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Thursday 26 October 2023
Two Members of Newark Sex, Money, Murder Gang Charged with Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of the Sex, Money, Murder (SMM) street gang operating in the Bradley Court Housing Complex were charged by criminal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tyler Shorter, aka “Money Bags,” aka “Bags,” 19; and Amir Canty, aka “Blast,” 20; both of Newark, are charged by complaint with one count each of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They made their initial court appearances on Oct. 25, 2023, before U.S. magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Shorter and Canty were members of the SMM street gang set operating in the Bradley Court Housing Complex, known as M-Blok. SMM is known for drug distribution in and around its controlled territory, fraud schemes, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as for violence against numerous rival neighborhoods and gangs. Among other things, Shorter and Canty used social media and rap music to tout the power of SMM in an effort to keep victims and rivals in fear of the gang. SMM has been involved in an escalating feud with a rival neighborhood-based gang known as GBlock, whose members are affiliated with the Grape Street Crips and operate in the area of Goodwin Avenue in Newark.
Shorter and the victim, Nyshon Anthony, were rival rappers representing their respective gangs and neighborhoods. After an exchange of threatening and disrespectful music videos and songs released between the rival gangs, on Nov. 8, 2022, Shorter allegedly shot and killed the Anthony on South Orange Avenue in Newark, with the assistance of Canty.
The murder in aid of racketeering charges are punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison and a potential capital punishment.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Fritz G. Fragé, the New Jersey State Police under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and the Nassau County Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division; the U.S. Marshals; the Newark Department of Public Safety; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office; the N.J. State Board of Parole; the Union County Jail; the N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center; the N.J. Department of Corrections; the East Orange Police Department; and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
shortercanty.complaint.pdfTucson Man Arrested for Mass Shooting Threat at University of ArizonaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Lee, 27, of Tucson, was arrested yesterday on a federal complaint warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force for transmitting threats through interstate communications for threatening to commit a mass shooting at the University of Arizona.
The complaint alleges that Lee transmitted threats to commit a mass shooting at the university in a group chat on Snapchat. Lee is not a student at the university but expressed a desire to get revenge on “all the chads and stacies!!” “Chads” and “stacies” are commonly used terms by self-described involuntary celibates (incels). Lee made further reference to incel ideology, and finished the conversation by stating “im gonna do it guys, my mind is made up and there’s nothing u can do or say to stop me.”
The United States will have 30 days from arrest to indict Lee. A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Arizona Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-02094MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-160_Lee# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute 22 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Hutto, Texas man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Donald Lamont Griffin, 44, was stopped for a traffic violation on November 7, 2022, on Highway I-10, in Harrison County, MS. The Harrison County Deputy who initiated the stop requested assistance from a police K9. The K9 conducted a sniff of Griffin’s vehicle and alerted. A subsequent search yielded 22 kilograms of cocaine from the vehicle.
Griffin will be sentenced on February 7, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison as to each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Suffolk Man Pleads Guilty to $2M Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud health insurance programs of more than $2 million through fraudulent claims for braces and other medical equipment.
According to court documents, in 2017, Julian Latty, 40, and his co-conspirator Jordan Thomas Broome, 37, of Texas, formed a Virginia Beach company called Beach Medical Suppliers LLC (Beach Medical). They registered Beach Medical to receive Medicare reimbursements in 2018. For the next two years, Latty and Broome used Beach Medical to fraudulently bill Medicare for over $4 million in reimbursements for durable medical equipment, which included back braces and knee braces. They obtained the personally identifiable information of Medicare beneficiaries then paid doctors to sign prescriptions for braces that the beneficiaries did not need. Between December 4, 2018, and October 7, 2020, Beach Medical billed Medicare for durable medical equipment reimbursement for approximately 2,025 beneficiaries who had no prior relationship with the doctor who signed the prescription. Beach Medical also billed other health care benefit programs, such as Medicaid and Tricare, for fraudulent claims. The investigation started when beneficiaries complained to Medicare that they were receiving braces in the mail that they had never requested.
In December 2019, Latty and Broome met with an attorney Beach Medical had retained who advised them that its operations were likely illegal. However, they continued to submit fraudulent reimbursements until federal authorities executed a search warrant at Beach Medical’s offices in September 2020.
In March 2023, Broome was sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
Latty is scheduled to be sentenced on February 29, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-121.
State College Man Sentenced to Twenty Years’ Imprisonment for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kristopher R. Hall, age 46, formerly of State College, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by the Honorable Jennifer P. Wilson to 20 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 20 years of supervised released based upon his previously entered guilty plea for attempting to produce images containing the sexual exploitation of a child. Hall is currently incarcerated at the Dauphin County Prison on related local charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hall solicited a 14-year-old female to send him sexually explicit images and engaged in a sexual relationship with that victim for approximately six months. Hall also solicited and received sexually explicit images from three additional minor females. Hall pleaded guilty in the Court of Common Pleas for Cumberland County to indecent sexual assault of a person under the age of 16 regarding his relationship with the 14-year-old female victim and is scheduled to be sentenced for that offense on October 31, 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the State College Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas and Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler prosecuted the case.
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St. Louis Man Admits Making, Selling Fake Temporary Vehicle License Tags and Dealer PlatesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted manufacturing and selling fake temporary vehicle license tags, fake dealer plates and bogus insurance identification cards.
Mario C. Cooks, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony counts of fraudulent transfer of an authentication feature. He admitted producing and selling 329 fake temporary tags and 27 fake insurance cards as well as dealer license plates. According to Cooks, he sold the fake temporary tags for $60 each and the fake dealer plates for $650 each.
The investigation began when the St. Charles Police Department learned that Cooks was selling fake temporary tags and dealer license plates. In June of 2022, an undercover officer arranged to buy a counterfeit temporary tag from Cooks for $60, Cooks’ plea says. In subsequent transactions, Cooks sold the officer two counterfeit motor vehicle insurance identification cards and two more counterfeit temporary tags.
In a court-approved search of Cooks’ home on Dec. 15, 2022, investigators found computer equipment, a printer, two counterfeit motor vehicle insurance identification cards, blank sheets of temporary Missouri Department of Revenue paper with authentication features, counterfeit temporary tags, fraudulent Missouri dealer license plates and blank stock check paper, Cooks’ plea agreement says. A forensic analysis of the computer equipment revealed Cooks’ history of producing hundreds of fake tags.
The plea says that those who are trying to hide their possession of a stolen vehicle or dodge their financial obligations as vehicle owners often purchase fake temporary tags and other documents.
Cooks is scheduled to be sentenced January 25. He could face up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and the Missouri Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
St. Joseph Man Sentenced for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than two kilograms of heroin.
Harvey E. Johnson, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Johnson to forfeit to the government $43,200, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
On Aug. 4, 2021, Johnson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the St. Joseph area from Sept. 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021.
Johnson was in possession of approximately 51 grams of heroin when he was arrested on March 16, 2021, after fleeing from law enforcement officers in a high-speed car chase. According to court documents, Johnson is responsible for distributing at least 2.835 kilograms of heroin, which is over 28,000 potentially lethal, 0.1-gram “doses” of the drug.
Johnson was on state parole following his conviction on drug charges during his involvement in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Co-defendant Roderick A. Hughes, 50, was sentenced on Oct. 10, 2023, to 17 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to court documents, Hughes is responsible for distributing at least 461.9 grams of heroin, which is over 4,600 potentially lethal, 0.1-gram “doses” of the drug.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hughes’s apartment on Feb. 23, 2021. Officers found a silver revolver on the kitchen table. They also found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun on a nightstand in the bedroom, a Stoeger 9mm handgun and a Jennings Bryco 9mm handgun on a shelf in the bedroom, and a black safe under the bed that contained 23.4 grams of heroin and $4,703 in cash. Officers also searched the garage and found three plastic bags with a total of 96.3 grams of heroin hidden in the rafters.
Co-defendant Franklin T. Hicks Jr., also known as “Frankie,” 43, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty on May 31, 2022, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1, 2023. Hicks was arrested outside of a hotel in St. Joseph on Jan. 22, 2021. He was in possession of 35.8 grams of heroin and $2,687 in cash. Officers also found a loaded Rock Island Armory .380-caliber handgun under the driver’s seat of his car and a Ruger 9mm handgun in the glovebox.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Springfield Man Involved in Shooting Sentenced for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms on four separate occasions, including an incident that involved a shooting in a neighborhood.
Darris Lamar Mull, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 19, 2022, Mull pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Mull admitted he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Kel-Tec pistol with an extended 30-round magazine on Dec. 6, 2020.
He also possessed firearms on Dec. 15, 2017, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence and found a firearm in the dining room and another firearm in the closet; on March 30, 2018, when police officers searched Mull’s vehicle after a traffic stop and found a loaded firearm in the glove box; and on Sept. 2, 2021, when officers found a loaded firearm in his backpack following a foot chase.
