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15 December 2023
Two Individuals with Ties to an International Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Two individuals, Hector Luciano Perez Valenzuela and John Steven Ellingson, from Oregon, were sentenced for their roles in an international drug trafficking organization (DTO) moving kilogram quantities of fentanyl and operating in multiple cities across the country, including Fayetteville. A third defendant, Kittisack Sam Vorana, age 30, was sentenced to 48 months earlier this year for his role in the conspiracy. The DTO has ties to the Sinaloa cartel operating in Mexico.
“Valenzuela and Vorana were caught transporting a quantity of fentanyl that, by conservative estimates, could have killed more than 700,000 people,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “And Ellingson was responsible for distributing many times that amount of fentanyl. We are continuing our efforts to stem the tide of illegal and dangerous drugs that are devastating communities across Eastern North Carolina.”
"These drug dealers boldly believed they could use Fayetteville as a hub to stash and ship fentanyl across the country. The FBI and our law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to ensure the members of this drug trafficking organization were punished for the pipeline of poison they operated in our community," said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina.
Valenzuela, age 35, was sentenced to 151 months and 3 years of supervised release. Valenzuela was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of conspiracy and fentanyl trafficking earlier this year. Ellingson, age 34 , was sentenced to 78 months followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and fentanyl trafficking.
According to court records and other information presented in court, in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fayetteville Police Department began investigating a large-scale fentanyl trafficking ring. Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that the leaders of the DTO were based on the west coast, but they set up apartments in the Fayetteville area for use as hubs for the distribution of dozens of kilograms of fentanyl across the United States.
Through the use of surveillance and controlled purchases, investigators identified Ellingson as a member of the drug trafficking organization, which was primarily based in California. Ellingson operated a Fayetteville stash house for the organization and then transported kilograms of fentanyl to cities around the country, including, but not limited, to Chicago, New York, and Baltimore. Ellingson also assembled firearms for the DTO members.
In early November 2019, Ellingson and two of his co-conspirators—Vorana and Valenzuela – decided to steal large quantities of drugs from the DTO, sell the drugs, and divide the profits.
Vorana and Valenzuela traveled from the west coast and stole 7 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 3,000 fentanyl pills from the Fayetteville stash house. Each kilogram of fentanyl was valued at $38,000. On their way back to the west coast during the early morning hours of November 8, 2019, they were stopped for speeding in St. Charles County, Missouri and consented to a search of the vehicle they were driving. During the search, law enforcement discovered a toolbox that contained seven brick-like packages. The packages had been wrapped in electrical tape and covered in grease to help evade detection by drug canines. A key to the toolbox was found in Valenzuela’s pocket.
These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The cases were investigated in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, which prosecuted members of the drug trafficking organization based on the west coast.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fayetteville Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Lemmon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Gainer prosecuted the cases.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:20-cr-00397-M and 5:20-CR-00012-M.
Twenty-Six-Year-Old California Man to Serve 42 Months for Supplying Fentanyl that Caused Wise County Teen OverdosesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A California man, who conspired with others to supply fentanyl linked to teenage overdoses that occurred in Wise County, Virginia, was sentenced this week to 42 months in federal prison.
Jorge Efrain Perez, 25, of Anaheim, California, pled guilty in January 2023 to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between November 2020 and June 2022, Perez, along with Alexander Ortiz and Destiny Raeann Perez, supplied thousands of pressed pills containing fentanyl to Paul Mason Perkins, Aaron Stidham, Austin Jeremiah Lane, Cheyenne Cassie Carico, and others, all drug dealers in Southwest Virginia.
Every few weeks, Perkins and Stidham used Snapchat and Instagram to buy thousands of fentanyl-laced pills from Ortiz. Both Jorge Perez and Destiny Perez assisted Ortiz by mailing the illicit packages from California to Big Stone Gap and Appalachia, Virginia. The pair then re-sold the deadly pills to other individuals throughout Wise County, including multiple sales to co-conspirators Lane and Carico. According to the evidence, Jorge Perez’s debit card was used over 150 times to mail illicit packages to Virginia.
On November 24, 2021, Lane and Carico sold pills to a 17-year-old female they knew from school who subsequently overdosed and was hospitalized later that night after ingesting those pills. On the same night, an 18-year-old male was also hospitalized due to a drug overdose. Further investigation revealed that pills from both overdoses were linked to Ortiz and had been shipped to Virginia by Jorge Perez.
Last week, Ortiz was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Destiny Perez was previously sentenced to 9 years in prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Atlanta Division, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Stanislaus County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, and Anaheim (CA) Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Syracuse Man Receives 78 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – James Bolds, age 36, of Syracuse, was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of body armor by a person convicted of a crime of violence.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Bolds admitted that in October 2022, he possessed in his Syracuse apartment approximately 27 grams of cocaine, which he intended to distribute to others. Bolds further admitted that he also possessed at his apartment a loaded handgun, knowing that he had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Bolds acknowledged that he had prior convictions in North Carolina for robbery, assault inflicting serious bodily harm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Bolds also admitted possessing in his apartment approximately 67 rounds of ammunition and a bulletproof vest.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Bolds to a 3-year term of supervised release, which will begin after his term of imprisonment.
The FBI and the Syracuse Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
Syracuse Man Receives 101 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rodney Sumlin, age 37, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 101 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Sumlin admitted that on November 8, 2022, he possessed 108 grams of cocaine at his residence in Syracuse, intending to distribute it to others. Sumlin also possessed a loaded .45 caliber pistol, which he possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the prison term.
DEA investigated the case, with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
Superseding Indictment Charges Fugitive with Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DELROY ANDERSON, also known as “Max,” 56, formerly of Stamford, appeared yesterday in New Haven federal court for his arraignment on money laundering offenses contained in a superseding indictment. Anderson entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
As alleged in the superseding indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in Bridgeport on July 6, 2022, for approximately five years, Anderson conspired with others to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from a marijuana trafficking operation by paying for marijuana cultivation, package shipping, electricity, and air travel expenses with the proceeds. He also deposited the drug trafficking proceeds into multiple bank accounts opened in the name of Maximillion Enterprises Inc., and structured deposits to evade reporting requirements under federal law.
In February 2020, Anderson was charged, with alleged co-conspirators Kelvin Jackson and Stephanie Atkinson, by indictment with various money laundering offenses. On February 18, 2022, Anderson, who had been released on bond pending trial, was scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for a guilty plea proceeding. He failed to appear for that court proceeding and ceased contact with his attorney and the U.S. Probation Office.
On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested Anderson in Dallas, Texas. He has been detained since his arrest.
The superseding indictment charges Anderson with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, three counts of promotional money laundering, two counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of structuring money laundering. If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jackson, 54, of Bristol, Virginia, and Atkinson, 45, of Stamford, have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and David T. Huang and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sudbury Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former bookkeeper for a Lexington interior design firm pleaded guilty today to bank fraud charges in connection with her embezzling more than $180,000 from her former employer.
Christina Iannelli, 51, of Sudbury, pleaded guilty to seven counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Iannelli was arrested and charged in March 2022.
Iannelli was an independent contractor for an interior design firm based in Lexington. Beginning in or about October 2018, Iannelli prepared dozens of fraudulent invoices with inflated totals derived from inaccurate math, and then issued herself checks for the inflated amounts due from the firm’s checking account. Additionally, beginning in or about July 2019, Iannelli issued herself dozens of additional unauthorized checks. In both instances, Iannelli used a signature stamp in the name of the firm’s owner to issue the fraudulent checks.
To conceal the fraudulent payments, Iannelli made false entries in the firm’s accounting records. In total, Iannelli embezzled more than $30,000 through inflated compensation checks and more than $150,000 through additional unauthorized checks.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lexington Police Chief Michael McLean made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Sudbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
St. Michael, ND, Man Convicted of Multiple Counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Discharge of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence, and Brandishing of a Firearm in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that after a seven-day trial, a jury found Nathaniel Patrick Azure, age 21, from St. Michael, ND, guilty of three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Brandishing of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury convicted Azure for his role in a non-fatal shooting in Fort Totten, ND, on January 6, 2021. Azure was also convicted for assaulting another person while brandishing a firearm in St. Michael, ND, on May 21, 2022, and for a non-fatal shooting of a third person in St. Michael, ND, on May 22, 2022.
Sentencing of Azure will be April 16, 2024, in the District of North Dakota, Fargo.
