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Friday 17 November 2023
Postal Employee Convicted at Trial for Conspiracy, Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Theft of a Postal Service KeyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile woman this week for conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) key.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a three-day trial, Kristen Arieale Williams, 31, was employed as a mail carrier at the post office in Prichard. The jury heard evidence that in late October 2022, Williams stole and sold a USPS “arrow” key to a coconspirator. Arrow keys are government property and will open, among other things, all blue USPS collection boxes in a particular geographic area. Stealing and possessing such a key with fraudulent intent is a federal crime. Williams’s coconspirator, who previously pleaded guilty to bank-fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, paid Williams $2,500 in cash for the key. Law enforcement caught Williams’s coconspirator using the key to steal mail from collection boxes outside the Bel Air Mall in Mobile in November 2022. The coconspirator stole hundreds of pieces of mail using the key.
The jury also heard evidence that Williams conspired to commit bank fraud involving counterfeit checks deposited into her bank account. The counterfeit checks were derived from checks stolen from the mail. The checks bore the true names, addresses, and bank account numbers of multiple victims who testified at trial. Among other evidence, the jury reviewed call logs, text messages, pictures, videos, and other data extracted from Williams’s cell phone and the cell phone of a coconspirator. That evidence included a string of text messages that Williams sent in March 2023 regarding the arrow key that she stole and sold in October 2022. In that exchange, which Williams later deleted, Williams stated that she “went through so much anxiety the last time” she stole a key and noted that the Prichard post office was “very strict about it now.” The jury also heard excerpts of a recorded confession that Williams gave to law enforcement in March 2023, during which she admitted that did “illegal stuff” and lied about it to federal agents.
Williams will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in February 2024. Williams is subject to a mandatory two-year prison sentence for her aggravated identity theft conviction, which must run consecutively to any other sentence she receives. She faces up to 30 years in prison for her conspiracy and bank-fraud convictions, and up to 10 years in prison for stealing and selling an arrow key. Williams will also be ordered to pay restitution to her victims.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS–Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Mobile Police Department are investigating the case. The Brewton Police Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration–Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Pharmacy Owners and Doctor Convicted for $145M Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering, and Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted three Texas men yesterday for a $145 million scheme to defraud the Department of Labor through the submission of fraudulent claims for prescription compound creams.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dehshid “David” Nourian, 59, of Plano; and Christopher Rydberg, 47, of Fort Worth, and others conspired to pay Dr. Michael Taba, 59, of McKinney, and other doctors to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers. Nourian and Rydberg owned and/or operated three pharmacies located in Fort Worth and Arlington. They paid Taba for referring expensive compound medications to be filled by those pharmacies. In less than three years, between May 2014 and March 2017, the pharmacies billed the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million and were paid more than $90 million for unnecessary prescriptions referred by Taba and other providers in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. Nourian, Rydberg, and others then attempted to conceal their ill-gotten gains by laundering the money through purported holding companies and attempted to evade paying federal income taxes on the illicit proceeds.
Nourian, Rydberg, and Taba were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; and eight (Nourian) and three (Taba) counts of health care fraud, respectively, each count carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Nourian and Rydberg were also convicted of one count of conspiracy to launder money and five and six counts of money laundering, respectively, each count carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
All of the defendants are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Southern Area Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Casey Howard of the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Dallas Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The USPS-OIG, DOL-OIG, VA-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexander Thor Pogozelski, Ethan Womble, and Edward Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Reginald Johnson, 31, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 12 years to serve with four years suspended and three years of supervised probation on charges of involuntary manslaughter (criminal negligence) of Carlos Christian and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a vehicle involved homicide. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023 around 6:10 p.m., Reginald Johnson drove his Jeep eastbound into the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest and 15th Street, N.W crashing into a Toyota Corolla as it was turning left across eastbound traffic lanes onto 15th Street, NW. Johnson reached a speed of 61 miles per hour shortly before the crash, more than twice the 25 miles per hour speed limit. Johnson told an officer that he saw the car turning but thought it was stopping, sped up, and struck the car towards its tail end.
Reginald Johnson had been drinking alcoholic beverages at Mission Bar from approximately 1:24 p.m. to 5:46 p.m. before choosing to get behind the wheel. His breath alcohol content at 9:20 p.m. was 0.10 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. D.C. Code § 50–2206.01 defines intoxicated as “An alcohol concentration at the time of testing of 0.08 grams or more … per 210 liters of the person’s breath…”
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Major Crash Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter.
Parmelee Man Convicted of Three Crimes in Two Separate TrialsRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jeremy Duane Young, age 28, of Parmelee, South Dakota, has been convicted following two separate jury trials. Young was convicted of Possession of Unregistered Firearm and Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 31, 2023. Young was then convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. That verdict was returned on November 3, 2023.
The Firearm charges each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The Assaulting a Federal Officer charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Young was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023 on the firearm offenses and in April of 2023 on the assault offense.
In May of 2022, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a short-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, which was found after Young came into contact with law enforcement following a traffic stop. The short shotgun was not registered to Young in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. As part of the investigation Young admitted to law enforcement that he and another individual were on their way to Sioux Falls on a drug run to pick up methamphetamine.
In March of 2023, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young assaulted a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officer. The officer had been called to the community over a concern of a running vehicle blocking the roadway, and determined Young was passed out in the driver’s seat. When the officer contacted Young to get out of the vehicle, Young refused to exit, became argumentative, combative, and engaged in a physical struggle with the officer. Young then punched the officer in the face and fled on foot. Young was located and arrested an hour later.
The investigation into Young 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.
These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Brian Murphy prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for January 29, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Osceola County Man Admits to Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and Falsifying Gun Purchase RecordsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to 1 count of dealing in firearms without a license, 14 counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, and 14 counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.
According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, Wilson was purchasing these firearms for other individuals in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellular telephone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and other individuals about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Orlando Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Berger today sentenced Ethan Lipper (21, Orlando) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Lipper to forfeit the cellular phone used to commit the offense. Lipper pleaded guilty on June 7, 2023.
According to court documents, on January 16, 2023, a detective with the Oviedo Police Department was posing in an undercover capacity (UC) as a 14-year-old male on a social media application. Lipper joined a group called “Orlando Teens” where he began communicating with the UC, who he believed was a 14-year-old boy. Lipper sent pictures of himself and later provided his cell phone number in an effort to entice and sexually assault the child. Lipper sent the UC six videos, at least two of which contained child sexual abuse imagery. One of the videos depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a child who was approximately 9 to 11 years old. Lipper told the UC, who he believed was a child, that he wanted to perform similar acts with him.