Mull, along with co-defendants Cartevion Marquis Chapman, 35, and Nicholas David Caligone, 45, both of Springfield, was involved in a shooting and retaliatory shooting that occurred on Dec. 5 and 6, 2020, over allegations that Mull had stolen drugs from another individual.
Chapman’s vehicle was damaged in a drive-by shooting at Zan Nightclub in downtown Springfield on Dec. 5, 2020. After leaving the nightclub, Chapman met with Mull. Mull received a phone call from his girlfriend, who said the individuals responsible for the shooting at the club were armed and inside their house looking for him. Mull was upset because they went to his house when his kids were present. They went to check on Mull’s girlfriend and children, then Caligone drove Chapman and Mull to find the people who had been at his house, who were at an address on Kerr Street in Springfield.
When they arrived at the Kerr Street residence at about 6 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2020, Chapman told investigators, they got out of the car and “bullets went flying.”
Chapman, Mull and others fired multiple rounds; police officers recovered 40 spent shell casings from the area of the shooting. Shell casings were found in front of at least eight separate residences, indicating that Chapman and Mull sprayed the neighborhood with bullets. At least two of the homes had damage consistent with being struck by gunfire.
Chapman and Mull got into Caligone’s Volkswagen immediately after the shooting and left the area. According to the evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, Chapman handed his Kel-Tec firearm to Mull, who put it under the front passenger seat, and put Mull’s Smith & Wesson pistol, which was stolen, in the glovebox. Springfield police officers who heard the gunshots saw Caligone’s vehicle at the intersection of East Kearney and North Delaware and conducted a traffic stop. Caligone, who was driving, Chapman, who was in the front passenger seat, and Mull, who was in the back passenger seat, were arrested.
Investigators determined that some of the expended cartridges recovered from the scene of the Kerr Street shooting came from the two guns found in Caligone’s vehicle and others were fired from two other guns that were not recovered.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mull has two prior felony convictions for forgery and a prior felony conviction for non-support.
The government’s sentencing motion notes that violent crimes committed with firearms is a significant issue in southwest Missouri. According to the National Incident Based Reporting System, the Springfield Police Department reported 734 violent crimes committed with firearms and 19 homicides in 2021, with approximately 79 percent of the homicides being committed with a firearm. The Greene County Sheriff’s Department reported 44 violent crimes committed with firearms and six homicides, all committed with firearms.
Although violent crime numbers were down slightly in Springfield in 2022, illegal possession and use of firearms have increased. In 2022, Springfield police officers seized 229 illegal guns, an increase from the 150 illegal guns seized in 2021. There was also a record high of “shots fired” calls in 2022, with a total of 356 incidents that resulted in 73 injuries.
Chapman was sentenced on April 4, 2023, to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Caligone pleaded guilty on July 5, 2022, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Spirit Lake Man Guilty of Illegal Possession of Firearm in Spencer, IowaRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty October 25, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Andrew Mitchell, 36, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, was convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Evidence shows that, on August 8, 2023, law enforcement stopped Mitchell for riding his bike on the wrong side of the road in Spencer, Iowa. Once stopped, Mitchell was recognized and identified by the stopping officer due to prior interactions. However, Mitchell provided a false name. Other officers arrived and attempted to handcuff Mitchell while his proper identity was determined. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed and was placed under arrest for interference. During a search of Mitchell upon arrest, law enforcement located a suspected THC vape pen, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a scale with methamphetamine residue, and a loaded 9mm firearm with an obliterated serial number strapped to his chest. At the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted to being a user of controlled substances which prohibit him from possessing firearms.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4060. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Justice in the Murder of a Black Transgender WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today to obstructing an investigation into the December 2019 murder of a transgender woman.
According to court documents, on Aug. 15, 2019, Xavier Pinckney, 24, of Allendale, provided false and misleading information to state authorities investigating the murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman. Pinckney admitted that he concealed from state authorities the use of his phone to call and text Dime Doe the day of her murder and lied to state investigators about seeing Daqua Ritter, who allegedly shot Doe to death, on the morning of Doe’s murder.
“The defendant is being held accountable for trying to obstruct an investigation into the tragic murder of a Black transgender woman,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Acts of violence against LGBTQI+ people, including transgender women of color, are on the rise and have no place in our society. The Justice Department remains steadfast in its commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who target LGBTQI+ people with acts of violence or who try to unlawfully obstruct investigations into these heinous crimes.”
“Hate has no place in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The senseless murder of Dime Doe, and any act of violence against the LGBTQI+ community, confirms the need to confront hate in all its forms. Our office will continue to pursue justice for those impacted by bias-motivated crimes.”
“The defendant’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to holding individuals accountable for their actions in the pursuit of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI and our partners remain determined to investigate crimes against marginalized communities and those who perpetrate them.”
Pinckney faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the obstruction of justice offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brook Andrews, Ben Garner and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
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South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Justice in the Murder of a Black Transgender WomanRead the Press Release
A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today to obstructing an investigation into the December 2019 murder of a transgender woman.
According to court documents, on Aug. 15, 2019, Xavier Pinckney, 24, of Allendale, provided false and misleading information to state authorities investigating the murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman. Pinckney admitted that he concealed from state authorities the use of his phone to call and text Dime Doe the day of her murder and lied to state investigators about seeing Daqua Ritter, who allegedly shot Doe to death, on the morning of Doe’s murder.
“The defendant is being held accountable for trying to obstruct an investigation into the tragic murder of a Black transgender woman,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Acts of violence against LGBTQI+ people, including transgender women of color, are on the rise and have no place in our society. The Justice Department remains steadfast in its commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who target LGBTQI+ people with acts of violence or who try to unlawfully obstruct investigations into these heinous crimes.”
“Hate has no place in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The senseless murder of Dime Doe, and any act of violence against the LGBTQI+ community, confirms the need to confront hate in all its forms. Our office will continue to pursue justice for those impacted by bias-motivated crimes.”
“The defendant’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to holding individuals accountable for their actions in the pursuit of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI and our partners remain determined to investigate crimes against marginalized communities and those who perpetrate them.”
Pinckney faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the obstruction of justice offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brook Andrews, Ben Garner and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City on October 24, 2023, to 144 months’ imprisonment.
Kelly Malloy, 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty June 13, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on October 26, 2022, Malloy was stopped by Le Mars Police Department. During the traffic stop law enforcement located over 76 grams of pure methamphetamine partially concealed under the seat where Malloy was seated. Further evidence showed he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person. Malloy has an extensive criminal history including multiple convictions for eluding, possession of controlled substances, assaults, and a prior federal conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine conviction.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Malloy was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and will serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Malloy remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Le Mars Police Department and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4007. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Hundreds of Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Images and Stealing Thousands of Rounds of Ammunition from U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Timothy Guy, 76, of Martin County, Indiana, has been sentenced to 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, receiving stolen U.S. government property, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, from 1966 through 2004, Timothy Guy was employed as an explosive’s handler at the Crane Army Ammunition Activity. While working at Crane, he falsified documents to make it appear that ammunition had been destroyed, when in reality, he stole the ammunition and smuggled it out of the facility.
In 2018, Guy was found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material after he was caught viewing the material at a Wendy’s restaurant—where he went to utilize the free Wi-Fi.
On April 30, 2021, a community corrections officer found an unregistered computer in Guy’s home during a routine sex offender check. Guy admitted to having flash drives that contained child sexual abuse material. A Martin County Sheriff’s deputy assisting the corrections officers quickly located over 250,000 images of children under 12 years old, on 875 data storage discs and 60 thumb drives. Guy was again arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material.
Indiana State Police investigators and Martin County Sheriff’s deputies began a search of Guy’s property following his April 30 arrest and discovered a cellar door. When a deputy checked the cellar, he located a large amount of ammunition and other material. Investigators later obtained a search warrant and recovered 10,000 rounds of ammunition, valued at over $1,000 and five firearms including three rifles and two pistols.
Guy is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony conviction of possession of child sexual abuse material.
“Undeterred by a prior conviction, the defendant possessed an enormous number of images of the most horrendous traumas inflicted upon countless innocent children, collected over many years, involving countless victims,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Even worse, he abused the position he was entrusted with to help keep our country safe, and instead stole an enormous quantity of deadly ammunition, despite being a convicted felon and forever barred by law from having guns or ammunition. I commend the work of the ATF, ISP, Department of Defense, and Martin County Sheriff’s Office and our prosecutor for their work to hold this criminal accountable and make our community safer by getting him off our streets.”
“I applaud the investigative team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to bring dangerous individuals like Mr. Guy to justice, putting an end to his reprehensible actions,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This significant sentencing demonstrates our commitment to root out criminals associated with the DoD and safeguard the most vulnerable among us.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service, Indiana State Police, and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Guy be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 6 years following his release from federal prison and register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Serial Kidnapper and Rapist Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who committed five sexual assaults in five years, two of which occurred during federal kidnappings, was sentenced October 24, 2023, to 40 years in federal prison.
