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Wednesday 29 November 2023
Nevada Man Indicted for Making Threats to United States SenatorsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on November 21, 2023, charging a Las Vegas man with threatening a United States Senator from Nevada and threatening family members of two United States Senators.
John Anthony Miller (43) is charged with one-count of threatening a federal official and two-counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member. United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah ordered that Miller remain in custody pending trial. A jury trial has been scheduled for January 23, 2024, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey.
According to allegations contained in court documents, on October 17, 2023, Miller left numerous threatening voicemails at the office of a United States Senator. Miller threatened to assault and murder the United States Senator with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with the United States Senator while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against the United States Senator on account of the performance of official duties.
Furthermore, the following week, on October 24 and October 25, Miller threatened to assault and murder a member of the immediate family of two United States Senators, with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with United States Senators while engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the United States Senators on account of the performance of official duties.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 10 years in prison.
Miller was arrested on October 26, 2023, and first appeared on an amended criminal complaint on October 27, 2023.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Las Vegas Division with valuable assistance provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Operskalski is prosecuting the case.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Entering the United States After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Manuel Bonilla Davila, 39, to 15 months imprisonment. Bonilla Davila has been incarcerated since he was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on April 21, 2023, after he was discovered in Aroostook County, a short distance from the international boundary.
Immigration records showed that Bonilla Davila had been previously removed from the U.S. in March 2011 in Brownsville, Texas and had not obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
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Maryland Man Charged with Committing $11.5 Million in Covid-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Creed White, age 65, of Freeland, Maryland, was charged in a criminal information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that White owned Aluminum Alloys MFG, LLC, an aluminum smelting and processing business located in Yoe, York County, Pennsylvania, and additionally owned or controlled 18 other sham corporate entities that did not have any employees or business operations. The information alleges that White, conspiring with others, including several of his employees, filed more than 120 applications on behalf of White’s non-operational businesses for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The information alleges that 42 of these loan applications were approved and funded with more than $11.5 million into bank accounts that White controlled.
The information also alleges that the applications White and his co-conspirators filed contained numerous material misrepresentations about who controlled and operated the non-operational businesses. It is alleged that the PPP and EIDL applications included fraudulent supporting documentation, including false information about the number of employees who purportedly worked at the non-operational businesses, fabricated bank records and financial statements, forged and falsified IRS documents, and material misrepresentations regarding wages paid, taxes withheld and paid, gross receipts, and other expenses allegedly incurred by the applicant businesses.
White and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained more than $11.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds through filing the fraudulent applications. It is also alleged that White misused the loan proceeds to make unauthorized expenditures for his benefit and the benefit of his businesses.
“Fraudulently obtaining over $11.5 million in federal pandemic relief funds that are meant to provide assistance to eligible small businesses will not be tolerated as shown by today’s charging of Defendant White,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “My office will continue to diligently work with our law enforcement partners to pursue fraud against federal relief programs.”
“Individuals making false statements to fraudulently obtain pandemic funds for personal gain will face justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“The charges announced today show IRS-CI’s ongoing commitment to defend the integrity of the pandemic relief programs,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who schemed to defraud these programs that were intended to help struggling individuals and businesses.”
“Treasury OIG is working closely with its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute criminals who cheat and steal funds meant to help individuals and businesses harmed by the pandemic,” said Rich Delmar, Treasury Deputy Inspector General.
The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligations.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
The combined maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and money laundering is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing over $165,500 in a Series of RobberiesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for Hobbs Act Robbery and Bank Robbery, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Hector Rivera Ayala, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 130 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Rivera Ayala was also ordered to pay $171,677.37 in restitution. On April 18, 2023, Rivera Ayala pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and Bank Robbery.
“The defendant’s brazen and repeated criminal conduct placed the lives of numerous people in jeopardy as he robbed gas stations and a bank,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “As demonstrated by the sentence of more than a decade in federal prison, people who threaten, steal and place others in physical jeopardy will be removed from society for significant periods of time. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize prosecuting and incarcerating violent offenders like the defendant in order to keep our communities safe.”
“Hector Rivera Ayala went on a robbery spree in Manchester, using what appeared to be a real firearm to threaten and intimidate his victims, to steal tens of thousands of dollars. Today’s significant sentence removes this dangerous individual from our community and highlights the tenacity of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend criminals like him who threaten public safety,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
“This man terrorized business owners in our city, threatening them with a weapon and putting them on edge,” said Chief Allen Aldenberg of the Manchester Police Department. “I am very pleased with Mr. Ayala’s sentence. It sends a strong message that this criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Manchester.”
In December 2019, Rivera Ayala robbed four gas stations and one bank in Manchester, including Rapid Refill on Second Street; Brother’s Express Gas Station on Union Street; Shell Gas Station on Eddy Road; Shell Gas Station on Hanover Street; and the Bank of New England on Elm Street. Each robbery was captured on video surveillance. For each robbery, the defendant was seen entering the gas station and bank with his face partially obscured and carrying what appeared to be a firearm. During the first robbery, at the Shell Gas Station on Eddy Road, the defendant approached the store clerk from behind and demanded money from both registers. He also ordered a customer to withdraw money from an ATM. During the second Shell Gas Station robbery, on Hanover Street, the defendant wore white face paint and used what appeared to be a double-barreled shotgun. He demanded money from the safe and registers and stole money and other items from customers who were present. One victim reported that the defendant threatened:
If you call the police within 30 minutes after I leave, I will come back and blow your brains out.
Investigators recovered a shawl and a BB gun from the crime scene of one gas station. The defendant’s DNA was found on the shawl. In total, the defendant stole more than $5,500 from the gas stations and more than $160,000 from the bank.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Abusive Sexual Contact of a MinorRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Joseph Leonard Roy, age 58, of Mabton, Washington, to 252 months in federal prison for two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor. Roy pleaded guilty to those charges on November 29, 2022. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered Roy to serve an additional 20 years on federal supervision after he is released from prison.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2018, Roy sexually molested two minors in a home on the Yakama Nation, where Roy had access to the victims. Roy was dating a relative of the victims at the time of the abuse, and this disturbing conduct continued until one of the victims spoke out to a trusted family member, who then contacted authorities, to report the exploitation.
Following the sentencing, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated, “My heart breaks for the victims in this case. I am grateful for their courage to come forward and engage with law enforcement to seek justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Children deserve to live in a world where they feel safe -- free from abuse and the fear of abuse. Mr. Roy was held accountable today due to the joint efforts of the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department, the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the community. By working together, we can continue to build trust and keep our communities safe and strong.”
“Mr. Roy’s unspeakable actions demonstrated that prison is where he belongs.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “As a parent, I can think of nothing worse than what the victims had to endure. I applaud them for seeking help which led to this sentence and which will remove him from this community for more than twenty years.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michal Murphy.
1:21-CR-02006-SAB
Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Bryce Quinton Hale, age 28, of Yakima, Washington, to 240 months in federal prison for Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Hale pleaded guilty to those charges on August 23, 2023. Chief United States District Judge Bastian also ordered Hale to serve an additional 10 years on federal supervision after he is released from prison and imposed $3,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, in August 2021, Hale produced images of child pornography which he shared with a chat group using the “Kik” app on his cellular phone. He was charged for this conduct in November 2021 and was placed on conditions of pre-trial release beginning on December 1, 2021. Hale then violated those pre-trial release conditions by accessing the internet and using another cellular phone on which he possessed additional images and videos of child pornography.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who continue to seek to victimize children: the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice, and the consequences of exploiting children will be severe,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District. “The FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office stand ready to respond with thorough investigations, vigorous prosecutions, and significant sentences for anyone who abuses children.”
“Child pornography is particularly troubling for the victims as the images continue to exist on the internet even after the perpetrator is stopped.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Despite being confronted by law enforcement with his horrendous actions, Mr. Hale continued to engage in unlawful activity. Protecting the children of Washington state is one of the highest priorities for the FBI, and our partners at the US Attorney’s office.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.
1:21-CR-02052-SAB
Man Sentenced for Election-Related Threats Toward Georgia Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to two years in prison for posting a message online threatening several Georgia public officials following the 2020 election.