On February 1, 2023, Lipper travelled to an address in Oviedo, Florida to meet with, and sexually assault, the child. He was taken into custody when he arrived, and his cellular phone was seized and searched. During a forensic review of his cellular phone, over 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse imagery were located. The majority of the images depicted children approximately 5 to 10 years old. Three of the images depicted children under the age of 5, including an infant. Also located on the phone were conversations between Lipper and individuals between the ages of 12 to 17 years old. During these conversations on a social media application, Lipper asked for sexually explicit images of the minors, some of which were provided to him. To date, the FBI has located and interviewed five of these children. The search for the remaining potential victims is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Oregon man sentenced to eight years in prison for trafficking meth in Missoula areaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — An Oregon man who brought methamphetamine to Missoula for distribution was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tracy Jean Bell, 60, of Beaverton, Oregon, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement in Missoula made a controlled purchase of meth in April 2021 from co-defendant Devin Neil Farley. To identify the supplier, law enforcement located Bell, who admitted to possessing approximately 14 ounces of meth in his vehicle and to supplying Farley. Bell also admitted to traveling to Montana from Oregon on numerous occasions to distribute meth. Farley previously was sentenced to eight years in prison for his conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Okmulgee Resident Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse and NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that TAMBARA LORENE COLLINS, age thirty-seven, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, entered a plea of guilty on October 24, 2023, to a superseding indictment charging her with two counts of Child Abuse and one count of Child Neglect.
The indictment alleged that between January 1, 2023, and June 12, 2023, Collins caused harm to, threatened harm to, and failed to protect from harm two children while responsible for their health, welfare, and safety. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
On November 17, 2023, Collins’ co-defendant, JOHN RAY COLLINS, JR., age forty-eight, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was convicted at trial by a federal jury of one count of Attempted Murder, two counts of Child Abuse, and one count of Child Neglect.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Tambara Lorene Collins was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.
New York Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Assault on AirplaneRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for assaulting a female passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to assault with intent to commit another felony, namely, stalking, while on an airplane. Manuella was ordered detained without bond. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on Nov. 16, 2023, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On a flight from Denver, Colorado, to Newark, on April 16, 2021, Manuella moved to a vacant seat next to a female passenger and touched the passenger without her consent. Manuella admitted the victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats. He admitted that touching the victim caused her substantial emotional distress.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Manuella to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers of the Port Authority Police Department with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae M. Thomas and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
New River Couple Arrested in Riverside, California for Fraud Targeting AHCCCSRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Thvoughn Lynden Curry, 31, and his wife, Alexis Daneen Curry, 32, of New River, Arizona, were arrested on November 2, 2023, pursuant to a federal indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering. Alexis made her initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 7, 2023, and Thvoughn made his initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 14, 2023. The Currys were arrested by officers from the Riverside County Sherriff’s Office as they left the Pechanga Resort & Casino, in Temecula, California.
The indictment alleges that the Currys devised a scheme to defraud the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency that offers health care programs to low-income Arizona residents, by submitting fraudulent claims for payment to AHCCCS. Between approximately February 1, 2021, continuing through March 31, 2023, the Currys submitted over $12,000,000 in claims for the purported treatment of approximately 185 patients through their outpatient behavioral health clinic located in Mesa. The Currys are charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering.
A conviction for Wire Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A conviction for Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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.
This is a joint investigation run by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Mesa Police Department, with assistance from AHCCCS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1293-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-182_Curry# # #
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.New Orleans Woman Sentenced to 35 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CATHY LYNN HAMILTON was sentenced on November 15, 2023, after previously pleading guilty to bank robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
According to court records, on May 5, 2023, HAMILTON entered a JP Morgan Chase Bank, in New Orleans, and committed bank robbery.
United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced HAMILTON to 35 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. HAMILTON must also pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Carjacking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 14, 2023, KYREN WASHINGTON, age 20, of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to a five-count superseding bill of information for five separate carjackings in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1).
WASHINGTON faces a sentence of up to 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release for each count. He also faces a mandatory special assessment fee of $500.00. Sentencing is set for February 27, 2024.
According to court documents, WASHINGTON was involved in five separate carjackings on September 29, October 2, October 4, and an attempted carjacking on October 10, 2023.
Four of the vehicles were recovered in the Algiers area of New Orleans. After the attempted carjacking, WASHINGTON was identified, and arrested by the New Orleans Police Department who learned that WASHINGTON had discarded a firearm and black backpack in the 1200 block of Poydras Ave.
Law enforcement retrieved the discarded black backpack and obtained a search warrant authorizing a search of the backpack. That search revealed two additional firearms and ammunition. Recovered were a Smith & Wesson Model M&P9, nine-millimeter and Glock Model 19X, nine-millimeter firearms along with a magazine loaded with ammunition. The discarded firearm was identified as a Glock Model 22, .40 caliber firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Kensington Resident Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 300 months’ imprisonment followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for conspiracy to receive and distribute, as well as distribution and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Court Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Robert Pacek, age 52.
According to information presented to the court, Pacek, while on probation for a prior state conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material, was an active participant in a chat room on the Tor network dedicated to the discussion and exchange of child sexual abuse material. On February 28, 2021, Pacek distributed five images depicting the sexual exploitation of young girls, who appeared to be between the ages of 4 and 6 years old, in that chat room. Pacek later admitted to accessing the Tor network using his neighbor’s router and sharing links to this material. A subsequent search of Pacek’s cell phone revealed approximately 100 videos and 3,000 images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, including more than 100 images depicting the abuse of toddlers or infants.
Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman explained that there is no more important government interest than “the protection of the innocence, safety and integrity of our children.” Judge Stickman noted that Pacek played more than a “passive role” in distributing images, noting that Pacek made “callous” comments when posting these images, and regularly greeted new members to the chat room. Judge Stickman emphasized that the use of computers contributes to the widespread distribution of this material and that these offenses involve real minors. Referring to the content of the images Pacek possessed, Judge Stickman noted that there is “no crime more serious in our district than the violation of the innocence of toddlers.”
