Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 14 November 2023
California Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Leading Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Bakersfield, California, man was sentenced in federal court today for leading a significant drug trafficking organization operating in Missouri and Oklahoma that distributed hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine.
William D. Johnson, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 22 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 22, 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from May 20, 2019, to Jan. 28, 2021, in Newton, Laclede, Lawrence, and Greene Counties.
According to court documents, Johnson utilized a storage unit that was found to contain 231 pounds of methamphetamine, two rifles, and nearly $500,000 in cash. He also maintained two separate residences where law enforcement officers executed search warrants and seized a quarter of a pound of methamphetamine, three handguns, and more than $40,000 in cash.
Johnson was stopped by Joplin, Mo., police officers on June 12, 2019, while he was in possession of 90.63 grams of methamphetamine and $16,327 in cash.
Lebanon, Mo., police officers searched Johnson’s black 2013 GMC 2500 Duramax after he had left the vehicle on May 1, 2020, and found two items that contained drug residue and a Diamond Back 9mm pistol. While searching for Johnson, officers found a backpack he had been seen carrying, which contained approximately 180 grams of methamphetamine, a stolen Ruger .380-caliber firearm, and $33,234 in cash.
When Johnson was arrested on Jan. 28, 2021, he was in possession of a smoking device with methamphetamine residue, two cell phones, and $11,375 in cash.
Johnson is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Douglas S. Ward, 35, of Lebanon, Mo., was sentenced on Oct. 17, 2022, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Rita M Glasgow, 33, of Joplin, Mo., was sentenced on June 8, 2023, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Joshua T. Davenport, 42, of Miami, Oklahoma, was sentenced on June 12, 2023, to five years and nine months in federal prison without parole.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Apache County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Department, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Robbery and ShootingsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIJON CHAMPAGNIE, 23, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from a violent drug-related robbery and shootings in West Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, Champagnie arranged to buy a half-pound of marijuana from an individual in West Haven. After Champagnie arrived at the seller’s residence, he removed a gun from his backpack, pointed it at the victim’s face, and demanded all the marijuana the victim had. After the victim gave Champagnie the half-pound of marijuana he had arranged to sell, Champagnie shot the victim in the leg, causing significant injuries. The victim’s neighbor, who had known Champagnie, heard the gunshot and saw Champagnie fleeing the scene.
In the days following the shooting, Champagnie posted videos on his Snapchat account of him shooting a gun into the air, pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the camera, and showing a bag of marijuana that he presumably had stolen. Champagnie also sent several text messages threatening to harm the victim’s neighbor. In the early morning hours of July 7, 2019, Champagnie fired four shots into the neighbor’s apartment.
Champagnie has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 20, 2019. On August 18, 2023, he pleaded guilty in federal court to discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven, New Haven, and Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Ansonia-Milford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the prosecution of this case.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on U.S. Funds to International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against UkraineRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of State that the United States will provide $1 million to the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA), which was established in The Hague at Eurojust with the support of the European Commission:
“The United States stands in steadfast and unwavering support for the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracy against the brutal and unjust war being waged by the Russian regime.
That is why, earlier this year, I traveled to The Hague to announce the appointment of the first U.S. prosecutor in nearly 80 years to be engaged in efforts to build cases on the crime of aggression, Jessica Kim.
As the U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression, Jessica has been and will continue to work closely with the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine, which was established at Eurojust with the support of the European Commission. The resources announced today by the State Department will build on this important work.
This announcement, and the Justice Department’s continued work alongside our Ukrainian and international partners make clear that we are not waiting for the hostilities to end before pursuing justice and accountability. We are gathering evidence and building cases so that when the time comes, the United States and our partners will be ready to ensure accountability for Russia’s war of aggression.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Judges of the Data Protection Review CourtRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today held a formal investiture ceremony for the Data Protection Review Court (DPRC) at the Justice Department, formally swearing in six judges of the eight-member, fully independent court, following the Constitutional oath they have already taken, and marking another milestone in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
“In October 2022, I issued new regulations establishing the Data Protection Review Court to serve as the second level of a new redress process established by the President’s Executive Order on Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities,” said Attorney General Garland. “Although this court has been established at the Department of Justice, its judges will independently decide what remedies, if any, are appropriate for the cases in front of them, and the intelligence agencies will be expected to abide by their decisions.”
Last October, the Attorney General issued regulations creating the DPRC within the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties at the Department of Justice. The DPRC serves as the second level of the new redress process established by the President through Executive Order 14086, which also strengthened other safeguards for U.S. signals intelligence activities. The DPRC will independently review determinations made by the Civil Liberties Protection Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in response to qualifying complaints sent by individuals through appropriate public authorities that allege certain violations of U.S. law in the conduct of U.S. signals intelligence activities.
The Executive Order and the new Justice Department regulations are a critical part of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK-U.S. Data Bridge Extension. These arrangements reflect the strength of U.S. partnerships with the European Union and the United Kingdom and the shared commitment to the rule of law and respect for the value of individual privacy.
Two additional judges were unable to attend today’s ceremony in person.
The judges on the court include:
- James E. Baker
- Rajesh De
- James X. Dempsey
- Mary B. DeRosa
- Thomas B. Griffith
- Eric H. Holder Jr.
- David F. Levi
- Virginia A Seitz
For full bios and more information on the Data protection Review Court, visit https://www.justice.gov/opcl/redress-data-protection-review-court.
Also in attendance at the investiture ceremony was Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD), European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders and members of NSD, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, ODNI, and the National Security Council.
Appraiser in Billion-Dollar Fraudulent Tax Shelter Sentenced to A Year in PrisonRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for his role in conspiring to defraud the United States in a syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme – involving inflated charitable contribution deductions – that claimed more than $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2008 to 2019, Walter “Terry” Douglas Roberts II, of Flat Rock, North Carolina, conspired with others to fraudulently inflate the value of the conservation easements upon which the tax deductions were based.
At the trial of his co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, Roberts testified that he became a licensed appraiser in 2007 and began providing appraisals of conservation easements that same year. From 2008 through 2019, as part of the scheme, Roberts said that he fraudulently inflated the values of at least 18 conservation easements by, among other things, not following normal appraisal methods, making false statements and either personally manipulating or relying on knowingly manipulated data to reach a targeted appraisal value – communicated to him by co-conspirators – that would result in the desired tax deduction amount. Roberts admitted that he inflated some of his appraisals by at least 600%. The 18 conservation easements Roberts fraudulently appraised as part of the scheme claimed approximately $466,961,000 in tax deductions, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $129,000,000.
Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial and are presently awaiting sentencing for their crimes. To date, at least five additional defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to Fisher’s syndicated conservation easement tax shelters, including Stein and Corey Agee, Ralph Anderson, James Benkoil and Randall Lenz.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Roberts to serve three years of supervised release, perform 120 hours of community service and pay $129,210,760 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Chief James C. Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Grace Albinson, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case,
Agoura Hills Property Developer Sentenced to Nearly 3½ Years in Prison for Lying on Bankruptcy Petition and Filing False Federal Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Agoura Hills real estate developer was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for failing to disclose on a bankruptcy petition that he had earned nearly $2.3 million in income and for failing to report almost $6.9 million in income on his tax returns.
Mark Handel, 69, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also fined Handel $20,000 and ordered him to forfeit approximately $3,545,712, which represents the proceeds of the sale of real estate in Alameda County. Judge Wright also ordered Handel to pay the IRS approximately $1,618,836 in outstanding tax liabilities, including penalties and interest.
Handel pleaded guilty on February 23 to one count of making a false statement in bankruptcy and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.
Prior to today’s hearing and pursuant to his plea agreement, Handel paid the IRS approximately $1,618,836 in outstanding tax liabilities, including penalties and interest.
In April 2015, Handel filed a bankruptcy petition in Los Angeles in which he claimed under penalty of perjury he had no income from 2013 until April 2015. In fact, he earned approximately $2,263,221 in income through DTMM Construction Inc., his West Los Angeles-based real estate development company, which, according to court documents, stood for “Don’t Touch My Money.” To further conceal his income from the bankruptcy court and creditors, Handel arranged for DTMM to be registered in his wife’s name but used the company to deposit the profits from his own work as a real estate developer and to pay for his and his family’s living expenses.
Handel concealed his income from his creditors by depositing it into DTMM’s accounts. Among the assets Handel hid from creditors included his interest in real estate in Livermore, California, which later was sold for approximately $3,545,712, the proceeds of which he agreed to forfeit.
In October 2016, Handel signed and filed a false federal income tax return for the tax year 2015 that failed to disclose approximately $1,096,175 in additional income. For the tax years 2010 to 2017, Handel failed to report a total of approximately $6,886,877 of income on his federal tax returns.
Handel also falsely reported a net operating loss of $7,259,119 on his 2017 federal income tax return as well as underreported his income on his 2018 tax return by $1,411,050 and admitted to failing to pay $460,408 in additional tax.
