Marvin Pompilus, 39, has been indicted on three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; one count of attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Pompilus was previously arrested and charged in November 2023. He has remained in federal custody since and will appear in federal court in Boston next week.
According to the charging documents, from on or about 2021 through 2022, Pompilus selected women who had a history of substance use disorder and provided them with controlled substances to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance. It is alleged that Pompilus then used a combination physical violence, sexual violence, threats of violence, verbal abuse and withholding of controlled substance from drug dependent victims to coerce and/or force them to engage in commercial sex acts. He then allegedly collected all of the proceeds.
According to court documents, in February 2018, Pompilus was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and deriving support for prostitution. He was sentenced to six years in state prison and was released in October 2021.
Almost immediately following his release from state custody, it is alleged that Pompilus started recruiting women, including the four women charged in this indictment, to engage in commercial sex on his behalf.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston and Randolph Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Tokash of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Protection Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Committing Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 11, Rodney Leroy Brown, 36, of Pompano Beach, Florida was sentenced by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore to 324 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after having been convicted by a trial jury of Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
On March 18, 2023, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Brown – who had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and grand theft – entered a convenience store located in Pompano Beach. Brown selected a soda bottle from the beverage cooler inside the store before surreptitiously walking around the counter to the register area. He then confronted the store clerk, who was behind the counter, and the clerk’s 5-year-old son. Brown brandished two firearms at both the clerk and child, threatening to kill them if they did not give him the money from the registers. In fear, the clerk complied. Brown grabbed money from the registers and then stole the clerk’s purse before fleeing the store.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the sentence.
ATF Miami Field Division investigated the case with assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay J. Alexander and Catherine Koontz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60101.
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Owner of Physical Therapy Clinic Convicted by Federal Jury of Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of several physical therapy clinics in Greater Boston has been convicted by a federal jury of health care fraud charges.
Chang Goo Yoon, 61, a South Korean national residing in Queens, N.Y., was convicted yesterday following a seven-day jury trial on two counts of health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 8, 2024. Yoon was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021.
“This was about stealing and greed, pure and simple. Mr. Yoon exploited our healthcare system, and billed for fictitious treatments on dates that he was traveling abroad or holed up in a casino,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This conduct was as brazen as it was illegal. Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. We all pay higher costs because of these types of fraudulent scams. Our office will continue to relentlessly pursue fraudsters and hold them accountable.”
“Chang Goo Yoon orchestrated a brazen scheme, abusing his position of trust as a health care provider to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments for work he did not do. We thank the jury for its swift and prudent verdict,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This conviction sends an unambiguous message that anyone who cheats our health care system will not get away with it.”
“This is exactly why the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts was created over thirty years ago to combat insurance fraud and specifically this type of insurance fraud that increase the cost of insurance premiums for consumers in the state of Massachusetts. This case was borne out of a collaborative effort by our investigative partners. The perseverance and hard work done by all involved in this case is a demonstration that insurance fraud will not be tolerated in Massachusetts,” said Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts.
“Mr. Yoon repeatedly lied and billed for services he never provided. Actions which were fueled by nothing more than his greed,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We are pleased with the jury’s guilty verdict in this matter and thank them for their service. It is our hope that this case serves as a warning to others who may use the U.S. Mail to further their criminal activities.”
Yoon was the owner and operator of several physical therapy clinics in Allston, Waltham and Brookline between 2014 and 2018. Yoon billed patients for non-existent physical therapy appointments, including approximately $150,000 in claims billed on dates when Yoon was traveling in South Korea, Los Angeles and Toronto. Yoon also billed $50,000 in claims on dates when he was gambling at casinos including the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., MGM Springfield in Massachusetts and Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. Additionally, Yoon submitted approximately $30,000 in physical therapy claims for himself after three automobile accidents. Most of those claims falsely listed one of Yoon’s employees as the servicing physical therapist. The remaining claims listed Yoon as both the patient and the servicing physical therapist.
The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, IFB Chief DiPaolo and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elysa Q. Wan and Patrick M. Callahan of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Operator of Online Pornography Marketplace “the Ho Zone” Charged with Advertisement, Receipt, and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of KYLE WHITE. WHITE is charged with advertisement, receipt, and distribution of child pornography. WHITE was presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colin H. Lindsay of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Kyle White’s alleged conduct is abhorrent and depraved. As alleged, from behind a computer screen in the comfort of his own home, White ran a lucrative and illegal online pornography marketplace called ‘The Ho Zone,’ where he sold access to child pornography and illegally obtained adult pornography to thousands of people. White’s alleged callous disregard for his victims is striking — White profited at the expense of innocent children, whose sexual abuse and trauma White broadcasted to the world in high definition. Let these charges against White serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to capitalize on the sexual exploitation of children: this Office will work relentlessly to hold you accountable for your crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Kyle White’s actions – allegedly running an online marketplace selling access to child pornography – are unconscionable. Thankfully, he now faces a lengthy punishment for his crimes. The FBI remains vigilant in our efforts to protect children. Removing predators who seek to exchange and profit from sexually explicit material of minors will remain a top priority.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
WHITE ran an online pornography marketplace known as “The Ho Zone” on the messaging application Telegram. WHITE categorized the pornography he advertised and sold on “The Ho Zone” into dozens of groups and channels with thousands of members and subscribers, such as “Other Teen (18+) Leaks,” “THZ Black Market,” “MOST POPULAR GIRLS LISTS,” “Tiktoker Private Leaks,” “ATHLEAKS,” and more. Within each of these groups and channels, WHITE further categorized the pornography by the name of the woman or minor girl featured in the sexually explicit content. Each group and channel on “The Ho Zone” featured a variety of free content as a preview of what users could get if they were to pay WHITE for full access. Such access cost between $15 and $75 depending on the pornography purchased. Once a user paid WHITE for the content of a specific woman or minor girl available on “The Ho Zone,” the user gained permanent access to numerous sexually explicit photographs and videos of that woman or minor girl that WHITE had compiled, enhanced, and edited.