“Threats of violence against those who administer our elections are dangerous for people’s personal safety, and they are dangerous for our democracy,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This sentence should serve as warning — illegal threats against the public servants who make our democracy work will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”
According to court documents, on or about Jan. 5, 2021, Chad Christopher Stark, 55, of Leander, posted a message to Craigslist entitled, “Georgia Patriots it’s time to kill [Official A] the Chinese agent - $10,000.” The message stated the following:
“Georgia Patriots it’s time for us to take back our state from these Lawless treasonous traitors. It’s time to invoke our Second Amendment right it’s time to put a bullet in the treasonous Chinese [Official A]. Then we work our way down to [Official B] the local and federal corrupt judges. It’s our duty as American Patriots to put an end to the lives of these traitors and take back our country by force we can no longer wait on the corrupt law enforcement in the corrupt courts. If we want our country back we have to exterminate these people. One good loyal Patriot deer hunter in camo and a rifle can send a very clear message to these corrupt governors.. milita up Georgia it’s time to spill blood…. we need to pay a visit to [Official C] and her family as well and put a bullet her behind the ears. Let’s be very clear to our local law enforcement who have stood down and watch BLM antifa destroy our country and kill our citizens yet you’ll step up to stop Patriot supporters you’ll enforce face mask and you’ll close American businesses??? Remember one thing local law enforcement the key word being local….. we will find you oathbreakers and we’re going to pay your family to visit your mom your dad your brothers and sisters your children your wife… we’re going to make examples of traitors to our country… death to you and all you communist friends.”
“It’s simple: protecting America’s democracy means protecting the public servants and officials who ensure the electoral process is fair and free,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Christopher Stark threatened the lives of multiple election workers in an attempt to prevent them from doing their job. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s resolute commitment to securing American elections from any attempts to undermine their integrity.”
“The conviction and sentencing of this defendant should send a clear message: the intimidation of those sworn to oversee and facilitate free and fair elections in this country is a serious offense that carries significant criminal penalties,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “Stark threatened Georgia statewide elected officials and a volunteer county election worker. Those threats were equally harmful, and his conduct put our democracy in jeopardy.”
“Sending death threats and urging others to act is not protected speech — it is a crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “The sentencing of Stark is a warning to all that those who attempt to undermine American democracy will be held criminally accountable.”
The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case.
Election Community Liaison Aaron Jennen and former Election Crimes Branch Director of Enforcement and Litigation Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Senior Litigation Counsel Brent A. Gray for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted this case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Admits Armed Robbery of Jennings Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted the armed robbery of a convenience store in Jennings in February.
Richard E. Barber, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Barber admitted that on Feb. 11, 2023, he entered the Gas Mart at 9301 Lewis and Clark Boulevard wearing a face mask and a camouflage St. Louis Blues cap. After selecting a beer from the refrigerated section of the store, Barber took it to the register, pulled a pistol and pointed it at the clerk. Barber then demanded and took cash from the cash registers and left in a Chrysler Sebring.
Early on the morning of Feb. 13, 2023, Barber wrecked the Sebring in the 800 block of North Florissant Road in Ferguson, suffering injuries that required hospitalization. A paramedic noticed a .40-caliber pistol on the car’s floorboard that resembled the one used in the robbery. Investigators later found the hat and face mask Barber wore during the robbery in his car.
At the time of the robbery, Barber was on supervised release after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in 2014 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 100 months in prison in that case.
Barber is scheduled to be sentenced in April. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The felon in possession charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and the same fine. As part of the plea agreement, both sides have agreed to recommend a total of 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the Ferguson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
Madison Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Richard Chapman, 66, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 96 months in prison for bank robbery. Chapman pleaded guilty to this charge on June 26, 2023.
On February 3, 2023, Chapman robbed the Park Bank in downtown Madison by presenting the teller with a note saying “I have a gun. I am a robber. Give me one hundreds.” He held his hand inside a plastic bag which led the teller to believe that he had a gun. After being given money, the defendant fled the bank. Madison detectives were able to follow Chapman’s movements by watching city cameras and found clothing that he had discarded in a nearby parking garage. Further investigation led detectives to the defendant, who after initially lying about his name and trying to run, was taken into custody and said, “You got me.” Officers searched Chapman’s duffle bag and found clothing consistent with the robber’s as well as a robbery note.
Chapman has a criminal record that started in 1975 when he was 18 years old. He was convicted in federal court for bank robberies in 1996 and 2001. He was sentenced to 70 months in prison and 188 months in prison for those offenses.
At sentencing Judge Peterson observed that Chapman terrorized the person that he robbed and created a dangerous situation in the bank. Judge Peterson remarked that Chapman has an unmatched record of recidivism and concluded that he has shown that he will continue to commit crimes and therefore must be incarcerated to protect the community.
The charge against Chapman was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lynn Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today for submitting false federal loan applications and using a stolen identity to rent an apartment, for which he made no rent payments.
Steeve Jean, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jean was also ordered to pay restitution of $41,666 restitution to the Small Business Association and $8,343 to the property management company. On Sept. 6, 2023, Jean pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and unauthorized use of a Social Security number.
From September 2021 through June 2022, Jean rented an apartment in Lynn using the name, Social Security number and other personal identifying information of another individual. Jean failed to pay rent for the apartment resulting in a default court judgment of over $8,000 against the victim whose identity was stolen. A subsequent investigation revealed that in April 2021, Jean submitted two fraudulent federal Paycheck Protection Program loan applications, each for $20,833, claiming business losses for a business that did not exist. Jean was serving a state prison sentence during the period he claimed to be running a business.
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 Benjamin A. Tolkoff and Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for CARES Act FraudRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 6 months in prison for charges related to his submission of twelve fraudulent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act applications.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Kelly K. Moening, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration, Great Lakes Field Division, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Blake Patterson, 38, was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 6 months years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for twelve counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. There is no parole in the federal system.
Patterson filed six fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and six applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between August 7, 2020, and May 11, 2021, seeking more than $740,000 and resulting in the theft of $133,802. Patterson utilized the entities et Propellente, LLC, Darke Rose LLC, and Link, LLC. Patterson organized all three entities after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then exaggerated the number of employees, revenue, cost of goods sold, and payroll expenses of those entities in the fraudulent applications. Further, every EIDL and PPP application included a question asking whether any individual owning 20% or more of the equity of the applicant was subject to an indictment or other means by which formal criminal charges are brought in any jurisdiction at the time of the application. Patterson’s applications falsely omitted that he had criminal charges pending against him in Jefferson County Circuit Court at the time he submitted the applications.
Patterson was also ordered to pay $133,802 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Elver and Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Louisville Felon Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution Offenses, to Include Causing a Fatal Overdose, and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Today, a local man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, distribution of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dalton Hayes, 21, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hayes was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On March 31, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Hayes was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, schedule II oxycodone less than 10 dosage units, receiving a stolen firearm, and receiving stolen property over $500 but less than $10,000.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The DEA Louisville Field Division and LMPD investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Dahl.
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Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Crime Spree in Which He Used a BB Gun to Rob Businesses and Carjack a MotoristRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for committing a carjacking and used a BB gun to commit eight armed robberies of gas stations and convenience stores in Los Angeles County earlier this year.
Namir Malik Ali Greene, 23, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also ordered him to pay $17,084 in restitution.
Greene pleaded guilty on September 23 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery.
On the morning of April 4, Greene robbed a gas station in Marina del Rey. Greene made a purchase and remained inside of the store until all other customers left the business. After all the customers inside of the business left, Greene placed a brown paper bag on the counter and told the clerk, “Put everything in there,” according to his plea agreement.
Greene pointed what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun, but what in fact was a BB gun, at the clerk while demanding the money. In fear, the clerk emptied the cash register and placed $700 into the brown paper bag. Greene then fled the store.
Greene committed seven additional armed robberies from April 4 to April 8 of gas stations and convenience stores in Long Beach, Whittier, South Los Angeles, Pomona, and Culver City.
On April 15, Greene – while armed with a BB gun – carjacked the owner of a 2010 Honda Accord. On April 17, while driving the car that he had carjacked, Greene led officers on a pursuit during which he drove over 90 miles per hour, almost crashed into a bystander motorist, drove against oncoming traffic, and crashed into a curb, according to court documents.
