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11 December 2023
National Roofing Company Settles PPP Fraud Allegations for $9 MillionRead the Press Release
Fort Worth, Texas-based commercial roofing contractor Empire Roofing, Inc. and its nationwide network of roofing and disposal companies agreed to pay $9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by falsely certifying that eight of their affiliates were eligible to receive loans through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan as a small business depended on various factors, including the number of employees of both the applicant and corporate affiliates. Subject to limited exceptions, only businesses that employed 500 or fewer employees were eligible to receive a PPP loan. When applying for PPP loans and loan forgiveness, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of all information provided in their loan applications.
Empire Roofing, Inc., along with affiliated businesses within its nationwide network, applied for and received a total of $6,705,700 in PPP loans. The loans were all later forgiven in full. Each applicant certified that they were a small business with fewer than 500 employees. Under applicable SBA rules, however, applicants were required to include employees of all affiliated companies when determining eligibility. The government contends that the Empire Roofing network of affiliated companies employed more than 500 employees and therefore that none of Empire Roofing’s affiliates were eligible to receive PPP loans or loan forgiveness under the CARES Act.
“PPP loans were intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Our office invests significant time and resources to hold accountable those who obtained PPP funds for which they were not eligible and will continue to do so going forward.”
“The settlement in this matter demonstrates the excellent results achieved through the combined efforts of SBA and the Department of Justice to uncover and forcefully respond to PPP misconduct,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers. “The federal government is strongly committed to identifying and aggressively pursuing any instances of fraud or misconduct within the Paycheck Protection Program.”
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the FCA, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Sidesolve v. Empire Roofing, Inc., et al., No. No. 3:22-CV-2060-B (N.D. Tex.). The relator, Sidesolve, Inc., will receive a $1 million share as part of the settlement.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys William Admussen and Andrew Robbins, with assistance from Sandra Mazzoni of the SBA. The civil claims settled by this FCA agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Travel for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Fourteen-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – ERIC SCOTT ALFORD, age 38, from Clinton, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, ALFORD was an adult male living in Clinton, Mississippi. On about July 26, 2023, ALFORD contacted an undercover law enforcement officer purporting to be an adult female with a fourteen-year-old daughter (FA1) on a social network and messaging application designed for individuals interested in various “kink,” “fetish,” and alternative sexual practices. ALFORD asked what “kinks” FA1 had. Over the next several days, in his correspondence with FA1, ALFORD expressed the desire and intent to engage in various forms of sexual contact with FA1 and her fourteen-year-old daughter, both individually and collectively, on multiple occasions. ALFORD reinforced his intent to FA1 by providing graphic descriptions of the sexual acts he desired. ALFORD also frequently discussed and planned face-to-face meetings with FA1 and her daughter for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with each of them. This included suggesting that they travel to his residence. Separately, ALFORD directly communicated, via an instant messaging application, with the person he believed to be FA1’s minor daughter. During that conversation, ALFORD again described sexual acts he intended to perform on and with FA1 and the child, individually and collectively.
On August 2, 2023, ALFORD told FA1’s minor daughter that he was travelling to Hammond, Louisiana that evening for the purpose of first engaging in sex acts with FA1 and then engaging in sex acts with both FA1 and her daughter. That evening, ALFORD drove his automobile from Flowood, Mississippi to Hammond, in furtherance of his intent to engage in sexual acts with FA1 and her minor daughter.
ALFORD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years followed by between five (5) years and a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. ALFORD may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Ashe has been scheduled for March 28, 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Millbrook, Alabama Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of a Millbrook, Alabama man who had previously been convicted of federal gun and drug offenses. On December 7, 2023, a federal judge sentenced 45-year-old Kawasi Wilson to 32 years in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at Wilson’s August 2023 trial, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wilson’s house on August 10, 2022. During the search, agents found over 1,000 grams of cocaine and 2 firearms, along with over $20,000 in cash. Wilson had previously been convicted of felony offenses, including a federal drug trafficking offense, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. As for the cocaine, when it returned its verdict, the trial jury determined that Wilson possessed the cocaine with the intent distribute.
This case was 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.
The DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Elmore County Drug Task Force investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Justin L. Jones and Joshua J. Wendell prosecuted.
Methuen Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child.
Karen Silva-Brown, 57 pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds before U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Silva-Brown was arrested and charged in November 2022.
In November 2014 through October 2018, Silva-Brown embezzled approximately $60,810 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. In March 2012, when Silva-Brown applied for and began receiving benefits on behalf of her child as a representative payee, the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed her of her obligation to notify SSA if her child left her custody. However, Silva-Brown did not notify SSA when she lost custody of her child in November 2014. Instead, Silva-Brown provided two fraudulent accountings to SSA in June and July 2016 where she claimed that her child still lived with her and that she spent all the Social Security benefits she received for her child’s care. In reality, Silva-Brown used the vast majority of the stolen funds to pay her own bills.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Threatening TextsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – David Lee Bradby, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to making interstate threatening communications, related to text messages he sent to Victim 1, a woman living in West Virginia.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, between February 13, 2022, and May 24, 2022, Bradby sent 12 text communications to Victim 1 from six different mobile numbers to which Bradby subscribed. In the text messages, Bradby threatened to kill the victim and to assault her family members. Neither Bradby nor Victim 1 knew each other.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Bradby, a Black man, also admitted that in February 2022, he made threats to Victim 2, a Black female who lived in the Baltimore area. In making the threats to Victim 2, Bradby posed as J.M.S. and made virtually the same threats to Victim 2 as he had to Victim 1, who was also Black. Bradby also threatened to blow up Victim 2’s house, claimed to know where Victim 2 worked, and included pictures and symbols used by the Ku Klux Klan in his messages to Victim 2. Bradby admitted that he sent the messages to Victim 2 to implicate J.M.S. Bradby and Victim 2 did not know each other.
Bradby faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for making interstate threatening communications. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Bradby remains detained.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man on Supervised Release for a Federal Drug Trafficking Crime Convicted of Distributing Crack Cocaine in Rock Falls, Ill.Read the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Chicago man has been convicted by a federal jury in Rockford of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and seven counts of distribution of cocaine base.
The jury returned its verdicts against JULIAN WYRE, 46, on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Rockford. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to evidence presented at trial, Wyre and two other individuals were involved in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine base in Rock Falls, Ill. between June 2019 and November 1, 2019. During this time period, Wyre sold cocaine base seven times to a confidential informant and two other individuals who were used as “runners.”
In 2008, Wyre was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for illegally possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base. He was on federal supervised release at the time of the 2019 conspiracy and distribution charges for which he was convicted Thursday.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police, Illinois State Police Blackhawk Area Task Force, and the Rockford Resident Agency of the FBI Chicago Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ladd and Jonathan S. Kim.
Man Who Called in Bomb Threat to Yale New Haven Hospital Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that ALEXANDER BRADLEY, 44, formerly of Cranston, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to an offense related to his threatening to bomb the Yale New Haven Hospital.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2021, Bradley called the Yale University Health Clinic, spoke to a nurse and asked if he had reached the Yale New Haven Hospital. When informed that he had not, Bradley, who refused to give his name, complained that he had been denied care at the Yale New Haven Hospital and stated that he was going to bomb the hospital. Approximately 30 minutes later, Bradley anonymously called the Yale New Haven Hospital and stated that he had placed a pressure cooker containing a bomb outside of the building. The call was a hoax, and Bradley had placed no such bomb outside the hospital.
The bomb threat disrupted hospital operations and required a significant response from the New Haven Police Department, Yale Police Department and Yale New Haven Protective Service. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force subsequently determined that the phone number used to make the threats was linked to Bradley. The investigation revealed that, less than three weeks after he made the bomb threat to Yale New Haven Hospital, he contacted a CVS pharmacy in Cranston, Rhode Island, and said that he was going to “shoot up” and “blow up” a hospital.
Bradley was arrested on April 28, 2022. On May 27, 2022, while released on bond and living in a residential treatment facility, Bradley removed his location monitoring bracelet and absconded. He has been detained since his rearrest on July 14, 2023.
Bradley pleaded guilty to conveying false information about explosives, and false information and hoaxes, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force – WMD and Bomb Squad. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Jessica Casey.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty for Threatening Portsmouth High SchoolRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Maine man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to charges in connection to the online threats he made to the Portsmouth High School on April 12, 2023, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Kyle Hendrickson, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate threatening communications and one count of possessing a firearm in a school zone. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2024. Hendrickson was initially arrested on a criminal complaint on April 13, 2023, and a grand jury returned the two-count indictment on September 13, 2023.
Hendrickson posted a video to his SnapChat account on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in which he brandished a handgun while in a vehicle outside of the Portsmouth High School. The video includes a text overlay that reads “imma shoot up the school.” School surveillance footage placed Hendrickson’s vehicle outside the high school at the time of the video. Law enforcement later recovered an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, camouflage body armor, a handgun holster, a red-dot sight, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Hendrickson’s vehicle. The handgun that Hendrickson used in the SnapChat video was also recovered near a motel where Hendrickson had stayed in Maine on the night of April 12, 2023.
Each charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, and the Portsmouth Police Department led the investigation. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Somersworth Police Department, the Portland (Maine) Police Department, and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
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Lebanon, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to $1.4 Million Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Lebanon, Virginia man, who set up a fictitious business for the sole purpose of assisting a co-conspirator to fraudulently obtain $1.4 million in payments from an out-of-state aircraft company, pled guilty last week to one count of wire fraud.
In July 2022, William B. Sink, 55, and an unidentified co-conspirator named “Vanessa,” created a fictitious business, “The Rockn U Farms, LLC,” and then opened a business checking account at Truist Bank in Lebanon, Virginia for the sole purpose of obtaining money fraudulently.
Over the course of several months, The Rockn U Farms LLC business account received several wire transfers totaling approximately $1.4 million from a Minnesota company that sells personal aircraft. Sink immediately transferred the proceeds to various bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges at the direction of “Vanessa.” He also made cash withdrawals and transfers to his personal Truist bank account in the amount of nearly $10,000.
At sentencing, scheduled for February 22, 2024, Sink faces up to 20 years in prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge, Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. made the announcement.