Michael Al-Jerome Denne, the 25-year-old brother of Azure, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the January 6, 2021, shooting and has been sentenced. Dantae Jerome Whitetail, aged 23, Minnewaukan, ND, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the May 21, 2022, brandishing assault and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2024. Skyla Kay Cavanaugh, aged 23, St. Michael, ND, previously pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the May 22, 2022, shooting and providing false statements to federal agents after the shooting, as well as later retaliating against a witness to the shooting.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to combatting violent crime in Indian country,” Schneider said. “This guilty verdict is a credit to the dogged determination of our career prosecutors and their colleagues in federal law enforcement. As we work to be a strong federal partner in promoting public safety in North Dakota, we will continue ensure that individuals who engage in violence face justice in United States District Court.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Benson County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Rodenbiker and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl, District of North Dakota.
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South Los Angeles-Based Gang Member Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Leading Crack Cocaine Trafficking Ring in WattsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A leader of the Bounty Hunter Bloods (BHB) street gang was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for leading a manufacturing and distribution of crack cocaine organization in and around the gang’s “territory” of the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Damion Baker, 46, a.k.a. “Fatts,” of the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. Baker pleaded guilty on February 17 to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Baker was the lead defendant in an indictment targeting members and associates of the BHB street gang for drug- and firearm-related crimes. He has been in federal custody since his April 2021 arrest in this case.
From August 2019 to May 2020, Baker organized and led a drug trafficking conspiracy in which he and his accomplices agreed to distribute cocaine. Specifically, Baker arranged to obtain powder cocaine from at least two drug suppliers. He then directed his co-conspirators to cook, and would himself cook, the powder cocaine and manufacture it into crack cocaine to sell to customers, including back to his powder cocaine suppliers to sell in crack form.
Baker directed his accomplices in the packaging, sale, and delivery of crack cocaine to customers, which included co-conspirators and other BHB gang members. Baker also directed the receipt and storage of drug proceeds throughout BHB-claimed territory in South Los Angeles.
As part of these activities, Baker arranged for an accomplice’s residence in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts to be used as a stash house in which Baker and his co-conspirators continuously sold crack cocaine over a period of many months. Baker recruited and hired co-conspirators to work at the Watts stash house and directed them in selling narcotics to customers there and in nearby areas, restocking the stash house’s drug supply, and transporting drug proceeds to Baker and other accomplices at various locations.
Baker admitted in his plea agreement to possessing a firearm in May 2020. He was not permitted to do so because he previously had been convicted of felonies in Los Angeles Superior Court, including a cocaine possession charge in 1998 and a domestic violence-related charge in 2001. He has admitted that he possessed the firearm for the purpose of protecting his crack cocaine distribution business.
Baker also agreed to forfeit the firearm and $44,600 in cash law enforcement seized at his residence in Los Angeles and at another residence in Compton.
“A member of the BHB gang, [Baker] was the most culpable and essential figure in this serious criminal conspiracy that plagued BHB territory in and around the Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in Watts…and elsewhere in Los Angeles,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
The other 11 defendants in this indictment either have pleaded guilty or signed plea agreements in this case and await sentencing. Another BHB gang member, and Baker’s second in command in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Tony Carr, 52, a.k.a. “T-Bone,” of Watts, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In October 2022, Judge Aenlle-Rocha sentenced Carr to 188 months in federal prison.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which consists of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
South Lake Tahoe CEO Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to willfully failing to pay employment tax withholdings to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016 and 2017, Robert Hienekamp was the chief executive officer of Endowance Solutions Inc., a software consulting and development company located in the South Lake Tahoe, California, area. During each of those years, Endowance Solutions withheld income, Social Security and Medicare taxes from its employees’ wages. Hienekamp did not file the legally-required quarterly employment tax returns or pay the withholdings to the IRS, despite knowing of his obligation to do so. In total, Hienekamp caused a tax loss of over $800,000.
Hienekamp is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lagrama for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Six Individuals, Including Two Maryland State Department of Labor Subcontractors, Facing Federal Indictment for a Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain COVID-19 CARES Act Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging six individuals for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, relating to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance (“UI”) claims. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment was returned on October 24, 2023, and unsealed today upon the arrests of several defendants. The following defendants are charged in the indictment:
Lawrence Nathanial Harris, a/k/a “Manman” and “Biggbank,” age 30, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Ahmed Hussain, a/k/a “Oso,” age 22, of Oxon Hill, Maryland; Zakria Hussain, age 26, of Washington, D.C.; Terry Chen, a/k/a “Mike Livingston” and “2Trunt Up,” age 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Kiara Smith, age 26, of Fort Washington, Maryland; and
Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, age 26, of Woodbridge, Virginia.Smith and Ruffin were employed by Company 1, which provided professional support services to the Maryland Department of Labor to review UI claims and administer UI benefits.
Ahmed Hussain and Terry Chen are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt later this afternoon. Harris, Smith, and Ruffin are expected to have initial appearances next week. Zakria Hussain will have his initial appearance upon being taken into custody.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“In partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the FBI, our COVID-19 Strike Force prosecutors have used data to uncover alleged fraud, waste, and abuse as outlined in today’s indictment,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “This case is an example of the results being obtained by our office’s COVID-19 Strike Force, which is one of five nationwide that the Attorney General has designated to fight pandemic related fraud.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving Unemployment Insurance programs,” stated Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners on the Maryland COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force, as well as the Maryland Department of Labor, to protect the integrity of programs intended for unemployed American workers, including those who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The FBI is pleased to be a part of the COVID-19 Strike Force in Maryland," said Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI'S Baltimore Field Office. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice against those individuals who shamelessly defrauded pandemic relief programs during a time of uncertainty and crisis.”
The CARES Act and other federal legislation provided expanded financial assistance to Americans throughout the pandemic, and expanded eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefits.
According to the 18-count indictment, beginning in at least January 2021 and continuing until about September 2023, the defendants and their co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States, the State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions and multiple individuals—including at least six identity theft victims—by submitting false and fraudulent claims for UI benefits to the Maryland Department of Labor (“MD-DOL”), the agency in Maryland responsible for processing those claims. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained and attempted to obtain more than $500,000 through the submission of fraudulent UI claims.
As detailed in the indictment, the defendants possessed and used computers that Company 1 had issued to Smith and Ruffin to access nonpublic UI data and databases maintained by the MD-DOL The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators used their access to MD-DOL databases to change information on existing UI claims, including the contact email address, the online account password, and the payment method for existing UI claims. In addition to allegedly submitting false and fraudulent information in support of UI claims using the personal identifying information (PII) of identity theft victims, the indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators used their access to the MD-DOL databases to upload and approve documents submitted in support of fraudulent UI claims, remove fraud holds on UI claims, certify weeks for determining UI benefits, and engage in other actions to facilitate the payment of fraudulent UI benefits. The MD-DOL disbursed the UI benefits to bank accounts that were believed to be those of the UI applicants, but allegedly were opened and controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators.
If convicted, the defendants all face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy. All the defendants except Ahmed Hussain also face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOL-OIG and the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Labor for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Paul A. Riley, who are prosecuting the case. Mr. Barron also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Shelby Township Doctor Convicted in a $6.3 Million Illegal Prescription Opioid Conspiracy Involving More than 300,000 pillsRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted Dr. Lawrence Mark Sherman, 74, of Shelby Township, on all counts of a 20-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (Percocet), and 19 counts of illegal distribution of Oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvorea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Dr. Sherman was convicted for his involvement in the operation of Tranquility Wellness Center, Inc., from March 2020 through June 2021, which operated first in Dearborn and later in Saint Clair Shores. Dr. Sherman was the only prescribing doctor who primarily prescribed Oxycodone 30mg, Oxymorphone 40mg, and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen 10-325 mg (Percocet), three of the most addictive prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are also among the most highly diverted prescription opioids due to their high street value. The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operators Janeice Burrell and Angelo Smith, clinic employees Akeyla Bell and Carmen Gilbreth, and Peter Burrell previously pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Dr. Sherman conspired with the other defendants to illegally authorize more than 3,000 opioid prescriptions for supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs, and who were typically brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Tranquility Wellness Center accepted only cash and charged patients, not based on the service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids that the “patient” received. The clinic also charged cash for the creation of fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.” Janeice Burrell and Angelo Smith paid Dr. Sherman in cash or via peer-to-peer money transfers, and only paid him if he wrote controlled substance prescriptions, not based on any supposed “medical care.” During the trial the jury heard testimony that Doctor Sherman issued more than 300,000 dosage units of Schedule II opioid prescriptions during the course of the conspiracy. These controlled substances had a street value in excess of $6.3 million.
