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18 January 2024
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.”
* * *
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.
New York Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Pays $850,000 in Civil Fines and Restitution for Durable Medical Equipment SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Jeffrey Brooks, 40, of Clarence Center, New York, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition to Brooks’ criminal conviction, last year, Brooks paid $850,000 in a civil settlement to resolve allegations that he provided kickbacks and caused false claims to be submitted in violation of the federal False Claims Act.
Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in or around May 2019, Brooks operated at least eight durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which were located in Fort Pierce, Florida. Through these DME companies, Brooks was charged with conspiring to submit or cause to be submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and CHAMPVA for braces that were not medically necessary, eligible for reimbursement, and/or obtained through the payment of kickbacks and bribes. Specifically, evidence presented showed that Brooks and his co-conspirators purchased Medicare beneficiaries’ personally identifying information (“PII”) and purported personal health information (“PHI”) from third party call centers in order to generate doctors’ orders for braces. The doctor’s orders were generated by paying illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain a medical practitioner’s signature on the doctor’s orders, regardless of medical necessity.
During the conspiracy, Brooks also was the beneficial owner of a call center located in Greenville, South Carolina, that purchased personal identifiable information of Medicare patients. Brooks and his co-conspirators, including purported telemedicine companies, then generated signed doctors’ orders, which were used to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and cause false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to CHAMPVA.
The evidence presented to the court showed that the DME companies controlled by Brooks caused Medicare to be billed over $29 million in false and fraudulent claims.
“As we put an end to Brooks’ fraudulent scheme, he faces both accountability and justice,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to seek out those defrauding federal healthcare programs.”
"By facilitating kickbacks, this defendant knowingly enabled theft from Medicare, putting personal profit before legitimate patient care and ultimately costing taxpayers millions of dollars," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those alleged of defrauding federal health care programs are held accountable.”
“The penalties in this case underscore the importance of maintaining the integrity of healthcare systems,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We are committed to safeguarding the interests of healthcare beneficiaries and ensuring accountability for those who exploit healthcare programs.”
“Today, this defendant was held accountable for his role in a long-term fraud scheme in which he enriched himself at the expense our nation’s veterans and that behavior will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim. R. Lampkins of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.”
The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Ashley Westover and Jessica Tollison, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of the civil resolution, Westover and Tollison received approximately $144,500 of the settlement amount.
The criminal resolution of this case was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from the HHS-OIG, Special Agent Ryan Schubert, FBI, and VA-OIG. The civil resolution of this case was the result of efforts by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from the HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA-OIG.
United States District Judge Herlong sentenced Brooks to 90 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court also ordered that Brooks pay $15,221,227.60 in restitution – $15,198,432.00. to Medicare and $22,795.58 to CHAMPVA.
The criminal case was handled by Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Warren handled the civil case for the District of South Carolina.
The lawsuit resolved by the civil settlement is captioned United States ex rel. Westover, et al., Civ. No. 6:21-cv-00417-TMC (D.S.C., filed February 9, 2021).
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Brooklyn, New York man pleaded guilty on January 17, 2024 in federal court in connection with smuggling unauthorized immigrants, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Abraham Hernandez, 27, pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing in and harboring certain aliens. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2024. Hernandez was indicted on July 5, 2023.
According to the charging documents, on or about June 13, 2023, Abraham was stopped in Pittsburg, New Hampshire while transporting in a Honda SUV nine unauthorized immigrants who were in the United States in violation of law.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to 3 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.
United States Border Patrol led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal Mail and Possessing Stolen Mail from Lakeview and Metairie Post OfficesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRICK LEWIS, age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 16, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, to 9 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal United States Mail and Possession of Stolen Mail.
According to court records, on January 30, 2022, LEWIS conspired with others to steal mail from both the Lakeview Post Office in New Orleans, La. as well as United States Postal Service (USPS) mailboxes located in Metairie, La. LEWIS acted as the driver and another defendant used a stolen USPS key to steal mail from the two locations. After a police chase, LEWIS and the co-defendant were found in possession of approximately 30 pieces of stolen mail.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service - Office of the Inspector General, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
“As a new year begins, we renew our determination to remove guns from the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Felons and firearms don’t mix, and it’s vital to public safety that we keep them separated.”
In the past five years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the December and January terms of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Eric Massey, 29, and Unique Haynes, 26, both of Jacksonville, Fla., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Fentanyl. Haynes also is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The arrests in the case occurred in Augusta as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol.
- Lynwood Forrest Burke, 60, of Dearing, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- William Beau Devore, 21, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 102 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County sheriff’s deputies arrested Devore in January 2022 after a burglary determined that he was illegally in possession of five guns.
- Zion Howard, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies found Howard in possession of a pistol while investigating a reported shooting.
- Isaac Wilford Stewart, 24, of Augusta, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Waynesboro police officers found a pistol in Stewart’s wrecked vehicle after he fled from an attempted traffic stop in October 2022.
- Joquan K. Clark, 25, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Waynesboro police officers responding to a domestic dispute arrested Clark after finding a pistol in his pocket.
- Marquese Shavel Palmer, 30, of Collins, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Palmer was indicted along with 31 other defendants as part of an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy in multiple Georgia counties. Investigators who searched Palmer’s residence found drugs, firearms, ammunition, and Gangster Disciples documents and paraphernalia.
- Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., was sentenced to 85 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and one count of Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Stokes brandished a handgun while robbing two Chatham County convenience stores and an Effingham County convenience store in November and December 2022.
- Tyrone Dion Lyons Sr., 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and U.S. Marshals found a pistol in Lyons’ vehicle while serving a warrant for his arrest on Gwinnett County, Ga., charges.
- Tori Davis, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Oxycodone and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Garden City police found drugs and a loaded handgun in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
- Michael Floyd, 31, of Garden City, Ga., was sentenced to 77 months in prison and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A special-duty Savannah police officer found Floyd carrying a pistol in his waistband while inside Savannah’s Oglethorpe Mall.
- Calvin Polite, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Polite’s possession while investigating a report of shots fired in a Savannah neighborhood.
- David Wayne Cleland, 34, of Ridgeland, S.C., was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Garden City police officers investigating a suspicious vehicle in a motel parking lot found Cleland asleep in the car with a handgun in his lap.
- Robert Sanders, 66, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fort Eisenhower military police questioned Sanders after finding him fishing in an unauthorized area at the installation and discovered a pistol in his vehicle.
- Steve Shontell Heath, 46, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Burke County sheriff’s deputy found a pistol in Heath’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
- DeShawn Tisdale, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Tisdale’s vehicle while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence.
- Tommy Cowart, 60, of Statesboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bulloch County deputies arrested Cowart after finding a rifle in his car during a traffic stop.
- Dennis Mitchell, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick police officers found Mitchell in possession of a gun during a July 2022 traffic stop in which he was a passenger in the vehicle.
- Jamell Williams, 44, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating reports of shots fired near a motel determined Williams was in possession of a rifle.
- Karron L. Shuman, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Shuman’s vehicle during a November 2022 traffic stop.
- Hunter W. Taylor, 26, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies investigating reports of gunfire in May 2022 charged Taylor after determining he possessed a rifle.
- Jacques B. Pope, 32, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating gunshots in November 2022 determined Pope had been in possession of a pistol.
- Zachary Smith, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating a February 2022 reported robbery took Smith into custody when he was shot after pointing a pistol in the direction of a police officer.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
03-24
Mother, Son, Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl in St. Louis AreaRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A mother and her son have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in the St. Louis area.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Frederick Mopkins, 32, to 10 years in prison. Mopkins pleaded guilty in October to four felonies: a fentanyl conspiracy charge, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to destroy evidence.
Last week, Judge White sentenced Vera Mopkins, 46, to 33 months in prison. She pleaded guilty to a fentanyl conspiracy charge.
Both admitted involvement in fentanyl trafficking beginning in 2020. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department began investigating in February of that year and made a series of fentanyl purchases from Frederick Mopkins and others at an extended stay hotel in Hazelwood. A search of four hotel rooms on Oct. 2, 2020, found meth, pill presses, digital scales and empty pill capsules. Some of the rooms were registered in Vera Mopkins’ name. A search of a St. Louis home associated with Frederick Mopkins that same day caught him with two pistols, fentanyl, $3,000 cash, multiple cell phones that had been used to arrange drug sales and a 60-round drum magazine for a firearm.
At least one of the drug sales was coordinated by Vera Mopkins. Frederick Mopkins coordinated others. Vera Mopkins also helped prepare and package fentanyl at least once. The drug sales continued at locations in St. Louis after the hotel search.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Moss Point Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Moss Point woman pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Linda Renee Mizell, 41, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2023, law enforcement officers received intelligence that Mizell was selling methamphetamine at her residence in Jackson County, Mississippi. A search warrant executed at the residence recovered a digital scale and methamphetamine paraphernalia. Linda Mizell was interviewed and admitted to her involvement in the conspiracy.
Mizell pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2024, and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Missoula felon sentenced to prison for illegal possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man with felony convictions was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Heath Lynn Schmoeckel, 42, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to two counts of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in January 2022, law enforcement responded to a single vehicle crash and located Schmoeckel in a ditch near Interstate 90. Officers located a bandana containing a pistol nearby. Schmoeckel told officers he took the pistol from the crash and tried to dispose of it. The government further alleged that in August 2022, Montana probation officers responded to Schmoeckel’s workplace, examined his vehicle and saw an AR-15 rifle on the passenger seat. Schmoeckel had the keys to the vehicle in his possession. In both instances, Schmoeckel was on supervision for prior felony offenses. Schmoeckel was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two state convictions for felony drug crimes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Missoula Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole 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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Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – William McClean, 52 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McClean was sentenced to 78 months in prison, 7 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3000.
According to documents in the case, in 2022, McClean received a visual depiction of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit and the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Milton Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Milton man was sentenced yesterday for drug trafficking charges.
Brandy Soto-Lara, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In October 2023, Lara pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
During a search of Soto-Lara’s apartment in November 2018, over 400 grams of cocaine and over 40 grams of fentanyl was seized. Additionally, $6,000, a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number, firearm parts and ammunition were also recovered from Soto-Lara’s apartment.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Lucy Sun of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican National Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Harmful Marijuana Cultivation Operation in the Shasta-Trinity National ForestRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jaime Alejandro Sanchez Robles, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for conspiracy to manufacture 1,708 marijuana plants and depredation of public land in the Jims Creek area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Sanchez Robles was also ordered to pay $68,812 in restitution to the Forest Service for the damage caused by his marijuana cultivation activities.