The Russell County Sheriff’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
Leader of $6.8 Million Pandemic Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Seattle - Paradise Williams, 29, the leader of a wide-ranging fraud scheme that stole more than $3.3 million from federally funded pandemic assistance programs and attempted to obtain more than $6.8 million, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Williams personally received more than $2 million in fraudulent proceeds and spent the money on extravagant expenses such as luxury cars, lavish trips, cosmetic surgery, jewelry, and designer goods.
According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 to February 2022, Williams personally participated in the submission of over 125 fraudulent applications for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds administered by King County, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits. Williams enlisted dozens of associates, including her five codefendants, in successfully defrauding the programs of more than $3.3 million by posing as fake tenants, landlords, and small business owners in need of assistance. In submitting these applications, Williams, among other things, created falsified bank statements, tenant ledgers, and landlord attestations.
Upon receipt of the illegal funds, Williams and her associates methodically laundered the funds through cash withdrawals, wire transfers, and expensive personal purchases. Williams received more than $1.2 million in kickback payments from her associates for facilitating the fraudulent submissions.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Williams will pay restitution in the amounts of $2,7791,241 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and $512,730 to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The defendant will forfeit $2,023,104, the proceeds Williams personally obtained through the scheme. Williams will also forfeit a Lexus sedan and a Range Rover SUV that she purchased with the fraudulent gains.
Wire fraud in relation to a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The government has agreed to recommend no more than 110 months in prison for Williams. The recommendation is not binding on U.S. District Judge John H. Chun, who will determine the appropriate sentence on February 26, 2024, after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Williams’ codefendants D’Arius Jackson, Tia Robinson, Rayvon Peterson, and David Martinez previously entered guilty pleas for their participation in the scheme and will be sentenced by Judge Chun in January and February 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
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
Leader of Black-Market HIV Medication Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BORIS AMINOV pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance companies out of at least $20 million. 10 other defendants were charged in connection with the scheme in two separate indictments unsealed in March and October 2023. AMINOV pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Boris Aminov orchestrated a scheme to get rich by lying to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance companies and by depriving vulnerable HIV patients of legitimate and safe medications. Aminov also made millions of dollars through buying and distributing black-market HIV medications to pharmacies all over New York City. This Office will be tireless in its pursuit of those who seek to line their pockets by preying on vulnerable members of society.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictments and statements made in court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2017 through at least in or about 2023, AMINOV and others engaged in a scheme that defrauded Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance companies out of at least approximately $20 million through trafficking in black-market HIV medication. In doing so, they exploited at least hundreds of low-income individuals who had been prescribed HIV medication, jeopardizing the health and safety of those vulnerable patients.
AMINOV distributed black-market HIV medications to pharmacies that were owned and operated by other co-conspirators. That medication was then dispensed to unknowing patients who believed they were receiving legitimate medication. To further their scheme and conceal their proceeds, co-conspirators used bank accounts associated with their respective pharmacies to funnel money to shell companies controlled by AMINOV.
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AMINOV, 47, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Coyle and Jackie Delligatti are in charge of the prosecution.
Lead Defendant in Indictment Targeting Vineland Boys Street Gang in San Fernando Valley Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Sherman Oaks man who ran the San Fernando Valley-based Vineland Boys street gang was sentenced today to 192 months in federal prison for committing federal racketeering and narcotics crimes.
Mario Alberto Miranda, 32, a.k.a. “Ultimo,” “Last,” and “Shot Caller,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.
Miranda – the lead defendant in a federal grand jury indictment targeting 31 Vineland Boys members and associates – pleaded guilty on June 26 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He has been in federal custody since February 2019.
From at least September 2008 to November 2019, Miranda conspired with other Vineland Boys members and associates to engage in drug trafficking and to maintain the gang’s territorial control in the San Fernando Valley. Miranda acted as a drug supplier and sold narcotics within the gang’s territory, operated drug and firearms stash locations and extorted drug dealers within areas under the gang’s control.
As the gang’s shot caller, Miranda also ordered Vineland Boys members and associates to attack and assault rival gang members and individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, according to court documents.
Miranda sold methamphetamine to buyers at a Pacoima residence as well as at a North Hollywood clothing store that he ran. Miranda also sold a total of approximately 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine to one buyer over eight transactions and, in June 2016, ordered a co-conspirator to obtain one pound of methamphetamine for another buyer.
He also maintained and operated illegal marijuana grow houses in Pacoima and Palmdale. At the Pacoima residence, Miranda and an accomplice maintained at least 125 marijuana plants weighing a total of approximately 315 pounds.
In November 2014, Miranda collected up to $300 from a Vineland Boys member as a “tax” on the proceeds of the member’s heroin sales. Miranda also was part of a scheme to collect payments from the gang’s members to be paid to incarcerated Vineland Boys members and leaders.
Miranda also attended and helped organize Vineland Boys gang meetings, including a March 2016 meeting at a Panorama City restaurant and a January 2017 meeting at a residence in Sun Valley, where he gave orders to Vineland Boys gang members to commit acts of violence against rival gang members and individuals suspected of cooperating with police.
Federal prosecutors secured 30 guilty pleas in this case, including 19 convictions that have resulted in prison sentences of at least 10 years. One of them, Vineland Boys gang member Jesus Gonzalez Jr., 30, “Lil Chito,” “Gunner” and “Chuy,” of Sun Valley, is serving a 31-year federal prison sentence for committing multiple felonies, including the attempted murders of three rival gangsters. One defendant died after being indicted.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter. 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.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chou and Sara Vargas of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Kern County Man Pleads Guilty to Six-Year, $825,000 Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Leyva, 36, of Wasco, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for his role in a long-running credit card fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, between February 2016 and August 2022, Leyva and his partner and co-defendant, Karina Arceo, stole the personally identifiable information (PII) for more than 125 victims. They stole much of the PII from patient files at health care providers in Kern County where Arceo worked.
According to court documents, Leyva and Arceo used the stolen PII to open thousands of fraudulent credit cards in the victims’ identities. They used false identification documents to open the credit cards and provided billing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses over which they had control so that any communications related to the credit cards would go to them instead of the victims. They then made hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases on the credit cards in Kern County and elsewhere. The fraudulent purchases included home appliances, automobile accessories, designer clothing, tickets to concerts and sporting events, and travel, among other items.
Often times, Leyva and Arceo resold the items that they fraudulently purchased for cash and reaped a windfall because they did not actually pay for the items. They also used checks that had been stolen from companies in Kern County to access the companies’ bank accounts and make fraudulent payments towards the credit cards so as to keep their scheme going. Altogether, their scheme caused a total actual loss of more than $825,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Leyva is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge, and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to other counts, for the identity theft charge. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft are pending against Arceo. The charges are only allegations; she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Kern County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Marcus Tatum, 31, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between February 2012 and March 2018, Tatum used a laptop computer to knowingly receive and distribute over 600 files containing visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The files contained images of children under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct, as well as engaging in sado-masochistic conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
Tatum is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2024. Tatum faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Resolve Disability-Based Discrimination LawsuitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has agreed to pay $32,600 to resolve allegations that it violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to allow four people with mental health disabilities to reside together in a single-family home in the city under the same terms and conditions as residents without disabilities.
The department’s lawsuit alleged that the city unnecessarily required Quality Lifestyle Service Inc. (Quality Lifestyle), a nonprofit housing provider, to apply for a special use permit to manage a four-person transitional home in the city’s R-1 residential zoning district. Under the city’s own zoning ordinance and state law, the home was an allowed use in that neighborhood. The lawsuit further alleged that the city denied the permit without any legitimate reason.
“Federal civil rights laws protect the rights of people with disabilities to live in the housing of their choice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement sends a clear message that the Justice Department will vigorously protect the rights of people with disabilities. All Americans, regardless of disability, have a right to fair housing in their communities.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the complainant for sharing their experience to improve housing opportunities for persons with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “Further, we commend the city of Chattanooga for cooperating in the investigation and working to reach a resolution that promotes accessible housing in East Tennessee.”
“Preventing persons with disabilities from accessing housing through discriminatory housing policies has no place in our society,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria L. McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This agreement sends a strong message that HUD and the Justice Department will continue to work together to enforce our nation’s fair housing laws.”
Under the agreement, which was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the city agreed to amend its zoning ordinance to ensure that persons with disabilities are not illegally denied housing opportunities or excluded from participation in the city’s services or programs. The city also agreed to pay a civil penalty to the government of $5,000, to train officials and employees about their fair-housing obligations under federal law, designate a fair-housing compliance officer and file periodic reports with the department.
The case began when Quality Lifestyle filed a complaint with HUD. HUD referred the complaint to the Justice Department, which conducted an investigation.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. The division also enforces the ADA, which protects persons with disabilities’ access to state and local governments’ programs and services.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing a complaint online.
consent_decree_chattanooga_entered_2023-12-08.pdfJustice Department Files Statement of Interest in Case Alleging Pennsylvania Jail Unlawfully Denied Access to Medication to Treat Opioid Use DisorderRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest today explaining how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the provision of medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) in jails and prisons. The statement of interest was filed in Strickland v. Delaware County, a lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleging that a county jail violated the ADA by denying an individual access to methadone that was medically necessary to treat his OUD.
“People held in our nation’s jails and prisons, including those with substance use disorders, do not surrender their civil rights at the jailhouse door,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The ADA requires that jails and prisons individually assess the medical needs of people with disabilities and not categorically deny access to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OUD medications that many need to effectively treat their disability. The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are protected.”
“My office is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. Today’s statement of interest reminds jails and prisons about their obligations to address the needs of individuals with OUD and comply with the ADA.”
The Strickland lawsuit alleges that the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, unlawfully denied an incarcerated person access to methadone that he was taking to treat OUD under the supervision of a qualified medical provider before his incarceration. The lawsuit also alleges that the jail had a policy of providing methadone only for pregnant individuals and requiring all other individuals who were on methadone when entering the jail to undergo medically supervised withdrawal.
Through the statement of interest, the department explains that the ADA prohibits jails from categorically restricting access to FDA-approved OUD medications, like methadone, without individually assessing whether the person being denied access needs that medication to effectively treat their disability. The statement then sets out why this is required by the ADA and its regulations and aligns with broad consensus in the medical community, including the FDA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The ADA prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and protects people in recovery from OUD, including individuals who are taking OUD medication at the direction of a medical provider.