“[Handel’s] crimes were not born out of desperation, nor done on a whim without much thought,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “His crimes required planning, calculation, and an almost insatiable drive to break the law time and time again. Indeed, given the brazenness of his conduct, including bragging to others that his company stood for ‘Don’t Touch My Money,’ [Handel] believed he was above the law.”
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated this matter with assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Monday 13 November 2023
Vaiden man sentenced to prison for identity theftRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A 38-year-old Vaiden man has been sentenced to serve six years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and possessing fraudulent identity documents. At a sentencing hearing on Monday, Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Marcus D. Brown to a 72-month term of incarceration, followed by 3 years of court-supervised release.
Brown plead guilty on August 7, 2023, to possession of fraudulent identification documents with intent to use them in criminal activities and aggravated identity theft. Court records show that Brown was in possession of a fraudulently obtained vehicle which contained the actual identification documents of approximately 40 individuals who lived in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
The Court had previously ordered Brown into custody after he attempted to escape the custody of state authorities.
“In this case, the lives of dozens of innocent citizens have been damaged and disrupted by the acts of one dishonest individual who sought to unjustly enrich himself at their expense,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We applaud the sentence and the work by officers and investigators who brought this fraudulent conduct to light.”
“The United States Secret Service is committed to investigating and pursuing those who aim to take advantage of victims while trying to exploit our nation’s financial systems,” said Kyle Smith, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Jackson Resident Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, this individual will be held responsible for these crimes.”
The United States Secret Service and Winona Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Roberts.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Suicide Committed by Person Evading PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were present for the February 2023 death of S.P., a 40-year-old District resident who died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, security camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from MPD.
According to the evidence, at about 12:18 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2023, officers with the MPD were called to the 1400 block of Park Road, N.W. for a report of sounds of gunshots. As the police were conducting their initial investigation, including a review of security camera footage depicting an altercation between S.P. and another person, S.P. returned to the scene. Because S.P. matched the image in the footage, officers attempted to make contact with S.P. S.P. initially ran from the police. At one point, S.P. turned around, brandished a handgun and fired multiple shots at the police. The police returned fire. However, all of the shots by S.P. and the police missed their intended targets. S.P. then ran into an alley located in the 1400 block of Meridian Place, N.W. As two officers waited for assistance at the entrance to the alley, S.P. committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any officer on the scene used excessive force under the circumstances or otherwise willfully violated S.P.’s rights.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney's Office Settles Disability Discrimination Complaint with Skilled Nursing FacilityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights reached an agreement today with North End Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (North End), a skilled nursing facility in Boston, to resolve allegations that the facility denied admission to individuals being treated with medications for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“Patients suffering from opioid use disorder are too often faced with the agonizing decision between accessing life-saving medication to treat their addiction, or accessing other critical health care. Patients’ health and rehabilitation are negatively impacted when nursing facilities deny admissions simply because someone is engaged in recovery,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We thank North End Rehabilitation for its cooperation and its commitment in working with us to ensure access to addiction treatment for those who may also need long term care.”
“It is against the law to deny an individual placement in a facility because they are undergoing treatment for an opioid use disorder. This kind of action is not only illegal but leads to further stigma and is contra to efforts to support recovery which is critical,” said Melanie Fontes Rainer, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “Today’s announcement supports this Administration’s national strategy to prevent, treat, and provide long term recovery supports for individuals with behavioral health needs or substance use disorders, as well as the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, which implements the National Strategy by promoting equity in access to affordable, high quality, culturally appropriate care.”
Following a review, several instances were found between December 2020 and April 2022 where patients were denied admissions because they were taking Suboxone or methadone to treat their OUD. Individuals receiving treatment for OUD are generally considered disabled under federal civil rights laws, which prohibits private healthcare providers from discriminating on the basis of disability.
Under the terms of the agreement, North End will, among other things, adopt a non-discrimination policy, revise its admissions policy and provide training to admissions staff. North End will also pay the United States a $111,614 civil penalty. All but $10,000 will be forgiven if North End complies with the terms of the agreement for a two-year period.
Since May 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has settled with 13 healthcare providers to resolve ADA violations related to OUD treatment. These agreements have addressed compliance at 53 skilled nursing facilities.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HHS OCR Director Fontes Rainer made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dorchak of the Office’s Civil Rights Unit handled the matter.
U.S. Attorney for Alaska announces sentence in $26M investment fraud scheme, discusses financial crime priorityRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for defrauding at least 177 victims of more than $26 million through an investment fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Garrett Elder, 30, convinced victims to transfer funds to him for investment in stocks and foreign currencies on their behalf through deceptive and false representations of his trading methods between 2016 and October 2022. Some of the defendants’ victims were family members and friends.
The defendant executed the scheme primarily through his two entities, Tycoon Trading LLC and the Daily Bread Fund LLC. Elder solicited investments based on misstatements and omissions about his trading methods and returns. He then provided falsified account reports showing positive returns.
In total, the investigation revealed that Elder falsely told his investors that they had made over $11 million dollars in non-existent profits when, in fact, the defendant had been consistently losing money for years. The investigation identified that the defendant lost around $20 million trading, and used the remainder to fund a lavish lifestyle, finance commissions and payments to business associates, purchase assets and gifts, and pay other personal expenses.
In addition to time in prison, the defendant is required to pay $26 million in restitution to approximately 177 victims and serve three years of supervised release as part of his sentence.
"Mr. Elder’s case is one of the worst fraud cases our office has handled with respect to the number of victims and amount of money he stole. This case shows that white collar crime can impact anyone and cause immense damage to people, families and communities, and that no person or company is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Prosecuting criminals who choose to commit calculated financial crimes will remain a priority for our office, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for victims of these crimes.”
“In what’s regarded as the largest investment fraud scheme perpetrated in Alaska, Mr. Elder’s greed and deception is an affront to the honest, hard-working victims he bilked out of millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With dedicated special agents, forensic accountants, and analysts who work tirelessly to unravel complex fraud schemes, the FBI is dedicated to investigating financial crimes to hold criminals accountable and to protect the financial security of all Alaskans.”
Elder is the most recent fraud case the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska has successfully prosecuted in their prioritization of holding financial and white-collar criminals accountable. The office has dozens of open cases covering a range of financial crimes, including health care fraud, bankruptcy fraud, money laundering, fraud on federal agencies, and federal program fraud surrounding misuse of COVID-19 recovery funds.
These cases are a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement and are often a product of thousands of hours’ worth of investigation and expertise due to the complexity of financial crimes.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the Elder case with assistance from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED), Division of Banking and Securities.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Heyman and Seth Beausang prosecuted the Elder case.
###
Two Admit 2020 Jefferson County CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted their involvement in a 2020 carjacking in Jefferson County, Missouri that permanently injured the victim.
Matthew Carver, 31, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Monday to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brandon Vandoren, 29, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty November 8 to one count of carjacking.
Both men admitted that on May 20, 2020, they arrived at a Jefferson County, Missouri MotoMart gas station and convenience store in a stolen Dodge Dart, intending to steal a vehicle. Carver was driving, and dropped off Vandoren, who got into a Saturn Aura and began driving away. The Aura’s driver, who was inside the store, ran outside and threw a Coke can at the Aura. Vandoren hit the victim with the Aura and fled. The victim nearly died due to the carjacking and has been left with permanent injuries.
Both vehicles then fled from law enforcement. Carver ultimately crashed, fled on foot and was captured after resisting arrest, his plea says.
The next day, officers found the Aura at America’s Best Value Inn in St. Louis County. They arrested Vandoren when he answered their knock on his motel room door, and found a firearm in the room, his plea says. Vandoren is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Carver and Vandoren are scheduled to be sentenced in February. The carjacking charge carries a potential penalty of up to 25 years in prison. Carver’s felon in possession charge carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
Twenty-three gang members and associates indicted on racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A 12-count indictment was unsealed last week in the Northern District of Georgia, charging 23 defendants, all alleged Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang members and associates, with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms violations.
“Gang activity poses a grave risk of harm to our communities as well as to many of our institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The defendants charged in this case allegedly perpetrated numerous violent and other criminal offenses, including multiple murders, brutal assaults, and drug trafficking crimes, on behalf of the gang Sex Money Murder. For more than a decade, these gang members and their associates allegedly orchestrated a criminal enterprise within and outside of multiple prisons to earn money for, boost their status in, and impose discipline required by, the gang. This indictment is the culmination of a lengthy and carefully coordinated federal and state law enforcement investigation aimed at dismantling this violent group.”
“The defendants and their criminal associates are alleged to have committed murder, engaged in stabbings and attempted murder, and distributed thousands of dollars’ worth of illicit drugs inside and outside the Georgia prison system, all to enhance the power and prestige of their gang, the Sex Money Murder set of The Bloods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With this RICO indictment, the Criminal Division, along with our federal, state, and local partners, again shows its commitment to hold accountable and bring to justice violent gang members who terrorize our communities and attempt to control our country’s prison systems.”