Arjune Ahmed, age 27, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, and formerly of Ethiopia, received the prison term after a March 3, 2023, jury verdict finding him guilty of two counts of kidnapping.
Evidence at trial showed on August 21, 2019, Ahmed followed a woman from the Hard Rock Casino on Fourth Street, where he tricked her into getting close to his car. Once she was close, he grabbed her and pulled her into his car. He then sped into Nebraska from Iowa, where he sexually assaulted her. His August 21, 2019, victim testified that when he was done with her, he cursed her and pushed her out of his car at a rural location.
Trial evidence also showed that 13 months later, on October 16, 2020, Ahmed used social media to trick a woman into meeting him for breakfast. Instead of driving her to breakfast, Ahmed took her from midtown Sioux City to Bacon Creek Park where he sexually assaulted her. His October 16, 2020, victim testified that when he was done with her, he discarded her in the woods.
The jury also heard evidence that in 2015 a woman was the victim of a home-invasion and sexual assault. That crime went unsolved for nearly five years until DNA evidence discovered in the investigations of the 2019 and 2020 kidnappings was linked to Ahmed.
Additionally, at sentencing, the United States proved defendant kidnapped and sexually assaulted two additional victims. One of whom was attacked on October 31, 2017, and another on July 25, 2018. Both incidents occurred in downtown Sioux City where Ahmed lured the women into his car with promises of a ride home, but instead, took them to an isolated location where he sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault them. In both cases the victims were able to fight off and escape Ahmed.
Ahmed has previously been convicted of several assaults, criminal trespassing, public indecency, disturbing the peace, and obstructing a peace officer.
Ahmed was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 480 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated that, “Due the fine work of multiple local, state and federal law enforcement, a dangerous individual who preyed upon the women of our community has been brought to justice. For roughly the next forty years, the victims of Mr. Ahmed can sleep soundly knowing he can’t hurt them.”
Ahmed is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Dakota County, Nebraska Sherriff’s Office, the South Sioux City, Nebraska Police Department, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-04087.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Stephen Edward Cobb, 62, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Protecting innocent children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who work diligently to identify these predators and bring them to justice so that they can no longer exploit any child again. Due to their efforts, our community is safer, and this repeat offender is exactly where he belongs – back behind bars.”
In December 2021, law enforcement officers in Gainesville, Florida received information that Cobb was involved in sharing a video of child pornography using the Internet. Cobb is a convicted sex offender required to register under both state and federal law. In June 2022, Cobb was located, and search warrants were obtained for his cell phones and social media accounts. The devices and social media accounts were examined and found to contain hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Cobb is a registered sex offender based on a prior state conviction in 2018 for Lewd and Lascivious Assault on a Child.
“The decades long sentence in this case is based in part on the history of victimization caused by the offender, including harm to a child in this community,” said North Florida ICAC Task Force Commander Chris King. “We are thankful for our partnership with the U.S Attorney’s Office which helped achieve this result.”
“This predatorial recidivist didn’t learn his lesson the first time and continued to victimize children,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to the diligence of HSI and the Gainesville Police Department, we were able hold Cobb accountable for his deviant actions once again.”
Cobb’s prison sentence will be followed by a Lifetime of supervised release. Cobb will continue to be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.
The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department and Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter and Child AbuseRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2023.
Noah Virgil White Lance, III, age 34, was sentenced to a total of 18 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Lance was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 10, 2023.
In early August of 2022, the Defendant and his two daughters relocated from Rapid City, South Dakota, to Mission, South Dakota. While residing in Mission, the Defendant would physically abuse his younger daughter by striking her in the head and body. The Defendant would also order his older daughter to abuse his younger daughter as a form of discipline. On August 11, the Defendant instructed his older daughter to discipline his younger daughter for violating bathroom privileges. In line with the Defendant’s orders, the older daughter abused her sister. The younger daughter became non-responsive during the abuse and succumbed to her injuries two days later after attempts at medical intervention were unsuccessful. An autopsy revealed traumatic head injuries, multiple rib fractures at various stages of healing, and multiple cuts and bruises. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic brain injury due to non-accident trauma. The fatal injury was likely inflicted previously and the symptoms were exacerbated by the older sibling.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
White Lance was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for His Role in a Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for possession of stolen mail. On July 18, 2023, Anthony Messiah Brooks, age 21, pled guilty to one count of Possession of Stolen Mail and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Mail. 500 pieces of mail recovered from a search of Brooks’ residence contained checks, U.S. currency, money orders, gift certificates, and personal identifying information for unknown individuals. At least six victims have been identified with losses of more than $30,000 although it is anticipated that there are additional victims. As part of the judgment, Brooks will be ordered to pay criminal restitution to victims in this case.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated multiple occurrences of theft from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes throughout Raleigh between May and August 2022. These boxes can only be accessed by a U.S. Postal Service master key. As a result of that investigation, Brooks was found in possession of 500 pieces of mail. There is also evidence that Brooks used social media to recruit and communicate with others involved in the conspiracy. Specifically, there were direct messages to other users regarding bank account balances, photos of checks, and discussions of various meeting locations at banks.
“As it has for almost 250 years, our US Postal Service operates largely upon the trust and good faith of our citizens not to abuse it,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Unfortunately, there are those in our society who see that system of trust as an opportunity for profit, by stealing from the mail and converting the contents for financial gain. We are proud to partner with the United States Postal Inspection Service which works tirelessly to hold accountable those who abuse our mail system to enrich themselves.”
“The Postal Inspection Service takes great pride in protecting postal customers from criminal activity related to the U.S. mail” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors along with our local law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously investigate and seek criminal prosecution of those who use the U.S. mail to further their criminal activity.”
At the sentencing hearing Brooks, who had no prior criminal record, only faced an advisory guideline sentence of 6 to 12 months. The Court, however, departed upwardly from the guideline to impose two years in prison. In doing so, the Court noted that Brooks’ conduct was egregious, and that a more significant punishment was needed to deter Brooks and others from stealing mail from, and perpetrating fraud against, the community.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00068-D.
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Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida Agrees to Pay One Million Dollars to Settle False Claims Liability Related to Its Former Sleep CenterRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida, who owns and operated Putnam Community Medical Center, LLC, a 99-bed hospital located in Palatka, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $1million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare and TRICARE in connection with a now-closed sleep center that were alleged to have operated with inadequate physician supervision.
According to the settlement agreement, Putnam Community Medical Center provided diagnostic sleep testing services at its now-closed sleep center, which the United States and the State of Florida allege were not provided with adequate physician supervision as required under certain Medicare coverage determinations and regulations during the period from December 2013 through February 2019.
“Protecting Medicare and TRICARE patients is paramount,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to hold accountable those who abuse the nation’s healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers.”
“Providers who participate in federal health care programs must follow the law governing the integrity of federally funded health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid,” said Stephen Mahmood, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the people it serves. We will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to address allegations brought under the False Claims Act.”
The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Relator Willard Revels, a former sleep center employee. Mr. Revels sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting private citizens to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The Relator will receive $300,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with the defendants.
This settlement resulted from effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, working with the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen led the investigation.
The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case is captioned United States, State of Florida ex rel. Willard Revels v. Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida, LLC, et al., Case No. 3:19-cv-834-J-32JRK. The settlement agreement was filed in court today . The settlement resolves the United States’ claims in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Putnam Community Center of North Florida denies the allegations.
Download Settlement AgreementPittsburgh Resident Sentenced for Conspiring with Others to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced by a federal District Court Judge for her role in conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The defendant, Stephane Harrilla, had earlier entered a plea of guilty to a one count Indictment charging her with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a quantity of the drug Fentanyl. According to the facts presented to the Court at the time of her guilty plea Harrilla admitted receiving a package in the United States Mail which was found to contain counterfeit Oxycodone “M-30” fentanyl tablets. The evidence showed that Harrilla was paid $200 by another individual to receive the package and was obligated to pass that parcel on to that person.
Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand in sentencing Harrilla noted that she had no previous criminal convictions and was a minor participant in the drug distribution activity. Judge Weigand imposed a sentence of three years probation, including a period of 180 days of home detention with electronic location monitoring. Harrilla was also required to pay a $100 Special Assessment.
The matter was investigated by the Pittsburgh Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Robbing Two Camden County BanksRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 151 months in prison for robbing two banks in Camden County, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Leon I. Stanford, 54, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with two counts of bank robbery. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence on Oct. 24, 2023, in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 22, 2020, Stanford entered the TD Bank in Oaklyn, New Jersey, and handed the bank teller a note which announced a robbery and demanded cash. The bank teller complied, and witnesses saw him depart in a white SUV. On Feb. 24, 2020, Stanford entered the Republic Bank in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and handed the bank teller a note which announced a robbery and demanded cash. The bank teller complied, and witnesses saw Stanford depart in a white SUV.
Law enforcement officers were able to obtain a partial license plate number for the white SUV from surveillance videos in the area of both bank robberies, which generated a lead to a vehicle driven by Stanford, who was subsequently identified as the person in the bank surveillance videos.