The Justice Department’s submission of this statement of interest furthers its broader efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD and to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment. The Justice Department has issued public guidance on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD. It has entered into multiple settlements with jails and prisons to increase access to OUD medication, including recent agreements in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Eastern Kentucky; and Massachusetts. It has undertaken enforcement efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD in court supervision programs in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. It has also entered numerous settlements to address discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD outside of the criminal justice context, including barriers related to employment, professional licensing, social services and healthcare.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section filed this statement of interest in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against based on disability and wish to file a complaint, please visit www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/.
Justice Department Announces Release of Violent Crime Reduction RoadmapRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the release of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap, a one-stop shop to assist local jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies to prevent, intervene in, and respond to violent crime. The Roadmap helps connect jurisdictions with the information and resources they need to meet the complex and evolving challenges to help reduce violent crime.
The announcement came during the opening session of the Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Summit, which brings together federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners across the country to identify evidence-informed practices to increase public safety, enhance partnerships in the participating communities, and reduce violent crime. The Summit is convening executive leaders and key stakeholders from Project Safe Neighborhoods and National Public Safety Partnership sites, as well as grantees from several violent crime reduction programs including the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative, Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, and the Rural and Small Department Violent Crime Reduction Program. Also in attendance at the Summit are top Justice Department officials, including Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and leaders of offices and federal law enforcement agencies across the Department. The Roadmap is part of a comprehensive Justice Department strategy to reduce violent crime.
“We have spent two and a half years using every available resource to combat the violent crime spike we saw during the pandemic, and this is a guide to the programs and strategies that we have seen work,” said Attorney General Garland. “But this is not a time to relax our efforts. We know that the only way to replicate what is working and to bring violent crime down in every community is by learning from each other and by investing in our partnerships.”
The dozens of Justice Department resources available from the Roadmap are organized around actions outlined in Saving Lives: Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Violence Now, developed by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank for the criminal justice field. These strategies were identified by the Council on Criminal Justice’s (CCJ)’s Violent Crime Working Group, which included experts from community organizations, law enforcement, the public health sector, and academia.
“Effectively addressing violent crime requires partnerships and investments at every level — federal, state, and local law enforcement, and the communities we serve,” said Associate Attorney General Gupta. “This Roadmap is a one-stop shop for Justice Department resources — from funding to training to publications — that can help law enforcement, local leaders, and community members tackle this problem together.”
“This Roadmap lifts up proven solutions and the resources we have available for communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “The effort to address violent crime will require continued collaboration and engagement between all stakeholders, and communities themselves. OJP is pleased to identify resources available here and, eventually, across the federal government that can support city leaders to implement these essential actions to save lives.”
The Police Executive Research Forum, funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, will provide local jurisdictions with tailored training and technical assistance on how to implement the 10 essential actions and utilize the Justice Department’s resources identified in the Roadmap, to reduce violent crime while building community trust. Training and technical assistance offerings include specialized expertise to help organizations solve problems and build capacity, and they provide direct connections to subject matter experts as well as how-to materials.
Justice Department Announces Release of Violent Crime Reduction RoadmapRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the release of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap, a one-stop shop to assist local jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies to prevent, intervene in, and respond to violent crime. The Roadmap helps connect jurisdictions with the information and resources they need to meet the complex and evolving challenges to help reduce violent crime.
The announcement came during the opening session of the Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Summit, which brings together federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners across the country to identify evidence-informed practices to increase public safety, enhance partnerships in the participating communities, and reduce violent crime. The Summit is convening executive leaders and key stakeholders from Project Safe Neighborhoods and National Public Safety Partnership sites, as well as grantees from several violent crime reduction programs including the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative, Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, and the Rural and Small Department Violent Crime Reduction Program. Also in attendance at the Summit are top Justice Department officials, including Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and leaders of offices and federal law enforcement agencies across the Department. The Roadmap is part of a comprehensive Justice Department strategy to reduce violent crime.
“We have spent two and a half years using every available resource to combat the violent crime spike we saw during the pandemic, and this is a guide to the programs and strategies that we have seen work,” said Attorney General Garland. “But this is not a time to relax our efforts. We know that the only way to replicate what is working and to bring violent crime down in every community is by learning from each other and by investing in our partnerships.”
The dozens of Justice Department resources available from the Roadmap are organized around actions outlined in Saving Lives: Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Violence Now, developed by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank for the criminal justice field. These strategies were identified by the Council on Criminal Justice’s (CCJ)’s Violent Crime Working Group, which included experts from community organizations, law enforcement, the public health sector, and academia.
“Effectively addressing violent crime requires partnerships and investments at every level — federal, state, and local law enforcement, and the communities we serve,” said Associate Attorney General Gupta. “This Roadmap is a one-stop shop for Justice Department resources — from funding to training to publications — that can help law enforcement, local leaders, and community members tackle this problem together.”
“This Roadmap lifts up proven solutions and the resources we have available for communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “The effort to address violent crime will require continued collaboration and engagement between all stakeholders, and communities themselves. OJP is pleased to identify resources available here and, eventually, across the federal government that can support city leaders to implement these essential actions to save lives.”
The Police Executive Research Forum, funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, will provide local jurisdictions with tailored training and technical assistance on how to implement the 10 essential actions and utilize the Justice Department’s resources identified in the Roadmap, to reduce violent crime while building community trust. Training and technical assistance offerings include specialized expertise to help organizations solve problems and build capacity, and they provide direct connections to subject matter experts as well as how-to materials.
Justice Department Announces Distribution of over $158.9M to Nearly 25,000 Victims of Madoff Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) began its ninth distribution of over $158.9 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme.
In this distribution, payments will be sent to 24,875 victims across the globe, bringing their total recoveries to 91% of their fraud losses. Through its nine distributions, MVF has paid over $4.22 billion to 40,843 victims as compensation for losses they suffered from the collapse of BLMIS.
“The department’s Madoff Victim Fund has exceeded expectations in the level of recovery provided to victims of the fraud committed by Bernard Madoff, which devastated thousands of lives,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “To date, the Madoff Victim Fund has assisted more than 40,800 individual victims in recovering over 90% of victim losses. The department continues to prioritize the use of civil asset forfeiture to ensure compensation is available for victims of fraud.”
“In 2009, when the Southern District of New York charged Bernie Madoff for his $64 billion securities fraud ‘Ponzi’ scheme, it was one of the most prolific financial crimes in American history. Among Madoff’s many victims were not only wealthy and institutional investors, but charities and pension funds alike — some of which invested money with Madoff on behalf of individuals working paycheck-to-paycheck who were relying on their pension accounts for their retirements,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The financial toll on those who entrusted their money with Madoff was devasting, and this office’s unprecedented efforts to return money to Madoff’s victims has now resulted in clawbacks of 91% of fraud losses to their rightful owners. I commend the career prosecutors of this office for today’s distribution of over $158 million and for their relentless pursuit of justice for victims of Wall Street fraudsters, like Bernie Madoff.”
According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings, for decades, Bernard L. Madoff used his position as chairman of BLMIS, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions of dollars from his clients. On March 12, 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.
On June 29, 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running the largest fraudulent scheme in history. Of the over $4 billion that has been made available to victims, approximately $2.2 billion was collected as part of the historic civil forfeiture recovery from the estate of deceased Madoff investor, Jeffry Picower. An additional $1.7 billion was collected as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and civilly forfeited in a parallel action. The remaining funds were collected through a civil forfeiture action against investor Carl Shapiro and his family, and from civil and criminal forfeiture actions against Madoff, Peter B. Madoff, and their co-conspirators.
The MVF’s payouts would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and FBI in the prosecution of Madoff’s crimes and the recovery of assets supporting the forfeiture in the case.
The MVF is overseen by Richard Breeden, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, who serves as Special Master appointed by the Justice Department to assist in connection with the victim remission proceedings. Breeden and his team at MVF provided essential assistance to evaluate over 68,000 remission petitions involving billions in cash flows, and to compute each victim’s fraud losses to enable payments to be made.
More information about MVF and its compensation to victims of BLMIS is at www.madoffvictimfund.com, such as eligibility criteria, process updates, and frequently asked questions. Further questions may be directed to the MVF at 866-624-3670 or [email protected].
Jodi Lathrop Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney announced that Jodi Lathrop, 53, of Bristol, Vermont, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III released Lathrop on conditions pending sentencing, which is set for April 1, 2024.
On January 24, 2023, the United States Attorney filed an indictment charging Lathrop with committing a scheme to embezzle from Claire Lathrop Band Mill (CLBM) d/b/a Lathrop Forest Products, a wood-logging and wood-chipping company based in Bristol, Vermont and co-owned by Lathrop’s husband and Lathrop’s brother-in-law. Lathrop served as CLBM’s bookkeeper, handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll.
According to statements made in court, between June 2014 and April 2020, Lathrop engaged in a scheme to embezzle from CLBM. Lathrop’s scheme included Lathrop writing unauthorized checks from the CLBM bank accounts to pay her personal credit card bills and Lathrop making unauthorized charges on CLBM credit cards to pay her personal expenses. For example, in July 2018, Lathrop charged $3,466.95 worth of household appliances on a CLBM credit card, knowing the charge was unauthorized, and had the appliances shipped to her personal residence for use in her personal residence.
Lathrop concealed the embezzlement in several ways. Lathrop falsely recorded the unauthorized checks in CLBM’s books as checks for legitimate business expenses, wrote false notes on some checks so they appeared to be for legitimate business expenses, and caused CLBM to file false tax returns which falsely deducted Lathrop’s personal expenses as legitimate business expenses.
Lathrop also filed false personal tax returns for each of the years from 2014 to 2019. Lathrop failed to report as income the embezzled CLBM funds, and therefore evaded paying personal income taxes that she owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
The indictment alleges that Lathrop embezzled more than $400,000 from CLBM over the course of the scheme and evaded personal income taxes in the amount of approximately $141,000. The actual amount of Lathrop’s embezzlement and evaded taxes will be determined by the U.S. District Court at sentencing.
As part of her plea agreement, Lathrop agreed to sell approximately 270.5 acres of land she owns and to use the proceeds to pay any restitution she is ordered to pay to the victims of her crimes.
Lathrop faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release. The actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the Bristol Police Department for their investigation of this case.
The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ang. Lathrop is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to over 19 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Bessemer man on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Jacquez Jarrone Conley, 24, to 235 months in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release. In August 2023, Conley pleaded guilty to one-count of possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, in July 2019, Conley was involved in an online social media group sharing child pornography. During that same time, FBI received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material located on his Facebook account. In August 2019, federal search warrants were obtained for Conley’s residence in Bessemer and his Facebook account. A total of 18 digital devices were seized from the residence. Forensic analysis of the digital devices and his Facebook account revealed 701 images and 741 videos of child pornography.