“For too long, criminal gangs have wreaked havoc on our streets, destroying families, neighborhoods, and communities. Georgia residents deserve to exist without fear and intimidation inflicted by violent gangs,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “To alleged gang members and others infecting our streets—the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find and prosecute you no matter how long it takes or where you are living.”
“This extremely labor-intensive investigation would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the investigating Agents, Task Force Officers, and Prosecutors. These indictments are a culmination of the collaborative efforts by all agencies involved; our communities are safer because of this investigation,” said Dan Salter, the Director of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
“It’s alarming to think that these criminals were brazen enough to distribute dangerous drugs and commit heinous crimes while behind bars,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “They must now face the consequences.”
“Gang activity inside correctional facilities throughout our state continues to be a challenge, and we are using every resource at our disposal to combat this issue,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “As one of Governor Kemp’s initiatives is to fight gang activity, our agents work non-stop with our law enforcement partners statewide, and this is yet another example of that vital collaboration,” continued Oliver. “We appreciate the support of our local, state, and federal partners in ensuring that justice is served on these individuals.”
“With the creation of Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit, we’re working with all levels of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal gang activity wherever it occurs,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Alongside our partners at the Georgia Department of Corrections, we will continue to hold accountable those who use a contraband cellphone to direct further violence from behind bars. Our top priority is to protect our fellow Georgians, and that’s exactly what we’re fighting to do each day.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: SMM is a national gang and subset of The Bloods gang, which originated in the early 1970s in Los Angeles, California. The SMM subset spread from the Bronx, New York area across the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails.
The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), often using contraband cellphones, orchestrated numerous crimes, including murders, attempted murders, attempted arson, drug trafficking – within and outside the GDOC, and fraud. Eleven of the defendants were in prison when they allegedly committed or ordered the charged offenses.
The indictment alleges that SMM is organized into subgroups, called “sets” or “lines,” which are responsible for carrying out the affairs of the gang within their individual territories. Typically, each set or line is responsible for representing SMM through the commission of criminal activities, the generation of financial proceeds, the resolution of internal and external conflicts, and the enforcement of strict adherence to SMM rules and protocols. Each set or line has its own “line-up,” or hierarchy of ranked gang members from each territory. A set or line and its leaders fall under higher-ranking national leaders, including the “Royal Flush,” and are ultimately subject to the overall command of “Royal Flush” members.
Certain SMM members hold a specific rank within the gang or within a specific set or line. Specific duties and responsibilities are associated with each rank. The SMM rank structure often includes a delineation between incarcerated members (“behind the wall”) and non-incarcerated members (“on the streets”). In many instances, leadership “behind the wall” also exerts control over membership “on the streets.”
The indictment alleges that the defendants committed multiple acts of violence in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, including that:
- On or about May 10, 2014, following the directive of an SMM leader, four SMM members and associates stormed a home in DeKalb County, Georgia and shot multiple rounds of ammunition into a bathroom, killing a nine-month-old boy.
- On or about March 13, 2017, at Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, defendant Cedric Pierre and another SMM member repeatedly stabbed another inmate on orders from defendant Chase Pinckney.
- On or about October 11, 2017, defendant Demarco Draughn murdered an inmate at Hancock State Prison on orders from defendant Anthony Jernigan because the inmate had allegedly violated one of SMM’s rules.
- On or about March 20, 2019, defendant Rontavious Fowler murdered an inmate at Smith State Prison in Glennville, Georgia.
- On or about May 10, 2020, at Hancock State Prison in Sparta, Georgia, SMM members isolated another SMM member in a prison cell, tied him up, and repeatedly stabbed him on suspicion that the SMM member had allegedly violated one of the gang’s rules.
- On or about May 11, 2020, at GDOC’s Special Management Unit, defendants Demarco Draughn and Rontavious Fowler repeatedly stabbed another inmate, as directed by SMM leadership.
- On or about November 5, 2020, defendant Chase Pinckney authorized the beating of an inmate at Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia on suspicion that the inmate had allegedly violated one of SMM’s rules.
- On or about December 9, 2020, an SMM member shot and killed another gang member in Griffin, Georgia, on belief that the member had cooperated with law enforcement.
- Between on or about January 31 through on or about February 4, 2021, defendant Cedric Pierre directed SMM members to set fire to a drug customer’s home in Colbert, Georgia.
The following defendants have been charged in the indictment for conduct related to their alleged roles in the RICO conspiracy and related crimes:
- Ryan Brandt, a/k/a Street Life and Robert Kraft, 44, of Hays State Prison in Trion, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring, aiding and abetting, and possessing a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
- Kyle Oree, a/k/a Nasty Nu, 52, of Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
- Chase Pinckney, a/k/a Chase Pickney, Three Shots, Noriega, and Sinatra, 38, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Elton Jackson, a/k/a 2gz and John Madden, 41, of Telfair State Prison in Helena, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Sean Carr, a/k/a Nut and Nutkase, 51, of FCI Talladega in Talladega, Alabama, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Lavorsia Jones, a/k/a Shitbag, 23, of Dacula, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring, attempting, and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
- Danielle Ford, 49, of Ellenwood, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
- Charlton King, a/k/a Hell’s Militant Camp, 23 of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
- Demarco Draughn, a/k/a Shoota B, 28, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
- Richard Smith, a/k/a Alleyway and Brett Favre, 36, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Rontavious Fowler, a/k/a Lil Hot, 26, of Hancock State Prison in Sparta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
- Shavon Thomas, a/k/a Shavon Edwards, 55, of Decatur, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Lionel Edwards, a/k/a Tony, Tyson, and Python, 41, of USP Florence in Florence, Colorado, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Anthony Jernigan, a/k/a Hell Raiser, 36, of Hays State Prison in Trion, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
- Cedric Pierre, a/k/a Flip, 23, of Robert A. Deyton Correctional Facility in Lovejoy, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Ricardo Sanchez, 40, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Troy McCraine, 57, of Tennessee, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Qawwee Mitchell, 36, of Gainesville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime;
- Sherri Gandy-Torres, 56, of Lakeland, Florida, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Nyla Blacknell, 43, of Duluth, state, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during and in relation to of a drug trafficking crime;
- Tracey Wise, 46, Milledgeville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
- Shounnette Wooten, 50, of Gray, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute; and
- Kierra Williams, 31, of Haddock, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute.
Nine of the defendants were arrested on November 8, 2023 and appeared in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Georgia and Albany, Georgia the same day. Eight additional defendants were arraigned in Atlanta on November 9, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program and Drug Enforcement Administration, and Georgia Department of Corrections, with valuable assistance from the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia State Patrol, Brookhaven Police Department, Butts County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Police Department, Douglasville Police Department, East Point Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Police Department, Marietta Police Department, Riverdale Police Department, Sandy Springs Police Department, and South Fulton Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering (VICAR) Section are prosecuting the case, and former VICAR Trial Attorney Rebecca R. Dunnan previously prosecuted the case.
The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Todisco Towing Agrees to Resolve Allegations of Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an agreement today with Todisco Services, Inc., a company doing business as Todisco Towing, to resolve allegations that it failed to obtain a court order before enforcing a lien on a vehicle owned by a U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant who was deployed overseas, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).
The compliant alleged that Todisco Towing impounded the Staff Sergeant’s vehicle, refused to allow him to pay the towing and storage fee by phone, and ultimately sold the vehicle and its contents, which included costly military tactical gear and several irreplaceable items of sentimental value, including a family photograph album and a sweatshirt belonging to a friend who is now deceased.
The SCRA provides financial and housing protections and benefits to military members while they are in military service. One of the SCRA’s protections requires anyone holding a lien on the property of a servicemember to obtain a court order prior to auctioning off, selling, or otherwise disposing of that property. This means that companies have an obligation – before selling or disposing of property – to determine whether the property is owned by a servicemember protected under the SCRA, and if so, obtain court approval prior to disposal. Companies can conduct a search on the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) website, to determine whether an individual is a protected servicemember.
Under the agreement, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Todisco Towing must pay the Staff Sergeant $5,000 in damages and the United States a $1,000 civil penalty. Todisco Towing has also implemented new policies and trainings to prevent future SCRA violations.
“While he was serving our country overseas and protecting our national security, this servicemember had his car and items of deep personal significance sold off by Todisco despite his efforts to pay the outstanding fees. This is shameful treatment of people serving our nation as part of the armed forces,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is strongly committed to enforcing the rights of the members of our military who sacrifice so much for all of us to enjoy freedom and security every day.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hillary H. Harnett and Torey B. Cummings handled the matter.
This lawsuit resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from the U.S. Air Force. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at https://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
Tijuana Woman Sentenced to 12 Months for Stealing Dead Mother’s Social Security Benefits for 13 YearsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 13, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Kimberly Kay Brandt, a 51-year-old U.S. citizen living in Tijuana, was sentenced in federal court today to 12 months and one day in prison for concealing her mother’s death from the Social Security Administration for 13 years to steal more than $268,000 in retirement benefits.