Greene has been in federal custody since April 18.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crime Task Force (OCVCTF) investigated this matter, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division and the Ontario Police Department. The OCVCTF is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Brea Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fullerton Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Leader of Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organization with Ties to Mexican Cartel Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A coordinator for a large-scale international fentanyl trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, operating on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston.
Fermin Castillo, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In May 2023, Castillo was convicted along with co-defendant Andre Heraux Martinez of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11, 2023.
“The flow of deadly fentanyl from Mexico to Massachusetts is directly tied to the devastation this drug has had on our communities. Castillo was close to the apex of a large-scale drug distribution network that was tied to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. This organization pumped cheap, deadly fentanyl onto the streets of dozens of Massachusetts cities and towns. This sentence of 25 years reflects the gravity of his drug dealing and money laundering,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Castillo who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Castillo accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”
“This investigation, initiated by Massachusetts State Troopers assigned to the DEA Boston Strike Force made a significant impact on the safety of our communities in the Commonwealth. The investigation interdicted dangerous drugs from being delivered and distributed to the streets of Massachusetts. The dismantling of the DTO, resulted in the conviction of dangerous, predatory drug dealers who prey on, for profit, persons struggling with addiction. I want to recognize the tireless work and also acknowledge the challenges considering this investigation began during the COVID pandemic. This joint effort is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners work together cooperatively,” said John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police.
In July 2020, an investigation began into a drug trafficking and money laundering organization distributing large quantities of fentanyl and laundering drug proceeds. Intercepted communications identified Castillo as the leader of the organization who coordinated fentanyl shipments into Massachusetts on behalf of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization and coordinated the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds.
Although Castillo resided in Mexico, he was in constant contact with co-conspirators in Massachusetts via encrypted messaging about fentanyl shipments to Massachusetts. Additionally, on a number of occasions, Castillo personally came to Massachusetts to oversee the delivery of fentanyl shipments and to launder drug proceeds before returning to Mexico.
In total, Castillo organized the drop-off of $966,030 in fentanyl proceeds for the purposes of money laundering. Additionally, evidence presented at trial established that Castillo was accountable for conspiring to distribute nearly 20 kilograms of fentanyl.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle and MSP Interim Colonel Mawn made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. 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.
Leader of Miami Crew Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Defrauding Banks and Cryptocurrency Exchange of More Than $4 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ESTEBAN CABRERA DA CORTE, a/k/a “Esteban Cabrera,” a/k/a “Esteban Da Corte,” a/k/a “Steban,” was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla for organizing a scheme to steal millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency and trick U.S. banks into refunding the millions used to purchase that cryptocurrency by using, in part, personal identifying information stolen from other people.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Esteban Cabrera Da Corte orchestrated a scheme to steal millions of dollars by buying cryptocurrency using false and stolen identities, then deceiving U.S. banks regarding those transactions. Cabrera Da Corte now faces years in prison for this crime. This sentencing should send a clear message that we, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to zealously prosecute cryptocurrency scammers and money launderers.”
According to the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in court:
From at least in or about 2020 through at least in or about March 2020, CABRERA DA CORTE and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to deceive U.S. banks and a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform (the “Cryptocurrency Exchange”) by purchasing more than $4 million in cryptocurrency and then falsely claiming that the cryptocurrency purchase transactions were unauthorized, deceiving the U.S. banks and the Cryptocurrency Exchange into reversing those transactions and redepositing the money into the bank accounts that the defendants controlled. The defendants then withdrew the money from the bank accounts while also keeping the cryptocurrency for themselves.
To effect this scheme, CABRERA DA CORTE and his co-conspirators opened accounts with the Cryptocurrency Exchange, frequently using photos of fake U.S. passports, fake drivers’ licenses, and stolen personal identifying information. The Cryptocurrency Exchange accounts were linked to bank accounts that the defendants controlled. The defendants used money that had been deposited into the linked bank accounts, frequently through a series of cash deposits made using ATMs, to purchase cryptocurrency. That cryptocurrency was then quickly transferred to other cryptocurrency wallets outside of the Cryptocurrency Exchange that were controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators. After the cryptocurrency was transferred, the defendants made telephone calls to the U.S. banks during which they falsely represented that the cryptocurrency purchases were unauthorized, leading the banks to reverse the transactions.
The operation of this scheme by the defendants resulted in U.S. banks processing more than $4 million in fraudulent reversals and the Cryptocurrency Exchange losing more than $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.
* * *
In addition to his prison term, CABRERA DA CORTE, 27, of Miami, Florida, was ordered to pay restitution of $3,578,786.69 and forfeiture of $1,200,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of Homeland Security Investigation’s El Dorado Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and Josiah Pertz are in charge of the prosecution.
Laplace Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Defrauding Cares Act Financial Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BASHIR SCHOFIELD, age 24, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to a bill of information charging him with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for his role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents, BASHIR SCHOFIELD and two relatives, submitted applications to fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. SCHOFIELD and his relatives submitted loan applications that falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from that business. SCHOFIELD and his relatives’ false representations included the overinflation of the business’s gross receipts, as well as the claim that the loan proceeds were for business purposes when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal purposes. Indeed, the entities either did not exist at all or earned far less money than BASHIR SCHOFIELD and his relatives represented.
For example, on about April 14, 2021, SCHOFIELD completed and submitted a false PPP loan application in the name of an entity he claimed to control, “Vison Six, LLC.” SCHOFIELD falsely stated in the application that SCHOFIELD’s gross income from Vison Six in 2019 was $100,000 and that the money would be used for business-related purposes. In fact, Vison Six was not incorporated until November 2020 and performed no business and had no gross receipts in 2019. As a result of the fraudulent application, SCHOFIELD received approximately $20,833. Additionally, SCHOFIELD and his relatives collectively submitted false applications for several other entities, including “AfroTouch, Inc.,” “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and “Just Jocin.”
BASHIR SCHOFIELD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Guidry is scheduled for March 5 2024.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Lake Placid man pleads guilty to producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Nov. 28, a Lake Placid man entered a guilty plea in federal court to production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.
Frederick Anderson Bowen, 76, of Lake Placid, Florida, recorded himself performing oral sex on a child. Highlands County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the video saved on Bowen’s cellphone.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Bowen faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and up to lifetime supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Paul Blackman of Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, you can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, or contact the FBI directly at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
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-14028.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years for Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution & Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Issac Santana, 26, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Santana pleaded guilty to these charges on August 30, 2023. This period of incarceration will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On November 19, 2022, officers in La Crosse checked on a vehicle that had been parked and running for approximately three hours. Officers found Santana asleep in the driver’s seat. Officers searched Santana and his vehicle and found approximately 193 grams of methamphetamine and over 30 grams of fentanyl packaged for distribution. They also found ammunition and over $1,500 in cash.
Santana was arrested and charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court for felony drug crimes, and was released on a signature bond on January 9, 2023. He failed to appear for a hearing in March, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Officers attempted to arrest Santana on this warrant on April 6. Officers saw the defendant leave his house on a scooter and attempted to stop him. Santana fled from the officers, and after a pursuit, officers arrested Santana. Santana was carrying a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, along with over 100 grams of methamphetamine and 6 grams of fentanyl, all packaged for distribution. Santana also had over $1,250 in cash. He admitted to selling both methamphetamine and fentanyl in a post-arrest interview. Santana admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a previous felony conviction.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley remarked on the danger Santana posed to the community by combining drug dealing and carrying a loaded firearm. Judge Conley further noted that Santana was selling the same dangerous drugs that Santana had been addicted to most of his life. The judge found that Santana’s actions had made him a true threat to society.
The charges against Santana were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg prosecuted this 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.
King Kong tools settles claims of customs fraud for $1.9 millionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A German company, KingKong-Tools GmbH & Co KG, and its American subsidiary, King Kong Tools, LLC (collectively “King Kong”), will pay $1.9 million to settle allegations of customs fraud under the False Claims Act. The government alleged that King Kong was falsely labelling its tools as “made in Germany” when, in fact, the tools were made in China. By misrepresenting the origin of the tools, King Kong avoided paying higher tariffs.
“Companies cannot avoid paying tariffs by misrepresenting product manufacturing information,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The Department of Justice will work diligently to uncover these schemes, and those companies involved in such misconduct will be compelled to pay tariffs owed, as well as penalties.”