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pacek.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.New Jersey Man Convicted of Tax Evasion in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Joseph Cammarata, 49, of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey was found guilty on November 15, 2023, on five counts of tax evasion following a two-week trial in the District of New Jersey before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Cammarata and two conspirators, David Punturieri and Erik Cohen, were the principals of Alpha Plus Recovery, a claims aggregator firm based in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Punturieri and Cohen previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering charges.
Cammarata, Punturieri, and Cohen used Alpha Plus Recovery to make false and fraudulent claims on the proceeds of securities fraud class action settlements and SEC enforcement actions. They falsely claimed that corporate clients of Alpha Plus Recovery had purchased shares of securities that were the subject of the lawsuits and enforcement actions. In reality, the supposed clients, which were entities actually controlled by the defendants, had not purchased the subject securities and were not entitled to any recovery from the settlements or enforcement actions. To substantiate their false claims, the defendants created fraudulent brokerage and other financial documents to provide to claims administrators. Cammarata and his partners then transferred the fraudulently obtained funds into accounts that they controlled, stealing more than $39 million from 2015 to 2019.
Cammarata’s share of the illegally obtained fraud proceeds amounted to more than $18 million. Cammarata failed to declare or pay taxes on income of $1.72 million in 2015; $2.56 million in 2016; $4.82 million in 2017; $3.56 million in 2018; and $3.35 million in 2019. Cammarata hid this income, which he received through corporate entities, from his accountant in order to conceal these sums from the IRS.
“Last year, a jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found that Cammarata and his partners engaged in a multi-year fraud in order to steal over $40 million,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Cammarata then concealed more than $16 million of his proceeds of that fraud from the IRS. The verdict in the New Jersey case makes clear that those who hide income gained by fraud will face the same consequences as those who try to evade their tax obligations from legal sources of income. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the investigators and prosecutors on this case, this defendant has been brought to justice for the full scale of his criminal conduct.”
“This defendant has now been convicted by two separate juries of serious crimes,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “First, he was convicted by a jury in Philadelphia federal court for his role in a scheme to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. Now, a Trenton jury has convicted him of hiding from the IRS the more than $16 million he pocketed as he tried to avoid paying his fair share of taxes. Cammarata will now be held to account for his crimes at sentencing.”
“Year after year, Joseph Cammarata and his partners stole millions from legitimate victim investors entitled to class action settlement funds and hid the illegal proceeds from the IRS,” said Richard Langham, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Cammarata used the funds to support his lavish lifestyle, including the use of private jets, the purchase of expensive homes, luxury cars, and yachts, and even the maintenance of a private island in The Bahamas. As investigators closed in, Cammarata doubled down on his lies in order to perpetuate the fraud and evade taxes. What Cammarata didn’t know was that Special Agents from the FBI and Postal Inspectors were methodically building a case based on his emails and on phone calls where he and his business partners conspired to lie to claims administrators and the IRS. The FBI is proud to have assisted the IRS in bringing Cammarata to justice.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed,” said Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Newark Field Office. “Mr. Cammarata and his partners stole millions from his victims. IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold account fraudsters like the defendant.”
“A jury in New Jersey found Joseph Cammarata guilty of defrauding thousands of investors of settlement proceeds and hiding his illegal income from the IRS,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “Since 2014, Mr. Cammarata and his co-conspirators used the United States Mail to submit thousands of fraudulent claims to civil security fraud settlement funds, depriving actual harmed investors of money that they should have received. They collected over $43 million in fraudulent payments and failed to report their newfound income to the IRS. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Cammarata collected over $18 million in the scheme and falsified his tax returns each year to hide his illegal income and his involvement in the scheme. I want to thank the agents from the FBI and the IRS who worked alongside Inspectors from my office in Philadelphia to uncover this scheme. I would also like to thank the Assistant United States Attorneys who supported the investigation and saw the prosecution through.”
Each count of tax evasion is punishable by up to five years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Cammarata was previously convicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA) of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering in connection with this scheme. On June 6, 2023, the Honorable Chad F. Kenney sentenced Cammarata to 10 years in prison on those charges. Because Cammarata filed his taxes from New Jersey, the tax evasion case was brought in the District of New Jersey and prosecuted by EDPA Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Ignall and Paul G. Shapiro, who also tried the earlier case.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, with trial support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Nashville Man Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Tyrone Meriweather, 48, of Nashville, Tennessee, with one count of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the criminal complaint and indictment, on October 19, 2023, Meriweather entered a U.S. Bank on Harding Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, and demanded money while brandishing a knife. The bank teller gave Meriweather the money from his drawer, and Meriweather fled on foot.
If convicted, Meriweather faces up to 25 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metro Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Galloway is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Monmouth County Man Convicted of Tax Evasion in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was convicted on five counts of tax evasion for his role in a $39 million investment fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey announced today.
Joseph Cammarata, 49, of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, was found guilty on Nov. 15, 2023, on five counts of tax evasion following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court. Cammarata was previously convicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering in connection with this scheme. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison on those charges.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant has now been convicted by two separate juries of serious crimes. First, he was convicted by a jury in Philadelphia federal court for his role in a scheme to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. Now, a Trenton jury has convicted him of hiding from the IRS the more than $16 million he pocketed as he tried to avoid paying his fair share of taxes. Cammarata will now be held to account for his crimes at sentencing.”
“Last year, a jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found that Cammarata and his partners engaged in a multi-year fraud in order to steal over $40 million,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said. “Cammarata then concealed more than $16 million of his proceeds of that fraud from the IRS. The verdict in the New Jersey case makes clear that those who hide income gained by fraud will face the same consequences as those who try to evade their tax obligations from legal sources of income. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the investigators and prosecutors on this case, this defendant has been brought to justice for the full scale of his criminal conduct.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed,” Tammy Tomlins, IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office, said. “Mr. Cammarata and his partners stole millions from his victims. IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold account fraudsters like the defendant.”
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Cammarata and two conspirators, David Punturieri and Erik Cohen, were the principals of Alpha Plus Recovery, a claims aggregator firm based in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Punturieri and Cohen previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering charges.