“There is no place in our communities for those who prey on vulnerable children,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The success of cases like this come from the strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement. We have one common goal – to pursue justice for child victims. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Washington, D.C., this predator has been held accountable for his actions.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who produce, possess, and distribute child pornography, SAC Peeples said.” This case highlights the importance and benefit of law enforcement partnerships and task forces. I would like to thank all our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this case and the men and women of the FBI for their relentless efforts in protecting our children.”
FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI Washington and Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia’s CEHTTF, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Daniel McBrayer prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Great Falls bookkeeper sentenced to prison for defrauding two businesses of approximately $500,000Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to defrauding two businesses of approximately $500,000 while working as a bookkeeper to pay her personal expenses was sentenced today to 25 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tara Durnell, 63, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and to mail fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered $492,309 in total restitution. Durnell was remanded into custody.
In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in at least 1997, Durnell embezzled from her employer, Kronebusch Electric, Inc., (KEI) a small company in Conrad, where she worked as a bookkeeper, to fund her personal lifestyle. Durnell used her access to pre-signed company checks and company bank accounts to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars toward personal credit card debt, personal car loan payments and debts belonging to family members. To conceal her scheme, Durnell used her access to the company’s accounting software to hide her illicit transactions and make them appear like legitimate businesses expenses. In total, Durnell embezzled almost $500,000 from KEI.
Durnell left employment with KEI when the scheme was discovered and found work as a bookkeeper with Mitchell’s Crash Repair in Great Falls. In January 2022, Durnell again used her access to the business’s pre-signed checks and bank accounts and to pay tens of thousands of dollars toward personal expenses. Durnell embezzled approximately $15,491 from Mitchell’s Crash Repair.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Fort Worth Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leader of drug trafficking organization was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Alonzo Smith, 29, was charged in May 2023 via criminal complaint. He pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to possess of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.
“Violent gangs that flood our neighborhoods with illicit drugs are a true threat to public safety,“ said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes, Jr. “ The lengthy sentence imposed on this defendant highlights our commitment to disrupting and dismantling these transnational criminal organizations seeking to exploit our communities for financial gain.”
According to court documents, Mr. Smith and others – most heavily armed 5x2 Hoova Crip gang members - were responsible for operating multiple drug houses in the Fort Worth area. The residences were used solely to store and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. During a search warrant at one of the residences, law enforcement located 800 grams of methamphetamine, 188 grams of cocaine, 496 grams of black tar heroin and 300 grams of fentanyl.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith prosecuted the case.
Fort Washakie man arraigned on assault and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
Julien Antelope, age 21, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was arraigned on Dec. 8 for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm; assault resulting in serious bodily injury; and using, carrying, or discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Antelope pleaded not guilty. A trial has been set for Feb. 12, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
Antelope was detained at the request of the government and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Office. If convicted, Antelope faces 10 years to life in prison, three to five years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 23-CR-00008
Former Miami-Dade Police Officer Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Samuel Harris, 43, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department (“MDPD”), was sentenced today, Dec. 11, to 4 months in prison, followed by 4 months in home detention by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), and an EIDL advance.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing on July 3, Harris, who was a full-time MDPD police officer, also was the owner and president of Oregen Digital, Inc. (“Oregen”). Working with an associate, on June 29, 2020, Harris submitted and caused to be submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application falsely claiming that Oregen had 10 employees and a monthly payroll of over $50,000 per month. In support of this application, Harris submitted a fraudulent IRS Form W-3 falsely claiming that Oregen had paid 10 employees over $602,000 in wages during 2019. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, Harris obtained a $125,579 PPP loan from a Georgia-based SBA-approved PPP lender.
Harris also admitted that on June 30, 2020, he caused to be submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application in the name of Oregen, seeking both an EIDL and an EIDL advance. In this fraudulent application, Harris falsely claimed that for the twelve-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Oregen had gross revenues of over $859,000 and 10 employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Oregen obtained from the SBA a $10,000 EIDL advance that did not need to be repaid and $149,900 in EIDL loan proceeds.
At sentencing, Judge Scola also ordered that Harris serve 3 years of supervised release, including 4 months in home detention, after Harris completes his prison term, and that Harris make full restitution in the amount of $285,479.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC OIG)announced the guilty plea.
The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDPD and MDC-OIG, investigated the case in conjunction with IRS-CI and SBA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted the case.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
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.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
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.
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-20189.
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Former LASD Deputy Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Falsely Imprisoning a Victim and Then Trying to Cover up His CrimeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for depriving a 23-year-old man of his civil rights in the spring of 2020 by falsely imprisoning him and then lying and cover up his illegal actions.
Miguel Angel Vega, 33, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who also fined Vega $5,000.
At today’s hearing, Judge Anderson said Vega’s conduct had “embarrassed” the Sheriff’s Department and “every man and woman that puts on a badge every day and puts their lives at risk” and that today’s sentence sends “a clear message that there are serious consequences for law enforcement officers who abuse their power and violate their sworn oath to uphold the law.”
Vega pleaded guilty on September 6 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
“When law enforcement officers abuse their power, they tear at our social fabric by undermining public trust in the equal application of the law,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By violating his sacred oath to uphold the law, Vega also betrayed his fellow deputies, the vast majority of whom sacrifice every day to keep our community safe.”
“The defendant swore an oath to protect the public he served, but instead chose to violate the civil rights of an innocent young man,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s sentencing exemplifies the FBI’s commitment to protecting those who are illegally accused under the color of law, while restoring trust in the overwhelming majority of police professionals who devote themselves to serving their communities with integrity.”
“When the Sheriff’s Department became aware of allegations of misconduct against Miguel Vega, criminal and administrative investigations were initiated,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “The Department assisted federal agencies during the criminal investigation, contributing to their indictment. The Sheriff’s Department is committed to holding employees accountable for their actions and expects them to exhibit the highest moral and ethical standards when serving our communities.”
On the afternoon of April 13, 2020, Vega and his then-partner, Christopher Blair Hernandez, 38, were in uniform and on patrol in an LASD SUV near Wilson Park in Compton as part of their official duties at LASD.
Vega and Hernandez saw two young Black males outside a skateboard park enclosed by a tall wrought-iron fence within Wilson Park. Vega and Hernandez got out of the vehicle, approached the individuals, and ordered them to lift their shirts to search for firearms, which the individuals did not possess.
At this point, the victim – identified in court documents as “J.A.” – began yelling at Vega and Hernandez to leave the young Black males alone, and Vega began yelling back at the victim, challenging him to a fight. Soon afterward, to teach J.A. a lesson, Vega and Hernandez illegally detained him in their patrol vehicle without telling him that he was under arrest, handcuffing J.A., informing him of his rights, or securing his seatbelt in the LASD SUV. After driving away from the park, Vega continued to taunt and threaten J.A., including threatening to drop him off in gang territory where J.A. would be beaten. J.A. was never given a valid reason for his detention, and in fact there was no legitimate basis for the false imprisonment.
While still unlawfully confined and unsecured in the back of the patrol vehicle, J.A. sustained a cut above his eye during a subsequent police car chase when Vega crashed his LASD SUV into a wall in an alley while chasing a young male on a bicycle whom Vega believed may have possessed a firearm. After the crash, Vega told J.A. to flee despite J.A. suffering a head injury and sustaining a cut above his eye that required stitches. Vega initially lied to a supervising sergeant that no one else had been in the patrol vehicle at the time of the collision. Then, after J.A. was independently re-detained by other deputies responding to the scene, Vega lied and told the sergeant that he and Hernandez originally detained J.A. for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
As further part of the coverup, Vega and Hernandez had another deputy issue J.A. a citation for being under the influence of methamphetamine, even though Vega and Hernandez knew that this accusation was false. Vega and Hernandez later filed false incident reports to cover up their illegal conduct, repeating the same and other lies about the events of the day, including that J.A. appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant and threatened people at the park and that Vega had transferred J.A. to another patrol vehicle after the collision instead of directing J.A. to flee the scene.
Hernandez pleaded guilty on July 24 to one count of conspiracy pursuant to a cooperation plea agreement. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2024, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter. The LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jamari Buxton and Brian R. Faerstein of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Former Danbury Couple Sentenced to Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two former Danbury residents were sentenced today in New Haven federal court for firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer sentenced DARNELL MACON, Sr, 46, to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and KHARISMA BROOKS, 24, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the evidence presented during their trial last year, on May 27, 2021, Macon and Brooks visited a federally licensed firearms dealer in Kent, Connecticut, where Macon possessed, and then Brooks purchased, a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In 2002, Macon was convicted in New York of two counts of assault in the first degree, and in 2003, he was convicted in New York of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On June 7, 2021, ATF special agents investigating the firearm purchase on May 27, and another firearm purchased by Brooks in Stratford on May 25, visited Macon’s and Brooks’ Danbury residence and recovered the two firearms, which were located in Macon’s bedroom closet.
On October 31, 2022, Macon was found guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Brooks was found guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury found Brooks not guilty of one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
Macon and Brooks, who are released on bond and currently residing in Springfield, Massachusetts, are required to report to prison on January 15, 2024.
This investigation was conducted by ATF, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and David J. Sheldon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Former Claims Adjuster Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Providing Assistance to Individuals Who Carried Out Robberies, Shootings, While Dressed as Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew has sentenced Jasmine Weber (28, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery. Weber had pleaded guilty on January 20, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, between December 2020 and April 2021, Weber was aware that a group of individuals had conspired with each other to commit armed robberies throughout Pasco, Polk, Lee, and Hillsborough Counties. Weber knew that members of this conspiracy carried out their crimes by pretending to be law enforcement officers. Members of this conspiracy provided Weber with identifying information on their potential victims. Using her employment as a claims adjuster and knowing the co-conspirators’ goal, Weber researched those individuals on her Lexus Nexus account and located their home addresses. Members of this conspiracy then committed robberies at those residences, some of which resulted in victims being beaten, pistol whipped, and shot. Additionally, Weber purchased equipment for co-conspirators to use in the commission of these robberies, including Sheriff’s vests, law enforcement patches, and light bars.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartow Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, the Dade City Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Arcadia Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Five Federal Agencies Issue Joint Advisory on Safe Business Practices and Compliant Transfer of GoodsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today issued a joint compliance note highlighting common tactics deployed by malign actors in the maritime and other transportation industries as well as recent enforcement actions taken in response to alleged violations. Today’s note marks the first collective effort by the five agencies to inform the private sector about enforcement trends and provide guidance to the business community on compliance with U.S. sanctions and export laws. The Departments of Justice, Commerce, and the Treasury have previously issued two tri-seal compliance notes.