“Stopping businesses from cheating the customs system not only prevents them from defrauding our government, but also prevents unfair competitive advantages that harm the labor market,” said Acting Special Agent in charge Travis Pickard who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Hopefully, the result of this case sends a clear message that HSI and its partners are watching and will hold you accountable for your actions.”
“Customs fraud in international trade of manufacturing goods result in an unfair advantage of legitimate businesses,” said Gregory Alvarez, Customs and Border Protection’s Director of Field Operations, Atlanta. “This enforcement action is another example of how CBPs trade specialists safeguard the economic security of the United States.”
This case began when a competitor of King Kong filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that King Kong was manufacturing cutting tools in a Chinese factory. The tools were then shipped to Germany, where some additional processing was performed on some (but not all) of the tools. The tools were then shipped to the United States and declared to be “German” products. If the products had been correctly described as Chinese products, King Kong would have been required to pay a 25% tariff on Chinese goods. By falsely describing the tools as “German,” King Kong improperly avoided paying these tariffs.
This civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia under the False Claims Act, U.S. ex rel. China Pacificarbide, Inc. v. King Kong Tools, LLC, et al.
The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government. Here, the relator will receive $286,861 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony DeCinque and Akash Desai. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Justice Department Announces Charges in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York CityRead the Press Release
Today in the Southern District of New York, a superseding indictment was unsealed alleging murder-for-hire charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta, aka Nick, 52, in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, 2023 pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.
According to court documents, earlier this year, an Indian government employee (CC-1), working together with others, including Gupta, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the Victim).
Gupta is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1 and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence,” and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India.
In or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the Victim in the United States. The Victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The Victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India.
At CC-1’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (the CS), for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). CC-1 subsequently agreed in dealings brokered by Gupta to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the Victim. On or about June 9, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the Victim, including the Victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the Victim, and details about the Victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. CC-1 directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the Victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials.
On or about June 18, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the Victim, and like the Victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, CC-1 sent Gupta a news article about the Victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”
Gupta is charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA’s New York Division and the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA’s Special Operations Division, DEA’s Vienna Country Office, FBI’s Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Robert McCullers of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nikhil Gupta Superseding IndictmentJenks Woman Sentenced and Ordered to Repay More than $1.2 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern sentenced Lauren Michelle Owen, 40, of Jenks, to 27 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In January, Owen pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Judge Kern further ordered Owen to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.
“Lauren Owen engaged in multiple fraudulent schemes, including taking advantage of her employer’s kindness solely to enrich her luxurious lifestyle at the expense of others,” stated U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This sentencing and restitution will show criminals that fraudulent schemes will not go unpunished.”
“Miss Owen thought stealing from the government would be a victimless crime, but the money set aside for COVID relief was designed to help small businesses stay open through the pandemic,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “Miss Owen’s actions kept money out of the hands of others who would have used it to pay employees and keep their businesses open, as it was intended. Instead, she used it and other illegal financial activities to elevate her lifestyle. CI and our partners have ensured she has been held accountable for her actions.”
According to court documents, in 2010, Lauren Owen was hired by her employer as a secretary. She gained the trust of her employer and was eventually promoted to vice president and sole financial officer. Owen’s duties included handling the financial books and records for the company, paying bills and preparing checks for legitimate business expenses, overseeing payroll, hiring and firing personnel. She would make unauthorized checks to herself, payments on her personal credit cards, and unauthorized wage payments to herself from her employer’s accounts. These fraudulent transactions totaled more than $750,000 loss to her employer.
After losing her job, in November of 2021, Owen devised a plan to defraud the Small Business Association (SBA) after Congress passed the CARES Act in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and economic crisis. She falsified an application for a loan, on behalf of Platinum Assets, LLC, a company she owned and controlled. She lied on the application stating that she’d never been criminally charged, when in fact she had previously been arraigned in state court for embezzlement. She falsely signed and certified the application that the information she provided was true and correct, to the best of her knowledge. After approving the loan, the SBA deposited more than $384,000 in Owen’s bank account whereafter Owen improperly misapplied the loan proceeds by purchasing a 2018 Chevrolet Corvette, a 40-foot yacht and paying off a loan on a 2018 Ford F-250.
From 2016 through 2020, Owen further attempted to evade substantial income tax from her misconduct. She failed to report her extra, illegal income she was received from her embezzlement. Owen admitted that she tried to hide her income by making unauthorized transactions. She knew reporting her income correctly would leave her owing more than $61,000 in unpaid taxes and agreed to pay the IRS an additional $67,800 in other unpaid taxes.
Owen was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus and justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form
Jefferson Parish Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Buyer of Personal Protective EquipmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - CYNTHIA CARONNA, a resident of Jefferson Parish, was sentenced on November 28, 2023, for conspiring with her co-defendant, Frank LaBruzzo, and with a resident of the United Kingdom, to defraud a business that was seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced CARONNA to five years’ probation, six months of home detention, and $1,012,500 in restitution.
CARONNA and the UK resident formed a business venture to offer the sale of PPE, and selected LaBruzzo to serve as the venture’s escrow agent. LaBruzzo (an attorney employed as an investigator with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office) was presented to would-be buyers of PPE, as a trustworthy escrow agent who would safeguard the buyer’s purchase funds in an escrow account until the PPE was satisfactorily delivered.
According to court records, the conspirators agreed that LaBruzzo would disburse the would-be buyer’s funds despite the would-be buyers having neither received PPE nor consented to the disbursements. The conspirators also agreed that each would receive portions of the would-be buyer’s funds without the would-be buyers’ knowledge or consent.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at
866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at:
https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Ithaca Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph Swansbrough, 34, of Ithaca New York, was sentenced today to 150 months (12.5 years) in federal prison for attempting to entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Swansbrough admitted that, between September and October 2021, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an undercover officer posing as a 10-year-old child in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Swansbrough also admitted that, on October 12, 2021, he traveled from his home in Tioga County to a prearranged meeting location in Broome County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 10-year-old child. Swansbrough was arrested upon arrival at the location and was found in possession of candy he had promised to bring to the child.
United States District Judge, Glenn T. Suddaby, also sentenced Swansbrough to a 25-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. Swansbrough also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Jessica N. Carbone, and Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Illegal Alien with Prior Felony Conviction Indicted for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Armando Rodriguez-Padilla (27, Fort Myers) with illegal reentry by a previously convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Rodriguez-Padilla faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on October 29, 2023, Rodriguez-Padilla possessed an Interarms revolver. Rodriguez-Padilla had previously been deported after being convicted in state court of conspiracy to break and enter. As an alien and convicted felon, Rodriguez-Padilla is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
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.
Humboldt Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon found in possession of a stolen gun plead guilty on November 28, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Joseph Isiah Hardy, Sr., age 37, from Humboldt, Iowa, was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
In a plea agreement, Hardy admitted that he knowingly possessed a firearm even though he had been previously convicted of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and that he knew he had been previously convicted of that felony. Hardy further admitted the gun was stolen.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hardy remains in custody of the United States Marshal, pending sentencing. Hardy faces the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $250,000; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years.
The case was investigated by Humboldt Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-3010.
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Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSE SANCHEZ-MORADEL, age 35, a native of Honduras, plead guilty on November 28, 2023 to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2023, the Mandeville Police Department responded to a call by an individual who said that her ex-boyfriend, SANCHEZ-MORADEL, was trying to enter her residence in Mandeville, Louisiana. The Mandeville Police Department also learned that SANCHEZ-MORADEL drove a white truck. Police then saw a white 2016 Chevrolet Silverado leaving the area near the ex-girlfriend’s apartment complex. Mandeville Police then stopped the truck and detained the driver who was later confirmed to be SANCHEZ-MORADEL.
The visibly distressed ex-girlfriend told police that SANCHEZ-MORADEL forcibly entered her residence and subsequently fled in the white truck. After officers conducted a search of SANCHEZ-MORADEL incident to his arrest, they discovered a handgun magazine containing ten (10) .22 LR calliber rounds in his shorts pocket. Officers also found a Husky multi tool knife with a damaged blade tip. Officers then searched his vehicle and located a Glock Model G44, .22 LR caliber handgun inside the center console. This firearm was manufactured in another state and shipped in interstate commerce to Louisiana.