According to court documents, on Oct. 20, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search of a marijuana growing operation in Jims Creek, a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest located in Trinity County. Sanchez Robles was found at the site, and agents observed that water was actively being diverted from a nearby stream and found the remnants of more than 1,200 pounds of soluble fertilizer, 20 gallons of liquid fertilizer, more than 50 pounds of rodenticide, and at least one dead animal. Law enforcement officers eradicated 1,708 marijuana plants and arrested Sanchez Robles.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office. Integral Ecology Research Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, analyzed and documented the environmental damage. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Carlos Arturo Quintana pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana, intending and knowing that said controlled substance would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Quintana, 41, of Namiquipa, Chihuahua, Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury issued a third superseding indictment against Quintana and 10 co-conspirators on July 23, 2015. According to court records, in March of 2011, a confidential informant (“CI”) and another individual ordered 600 kilograms of marijuana from Elmy Hermosillo Trujillo. Trujillo was known to be the person who arranged all bulk purchases of marijuana for the Juarez Cartel, which is responsible for disseminating multi-ton loads of cocaine, marijuana, and other illicit drugs throughout the United States each year. Juarez Cartel is one of the oldest and most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. Since its beginnings, the cartel has focused on drug trafficking, but has expanded into other criminal activities such as human trafficking, arms trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and large-scale commercial gasoline theft from the Mexican government.
On or about March 19, 2011, the CI and the other individual, as well as other coconspirators, met with Quintana in Gomez Farias, Chihuahua, Mexico. Quintana arrived wearing a police uniform, driving a marked police vehicle, and was accompanied by other uniformed officers. Quintana and the other officers delivered the 600 kilograms of marijuana in a dump truck. The CI and the other individual then placed a GPS tracking device with the marijuana.
On or about March 26, 2011, according to data being transmitted from the GPS tracker, the marijuana was located at a drug storage house in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Mexican law enforcement authorities searched the house at that location. A shootout occurred at that location which left one subject dead and resulted in the arrest of three co-conspirators and the escape of others. The marijuana, as well as several firearms, radios, and cell phones were seized at that time.
Quintana was identified as the Police Chief of Namiquipa, as well as the Plaza Boss of the Juarez Cartel, and extradited to the United States in August of 2022.
In his plea agreement, Quintana admitted that from Feb. 2011 to March 2011, he was involved in a conspiracy with others to distribute 600 kilograms of marijuana in the Republic of Mexico and knew the marijuana would be unlawfully imported into the United States. At sentencing, Quintana faces not less than five years nor more than 40 years in prison.
Raul Corella-Hernandez, Marco Antonio Guzman-Zuniga, Elmy Hermosillo Trujillo, Jorge Olivas Nevarez, Jorge Adrian Ortega-Gallegos, and Guadalupe A Prieto remain fugitives.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Las Cruces-Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Quintana from Mexico. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Randy M. Castellano are prosecuting the case.
View the Third Superseding Indictment View the Plea Agreement# # #
24-23
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Garrick Richard Shendo-Herrera pled guilty in federal court to assault with intent to commit another felony. Shendo-Herrera, 36, of Mescalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
In his plea agreement, Shendo-Herrera admitted that on May 16, 2023, he assaulted Jane Doe in a car parked in the driveway of his residence.
At sentencing, Shendo-Herrera faces 10 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
View the Information View the Plea Agreement# # #
24-22
Members and Associates of Grape Street Crips Gang Admit Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine; and possessing with intent to distribute various narcotics, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Ali Carney, 45, of Newark, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:
From April 2021 through October 2022, Carney and others – members and associates of the Grape Street Crips gang – participated in a drug trafficking organization that controlled the drug trade in and around the Oscar Miles Village housing complex in Newark. Carney admitted his role in the conspiracy and that he sold controlled substances on a near daily basis during the conspiracy.
The narcotics conspiracy and distribution counts to which Carney pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing for Carney is scheduled for May 22, 2024.
All 11 of Carney’s co-defendants – Thomas Barney, Najuwan Blake-Williams, Altray Brown, Najee Carney, Tyrone Cradle, Jaquan McAllister, Ikaim McSwain, Latif Terry, Shaquan Ward, Taji Williams, and Zaid Williams – previously pleaded guilty in connection with their respective roles in the conspiracy.
A year-long investigation revealed that the drug trafficking organization distributed over a kilogram of fentanyl-laced heroin and over 280 grams of crack cocaine. Law enforcement also seized multiple firearms, which were used in furtherance of the narcotics trade, from the members of the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; investigators of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; investigators from the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; investigators of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Fritz G. Fragé, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (“VCI”). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha C. Fasanello and Olta Bejleri of the Criminal Division in Newark.
carney.sinformation.pdfMankato Felon Charged with Illegal Firearm Possession After Shooting at Police Officers During a Home InvasionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mankato man has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm after firing at police officers during a violent home invasion, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“These charges allege a night of terrifying home invasions and violent assaults,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “I commend the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to apprehend this defendant.”