At the time of these bank robberies, Stanford was on federal supervised release as a result of prior bank robbery convictions, for which he served a 10-year term of imprisonment.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Stanford to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Langham in Philadelphia; the New York/New Jersey U.S. Marshals Regional Task Force Camden Division, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; the Oaklyn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jayne Jones; and the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Kempf, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg in Camden.
Oregon Company Pays $1.7 Million for Accepting Payments from Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that Oregon Tool, Inc., a Portland-based manufacturer of professional-grade cutting tools, which at all relevant times was known as Blount, Inc., has entered into a non-prosecution agreement and paid $1.7 million for accepting payments for products sold to two distributors transmitted through an unlicensed money transmitting business linked by the FBI to a trade-based money laundering scheme in Nigeria.
In December 2019, the FBI began investigating a criminal organization based in Nigeria that operated several online fraud schemes, including romance scams, targeting elderly women in the United States. Over the course of this investigation, the FBI identified a Nigeria-based black market currency exchange network that offered U.S. dollar deposits into U.S.-based bank accounts in exchange for Nigerian currency provided in Nigeria. The U.S. dollars transmitted by the network were the proceeds of financial fraud schemes perpetrated against at least two dozen victims in the United States.
Between 2012 and 2020, Blount’s two Nigerian distributors used the unlicensed money transmitting business to convert Nigerian naira to U.S. dollars which were used to pay for Blount products. In March 2012, the U.S. Secret Service notified Blount’s then-general counsel that the agency was preparing to seize one of the Nigerian distributor’s bank accounts, because it was allegedly being funded primarily by fraud and the proceeds were being used to pay Blount.
From November 2016 to December 2017, Blount credited more than $974,000 in deposits to the distributor. Those deposits originated from sources including individuals, many of whom the FBI later assessed were women in the United States over the age of 60 who had been the victim of romance fraud schemes; various business LLCs; and other anonymous cash depositors with no logical business relationship or established history with the distributor or Blount. Two of the deposits were made by an individual who believed the money would purchase artwork for someone they had met on a dating website. Another payment was made by a person residing in Beaverton, Oregon at the request of someone on a dating website.
Between April 2017 and February 2018, unbeknownst to Blount, a second Nigerian distributor received more than $652,000 to its U.S.-based bank account that the FBI linked to fraud. The distributor used these funds, which it received from multiple individuals in their late 60s, to pay Blount. As with the fraud victims associated with the first Nigerian distributor, the individuals who made these payments had no logical business relationship with Blount and several later reported being the victim of romance scams or other online fraud schemes.
In January 2022, the FBI notified Oregon Tool of its investigations involving the company and provided details of the fraudulent deposits made by its Nigerian distributors. Prior to this notification, Oregon Tool had, in November 2021, terminated its relationship with one of the two distributors. After the FBI’s notification, the company promptly terminated its association with the second.
Oregon Tool cooperated fully with the government’s investigation of this matter and, under new ownership, has implemented policies to prevent its future association with unlicensed money transmitting businesses. Among other remedial measures, the company has adopted a global anti-money laundering policy restricting third-party payments and an enhanced training program for relevant personnel. None of the senior executives implicated in the improper activity by Blount Inc. are currently employed by Oregon Tool.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI intend to file a civil forfeiture complaint against the $1.7 million paid by Oregon Tool and will seek to distribute those funds to victims of this fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The terms of this non-prosecution agreement were negotiated by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The related financial forfeitures are being handled by the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
oregon_tool_npa_final_signed.pdfOFAC-Designated Colombian National Extradited to Face Charge of Distributing Cocaine InternationallyRead the Press Release
Tito Aldemar Ruano Yandun, also known as “Don T,” “Don Ti,” “Don Tito,” “Pedro Linares,” “Pedro AK2,” “Santos,” “Don Tuma,” “Viejo” and “Viejo Loco,” will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with leading an international cocaine distribution conspiracy. The defendant, a Colombian citizen, was arrested in Colombia pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request and was extradited to the United States on October 25, 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Deanne Reuter, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami 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 extradition and arraignment.
“As alleged, the defendant is a drug kingpin who led an international trafficking organization that produced and exported thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue to pursue and bring to justice the leaders of transnational criminal organizations, wherever they are in the world.”
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 Colombian National Police, and the Government of Colombia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Ruano Yandun.
“This indictment is a testament to the incredible hard work and resiliency of our investigators and speaks to the strength of our partnerships with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, as well as our international counterparts. DEA’s message is clear: we will continue to work relentlessly to dismantle and defeat the international drug trafficking organizations responsible for bringing this poison into our communities, threatening the safety and health of our citizens,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Reuter.
“This case proves again that New York City law enforcement has a very long reach and that anyone who participates in a criminal network – whether locally or globally – will be held to full account for their actions,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I thank the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the DEA, the New York State Police, and all the members of OCDETF, for their dedication to this important long-term investigation.”
“This indictment speaks to the tremendous interagency coordination and cooperation necessary to get illegal drugs off our streets,” stated NYSP Acting Superintendent Chiumento. “As a result of this effort, a dangerous international drug trafficking operation, and the organized crime perpetuated by it, has been shut down. A drug like cocaine destroys communities and puts lives at risk. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all involved law enforcement partners for their outstanding efforts in dismantling this operation. This case sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this illegal activity in our communities, and we will continue to work together to keep our communities safe.”
According to the indictment, court filings, and statements made in court, Ruano Yandun allegedly led a sophisticated drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that operated in southwestern Colombia and Ecuador. After procuring cocaine from laboratories operating in Colombia, Ruano Yandun’s DTO arranged for the cocaine to be transported from Colombia and Ecuador through the Pacific Ocean via “go-fast vessels” (“GFVs”). Such GFVs typically carried several hundred kilograms of cocaine at a time. After being loaded with cocaine in Colombia or Ecuador, the GFVs would travel to Guatemala or other Central American countries. Upon successfully arriving in such countries, co-conspirators took possession of the cocaine and transported it by land into Mexico. Co-conspirators then usually sold the cocaine to Mexican DTOs, who would invariably smuggle the cocaine into the United States to be sold. The defendant’s organization exported thousands of kilograms of cocaine to Central America and Mexico so that it could eventually be smuggled into the United States. As part of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized over 3,000 kilograms of cocaine attributable to Ruano Yandun’s drug trafficking enterprise.
On November 29, 2017, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Ruano Yandun and his organization as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs) for playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking. At the time of the designation, OFAC explained that Ruano Yandun’s organization was “a key contributor to the increased cocaine production in the Nariño department of Colombia in recent years.”
The extradition of Ruano Yandun is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and 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 Defendant:
TITO ALDEMAR RUANO YANDUN
Age: 48
ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-27 (WFK)
Northshore Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CODY SHAUGHNESSY, age 38, was sentenced on October 18, 2023, after previously pleading guilty to a four-count indictment charging him with violating of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), respectively. As to the three charges for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and the one charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. SHAUGHNESSY was sentenced on each count to 84 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. All sentences were run concurrently with each other.
According to court documents, between August 2022 and September 2022, SHAUGHNESSY sold 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent on three separate occasions . Additionally, at the time of his arrest, SHAUGHNESSY possessed, with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hammond Police Department, and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Non-Citizen Convicted of Hindering Removal to Trinidad and TobagoRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brent Anthony Benito, age 39, citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, was convicted of hindering his removal to Trinidad and Tobago following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann that concluded on October 24, 2023.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Benito entered the United States illegally in 2013 and in 2014, was convicted in Delaware County of sexual assault, and sentenced to 48-96 months’ imprisonment. In 2016, he was ordered removed from the United States and was scheduled for a flight back to Trinidad and Tobago in March 2022, but refused to be fingerprinted and board the plane. After another flight was scheduled to remove him from the United States in April 2022, he refused to take a Covid-19 test which was required to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorneys Alisan V. Martin and Geoffrey MacArthur are prosecuting the case.
Benito faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking in Susquehanna CountyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roy Niles, age 58, of Nineveh, New York, pleaded guilty on October 26, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Niles admitted to conspiring with another individual to distribute between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the Susquehanna County area in March 2020. The charge stems from an incident in March 2020, in which Niles arranged to purchase several pounds of crystal methamphetamine from another individual in Susquehanna County. After the methamphetamine was received by Niles, the Pennsylvania State Police moved in and attempted to arrest him. Niles fled from the police and led police on a high-speed chase from Pennsylvania into New York. Niles was later apprehended.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. The New York State Police also provided assistance during the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.
Under federal law, the drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On October 18, 2023, DAMION WILSON, age 23, was sentenced to serve a total of 87 months in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons.
On June 27, 2023, DAMION WILSON, was found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, maintaining a drug involved premises, and lying to a federal agent. He was acquitted of two other related counts.
As to his conviction for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, a violation of United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D), he was sentenced to 27 months in prison, and two years of supervised release.