While the unlawful controlled substance prescriptions were paid for in cash, both controlled and non-controlled “maintenance” medications were billed to health care benefit programs by pharmacies. Billings to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary prescription drug medications and maintenance medications during this conspiracy exceeded $500,000.
“My office remains committed to doing what it can to hold doctors and other health care professionals accountable when they illegally feed the opioid epidemic by writing illegal opioid prescriptions, rather than helping to address the terrible impact the opioid epidemic has had on our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will pursue drug dealers whether they are peddling drugs on the street or while wearing white coats in a medical office.”
"Today's verdict should be a stern warning to any fraudulent medical providers who are willing to engage in illegal prescription drug and opioid distribution schemes," said Special Agent in Charge, Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. “By prescribing medically unnecessary medications, the defendant put vulnerable community members at risk and contributed to inflated health care costs. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, continue to work collaboratively to bring those to justice who seek to peddle poisons into our state and defraud healthcare systems.”
“Medical providers who facilitate the unlawful distribution of prescription controlled substances place their patients, and others, at risk of harm and also undermine the critical public health efforts underway to address the opioid epidemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those medical providers who unlawfully engage in overprescribing these medications.”
The maximum penalty for the drug conspiracy is twenty years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty for the substantive counts of unlawful distribution of Schedule II controlled substances is 20 years on each count. The trial, which began on November 15, 2023, was conducted before United States District Judge Judith Levy. Sherman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2024.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Alison Furtaw.
The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.Seven Individuals Indicted on Fraud and Money Laundering Charges Relating to International Lottery Scam Targeting ElderlyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Seven individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The charges stem from the Department of Justice’s wide-ranging efforts to protect older adults from fraud and financial exploitation.
Defendants, Jason Plummer, 31; Troy Williams, 38; and Tajay Singh, 26, each of Montego Bay, Jamaica, were each named in separate, two-count Indictments. A fourth two-count Indictment named defendants Tashane Murray, 30, of Miramar, Florida; Clevon McKenzie, 31, of Mount Vernon, New York; Gyzzell Byfield, 27, of Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Daneil Reid, 27, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Murray, McKenzie, Byfield, and Reid were arrested in the United States on November 16, 2023. Plummer and Singh were arrested in Jamaica on December 13, 2023. Williams was arrested in Jamaica on December 14, 2023.
According to the Indictments, defendants executed a scheme to defraud that stole more than $2.8 million from the elderly and vulnerable victims in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the United States. As part of that scheme, conspirators contacted the victims and falsely told them that they had won a million or multi-million-dollar sweepstakes, but needed to pay certain taxes and fees before they could claim their prize. These claims were often reinforced with forged documents purporting to describe the sweepstakes winnings and required taxes and fees, some of which bore the seals of government agencies. Williams, Plummer, Singh, Murray, and McKenzie all targeted victims in one or more of those ways. The conspirators then directed the victims to send money, including cash, checks, and money orders, to people designated by the conspirators. Some of these people were victims of the lottery scam, who had been unwittingly fooled into accepting and moving money on behalf of the members of the conspiracy. Others, like Byfield and Reid, were members of the conspiracy themselves. After being laundered through a network of bank accounts and money mules, victim money was withdrawn by members of the conspiracy living in Jamaica.
“These defendants allegedly enriched themselves at the expense of elderly victims who believed they had won the lottery,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Protecting our most vulnerable populations from the proliferation of targeted fraud schemes like the one alleged in this case remains a significant priority of our office. We will continue to work with all of our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners in our shared pursuit of justice on behalf of crime victims.”
“Those charged targeted and took advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “This was a wide-reaching conspiracy that cost victims millions of dollars. Unfortunately, it’s a crime that is increasing every year, and Pennsylvania remains one of top states in the country that is impacted. The FBI is dedicated to stopping crime groups abroad and here at home who exploit our seniors with financial fraud schemes.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating fraudulent lottery schemes designed to defraud innocent victims,” said Lesley Allison, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge in Pittsburgh. “Combating international fraud schemes is a priority of the Postal Inspection Service particularly since the fraudsters prey on our most vulnerable US citizens. Postal Inspectors will exhaust all efforts to identify and indict those responsible for using the US Mail to facilitate these egregious criminal acts against our seniors.”
“The interagency cooperation throughout this investigation has been exemplary as we all worked toward our common goal of safeguarding our valued seniors,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “We ask the public to do their part in this fight as well. Check-in with senior citizens and loved ones frequently. Ask them about any transactions that may seem out of the ordinary. Together we can help to keep our family and friends financially safe and sound.”
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of twice the pecuniary loss to any victim, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictments in this case. They were assisted in the investigation by other domestic and international agencies, including the United States Marshals Service, JOLT Fusion Center, Jamaican Constabulary Force, National Intelligence Bureau, Financial Investigations Division, Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, and Fugitive Apprehension Team. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Settlement with Hamden/North Haven YMCA Ensures Access to Programs for Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the United States and the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA have entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that staff at one of its branches, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA, discriminated against a child with Down syndrome in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”).
This matter was initiated by a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a child with Down syndrome who requires toileting assistance. The complaint claimed that staff at the Hamden/North Hamden YMCA did not provide reasonable modifications to allow the child to enjoy the full benefits of the before-school program and did not allow the child to enroll in the after-school program until and unless the child’s family found and, if necessary, paid for a personal aide to accompany the child.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future. It will implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA and that include obligations to conduct an individualized assessment of each child’s needs and engage in a back-and-forth interactive process with parents, guardians, and caregivers about a child’s needs. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also provide training to its staff on the ADA.
In addition, working with the Hamden Special Education Parents Teacher Association, the Hamden North Haven YMCA has also agreed to conduct outreach to parents, guardians, and caregivers of children with disabilities in the Hamden community, including making reasonable efforts to reach those who do not speak English as their primary language. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also designate an ADA coordinator, who will be responsible for reviewing requests for reasonable modifications and ensuring that proper communication occurs between the YMCA staff and parents, guardians, caregivers, and school personnel about the needs of each child with a disability enrolled in its programs.
The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA has also agreed to pay $3,000 to the individual who complained and to allow the complainant’s child to enroll in the before- and after-school programs in future with appropriate reasonable modifications, if needed.
“Families depend on childcare so that they can go to work and earn a living to support their families,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This includes finding appropriate childcare for children with disabilities. My office is committed to ensuring that every child’s family has equal access to childcare in Connecticut. I want to thank the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA and the Hamden/North Haven YMCA for signing this settlement agreement, which signals their commitment to serving children with disabilities and their families in the future.”
The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Sarasota Man Pleads Guilty to Leaving Threatening Voicemail Targeted at Jewish Organization in New YorkRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel (21, Sarasota) today pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate threat to injure. Patel faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2023, Patel left a threatening voicemail at a Jewish organization in New York City in which he identified himself by name, screamed numerous expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.” Patel also admitted that he had called a synagogue in Temple Terrace, Florida the same day, and had left another expletive-laden voicemail threatening to close it down.
Patel agreed to a special finding that he intentionally selected Jewish and/or Israeli individuals as the objects of his threat based on their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.
Download Plea AgreementSallisaw Resident Sentenced for Enticement and Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Austin Jae Brown, age 24, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for enticement and sexual abuse of a minor. Brown will be placed on a 15-year term of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The charge arose from investigations by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 9, 2022, Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of enticement and one count of sexual abuse of a minor. The defendant used the internet to compel two minor victims to provide child sexual abuse materials to him and engaged in sexual acts with one of the minor victims.
The Honorable Jodi W. Dishman, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Oklahoma City. Brown will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab ‘Resources.’
Sacramento Man Charged with Distribution of Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Tio Sessoms, 43, of Sacramento, charging him with distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2023, Sessoms sold approximately a half kilogram of fentanyl to law enforcement in downtown Sacramento. In September 2023, Sessoms was in possession of two firearms while being a felon convicted of voluntary manslaughter and first-degree burglary.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Klein is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of distribution of fentanyl, Sessoms faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $5 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Sessoms faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 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 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Sacramento Grocery Store Owner and General Manager Indicted for Conspiracy, Immigration Fraud, Obstruction of Justice, and Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 25-count indictment Thursday against Shahrir “Sean” Loloee, 53, of Granite Bay, and Karla Montoya, 42, of Sacramento, charging them both with conspiracy, obstruction of agency proceedings, and possession and use of false immigration documents, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Loloee is additionally charged with falsification of records and a pandemic relief fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Loloee is the owner of the Viva Supermarkets chain of grocery stores, and Montoya is the general manager. Since 2008, Loloee and Montoya engaged in a conspiracy to employ a labor force at the stores that consisted of a significant number of workers who lacked employment authorization in the United States. Loloee and Montoya did so for the purpose of reducing Loloee’s labor force costs through unlawful means, including by failing to pay required overtime wages.