Brandt pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud in August 2023. According to her plea agreement, Brandt’s mother, identified in court records as H.B., moved from California to her daughter’s home in Tijuana when her health declined. She died in Mexico in June 2010. H.B. had been receiving retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) via direct deposit into her bank account.
After H.B. died, Brandt did not inform the SSA and continued to use H.B.’s bank card to withdraw the benefits intended for H.B. Brandt admitted that she impersonated H.B. in a call to H.B.’s bank, purportedly to update H.B.’s address and request a new bank card in H.B.’s name. Brandt enlisted a third party to bring the new bank card to her in Mexico. After the SSA discovered H.B.’s death and stopped paying benefits, Brandt impersonated H.B. again in a call to the bank to inquire about the missing payment. Brandt was arrested on June 27, 2023, as she attempted to cross into the U.S. from Mexico, three weeks after the SSA benefits stopped.
Brandt was ordered to pay $268,143 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa J. Sanniti.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr1484-BAS
Kimberly Kay Brandt Age: 51 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Social Security Fraud – Title 42, U.S.C., Section 408(a)(4)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General
Three Construction Planning Firm Executives Charged with Bribing San Francisco Dept. of Building Inspection EmployeesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Three former executives of a San Francisco based construction planning and design firm were charged today paying bribes to employees of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (”DBI”), announced the Chief of the Criminal Division of the Office for the U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Colthurst and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp.
Siavash “Sia” Tahbazof, 72, was charged in an Information filed today with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud for paying bribes to DBI employees in return for their agreement to expedite and issue building plan permits and approve building inspections, beginning in 2003. According to the Information, Tahbazof conspired to bribe city employees including former DBI plan checkers Cyril Yu and Rodolfo “Rudy” Pada, and DBI building inspector Bernard Curran.
In a separate information also filed today, Reza Khoshnevisan, 54, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud for paying bribes to Pada and Yu in return for their agreement to expedite and issue building plan permits. The conspiracy allegedly began in 2012.
In addition, Bahman Ghassemzadeh, 38, was charged in a third Information filed today. Ghassemzadeh is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud for paying bribes to Pada, Yu, and Curran, beginning in 2014, in return for their agreement to expedite and issue building plan permits and approve building inspections.
DBI is a regulatory city agency in San Francisco responsible for overseeing enforcement of building, electrical, plumbing, and housing codes for the City of San Francisco’s more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings. Contractors and builders submit construction plans to DBI for approval and permitting; the plans are required to be reviewed and approved by DBI to insure that the proposed construction and building meets city codes and regulations.
An Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendants were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Pada, 68, and Yu, 41, have both already been charged in separate Informations with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. The Informations, filed on November 3, 2023, allege Pada accepted bribes in return for expediting and approving permits for building and construction plans and allege that Yu accepted bribes in return for approving permits for construction and building plans.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Casey Boome are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Therapist’s ex-wife sent to prison for defrauding Medicaid and stealing patient informationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 48-year-old Katy resident has been sentenced to prison for defrauding Medicaid of more than $600,000, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kay Le Farmer pleaded guilty March 22.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Farmer to serve 56 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Farmer fraudulently obtained information of over 300 patients, her attempts to lie and cover-up her crimes and that she appeared to be searching for more employment opportunities to steal more information. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Farmer’s “cunning and calculated” actions. She emphasized Farmer’s “greed and selfishness” and said she manipulated everyone around her.
Farmer is the former office manager for her ex-husband - a therapist and Medicaid provider in the Houston area. Following their separation, Farmer admitted to using her ex-husband’s provider number to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid, unbeknownst to him, for counseling services that were never provided.
In 2017, Farmer admitted to using her employment at a pediatrician’s office to obtain patient information. She then submitted more fraudulent claims to Medicaid under her ex-husband’s provider number.
In total, from 2013 until 2018, Farmer submitted, or caused the submission of, approximately $617,983.86 in claims for psychotherapy services that were not provided. Farmer admitted she was paid approximately $432,924.69 on those claims.
Farmer was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Texas Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - OIG conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson prosecuted the case.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute ItRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Brian Keith Coleman (34, Tallahassee) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Coleman had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.
According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) found Coleman’s vehicle broken down on the shoulder of Interstate 75 with Coleman standing nearby. After developing probable cause to search the vehicle, a trooper found methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and ammunition inside. Where Coleman had been standing, the trooper also located over a pound of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. All these items belonged to Coleman.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Belkis H. Crockett and Tyrie K. Boyer.
St. Michael, ND, Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Cody James Belgarde, age 36, from St. Michael, ND, was found guilty of the charges of Second-Degree Murder and Arson.
In January of 2021, Belgarde shot and killed a boy who was two weeks past his seventeenth birthday. Belgarde then set fire to the house where the murder took place. After eight days of trial and over thirty witnesses, the jury reached a verdict and found Belgrade guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Arson within Indian country. The jury acquitted Belgarde on a charge of First-Degree Murder.
Belgarde faces a sentence of up to life in prison at his sentencing hearing set for March 6, 2024, at 02:30 PM in Fargo Courtroom 1 before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to combating violent crime in Indian country,” Schneider said. “This verdict is a credit to our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners at the FBI, BIA, and ATF who relentlessly pursued justice in this tragic case.”
“During this investigation, ATF certified fire investigators conducted fire scene examinations, made the origin and cause determination, and provided technical analysis of the fire scene during trial testimony,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert, of the St. Paul Field Division. “Collaboration between law enforcement partners was tremendously effective and lead to the successful conclusion of this case. Hopefully, with this verdict, the family and loved ones of the victim can have some closure.”
“The FBI will not tolerate someone committing such abhorrent violence,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Jr. “Mr. Belgrade proved he has no regard for the law or for human life when he brutally murdered an innocent victim. I’m proud of the collective efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to ensure this dangerous individual is held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The prosecutors for this case were Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori H. Conroy and U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota.
######
St. Louis County Man Admits Fentanyl Dealing, Fatal Shooting of TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Monday admitted dealing fentanyl and shooting a 16-year-old with a fully automatic pistol in downtown St. Louis in 2022.
John M. Whitney Jr., 21, of Bridgeton, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
As part of his plea agreement, Whitney admitted that after someone working for the Drug Enforcement Administration bought fentanyl twice from him in April of 2022, a court-approved search of his apartment found drugs and guns. Whitney had a Glock pistol with an aftermarket “switch” or conversion device that made it fully automatic. He also possessed three AR-15-style rifles, a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, raw fentanyl in a plastic bag and capsules containing fentanyl.
Courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration.Whitney also admitted in his plea that in March of 2022, he had been conducting drug sales outside a loft building on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. After entering the lobby and heading to the elevators, he used a switch-equipped Glock handgun to fatally shoot a 16-year-old. He admitted shooting the teen but claimed the teen drew his weapon first and he acted in self-defense, the plea agreement says. Surveillance video from March 11, 2022 shows Whitney and the teen simultaneously drawing firearms and Whitney opening fire with the Glock as the teen turned towards Whitney with his pistol raised.
Whitney then exchanged fire with the teen’s associate before both fled the building.
Whitney is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 13, 2024. The fentanyl distribution charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The firearm charge is punishable by five years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoff Ogden is prosecuting the case.
St. Charles County Man Admits Soliciting Sex from MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from St. Charles County, Missouri on Monday admitted soliciting sex from two minor victims on social media.
Thomas J. Bowles, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. Bowles’ trial was scheduled to begin Monday.
As part of his plea, Bowles admitted repeatedly contacting a female minor on social media from Jan. 1, 2020 to Aug. 20, 2020. Bowles used aliases which prevented the victim from finding out that Bowles is a registered sex offender. Bowles offered to become the victim’s “sugar daddy” and provide money, a cell phone and clothing in exchange for sex acts and for providing him pornographic pictures and videos, his plea agreement says.
Bowles also communicated with a second minor via Snapchat, offering to mentor her in the modeling industry and be her “sugar daddy” and again concealing his identity. In 2020, he met the victim multiple times and gave her cash, liquor, clothing and prescription drugs in exchange for sexual contact. He also made video recordings on two occasions.
Both victims told Bowles that they were minors, his plea says.
Bowles is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Feb. 13, 2024. The government will request a sentence of 40 years in prison. The sex trafficking charge and coercion charges each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and maximum of life in prison. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in prison. The receipt of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years. Bowles’ status as a prior offender enhances the potential penalty for most of the charges.
The FBI, St. Charles County Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian Anderson and Nathan Chapman are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Lake Tahoe Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Timothy Mackey, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Mackey was a member of chat groups that shared child pornography on the social media platform LiveMe, including a group named “No Limit!!!” On two occasions in February 2020, Mackey, using the username “bag of rock,” posted nine images of child pornography in the “No Limit!!!” group. Mackey was also the administrator of at least one LiveMe chat group devoted to the exchange of child pornography, meaning he moderated the chat and was able to decide who entered the chatroom.