SANCHEZ-MORADEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Mandeville Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Grand jury charges former Clermont housing official with federal program theftRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The former executive director of the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) was indicted for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars intended to assist low-income residents of Clermont County, Ohio.
Timothy Holland, 56, of Williamsburg, Ohio, self-surrendered at U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today.
According to the indictment, Holland served from 2012 until 2019 as the executive director for CMHA, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognized public housing authority for Clermont.
CMHA received more than $5.9 million in annual federal funds in both 2018 and 2019 to operate and maintain public housing units as well as provide housing assistance to low-income families and individuals. It is alleged Holland stole at least $70,440 from the agency for his personal use during those calendar years.
“Mr. Holland allegedly used his position to convert money for his personal gain that was intended to help low-income and elderly and disabled individuals,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”
Holland is charged with two counts of federal program theft, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor Keith Faber announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Minnesota Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes
Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, 24, Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that on October 18, 2023, he possessed a loaded .22 caliber revolver and cocaine with intent to distribute. Jones-Shields was arrested in La Crosse on October 18.
If convicted, Jones-Shields faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 20 years on the charge of possessing cocaine for distribution. The charge of possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime has a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of life. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed for the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
The charges against Jones-Shields are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins is handling the prosecution.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Madison Man Charged with Distributing Heroin
James Davis Jr., 35, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with 12 counts of distributing heroin. The indictment alleges that he distributed heroin on 12 occasions from June through September 2023.
If convicted, Davis Jr. faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Levins and Aaron Wegner are handling the prosecution.
Mexican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.
Jose Luis Bautista Cruz, 26, a citizen of Mexico found in Clark County, Wisconsin, is charged with being found in the United States after having been removed. The indictment alleges he was found in the United States on November 12, 2023.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Glinzak and Aaron Wegner are handling the prosecution.
Four Members of Armed Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Convicted Following Federal Jury TrialRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found four men guilty for their roles in a multi-state drug trafficking ring that dealt large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Indianapolis. Seventeen other members of the conspiracy entered guilty pleas prior to trial.
Keith Jones, aka “Keybo” 57, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs and engage in money laundering, leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and illegally possessing multiple handguns and an assault rifle, among other charges. Jones’s convictions carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Kevin Backstrom, 57, of Los Angeles, California, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs and engage in money laundering. Backstrom’s convictions carry a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison.
Anthony Moore, 37, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs, among other charges. Moore’s convictions carry a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison.
Herman Wesley Tavorn, 42, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Tavorn’s conviction carries a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison.
The jury acquitted a fifth defendant, Charles Davis, 38, of Indianapolis, who was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
These individuals were charged along with seventeen others in a series of federal indictments beginning in July of 2022, for their roles in this drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Jones orchestrated other co-defendants, including Moore and Tavorn, to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout Indianapolis. Jones obtained the drugs from Backstrom in California, which were sent to Jones in parcels using fictitious names. The evidence showed that Jones received the parcels, repackaged them, and distributed them to others for them to redistribute to others. At one point, Jones enlisted his twelve-year-old daughter to assist him in the distribution of the controlled substances. The evidence also showed that Jones and his co-defendants disguised the money they received from drug trafficking as Jones sent a portion of it to Backstrom in California.
During the execution of search warrants in this case, law enforcement seized approximately forty-three firearms, $300,000 in U.S. currency, four ounces of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, and two kilograms of fentanyl.
The seventeen other defendants have plead guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigations, Indianapolis Metropolitan Drug Task Force, Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presided over the trial and will sentence the defendants at a later date.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Major Charles Harting, Hamilton-Boone County Drug Task Force, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division, and Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigations made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Blackington and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Fort Calhoun Man Sentenced for School ThreatRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nathan Joseph Bonacci, age 21, of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 29, 2023, in federal Court in Omaha, Nebraska, for impeding or interfering with a federal officer. United States Magistrate Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Bonacci to 6 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bonacci’s release from prison, he will begin a 1-year term of supervised release.
On February 10, 2022, Bonacci posted to the Discord app “I have an rpk chambered in 7.62 a 556 Ak74 and 2m1911s. This Monday 2/14/22 I will drive my car (filled with 5k worth of amo) to Roosevelt Elementary School in Council Bluffs, IA (517 N 17th Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51501) and I will kill as many people as I can find at 09:00 (9 am) @ everyone I will drive my blue Nissan Ultima (plate number [redacted] (nebraska plates))”.
A user on the iFunny app came across the post and forwarded it via email to the principal of Roosevelt Elementary School, who then advised law enforcement. The FBI assigned a Special Agent to investigate the potential threat. The FBI investigation included obtaining emergency disclosures from Yahoo! and Twitter, which lead to identifying the IP address used to post the threat was maintained by Cox Communications. Additional investigation revealed the Cox Communications subscriber was Bonacci’s brother. The FBI Special Agent interviewed Bonacci’s brother, who recognized the username used to post the threat was Bonacci’s. Bonacci was subsequently located and interviewed.
Bonacci acknowledged he transmitted the communication but indicated he posted it to a group of his friends because he thought his friends would find it to be funny.
Bonacci’s false threat impeded the assigned Special Agent from accomplishing his other assigned duties and interfered with his ability to work on legitimate investigations due to a need to determine if this was a valid threat to an elementary school.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fort Belknap man suspected of making a hoax threat to blow up Dodson school arraigned on chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Fort Belknap man suspected of making threats to blow up the school in Dodson, near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, was arraigned Tuesday on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Jacob Erwin Wilson, 40, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with false information and hoaxes. If convicted of the most serious crime, Wilson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. Wilson was detained pending further proceedings.
As alleged in the indictment, on Aug. 29, near Dodson, near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Wilson placed a phone call to 911 and to the Dodson school and stated he was going to blow up the school.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
PACER case reference. 23-111.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
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Former Sharon Resident Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Shantell Griggs was sentenced to 27 months in prison for cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Griggs, age 45, formerly of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon ordered Griggs to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Griggs pled guilty earlier this year to conspiring to distribute cocaine between July 2019 and November 2021 in Sharon, Mercer County. Griggs also pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on September 1, 2021, in Sharon. He stipulated to being responsible for the distribution of 300 grams of cocaine.
Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this 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 of Justice 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.
Former Public School Information Technology Manager Charged with Damaging School's Computer NetworkRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ayer man was charged today and agreed to plead guilty in connection with a June 2023 cyberattack targeting the computer network of his former employer, an Essex County public high school.
Conor LaHiff, 30, was charged in an Information with one count of unauthorized damage to protected computers. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court documents, LaHiff was employed as a desktop and network manager at an Essex County public high school until he was terminated in June 2023. After he was fired, LaHiff allegedly used his administrative privileges to deactivate and delete thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s Apple School Manager account – software used to manage student, faculty and staff information technology resources. LaHiff also allegedly deactivated more than 1,400 other Apple accounts and other IT administrative accounts and disabled the school’s private branch phone system, which left the school’s phone service unavailable for approximately 24 hours.
The charge of unauthorized damage to protected computers provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Principals of Private “Pre-IPO” Funds Charged in Connection with $386 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MICHAEL CASTILLERO, a/k/a Michael Alejandro, FRANCINE LANAIA, and BRIAN MARTINSEN with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud in connection with their management of StraightPath Venture Partners LLC (“SPVP”), StraightPath Management LLC, and nine related StraightPath Funds. CASTILLERO and MARTINSEN are also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in connection with their deletion of records that had been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
The defendants’ fraudulent misrepresentations about the operation of the StraightPath Funds allowed them to raise approximately $386 million from hundreds of investors. Based in large part on the excessive and undisclosed share price markups they charged to investors and their practice of commingling funds in violation of representations made to investors, the defendants were able to divert nearly $75 million in investor funds to themselves over an approximately three-and-a-half-year period.