According to court documents, on January 14, 2024, a woman called 911 to report that a man had broken into her apartment in south Minneapolis. The woman and her two children fled the apartment after the man, identified as Kamau Evans, 31, shattered a window and entered the woman’s bedroom. Evans then went to a second residence in north Minneapolis and broke into the home by shattering a sliding glass door. Once inside, Evans assaulted two of the residents with a firearm and brandished the firearm at a minor who was hiding inside a closet. Evans then held all three residents in the home against their will.
According to court documents, officers of the Minneapolis Police Department arrived at the residence and were able to pull one of the victims out of the house to safety. Officers entered the home behind a ballistic shield and as they were walking upstairs, Evans appeared in the stairwell and fired a shot at them. Evans then leaped out of a bathroom window and tried to escape through the backyard but was apprehended and arrested. Officers recovered an SCCY model CPX-1 9mm semiautomatic pistol on the side of the garage where Evans was apprehended.
Because Evans has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The complaint charges Evans with one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Evans made his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Kristian Weir are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph S. Martin, 23, formerly of Hebron, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 18, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distribution of child pornography after having previously been convicted of possession child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Martin to 20 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Martin’s release from prison, he will begin a 30-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher ordered Martin to pay $24,000 in restitution.
On November 9, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations in Omaha received several cyber tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). One such cyber tip included information forwarded by Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that related to child exploitation material distributed by a Facebook user on July 12, 2021. Facebook identified the IP address and account that uploaded the suspected child pornography image. Facebook confirmed the Facebook account username belonged to Joseph Martin. Additional investigative work determined the IP address and associated phone number belonged to Martin.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Martin’s Facebook account which contained several images of child pornography. When interviewed, Martin admitted to law enforcement that approximately 500 images of child pornography would be located on various cyber sites associated with him.
Martin was previously convicted on August 23, 2019 and March 19, 2021, of possession of child pornography, both in the Douglas County District Court, Douglas County, Nebraska.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Lynn Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in connection with a scheme to impersonate bank customers and fraudulently withdraw money from their bank accounts.
Antonio Niati, 33, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (one day) and three years of supervised release. Niati was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $360,000. In May 2019, Niati pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.
In 2017, Niati recruited a bank teller working at a Santander Bank branch in Dorchester to assist in conducting fraudulent transactions in victims’ bank accounts. On three occasions in April 2017, another co-conspirator conducted transactions in two Santander Bank customers’ accounts using fraudulent driver’s licenses, all with the assistance of Niati, and the recruited teller. Niati and his co-conspirators fraudulently withdrew over $640,000 from the customers’ accounts.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Wright, Christopher J. Markham and Neil J. Gallagher of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Leon County Sex Offender Found Guilty of New Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Andrew John Ewing, 39, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury for possessing images and videos of child pornography. The guilty verdict returned on Wednesday afternoon, at the conclusion of a two-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between October 21, 2022, and November 3, 2022, a Tallahassee Police Department detective on the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force conducted a proactive investigation into the peer-to-peer file-sharing network called BitTorrent to identify users who possessed child pornography material which was available for sharing. Ewing’s computer was identified as a user who had multiple child pornography image and video files available for download. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Ewing resided in Leon County but outside of the city limits, so the case was referred to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) for further investigation. LCSO deputies—who were also Task Force Officers with Homeland Security Investigations—obtained a search warrant for Ewing’s residence and electronic devices and executed it in early 2023. LCSO’s digital forensic specialist conducted a forensic examination of Ewing’s devices and discovered that several of them contained child pornography depicting children as young as 6 years of age engaged in sexually explicit conduct or who were lewdly exhibiting their genitals. Additionally, investigators discovered evidence of Ewing’s Internet search history which showed that he was specifically seeking child pornography. The jury also heard evidence that in 2014, Ewing was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for using BitTorrent to possess and share child pornography depicting children under 13 years of age, and that Ewing was convicted of ten counts of possession of child pornography in Leon County in 2016.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. Based on his prior child sex offense conviction, Ewing faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, followed by a term of 5 years to life of supervised release.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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 available 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, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Langlade County Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 18, 2024, Anthony J. Michalek (age: 38) of Langlade County, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for receiving obscene visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, and for doing so while being required to register as a sex offender.
At Michalek’s sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the horrific nature of the defendant’s actions and the effect that his actions have on child victims. Senior Judge Griesbach also stressed the danger Michalek presents to the community given his status as a repeat offender, having been convicted in 2007 of sexual assault in Dane County, Wisconsin. Following his release from prison, Michalek will spend 20 years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
This case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay and Wausau Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Kenyan Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal Immigration OfficersRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, ERICK GACHUHI WANJIKU, 42, of Kenya, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for assaulting federal officers, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Wanjiku, charging him with two counts of assault on two different federal immigration officers.
In August 2023, Wanjiku was tried by a federal jury and found guilty on both counts. Evidence presented at trial indicated that on May 8, 2023, Wanjiku was moved from an Oklahoma Correctional Facility to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations facility in Oklahoma City to be processed for immigration proceedings. Prior to being fingerprinted, Wanjiku kicked one deportation officer near his left knee and bit a second deportation officer before he was restrained and placed back in a cell. Court documents describe the bite marks as “clearly visible and bloody.”