Mackey had worked as a snowboarding instructor and applied to become a foster parent prior to his arrest in April 2020.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department and South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
South Florida Man Indicted for Trying to Smuggle Fentanyl and Other Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Santos Pardo (23, Homestead) with one count of possession with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and one count of possession of contraband by an inmate in prison. If convicted, Santos Pardo faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison for the fentanyl offense and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession of contraband offense.
According to the court records, Santos Pardo was an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, assigned to a low security section of the prison. On November 19, 2022, a correctional officer observed Santos Pardo running along the side of the road towards an inmate housing unit carrying three bags. When confronted, officers determined that Santos Pardo’s bags contained 92.8 grams of fentanyl, over 300 grams of marijuana, tobacco, several bottles of alcohol, 14 cellphones, and multiple other prohibited items.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Sikeston Man Sentenced to Serve 123 Months in Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Monday sentenced a man from Sikeston, Missouri to 123 months in federal prison for a firearm offense.
Michael Ray Turner, 39, pleaded guilty in July at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Jan. 22, 2023, an officer with the Sikeston Police Department was attempting a traffic stop of a black Dodge Durango for failing to signal and having invalid vehicle plates. The vehicle traveled a short distance before the driver pulled over and fled on foot toward the rear of an apartment complex. After a brief chase, the officer apprehended the suspect and identified him as Michael Turner. A search of Turner's person revealed no contraband. Suspecting Turner may have concealed something, officers begin searching the area. Within minutes, an officer located a black Taurus pistol on a balcony or rooftop surface of the apartment building. Although it was lightly raining, the pistol was dry to the touch. The firearm was loaded with an extended capacity magazine containing 16 rounds of ammunition, with an additional round in the chamber. Turner's Dodge Durango was searched and an identical extended capacity magazine, also loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, was seized form the cup-holder on the driver side of the vehicle.
Turner has a previous felony conviction for second-degree robbery in New Madrid County, Missouri, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Second “United Against Hate Week” Begins TodayRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Beginning today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the San Diego Anti-Hate Coalition launch their second “United Against Hate Week,” joining cities throughout California for a series of events that promote tolerance and respect.
United Against Hate Week began in the Bay Area as a call for local civic action to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods. The campaign has now spread to more than 200 communities.
“Combating hate crimes requires a committed, coordinated, and united effort,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “No one should live in fear of hate-filled violence. The Justice Department is committed to building on our partnerships with all of you to effectively prosecute illegal acts of hate.”
The full calendar of events for United Against Hate Week can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/united-against-hate.
McGrath will be available for brief interviews about United Against Hate Week. If interested, please contact Kelly Thornton at [email protected].
“As we launch this collaborative effort, there are many ways to participate,” said McGrath. “Every person who joins in, increases the impact of this incredibly important campaign to end intolerance. We can all make a difference by learning more about the campaign, attending an event, or following on social media.”
For more information, please contact Assistant U. S. Attorneys Cindy Cipriani (619-546-9608) and Alicia Williams (619-546-8917) and Law Enforcement/Outreach Coordinator Shastity Urias (619-546-9399). Please follow us on social media @sdantihate to get updates about the upcoming events and resources.
Members of the public are encouraged to report hate incidents and hate crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at https://tips.fbi.gov/. Please call 911 if you need emergency assistance.
Seann Pietila Pleads Guilty for Making Violent, Antisemitic ThreatsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten renews commitment to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute illegal acts of hate fueled by antisemitism, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab bias
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Seann Pietila, 19, of Pickford, Michigan, pleaded guilty to a federal charge for violent threats he made online. Pietila admitted sending multiple messages on Instagram about planning to commit a mass shooting targeting Jewish people. Sentencing will occur at 10 a.m. on March 4, 2024.
“No one should face violent threats because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “At this moment of increased threats across the nation, we renew our commitment to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute illegal acts of hate fueled by antisemitism, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab bias.”
U.S. Attorney Totten and the FBI provided brief comments after today’s plea hearing, available on the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page.
Pietila pleaded guilty to transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. The maximum penalty under that statute is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Additionally, as a convicted felon, he may no longer possess any firearms.
As outlined in the initial criminal complaint, Pietila is alleged to have communicated with others on Instagram where he discussed his plans to commit acts of violence to kill other people and specifically referenced Jewish people. His communications demonstrated sympathy with neo-Nazi ideology, antisemitism, and past mass shooters. Law enforcement searched Pietila’s residence and seized various items, including ammunition, magazines, a shotgun, a rifle, a pistol, various knives, firearms accessories, tactical vests, mask, a Nazi flag, a ghillie suit, gas masks, and military sniper/survival manuals. A note found on Pietila’s phone identified a particular synagogue in East Lansing, a date, and a list of equipment. A copy of the indictment can be viewed here. The criminal complaint and plea agreement are attached.
“When free speech crosses a line and becomes a threat of violence against another, the full investigative resources of the FBI will be deployed,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our state and local law enforcement partners, we were able to disrupt the defendant before he could put his plans into action. The FBI continues to urge the public to report suspicious or threatening behavior to their local law enforcement or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI was assisted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, TRI-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), and Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team.
Given the heightened threat environment, over the past several weeks U.S. Attorney Totten has met with leaders of the Jewish and Muslim communities throughout the Western District of Michigan. The purpose of these meetings is to better understand what is happening on the ground and how the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with its law enforcement partners, can better support the affected communities. This outreach is ongoing.
In addition, to help combat hate-fueled violence, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten recently announced the formation of a Civil Rights Team focused on enforcing federal civil rights laws across the Western District of Michigan, as well as conducting regular community outreach regarding civil rights and hate crimes.
The Civil Rights Team includes federal prosecutors and staff from the Office’s Criminal and Civil Divisions who will focus on criminal matters such as hate crimes and unlawful threats, as well as civil matters such as enforcing federal civil rights laws regarding discrimination, disability access, environmental justice, sexual harassment, voting rights, and other matters. The team will work closely with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and coordinate with other Department components and local, state, federal, and tribal agencies as needed.
U.S. Attorney Totten also announced the Department’s United Against Hate Initiative, part of a nationwide effort by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combatting unlawful acts of hate. The program consists of ongoing local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and communities; and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate.
Anyone wishing to report a civil rights violation related to voting, housing, employment, education, the workplace, business, healthcare, or other public spaces can call the Office’s Civil Rights Hotline at 616-808-2195 or email [email protected]. Individuals reporting a hate crime or criminal threat can call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anyone facing imminent harm should call 911.
###
seann_pietila_-_complaint.pdf seann_pietila_indictment.pdf seann_pietila_-_plea_agreement.pdfMEDIA NOTE: Previous releases concerning this case are listed below.
Man Who Threatened Violent, Anti-Semitic Action Indicted by Grand Jury
Defendant Threatened Violent, Antisemitic Action
Scott County Man Sentenced to 264 Months for the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Georgetown, Ky., man, Matthew Stuart Marshall, 30, was sentenced on Monday, to 264 months in prison, by U.S. District Court Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, on his conviction for production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, a victim approached law enforcement about being sexually exploited by Marshall, when the victim was a minor. During the investigation, including searches of online accounts and electronic devices, law enforcement discovered 500 sexually explicit images of the minor victim, 33 sexually explicit videos of the minor victim, and 191 chats involving Marshall enticing the minor victim to engage in sexual activity. Marshall also admitted to participating in the planning of a video and live stream of the minor victim engaging in sexual activity with another adult. Evidence also revealed that Marshall had been directly communicating with other minor victims to entice and produce additional sexually explicit material.
Under federal law, Marshall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Darin Allgood, Georgetown Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Georgetown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
— END —
Sacramento Resident Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child & Other OffensesRead the Press Release
The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Pevino. If you believe that you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Pevino at any time or have information relevant to this investigation, please send an email with your name, contact information, and best time to reach you to [email protected].
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Nov. 9, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Dakota Jeremiah Pevino (aka Dakota Jeremiah Viggiano), 35, of Sacramento, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and distribution and possession of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2023, Pevino sent video recordings of adult males sexually abusing prepubescent minors to another user on the Telegram application. Those video recordings accompanied chats of a sexual nature regarding minors. Other images of a prepubescent child being sexually exploited were found on Pevino’s phone and were taken in his home. Finally, the court documents allege that Pevino sent images and videos of himself sexually abusing a minor victim on messaging applications like Grindr and Telegram.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force / Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, Pevino faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison (with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years), a lifetime of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of distribution of visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, Pevino faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison (with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years), a lifetime of supervised release, plus restitution and a fine. If convicted of possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, Pevino faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, plus restitution and a fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
St. Croix Man Charged with Manufacturing “Ghost Guns”Read the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith today announced that Kishawn Lopez, 35, of St. Croix, was charged and detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson after being charged with Possession of firearms and ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
“The rate of gun violence in the Virgin Islands is unacceptable, and the proliferation of ghost guns and other illegal firearms is a main source of the problem,” said United States Attorney Smith. “Working in collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we are committed to taking ghost guns and other illegal firearms off the streets. Targeting firearms traffickers and those who illegally possess firearms is a priority for this office, and those who commit such crimes will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Lopez’s Frederiksted home. During the search, agents recovered more than 30 firearms, including multiple “ghost guns,” assault rifles, and other handguns. “Ghost guns” are assembled from firearm kits which can be purchased from various kit manufacturers or secondary retailers. “Ghost guns” are unregistered, lack serial numbers and are untraceable. During the search, agents also recovered approximately 5830 rounds of ammunition and a cache of extended magazines. In 2011, Lopez was convicted of firearm possession in federal court, and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.