LANAIA and MARTINSEN were taken into custody earlier today and presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. CASTILLERO is expected to be presented tomorrow. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Michael Castillero, Francine Lanaia, and Brian Martinsen, the founders and former owners of the StraightPath Funds, took advantage of the relative lack of information and lower trading volumes for non-public companies by offering retail investors interests in shares of pre-IPO companies at inflated prices, allowing the defendants to skim off the top without investors realizing they’d been duped. To conceal their fraud, Castillero and Martinsen allegedly then took steps to destroy records that had been subpoenaed as part of an ongoing federal investigation. These exploitative practices in the pre-IPO markets will not be tolerated.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “These individuals used the U.S. Mail to facilitate their criminal activities by allegedly devising a fraud scheme designed to swindle innocent investors of their hard-earned money. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to uncovering investment scams and protecting the public from becoming a victim to these schemes that claim millions of dollars each year. We will be relentless in our efforts to pursue these criminals until justice is served. Postal Inspectors remind investors it is key to educate themselves and ask questions regarding these investments, even more so when they notice undisclosed fees.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2017 through at least in or about April 2022, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in a group of nine related private funds known generally as the “StraightPath Funds.” In particular, the defendants, and others working at their direction, used “boiler room”-style call centers to market the StraightPath Funds, including to individual, non-professional investors, as presenting an opportunity to invest in privately held companies expected to go public in the near future (“pre-IPO companies”). The defendants purported to offer investors the chance to acquire shares in pre-IPO companies at favorable prices in advance of an anticipated public offering, at which time, they claimed, the shares would be worth significantly more.
Although the defendants and their agents represented to existing and prospective investors in the StraightPath Funds that the defendants would earn no upfront fees in connection with the StraightPath Funds’ acquisition of pre-IPO shares, in reality, and contrary to their fiduciary duties, the defendants acquired the shares and then sold them to investors at arbitrarily inflated and excessive prices without disclosing to investors the nature or extent of the markup. The defendants also misled investors regarding the nature of their investments and hid the involvement of CASTILLERO and LANAIA who had been previously barred from the securities industry by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Moreover, in order to evade detection of their scheme, CASTILLERO and BRIAN MARTINSEN destroyed records and otherwise obstructed the efforts of the SEC to uncover the defendants’ fraud on investors.
In order to generate interest in the StraightPath Funds among retail investors, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN used finders, or “referral agents,” to pitch prospective investors and thereafter to serve as the investors’ primary point of contact. In turn, these agents used “boiler room”-style call centers to cold-call potential investors, many of whom were not sophisticated, and give aggressive sales pitches using notes and pitch scripts approved by the defendants. Contrary to the defendants’ claim that they and their agents did not make money unless and until investors received a profit on their investments, SPVP paid referral agents a commission, typically a 10 to 15 percent front-end fee based on the amount of the investment, plus a portion of the carried interest on the back end.
In addition to misleading prospective investors about the compensation paid to referral agents, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN defrauded investors in the StraightPath Funds, for which they acted as fiduciaries, by (i) charging investors excessive and undisclosed markups on share prices of pre-IPO companies, which benefited the defendants and their associates at the expense of investors and the StraightPath Funds; (ii) routinely overstating to investors the number of pre-IPO shares that backed the interests in StraightPath Funds they sold; (iii) falsely representing that investors were investing in a specific “Series” within a specific StraightPath Fund and that their contributions correlated to specific shares of specific pre-IPO companies, when, in actuality, investor funds were commingled across Series and Funds and used for purposes not disclosed to investors, including to pay out other investors and to compensate the defendants and their associates; (iv) falsely representing that a particular individual (“Fund Manager-1”) acted as manager of each of the StraightPath Funds and the SP Adviser when, in actuality, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN performed the functions ascribed to Fund Manager-1 in StraightPath’s offering documents including, among other things, using an email address in the name of Fund Manager-1 to correspond with investors; and (v) otherwise actively taking steps to prevent investors from learning about LANAIA’s and CASTILLERO’s leadership roles in light of the fact that both had been suspended and later permanently barred from involvement in the securities industry by FINRA.
Throughout the StraightPath Funds’ operation, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN actively took steps to conceal the true nature of SPVP’s operations not only from investors but also from regulatory bodies, including FINRA and the SEC. For example, MARTINSEN, CASTILLERO, and LANAIA discussed making Fund Manager-1 the scapegoat with the SEC, in the event the SEC identified any problems with StraightPath’s operations. MARTINSEN then added, “Fran [LANAIA] is going to wamboosle the sec lady tomorrow. They will talk weather for 45 min and the lady will forget what she’s looking for.”
In early May 2021, MARTINSEN and CASTILLERO agreed to and did delete certain email records that had been called for by an SEC subpoena and then falsely represented to SEC staff that the emails had never existed.
The StraightPath entities and StraightPath Funds are no longer operational and are under the control of a court-appointed Receiver tasked with taking possession of StraightPath’s assets and recommending a plan to return value to investors.
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A chart containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is attached. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which previously filed separate civil charges against CASTILLERO, LANAIA, MARTINSEN, and others in connection with the operation of the StraightPath Funds in SEC v. Straightpath Venture Partners LLC et al., 22 Civ. 3897 (LAK) and SEC v. Hollender et al., 23 Civ. 2456 (LAK).
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Nichols, Adam Hobson, and Jason Richman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Residence
Charges
Maximum Potential Sentence(s)
CASTILLERO
46
Staten Island, New York
Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud
(Count One)
Securities fraud
(Count Two)
Wire fraud
(Count Three)
Investment adviser fraud
(Count Four)
Conspiracy to obstruct justice
(Count Five)
Obstruction of justice
(Count Six)
5 years
20 years
20 years
5 years
5 years
20 years
LANAIA
59
Fort Salonga, New York
Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud
(Count One)
Securities fraud
(Count Two)
Wire fraud
(Count Three)
Investment adviser fraud
(Count Four)
5 years
20 years
20 years
5 years
MARTINSEN
47
Saint James, New York
Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud
(Count One)
Securities fraud
(Count Two)
Wire fraud
(Count Three)
Investment adviser fraud
(Count Four)
Conspiracy to obstruct justice
(Count Five)
Obstruction of justice
(Count Six)
5 years
20 years
20 years
5 years
5 years
20 years
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former New York City Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Amaury Abreu, a former police officer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), pleaded guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Between approximately January 2016 and October 2020, Abreu assisted a multinational drug trafficking organization (DTO) with distributors in the New York-metropolitan area and the Dominican Republic. When sentenced, Abreu faces up to 20 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“Rather than protect and serve, Officer Abreu helped drug traffickers distribute large amounts of cocaine in the Eastern District of New York by giving them confidential law enforcement information. That was a disgraceful breach of public trust,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s plea should send the message that police officers who betray the shield and violate the law will be held to account. No one is above the law.”
United States Attorney Peace thanked the New York City Police Department, Internal Affairs Bureau, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
According to the indictment and other court filings, the DTO imported multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States through a variety of means, including by sending drug couriers on flights to the United States, concealing narcotics in mail and tractor trucks that enter the United States from Mexico, and concealing narcotics in produce shipments that are imported into the United States. Since 2016, law enforcement agents seized more than 350 kilograms of cocaine belonging to the DTO.
During the charged time period, Abreu abused his position as a police officer to protect his co-conspirators by providing information to the DTO about law enforcement procedures, performing warrant checks on members of the DTO using the NYPD arrest database and, on at least one occasion, receiving cocaine from the DTO.
The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York City Police Department, Internal Affairs Bureau and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Reid and Andrew Wang are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
AMAURY ABREU
Age: 37
Residence: Hauppauge, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-433 (RRM) (RML)
Former Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Arrested in Florida for Multiple Sex Crimes Involving MinorsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – James Bond, former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter “Underdog,” of Scottsdale, was arrested early Thanksgiving morning at Miami International Airport after being denied entry into Argentina. Bond faces charges for Sex Trafficking of Minors, Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places, Production of Child Pornography for Importation to the United States, and other related offenses.
James Bond, who changed his name from Jaymes Christopher Schulte, had his initial court appearance on his indictment on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. He will be transported to the District of Arizona to face charges.
The indictment alleges that he had sex with eight minors in Colombia and that he solicited, recruited, and enticed the minors to engage in commercial sex acts. He is also alleged to have produced videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and to have distributed these videos through his website.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations – Phoenix is conducting the investigation in this case, jointly with the Columbian National Police, HSI Bogota’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit- DIPRO, with assistance from HSI Miami, and HSI Attache offices in Buenos Aires. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-187_Bond
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Florida Resident Indicted in Murder-For-Hire Plot and Conspiracy to Witness TamperRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Florida man was arrested and made his initial court appearance Tuesday in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill a filmmaker and conspiracy to prevent a witness from testifying in his criminal trial.