The indictment alleges that, in 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor began two investigations at Viva Supermarkets. Loloee and Montoya obstructed these investigations in a variety of ways, including by making false statements to agency investigators, listening in on an employee interview with an investigator for the purpose of influencing the employee to make false statements, instructing an employee to lie to an investigator about her hire date, and directing certain workers to hide to prevent them from being questioned by agency investigators. Loloee is also charged with three instances of providing false documents to obstruct the Department of Labor’s investigations.
The indictment further alleges that Loloee committed wire fraud when he applied to receive COVID-19 relief from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund program (RRF). Established as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the RRF was designed to support the restaurant industry by providing funding to those that had suffered significant pandemic-related revenue loss. To be eligible for an RRF award, a restaurant must have had a loss in gross receipts in 2020, as compared to 2019. In May 2021, Loloee submitted applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting RRF funds for two of his grocery stores. In the applications, Loloee substantially underreported each of his store’s 2020 gross receipts to make them appear entitled to an award, when they were not. Loloee requested over $2.2 million, and based on his fraudulent representations, the SBA awarded Loloee approximately $1.2 million.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath, Matthew Thuesen, and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated with the assistance of the Tax Recovery in the Underground Economy (TRUE) Task Force includes the California Department of Justice, the California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the Franchise Tax Board, the IRS-CI and HSI. The TRUE Task Force was created to ensure multi-agency collaboration and to combat wage theft, tax evasion, and other crimes in the underground economy.
If convicted, Loloee and Montoya face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to defraud the Department of Labor, to commit immigration document fraud, and to obstruct justice; up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of possession of false immigration documents or use of a false immigration document; and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of obstruction of agency proceedings. If convicted of the counts of falsification of records or wire fraud, Loloee faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Rochester man indicted of charges of sex trafficking and kidnappingRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Cordell Brooks, 28, of Rochester, NY, with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and kidnapping. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between May and July 5, 2023, Brooks forced Victim 1 to engage in a commercial sex act. In addition, on July 5, 2023, Brooks kidnapped and abducted Victim 1.
Brooks was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Retired Cook Children’s Hospital Chaplain Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth, Texas man who recorded himself sexually abusing a minor was sentenced yesterday to 60 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Michael Downs, 71, a retired Cook Children’s Hospital chaplain, was charged via criminal complaint in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in July 2023 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who also ordered a lifetime of supervised release.
“This is an incredibly important case involving shocking and abhorrent conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Simonton. “One of our most veteran prosecutors worked on this matter along with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department to ensure that this defendant was brought to justice. Let this be a message to others who seek to prey on children in this way: We will do everything in our power to incapacitate you by locking you away in prison for as long as possible.”
“While preying on the vulnerability of our youth, those in positions of public trust should expect the most stern accountability for their actions,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. “Due to our strong partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department, we were again successful in prosecuting another sexual predator and preventing the victimization of more children.”
According to plea papers, the investigation began on January 22, 2023 after a seventeen-year-old minor told her aunt she had been sexually abused by Mr. Downs. The minor female said Mr. Downs recorded the sexual abuse on an iPad.
Mr. Downs’ wife provided law enforcement with several electronic devices from their residence. Law enforcement located a hard drive that contained numerous videos and photos of Mr. Downs engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
Recovery of Nearly a Kilo of Fentanyl in Scarborough Leads to 13 Year Sentence for Massachusetts ManRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A career offender from Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
Chief Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Eddy Azcona, aka Cucu, 27, to 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Azcona pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.
According to court records, in February 2023, members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), assisted by members of the Scarborough Police Department, arranged to make a controlled purchase of approximately a kilogram of fentanyl from Azcona. When Azcona arrived to complete the drug deal in a shopping center parking lot in Scarborough, law enforcement approached him and he attempted to flee. Driving his vehicle at high speed, Azcona crashed into an unmarked police vehicle, lost control of his vehicle and hit a light pole in the parking lot. Investigators recovered 975.4 grams of fentanyl from Azcona.
At the time of his federal arrest, Azcona had prior state convictions for drug offenses in both New Hampshire and Maine.
The DEA and Scarborough Police Department investigated this case.
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Project Safe Neighborhoods IndictmentsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces the following recent indictments in federal PSN cases.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Kinayah Latson, 24, of Roseville, charging her with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, Latson arrested on Sept. 17, 2023, after law enforcement officers responded to domestic violence 9-1-1 call and found Latson in possession of a loaded Glock-style Polymer80 firearm with 11 rounds of ammunition. Subsequently, on November 25, 2023, Latson was found in possession of a Glock-style Polymer80 firearm with 33 rounds of ammunition. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Roseville Police Department, the CHP, the Davis Police Department, the Ontario Police Department, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
On Nov. 30, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Sovan Leng, 32, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Oct. 16, 2023, Leng was found to be in possession of a Glock 17 9 mm pistol. Leng is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to several prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.
On Dec. 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment against Jerone Sotolongo, 30, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Sotolongo possessed a firearm, even though he was prohibited from doing so because he is a convicted felon. This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Pearson is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, these defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
These cases are the result of the ongoing collaboration between the Sacramento Police Department and its local, state, and federal partners as part of a Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to address violent crime in our community. Started in 2022, the Sacramento PSP is a multifaceted violence-reduction strategy that relies on innovative data-driven strategies to promote public and community safety. Participating PSP partners include: the Sacramento County’s District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Ponte Vedra Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding His Former Employer Out of over $22 MillionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Amit Patel (31, Ponte Vedra Beach) has waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. Patel faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Patel operated a fraud scheme through which he embezzled approximately $22,221,454 from his employer, a business headquartered in Jacksonville (“Business A”). Specifically, Patel used his role as the administrator for Business A’s virtual credit card (VCC) program to make hundreds of purchases and transactions with no legitimate business purpose. Then, to hide and continue to operate the scheme, rather than accurately report his VCC transactions, Patel created accounting files that contained numerous false and fraudulent entries and emailed them to Business A’s accounting department. Patel used a variety of methods to hide his illicit transactions by omitting them from the files, while still having the total dollar amount of VCC expenditures match the balances paid by Business A for the VCC program line of credit. For example, to hide his fraudulent VCC transactions, Patel identified legitimate reoccurring VCC transactions, such as catering, airfare, and hotel charges, and then duplicated those transactions; he inflated the amounts of legitimate reoccurring VCC transactions; he entered completely fictitious transactions that might sound plausible, but that never actually occurred; and he moved legitimate VCC charges from upcoming months into the month of the accounting file that was immediately due to the accounting department.
Patel began making fraudulent transactions in September 2019 and continued until he was fired by Business A in February 2023. He used the proceeds of this scheme, in whole or part, to place bets with online gambling websites, to purchase a condominium in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to pay for personal travel for himself and friends (including chartering private jets and booking luxury hotels and private rental residences), to acquire a new Tesla Model 3 sedan and Nissan pickup truck, to pay a criminal defense law firm, and to purchase cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, electronics, sports memorabilia, a country club membership, spa treatments, concert and sporting event tickets, home furnishings, and luxury wrist watches.
As part of his plea agreement, Patel has agreed to forfeit $22,221,454.40, the proceeds of the wire fraud, as well as a condominium in Ponte Vedra Beach, a 2021 Telsa Model 3 sedan, and a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch that he purchased or funded with the proceeds. He also agreed to pay full restitution to his former employer.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brenna Falzetta and Michael J. Coolican. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Download Plea AgreementPine Ridge Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Killing Three PeopleRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of First Degree Murder, three counts of Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on December 14, 2023.