“Cargo shipments occur in increasingly complex geopolitical environments, and companies operating in this high-risk space must adhere vigilantly to U.S. sanctions and export control laws,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “As today’s joint alert makes clear, we will hold accountable companies that do not maintain rigorous compliance programs and violate the law.”
“Those who move cargo play a key role in helping to prevent sensitive goods and technologies from falling into the hands of proliferators, terrorists, and other malign actors,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “Across the federal government, we are united in our message – if you have a role in moving cargo, you have a responsibility to ensure your services are not being exploited by those who would do this country harm.”
“As Iran and other sanctioned actors increasingly use deceptive shipping practices to attempt sanctions evasion, those operating in the shipping sector need to be vigilant and employ risk-based compliance measures to counteract these threats,” said Director Brad Smith of OFAC. “Engaging with these actors not only risks civil penalties for U.S. companies, but also non-U.S. companies that cause U.S. persons to violate sanctions.”
“Training, outreach, and information sharing between the federal government and the transportation industry are the first lines of defense in preventing foreign adversaries from illegally obtaining sensitive U.S. technology for nefarious purposes,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of HSI. “It’s extremely important we remain vigilant and work collaboratively to ensure compliance remains at the forefront of what we do, as our nation depends on it.”
The compliance note describes various deceptive shipping and transportation tactics deployed by malign actors to facilitate the illicit transfer of cargo. In addition, the note advises companies doing business in these industries to implement and strengthen their compliance controls as necessary, especially when operating in high-risk areas or with counterparties who exhibit odd behavior. The note further identifies several compliance practices that may assist companies in identifying potential efforts to evade U.S. laws.
The compliance note also highlights criminal and civil enforcement authorities that the relevant agencies have taken to combat the illicit shipment of cargo as well as recent enforcement actions. These cases include the first-ever criminal resolution by the Department of Justice against a bareboat charter of a crude oil tanker carrying contraband Iranian oil and civil enforcement actions taken by BIS and OFAC imposing civil monetary penalties.
The note makes clear that companies engaged in the maritime or other transportation industries must be vigilant in their compliance efforts. Such vigilance includes assessing their risk profile for potential violations of U.S. sanctions and export laws, implementing rigorous compliance controls to mitigate those risks, and taking any other steps necessary to verify the true nature, origin, and destination of cargo they are involved in transporting.
Compliance noteFive Colombian Nationals Arrested for International Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Today, Alexander Valencia Garcia will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with two counts of international cocaine distribution. On November 7, 2023, the defendant, a Colombian citizen, was arrested in Florida on an arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York. On the same day, his co-defendants—Cesar Valencia Garcia, Diego Beltran Alvarez, Oscar Valencia Florez, and Jhonatan Samboni Ruiz—were all arrested in Colombia, and their extradition is pending.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Dominick L. Chiumento, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the arrests and arraignment.
“As alleged, these five co-defendants were members of an international drug trafficking organization that produced and exported hundreds of kilos of cocaine from Colombia to the United States,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring to justice those who are responsible for trafficking dangerous drugs into our communities whether here or in a foreign country.”
Mr. Peace extended his appreciation to the DEA’s office in Bogota, Colombia, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of State, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office in Colombia, the Colombian National Police, and the Government of Colombia.
“Alexander Valencia Garcia has been brought to justice for his alleged role in a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking conspiracy spanning from Colombia to New York. DEA and our law enforcement partners do not rest and continue to pursue those responsible for bringing illegal drugs into the United States. I commend the DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York for their tireless efforts in this investigation,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino.
“Our job is to identify, investigate, and arrest anyone responsible for distributing illegal drugs throughout New York City, wherever they are based,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I thank and commend the dedicated NYPD investigators who partner every day with our federal task force colleagues for extending their efforts beyond our borders to stop this poison from reaching our streets.”
NYSP Chiumento said, “The coordination and investigative persistence of all partners responsible for this indictment, sends a strong message that we will not tolerate dangerous drugs coming into our country or state. We will continue to work vigilantly to put dangerous individuals like Mr. Garcia behind bars. I want to thank our members and law enforcement partners for their tenacious dedication to tracking illegal drugs and intercepting them at their source before they infiltrate our communities."
According to the indictment, court filings, and statements made in Court, the defendant and his co-defendants were members of a sophisticated drug trafficking organization that operated in southwestern Colombia. The organization produced and transported thousands of kilograms of cocaine to locations along the coast of Colombia so that the cocaine could eventually be exported and smuggled into the United States. Valencia Garcia specifically helped oversee production in labs as well as transportation of finished cocaine. As part of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized over 500 kilograms of cocaine attributable to the defendant’s drug trafficking enterprise.
The arrests of Alexander Valencia Garcia and his co-defendants are the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The charges in the indictment allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Wang is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ALEXANDER VALENCIA GARCIA
Age: 57
ColombiaCESAR VALENCIA GARCIA
Age: 55
ColombiaDIEGO BELTRAN ALVAREZ
Age: 32
ColombiaOSCAR VALENCIA FLOREZ
Age: 24
ColombiaJHONATAN SAMBONI RUIZ
Age: 34
ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-513 (PKC)
Federal jury convicts Lame Deer pastor of sexually abusing children on Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A federal jury today convicted a Lame Deer pastor of sexually abusing three children while they were staying at his home, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a six-day trial that began on Dec. 4, the jury found Dean Alan Smith, 67, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact by force and two counts of abusive sexual contact by force and of a child. Smith faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. The jury acquitted Smith of one count of abusive sexual contact of a child.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for April 10, 2024. Smith was remanded into custody pending further proceedings.
“Pastor Dean Smith led a double life, one as a Pastor and the other as a sexual abuser of young children. I am thrilled the jury held Smith accountable for sexually abusing these victims and I hope holding him accountable will help the victims start the long road of healing from the trauma they’ve suffered. Obtaining justice is the hallmark of the work of both our office and our federal law enforcement partners and we have no greater responsibility than pursuing justice for victims of sexual abusers. Today’s verdicts validate our continued unwavering pursuit of those abusers, for which all of us, as well as the victims in this case and their families, are grateful,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Smith was the pastor of a local church in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, and that during his time on the reservation, he and his wife housed several foster children and temporarily hosted other children from the community. In approximately 2021 and 2022, four girls, identified as Jane Does 1, 2, 3 and 4, disclosed being sexually abused by Smith between 2017 and 2020 when they were staying or living at Smith’s home. The government alleged that Smith abused each of them, separately and in private, on multiple occasions. All of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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Dover Man Arrested and Charged with Threatening to Kill a Presidential CandidateRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dover man has been arrested and charged in connection with sending text messages that threatened a presidential candidate and attendees at a campaign event scheduled to take place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Tyler Anderson, 30, was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. Anderson will make an initial appearance in federal court in Concord today, December 11, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
According to the charging documents, Anderson received a text message from the victim’s campaign notifying him of a political event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Anderson responded to the text message on December 8, 2023, stating: “Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” and “I’m going to kill everyone who attends and then f*** their corpses.”
The charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover and Portsmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad Hodes and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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District Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Repeated Acts of Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Johnson, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 years in prison on multiple counts of first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, multiple counts of first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, second degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, attempted first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and assault. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the sentence. Johnson was convicted in July 2023 after a five-day trial in Superior Court in the District of Columbia.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on multiple occasions between November 2019 and September 2021, Johnson sexually abused a child who was nine- and 10-years-old at the time of the assaults. Johnson subjected the child to sexual acts and repeatedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him. Johnson, who was an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, resided in the home with the victim and took advantage of occasions when he was left in a position of supervision and care over her.
The Honorable Michael O’Keefe sentenced Johnson to a total of 384 months across multiple counts, to be followed by a period of supervised release. Upon his release, Johnson will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Kathleen Houck, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Court Employee Convicted at Trial in Connection with Decade-Long Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced on December 11, 2023, that a federal jury found DIONISIO FIGUEROA, a/k/a “Dionicio,” an employee of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (“the SDNY District Court”), guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and false statements charges for his participation in a scheme in which he referred criminal defendants to a criminal defense attorney and encouraged those defendants to retain the attorney, all in exchange for cash bribes. The attorney pled guilty to all counts on November 16, 2023. FIGUEROA will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on April 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Figueroa, a longtime clerk at the SDNY District Court, betrayed his employer, the public, and those who rely on the court to remain impartial. His actions violated his duties as a court employee, undermined the fair administration of justice, and undermined the work of the many good people in the courthouse who serve the criminal justice system with honesty and integrity. A federal jury has now held Figueroa accountable for his crimes. This verdict should remind public servants in positions of trust that if you betray the public, my Office will not hesitate to enforce the law.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
As a clerk in the SDNY Magistrate Clerk’s Office since in or about 2002, FIGUEROA was responsible for performing duties that included, among other things, making data entries regarding official case events in criminal cases, making summary entries of documents and proceedings on case dockets, and performing inquiries and furnishing information, either in person or by correspondence, regarding the status of cases. FIGUEROA also played a role with respect to the intake of criminal cases, including by preparing appearance bonds, advising defendants and their family members about the conditions of the bonds, and ensuring that appearance bonds were signed by all parties prior to a defendant’s release.
SDNY District Court personnel policies prohibited FIGUEROA from having outside employment that would pose a conflict of interest; receiving payments, gifts, or other benefits from persons having business before the District Court; and recommending particular attorneys to members of the public. FIGUEROA was also subject to the U.S. Courts’ Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees (the “Code of Conduct”), which cautioned judicial employees that “[a] number of criminal statutes of general applicability govern federal employees’ performance of official duties. These include: 18 U.S.C. § 201 (bribery of public officials and witnesses) . . . ” The Code of Conduct likewise admonished, among other things, that “[a] judicial employee should never influence or attempt to influence the assignment of cases, or perform any discretionary or ministerial function of the court in a manner that improperly favors any litigant or attorney, nor should a judicial employee imply that he or she is in a position to do so.”