WHITE advertised and sold child pornography on “The Ho Zone,” which depicted minor victims as young as 11 years old, as well as minor victims engaging in sexually explicit conduct with their minor victim siblings.
WHITE also sold illegally obtained adult pornography on “The Ho Zone,” including pornography that had been hacked from women’s cellphones and pornography that was the product of blackmail. The victims featured in such pornography included women with large social media followings and female athletes, among others.
WHITE knew that running “The Ho Zone” was illegal but he continued to sell child pornography and illegally obtained adult pornography on the marketplace because it was lucrative. For example, WHITE claimed in a message to another Telegram user that he “made over 300k in the first year” of operating “The Ho Zone.”[2] In a chat with another Telegram user, WHITE stated that he “[p]rob made over $10k off the girls” in the “THZ Black Market” channel. WHITE also stated that he did not want to stop selling child pornography because “[i]t’s just easier said than done givin up $1,000’s.”
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WHITE, 24, of Louisville, Kentucky, is charged with advertisement of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. WHITE is also charged with receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Criminal Guardian Squad.
This case is being supervised by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea L. Scism is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] Communications referenced herein are described in substance and in part.
Oglala Man found Guilty of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Commercial Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gordon Weston, age 57, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Commercial Sex Trafficking following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 10, 2024.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life on supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Weston was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2021.
Weston was employed as the Activities Coordinator at the Emergency Youth Shelter in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, from 2009 to 2021. Weston commonly requested juvenile females who stayed at the shelter to be “friends” with him on Facebook after they had left the shelter. Weston contacted at least one juvenile female and offered her money and transportation in exchange for sexual encounters with him.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New York resident indicted for abusive sexual contactRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old New York man was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for illegally touching a 14-year-old boy seated next to him on a flight from Fresno to Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ram N. Gazab pleaded “not guilty” today to Abusive Sexual Contact. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on March 11, 2024.
According to records filed in the case, on December 26, 2023, the victim was in a window seat near the back of the plane. The middle seat in the row was empty. Approximately 20 minutes before landing, Gazab seated himself in the empty seat next to the victim. Gazab allegedly placed his hand on victim’s thigh. The victim moved his body away from Gazab and told him to stop. Gazab told the victim he had been sleeping. After the plane landed, the victim tried to leave the row, and Gazab allegedly touched the victim’s buttocks.
The victim reported the conduct to the flight crew and law enforcement responded to the plane. Gazab was taken into custody and has remained detained ever since.
The grand jury returned the indictment on January 10, 2024. Abusive Sexual Contact is punishable by up to two years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia A. Lee.
New York Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Firearms and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking drugs and firearms.
Jason Lebberes, 31, of Tuckahoe, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 121 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2023, Lebberes pleaded guilty to one count of distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; one count of transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident; and one count of transferring a machinegun.
“This defendant’s possession or sale of multiple machineguns including Glock switches and other machinegun conversion devices put deadly automatic weapons onto our streets, endangering countless people across Massachusetts. This stiff sentence sends the unmistakable message that if you traffic in deadly illegal firearms, you will be tracked down and held accountable,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“Drugs and guns are a deadly combination,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office. “As methamphetamine seizures rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug off the streets. Let this sentencing serve as warning to those who distribute poisons like methamphetamine, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“Jason Lebberes’ sentence of 121 months should serve as a warning to those who intend to misuse the U.S. Mail for their criminal activity,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the communities we serve from those who would jeopardize the public by trafficking in guns and drugs which only serve to fuel the violence on our streets.
“The outcome of this investigation and significant sentence is a testament to the successful collaboration between our federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “The assembly of a ghost gun and “Glock Switch” into fully functioning, automatic weapon posed a serious threat to our communities. ATF has a firm stance and wants to make it clear that we will not tolerate firearms and narcotics trafficking which is fueling violent crime.”
Lebberes sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a privately manufactured firearm, commonly known as a “ghost gun” and a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a device that converts firearms into automatic weapons. The investigation revealed that Lebberes had sold numerous Glock switches to other customers in the past.
During a search of Lebberes’ residence, numerous handguns, assault rifles and ammunition were recovered, several of which were privately manufactured. A video of Lebberes discharging a handgun out of his car window was also recovered during the investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle, USPIS INC Larco-Ward and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.