As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), he was sentenced to sixty months in prison. This sentence must be served consecutively to the sentences imposed in the other counts of conviction. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
As to his conviction for maintaining a drug involved premises, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 856, he was sentenced to twenty-seven months in prison, and three years of supervised release.
Lastly, as to his conviction for lying to a federal agent, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, he was sentenced to twenty-seven months in prison, and a one year term of supervised release. For each count of conviction, WILSON also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshal’s Service, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the General Crimes Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ALVIE ROLLINS, a/k/a ALVIN ROLLINS, age 26, was sentenced on October 18, 2023 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
ROLLINS received a total sentence of 24 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, on August 4, 2022, two Task Force Officers (“TFO”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) New Orleans Gang Task Force, received information that that there was an FBI agent requesting assistance near the intersection of Dixon Street and South Carrollton Avenue, in New Orleans. Upon arrival, the TFOs’ saw two vehicles stopped side by side. The driver of one of the vehicle’s, later identified as ROLLINS, a Nissan Altima, held a black and silver pistol out of his open driver’s side window.
ROLLINS began to drive away, then pulled his vehicle over after hearing the FBI’s sirens. The FBI agents ordered ROLLINS out of the Nissan Altima and handcuffed him. ROLLINS admitted he was driving a red Nissan Altima at the intersection of Tulane Avenue & South Carrollton Avenue and was in possession of a firearm. ROLLINS also admitted knowing that he was convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment before he possessed this firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Trummel and Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Braunfels Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Selling Misbranded DrugsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced in federal court in San Antonio to five years in prison for selling non-controlled but dangerous substances through the mail.
According to court documents, Evan Asher Field, 42, and codefendant Michael Dominic Diaz, 31, purchased bulk quantities of various drugs, including synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines, and re-sold them through a website Field created in September 2019.
The drugs, most of which originated in China and were not regulated or approved for any use by the FDA, can potentially cause toxic and fatal overdoses if consumed by humans. The two defendants repackaged the drugs into consumer-size containers and shipped them to various locations throughout the United States. The initial website remained online until September 2021, when Diaz launched a second website offering a nearly identical service.
Despite disclaimers on the website and product packaging stating “for research purposes only,” and “not for human consumption,” the two defendants were aware that customers were purchasing the substances for personal use and consuming the drugs. Multiple consumers suffered overdoses, including some which were fatal.
In addition to imprisonment, Field was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. Codefendant Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21.
“The defendants in this case recklessly endangered the lives and well-being of the numerous individuals who purchased unregulated substances from them,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We hope that this sentence brings attention to this type of conduct and serves as a warning to those who would engage in it.”
“Unapproved prescription drugs can present a serious health risk to those who buy and use them. The drugs can contain unknown ingredients and can be made under unknown conditions,” 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 those who traffic in unapproved and potentially dangerous drugs.”
“Synthetic drugs remain the primary driver of the opioid epidemic, and attempting to profit off the epidemic plaguing our communities is an apparent complete disregard for human life,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Office.
The FDA and DEA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Amy Hail prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted utilizing resources from the Dark Market and Digital Currency Crimes (DMDCC) Task Force. The DMDCC Task Force is a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI – Baltimore, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Food and Drug Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department, targeting the use of dark net marketplaces and digital currencies to facilitate criminal activities.
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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to Remove Unneeded Prescriptions, Prevent AddictionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 25th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.
For more than a decade, Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired. These medications can be a gateway to addiction, and have helped fuel the opioid epidemic. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who use a prescription medication for a nonmedical purpose obtained that medication from a family member or friend.
“I encourage everyone to dispose of unneeded medications to help keep our communities safe and healthy,” said DEA Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “The Take Back campaign is part of DEA’s continued efforts to combat the drug poisoning epidemic and protect the safety and health of communities.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the U.S., more than 110,000 American lives were lost to drug poisonings and overdose in 2022.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. The event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to 15,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year. In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.
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Missouri Nonprofit Exec Accused of Multi-Million Dollar Student Meal FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A nonprofit official was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday and accused of stealing millions of dollars from a program intended to feed low-income Missouri children, including during the coronavirus pandemic.
Connie Bobo, 44, of St. Charles, Missouri, was indicted on three felony counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding. Bobo is the executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center, which accepted money to provide meals to low-income, school-age children after school and during the summer.
The indictment accuses Bobo and New Heights of fraudulently claiming to have served at least three million meals to children between February 2019 and March 2022 – meals that New Heights neither actually purchased nor supplied. Relying on those false claims, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) paid Bobo about $11 million, the indictment says.
Bobo used $4.3 million to purchase a nearly $1 million home for herself, other homes for relatives and to make a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment, the indictment says. She spent more on luxury goods and gave nearly $1.4 million to her romantic partner, who spent $211,907 on a 2017 Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon, the indictment says. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of the real estate and the SUV.
“This indictment shows that we will aggressively pursue those who defraud a program intended to feed needy children, and those who exploited loopholes created by a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “We will seize the houses and luxury vehicles that they buy with those funds and we will seek punishment that is appropriate for the scale of the crime, which by law includes repayment of the funds. Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721.”
New Heights and other non-profits are required by DHSS’ Food and Nutrition Program for Children to demonstrate proper management standards and ensure fiscal responsibility. They have to submit budgets and annual management plans to DHSS and are required to have a board that meets regularly and has the authority to hire and fire the executive director.
The indictment says Bobo submitted false management plans and falsely claimed that three people were serving on New Heights board. It says she submitted budgets that left out the money she was spending on real estate and luxury goods. The indictment also accuses Bobo of forging an invoice from a food vendor to falsely claim that New Heights had purchased hundreds of gallons of milk.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is handling the case for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Alpine to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Erick Botello Reyes, 21, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Presidio Port of Entry on April 2. Upon inspection of his vehicle, a Customs and Border Protection K-9 alerted CBP Officers of a possible narcotics presence inside the vehicle’s dashboard. The officers searched the vehicle, locating 9.4 kilograms of cocaine and 347.3 grams of fentanyl. Reyes was then taken into custody. He pleaded guilty on June 29 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Cutting off these trafficking attempts disrupts the activities of cartels and other drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “In coordination with our federal, state and local partners, my office continues to hold accountable the individuals who bring fentanyl into the country and carelessly poison our communities.”
“The sad truth is that the fentanyl epidemic in our communities continues to claim so many lives and it’s utterly unacceptable," said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the HSI El Paso Division. “HSI remains committed to investigate and ultimately dismantle drug smuggling organizations who attempt to smuggle and peddle deadly drugs in our communities. This sentence will give ample time for the defendant to think about his criminal activity behind bars.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Greenbaum and Matthew Ellis prosecuted the case.
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Mercer County Man Convicted of Several Carjackings Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury to VictimsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was convicted of carjacking, brandishing a firearm during the carjacking, two attempted carjackings resulting in serious bodily injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Cedrick Hodges, 40, of Trenton, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 24, 2023, of all five counts of a second superseding indictment following a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of Dec. 16, 2017, Hodges entered the rear passenger seat of a Toyota Camry and pointed a loaded sawed-off shotgun at the driver, demanding that she operate the vehicle while Hodges entered the rear seat. The driver exited the vehicle and ran, in response to which Hodges discharged the shotgun towards her as she fled.
Moments later, Hodges approached a Honda Accord occupied by a driver and one passenger. Hodges pointed the shotgun at the driver’s window demanding that the driver and passenger exit the vehicle. When the driver refused, and instead began to drive the vehicle away from Hodges, Hodges discharged the firearm into the driver’s side window, striking the driver in his torso, causing permanent and serious bodily injury.
Hodges fled the area and several minutes later approached a man who was entering a Nissan Rogue. Hodges demanded that the man hand Hodges the keys to the Nissan Rogue. When the man refused, Hodges brandished the shotgun and discharged the firearm at the man, causing permanent and serious bodily injury.
The count of carjacking carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison. The counts of attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury each carry a maximum potential sentence of 25 years in prison. The count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges. The possession of firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; the Hamilton Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Kenneth R. DeBoskey; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Suggs and Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Maryland Resident Sentenced to 5 Years Probation, Ordered to Pay over $165,000 for Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial AssistanceRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SIEDAH ELEY, age 31, a resident of Columbia, Maryland, was sentenced on October 25, 2023 to five (5) years of probation by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle after previously pleading guilty to a one-count bill of information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charge stems from ELEY’S role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). ELEY was also ordered to pay $166,656 in restitution and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee .
According to court documents, ELEY used both word-of-mouth and text messages to solicit individuals interested in fraudulently obtaining money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) program with her assistance. When a prospective applicant expressed interest, ELEY requested the applicant’s name, address, social security, and phone number, a copy of the front and back of the applicant’s driver’s license, a bank statement from 2020, and the routing and account number for the applicant’s bank account. ELEY then created a false and fraudulent loan application. ELEY falsely represented in the pertinent forms that the applicant had a sole proprietorship in the beauty industry that generated substantial income. ELEY also submitted false financial numbers overstating the gross receipts, expenses, and net income for the business. This resulted in the creation of a false federal tax Form 1040, Schedule C, that was accepted and processed by the online portal handling the application. In instances where the applicant actually received a small income from beauty industry work, ELEY knowingly and falsely inflated that income. Each of the above-described false representations constituted a misstatement that was material to the determination of the eligibility of the applicant and the loan amount the applicant would receive.