Cammarata, Punturieri, and Cohen used Alpha Plus Recovery to make false and fraudulent claims on the proceeds of securities fraud class action settlements and SEC enforcement actions. They falsely claimed that corporate clients of Alpha Plus Recovery had purchased shares of securities that were the subject of the lawsuits and enforcement actions. In reality, the supposed clients, which were entities actually controlled by the defendants, had not purchased the subject securities and were not entitled to any recovery from the settlements or enforcement actions. To substantiate their false claims, the defendants created fraudulent brokerage and other financial documents to provide to claims administrators. Cammarata and his partners then transferred the fraudulently obtained funds into accounts that they controlled, stealing more than $39 million from 2015 to 2019.
Cammarata’s share of the illegally obtained fraud proceeds amounted to more than $18 million. Cammarata failed to declare or pay taxes on income of $1.72 million in 2015; $2.56 million in 2016; $4.82 million in 2017; $3.56 million in 2018; and $3.35 million in 2019. Cammarata hid this income, which he received through corporate entities, from his accountant in order to conceal these sums from the IRS.
Each count of tax evasion is punishable by up to five years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tomlins, Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Langham, and U.S. Postal Inspectors, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the SEC, for the assistance provided by its Enforcement Division.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ignall and Paul Shapiro of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Missoula man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking childrenRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who paid minor girls to have sex with him was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Cody Alan Harrington, 29, pleaded guilty in July to two counts of sex trafficking of children.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that for seven years prior to his arrest, Harrington consistently targeted 14- and 15-year-old minors to engage in illegal sexual activity. In November 2022, two women, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, contacted the Missoula Police Department to report that when they were under the age of 18, Harrington had paid each of them to engage in sexual intercourse with him on multiple occasions. Jane Doe 1 reported that she had met Harrington over Snapchat in the summer of 2019, when she was 14 and Harrington was 25, and that Harrington offered to pay her to have sex with him. Jane Doe 1 engaged in commercial sex with Harrington for the first time in August 2019 in Missoula County, after which Harrington paid her $300. Harrington paid her on at least two other occasions in 2019 to have sex with him. Harrington also interacted with Jane Doe 2, while interacting with Jane Doe 1, and knew Jane Doe 2 was a minor because she told him her age. Jane Doe 2 reported that she engaged in commercial sex with Harrington for the first time in August 2020, when she was 15, and that he paid her $400. Jane Doe 2 further reported Harrington paid her to engage in sex with him on multiple occasions from when she was 15 to 17, all in Missoula County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Missoula Police Department and FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Mission Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.
Georgette Long Warrior, age 46, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Long Warrior was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in September of 2021 and continuing until January of 2023, when Long Warrior was involved with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Long Warrior received pound quantities of methamphetamine from a source in California and then distributed the methamphetamine to various individuals on the reservation. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Long Warrior was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.
Anthony Little Hoop, age 33, was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Little Hoop was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.
Little Hoop was convicted of Sexual Abuse in 2012. As a result of this conviction, he his required to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, including updating his registration within three business days of a change in residence address, employment status, or student status. Little Hoop last registered with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sex Offender Registry Office on July 29, 2022, providing an address in Mission. Little Hoop left his registered address in November and did not update his registration after moving. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in an abandoned apartment in Mission.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Little Hoop was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.
Wilson Brave Heart, age 51, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brave Heart was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He was found guilty following a jury trial that concluded on August 16, 2023.
On March 11, 2023, Brave Heart was arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers and charged with domestic abuse. He was then transported by an officer to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. While he was completing intake processing at the Adult Correctional Facility, Brave Heart spit in the face of the arresting officer.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Brave Heart was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.
Bobbylee Hill, age 21, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hill was indicted for Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.
Hill and the victim began dating in January of 2022 and were residing together in Mission in November of 2022. On the evening of November 24, Hill became upset after going through the victim’s phone. The verbal argument escalated to a physical confrontation and Hill threw the victim onto a bed. Hill positioned himself on top of the victim, placed both of his hands on the victim’s neck, and applied pressure. The victim was unable to talk and had difficulty breathing as Hill applied pressure. Hill stopped after the victim waved her arms. The victim fled from the residence and called 911 after Hill assaulted her a second time.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Hill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middlesex County Man Admits Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man admitted that he conspired to illegally obtain over $400,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Christopher Valerio, 33, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Valerio’s conspirator, Yanira Abreu, 42, of Keasby, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2023, on charges stemming from the same scheme. A third conspirator, Jose Tavares, 35, of New York, is charged by complaint and his case remains pending.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2020 through February 2021, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted false and fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Valerio and his conspirators obtained debit cards with illegally obtained funds totaling $444,738, which they used for personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations against Tavares are merely accusations, and Taveras is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
cvalerio.information.pdfMeth trafficking sends Kalispell man to prison for 14 yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the Flathead community after he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase before getting caught was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kenneth Martin Chandler, 43, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in April 2021, the Flathead County Street Crimes Unit attempted a traffic stop of Chandler’s vehicle. Chandler then led officers on a high-speed chase through Kalispell before eventually crashing into another vehicle. Chandler fled the scene on foot but was soon arrested. In a later search of Chandler’s vehicle, officers located meth, heroin, drug paraphernalia, more than $9,000 in U.S. currency, and two assault-style rifles. Law enforcement also learned that Chandler was distributing meth in the Flathead area.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Northwest Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Metairie Woman Pleads Guilty to Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EMILY SUSAN BREAUX, age 48, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana , pleaded guilty on November 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to conspiracy to distribute heroin, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on multiple occasions, a co-conspirator from California mailed half-kilogram quantities of heroin to BREAUX at her Metairie residence. BREAUX received the packages and gave them to her local New Orleans co-conspirators. On June 22, 2021, FBI agents seized a FedEx package containing 485.19 grams of heroin from BREAUX.
BREAUX faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Manchester Man and Woman Indicted for Manufacturing Methamphetamine in Their ResidenceRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Two Manchester residents have been indicted for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine in their home and possessing the necessary chemicals and equipment to do so, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Charles Winchell and Catherine Quinn, both 42 years old, were charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in a place where a person under the age of 18 was residing or was present, and possession of equipment, chemicals, products, and materials to manufacture methamphetamine. Winchell and Quinn were previously charged by complaint and arrested on September 18, 2023. They were released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, in 2023 Quinn and Winchell frequently purchased pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter medication and the primary ingredient used for the manufacturing of methamphetamine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at their residence and found pseudoephedrine and other ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine, such as lighter fluid, drain cleaner, and batteries, which contain lithium strips used to create a chemical reaction.
The charge of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Cherniske is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man on probation pleads guilty to illegally possessing Glock switchRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Damarion Boyd, 20, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing a fully automatic weapon.