TELESFORO DEL VALLE, JR., was a private attorney who had appeared in numerous federal criminal cases pending before the SDNY District Court.
Between at least 2011 and 2022, FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE engaged in a scheme whereby FIGUEROA used his position as an employee of the SDNY District Court to encourage criminal defendants to retain DEL VALLE to represent them in pending criminal cases. In return, DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA a portion of the fees clients paid to DEL VALLE. Over the course of more than a decade, FIGUEROA referred at least 45 SDNY criminal defendants to DEL VALLE, and DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA tens of thousands of dollars in referral fees. DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA directly and through an intermediary who would pick up envelopes of cash for FIGUEROA from DEL VALLE’s law office. Many of the clients who ended up retaining and paying DEL VALLE were assigned free, court-appointed counsel. Nevertheless, FIGUEROA encouraged those individuals to change counsel, including by vouching for DEL VALLE’s abilities as a lawyer.
FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE were also charged with making false statements to law enforcement during the investigation. In November 2022, federal law enforcement agents separately interviewed both FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE. After advising each that lying to federal law enforcement agents is a federal crime, FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE each made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations in response to the agents’ questions. In particular, FIGUEROA denied making any referrals to DEL VALLE except on a small number of occasions concerning close relations or friends. He further denied ever having received payments from DEL VALLE for referrals. DEL VALLE, upon being served with a federal grand jury subpoena requiring the production of records from his law firm, falsely denied having any records reflecting client referrals from or payments to FIGUEROA or anyone else.
DEL VALLE pled guilty to all charges on November 16, 2023, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge D’Agostino on March 12, 2024.
* * *
FIGUEROA, 66, of New York, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to bribe a federal employee and pay illegal compensation to a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of federal employee bribery, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of receiving illegal compensation as a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
DEL VALLE, 65, of Leonia, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to bribe a federal employee and pay illegal compensation to a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of federal employee bribery, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of paying illegal compensation to a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Jarrod L. Schaeffer, and Stephanie Simon, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Christopher de Grandpre, are in charge of the prosecution.
Disgruntled Cloud Engineer Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Intentionally Damaging His Former Employer’s Computer Network After He Was FiredRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Miklos Daniel Brody was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for a network intrusion and for making false statements to a government agency, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Secret Service (USSS) Special Agent in Charge Shawn M. Bradstreet. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William. H. Orrick, Senior United States District Judge.
Brody, 38, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to two charges that he violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act—by obtaining information from a protected computer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(C) and (c)(2)(B), and by intentionally damaging a protected computer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A) and (c)(4)(B)(i)—and one charge of making false statements to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
According to a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in December 2022, Brody worked as a cloud engineer for a bank headquartered in San Francisco until March 11, 2020, when he was fired for violating company policy.
The superseding indictment alleges that, later that evening, and continuing into the following morning, Brody used his company-issued laptop—which he failed to return upon being fired—to access the bank’s computer network without authorization and to cause substantial damage. Among other things, Brody deleted the bank’s code repositories, ran a malicious script to delete logs, left taunts within the bank’s code for former colleagues, and impersonated other bank employees by opening sessions in their names. He also emailed himself proprietary bank code that he had worked on as an employee, which was valued at over $5,000. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Orrick determined the total cost of the damage to the bank’s systems to be at least $220,621.22.
The superseding indictment also alleges that, in the days and weeks that followed his firing, Brody engaged in a series of evasive and deceptive actions, including filing a police report in which he falsely told the San Francisco Police Department that his company-issued laptop had been stolen from his car while he was working out at the gym. Brody doubled down on that false allegation in statements he made to USSS agents during an interview following his arrest in March 2021. In his guilty plea application, Brody admitted he made a false statement about the company-issued laptop and that he knew his statement was false at the time.
In addition to sentencing Brody to prison, Judge Orrick ordered him to pay restitution totaling $529,266.37 and to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren M. Harding and George O. Hageman are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Mark DiCenzo. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.
Davis County Man Sentenced for Animal TortureRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Samuel J. Webster, 20, of Farmington, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day imprisonment, a fine of $5,500, and term of three years supervised release. The sentence, ordered by Federal District Court Judge David Sam, comes after Webster pleaded guilty to animal torture via animal crushing and posting multiple videos of the animal cruelty on YouTube in Oct. 2021.
According to court documents, and admissions made during his change of plea hearing in August 2023, Mr. Webster purposefully engaged in animal crushing by purchasing a male guinea pig from a pet supply store in Farmington, Utah. Webster then purposefully subjected the guinea pig to serious injury and posting videos of the abuse on YouTube. See former news release here.
“The animal torture committed by Mr. Webster was not only illegal but inhumane and cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Torture of any kind to an animal is unacceptable. Our office will work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute all crimes of this nature.”
“Animals deserve to be treated humanely which is why the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act was passed in 2019,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Evidence shows that intentional animal cruelty can also be a precursor to other violent crimes. We are grateful for the public's assistance reporting this horrific abuse so law enforcement could put a stop to it and have Mr. Webster face the consequences."
The FBI Salt Lake Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance by the Woods Cross Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
If you are aware of animal cruelty, please report it to law enforcement or call 1-800-CALL-FBI or leave a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
Criminal Fine and Restitution Ordered for Company Operating Aluminum Processing Facility in the Dalles for Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Illinois-based company that operates an aluminum processing facility in The Dalles, Oregon, was ordered to pay a fine and restitution today for violating the Clean Air Act by negligently releasing a hazardous air pollutant from its facility.
Hydro Extrusion USA (Hydro), a limited liability corporation based in Rosemont, Illinois, was ordered to pay a criminal fine of $550,000 and more than $213,000 in restitution to an employee sickened by the hazardous release.
According to court documents, Hydro operates a secondary aluminum processing facility in The Dalles where it melts aluminum scrap in induction furnaces to produce reusable aluminum billets. While operating, air emissions from the company’s furnaces were open to the interior of the building and did not pass through any pollution control devices before reaching employees or being vented to ambient air.
Under the Clean Air Act, secondary aluminum production facilities are only permitted to use “clean charge,” aluminum scrap free of paints, coatings or lubricants. Despite this requirement, from July 2018 through June 2019, Hydro acquired and melted scrap aluminum coated in a mineral-oil based mixture that, when combusted, produced hazardous smoke. Hydro saved approximately $466,000 purchasing the unclean charge. During this time, Hydro employees noticed excessive smoke in the facility. Despite being notified by inspectors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (Oregon DEQ), Hydro continued melting the unclean charge.
On August 23, 2022, after cooperating with the government’s investigation and agreeing to plead guilty, Hydro was charged by federal criminal information with one count of negligent endangerment by discharging a hazardous pollutant. On January 24, 2023, the company pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) with assistance from Oregon DEQ. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Karla Perrin, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, for the District of Oregon.
Convicted felon going back to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Bibbins, 51, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography after having previously been convicted of a child pornography offense, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that in 2015, Bibbins was convicted of a child pornography offense in New York State Court and sentenced to a jail term and 10 years’ probation. In 2020, Bibbins violated his probation and was sentenced to serve one to three years in prison. On September 19, 2022, he was released on parole. Within three days of his release, Bibbins acquired an internet-capable cellular phone in violation of his parole conditions. On September 22, 2022, during a routine search, parole officers discovered the phone secreted in a trash can at the half-way house where Bibbins was living and discovered images of children in sexually explicit poses, as well as images of naked children. A full forensic examination of the phone by the FBI, which uncovered multiple sexually explicit images of children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Company Selling Migraine Treatment Device Agrees to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Utah-based Dolor Technologies, LLC (“Dolor) has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States to resolve Dolor’s civil liability relating to a device it sold and marketed to treat migraines, the Department of Justice announced Monday. This resolution requires Dolor to make monetary payments to the U.S. based upon its ability to pay.
The government alleges that, between July 2013 through July 2017, Dolor violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing medical providers to submit false claims to the Medicare Program for procedures using a device called the SphenoCath.
The SphenoCath was intended to treat migraine headaches by administering nerve blocks to the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a collection of nerves located deep in the midface of the skull. The government alleged the SphenoCath was not approved or authorized by the FDA for use in SPG nerve blocks for the treatment of headaches.
The government also alleged Dolor instructed, coached, and encouraged medical providers to submit improper billing codes to Medicare for reimbursement of services using the SphenoCath device.
“Device companies that evade the FDA approval process and improperly promote their products undermine the health of patients and the financial integrity of federal health care programs,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois. “This settlement demonstrates the commitment of our office and investigative partners to combat health care fraud against the Medicare Program.”
In a related criminal matter, Dolor’s former chief executive officer, Mark Wright, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah to misdemeanor charges of causing the introduction of misbranded and adulterated devices into interstate commerce. As part of his guilty plea, Wright admitted that Dolor did not seek approval or clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to distribute the SphenoCath for the intended use of treating headaches.
“U.S. consumers rely on FDA oversight to ensure that medical devices are safe and effective. Device manufacturers who disregard FDA’s oversight and misdirect the use of medical devices put consumers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies that jeopardize the public health.”
Wright also admitted that, while FDA had recommended in April 2014 that Dolor proceed with investigational studies regarding the SphenoCath’s safety and effectiveness, Dolor never conducted any such study. Instead, Wright and Dolor continued to market the SphenoCath with the intention that it be used to treat migraine headaches by administering SPG nerve blocks.
“The submission of false claims to Medicare undermines the solvency of our federal health care programs and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency, working with our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable those who seek to defraud federally funded health care programs.”
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA by Ronald Michael, M.D. The act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Ronald Michael, M.D. v. Dolor Technologies, LLC, et al., No. 15-cv-1004 (S.D. Ill.), which also resulted in a civil settlement with device companies Jet Medical, LLC and Medical Components, Inc. Dr. Michael will receive a share of the proceeds from the FCA settlements.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. The FCA is one of the most powerful tools in this effort. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 900-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The government is represented in the civil case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Barke of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The claims settled by the civil agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Colombian Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to money laundering.
Luis Fernando Galindo-Ramos, 55, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, laundering of monetary instruments and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2024. Galindo-Ramos was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2021 and arrested in Cali, Colombia in November 2021. He was extradited to the United States on June 8, 2023.In or about August 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Cali, Colombia that laundered approximately $1 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States – including banks in Massachusetts – by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE).