Elijah West, age 26, was sentenced to life in prison on each count of First-Degree Murder and an additional ten years for each firearm charge, all to run consecutively. In total, West received three life sentences plus an additional 30 years’ custody. West was also ordered to pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
In the evening hours of January 4 into the early hours of January 5, 2022, West entered a trailer near Wounded Knee, South Dakota, where a group of people had gathered around a kitchen table to visit. West briefly spoke with the group before he removed a firearm from his waistband and, completely unprovoked, fired upon and killed three innocent people. West then ordered a fourth person at gun point to find him a ride to a separate residence in Manderson, South Dakota. After arriving at that residence, West left with another individual. As soon as West left, the party called 911 to report the shooting. West was arrested in the early hours of January 5, 2022, and law enforcement recovered the murder weapon in his possession.
West was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2022 and was found guilty on all charges by a jury following a five-day jury trial in Rapid City in September 2023.
“This case stands out as a particularly heinous example of human depravity,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The defendant committed unspeakable acts of violence for which no sentence would ever be sufficient, but we hope these three life sentences, which must be served consecutively, give the victims’ families some measure of closure as they grieve the senseless loss of their loved ones. We are grateful to our partners at the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Department of Public Safety for their relentless investigative efforts.”
"It is our duty to bring justice and answers to grieving Tribal communities,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “The investigation of West, and his life sentences, stand as a testament to the collaboration and dedication of the FBI, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring justice to victims of violent crimes in Indian County. The FBI and its partners will investigate and hold accountable those who show such a callous disregard for innocent lives."
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
West was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Oshkosh Felon Convicted at Trial on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2023, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was found guilty following a jury trial in federal court in Green Bay, Wisconsin, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, on the evening of June 4 and into the early morning hours of June 5, 2023, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement. At around 6 a.m., the Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest.
Murphy has prior felony convictions in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties.
Murphy faces up to a fifteen-year term in federal prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach in March 2024. Murphy will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble.
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Orlando Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Lennen Pacheco Colon (25, Orlando) to 6 years and 11 months in federal prison for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl, to be served consecutive to a 200-month sentence Colon has received in the Southern District of Florida for armed kidnapping and carjacking. Colon had pleaded guilty to the MDFL offenses on April 11, 2023.
According to court documents, in January 2023, Colon advised a confidential informant (CI) that he had a supply source who wanted to sell $25,000 worth of fentanyl pills. The CI informed Colon that the CI wanted a sample of the pills before agreeing to a large order. Colon agreed to sell the CI 1,000 fentanyl pills for $4,5000.
On or about January 18, 2023, Colon met the CI at a location in Hillsborough County. Colon met the CI at the CI’s vehicle and exchanged a bag of pills for $4,500. The bag contained 992 pills that a Drug Enforcement Administration lab later confirmed to be fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Euclid, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for sex trafficking of a child, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Donte Lashawn Cole, 39, as the sole defendant. According to allegations contained in a previously filed federal criminal complaint, in May 2023 Cole transported a minor female victim from Ohio to a hotel in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to engage in commercial sex acts. Cole allegedly used online advertisements to market the minor for commercial sex services in Western Pennsylvania and elsewhere, from April 2023 to October of 2023. With the assistance of the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Taskforce, Cole was taken into custody at his residence in Euclid, Ohio, where the minor was also located partially nude in an upstairs bedroom.
“This defendant allegedly offered for sale the sexual exploitation of a child—an egregious violation of the innocent,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Along with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, we will continue our work to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who pursue profit through sex trafficking of minors. We implore anyone who knows or suspects that a minor may be the victim of sex trafficking to contact law enforcement.”
“Without collaboration between law enforcement, human traffickers are able to move from city to city and state to state in the shadows, while profiting from traumatic acts their victims feel obligated to perform,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “Our charges, and the ensuing federal indictment, bring this egregious conduct to light and seek to end a reign of predatory behavior.”
The federal charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Schupansky and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer Carroll are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Attorney General’s Office of Pennsylvania conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
If you are the victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please call the FBI, local law enforcement, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking.
An indictment and a criminal complaint are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oakland Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Illegally Export Firearms and Night Vision Rifle Scopes to the Sultanate of OmanRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Oakland resident Fares Abdo Al Eyani, 40, pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to one count of conspiring to export defense articles and seven counts of attempting to export defense articles, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The plea was accepted by the Hon. Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge.
According to the plea agreement, Al Eyani admitted he acquired no less than four firearms, with magazines and ammunition, and at least 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities in 2019. In November 2019, Al Eyani attempted to send the firearms to the Sultanate of Oman in shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. He concealed the firearms by disassembling them, wrapping them in aluminum foil, and then secreting them within automobiles inside the shipping container. Then, in December 2019, Al Eyani attempted to export the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles to the Sultanate of Oman in two shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. Law enforcement searched the containers and seized the firearms, the magazines, and the ammunition, as well as the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities. These actions thwarted Al Eyani’s unlawful scheme.
The commercial export of arms, ammunitions, implements of war and defense articles and services from the United States is governed by the Arms Export Control Act (“AECA”), 22 U.S.C. § 2778, and its attendant regulations, the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”), 22 C.F.R. §§ 120-130. The AECA authorizes the President, among other things, to control the export of “defense articles” deemed critical to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. The AECA also authorizes the President to designate goods as “defense articles,” require licenses for the export of such articles, and promulgate regulations for the export of such articles. By executive order, the President has delegated this authority to the United States Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”). Accordingly, the DDTC has promulgated regulations under the AECA, known as the ITAR. The ITAR defines a “defense article” as any item on the United States Munitions List (“USML”). Persons desiring to export items on the USML from the United States to a place overseas must first register with the DDTC and obtain individual export licenses prior to any shipment abroad.
The plea agreement lays out that the four firearms, the magazines, and the ammunition, as well as at least seven of the night-vision rifle scopes, were defense articles prohibited from export without a license by the AECA and the ITAR. Al Eyani did not have a license to export the defense articles.
In a separate plea agreement, Al Eyani’s wife, Saba Mohsen Dhaifallah, 41, also pleaded guilty to making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents during the investigation of this matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Her plea also was accepted by Judge Breyer.
Judge Breyer scheduled Al Eyani’s and Dhailfallah’s sentencing hearings for March 22, 2024, at 9:30 am. Al Eyani faces a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000. Dhaifallah faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. In addition, the court may order each defendant to serve an additional period of supervised release, if appropriate. However, any sentence 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.
The National Security and Cybercrime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case in consultation with the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Customs and Border Protection.
Numerous Individuals Charged with Illegally Possessing Machineguns in Montgomery, AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – In the past two months, a federal grand jury has indicted eleven individuals on charges relating to possession of machineguns, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. Each of the alleged offenses occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, and each of the machineguns at issue was a semiautomatic firearm that had been converted to fully automatic through the installation of a machinegun conversion device.
Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are installed on firearms and allow the guns to function as a fully automatic weapon, capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second. These devices have grown in popularity over the past few years and, due to their rapid rate of fire, pose a significant threat to communities and law enforcement. The possession of a machinegun, which, under the relevant federal statute, includes the possession of a conversion device alone, carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are being prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Critical federal PSN partners include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Montgomery Police Department and the ATF investigated these cases, with assistance from the USMS. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates, Eric M. Counts, Joel Feil, John J. Geer, III, and Justin L. Jones are prosecuting the cases.
More information on the recent indictments can be found in the table below.
DEFENDANT NAME
DEFENDANT AGE
INDICTMENT DATE
CHARGE(S)
DATE(S) OF ALLEGED OFFENSE(S)
Shykeem Kartarell Grant
21
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun; felon in possession of a firearm; and tampering with a witness by intimidation or threats
November 2, 2023 (firearm offenses); and October 26, 2023 (witness tampering offense)
Quadarius Deandre Lindsey
30
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun; and felon in possession of a firearm
May 29, 2023
Deandre Nyquan Lucas
20
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun
August 18, 2023
Clarence Anthony McCall
20
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun (two counts)
August 18, 2023 (first count); October 30, 2023 (second count)
Vandarius Jamal Parks
21
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun
July 25, 2023
Tavius Smith
23
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun
May 6, 2023
My’qurious Xavier Solomon
19
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun; and tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats
October 25, 2023 (firearm offense); and October 31, 2023 (witness tampering offense)
Dequarius Dewayne Thornton
26
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun; and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment
September 3, 2023
Cammeron Leroy Youngblood
23
November 29, 2023
Possession of a machinegun; and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment
August 23, 2023
Keonte Martin
20
October 31, 2023
Possession of a machinegun
October 5, 2023
Jaxon Smith
19
October 31, 2023
Possession of a machinegun
October 25, 2023
As previously stated, the possession of a machinegun, or the possession of a conversion device alone, carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison. The maximum sentences for the various other charges are: (1) up to 15 years in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense; (2) up to 5 years in prison for illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment; and (3) up to 20 years in prison for tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats.