Fereidoun Khalilian, also known as “Prince Fred” and “Fred,” 51, was charged by indictment with one count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to witness tamper. United States Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah scheduled a trial date for February 5, 2024.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about March 16, 2023, to about March 21, 2023, Khalilian left multiple threatening voice messages for a filmmaker in part to stop the filmmaker from producing a documentary about him. Khalilian believed his ongoing business dealings would be undermined if the documentary was made. It is also alleged that, from about January 28, 2023, to about March 17, 2023, Khalilian employed his bodyguard and others to surveil and assault the filmmaker and steal the filmmaker’s documentary equipment. Khalilian then hired his bodyguard to kill the filmmaker in a murder-for-hire plot. The bodyguard resided in Clark County, Nev., and was expected to testify against Khalilian at his murder-for-hire trial in the Central District of California.
Further alleged, from about August 17, 2023, to about September 12, 2023, Khalilian — who was incarcerated pending his trial in California — instructed friends and family to persuade a witness to recant prior statements and to change the witness’ testimony.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000, and a $100 special assessment, for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire; and 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000, and a $100 special assessment, for conspiracy to witness tamper.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremiah Levine and Sara Vargas with the Central District of California, and an Assistant United States Attorney with the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Florida Man Sentenced for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for laundering the proceeds of online investment fraud schemes.
Tochukwu Abel Edeh, 33, a Nigerian national previously residing in Jacksonville, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Edeh was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,590,987 and forfeiture of $810,966. In September 2022, Edeh pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Edeh managed used car dealerships and currency transfer services in Texas, Florida, and Nigeria. This included a currency exchange company as well as a cryptocurrency firm, both of which were based in Nigeria, through which Edeh exchanged Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for profit.
In or around 2015, Edeh conspired with others to launder and transmit proceeds of Ponzi-style investment fraud schemes based in Nigeria. Specifically, the schemes purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were stolen and later victims’ investments were used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. Edeh laundered the fraud proceeds using a network of co-conspirators in the United States and using his personal and business accounts in the United States and Nigeria. Edeh, along with his co-conspirators, did not hold money transmitting licenses in their respective states of residence, nor were they registered as money transmitters as required by federal law.
Edeh is the fifth person to be sentenced in relation to this money laundering scheme. In June 2023, Charles Ochi was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to orchestrating the money laundering scheme with Edeh. Three other co-conspirators have been convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and were sentenced to probation. One alleged co-conspirator, Vanessa Okocha, remains at large.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Michael McCarthy, Acting Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Division of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Five Queens Men Charged with Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging DONXING ZHENG, WANGCHAO HE, a/k/a “Ah Chao,” JIANGNAN LIN, a/k/a “Xiao Pang,” a/k/a “Little Fatty,” DONG LIU, a/k/a “Ah Dong,” and SUI ZHANG, a/k/a “60,” with kidnapping resulting in the death of Peng Cheng Li (the “Victim”), kidnapping conspiracy, and conspiring to distribute ketamine. HE, LIN, LIU, and ZHANG were arrested today and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. ZHENG was arrested on a complaint on July 31, 2023, and presented on August 1, 2023, before Judge Reznik. ZHENG will be arraigned on the Indictment at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, these five defendants lured Peng Cheng Li to a location with the intent to hold him for ransom, assaulting him and transporting him to the resulting of his death. Today’s arrest is a testament to my Office’s dedication to protecting the safety and security of our citizens and pursuing those who dare violate that to justice.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “These five defendants deprived the victim Peng Cheng Li of his freedom and ultimately his life when they allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered him in a failed attempt to collect a payment. This type of barbaric behavior has no place in our society and will not be tolerated. The FBI will be sure that anyone attempting to use violence to make money will be brought to justice.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “As demonstrated by this case, the dangerous combination of illicit drugs and brutal violence will never be tolerated in New York City. Today’s charges are the next step in our journey toward justice for Mr. Li. The tireless work of NYPD investigators, FBI agents, and prosecutors from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District will ensure that all involved in these grievous crimes are held accountable for their despicable acts.”
As alleged in public court filings and the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]
On or about July 19, 2023, ZHENG, HE, LIN, LIU, ZHANG, and others known and unknown used an Internet-based cellphone application to call a restaurant to lure the Victim, an employee of the restaurant, to a location in Flushing, Queens. When the Victim arrived at that location, ZHENG, HE, LIN, LIU, ZHANG, and others known and unknown abducted, assaulted, and held the Victim for the promise of payment. Thereafter, ZHENG and others known and unknown drove the Victim through, among other locations, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County, and eventually took the Victim to New Hampshire. At some point after he was abducted, the Victim died, and ZHENG and others known and unknown buried the Victim’s body in a forest in New Hampshire.
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HE, 29, LIN, 22, LIU, 35, ZHANG, 22, and ZHENG, 28, all of Queens, New York, are each charged with kidnapping resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of death or life in prison; kidnapping conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison; and conspiracy to distribute ketamine, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the FBI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Federal Jury Finds Hancock Man Guilty of Assaulting FBI Special AgentRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hancock man was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer following a one-day trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor.
According to evidence presented at trial, on June 22, 2023, FBI special agents were executing a federal search warrant at the residence of Alan Howell Parrot, 68, in Hancock. While the agents were trying to enter the residence, Parrot attempted to close the door and became combative, kicking one agent in the abdomen and pushing her backwards, resulting in injuries to her arm and elbow.
Parrot faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. FBI Special Agents are no exception, and we courageously accept that danger is part of our job. Thankfully, the agent who was injured by Mr. Parrot is ok, and I’m thankful for her service and dedication,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This conviction should be a warning to others that assaulting law enforcement undermines the rule of law and will not be tolerated. We take our oath seriously, and we won’t back down from ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions.”
The FBI investigated the case.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced for Assaulting OfficerRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An inmate at the Federal Medical Center in Butner (“FMC Butner”) was sentenced yesterday for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer working at FMC Butner in 2022.
According to the indictment, on May 15, 2022, the inmate, Timothy Leak, 47, refused the officer’s orders to wear his mask and return to his cell. Instead, he became aggressive, and ran to a nearby room on the housing unit. As the officer approached Leak from the room, he rushed toward her and slammed the heavy metal door on the officer’s arm, pinning it in the door. Throughout this altercation, Leak was verbally aggressive toward the officer. The officer was only able to free her arm after calling for assistance from other staff members. As a result of this contact, the officer suffered injuries to her arm that ultimately required surgical repair.
Thomas Scarantino, Complex Warden at FCC Butner stated, “I would like to thank the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their continued support in prosecuting these cases. I would also like to thank the legal team and staff at FCC Butner who have assisted with this case. I have zero tolerance for inmates assaulting, resisting, or impeding the staff members who work tirelessly at FCC Butner.”
Citing Leak’s criminal history and the severity of the assault, Unites States Federal District Court Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Leak to 21 months in prison. Leak previously pled guilty to the count of Assault on a Federal Officer on August 30, 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Brooks Storus prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00263-D-RN.
Federal Indictment Unsealed Charging Six Davidson County Residents with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement has resulted in the indictment of six individuals for illegally distributing substantial quantities of controlled substances in and around Nashville, Tennessee, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The indictment, which was unsealed today, charges Julius Johnson, 40, Amber Shadonna Johnson, 42, David Marsh, 54, Antonio Jumper, 44, Archie Henry, 38, and Eldred Howard, 37, all residents of Davidson County, Tennessee, with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana. Julius Johnson, Amber Shadonna Johnson, and Eldred Howard are also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and possession of a firearm by a felon.