Boyd possessed a 3D printed Glock switch, which converts a firearm into a fully automatic weapon and is considered a machine gun under federal law.
According to his plea documents, on March 21, 2023, Boyd’s probation officers conducted a home visit and executed a probation search.
Boyd made statements to conceal the location of his bedroom, but officers found a basement bedroom that had in it a poster-size photograph of Boyd and a friend, his graduation cap and gown and Boyd’s signed terms of probation from a few days earlier.
The officers discovered a black backpack in the basement bedroom with a loaded Glock firearm and attached conversion device.
Boyd was charged federally in May 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered before Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Ashley N. Brucato are representing the United States in this case.
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Man arrested with ten pounds of methamphetamine and three firearms sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old man who was arrested in Federal Way, Washington in August 2022, with ten pounds of methamphetamine for a drug deal, was sentenced to ten years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Tawn Tzo Saeteurn pleaded guilty in April 2023 to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “Your continued dealing shows that you had little or no respect for the law.”
According to records filed in the case, Saeteurn had agreed to deliver ten pounds of meth and additional fentanyl pills to a drug purchaser. When Saeteurn arrived with the drugs, he was arrested and his car was searched. He had a .22 caliber pocket pistol in the driver’s side door of his vehicle, a .38 caliber Titan Tiger revolver on the floorboard of the passenger seat next to a bag containing 10 pounds of methamphetamine, and a 9mm Glock hidden in the gap between the driver’s seat and the center console.
In addition to the methamphetamine, Saeteurn had nearly a half kilo of fentanyl pills, some fentanyl powder, $2,495 in U.S. currency, plastic baggies, two scales, and five cell phones.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zach Dillon.
Man arrested with ten pounds of methamphetamine and three firearms sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old man who was arrested in Federal Way, Washington in August 2022, with ten pounds of methamphetamine for a drug deal, was sentenced to ten years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Tawn Tzo Saeteurn pleaded guilty in April 2023 to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “Your continued dealing shows that you had little or no respect for the law.”
According to records filed in the case, Saeteurn had agreed to deliver ten pounds of meth and additional fentanyl pills to a drug purchaser. When Saeteurn arrived with the drugs, he was arrested and his car was searched. He had a .22 caliber pocket pistol in the driver’s side door of his vehicle, a .38 caliber Titan Tiger revolver on the floorboard of the passenger seat next to a bag containing 10 pounds of methamphetamine, and a 9mm Glock hidden in the gap between the driver’s seat and the center console.
In addition to the methamphetamine, Saeteurn had nearly a half kilo of fentanyl pills, some fentanyl powder, $2,495 in U.S. currency, plastic baggies, two scales, and five cell phones.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zach Dillon.
Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Multiple Sex Offenses Near School and Threatening NeighborsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrick Jones, 54, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months imprisonment for his criminal conduct in two separate cases for masturbating in public, near Bancroft Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, and then threatening neighbors who asked him to stop. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to eight separate counts in two cases: two counts of attempted threats, one count of threats, two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of lewd, indecent, or obscene acts before U.S. Superior Court Judge Sean Staples.
According to court documents, in the afternoon of April 3, 2023, Jones was observed by a neighbor masturbating outside of the neighbor’s apartment building, which is located less than a block away from Bancroft Elementary School. The neighbor, who was with her 11-year-old son, was trying to record Jones’s behavior since, according to the neighbor, this was a routine occurrence during the hours when children were walking to and from school. When Jones observed his neighbor trying to record him on that day, Jones crossed the street in an aggressive manner and made threats to kill the neighbor’s family and their dog.
On April 6, 2023, a woman was returning home after dropping her nephew off at Bancroft Elementary when she observed Jones outside an apartment masturbating. Jones made eye contact with the woman and continued his behavior. Additional incidents took place on the morning of April 12, 2023, when Jones again masturbated outside of the apartment building as children were being dropped off at the Bancroft Elementary School, and on April 13, 2023, when Jones exposed himself and masturbated outside of his building as children were walking to school. During that incident, a Bancroft Elementary school crossing guard observed Jones’s behavior, and while another colleague ushered kids to the opposite side of the street out of view, the crossing guard approached Jones and asked him to stop. Jones responded by loudly threatening to “blow y’all up” before going inside an apartment building and returning with a black duffel bag. Not knowing what was in the bag, the crossing guard became even more alarmed and flagged down law enforcement.
In addition to these incidents, after the defendant’s arrest on April 13, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department further investigated and located additional victims. In pleading guilty, Jones also admitted that between April 1 and April 13, 2023, he exposed himself and masturbated in front of an 11-year-old girl who lived in a neighboring apartment. He has been detained since his arrest on April 13, 2023. Jones will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, who assisted in the defendant’s apprehension. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jae Friedman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wash.
Man Incarcerated in a California State Prison Sentenced to over 33 Years for a Meth, Fentanyl and Money Laundering Conspiracy in South DakotaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kern Valley, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.
Terry Morris, Jr., age 41, was sentenced on a Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance charge to 33 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was then sentenced on the Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments charge to 22 years in federal prison. Both sentences will run concurrently with one another but consecutive to his sentence in California. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Morris was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 30, 2023.
Morris created and orchestrated a drug trafficking organization from his prison cell within the Kern Valley State Prison in California, where he was incarcerated for murder. Using a cell phone which had been smuggled in, Morris communicated by call, text, and social media with members of his family, along with numerous other co-defendants from both South Dakota and California, in order to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. Morris is attributed with distributing at least 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 80,000 fentanyl pills during his involvement in this conspiracy, drugs that were known to be sourced from Mexican cartels.
“This is one of two major federal drug sentences handed down this week in South Dakota,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “In this instance, the defendant orchestrated the movement of enormous amounts of deadly substances into our communities, leaving a trail of devastation without ever stepping foot in South Dakota himself. Although independently noteworthy, collectively, these sentences should send a resounding message to drug traffickers—targeting South Dakota communities for the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl will result in grave personal consequences. As this case demonstrates, drug traffickers will be relentlessly pursued by local and federal law enforcement and aggressively prosecuted in federal court.”