Trials for Martin and Jaxon Smith are currently scheduled for January 8, 2023. Trial dates for the defendants indicted on November 29, 2023, will be scheduled early next year.
North Dakota Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
A man, who admitted he was delivering drugs for a drug cartel was sentenced on December 6, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison.
Ethan Longie, 20 from Bismarck, North Dakota received the prison term after an October 5, 2022, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
In a plea agreement, Longie admitted on February 4, 2022, he was stopped after a short pursuit in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa and was found in possession of more than 350 grams of actual methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and other narcotics. Longie further admitted he was delivering drugs for the “Cartel” and that he had been delivering methamphetamine to various areas. While in custody pending his federal sentencing, Longie continued to distribute drugs and threatened to stab another inmate to keep him from informing on Longie.
Longie was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Longie was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. He must also serve a 5 -year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Longie is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police, the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-3014-LTS-KEM.
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North Carolina Lawyer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on December 15, 2023, Jack Daly (age: 51) was sentenced to 4 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to (i) commit mail fraud and (ii) lie to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”). Daly’s term of imprisonment will be followed by two years of supervised release, and he will also pay a $20,000 fine, along with two separate payments of $69,978.37 for restitution and forfeiture.
Publicly filed documents in the case reflect that Daly and his co-conspirator Nathanael Pendley—both lawyers—operated a political action committee (the “Draft PAC”) that solicited donations by promising donors their money would be used to convince David Clarke, Jr., the former Sheriff of Milwaukee County, to campaign for a seat in the United States Senate. Over the relevant period, the Draft PAC raised over $1.6 million. Most of this money was spent on additional fundraising to benefit Daly and Pendley, not genuine efforts to convince Clarke to run for office.
Court documents indicate that in their solicitations to small-dollar donors, Daly and Pendley falsely suggested that Clarke was still likely to run for the Senate, even after Clarke’s explicit public statement to the contrary. In communications with both Clarke and the FEC, Daly and Pendley also falsely represented that Daly was no longer responsible for the Draft PAC’s operation.
According to court records, Daly targeted vulnerable victims, including a woman with Alzheimer’s and elderly veterans. One 96-year-old victim, who “lived alone on a very limited income,” noted that Daly and Pendley were “con artists” who “should be punished” because “they scammed many working people,” instead of “using their education to help” others.
When imposing sentence, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller observed that Daly’s behavior “crosses the line with affirmative actions that tended to mask the true facts” surrounding Clarke’s intentions. Judge Stadtmueller also noted Daly’s “level of experience” as both a fundraiser and lawyer in explaining the sentence.
“At its core, this was a straightforward fraud case,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The evidence in this case was clear: Mr. Daly lied to obtain money that he used for his own benefit. I commend everyone who worked together to seek justice for the victims of this scheme.”
“Using a political action committee, also known as a PAC, to fraudulently solicit donations for personal gain is a serious offense,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “Such actions undermine the integrity of the political process and erode public trust. Jack Daly and Nathanael Pendley used former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke’s name to victimize thousands of individuals who thought they were making legitimate contributions. The FBI will continue to utilize all available resources, and work with our partners to identify, pursue, and bring offenders to face justice.”
Pendley is set for sentencing before Judge Stadtmueller on December 28, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Knight and Benjamin Taibleson.
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Nineteen-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Terrell Robinson (37, Orlando) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. The court also ordered Robinson to forfeit a firearm, ammunition, and cash which were used in the offense and were proceeds of the offense. Robinson had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers observed Robinson’s vehicle as he engaged in a hand-to-hand drug transaction at a gas station. When they activated their lights and sirens, Robinson fled and escaped onto Route 408. While Robinson drove on Route 408, unmarked law enforcement vehicles continued to follow him and, when Robinson stopped at another gas station, they arrested Robinson. At the time of his arrest, Robinson possessed a firearm, ammunition, drug distribution materials, cash, baggies, scales, and various controlled substances such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (pictured below):
Robinson has been convicted 19 times in state court, including convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on March 11, 2008, delivery of cocaine on August 13, 2008, and delivery of cocaine on January 25, 2010. Therefore, he qualified as an Armed Career Criminal and a Career Offender under federal sentencing rules.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Dana E. Hill.
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.
New Orleans Man is Sentenced for Drug and Machinegun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EMANUEL ROSS, age 24, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on December 13, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to 63 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and Possession of a Machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Judge Lemelle also placed ROSS on supervised release for three (3) years following his release from imprisonment and ordered him to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count of conviction.
Court documents reveal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department began investigating ROSS in mid-2022 and discovered an online video of him firing a pistol that had been converted into a machine gun through a “switch” device. A warrant-based search of ROSS’s residence by law enforcement officials on January 27, 2023, revealed the presence of cocaine, fentanyl and various weapons including the machine gun seen on the online video.
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.
United States Attorney Evans praised work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.
Nash County Duo Sentenced After Theft of Nearly Sixty Firearms Leads to Their ArrestRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Nash County man who bought and sold stolen guns from a Nashville resident was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for possessing a firearm while a felon. On August 9, 2023, Kenneth Pomeroy, a convicted felon, pled guilty to the charges. Pomeroy’s co-conspirator, Rodney Alligood, also of Nash County, pled guilty to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Alligood was sentenced to 51 months in prison on September 26, 2023. The pair were arrested following the investigation into the theft of nearly 60 firearms.
“Sixty guns were stolen and then sold on the streets which could have allowed criminals to bypass background checks and get their hands on weapons to be used in violent activity,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Gun traffickers who fuel violence by pushing stolen weapons into the community will face hard time in federal prison.”
"This case is a great example of how partnerships between local and federal law enforcement agencies take violent offenders off of the streets in our county,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Criminals like these two defendants are contributing to the potential for illegal guns to end up in the wrong hands and be used for violence. I would like to personally thank the U.S, Attorney's Office and the law enforcement officers involved for their hard work and dedication to making our communities safer each day."
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 28, 2022, a Nashville man witnessed Alligood, 33, removing firearms from a neighbor’s locked outbuilding and called the police. The police contacted the homeowner who stated that nearly 60 of her late-ex-husband’s firearms had been stolen from the outbuilding, including pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns. She suspected Alligood of the crime, and a review of GPS ankle-monitoring data confirmed that Alligood, who was on active probation at the time for possession of drug paraphernalia, was in the vicinity at the time of the crime. Further review of ankle-monitoring data led authorities to Pomeroy, 38, as Alligood went directly from the crime scene to Pomeroy’s house to sell him the stolen firearms. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on both Alligood and Pomeroy’s residences and recovered stolen firearms at both locations. At Pomeroy’s they also recovered a distributable amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Pomeroy admitted to dealing methamphetamine and fentanyl and to purchasing more than twenty firearms from Alligood and then reselling them in Fayetteville. Neither Pomeroy nor Alligood had a license to legally sell firearms.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Nashville PD, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-68-M-BM.
Nanticoke Electrician Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Luksh, age 64, owner of Luksh Electric, located in Nanticoke, PA, pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to criminal tax evasion.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal information to which Luksh pleaded guilty alleges that during 2019 and 2020, Luksh operated his business in cash in order to evade payment to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of business-related taxes that he owed from previous tax years.
Luksh acknowledged that the monetary loss attributable to his conduct was between $100,000.00 and $250,000.00, and he agreed to make restitution to the IRS in the amount of $237,146.98.
These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Multi-Agency Take Down Results in Numerous Firearms, Illegal Narcotics, and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs, together with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, today announced that 20 individuals were charged in federal court in connection with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a targeted violent crime reduction initiative in West Columbia. The indictments are a result of a series of coordinated arrests made following a targeted multi-agency operation that spanned several months.
In June of 2022, in response to rising violent crime in the West Columbia area, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Columbia launched an advanced, intelligence-based, multi-faceted law enforcement operation. The purpose of the operation was to target criminal entities and groups in the area, specifically those engaged in the illegal use, sale, and possession of firearms and narcotics. ATF established a controlled buy location, and ATF undercover agents and confidential informants began conducting controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics from criminal targets in the area, while local agencies conducted crime suppression operations.