This investigation is part of the Virgin Islands Violent Crime Task Force which consists of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspections Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, United States Marshal Services, and the Virgin Islands Police Department. The mission of the Violent Crime Task Force is to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice individuals that plague the Virgin Islands community with acts of drug and gun violence.
“This collaboration with law enforcement partners is an essential element towards combatting violent crime and illicit activities in our area of responsibility” said Homeland Security Investigations Resident Agent in Charge Bernhardt Simmonds. Our agency remains steadfast in our fight against weapons trafficking into the Virgin Islands, which contributes to the uptick in violent crimes in our territory.”
“These individuals pose the greatest threat to the safety and health of our citizens”, stated Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. “We will continue to allocate all our law enforcement resources to make a greater impact in vulnerable areas where criminal organizations dedicated to drug trafficking are causing greater damage.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasir Sadat and Evan Rikhye. United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that a complaint is merely an allegation that a crime was committed, and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to over Thirteen Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Firearms and Glock SwitchesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Phillip Bonds, 39, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on three separate occasions between April 17 and May 10, 2023, Phillip Bonds sold a total of approximately 364 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine to another individual.
On May 19, 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed a federal search warrant at Bonds’ home and found approximately 115 grams of methamphetamine and 70 grams of cocaine; 620 grams of marijuana; 10 firearms; ammunition; Glock switches and various drug cutting agents. In pleading guilty, Bonds admitted that he intended to sell the drugs he possessed.
Bonds is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm due to his three previous felony convictions for crimes related to illegally possessing guns and ammunition. At the time of his arrest on May 19, Bonds was on probation for the felony offense of Carrying a Handgun without a License in Marion County.
“Deadly weapons and deadly drugs lead to far too many tragedies for our families and in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “This defendant continued to illegally arm himself to the teeth, while pushing deadly poisons into our community with no regard for the people they harmed. Thanks to the hard work of the DEA, IMPD, and our federal prosecutor, he has been held accountable for his crimes. The federal prison sentence imposed here should serve as a warning to any who choose to menace our streets—serious crimes warrant serious consequences.”
The DEA and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Bonds be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 4 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick G. Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
###
Registered sex offender pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Lanham, 34, of Lockport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to production of child pornography with a prior sex offense, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 in prison and a maximum of 50 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that in December 2010, Lanham was convicted of Rape in the Third Degree, Victim Less than 17-Year-Old, Perpetrator 21 years or more, in New York State Court and is a registered sex offender. In September 2020, he took a sexually explicit photo of a minor victim on his cell phone. In October 2020, Lanham distributed the image of the minor victim in a private online message to an undercover law enforcement officer on the Kik application.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 15, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.
# # # #
Property owner sentenced for lying about lead hazardsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Angel Elliot Dalfin, 58, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of making a false document, was sentenced to serve five years’ probation, to include eight months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Dalfin was also ordered to perform 600 hours of community service at Habitat for Humanity within the first three years of probation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that Dalfin, using the entity Vin7, LLC, sold 23 properties in the City of Buffalo, all of which were built prior to 1978. As part of the sale of the properties, Dalfin executed Lead-Based Paint Rider and Disclosure forms, on which he falsely stated that the lead-based paint hazards at the properties were unknown and that he had no records pertaining to lead-based paint hazards at the properties. The false statements were material to Dalfin’s compliance with the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, a statute implemented and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. On average, it would have cost the buyer of each of the properties $5,000 to stabilize the lead-based-paint hazards present.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Tyler Amon and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Christina D. Scaringi. Additional assistance was provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Princeton Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Kaleb Merritt, 27, of Princeton, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 27, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Merritt on a Virginia warrant at the Princeton business where he was working. Merritt told the officers that he had a firearm when they asked him if he had any weapons. Officers found a Glock model 43 pistol in Merritt’s pants pocket.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Merritt knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree arson in Mercer County Circuit Court on June 12, 2015.
Merritt is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service and the Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-206.
###
Princeton Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Malachi Damonte Cooper, 22, of Princeton, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 8, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Bluefield residence where Cooper was staying. Officers found 734 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 130 grams of fentanyl, digital scales, a money counter, a Micro Draco 7.62mm semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol loaded with a 30-round magazine, and over $23,000. Cooper admitted that he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them.
Cooper is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-119.
###
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Latesha Lashae Nappier, 30, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Nappier admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nappier admitted to conspiring with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl between November 2022 and March 22, 2023. Nappier lived with one of her co-defendants in Charleston during that time. Nappier admitted that this co-defendant had her sell the controlled substances to individuals while he was at work and collect the payments from the sales. Nappier would later give the money to this co-defendant.
On January 30, 2023, Nappier’s co-defendant directed her by phone to sell methamphetamine to a female customer. Nappier admitted to selling approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine to the customer as instructed at her residence in exchange for $160.
Nappier is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Nappier and 21 other defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
###
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Danielle Jackson, 33, of Gallipolis, Ohio, was sentenced today to three years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $26,074.13 in restitution for two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about September 17, 2018, Jackson was working at a South Charleston, West Virginia, human resources business when she obtained the personal identification information of an individual who applied for employment there. Between September 18, 2018, and September 27, 2018, Jackson applied for and received two separate credit cards with this individual’s stolen information and had the fraudulent credit cards mailed to her residence in Hurricane, West Virginia, where she was living at the time. Jackson admitted that she activated the cards and purchased $10,626.70 in goods, merchandise and other items of value with them.
Jackson further admitted to committing additional fraudulent acts both before and after her employment with the South Charleston business. Jackson obtained at least $15,447.43 through these additional fraudulent acts.
On or about January 8, 2018, Jackson began working at a Milton, West Virginia, coal company and had access to a company credit card that was to be used solely for business-related expenses. Jackson admitted to making $4,451.88 in personal purchases, buying items including an Apple iPad, a Nintendo Switch and an Apple iWatch, and paying for an April 2018 family vacation to St. Charles, Missouri, with the company credit card. Jackson further admitted to lying about the vacation to the coal company. Jackson told her employer she had been unable to attend work because of a medical emergency, and Jackson provided a forged medical record to support her lie. The coal company fired Jackson in June 2018.
In October 2018, Jackson was hired by a St. Albans, West Virginia, insurance company as a human resources generalist. Jackson admitted that she used her position to access the personal identification information of at least five insurance company employees and attempted to apply for credit cards in their names. On or about December 5, 2018, Jackson received a credit card at her Hurricane residence that she had applied for in the name of an insurance company employee without the employee’s permission or authorization. Jackson admitted to buying $2,878.55 worth of goods and merchandise with the credit card.
After the insurance company learned of Jackson’s arrest for defrauding the Milton coal company, Jackson falsely told the insurance company that she had been wrongly accused. Jackson provided the insurance company with forged documents that purported to show that the court cases against her had been dismissed and that she had received a settlement from the coal company because of false accusations against her. The insurance company fired Jackson on February 15, 2019.
On or about January 13, 2020, a Cross Lanes, West Virginia, tax firm hired Jackson to perform accounting, bookkeeping, payroll and tax-related services for its clients. Jackson admitted that she accessed the payroll records for one tax firm client and added a fake employee to the client’s payroll. Jackson used her ex-husband’s Social Security number without his permission or authorization to create the fake employee. On October 16, 2020, the client deposited the fake employee’s paycheck in the amount of $1,067 into Jackson’s bank account.
Jackson further admitted to defrauding a church that was another client of the tax firm. Beginning in September 2020 through December 2020, Jackson wrote at least $7,050 worth of checks payable from the church to herself and cashed them at branches of a bank in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Jackson manipulated the church’s bookkeeping information to conceal her fraud.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the South Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-16.
###
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Weapon and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 8, 2023, JUSTIN MORGAN, age 26, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk to 97 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to as to three counts of a superseding indictment.
Count 1 charged MORGAN with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(d). Count 2 charged MORGAN with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged MORGAN with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, on February 10, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (“JPSO”) conducted a narcotics investigation in the Metairie Heights Apartment complex in Metairie, LA. Based on their observations, officers stopped a black Acura in which MORGAN and a co-defendant were riding. Subsequently, the JPSO obtained arrest warrants for both MORGAN and a co-defendant due to the discovery of narcotics and firearms that were located inside of MORGAN’s vehicle.