“Federal officers have the right to work without fear of assault or intimidation,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “We stand firmly behind our law enforcement partners and will hold accountable those who harm federal officers in the performance of their duty.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line daily.” said Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas. “This sentence reaffirms HSI’s role in prosecuting those who commit crimes against the men and women who dedicate themselves to enforcing the law.”
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Wanjiku to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Russell noted Wanjiku’s history of violence and his lack of acceptance of responsibility in the case, as well as the need to protect the public and to impose just punishment for his conduct. Upon his release from prison, Wanjiku will be placed in ICE custody while he undergoes immigration proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Joynes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaleigh Blackwell prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Justice Department Releases Report on its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TexasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the release of a report on its critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary School. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the review shortly after the tragedy on May 24, 2022, in which 19 children and two teachers died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The report provides a thorough description of the critical incident review that has taken place over the past 20 months.
The report is intended to provide the most comprehensive assessment available of the law enforcement response to the horrific incident on May 24, 2022, as well as the emergency medical response, communications, and trauma services in the wake of the tragedy. It begins with a minute-by-minute timeline reconstructing key events before, during, and immediately following the shooting. The report addresses many previously unanswered questions, builds on the existing knowledge base for responding to incidents of mass violence, and identifies generally accepted practices for effective law enforcement responses. In doing so, this report endeavors to honor the victims and survivors of this tragedy, as well as offer recommendations to improve future responses in other communities.
“The victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School deserved better,” said Attorney General Garland. “The law enforcement response at Robb Elementary on May 24th, 2022 — and the response by officials in the hours and days after — was a failure. As a consequence of failed leadership, training, and policies, 33 students and three of their teachers — many of whom had been shot — were trapped in a room with an active shooter for over an hour as law enforcement officials remained outside. We hope to honor the victims and survivors by working together to try to prevent anything like this from happening again, here or anywhere.”
“Uvalde is a community that is healing, and getting clear on the facts is part of healing,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “As I made clear last April when I came to Uvalde to meet with families and reiterated to them last night, we promised that our report would honor the victims and survivors; provide a detailed, independent, and authoritative accounting of the events; and would not only look backward but would also identify lessons learned and recommendations for other communities to prevent something like this from happening again.”
“The observations and recommendations in this report are based on national standards, generally accepted standards and practices, current research, and the expectations of communities,” said Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). “Reports like this are critical to law enforcement and, by extension, to the community. As agencies constantly strive to do better and be more fully prepared, detailed observations and recommendations like those within this report are invaluable to agencies planning for the future.”
The report examines the multiple failures in the response to the tragedy, including the breakdowns in leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy, and training that contributed to those failures. It describes the responding officers’ most significant failure as not treating the incident throughout as an active shooter situation and using the available and sufficient resources and equipment to push forward immediately and continuously to eliminate the threat. Although several of the first officers on the scene initially acted consistent with generally accepted practices to try to engage the subject, once they retreated after being met with gunfire, the law enforcement responders began treating the incident as a barricaded subject scenario rather than as an active shooter situation. In all, there was a 77-minute gap between when officers first arrived on the scene and when they finally confronted and killed the subject.
The report also examines the communications challenges during and after the shooting, including the inaccurate narrative that was initially delivered. It also documents the trauma and support services that were provided, as well as those that were not provided, to victims, survivors, family members, and responders.
The critical incident review was led by the COPS Office, with the support of leading subject matter experts with a wide variety of relevant experience. The team established the following areas of focus: (1) incident timeline reconstruction; (2) tactics and equipment; (3) leadership, incident command, and coordination; (4) post-incident response and investigation; (5) public communications during and following the crisis; (6) trauma and support services; (7) school safety and security; and (8) pre-incident planning and preparation.
The team collected and reviewed more than 14,000 pieces of data and documentation, including policies, training logs, body camera and CCTV video footage, audio recordings, photographs, personnel records, manuals and standard operating procedures, interview transcripts, investigative files and data, and other documents. The team also spent 54 days onsite in Uvalde and conducted over 260 interviews of individuals who either played a role or had important information related to areas of the review. Those interviews included personnel from the law enforcement agencies involved in the response to the mass shooting; other first responders and medical personnel; victims’ family members; victim services providers; communications professionals and public information officers; school personnel; elected and appointed government officials; survivors and other witnesses; and hospital staff.
The report, in both English and Spanish, as well as profiles of the victims and additional resources, is available on the COPS Office website at cops.usdoj.gov/uvalde.
The team took great care to be intentional about the words used in the report to convey the facts, observations, and recommendations. Nevertheless, the descriptions may be activating for some readers due to the explanations of this mass casualty incident, including the age of the victims. For resources, including free and confidential emotional support, please visit www.988lifeline.org or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Challenging National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) Transfer Eligibility RuleRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department joined 10 states and the District of Columbia in a civil antitrust lawsuit challenging the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) Transfer Eligibility Rule. The amended complaint alleges that the NCAA unreasonably restricts college athletes’ freedom to transfer between academic institutions by limiting their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate contests if they transfer more than once during their college careers. By deterring transfers, the rule also denies athletes educational opportunities.
Last month, the states of Ohio, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia filed this lawsuit in the Northern District of West Virginia. Shortly after filing, the court granted the states’ request for a temporary restraining order, finding the NCAA’s Transfer Eligibility Rule likely violates Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Today, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint adding the United States, the states of Minnesota, Mississippi and Virginia and the District of Columbia as co-plaintiffs.