Defendants included members of the Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciple street gangs. The joint investigation has led to 20 defendants facing federal charges. Federal agents purchased or seized 210 firearms, including several machine gun conversion devices or “switches” designed to convert a firearm to a fully automatic weapon, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Additionally, law enforcement purchased or seized approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 500 grams of powder cocaine, 500 grams of powder fentanyl, 280 grams of crack cocaine, 2,826 fentanyl pills, and over 2,100 polydrug pills.
Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. The following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- Christopher Huntington, a/k/a “Crazy,” 32, of Lugoff, was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Tyrek Carroway, a/k/a “Everything,” 24, of Columbia was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Marcelleus Robinson a/k/a “Drawdown,” 31, of Columbia and Howard Parker, 31, of West Columbia were charged with unlawful possession of a firearms and unlawful possession of machineguns.
- Joseph Wadsworth, a/k/a “J-Roc,” 39, of Gaston, and Curtis Hill, III, 33, of Lexington, were charged with multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Sean Smith, a/k/a “D,” 40, of Cayce, was charged with multiple counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Lamark Gill, a/k/a “Lamont,” 47, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.
- Ricky Bell, Jr., 35, of Columbia, was charged with distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of firearms.
- Dequincy Marquez Jordan, 37, of Florence, was charged with two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Jordan Deshawn Waden a/k/a “Yayo,” 24, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Joel Jeremiah Williams, 35, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Angela Peterson Black, 51, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Michael Wright, 45, of Greenville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as six counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Terrance Myers, a/k/a "Terrance Toomer," 47, of Orangeburg, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Kendolius Jones, a/k/a “Duke Brim,” 30, of West Columbia, was charged with felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle.
- Reginald Pearson, 40, of Columbia, was charged with three counts possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Everette Wanamaker, 36, of Columbia, was charged with two counts possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, as well as six counts of felon in possession.
- Sean Dunagan, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, with possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and destruction of evidence.
- Gregory Huggins, a/k/a “B-Lo,” 30, of Lexington was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Davarious Keith, 30, of West Columbia, was charged with dealing in firearms without a license, distribution of crack cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- David Smith, 36, of West Columbia, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine.
The case was investigated by the West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is handling the prosecution of additional defendants facing state charges related to this investigation. The federal cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of Assistant United States Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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west_cola_drugs_and_gun_pics_0.pdfMount Dora Man Arrested for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Brett Baldwin (43, Mount Dora) him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Baldwin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, law enforcement seized Baldwin’s cellphone during an investigation involving a missing person in Lake County. While forensically examining the cellphone, investigators discovered numerous images of child sex abuse material. Some of the juveniles depicted in the images and videos were under the age of 12.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mount Dora Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monmouth County Man Indicted for Possession of Firearm and Fraudulent Drug Enforcement Administration Credentials while Falsely Impersonating Federal Law Enforcement AgentRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing fraudulent Drug Enforcement Administration credentials while impersonating a federal law enforcement agent, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Wesley Rucker, 36, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with one count each of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, false impersonation of an officer of the United States, and possession of imitation federal law enforcement credentials.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 22, 2021, Rucker, a previously convicted felon, sought medical treatment in the emergency room of a hospital in Red Bank, New Jersey. While administering medical assistance, hospital staff observed a handgun in Rucker’s waistband. Rucker told hospital staff, and later local police, that he was a federal law enforcement officer and displayed fraudulent credentials falsely identifying Rucker as an employee of the Drug Enforcement Administration. As a previously convicted felon, Rucker is not permitted to possess a firearm under federal law.
The count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of false impersonation of an officer of the United States carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession of imitation federal law enforcement credentials carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the ATF, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest. He also thanked the Red Bank, New Jersey, Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
rucker.indictment.pdfMichigan City Man Sentenced to 292 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Opediah Barnett, 31 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Barnett was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release as well as $6000 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, in July of 2021 and January of 2022, Barnett persuaded two separate minors he met online to send him images of child sexual abuse material. Barnett also traveled out of state in an attempt to meet with one of the minors.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Indiana State Police; the Spokane County, Washington Sheriff’s Department; and the Raleigh County, West Virginia, Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Metro-Atlanta man pleads guilty to money laundering of COVID-19 unemployment fundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Austin Martin Siampwizi, who laundered money procured from fraudulent unemployment claims filed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has pleaded guilty to a charge of money laundering conspiracy.
“Criminals used the COVID-19 pandemic to financially benefit while millions of Americans were suffering,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Money launderers, like Siampwizi, assisted others in committing underlying offenses in reaping the benefits of these crimes. Our office is devoted to bringing such individuals to justice.”
“Austin Martin Siampwizi engaged in a scheme with his co-conspirators to purchase and subsequently cash hundreds of money orders that were funded with fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The UI benefits were from fraudulent online claims submitted to the Washington Employment Security Department using the identities of identity theft victims. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“This successful effort represents the U.S. Secret Service commitment to protect citizens and businesses from fraud and identity theft,” said Steven R. Baisel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “We, along with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners will continue to investigate, arrest, and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to launder illicit proceeds or commit fraud in Georgia and across the nation.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act created a temporary federal program that provided up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for those unemployed as a result of the pandemic and included a provision to provide temporary benefits to individuals who had exhausted their entitlement to regular benefits or were otherwise not eligible. That temporary federal program was administered by state employment agencies.
Siampwizi laundered money procured from fraudulent unemployment claims submitted to the Employment Security Department of Washington State (“ESD”). These claims were filed using stolen personally identifiable information of more than 50 individuals. Siampwizi also admitted to submitting fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster loan and Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for his two businesses, Global Car Rental, LLC, and Global Group Development & Construction, LLC.
Sentencing for Austin Martin Siampwizi, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for March 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Klapman is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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.
Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who sold methamphetamine in the Mason City area was sentenced today to more than 8 years in federal prison.
Jay James Eden, age 32, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 13, 2023, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Eden admitted that between fall of 2020, and the fall of 2021, he and Nathan Carlson conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Eden further admitted that on or about September 20, 2021, he knowingly distributed more than 50 grams of “ice” methamphetamine in the Mason City area. Eden was a drug dealer who was getting methamphetamine from Minnesota and re-selling it in and around Mason City.
Eden was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Eden was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Eden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Clear Lake Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-3025.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Fentanyl Conspiracy and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyronn Waters, 32, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation in the metropolitan region, announced U.S. Attorney Graves; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Waters pleaded guilty on July 13, 2023, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the government’s evidence, law enforcement launched an investigation in August 2021 into a suspected drug trafficking ring that was running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in the District and Maryland. According to court documents, Waters admitted he played a part in the ring, and conspired to possess with intent to distribute various narcotics. Those narcotics included counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, produced using the ring’s three pill presses that pressed fentanyl mixes into what appeared to be genuine prescription pills. Waters admitted he purchased wholesale quantities of the counterfeit prescription pills and redistributed them for profit. Waters also admitted to possessing a firearm in connection with the offense.
On March 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment on the 1300 block of 4th St. SE, a stash house used by the conspiracy to house its pill pressing operation. During the search, law enforcement seized baggies of pills and loose powder, together amounting to more than 516 pills and more than 76 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
Waters also was sentenced in connection with a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Waters and his co-conspirators obtained stolen personal identifiable information (PII) from numerous unwitting victims and used this PII to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in victim names from Maryland, North Carolina, California, and elsewhere. Waters and his co-conspirators used the unemployment insurance benefits to obtain pre-loaded debit cards used to make purchases throughout the District and Maryland. At times they wore masks and wigs to make cash withdrawals from the accounts of victims at ATMs throughout the region. Waters admitted he is accountable for losses of more than $250,000 but less than $550,000,
U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Waters to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence and to forfeit $100,000.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Geist, Special Agent in Charge Springer, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Montgomery County Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg who investigated and prosecuted the case along with former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Rasalam and Marnee Rand.
Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Assault of Federal Agent and Brandishing Firearm in Vermont’s Northeast KingdomRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Ivan Carmona (also known as “Flacco”), 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts was sentenced in the United States District Court in Rutland on December 13, 2023, following his guilty pleas to assaulting a federal agent and brandishing a firearm during the assault. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Carmona to 108 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
According to court records, Carmona was wanted by state and local authorities based on his alleged involvement in multiple crimes and his flight from law enforcement on November 17, 2021. United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents from the Newport Station were assisting in the pursuit based on Carmona’s proximity to, and possible crossing of, the international border during his flight. USBP agents located Carmona and a companion near North Troy, Vermont on November 18, 2021, walking along Bear Mountain Road and stopped them to investigate. Upon being asked for identification, Carmona fled from the encounter, and one of the USBP agents pursued him on foot. During the pursuit, defendant Carmona drew a loaded handgun and pointed it at the pursuing agent.