On March 25, 2022, JPSO officers arrested MORGAN and located a gun case in the trunk of his vehicle. The serial number on the gun case matched the serial number of the gun found in the rear seat of MORGAN’s vehicle on February 10, 2022. The firearm was also swabbed for DNA. The analysis concluded that MORGAN’s DNA was present on the 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to False Statements on an Individual Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHRISTOPHER COBURN (“COBURN”), age 51, of New Orleans, pled guilty to a bill of information charging him with making false statements on an individual tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to court records, COBURN under-reported his tax preparation business income on his individual tax returns by approximately $104,156.06 for tax years 2016 through 2018. This underreporting caused a loss of approximately $29,781 to the Internal Revenue Service. COBURN faces a maximum sentence of three (3) years of imprisonment, up to one (1) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. COBURN agreed both to pay $29,781 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and to be permanently enjoined from preparing federal tax returns for others. United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion set sentencing in this matter for March 12, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Selling over $4.4 Million in Unapproved Steroid-Like DrugsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Terry Little, 52, of Nampa, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for introduction of unapproved new drugs in interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, Little manufactured and sold Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) at a business in Nampa. There, he processed the bulk ingredients he imported from China—encapsulating, bottling, and preparing them for shipment. Little primarily sold SARMs products via a website under the name SARMTECH. Between March 2018 and January 2022, Little sold at least $4,499,197.46 of SARMs products.
SARMs are synthetic chemicals designed to mimic the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids. SARMs are “new drugs” under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Little knew the SARMs products were not FDA approved. To avoid government seizures of SARMs shipped to other countries, Little offered a stealth shipping option for an additional fee that intentionally mispackaged and falsely declared SARMs shipments as vitamins and supplements.
“I commend the investigators and prosecutor who exposed this illegal activity and brought the perpetrator to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Law enforcement will continue to pursue those who put the public at risk by circumventing the law to sell unapproved drugs.”
“Drugs that are produced and distributed outside the FDA’s oversight present the risk of harm to the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by distributing unapproved products.”
“This investigation illustrates the dangers of circumventing U.S. regulations with unapproved drugs and chemicals coming from China, where the safety of such chemicals can often not be confirmed,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI and our partners are committed to keeping all forms of unapproved products off our streets, especially those that risk public health and safety.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane prosecuted the case.
###
Mexican Mafia Associate Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 13, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Juan Castro of San Diego was sentenced today in federal court to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for selling 109 grams of methamphetamine to a cooperating individual.
A government memorandum submitted for Castro’s sentencing described him as a high-ranking member of the San Ysidro (or “Sidro”) street gang and an associate of the Mexican Mafia. Castro oversaw day-to-day operations for Sidro which included collecting payments in exchange for allowing others to commit crimes in the San Ysidro area. The payments, or taxes, were then distributed to high-ranking Mexican Mafia members. In sentencing Castro, U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns called him a “hand puppet for the Mexican Mafia.”
Castro was apprehended after a long-term investigation by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and Gang Group.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-00371-LAB
Juan Castro Age: 38 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Forty years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years, and $5 million fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Violent Crimes Task Force – Gang Group (VCTF-GG), which currently includes investigators from the following agencies:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- San Diego Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- California Department of Corrections
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
- Chula Vista Police Department
- National City Police Department
Although not currently part of VCTF-GG, during the investigation of this case, VCTF-GG also included investigators from the following:
- Bureau of Prisons
- San Diego District Attorney’s Office of Investigations
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Eric Shawn Phillips, 43, of Princeton, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution for enticement of a minor. Phillips must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 19, 2021, to on or about February 17, 2022, Phillips persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor female to engage in sexual activity with him. Phillips admitted that his criminal conduct included sending numerous sexually explicit messages to the minor female via text messaging and social media messaging apps.
“The sentence imposed today case reflects the horrific circumstances of this case and the truly despicable acts of this defendant,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and the excellent coordination with the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.”
Phillips has related charges pending in Mercer County Circuit Court, where co-defendant Amber Nicole Phillips has pleaded guilty to being a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust allowing the sexual abuse of a child. Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran also commended the work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
“We have a great working relationship with the United States Attorney’s Office and appreciate all of their assistance in helping us protect our Mercer County kids from sexual predators,” Cochran said.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-194.
###
McDowell County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Myron Dwayne Brown, also known as “Mylo,” 44, of Welch, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2022, Brown sold a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Havaco residence in McDowell County. Brown admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances at the Havaco residence on December 29, 2021, and February 28, 2022. Brown was aided and abetted by another individual during the December 29, 2021, transaction and the controlled substance sold was confirmed by the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory to contain butonitazene, a federal Schedule I controlled substance.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-35.
###
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Felony Bail Reform Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ranjith Keerikkattil, 35, formerly of Catonsville, Md., was found guilty by a jury for committing two felony violations of the Bail Reform Act by failing to appear in court on two occasions following a 2018 guilty jury verdict for stalking a co-worker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Keerikkattil was found guilty of the stalking charge on July 9, 2018, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno released Keerikkattil following the verdict, pending sentencing. The judge ordered him to appear the next morning to have a GPS monitoring device installed. However, he failed to appear, and fled the United States, instead, ending up in Australia where he remained a fugitive for over four years. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on July 11, 2018, for a felony charge of violating the Bail Reform Act. The grand jury returned a superseding indictment on March 1, 2023, charging an additional violation of the Bail Reform Act for failing to return as ordered for his sentencing on September 14, 2018.
The Honorable Heidi Pasichow continued to hold Keerikkattil without bail pending his sentencing hearing on January 3, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the criminal conduct began in May 2015, while Keerikkattil was a senior consultant at a consulting firm in Rosslyn, Va. The victim, who resided at the time in the District of Columbia, had begun her first job out of college in 2015, as a business technology analyst for the firm. Keerikkattil was her first mentor on her first project. After the victim performed countless evening and weekend hours on the project, Keerikkattil told her that he only brought her onto the project to get close to her and that he was merely giving her busy work. He ignored her wishes to keep their relationship strictly professional and continued to pursue her. After she repeatedly tried to resolve the matter herself, she reported Keerikkattil on June 1, 2015, to her human resources counselor.
Keerikkattil was fired on June 19, 2015, for not being forthcoming about his conduct, which was captured on texts between the two, during the firm’s internal investigation of the matter. He blamed the victim for his termination and then began a stalking campaign in retaliation. His stalking acts included publishing false allegations about the victim on the internet and through mass e-mails to the victim and former company employees in order to seriously frighten and defame her. When ignored, he escalated his actions. Almost two months after being fired, he sat in a café that was frequented by company employees, including the victim. He was able to obtain eye contact with the victim on one occasion inside this café, frightening her even more. The victim’s attorney notified Keerikkattil, instructing him not to have any further contact with her, but he continued to text her statements like, “Every morning I wake up thinking about you and go to bed thinking about you.”
With the victim continuing to ignore him, Keerikkattil decided to take a plane almost 3,000 miles to Seattle and then rent a car and travel an additional three hours to pay an unannounced visit to the victim’s parents in a remote suburb of Portland, Ore. On Oct. 24, 2015, he knocked on the door to the victim’s childhood home, which was at the bottom of a long driveway, and asked her father for directions to the nearby parks. It took a moment for the father to piece things together. Once he was able to figure out whom the defendant was, he slammed and locked the door and called 911. Keerikkattil texted the victim shortly thereafter, “Was nice meeting your dad today.” An arrest warrant was obtained shortly thereafter, and Keerikkattil was arrested on Dec. 19, 2015, and charged with stalking.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Giovannelli and Rashmika Nedungadi.
Manhattan Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficker Convicted of Drug Trafficking, Conspiracy, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict on November 9, 2023, against MOUNIR MRABET on four counts in a Superseding Indictment, including charges of narcotics conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, and a firearms offense. MRABET will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who presided over the trial.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The defendant was a prolific methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficker who received these dangerous drugs in the mail and sold them in wholesale quantities to other drug dealers in the heart of Manhattan. He also used a gun to protect his drug enterprise. His conviction should serve as a message to anyone who profits from fueling the methamphetamine and opioid crisis that continues to devastate our city and country: this Office is committed to prosecuting those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the evidence presented at trial:
From about July 2022 to about January 5, 2023, MOUNIR MRABET coordinated with suppliers in Mexico and California to receive boxes of crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl in the mail. He then worked with co-conspirators to distribute wholesale quantities of these drugs to other drug dealers in New York City.
On January 5, 2023, a search warrant was executed on the defendant’s Manhattan apartment after he was recorded selling drugs to an undercover detective, including fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. The search recovered approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine, most of it pure, and half a pound of fentanyl powder. At trial, text messages, photographs, and video evidence established that the defendant regularly supplied numerous drug dealers with bags of drugs, often in pound quantities, and that he also used a firearm and threats to protect and promote his drug operations.
* * *
MRABET, 40, of New York, New York, was convicted of (i) one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl; (ii) two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl; and (iii) one count of use, carrying, and possession of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department; Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California for their assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Y. Chong, Edward C. Robinson, Jr., and Jun Xiang, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Alex Frenchman, are in charge of the prosecution.