“We are proud to stand with our state law enforcement partners on behalf of college athletes across the nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “NCAA Division I institutions compete with each other not just on the playing field or in the arena, but to recruit and retain college athletes. College athletes should be able to freely choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs without anticompetitive restrictions that limit their mobility by sacrificing a year of athletic competition.”
The amended complaint alleges that the NCAA’s one-time-transfer rule unreasonably restrains competition in the markets for athletic services in men’s and women’s Division I basketball and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football, as well as for athletic services in all other men’s and women’s Division I sports. The rule forces college athletes who transfer more than once to sit on the sidelines for an entire season before they are eligible to compete in NCAA athletic competitions at their new school. The amended complaint further alleges that the restriction limits college athletes’ bargaining power and harms both their educational and athletic experiences.
amended_complaint-filed.pdfJustice Department Announces Successful Policies Overhaul at Michigan Department of Corrections to Expand Opportunities for Religious ExerciseRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) has successfully implemented reforms required by a 2021 settlement agreement that resolved alleged violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The settlement agreement addressed MDOC’s now revised policies that required a five-person minimum for group worship and religious activities, prohibited group religious practice for certain religious groups, including Hindu, Yoruba, Hebrew Israelite and Thelema practitioners, and limited access to the kosher-for-Passover diet to those on the kosher diet year-round.
MDOC changed each of these policies to expand access to religious practice in compliance with the settlement. Under the revised policies, MDOC allows group religious practice for groups of two or more, permits previously banned religious groups to hold group services and allows people to participate in the Passover diet even if they do not participate in the kosher diet year-round. Department monitoring revealed that a significant number of people whose religious exercise was previously limited by policy can now worship together and can celebrate Passover consistent with their beliefs.
“All people have the right to religious freedom and the right to be free from religious discrimination in our country, and that right exists across the country, including inside our jails and prisons,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our settlement with MDOC stands as a model, helping to increase access by incarcerated people to meaningful religious activities across the system.”
“U.S. citizens do not surrender their right to religious freedom upon incarceration, and my office will not stop defending an individual’s right to exercise one’s faith simply because they are serving a sentence,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “We are extremely pleased to see that MDOC has made significant and systemic changes to ensure that inmates in our state can practice their religion while in custody.”
“Our office is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws, which protect the fundamental right of our citizens to freely exercise religion,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer McManus for the Western District of Michigan. “The settlement we reached with MDOC in 2021 protects that right and has resulted in meaningful change that allows institutionalized persons in Michigan to practice their religion and participate in religious services free from unlawful burdens.”
This joint investigation by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan began in 2019. The settlement agreement was signed in 2021. Since that time, the Justice Department closely monitored implementation, reviewing documents and conducting site visits. MDOC maintained substantial compliance with the settlement agreement for two years and, as a result, the department has concluded its monitoring activities.
For additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Those interested in finding out more about RLUIPA may visit www.justice.gov/crt/religious-land-use-and-institutionalized-persons-act-0.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Elliott Dubenion (40, Jacksonville) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Dubenion had pleaded guilty on September 27, 2023.
According to court documents, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office identified Dubenion as a mid-level supplier of fentanyl to other dealers in Duval and Clay counties. Agents conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl directly from Dubenion in Jacksonville on January 27 and February 7, 2023. According to lab reports, Dubenion sold approximately 84 grams of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling and Straw-Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gabriel Daniel Pinnace (31, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and making materially false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Pinnace faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each offense. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, on May 15, 2021, Pinnace and an individual in a related case, Antonio Reyes, attempted to smuggle three firearms and 57 rounds of ammunition from Jacksonville to Venezuela. Prior to that date, Reyes enlisted Pinnace to purchase the firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers with knowledge that the firearms would be sent to Venezuela. Pinnace purchased the firearms after falsifying ATF Forms 4473, which are required for all firearms purchases. After purchasing the firearms, Pinnace scratched the serial numbers off two of the firearms and provided them to Reyes, who then concealed the firearms and ammunition in a futon that he attempted to mail using a freight forwarding service. Employees from the freight forwarder observed the firearms during a routine x-ray of the parcel and contacted law enforcement. On May 22, 2021, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized the three firearms, which included a Glock 17 pistol and two Smith and Wesson M&P 15 rifles. Forensic technicians at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) restored the obliterated serial numbers, which allowed ATF agents to trace the firearms back to Pinnace. On May 24, 2021, Pinnace reported the firearms as stolen. Following Reyes’s arrest on unrelated state charges on August 11, 2023, federal agents from ATF, HSI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched Reyes’s cellphone and found conversations between Reyes and Pinnace discussing trafficking firearms to Venezuela.
On August 26, 2023, ATF, HSI, and CBP agents conducted an operation to purchase firearms directly from Pinnace. That morning, Pinnace met with an undercover agent and agreed to sell the agent three firearms. That afternoon, agents surveilled Pinnace as he travelled to a gun store in Jacksonville, where he falsified another ATF Form 4473 and purchased two firearms. After leaving the store with what appeared to be a gun box, Pinnace travelled to meet with the undercover agent. At that meeting, Pinnace sold the undercover the three firearms and instructed the undercover to scratch off the serial numbers.