Once the loan was paid to the applicant, ELEY charged some applicants up to $5,000.00 for preparing and submitting the fraudulent PPP application. ELEY used this same scheme to file her own fraudulent application as well as the applications for at least seven (7) co-conspirators. This resulted in a loss to the Small Business Association of approximately $166,656.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
Maryland Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial AssistanceRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHANIQUA PAGE WILSON, age 32, a resident of Odenton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charges stem from WILSON’S role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents, between about April 19, 2021, and May 20, 2021, WILSON and (Co-Conspirator 1) recruited friends and family members, primarily via word of mouth and text message, to participate in a scheme whereby they would fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans with her assistance. WILSON and Co-Conspirator 1 then created and electronically submitted, loan applications. These loan applications falsely stated that the recruited applicant had a sole proprietorship in the beauty industry and generated substantial income from those businesses. Co-Conspirator 1 charged some applicants up to approximately $5,000.00 once the PPP loan was funded.
Between about May 4, 2021, and May 5, 2021, WILSON and Co-Conspirator 1 prepared and submitted approximately five (5) fraudulent PPP loan applications, including for themselves and their relatives, that resulted in a loss to the United States Small Business Administration and other designated financial institutions of approximately $104,160.
WILSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Milazzo is scheduled for January 24, 2024.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Man who Tampered with a Witness Involved in his Federal Trial Sentenced to 150 Months’ in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who tampered with a witness involved in his federal trial was sentenced on October 25, 2023, to 150 months in federal prison.
Michael Lyn Ashford, age 43, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to tamper with a witness and tampering with a witness.
Evidence at the trial showed that Ashford, and his co-defendant, Jenise Colvin, spoke about their plan to contact the witness who had called 911 after a firearm was pointed at the witness while at a gas station in Dubuque. Ashford directed Colvin to contact the witness and told Colvin what to tell the witness. Colvin then called the witness and told the witness that they knew personal information about the witness, including the witness’s name and address. Ashford also called the witness while he was in custody and relayed similar information. In imposing its sentence, the district court found that Ashford pointed the firearm at the witness prompting the witness to call 911, tampered with the witness such that the witness did not want to testify at trial, and attempted to contact other potential witnesses in an attempt to obstruct justice.
Ashford was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Ashford was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ashford is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Jenise Colvin was previously sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily N. Nydle and Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR- 1037-01.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm After a High-Speed Pursuit with Iowa State Trooper in Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
Ahmed Abdullahai Khalif, 23, from Owosso, Michigan, was sentenced on October 23, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, for illegally possessing a firearm.
Khalif pled guilty on March 30, 2023, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Khalif was a user of marijuana and was previously convicted of Illegal Sale/Use of a Financial Transaction Device, a felony, in the Michigan District Court for Shiawassee County, on June 21, 2019. Both prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on October 19, 2022, during a traffic stop, Khalif possessed a 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana while being a felon. Prior to the traffic stop, an Iowa State Patrol trooper clocked the vehicle Khalif was driving on Interstate 35 in Franklin County, Iowa, in excess of 100 mph. After the trooper activated his emergency lights, Khalif led the trooper on a high-speed pursuit into Wright County, at times traveling toward oncoming traffic. Ultimately, Khalif intentionally rammed the trooper’s vehicle and fled on foot a short distance before being apprehended. The vehicle Khalif was driving came back as stolen out of Massachusetts. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found the 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana. Khalif has an extensive criminal history involving thefts of motor vehicles.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Khalif was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and must serve a three year term of supervised release following imprisonment. His sentence was reduced by one year and five days due to time served on related state convictions. There is no parole in the federal system. Khalif remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DCI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3035. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced for Bringing Explosive Device into Bethlehem-Area ERRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Brian James Kunsman, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, for possession of an unregistered destructive device.
In October of 2021, the defendant possessed a ‘pipe bomb’ inside the emergency room at St. Luke’s University Hospital in the Fountain Hill section of the City of Bethlehem. An attending nurse discovered that Kunsman had brought the homemade destructive device in his backpack while he was a patient at the emergency room. Following the discovery, the emergency department of the hospital was evacuated for a four-hour period and all incoming trauma patients had to be diverted to other local hospitals.
"Homemade explosive devices are a dangerous threat in any circumstance; prompting an evacuation in an emergency department where patients are receiving acute medical care is unconscionable," said U.S. Attorney Romero. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for working quickly and efficiently to ensure the safety of everyone impacted by Kunsman's actions."
“The defendant engaged in incredibly reckless behavior, endangering the lives of the hospital staff, patients, and first responders,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree. “We appreciate the support of the United States Attorney’s office and our state and local law enforcement partners throughout this investigation,”
The case was investigated by the Allentown Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Borough of Fountain Hill Police Department, the Allentown Bomb Squad, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein.
Man Convicted of $55M Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted a medical marketer today for his role in a $55 million fraud conspiracy involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families, and several other federal health care programs.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Quintan Cockerell, 42, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, worked with others to create and market expensive compounded medications, which are medications intended to be custom-tailored to individual patient needs. However, instead of custom-tailoring these medications, a local pharmacy designed formulations to maximize TRICARE and other federal health care program reimbursements regardless of patient need or medical efficacy. Pharmacy owners and others paid illegal kickbacks to individuals like Cockerell, who recruited area doctors to write prescriptions for these expensive compounded medications, including by creating so-called investment opportunities so that doctors who wrote prescriptions to the pharmacy could profit from the pharmacy operations. Cockerell then spent the proceeds of the scheme on expensive vacations, trips on private jets, and a yacht charter.
The jury convicted Cockerell of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of receiving unlawful kickbacks, and one count of money laundering. A sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five years in prison on the kickback count, and 10 years in prison on the money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Casey J. Howard of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Central Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office made the announcement.
The DCIS, HHS-OIG, FBI, DOL-OIG, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian and Assistant Chief Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Assistant Chief Brynn Schiess and Trial Attorney Lee Hirsch.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Longtime Hoover Criminal Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A longtime Hoover Criminal Gang member who for more than thirty years engaged in a violent pattern of criminal racketeering activity, including numerous acts of murder, robbery, and drug distribution, was sentenced today to life in federal prison.
Lorenzo Laron Jones, 50, a Portland resident, was sentenced to life in federal prison plus 10 years and five years’ supervised release.
“The Hoovers are a notorious violent criminal organization and Lorenzo Jones was among the gang’s most senior and violent members,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “This prosecution is an important milestone in our effort to combat gun violence in Portland and surrounding communities. We will continue working with our partners to investigate and prosecute violent gangs that disrupt the security and safety of our neighborhoods.”
“Lorenzo Jones was not only a leader of a violent street gang, he was also recruiting and grooming kids on the streets of Portland to carry out violent acts on behalf of this gang. He’s been referred to as a ‘shot caller’, but he’s actually a violent criminal who used guns and drugs to wreak havoc on our shared community,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Jones will now spend the rest of his life where he belongs, in federal prison. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to disrupting and dismantling the most violent criminal organizations in Oregon to ensure a safer community.”
“For decades, the Portland Police Bureau has consistently worked to address the public safety threat posed by organized criminal gangs,” said Portland Chief of Police Bob Day. “This sentence will send a powerful message that organizations that engage in criminal violence will be held accountable. We are grateful for our partnerships with skilled investigators and federal prosecutors with whom we have collaborated to achieve this important sentence, and look forward to continuing this critical work toward making our community safer.”
“Through years of collaboration and multijurisdictional cooperation, a violent criminal is no longer in our community,” said Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell. “MCSO will continue investing in this important investigative work, so that crime victims and survivors get justice. Together with our partners, we are building safer and stronger communities.”
According to court documents, the Hoovers are a criminal street gang operating in Oregon known to engage in acts of violence including murder, robbery, and drug dealing. The Hoovers originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and established a presence in Portland in the early 1980s. The gang has a loose hierarchical structure in which members have different amounts of power and influence based on age and gang activity. To maintain status and increase one’s position in the gang, members are expected to carry out violence on behalf of the enterprise.
The Hoovers are rivals with many Portland gangs, including multiple Blood and Crip sets, and are self-described “everybody killers.” Hoover members are expected to use violence to retaliate any perceived slight or actual act of violence against a Hoover member or ally.
Jones is longtime member and self-proclaimed “shot caller” of the Hoovers who rose through the ranks of the criminal organization from baby gangster to gangster to original gangster. Multiple witnesses described Jones as a “big homie” who played a leadership role in the gang, mentoring younger members and recruits, and using them to conduct business and violence for the gang.