Others that have been charged as part of this conspiracy include Rigoberto Hernandez, age 32, of Los Angeles, California, who was sentenced on May 1, 2023, to 11 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Reginald Davis, age 41, of Los Angeles, California, who was sentenced on May 26, 2023, to 17 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Kessara Mikkelson, age 35, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who was sentenced on October 30, 2023, to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; and Asia Gunhammer, age 31, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who was sentenced on October 30, 2023, to 10 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. All defendants were also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The case against Terry Morris, III, who is also facing charges of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, is still pending in the District of South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Morris, Jr. was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 20, 2023, and the sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.
Joseph Thompson, Sr., age 32, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thompson was also ordered to pay $3,550 in restitution to the victim’s family.
Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023 and was convicted in July of 2023.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, in Lower Brule. Thompson was at the home of an acquaintance when he heard a disturbance outside the residence. Thompson left the residence, walked around the corner of the home, and saw a man standing near the home. Thompson produced a knife and stabbed the man five times, piercing his heart. There was no indication that the other man was displaying a weapon when Thompson fatally stabbed him.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Leader of Fenta-Pill Pressing Operation Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Patrick Silfrain (41, Winter Garden) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Silfrain to forfeit firearms used in the conspiracy, as well as jewelry, and over $600,000 in currency, which was traceable to the drug offenses. Silfrain had pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022. Jean Kesnor Choisil (51, Ocoee) and Kevin Jean-Gilles (41, Groveland) pleaded guilty to their roles in this conspiracy on November 22, 2022, and November 29, 2022, respectively. On August 31, 2023, Choisil was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Jean-Gilles was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, Silfrain ran an operation that pressed pills to look like legitimately manufactured pharmaceuticals that actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogs – so-called “fentapills.” Silfrain operated numerous pill presses at the same time, each of which had the capacity to produce 5,000 pills per hour. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence of numerous shipments of controlled substances and binding agents. Based on the total quantity of binding agents sent to the Silfrain operation, the DEA estimated it to be enough to press 3,760,000 pills.
On April 20, 2022, the DEA arrested Silfrain, Choisil, and Jean-Gilles and executed search warrants on multiple locations. During these searches, they recovered over 23 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, over a kilogram of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, 11 pill presses, and over $600,000 in U.S. currency, traceable to the drug operation.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
KC Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today on charges related to distributing child pornography.
Charles M. Witter, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Witter to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
On July 26, 2023, Witter pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet on Oct. 5, 2020, one count of transporting child pornography over the internet from Nov. 12, 2020, to Jan. 11, 2021, and one count of possessing child pornography from Nov. 12, 2020, to March 16, 2021, all after having been convicted of an offense relating to aggravated sexual abuse involving a minor. Witter, a registered sex offender, has prior felony convictions for statutory rape and statutory sodomy involving his sexual abuse of a 12-year-old child victim.
On Feb. 25, 2020, Witter was released from custody after serving six years in state prison for those prior convictions. Less than eight months later, he used a social media application to send an image of child pornography to another person.
Witter admitted that he sent an image of child pornography through a social media application to another person on Oct. 5, 2020. The image was flagged and a CyberTip report sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which forwarded it to the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Less than four months later, on Jan. 20, 2021, another online service provider submitted a CyberTip report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a number of emails sent by Witter, which included 113 images of child pornography and child erotica from Nov. 12, 2020, to Jan. 11, 2021.
Investigators searched Witter’s cell phone and found 53 images of child pornography, three videos of child pornography, and 10 GIF files of child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen A. Brackett and Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force Holds Its First Summit to Discuss Strategies to Combat Emerging ThreatsRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) hosted its first summit to convene its law enforcement partners from across the country to discuss emerging threats and strategies to confront them. Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jonathan Kanter, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Manish Kumar, PCSF Director Daniel Glad and other department officials were joined by representatives from among the PSCF’s 11 national law enforcement partners and 22 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
During the summit, AAG Kanter, DAAG Kumar and Director Glad commemorated the PCSF’s fourth anniversary and reflected on its growth and success since its inception. They also detailed additional resources the division has dedicated to combat procurement collusion, emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending and sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks and opportunities of increased federal spending.
Summit participants discussed the heightened areas of procurement collusion risk resulting from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 and supplemental funding in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Last week, Director Glad delivered a speech at the National Association of State Procurement Officials’ 10th Annual Law Institute. In his remarks, he outlined the ways that states can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats.
The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local.
Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and the Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving over $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year.
AAG Jonathan Kanter delivers opening remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit. DAAG Manish Kumar delivers closing remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit. PCSF Director Dan Glad delivers remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit.
Representatives from the PCSF’s 11 National Law Enforcement Partners and 22 U.S. Attorneys’ offices participate in the Summit.Jury convicts Missouri man of robbing Kansas bankRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Missouri man of robbing a bank in Shawnee, Kansas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richard Ruston, 53, of Independence, Missouri, entered the First Interstate Bank on Shawnee Mission Parkway on July 20, 2022. After briefly displaying what a bank teller employee believed to be a firearm, the robber demanded money, and left the bank with $2,974 in cash.
“Richard Ruston subjected people, who were trying to earn an honest living, to unimaginable terror and angst because he chose criminal means to obtain money,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Fortunately, due to the excellent investigation by law enforcement and the solid case presented by prosecutors, the evidence convinced a federal jury of Ruston’s guilt, and a judge will determine the appropriate sentence for his crime.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Shawnee Police Department, Merriam Police Department, and Kansas City, Missouri Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug prosecuted the case.
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Jacksonville Convicted Sex Offender Indicted on Federal Charge of Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced that Alexander James Koby (38, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville for knowingly receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet. Koby faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. On May 15, 2014, Koby was convicted of possession of child pornography in federal court in Orlando. He is currently serving a Florida state prison sentence and will be transported to Jacksonville for prosecution in this federal case.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
An indictment is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Nov. 14 was:
Autumn Rose Rider, 28, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rider faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rider was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-06.
Appearing on Nov. 7 was:
Thomasine Tachelle Wahl Salway, 21, of Browning, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Salway faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Salway was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-92.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on
Nov. 14 was:
Aubreh Lakhaie Barnes, 34, and Aurelia Dawn Lang, 49, both of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Both defendants were detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-128.
Jennifer Hall, 42, of Livingston, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hall faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hall was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-130.
Appearing on Nov. 7 was:
Eric Stephen Hadnott, 44, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hadnott faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Hadnott was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-129.