Reyes previously pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiring to use a facility of interstate commerce to commit a murder-for-hire on January 3, 2024. His sentencing hearing is set for April 23, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
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.
Iowa Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery of New Jersey BankRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Iowa man was sentenced today to 94 months in prison for robbing a bank in Secaucus, New Jersey, in January 2017, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jose Luis Martinez, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John M. Vazquez to a two-count indictment charging him with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a bank robbery. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 5, 2017, Martinez walked into a bank in Secaucus and pointed a handgun at a bank employee while demanding cash. Martinez told the bank employee that he would shoot her and other customers if the employee did not comply. Martinez took cash from the bank and fled.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Martinez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $31,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the FBI’s White Plains, New York Office; the New York City Police Department; the Greenwich, Connecticut, Police Department; and the Port Chester, New York, Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett Schuman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Ionia Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ionia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Pettis County, Mo.
Thomas W. Pitts, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 25 years in federal prison without parole. Pitts was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions for controlled substance offenses.
On March 29, 2023, Pitts was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Pitts participated in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from Feb. 18 to Nov. 16, 2021.
On Oct. 6, 2021, a confidential informant purchased approximately 28.8 grams of methamphetamine from Pitts for $700. An undercover federal agent was also present at Pitts’s residence during the transaction. On Oct. 28, 2021, the confidential informant and the undercover federal agent went to Pitts’s residence again. The confidential informant purchased approximately 57.6 grams of methamphetamine from Pitts for $900. Both of the transactions were recorded.
On Nov. 16, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pitts’s residence and seized ammunition, a small amount of methamphetamine, and items associated with drug distribution.
Court documents indicate that Pitts routinely carried a firearm, and one was found in the possession of a third party during the search of Pitts’s residence on Nov. 16, 2021. When interviewed, the third party eventually reported that Pitts handed him/her the firearm shortly before he was arrested.
Pitts has approximately 15 prior felony convictions for offenses including possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, delivery of a controlled substance, and driving while revoked or suspended.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Clair County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Henry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Independence Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man and a Kansas City, Mo., man were sentenced in federal court today for their roles role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Eric M. Stilley, 42, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 19 years and two months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Devin E. Lawson, also known as “Hambone,” 30, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On Sept 7, 2023, Stilley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. On Sept. 14, 2023, Lawson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Stilley and Lawson each admitted that he participated in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jackson County, Mo., from Aug. 15, 2021, to Aug. 2, 2022.
Stilley was present at a co-defendant’s residence when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on June 29, 2022. Stilley had approximately two ounces of methamphetamine at the time. Stilley was driving a motorized scooter with no license plate when he was stopped by Independence police officers on Aug. 2, 2022. Stilley, who was arrested on outstanding warrants, was in possession of approximately 77 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 6.6 grams of fentanyl.
Independence police officers executed a search warrant at Lawson’s residence on Feb. 10, 2022. Officers seized approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a stolen firearm, firearm accessories, and ammunition.
According to court documents, Stilley was responsible for distributing more than 90 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Stilley and Lawson are the first defendants to be sentenced in this case. Three co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Imprisoned Sex Offender Sentenced to 19 Years and 7 Months for Distributing Child Pornography from Behind BarsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quincy J. LaBauve, 37, an inmate serving 40 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for child sex crimes, was sentenced today to an additional 235 months in federal prison for using a contraband cell phone to send and to seek out images of child sexual abuse material from behind bars.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
On September 5, 2023, while serving a Mississippi state sentence related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child, LaBuave, formerly of Biloxi, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. to one count of distribution of child pornography.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered LaBauve to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. The federal prison sentence will run concurrently with his state prison sentence.
The federal charges stemmed from a roughly week-long online chat in early February 2020, during which LaBauve asked a Washington, D.C.-based undercover law enforcement officer to help him find someone who would be willing to share child pornography with him.
During the chat exchange, LaBauve sent approximately 10 images to the undercover officer depicting the sexual exploitation of children. In addition, he encouraged the undercover officer to rape his own daughter, described specific sexual acts that he wanted to see inflicted on the child, and set up a specific time where he was supposed watch the live-streamed rape of that child.
On February 18, 2020, Department of Corrections officers in Mississippi conducted a search of LaBauve’s cell and recovered two phones. The forensic analysis of one of those phones revealed the chats exchanged between LaBauve and the undercover officer, as well as at least 78 additional images depicting the sexual abuse of very young of children. These images included multiple still images and at least one video.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy Larson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hutson.
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Illegally Armed, Nine-Time Felon Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Zachary Hutchinson, 39, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, on September 22, 2020, parole agents with the Indiana Department of Corrections and officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department conducted an unannounced home visit at Hutchinson’s residence. At the time of the visit, Hutchinson was on active parole for a felony battery conviction in 2010.
When agents identified themselves and knocked, Hutchinson opened the front door. Almost immediately, agents saw a handgun lying in plain view on top of the couch located directly behind Hutchinson in arm’s reach.
Recognizing the danger, agents instructed Hutchinson to place his hands behind his back. Rather than comply, Hutchinson took several quick steps backward toward the sofa, began reaching toward the handgun and stated, “Kill me now.”