On November 7, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 13-count superseding indictment charging Jones; fellow senior Hoover gang member Ronald Clayton Rhodes, 38, also of Portland; and two accomplices with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and causing death using a firearm.
On October 19, 2022, a federal jury in Portland found Jones and Rhodes guilty on multiple counts including racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. During trial, the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Jones murdered Wilbert Butler on September 17, 2017, in Portland. Jones was also proven to have engaged in multiple attempted murders, illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon, and distributed controlled substances throughout the Portland area.
On October 27, 2023, Rhodes will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. Like Jones, Rhodes faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.
As part of the government’s ongoing investigation into the Hoover Criminal Gang’s racketeering activities, several other Hoover members and associates face pending federal charges or have been convicted and sentenced in federal court for crimes committed in support or on behalf of the gang’s criminal enterprise.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Portland Police Bureau, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Gresham Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Eugene Police Department, and Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
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.
This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Leader of Elizabeth City Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Elizabeth City moving kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl in was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for his role as a major supplier of drugs in Eastern North Carolina. On July 26, 2023, Jamal Dance, age 31, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl analogue between 2019 and 2022.
“Fentanyl is wreaking havoc on communities and tearing apart families throughout Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This case exemplifies our unwavering dedication to thoroughly investigate and bring to justice the suppliers who are helping fuel this deadly epidemic.”
"Dance distributed dangerous drugs into his own community. Each brick of fentanyl he smuggled here, equaled 50 doses. When you do the math using the results of our investigation, it is astounding to think of the damage he did to so many people's lives," said Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. "While we have taken this drug dealer off the streets, the FBI and our partners will continue working together to make our neighborhoods safe for everyone."
“I would like to thank all agencies and personnel involved in this case,” said Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten. “I’m grateful for our working relationship to ensure the safety of our respected communities. I look forward to continuing the effort to keep this poison off the streets.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Pasquotank Sheriff’s Office and the Elizabeth City Police Department, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, initiated an investigation in 2020 targeting a drug trafficking organization (DTO) engaged in the importation of heroin and fentanyl from New Jersey. Through surveillance, controlled buys and investigative interviews, Dance was identified as the leader of the DTO. The investigation also revealed Dance’s role in regularly acquiring 25,000 individual dosage units of fentanyl from his source in New Jersey and distributing them through his DTO in Elizabeth City and the surrounding area. On June 2, 2022, Dance was arrested in Chesapeake, VA after returning from securing supply in New Jersey. The search of his vehicle resulted in the discovery of over $14,000 in cash, and 10,000 individually packaged dosage units of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, totaling approximately 150 grams. On the same date, a search warrant was executed at his residence in Elizabeth City, where officers seized a loaded .40 caliber handgun, a loaded AR rifle, various ammunitions, cash and marijuana.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pasquotank, Dare and Camden County Sheriffs’ Offices, the Elizabeth City and Chesapeake (VA) Police Departments and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Englander prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-00022-M.
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Justice Department Announces Additional $251.1 Million in Grant Awards and Highlights Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
The Justice Department joins survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide in recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is a time to center the experiences and leadership of survivors; honor those who have lost their lives to domestic violence; express gratitude to the countless individuals dedicated to preventing and addressing domestic violence and supporting survivors; and raise awareness on the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Data from the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate that about 41% of women and 26% of men experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and report an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
Between Sept. 19th and 28th, and through authorization under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded an additional 496 grants totaling $251,107,460 to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The grants will reach communities across the United States, including Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, bolstering survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.
“Domestic violence is a pervasive and devastating crime that demands urgency and coordinated action at all levels of law enforcement,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Justice Department renews its commitment to building the capacity of our state, Tribal, and local partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes, pursue justice on behalf of survivors, and provide them with the support they need.”
“One of the central tenets of the Justice Department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime is that local communities know best what works in their neighborhoods,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “That is why we are dedicated to supporting communities by providing the tools they need to investigate and prosecute all forms of violence, including domestic violence. These grants will help survivors seek justice and hold offenders accountable.”
“The most effective response to domestic violence is one led by survivors and their advocates,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today will help survivors access the resources and support they need, including from organizations familiar with their culture, language, and background, and will further the Justice Department’s goal of a national response to domestic violence that prioritizes survivors.”
“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”
Awards include:
- State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program: 84 grants totaling $18,052,754 will enhance the coordination between courts, child protective services agencies, advocates, law enforcement, and community programs to encourage trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Grant Program: 37 grants totaling $21,538,000 will promote coordinated community responses among law enforcement agencies, courts, victim service providers, and other system partners.
- Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Culturally Specific Program): 53 awards totaling $25,024,327 will help community-based organizations develop culturally relevant programs specific to American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Tribal communities to support survivors.
- Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program (SAS Culturally Specific Program): 18 awards totaling $6,915,000 will support communities in establishing or expanding culturally appropriate services that address the needs of sexual assault survivors from culturally specific communities.
- Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Assistance Program (Rural Program): 51 awards totaling $36,363,957 will support programs by local government, community-based organizations, and medical providers in rural areas to improve the safety of survivors.
- Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program): 81 awards totaling $43,104,359 will support programs that provide six to 24 months of transitional housing or housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
- Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking Against Children and Youth Program (Consolidated Youth Program): 20 grants totaling $9,561,203 will support community-based efforts to develop or expand prevention, intervention, treatment, and response programs for children and youth impacted by these crimes.
- Grants to Engage Men and Boys as Allies in the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls Program (Engaging Men and Boys Program): 10 grants totaling $3,395,000 will support educational programming and community-based organizations that encourage men and boys to work with allies with women and girls to prevent crimes.
- Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program): 40 grants totaling $15,634,184 will support colleges and universities to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies for such crimes and to develop prevention education and awareness programs. In addition, OVW awarded 12 grants totaling $5,994,296 under the new Strengthening Culturally Specific Campus’ Approaches to Address Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative for grants supporting new programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
- Training and Technical Assistance Initiative: 58 grants totaling $40,605,000 will support training and technical assistance programs to enhance the efforts of grant recipients to implement projects supported by OVW funds successfully. In addition, OVW awarded 25 grants totaling $21,778,800 under the Emerging Issues and Training and Technical Assistance Initiative to organizations exploring new issues in technical assistance projects that address the needs of OVW grantees.
- Research and Evaluation Initiative: Seven grants totaling $3,140,580 will support researcher-practitioner partnerships and a broad range of research and evaluation methods to generate more knowledge about effective strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and hold offenders accountable.
Organizations interested in applying for these and other grants are encouraged to visit the OVW website for more details and application guidelines.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault and Related Firearms Offenses in July 2020 ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vincent James, 39, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury on felony assault charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
James was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) following a three-day trial in D.C. Superior Court. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe detained James pending sentencing scheduled for January 12, 2024.
On July 30, 2020, at approximately 2:00 a.m., James shot the complaining witness multiple times in the torso while in the parking lot of Spar Liquors, located at 3916 South Capitol Street, SE. The victim collapsed at a nearby bus stop before being transported to Washington Hospital Center where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds. James was identified from surveillance footage from a nearby AutoZone where he made a purchase using his loyalty account earlier in the day.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Forgie and Ron Chester.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on March 24, 2022, Shermaine Monteil Burse, 27, was found in possession of a firearm by FBI agents and Jackson Police officers after an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Burse was a passenger. A firearm was found at Burse’s feet on the floorboard. Burse has prior felony convictions out of Hinds County for possession of a stolen weapon and receiving stolen goods. As a convicted felon, Burse is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
Burse was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Terrill and Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Using Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that HENRY EDGARDO ORTIZ, age 44, plead guilty today to illegally using a social security number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
According to court documents, ORTIZ applied to the Jefferson Parish Office of Motor Vehicles , for a Louisiana Identification Card. However, the Social Security Administration later confirmed that the identification card and its associated number, had been previously issued on May 4, 2018 in the name of another person in Puerto Rico, “ Individual A”.
Later, when ORTIZ, appeared at the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s office to handle another matter, he presented a Honduran passport in his real name. The District Attorney’s office became suspicious and contacted the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security located the Louisiana driver’s license paperwork, that showed the ORTIZ’s fraudulent use of a social security number.
ORTIZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Hainze Díaz Arroyo, “La H,” Indicted for Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Hainze Díaz Arroyo, also known in the music industry as “Hanzel la H”, with firearms violations. Díaz Arroyo was arrested on July 10 for violating his federal supervised release and has remained detained since his arrest.
According to court documents, Díaz Arroyo was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, that is, a convicted felon. Specifically, it was alleged that on July 10, 2023, Díaz Arroyo, knowing he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess a firearm. Díaz Arroyo possessed a Glock model 23 .40 caliber pistol, one 13-round capacity magazine, one 22-round capacity magazine, and 36 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
“Fighting gun violence remains a top priority for our office and the Justice Department and, as this case shows, we are steadfast in our commitment to prosecute those who violate federal firearms laws,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We commend the special agents, Deputy U.S. Marshals, and prosecutors who continue working together to fight against violent crime in our communities.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos said: “To reduce the violence on our island, we need to focus on removing the firearms and the violent individuals from the streets; this is the second time in the last ten years that this individual has been arrested for firearm violations. As an agency, we will not tolerate violent individuals who believe they are above the law.”