As part of the investigation, in April 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at multiple locations throughout Nashville, including a residence in North Nashville where substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine were recovered. In total, over the course of the months-long investigation, law enforcement recovered approximately 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 600 grams of fentanyl, 200 grams of cocaine, and 45 grams of marijuana. Federal agents also recovered four firearms.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, with meaningful assistance from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Murfreesboro Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani M. Gilkerson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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El Paso Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Coercion of a MinorRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents, James Forrest Williams Kidd, 33, initiated a conversation with a social media profile depicting a teenage girl in late October 2022. Under the belief that he was chatting with a 13-year-old, Kidd requested nude photos of the user and invited her to his apartment to engage in various sexual acts. Additionally, Kidd sent a pornographic photo and video over the app. On the night of Dec. 29, 2022, Kidd arranged for the minor to be picked up and taken to his residence via a rideshare app using his account. FBI agents announced themselves at Kidd’s door and arrested him.
Kidd pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2023 to one count of attempted coercion and enticement and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
“This defendant intended to lure a 13-year-old girl to his home for sexual activity using a social networking app and will now spend a decade in prison for it,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I commend the FBI for their efforts in identifying and apprehending a dangerous predator before he could harm a child in our community.”
“The FBI El Paso's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force is committed to protecting the children of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge John S. Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “This defendant will spend the next 10 years in federal prison for criminal intentions he fully intended to act on to meet a minor for a sexual encounter and sharing obscene material with the minor in the process. Our community can rest easy knowing this man will be behind bars in a federal prison.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Osterberg 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Director Hughes Leads U.S. Delegation at INTERPOL General AssemblyRead the Press Release
This week, INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes is leading a delegation from the United States to Vienna, Austria to attend the annual INTERPOL General Assembly, the largest gathering of senior law enforcement officials in the world. This year’s General Assembly also marks the 100th anniversary of INTERPOL and returns to the city where the organization was founded a century ago.
“I am honored to represent the United States and INTERPOL Washington at this historic General Assembly,” said Director Hughes. “The 100th anniversary of INTERPOL reminds us how much we can accomplish as now 196 nations – with the addition of Palau – coming together in the fight against transnational crime and terrorism. It also provides a chance to collaborate against the new and emerging threats we face together and to forge a path forward for the next 100 years.”
Director Hughes leads a delegation that includes personnel from INTERPOL Washington, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism and Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center. He also serves as Delegate for the Americas on the INTERPOL Executive Committee and plays a vital role in the General Assembly, working as a bridge between the more than 18,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies and INTERPOL's global network. During the General Assembly, Director Hughes and the delegation will advance American interests, strengthen our homeland security, and work to create a safer world.
The 91st INTERPOL General Assembly, November 28 to December 1 in Vienna, provides a unique opportunity for law enforcement agencies worldwide to strengthen their partnerships, share intelligence, and develop strategies to address the evolution of crime. It reinforces INTERPOL's commitment to facilitating cooperation among its 196 member countries and promoting a safer, more secure world.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body, comprising of representatives from each of the organization’s 196 member countries. It meets once a year, and each session lasts around four days to vote on key organizational matters. Decisions made during the General Assembly take the form of Resolutions and each member country present has one vote. The decision-making process is made by either a simple or two-thirds majority, depending on the subject matter. Resolutions are made public and posted on the INTERPOL website from 1960 onward.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—is the designated U.S. representative to INTERPOL. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies.
Davenport, Iowa, Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Auston McLain, 38, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced today to ten years’ imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, following his June 2023 conviction by a federal jury for attempted enticement of a minor and travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Over two days of trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah Darrow, the United States presented evidence establishing that from November 10, 2020, through November 14, 2020 McLain communicated with an individual he believed to be a minor about engaging in sexual activity, sent pornographic pictures to that person, asked for pictures in return, and then traveled from Iowa to Illinois with the intent to meet with the child and engage in sexual activity.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Darrow found that McLain obstructed justice during the trial when he falsely testified about a variety of material issues.
McLain faced statutory penalties of ten years to life imprisonment, a possible fine of $250,000, and up to a five-year to life term of supervised release for attempted enticement. He faced up to thirty years’ imprisonment, a possible $250,000 fine, and a five-year to life term of supervised release for travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. McLain also must register as a sex offender. McLain was initially released on bond and has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since March 2023.
The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, with the assistance of the Rock Island Police Department, the Macomb Police Department, the East Moline Police Department, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner Jacobs and Matthew Weir represented the United States.
The case against McLain was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Cut Bank man admits assaulting, shooting woman on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Cut Bank man accused of assaulting and then shooting and wounding a woman at a residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Luke Charles Wells, 32, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to using a firearm during a crime of violence. Wells faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 3, 2024. Wells was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 16, Wells was intoxicated at a residence west of Cut Bank, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, when he became angry at the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Doe was in a bathroom when Wells broke down the door and began assaulting her. Doe ran outside to escape. Wells chased her, pulled out a pistol and continued chasing her. Doe tripped and fell, and Wells started shooting at the ground around her. Wells then hit Doe in the head with the gun several times before shooting and wounding her in the chest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Cut Bank Police Department and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Cumberland County Man Charged for Threatening to Kill A United States CongressmanRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Lee Ingalls, Jr., age 61, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of sending threatening communications via interstate transmission.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, it is alleged that on November 6, 2023, Ingalls left two threatening voicemail messages on the main congressional office answering system in Washington, D.C. It is also alleged that in both voicemail messages Ingalls specifically threatened to kill the same specifically identified United States Congressman. It was determined Ingalls made the calls from his cell phone while Ingalls was in Hampden Township, Cumberland County.
Ingalls was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on November 10, 2023. Ingalls appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom on November 13, 2023 and was ordered held in pretrial detention pending action by a federal grand jury.
The United States Capitol Police investigated the case and were assisted locally by the Fairview Township Police Department and the York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William Behe is prosecuting the case.
Ingalls faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nine Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Duffield, Virginia man, whose criminal history includes 15 previous felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms, was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for illegally possessing a revolver.
Lynn Edward Bowen, 46, pled guilty in October 2023 to one count of receiving any firearm affecting interstate or foreign commerce, while knowing or having a reasonable cause to believe such receipt would constitute a felony.
According to court documents, on June 16, 2022, Bowen was arrested outside of Glamorgan Church in Wise County, Virginia in possession of a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver and a small quantity of methamphetamine. Bowen told the arresting officer he was a convicted felon and was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Bowen later informed officers he had been given the revolver from a friend earlier that month.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Clay County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Nationwide Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Brian Roy Lozito (54, Orange Park) to two years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Lozito to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded and also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $164,193.84, the proceeds of the fraud. Lozito had pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023. He was arraigned on the indictment on January 11, 2021, and initially released on bond. The court revoked his bond on November 18, 2022, and subsequently ordered him detained.
According to court documents, Lozito owned and managed American Investigative Services (AIS). AIS purported to offer consumers mortgage auditing services in exchange for a fee. Lozito and his conspirators solicited customers nationwide through mailings and telephone calls. In these solicitations, Lozito and AIS employees, under the direction of Lozito, made false and fraudulent representations to consumers, including that AIS would perform “forensic audits” of mortgage documents to uncover evidence of deficiencies in the mortgage documents. Lozito claimed AIS would obtain quitclaim deeds and other remedies so the mortgage holders would be relieved of their mortgage debt and own their properties free and clear. If AIS could not help the consumer, Lozito promised to refund their money. In reality, AIS did not perform the services paid for by consumers and did not refund money to consumers. Funds collected from consumers went to bank accounts controlled by Lozito who then used the funds to keep AIS operating and for personal expenses.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Florida Attorney General with valuable assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer M. Harrington.
Citrus County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Stolen Benefit Payments from the Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Howard Lawrence II (55, Citrus County) has pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government property. Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and a forfeiture of at least $364,497.80. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Lawrence had been indicted on April 25, 2023.
According to court records, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program furnishes a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of deceased military service members. If the surviving spouse remarries, however, they are no longer eligible to receive DIC benefits and must report the new marriage to the VA.
Lawrence was a surviving spouse of a military service member who died in 1994. Beginning on or about November 1, 1995, through approximately April 1, 2023, Lawrence received DIC benefits from the VA. He was not entitled to these benefits, however, because he had remarried twice—once in 1995 and again in 2023. During that time, Lawrence had repeatedly assured the VA that he had not remarried so that he could continue to illegally receive the benefit payments. By failing to report his subsequent marriages, Lawrence illegally received a total of $364,497.80 in stolen benefit payments.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.