Agents safely detained Hutchinson. During a search of Hutchinson’s person, they located a cigarette box in his front left pants pocket that contained approximately two grams of methamphetamine. In Hutchinson’s bedroom, investigators also located a 12-gague shotgun in a case.
At the time of his arrest, Hutchinson had nine felony convictions in the state of Indiana, including for strangulation, battery, residential entry, robbery, and resisting law enforcement.
“This defendant’s many felony convictions and years served in jail have not deterred him from continuing to illegally arm himself,” said Zachary A. Myers U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Illegally armed felons are a preventable source of the gun violence that threatens our neighborhoods and takes far too many lives. A successful return to the community from prison requires compliance with the law, including never again possessing a gun. I commend the ATF, IMPD, and the Indiana Department of Corrections for keeping the community safe by ensuring parolees comply with the law.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Hutchinson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison and be subject to a $900 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kyle M. Sawa, who prosecuted this case.
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Hungarian Woman Sentenced for Fraud and Money Laundering for Selling Counterfeit ArtRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Zsanett Nagy, age 32, was given a sentence of time served, followed by two years of supervised release, for the offense of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Nagy was previously indicted, along with her then-husband Earl Marshawn Washington, for selling counterfeit artistic goods known as “woodblocks” or “woodcuts” to various buyers and then laundering the proceeds from the sale of those goods between 2018 and 2021. Washington and Nagy both pleaded guilty last year.
According to the indictment, xylography is the art of making “woodcuts,” or engravings made from wooden blocks, especially for printing using historical techniques. In traditional xylography, an artist uses a sharpened tool to carve a design into the surface of a woodblock. The raised areas that remain after the block has been cut are inked and printed, while the recessed areas that are cut away do not retain ink and will remain blank in the final print. Woodblock images can be printed onto paper, fabrics, textiles, or other materials. The technique has been used in different geographic regions at different times. One woodblock tradition stems from Germany starting around the 14th century and continuing for several hundred years thereafter.
Washington and Nagy sold inauthentic woodblocks and prints made from woodblocks that they as advertised as being from between the 15th and early 20th centuries. The buyers included a pair of woodblock collectors residing in France, as well as a buyer of a woodblock print who then resided in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The buyers of the woodblocks in France made PayPal payments to Nagy before learning that the woodblocks they purchased were not from the 15th and 16th centuries, as advertised. Nagy received these payments, moved the proceeds to a bank account in her name, and then quickly converted the proceeds to cash through withdrawals of several thousand dollars or more.
Nagy was ordered to pay restitution to these victims in the amount of $107,159.25. She also faces potential deportation for her conviction.
Washington is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team.
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Hart County Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Hart County, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony offense.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Lawrence T. Carter, Jr., 50, of Munfordville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun, and ammunition, on August 16, 2022. Carter was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On March 2, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Carter was convicted of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered shotgun less than 26 inches in length.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Cave City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II and R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, 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.
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Hampton Landlord Charged with Fraud, Threats, and Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday against a Hampton-based landlord for using force and threats of force against African American victims, including a businessman, a city official in Newport News, and four tenants. The indictment further charged the landlord with defrauding tenants and the government to obtain rent relief benefits, housing assistance payments for public housing, and other funds to which he was not entitled.
According to the indictment, David L. Merryman, 58, owns more than 60 rental properties in Hampton and Newport News. As alleged, Merryman repeatedly harassed his tenants with racist slurs, threats to kill or injure, and retaliatory eviction actions. The alleged threats and racial harassment were often highly graphic and included references to slavery and mocking comments about the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition, Merryman allegedly engaged in physical assaults and other threatening behavior towards tenants, including on one occasion striking a tenant in the face with a shovel and on another occasion attacking a tenant with the blade of a chainsaw while it was off.
According to the indictment, Merryman also orchestrated a scheme to defraud the government and his tenants. For example, the indictment alleges that, to obtain housing-assistance payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Merryman repeatedly made false representations about the condition of his rental properties and whether he was receiving other payments that would be duplicative of federally funded rental assistance. Merryman also submitted fraudulent applications for rent-relief benefits made available during the COVID-19 pandemic by allegedly stealing the identities of his tenants and forging their signatures without their consent. In many cases, Merryman obtained significant sums of rent relief without telling the tenants, all the while evicting, or seeking to evict, the tenants for unpaid rent.
As alleged, Merryman also defrauded tenants by obtaining money and property from them under false pretenses—primarily false representations that he would repair his properties or repay tenants for repairs they made, which served to induce tenants to pay him significant upfront fees for neglected, even uninhabitable, properties that Merryman never intended to improve. The indictment further alleges that Merryman’s conduct was part of a pattern in which he would demand significant initial fees or deposits from prospective renters and then subject those same tenants to racist and discriminatory practices, in part so they would leave the property, which would allow Merryman to start the cycle again with new tenants.
Merryman is charged with ten counts of wire fraud, four counts of interfering with housing rights, two counts of interstate communications with threats to injure, six counts of theft of government money, four counts of making false statements to HUD, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Merryman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft, and maximum terms ranging between one year and twenty years in prison on each of the remaining counts. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Rae Oliver Davis, Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Mack Coleman, Julie D. Podlesni, and Brian J. Samuels are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-4.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
david_merryman_indictment.pdf