Galindo-Ramos arranged the domestic transfer of substantial amounts of bulk cash within the United States. He maintained the security of those funds during the transfers through the exchange of passcodes. The funds were subsequently integrated into bank accounts located in the United States and held in the names of businesses and individuals in order to repay drug suppliers in Colombia. By using the BMPE, Galindo-Ramos conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement. Approximately $550,000 in laundered bulk currency was seized during the investigation.
The charges of money laundering conspiracy and laundering of monetary instruments each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The crime of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the amount involved. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. 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 Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Galindo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are 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.
Clifton Park Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Kirkland, age 30, of Clifton Park, New York, pled guilty today to the attempted online enticement of a minor.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Kirkland admitted that on August 11, 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with someone he believed was an adult offering the sexual services of a 12-year old girl in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Kirkland also admitted that on August 11, 2022, he travelled to a hotel in Saratoga County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 12-year-old girl. Kirkland was arrested by law enforcement shortly after arriving at the location.
At sentencing on April 11, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe, Kirkland faces at least 10 years and up to a life in prison, as well as a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life. The court may also impose a fine, restitution, and forfeiture of the smartphone Kirkland used to commit his offense. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Kirkland will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI’s Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force and Capital Region Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. Each task force is comprised of FBI Special Agents, as well as state and local police investigators, including from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Clarkston Man Convicted of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a jury returned verdicts on December 6, 2023, following the trial of David Elmo Curry, 38 of Clarkston, Washington. Curry was convicted by a jury on two counts of Attempted Enticement of a Minor.
Evidence introduced at trial established that on November 16, 2019, Curry was arrested when he arrived at a house in Yakima, Washington after having responded to an on-line ad by a woman purporting to be the mother of two daughters – ages 11 and 13. According to the ad, the mother was seeking money in exchange for sex with her minor children. The on-line ad actually was part of a sting operation conducted by the Washington State Patrol, assisted by the Yakima and Union Gap Police Departments and Homeland Security Investigations. At the time of his arrest, Curry had condoms and flavored lubricant with him. Curry was then charged in Yakima County Superior Court with Attempted First Degree Attempted Rape of a Child and Second Degree Attempted Rape of a child. He later was released on bail on these state charges.
Following Curry’s release on bail, a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer, acting in an undercover capacity, responded to a separate on-line ad, which Curry placed by while on release. The undercover officer represented that he was a thirteen-year-old girl and Curry engaged the officer in sexual talk, requested nude images, and made arrangements to meet with him in person. At one point, Curry determined the purported child’s preferred candy and purchased flavored lubricant in a corresponding flavor for a planned meeting the next day, which never took place.
Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian presided over the trial, which began on December 4, 2023. Sentencing in this matter is set for March 26, 2024. Curry faces a minimum sentence of 10 years’ incarceration and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, as well as no less than five years of supervised release and mandatory sex offender registration for each count.
“Mr. Curry attempted to meet, what he believed to be, a 13-year-old child for sex. When Mr. Curry did so, he had been released on bail for a similar charge,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am thankful to our excellent law enforcement partners and the members of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force who work to ensure our communities are protected from those that would harm the most vulnerable among us.”
“Once again, we are so proud of the teamwork and dedication displayed by the partnership with the SER-ICAC team, including the Washington State Patrol and Yakima Police Department, on this case,” stated Commander Damon Janson, Investigations Division with the Richland Police Department. “Having a dedicated, southeast regional team, focused on child internet sex crimes is both important and vital to the world we live in today.”
“This sentence serves as a poignant reminder of the vigilance required to shield our communities from those who prey on the most vulnerable. In a chilling narrative, Curry's actions, even while on bail for similar charges, lay bare the urgent need for unwavering dedication to protecting our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “I’m thankful for our law enforcement partnerships on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that continue to demonstrate through these arrests that we will continue to patrol the shadows of the internet to bring these predators to justice.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol, the Yakima Police Department and the Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force, consisting of the Richland and Kennewick Police Departments. This case was prosecuted and tried to a jury by Michael Murphy, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Cassandra Lee Lovely, 34, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2023, Lovely purchased a Smith & Wesson M&P 45 from a Hurricane business. Lovely admitted that she purchased the firearm for a convicted sex offender who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction. Lovely further admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearm when Lovely knew she was purchasing it for the individual who was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Lovely provided the firearm to the prohibited person following the purchase, and he reimbursed her by sending her $748 through the Cash App mobile payment service. The prohibited person was unsatisfied with the firearm, and Lovely traded it in at a South Charleston business for a Smith & Wesson SD9 VE 9mm pistol on April 27, 2023. Lovely admitted that she again falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearm when Lovely knew she was purchasing it for the individual who was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On June 21, 2023, law enforcement officers seized the firearm when they arrested the prohibited person on an active warrant in Rhode Island.
Lovely is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-183.
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Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Gun, Methamphetamine CrimesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a previously-convicted felon who was caught with two stolen guns, two other guns and methamphetamine to 12 years in prison.
Daniel T. Aguilar, 39, of Cape Girardeau, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies: possession of stolen firearms, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Aguilar admitted to breaking into a storage unit in Jackson, Missouri on Sept. 30, 2022, and stealing a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 pistol. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force learned on Jan. 10, 2023, that Aguilar had meth, a pistol and stolen property in his home. Detectives watched as Aguilar took license plates off his Toyota Scion and placed them on an SUV with expired plates. Aguilar then drove off in the SUV. The Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped the SUV and found 42 grams of meth inside. A court-approved search of Aguilar’s home and vehicle found 14 grams of meth hidden in a couch cushion, stolen property and bolt cutters in his bedroom and two handguns hidden in a speaker box in the trunk of his vehicle. The two stolen guns were recovered from his girlfriend’s house.
Aguilar has five prior felony convictions, including carjacking. He was on probation for state charges at the time of his federal offenses.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Nationwide Credit Card Fraud Affecting Thousands of Account HoldersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A manager for a conspiracy that used stolen credit card information to make fraudulent retail purchases around the United States was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Trevor Osagie, 32, of the Bronx, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William Martini to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least 2015 through November 2018, Osagie conspired with a network of individuals based in the New Jersey/New York area who made trips around the United States in order to use stolen credit card information to purchase gift cards, flights, hotels, rental cards, and other goods and services. Other participants in the conspiracy obtained stolen credit card information through the “dark web” and other sources. In addition to recruiting at least one individual to create the fraudulent credit cards, Osagie managed the individuals who traveled around the United States conducting the fraudulent transactions. The conspirators made over $1.5 million in fraudulent purchases using over 4,000 stolen credit card accounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Osagie to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.43 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hatley, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
Bradenton Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing Ten FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Terrence Johnson, Jr. (28, Bradenton) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on June 26, 2023.
According to court documents, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting near 31st Avenue East in Bradenton and discovered several spent cartridge casings in the roadway in front of a residence where Johnson resided. There were also several bullet holes in a window of the home facing the street. During a search of the residence, the deputies discovered spent cartridge casings on the floor in the front room of the home, narcotics, approximately $27,000 in cash, and equipment for a digital video recording (DVR) system.
The deputies also searched a sedan that was parked in the driveway of the residence. Inside the vehicle’s trunk, the deputies located 10 firearms, including an AK-style 7.62 mm caliber “MAK90 Sporter” Norinco rifle. Recovered footage from the contents of the DVR system showed that on the morning of February 19, 2023, Johnson exited the residence carrying the above-described Norinco rifle which he placed inside the trunk of his sedan. During an interview with ATF agents, Johnson confessed to possessing the rifle as a convicted felon. Johnson identified himself as holding the same rifle as depicted in a screenshot taken from the DVR on the same date.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha J. Newman.
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.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction SummitRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Summit today. Before that national audience, he discussed the Northern District of Alabama’s work in Jefferson County on domestic violence matters.
U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, AUSA Jeremy Sherer, and Kelly Klehm, Deputy Director of One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (One Place), and Director of Camp Hope – Alabama, are presenting at the Summit on the Safe at Home: PSN’s Role in Reducing Domestic Violence panel.
Since 2022, the Department of Justice has committed more than $1.6 million of funding for new projects to address domestic violence within the Northern District of Alabama.
In 2022, the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $500,000 to One Place to facilitate and implement the Domestic Violence and Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) in Jefferson County, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham approximately $340,000 to enhance the response of local law enforcement and prosecutors in Jefferson County. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dedicated Project Safe Neighborhoods grant resources to enhance protections for domestic violence victims within the district.
In 2023, the OVW awarded One Place $800,000 to support its mission as the comprehensive service provider for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Jefferson County. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!) and the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) partnered with One Place in its application to enhance services to survivors of domestic violence in Jefferson County. The award comes to One Place through OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses grant program.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Remarks Delivered:
Thanks everybody. Thanks, Amy. Thanks to everybody from the team at the Office of Justice Programs. Thanks, Karhlton, and everybody from the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
I know how hard it is to put something like this together and how much work. And I greatly appreciative everyone’s efforts.
Thank you, Mayor Hogsett, and Chief Taylor for welcoming us to Indianapolis. We are grateful to both of you for being here today and for hosting us. Mayor Hogsett, as a former U.S. Attorney, we regard you as one of our own, and we are grateful that you are here.
I also want to recognize the state and local law enforcement leaders, city and town leaders, and community partners who have traveled from across the country to be here for the next three days.
I speak for all of us at the Justice Department when I say that your perspectives and your insights are invaluable to us. We have an enormous amount of respect for the work you do every single day in your communities.
And speaking of all of us at the Justice Department, I really mean that. I am also joined here this morning by Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, whom you all know well.
Also here are leaders from each of the Department’s law enforcement components, the ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service; 40 of our United States Attorneys and senior leaders from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country; leaders from the Office on Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ); and many other components.
I am very pleased that all of them are here; I am very proud of their work.
Convenings like this one, with our law enforcement and community partners, are always important to us at the Justice Department. We know that the best time to build relationships across agencies and jurisdictions is before a crisis or an incident occurs in our communities.
But this is an especially critical time in our work together to keep our communities safe.
Today, we are confronting a global threat environment that makes it particularly urgent for us to remain vigilant in the face of risks of terrorism and hate-fueled violence.
We are closely monitoring the impact that the conflict in the Middle East may have in inspiring foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, and domestic violent extremists both in the United States and abroad.
And all of us have seen the extremely sharp increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities across our country since October 7. The fear that so many communities are feeling is palpable.