Several law enforcement agencies participated in the pursuit and apprehension of Carmona, including USBP; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Air & Marine Operations, a division of Customs and Border Protection; the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department; the Vermont State Police; the Newport Police Department; and the Vermont Drug Task Force.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated, “Our law enforcement partners make our communities safer every day. They deserve our respect and support. When law enforcement officers are assaulted while doing their jobs to enhance public safety, this office will respond with the full extent of our resources as this case demonstrates.” U.S. Attorney Kerest also commended the mutually supportive efforts of the agencies that led to the safe apprehension of an armed fugitive.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and defend our communities from violent criminals on a daily basis, and all too often those acts of violence are directed against them,” said Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson of the ATF Boston Field Division. “This sentencing reaffirms the ATF’s commitment to hold violent members of society accountable and send to prison those who commit crimes against the brave men and women who dedicate themselves to upholding and enforcing the law.”
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher prosecuted the case. Carmona is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Man Sentenced to 37 months for COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Chandler Simbeck was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was also ordered to pay $151,000 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, between March 2020 and October 2020, Simbeck conspired with Russell Foreman to submit loan applications to the Small Business Administration for himself and various businesses, knowing that the applications contained materially false and fraudulent information.
In June 2020, Simbeck and Foreman caused the creation of a limited liability company, Fusion Group, and thereafter applied to the SBA for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”). The application contained materially false information concerning the establishment date of the company, its gross revenues, and costs of goods sold. In fact, Fusion Group was never a business engaged in any enterprise of any kind and did not have any revenue or employees.
On August 27, 2020, the SBA approved the loan application and $149,900 was deposited into a bank account controlled by Simbeck. Over the next several days, funds were withdrawn from the account, including an $8,000 check that was cashed; a $30,000 check and a $60,000 check that were deposited to other bank accounts controlled by Simbeck; a $50,000 check payable to a relative of Simbeck; and a $55,000 wire transfer to co-conspirator Foreman’s account.
Simbeck also received a $1,000 EIDL grant in connection with a false and misleading application dated March 30, 2020, in his own name. In addition to the EIDLs, Simbeck made three attempts to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for two other business by submitting applications containing false information.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to issue loans to small businesses and non-profit entities experiencing revenue loss due to the pandemic. The EIDL program provides loan assistance up to $150,000 to pay permissible expenses such as fixed debts, payroll, and accounts payable for certain COVID-19 impacted businesses in operation prior to February 1, 2020. Additionally, the CARES Act created the PPP, which authorizes forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules.
“Stealing from the taxpayers through COVID fraud is disgraceful as well as criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We will prosecute those criminals who stole from hardworking business owners and employees.”
“Chandler Simbeck stole from individuals whose lives were upended by the pandemic, with no regard for the business owners and families the program was designed to support” said Todd Martin, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “COVID fraud remains a top priority for CI and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those accountable who abused the system for their personal benefit.”
United States District Court Judge Raymond Moore sentenced Simbeck on December 14, 2023. Simbeck’s co-conspirator Russell Foreman was previously sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Brown handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00165-RM
Lodge Grass meth trafficker sentenced to more than five years in prison for role in large conspiracy based on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine as part of a large-scale conspiracy based on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced on Dec. 14 to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Ranita Roselle Redfield, 47, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, engaged in a large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations in 2022 and 2023. The investigation identified Redfield as one of the members of the organization. Redfield communicated with multiple co-conspirators regarding the distribution of meth, and she often sold meth in ounce quantities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Lebanese Citizen Charged with Operating $5 Million Ponzi Scheme Through His Foreign-Exchange PlatformRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Henry Abdo, 46, of Lebanon, has been charged by indictment, in the Southern District of Florida, with orchestrating a $5 million investment fraud (Ponzi) scheme run through his company, Titanium Capital LLC (“Titanium”). The indictment alleges that Abdo committed wire fraud, in violation of federal law. Today, Dec. 14, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Abdo and Titanium in federal court.
According to the indictment, Abdo, Titanium’s founder and manager, advertised Titanium as a successful investment fund that operated a proprietary multi-currency foreign-exchange platform and invested in other profitable projects. Titanium solicited investors by guaranteeing a fixed rate of return of 15%, the indictment alleges. In fact, according to the indictment, Abdo made material misrepresentations about the nature of the intended investment, and in fact diverted investor funds by paying existing investors using new investor funds. Abdo also, the indictment alleges, misappropriated investor funds to pay his personal expenses, including food, hotels, travel, and clothing.
If convicted of all charges in the indictment, Abdo faces a maximum penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Abdo was ordered detained pending trial on the indictment. This matter is scheduled for trial on February 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Russell Weigel III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (“OFR”), made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and OFR in this matter. He thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-80209-AMC.
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Leader of Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Providence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to leading a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Ortiz-Alcantara was charged in July 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.
Between approximately February 2021 and July 2022, Ortiz-Alcantara managed a DTO that distributed fentanyl across in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. As part of his DTO’s operations, Ortiz-Alcantara controlled a stash house in Fall River to store, process and distribute fentanyl and employed numerous individuals who assisted with mixing, packaging and distributing fentanyl. During a search of Ortiz-Alcantara’s stash house in July 2022, more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl, as well as items consistent with running a fentanyl business, including blenders, a hydraulic press and baggies were seized.
Each of the charges provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and the Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Le Roy Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Committing a Felony Offense Involving a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Le Roy man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for committing a felony offense involving a minor while registered as a sex offender, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, Richard Dean Vandeweerd, 63, a registered sex offender, knowingly attempted to transfer obscene material to a minor, which is a federal offense. Using the web-based chat application Meet24, Vandeweerd contacted “Becca,” who claimed to be a l4-year-old female from Tennessee but was in fact an undercover FBI agent. Over the course of several days in February 2020, and again in November of the same year, Vandeweerd engaged in sexually explicit conversations with “Becca” and sent her pictures of his genitalia.
On April 17, 2023, Vandeweerd pleaded guilty to one count of committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright on December 12, 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking and Sending Threatening MessagesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that John Benjamin Thornton was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Thornton, 42, of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2021, to a nine-count superseding indictment charging him with cyberstalking and making threats in interstate commerce.
According to court records, Thornton had been the subject of complaints since November 2020 by several people who had received disturbing or threatening messages from him, including his ex-wife, his own father, and a business owner and his employees. The charges stemmed from threatening Facebook messages posted between February and May of 2021, text messages sent to his father in May of 2021, and emails sent to the owner and employees of a quantum computing company which Thornton deemed to be evil. In the Facebook posts, text messages and emails Thornton threatened to kill the recipients.
Upon his release from prison, Thornton will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Joni Stahl are prosecuting the case.
View the Second Superseding Indictment here# # #
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Lake County Man Indicted for Attempting to Entice A 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Kahlil Yanier Amilivia Rodriguez (25, Ocala) with using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Rodriguez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to court records, on October 5, 2023, Rodriguez had an online conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. Rodriguez graphically described to the fictional child the sexual acts he wanted to perform with her. Rodriguez was subsequently arrested when he arrived at a pre-determined location to meet with the minor to engage in the sex acts. When investigators seized Rodriguez’s cellphone and tablet, they discovered that he also was attempting to entice another minor into sexual activity. That minor, however, was a separate law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Richmond, Ky., man, Mark Edward Morris, 46, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for failure to register as a sex offender.
Morris was convicted on September 05, 2006, in Cass County, Iowa for Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse Causing Bodily Injury. The conviction requires that Morris register as a sex offender for life. After his conviction in Iowa, Morris moved to Kentucky and was classified as a lifetime registrant in the state of Kentucky. While living in Kentucky, Morris registered or completed numerous verification address forms from 2016 through 2019. On many of these forms Morris provided false addresses, even using a Wal-Mart address as his residence. During that period, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) issued Morris several warnings and/or Notifications of “Non-Compliance” with the KSP Sex Offender Registry. Morris then moved out of Kentucky for a period of time before moving back to Kentucky in 2022. Morris admitted in his plea agreement that he was residing and working in Kentucky from at least 2022 until the time of his arrest and that, during that time, he knowingly failed to register or update his registration information as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Under federal law, Morris must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jeremy Honaker, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
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.
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