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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Indianapolis Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Purchase of a Firearm she Knew her Son Intended to Use in a Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Tyesha Clark, 39, of Indianapolis has been sentenced to twenty-one months in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms importer and engaging in the unlawful sale or transfer of a handgun to a juvenile who intended to use the gun in a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on March 13, 2021, Tyesha Clark purchased a Glock 19X 9mm handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Indianapolis. During the purchase, Clark completed federal firearms purchase paperwork and falsely certified that she was the actual buyer of the handgun. In fact, she purchased the firearm for her sixteen-year-old son. In her guilty plea, Clark admitted that she knew or had reason to believe that her son intended to use it in the commission of a violent crime when she bought him the gun.
In text messages obtained by the ATF during the investigation, Clark communicated with her son about the model and cost of the Glock, as well as ammunition, as the March 13th purchase was in progress. Additionally, Clark sent text messages showing that she knew her son had a history of trading illegal guns on the street. The text messages further showed that Clark had reason to believe her son was dangerous, shot people, robbed people, and was involved in gang activity.
The messages showed that Clark disposed of firearms she believed were used by her son in illegal activity, purchased firearms to further his alleged illegal activities, and provided guidance on removing potential evidence of illegal activity from social media. Clark’s son is not charged in the federal case, and he remains innocent of any crimes until proven guilty.
“Far too many of the shootings and killings in our communities are committed by people who have no lawful business having a gun in the first place. Many of these dangerous criminals are armed because someone else committed a crime to get them a gun,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Straw purchasers share a measure of culpability for the violence and death they facilitate. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that illegally arming violent criminals carries serious consequences.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Clark be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following her release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who 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.
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Henryetta Resident Sentenced for Second Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Jason Hathcoat, age 45, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 315 months in prison for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. The terms were ordered to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On August 31, 2022, Hathcoat pleaded guilty to two counts on an Information in federal court. According to investigators, on August 4, 2016, Hathcoat shot and killed two victims at a Henryetta residence, stole a large quantity of cash from the house and fled in one victim’s truck. Officers located three spent .243 rifle casings and one 9 mm casing at the scene. Hathcoat was later apprehended on an unrelated warrant driving the victim’s truck at a state park. A subsequent search of the truck revealed a Remington Model 742 .243 Winchester rifle, rounds of .243 and 9mm ammunition, and a quantity of cash. The crimes occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee Creek Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Hathcoat will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to over 31 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 318 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 380 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 318 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Robert Patrick Terrell, 43, conspired with Shawn Tullos and Pervis Everett to smuggle methamphetamine into the South Mississippi Correctional Institution (SMCI) in Green County, Mississippi. As part of an ongoing investigation, on August 10, 2021, a package sent to SMCI was recovered and examined. The package contained Terrell’s fingerprints and its contents were confirmed to be 318 grams of methamphetamine.
Terrell pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Shawn Tullos pled guilty and was sentenced to 128 months in prison. Pervis Everett pled guilty and was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Rose and Lee Smith.
Harrodsburg Man Convicted of Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking in Johnson CountyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Harrodsburg, Ky., man was convicted late Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.
The federal jury convicted Aristotle White of these charges, following a two-day trial.
According to evidence at trial, on May 11, 2022, officers with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was being driven by White. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement located nearly 300 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, and over $2,500 in United States currency. Witness testimony revealed White to be regularly obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine and importing it into, among other places, Johnson County.
White was indicted on September 22, 2022. Members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Department, Operation UNITE, and the DEA participated in the investigation and prosecution.
White will appear for sentencing on April 8, 2024, and he faces not less than 10 years up to life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Sheriff Scott Hazelette of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, and Sheriff William Meade of the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Fraudster admits to purchasing login credentials on the dark webRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Magnolia resident has pleaded guilty to possessing stolen credentials with intent to defraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sanel Bulic admitted to possessing approximately 68 stolen credentials purchased from an online marketplace on the dark web.
These unauthorized access devices contained login credentials such as usernames and passwords to various online accounts belonging to other persons for services such as Amazon, Chase, Facebook, Netflix, Paypal, Wells Fargo and more.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 7, 2024. At that time, Bulic faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Chu and James Hu prosecuted the case.
Four Individuals Charged in Scheme to Burglarize United Parcel Service Warehouses Across United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four Philadelphia men were charged for their roles in a conspiracy to burglarize approximately 55 United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouses across the United States, resulting in the theft of approximately $1.6 million worth of merchandise, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Aboudramane Karamoko, 20, Sekou Fofanah, 20, Shamaire Brown, 19, and Quamaire Brown, 19, all of Philadelphia, were charged by complaint in the District of New Jersey with one count of conspiracy to commit cargo theft. Karamoko was arrested on Nov. 15, 2023, in State College, Pennsylvania, and had his initial appearance in the Middle District of Pennsylvania on Nov. 15, 2023. Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, and Quamaire Brown were arrested on Nov. 16, 2023, in Philadelphia and had their initial appearances in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. All four defendants were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2021 through April 2023, the defendants and others conspired to commit burglaries of UPS facilities throughout the United States, including warehouses in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Rhode Island. The four defendants and their conspirators would enter a targeted UPS facility – usually from late Saturday night into Sunday morning – by breaking the window of the loading bay door or by prying the loading bay door up so that a conspirator smaller in stature could squeeze through. Once inside, the defendants and their conspirators would look for parcels marked with “lithium-ion battery” warnings, which indicated that they contained high-value electronic devices, such as a cell phone. The defendants and their conspirators would take the packages, which typically contained Apple products or other electronic devices, and would then flee by vehicle or on foot when law enforcement arrived. On at least one occasion, the defendants also stole a firearm from a UPS warehouse.
The charge of conspiracy to commit cargo theft carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the South Brunswick Police Department; Warwick, Rhode Island, Police Department; Clarkstown, New York, Police Department; Livonia, Michigan, Police Department; State College Police Department; New York State Police; Fulton County Sheriff’s Office; Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia; Homeland Security Investigations New England; New Jersey State Police; Philadelphia Police Department; Pennsylvania State Police; Ohio State Highway Patrol; Taylor Police Department; Brookfield Police Department; Summit County Prosecutor’s Office; and Centre County District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake A. Nasar and Sophie Kaiser of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
karamokoetal.complaint.pdfFour Defendants Sentenced in Dark Web Cocaine Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento residents Viliami Mosese Fatukala, 40; Quynhmy Quoc Yamamoto, 34; Iris June Micu Mina, 38; and John Phillip Hollis II, 45, were sentenced this week for conspiring to distribute or possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Fatukala was sentenced to five years in prison; Yamamoto was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and Hollis was sentenced to a year in prison. Mina received a time-served sentence.