This comes at a time when law enforcement agencies and communities across the country have already been facing significant challenges in the form of violent crime.
We are here together today because we know that no one law enforcement agency, no one community, no one town or city can address these challenges on its own. We need each other. We need to work together.
We are also here in Indianapolis for the same reason that all of us came to public service in the first place: we believe that everyone in our country deserves to feel safe and to be safe in our communities.
Every person, in every neighborhood, deserves to feel protected. Every parent deserves to know that their children will be safe when they play outside.
Violent crime is not just a threat to people’s physical safety; it is a threat to their ability to freely go about their daily lives. Violent crime isolates people and their communities. It deepens the fractures in our public life. And when it is not addressed, it can undermine people’s trust in the government and in each other.
Combating the threat that violent crime poses to people’s safety, and to our shared future, is what motivates us at the Justice Department every day.
Shortly after I was sworn in as Attorney General, we launched our Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic.
Central to that strategy is the importance of our partnerships.
That includes partnership among federal law enforcement agencies assisting in the fight against violent crime; partnership with the local communities harmed by that crime; and partnership with the state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies protecting those local communities every day.
Another element of that strategy is the recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.
That’s why one of the first things we did was focus on strengthening Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). We oriented the program around a set of principles that put community partnerships, community trust, violence prevention, and measuring results at the center of our efforts.
Since then, each of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices has worked with its partners in state and local law enforcement to develop and implement data-driven, district-specific, anti-violent crime efforts.
Our U.S. Attorneys have brought together law enforcement, research, and community partners to develop PSN programs designed to focus on the drivers of violent crime in their communities. And I am proud of the work they have done. To give just a few examples:
Right here in Indianapolis, less than two weeks ago, a PSN case out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana brought together its partners at the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to secure the conviction and sentencing of a repeat violent offender.
In the Middle District of Florida, the office’s PSN strategy has focused not only on the investigation, disruption, and prosecution of violent crime, but also on targeted outreach to members of the community, including students, community leaders, and people incarcerated in state prisons nearing their release dates. This outreach is aimed at preventing violence before it occurs.
And in the Northern District of Alabama, the office created a PSN program, the Operation Safe Families Initiative, to combat the domestic violence that is driving a significant part of the violent crime in that district. In Jefferson County, Alabama, domestic abusers annually commit more than 70% of the homicides.
The Northern District of Alabama’s PSN program brings together — in one building — federal and local prosecutors as well as law enforcement, victim service providers, and other partner agencies.
This program gives victims of domestic violence a place to go that can meet their needs — not just in terms of pursuing enforcement options against the perpetrator, but also in regaining a sense of safety and well-being.
Like PSN, the National Public Safety Partnership, or PSP, is focused on strengthening partnerships across communities to tackle violent crime.
PSP makes DOJ tools and expertise available to local law enforcement agencies as they work to address the unique challenges of their communities. Sites participating in this program are able to consult with and receive training, technical assistance, and an array of Department resources to combat violent crime.
Today I want to welcome the newest sites participating in PSP this year, all of which are represented here today.
- Knoxville, Tennessee;
- Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Raleigh, North Carolina;
- San Antonio, Texas; and
- Vallejo, California;
You join more than 50 communities that have worked with DOJ personnel, outside experts, and each other to better understand and tackle the violent crime challenges specific to their communities. We look forward to working together with you.
In addition to PSN and PSP, the Justice Department is putting to use every resource at our disposal in the fight against violent crime.
This includes our prosecutors, who are going after the recidivists and gangs that are responsible for the greatest violence.
This includes our law enforcement components, each of which is working with its state and local law enforcement partners to seize illegal guns and deadly drugs.
And this includes our grantmaking components, which are working closely with communities across the country to provide targeted support and assistance.
We are funding evidence-based, community-centered initiatives aimed at preventing and disrupting violence. We are funding community policing efforts that build the public trust between law enforcement and the community that we know is essential to public safety.
And we are making critical investments in hiring more law enforcement officers in communities nationwide to address the crisis in recruitment and retention to support much-needed resources for law enforcement officer health and wellness.
As we work with our partners nationwide to implement community-tailored approaches to combating violent crime, we also recognize that there are universal challenges that require a comprehensive approach. That includes the epidemic of gun violence.
And that is why ATF is working with its state and local partners to trace more firearms than ever before in its history.
That is why we are operating Crime Gun Intelligence Centers in every ATF Field Division to coordinate comprehensive tracing and ballistics analysis. These centers, which are represented here today, allow state and local law enforcement agencies to harness the power of ATF’s ballistics database and firearms-tracing technologies. This information helps lead them to the repeat shooters who fuel violent crime.
In addition, all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are bringing gun trafficking cases under the new provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Those provisions have given us new authorities to go after gun traffickers and straw purchasers responsible for flooding our communities with guns. Our prosecutors have now charged nearly 300 defendants under that Act and seized hundreds of firearms in connection with these cases.”
I have mentioned several examples of how the Justice Department is working to implement our partnership-based violent crime strategy.
In implementing that strategy, we have generated a wealth of resources shaped heavily by the feedback we have received from all of you.
But information is only as helpful as it is accessible. That is why, today we are releasing a new publication through the Office of Justice Programs, our Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap.
We have spent two and a half years using every available resource to combat the violent crime spike, and this is a guide to the programs and strategies that we have seen work.
We have seen them work in the District of New Jersey. There, federal, state, and local law enforcement have worked together to target their resources on the individuals and organizations that were primarily driving violent crime in five target cities with the worst violent crime. These efforts have paid off, as the number of shootings have decreased significantly in New Jersey, statewide.
And we have seen them work in the Eastern District of Michigan, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with both law enforcement and the community to drive down violent crime in Detroit.
Through the One Detroit Partnership, they have aggressively prosecuted the primary drivers of violence, worked with community groups to prevent violence from occurring, and collaborated with corrections experts to support those who are returning to the community to ensure they do not return to violence.
This kind of partnership works: recent data from the Detroit Police Department indicate that this year the city is on track for the fewest homicides in Detroit in over 60 years.
It is our hope that the Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap provides a starting point for communities across the country to learn about resources available to help them replicate these efforts.
As I said at the start of my remarks, all of our communities are facing urgent and unprecedented challenges today.
But I am encouraged by the data we have been seeing indicating a recent decline in homicides. The FBI has reported that the number of homicides fell over 6% nationally between 2021 and 2022.
And earlier this year, the Major Cities Chiefs Association reported an over 10% decrease in the number of murders across 69 major cities through September of this year, compared to the same time period last year. These developments are encouraging. But this is not a time to relax our efforts. We have so much more to do.
I am even more encouraged by your presence here.
We know that the only way to replicate what is working and to bring violent crime down in every community is learning from each other and by investing in our partnerships.
I know that is what you’re going to be doing over the next three days.
Our work together is our best hope to fulfill the promise that brought us all here — that we will protect each other.
Thank you for your commitment to that work.
Arvin High School Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Explosive Offenses and Making False Statements to FBIRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Angelo Jackson Mendiver, 27, of Bakersfield, a campus security supervisor at Arvin High School, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to engage in manufacturing and dealing in explosive materials and mailing explosive devices, as well as making false statements to FBI agents, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Mendiver used an Instagram account to sell explosives and explosive materials and worked closely with a male juvenile Bakersfield high school student to fulfill transactions and send explosives in the mail to residents of other states. On June 1, 2023, a federal search warrant executed at Mendiver’s residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials. Agents seized another 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials from the juvenile’s residence. At both residences, agents found other items used to make explosives.
In one Instagram message to the juvenile, Mendiver sent a photo of titanium salute, an explosive device, followed by two videos he took of homemade explosive devices that he had made and the statement that “homemade kills all consumer.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Mendiver is scheduled for sentencing on April 1, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,00 fine for each count. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Amarillo man guilty of violent crime spree from Beaumont to LufkinRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – An Amarillo man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Jamelle Antoine Parker, 35, pleaded guilty to carjacking and Hobbs Act Robbery before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Dec. 11, 2023.
According to information presented in court, on April 1, 2023, Parker approached a woman putting air in her tires at a gas station on Washington Boulevard in Beaumont. Parker demanded the car from the woman. While doing so, he reached in his waistband for what the woman believed to be a firearm. She ran to a nearby store as Parker fled in her vehicle. Parker drove the stolen vehicle to the Criss Cross convenience store on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Beaumont. Parker entered the store, told the clerk he had a firearm, and demanded money from the register or the clerk would be killed. Parker obtained money from the clerk and fled the scene. Parker then drove the stolen vehicle to Lufkin where he crashed the vehicle into the Big's convenience store on West Frank, Avenue. Parker entered that convenience store and told the clerk he had a firearm and demanded and obtained money from the clerk. Parker fled on foot towards a nearby Whataburger. Parker approached a vehicle in the drive-through lane of the Whataburger and demanded the driver’s vehicle, while asking the driver if he “wanted to die today.” The driver exited the vehicle, and Parker grabbed him by the neck and pushed him aside. Parker began speeding away in the stolen vehicle, in the direction of a responding officer. Parker was shot by the officer in the legs with non-life threatening wounds. Parker crashed the vehicle after a brief chase and was taken into custody.
Parker was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2023. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
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 is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Beaumont Police Department, and the Lufkin Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
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Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Solomon, age 37, of Albany, pled guilty today to defrauding a loan program meant for businesses struggling with the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Solomon admitted that in 2020, he fraudulently applied for and obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for two restaurants in Saratoga Springs, New York, that he had once operated. Solomon submitted false and forged tax documents as part of each loan application, and lied about each restaurant’s number of employees and payroll.
At the time Solomon applied for the loans, neither restaurant was operational, and Solomon used the loaned funds, totaling $163,993, in ways he knew were prohibited by the PPP. Solomon also fraudulently obtained forgiveness of one of the loans, in the amount of $87,500, by falsely telling the lender that he used most of the loaned funds for payroll.
PPP loans, which were issued by financial institutions in 2020 and 2021 and guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, needed to be used by the borrowing businesses only on certain, permissible expenses, such as payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.
Solomon pled guilty to two counts of bank fraud. He faces up to 30 years in prison, and up to 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when he is sentenced on April 30, 2024 by Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Solomon has also agreed to pay $163,993 in restitution and to forfeit that same amount as proceeds of his crimes.
The FBI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this 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.