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Beating Ex-Girlfriend with 15-Pound DumbbellRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicholas Batts, 33, of Georgetown, Texas, was sentenced on November 9, 2023 to a ten-year prison term for beating his ex-girlfriend in the face and head with a 15-pound dumbbell, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Batts pleaded guilty in September 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of Aggravated Assault While Armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 7.5 years and 10 years of incarceration. The Honorable Rainey Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 10 years of incarceration, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 9, 2022, at approximately 5:00 AM, Batts bludgeoned his ex-girlfriend in the face with a 15-pound metal dumbbell. When officers arrived on scene, the defendant stated that he “snapped” and hit her with the weight. The victim was found in the defendant’s bedroom, lying unconscious on the floor suffering from multiple blunt force trauma wounds.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl That Contributed to Two Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Charles Carter, also known as “Chase,” pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. As part of his plea, Carter admitted that fentanyl that he sold contributed to the drug overdose deaths of two victims (“Victim-1” and “Victim-2”) in 2020 and 2021. Carter also admitted that in, 2021, he sold more than 43 grams of fentanyl to an undercover officer. The plea proceeding was held before United States District Gary R. Brown. As part of his plea agreement, Carter forfeited approximately $3,200 in seized narcotics sales proceeds and a 2009 Jeep Patriot that he used to facilitate narcotics sales. When sentenced, Carter faces five to 40 years’ imprisonment.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), and, William Whitton, Chief of Police, Glen Cove Police Department (GCPD), announced the guilty plea.
“Carter’s fentanyl sales contributed to the overdose deaths of a man and a woman, which only added to pain and anguish caused by an opioid epidemic that has harmed so many on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s guilty plea today is the result of the relentless efforts by this Office and our law enforcement partners to prosecute traffickers dealing lethal drugs for profit and bring justice for the victims and families devastated by the scourge of fentanyl.”
“During the COVID pandemic, when the world was focused on saving lives and the public’s health, Carter was making plans to sell ‘the good stuff’ which ended lives and fueled the fentanyl crisis. This plea exemplifies law enforcement’s efforts to bring to justice those causing the most harm to our communities,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino.
“Defendant Carter knowingly sold narcotics laced with fentanyl for months which contributed to the premature deaths of a man and woman. With this plea, the defendant will receive a sentence that fits this crime. All of this would not be possible without the exemplary work from numerous law enforcement agencies and their investigators,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
“With drug overdoses rising at an alarming rate the Glen Cove Police Department will continue to make it a priority to identify and arrest those selling drugs in our community,” stated GCPD Chief of Police Whitton.
Between August 2020 and February 2021, Carter sold more than 40 grams of fentanyl to two overdose victims and an undercover GCPD detective. The investigation revealed that on August 6, 2020, a 23-year-old individual (Victim-1) died of a drug-related overdose at her residence in Glen Cove, Long Island. Cellular telephone analysis and additional investigation, showed that the fentanyl that Victim-1 used was purchased from Carter about two days before Victim-1’s death and that Victim-1 had drug-sale-related communications with Carter. On February 5, 2021, a 40-year-old individual (Victim-2) died of a drug-related overdose at his residence in Farmingdale, Long Island. A search of Victim-2’s phone revealed text messages between Carter and Victim-2, which related to Victim-2’s purchase of fentanyl, shortly before and in the months preceding his overdose death. For example, on January 21, 2021, Carter wrote text messages to Victim-2, stating “im.(sic) around and I got the good stuff[.] Do u (sic) need to see me..??” Autopsies performed on both victims revealed traces of fentanyl in their bodies. Additionally, Carter repeatedly sold fentanyl to the undercover GCPD detective in doses that could have been lethal if consumed, including approximately 43 grams of fentanyl in January 2021.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Justice, in 2019, nearly 71,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. The increase in overdose deaths has been driven in large part by fentanyl, a drug that has been described as 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. In 2019, over 14,000 people died in the United States from a drug overdose involving heroin. From 2013 to 2019, the synthetic opioid death rate increased by more than 1,000 percent. Of those deaths, over 70% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. Among New York State residents, the number of overdose deaths involving any opioid increased each year between 2010 and 2017, with an overall increase of 200.2 percent from 1,074 in 2010 to 3,224 in 2017, according to the New York State Health Department.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley T. King and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Legal Assistant Janelle Robinson.
The Defendant:
CHARLES CARTER (also known as “Chase”)
Age: 34
Amityville, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-88 (S-1) (GRB)
Local Drug Distributor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Organizing the Sale of CocaineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Elias Sambrano, 33, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 60 months in prison, followed by 48 months supervised release. Sambrano pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
Sambrano organized and attempted to organize sales of cocaine and methamphetamine. Sambrano confirmed with interested parties that he had high-quality cocaine for sale, discussed pricing and purity levels of drugs with others, and knowingly and intentionally coordinated the sale of approximately one kilogram of cocaine for $32,500 to an out-of-state purchaser on November 2, 2020.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in Sierra Vista, Arizona conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 21-CR-02281-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-175_Sambrano# # #
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.Jamaican National Sentenced for Role in Fraudulent Sweepstakes Scheme That Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Jamaican national was sentenced on November 9, 2023, in federal court in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to 192 months in prison for his role in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States.
Damone Oakley, 41, of St. James Parish, Jamaica, was extradited to the United States in 2022 and pleaded guilty in July 2023 to two counts of mail and two counts of wire fraud.
From at least 2010 through 2019, Oakley participated in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Oakley’s victims received mailings, text messages or phone calls in which they were falsely told that they had won millions of dollars and luxury vehicles in a sweepstakes, but first needed to pay taxes and fees in order to claim their winnings. Oakley used phony names during the scheme, including “Officer Alex Logan” and “Officer Stan Valentine,” and instructed his victims on how to send their money (and to whom the funds should be sent). His victims were located throughout the United States, and used wire transfers, direct bank deposits, the U.S. Postal Service and private commercial mail carriers to send money directly to Oakley as well as to individuals in the United States and elsewhere who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Oakley. In addition to sending cash or wire transfers, Oakley’s victims were directed to purchase electronics, jewelry and clothing, which were sent to mail forwarding services in Florida, and then on to Oakley in Jamaica. The victims never received any “winnings.” Oakley’s victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars during the course of the scheme.
“This sentence reflects our office’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and punishing those who engage in this type of behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Working together with our skilled and dedicated law enforcement partners, Oakley was held accountable for his crimes.”
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue individuals who prey on vulnerable and elderly victims through fraudulent schemes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Through our National Elder Fraud Hotline, we identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable consumers, who often can least afford to sustain financial losses.”
“There was a time when scammers operating beyond our borders felt they could operate with impunity. Those days are gone,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Services (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Postal inspectors track down these scammers no matter where they are. And with our Department of Justice partners’ extradition powers, scammers are brought to the United States to face the music. In this case, it’s to the tune of 192 months in prison.”
Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. USPIS investigated the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Oakley.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa. Information about the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
# # #
Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Corey Michael Perkins, 34, an inmate, was sentenced today to three years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Perkins was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville when he spoke to Judy Ann Goodman, an individual outside the jail, during recorded phone calls about getting a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. Perkins admitted that he told Goodman how to prepare the package and arranged for her to deliver it to Bryanna Danielle Kern, a kitchen employee at the jail. Perkins further admitted that he arranged for Kern to be paid to smuggle the package into the jail, and that he intended to distribute the suboxone and methamphetamine. The package was intercepted at the jail before it could be transported inside.
Goodman, also known as Judy Ann Eplion, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced to two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on September 5, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. Kern was sentenced to three years of federal probation, including three months of home detention, on October 17, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone.
In an earlier case, Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. In that case, Perkins admitted to coordinating with multiple individuals to get drugs into the Western Regional Jail from November 2020 to December 2020. Perkins was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison in that case on August 22, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the investigations section of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-220.
###
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Adam Bartram, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and violating his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bartram in Huntington. Officers searched Bartram’s vehicle and arrested him. Bartram admitted that when he was taken to the Huntington Police Department, a bag containing approximately 172 grams of methamphetamine fell out of his shorts as he got out of the police cruiser.
Officers later searched Bartram in a holding cell and found approximately 10.4 grams of fentanyl hidden in his person. Bartram admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and the fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Bartram was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on September 19, 2019. Today’s prison sentence includes two years for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-86 and 3:19-cr-182.
###
Gary Man Sentenced to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Larry D. Carter III, 30 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Carter was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on October 18, 2022, law enforcement responded to a call of a domestic battery and determined Carter had an outstanding arrest warrant. From Carter’s possession, law enforcement recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device attached to it. The machinegun conversion device made the pistol capable of firing multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger. The machinegun was not registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer record, making his possession of the firearm illegal. Additionally, Carter’s criminal history revealed he had three felony convictions, including a 2018 conviction for trafficking in stolen weapons, and as such, he was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eamonn P. Sheehan.
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.