According to court documents, beginning in July 2019, Fatukala, Yamamoto, and Mina conspired to sell cocaine. Fatukala advertised the sale of cocaine on the dark web. Yamamoto and Mina assisted Fatukala by, among other things, packaging the cocaine and mailing it to customers. All told, the conspirators sold approximately 13.7 kilograms of cocaine over the dark web. Some of the conspirators’ cocaine was supplied by Hollis, who was stopped by law enforcement on Dec. 19, 2019, and found with a kilogram of cocaine in his vehicle.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp prosecuted the case.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Assaulting, Resisting, and Opposing a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Opposing a Federal Officer in Pierre, South Dakota. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.
Derek Kennedy, age 43, was sentenced to 45 days in federal prison and eight months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. Kennedy was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kennedy was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023 and pled guilty in August of 2023.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on July 12, 2022, in Lower Brule. Kennedy was arrested for unrelated tribal offenses on the same date. As he was being booked into the Lower Brule jail, Kennedy became combative and attempted bite a federal officer on the arm and spit in the officer’s face.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Service - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.
Jeffery Pickner, age 47, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kennedy was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Pickner was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022 and pleaded guilty in August of 2023.
The convictions stem from incidents that occurred between 1994 and 1996 in Crow Creek housing, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. Pickner repeatedly and continuously sexually abused a young boy in the community. The victim did not immediately disclose the abuse.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Fort Eisenhower woman charged with murder in child’s deathRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A U.S. Army spouse at Fort Eisenhower is in custody on a federal murder charge.
April Evalyn Short, 30, of Fort Eisenhower – formerly Fort Gordon – is charged by federal complaint with Murder, with an aggravating circumstance of the alleged crime occurring during an act of child abuse, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Short has appeared for an initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps and has not yet entered a plea. She is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is awaiting further proceedings. She is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The criminal complaint alleges that on the morning of Nov. 15, 2023, Short used a knife to cut the neck of an 11-month-old child who later was pronounced dead at Eisenhower Army Medical Center.
The case is being investigated by Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Patricia G. Rhodes.
Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Employee Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Theft of over $150,000 in Official FundsRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 10 months in federal prison following her conviction for federal program theft. The Court further sentenced Miller to serve 2 years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $ 158,852.00 in restitution and a $7500.00 fine.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. Miller’s scheme began on or about July 1, 2018, and continued through in or about September 2022. In deciding the sentence, Chief Judge Dick commented on the fact the Miller’s scheme was executed over two years and involved a sophisticated means.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Former Vanderbilt Student Charged with CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Dominic Lambert, 24, of Plano, Texas, with Cyberstalking, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to documents filed in court, in February 2021, Lambert met a young woman, identified by her initials M.H.P., when the two were both undergraduate students at Vanderbilt University. The two became friends, but when M.H.P. declined Lambert’s romantic interest he became obsessed with her. From December 2021 to December 2022, Lambert repeatedly sent text messages, e-mail messages, social media messages, and made phone calls, to M.H.P. and her family and friends.
Also according to court documents, in October 2022, an order of protection was issued in state court, which Lambert violated three separate times, once by sending M.H.P. over 70 consecutive emails and another for calling M.H.P 55 times from the Davidson County Jail.
If convicted, Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Priest Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sex Trafficking Three Victims in Northern OhioRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Michael Zacharias, 56, of Findlay, Ohio was sentenced to life in prison today by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary and ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release, pay a $500 special assessment and pay $25,000 pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Zacharias was previously found guilty after a jury trial of five counts of sex trafficking following a two-week trial in May 2023.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Zacharias was a priest-in-training when he first met the three victims at a Catholic school in Toledo in 1999. The evidence showed that he used his position of authority as a spiritual leader to groom the boys and grow close with their families before ultimately coercing the victims into engaging in commercial sex acts, two of which were still minors but all three of which he victimized in their adulthood, by exploiting their opioid addictions to cope with the trauma of the abuse.
“Michael Zacharias’s victims trusted him, as a spiritual advisor, a confidant, a community leader, and someone in a position of authority. He exploited his position and that trust to target and victimize young boys and their families, causing lasting damage to both,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Zacharias was held accountable because of the courageous testimony of these young men, who gave voice to his betrayal and abuse, relieved this unimaginable horror, and withstood Zacharias’s predictable attempts at trial to attack their veracity. I applaud the bravery of these young men, the people who supported them, and the dogged efforts of the assigned FBI agent, who together exposed this predator, masquerading as a man of faith. Although no amount of time can ever wholly repair the damage that Zacharias inflicted on his victims, the life sentence that he received today is a significant step toward finding justice and protecting our community. It sends a message to others who consider similar conduct that the United States Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue charges against those who target our children.”“Using a position of trust while deviously preying on one’s vulnerabilities, especially juveniles, is reprehensible,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI has zero tolerance for sexual predators and those who commit crimes against children. We will continue to find and investigate individuals and their network who exploit and traffic children and seek justice for the victims and their families.”
Evidence presented at trial, including the testimony of the three victims and family members, established that Zacharias first met the victims when they were just 5-, 11-, and 13-year-old students at a parochial school in Toledo in 1999. Zacharias served as a respected Catholic priest in Northwest Ohio for more than 20 years, while secretly exploiting his victims as they struggled in school, fell into opioid addiction, developed criminal histories, and became even more financially dependent on him to avoid opioid withdrawal and homelessness. Zacharias’ betrayal of the victims’ trust caused them serious psychological harm.
Instead of helping the victims or providing referrals for their needs, Zacharias exploited them for his own pleasure. Zacharias preyed on the victims' ongoing fear of the painful physical symptoms of opioid withdrawal they would suffer without money he paid them, which sustained their growing addictions. Financial and phone records showed that when one of the victims was unavailable due to drug rehabilitation or incarceration, Zacharias incessantly solicited the other victims for commercial sex acts, including the youngest brother of his first victim, who was a freshman in high school and already struggling with opioid addiction when Zacharias began abusing him for sex.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office, Lima and Toledo Resident Agencies investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Lindsey Roberson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.