United States Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico, Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra said: “This significant arrest highlights the strategic coordination and collaboration of the United States Marshal Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Hainze Díaz Arroyo thought he would evade the authorities in Puerto Rico. The U.S. Marshals Service is committed to the safety of our community, we will never stop the search of violent fugitives who are trying to evade the law. As we have always pointed out, it is a matter of time before we knock on your door.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals are investigating the case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Zapata-Valladares, Deputy Chief of the Gang Unit, and AUSA Corinne Cordero-Romo are prosecuting the case.
To report suspicious activities related to the illegal movement of firearms, call HSI San Juan's 24/7 phone line at 787-729-6969.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Justin Harold Krumwiede, 42, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for two counts of production of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“There is no greater charge than the protection of our children,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
In March 2022, law enforcement officers in Gainesville, Florida commenced an investigation of alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl by Krumwiede. A search warrant was obtained for Krumwiede’s cell phones and computers. The devices were examined and found to contained hundreds of images of child pornography. Further investigation led to the identification of two different children whose sexual abuse had been filmed by Krumwiede in New Mexico in 2016 and Texas in 2017. The children had since become adults and were located and interviewed by law enforcement. They confirmed they had been the victim of sexual abuse by Krumwiede and identified themselves in the images that he had created.
“This significant sentence is a result of HSI’s relentless pursuit of those who choose to victimize children,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. "Law enforcement partnerships, like the one between HSI and the Gainesville Police Department, as well as our HSI partners in Waco and Pittsburg, are key to identifying and removing predators from our communities.”
“This successful prosecution is the result of the hard work and dedication of many law enforcement professionals from both state and federal agencies,” said North Florida ICAC Task Force Commander Chris King. “The safety of our children is a common priority and through unified effort this dangerous child predator was ultimately brought to justice.”
Krumwiede’s prison sentence will be followed by a Lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.
The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department and Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Navy Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit BriberyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 26, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Dawnell Parker of Athens, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court today to bribery charges, admitting that while she was a public official at Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego, she accepted thousands of dollars in free meals from defense contractors in exchange for helping them win and maintain millions of dollars in government contracts.
As part of the conspiracy, Parker received the free dinners at various restaurants, including Ruth’s Chris, De Medici Cucina and the University Club. In return, she took official action to aid her benefactors, like allowing defense contractors to draft government documents and submitting those documents as part of the procurement process and advocating for their selection as defense contractors.
According to Parker’s plea agreement, from approximately March 2016 through at least October 2019, she and a coworker received bribes from the president and CEO of a Fredericksburg, Virginia defense contractor. In return, Parker, acting under the direction of her coworker, used various methods to steer contracts to the contractor. Parker also admitted that she and the coworker separately received bribes from a different defense contractor, with offices in San Diego, California, and Stafford, Virginia, who also gave her things of value including expensive meals.
“Corruption in the defense procurement process wastes taxpayer dollars and undercuts public confidence in government,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The contracting process must be reliable and honest to ensure our service members receive the best possible support.”
“Ms. Parker selfishly chose to enrich herself at the expense of the Department of the Navy by accepting bribes in exchange for steering contracts worth millions of dollars to certain companies,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS is dedicated to rooting out bribery and fraud that damage the integrity of the Department of the Navy procurement process and threaten warfighter readiness.”
“Ms. Parker’s guilty plea should act as a deterrent for individuals contemplating or attempting to misuse a position of public trust to subvert the integrity of the government’s acquisition process,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working jointly with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate and deter public corruption within the Department of Defense.”
“Bribery as a means to fraudulently access federal programs for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“Ms. Parker’s actions directly undermined the fair competition that ensures our warfighters always have the technological advantage over potential adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “CI is committed to working with our fellow law enforcement agencies and will follow the money, wherever it may lead, to help protect our country.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr2192-TWR
Dawnell Parker Age: 54 Athens, AL
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.
Former Hamtramck Police Officer Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A former police officer with the Hamtramck Police Department pleaded guilty today to taking bribes from a towing company operator, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michael Stout, 61, of St. Clair Shores, resigned from the Hamtramck Police Department in 2020.
But while he was working as a police officer there, Stout accepted bribes, including a vehicle and $1,500 in cash, from a towing company operator. In return, Stout provided information from the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (or LEIN), a restricted law enforcement database, to the towing company operator. For instance, when the towing company operator told Stout that he was worried that a police vehicle had been following him, Stout called an unwitting employee to search LEIN so Stout could provide the vehicle’s registration information to the towing company operator and thereby check whether it was a law enforcement vehicle.
Stout pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666. This bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Stout is scheduled to be sentenced on February 29, 2024, at 1:30 pm before United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman.
“The public needs the commitment of their police officers to uphold the rule of law, not to break it for their own financial gain. Today’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to ensure that officers who violate the public trust and accept bribes will answer for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Mr. Stout violated his oath to serve, and his misconduct was a betrayal of the trust placed upon him by the citizens of Hamtramck and his fellow officers,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “It is important to note that his actions do not represent the brave and exceptional work that our law enforcement officers perform daily. The FBI would like to thank Anne Moise, the Chief of Police in Hamtramck, for her department’s assistance throughout the investigation. The FBI is dedicated to holding corrupt police officers accountable and ensuring that the people of Michigan can have confidence in the integrity of law enforcement.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Cares.
Former Executive at Medicare Advantage Organization Charged for Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Update: On June 13, 2025, defendant Kenia Valle Boza was found not guilty by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida.
The Justice Department today announced charges against a former executive at HealthSun Health Plans Inc. (HealthSun), a Medicare Advantage organization that operates Medicare Advantage plans in South Florida, for her role in a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme.
In addition, the Justice Department announced that it has declined prosecution of HealthSun after considering the factors set forth in the department’s Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations and the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, including HealthSun’s prompt voluntary self-disclosure, cooperation, and remediation, as well as HealthSun’s agreement to repay the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approximately $53 million in overpayments.
According to court documents, Kenia Valle Boza, 39, of Miami, formerly the Director of Medicare Risk Adjustment Analytics at HealthSun, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to submit false and fraudulent information to CMS to increase the amount that HealthSun received for certain Medicare Advantage enrollees. CMS pays Medicare Advantage plans like those HealthSun operates based, in part, on the health condition of their enrollees. To increase the company’s profits and their own compensation, Valle and her co-conspirators are alleged to have knowingly submitted and caused the submission to CMS of false and fraudulent information about chronic ailments that Medicare beneficiaries in HealthSun’s plans did not actually have, and that non-health care providers, such as coders, added to patient health records.
For example, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly entered and caused others to enter diagnoses into the medical records of beneficiaries enrolled in HealthSun’s plans based on diagnostic tests that were not a proper basis for diagnosing those conditions. In addition, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly obtained the login credentials assigned to certain physicians to wrongfully access electronic medical records (EMR) as the physicians, and falsely and fraudulently entered chronic conditions directly into the medical records of beneficiaries. These diagnoses appeared to have been made and documented by the physicians when, in truth and fact, coders entered the conditions into beneficiaries’ medical records, often days or weeks after the physician saw the beneficiary. As a result of the scheme, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly caused HealthSun to submit to CMS tens of thousands of false and fraudulent diagnosis codes, which resulted in CMS overpaying HealthSun millions of dollars.
Valle is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of major fraud against the United States. If convicted, Valle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count and on each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of major fraud against the United States.
Acting Senior Counselor Brent Wible of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and the FBI Miami Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief John “Fritz” Scanlon and Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IndictmentFive Sentenced to Domestic Violence Charges During Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced that five individuals were sentenced this week in federal court to domestic violence charges.
Justin Samuel Barzellone, 43, of Tulsa, plead guilty on June 3, 2022, to assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and suffocating in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Barzellone to 37 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. In his plea agreement, Barzellone stated that he was arguing with his fiancé and placed his arm around her neck and squeezed to prevent her from breathing. He further stated that he hit her several times and slammed her head against a sliding glass door. Barzellone is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi prosecuted the case.
Patrick Ethan Brashers, 42, of Chelsea, plead guilty on June 9, 2022, to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country, and one count of assault by striking, beating, and wounding. U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Brashers to 20 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. In his plea agreement Brashers, admitted to stomping and breaking the kneecap of his victim in front of their child. In a separate incident, Brashers admittingly pushed down his victim in front of their children and put his foot on her back, pushing her down again. Brashers is a member of the Cherokee Nation. The FBI, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, and Chelsea Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Buscemi and Julie Childress prosecuted the case.
Bryant Sosa Chavez-Danillo, 24, of Tulsa, plead guilty on July 15, 2022, to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Chavez-Danillo to 36 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. In his plea agreement, Chavez-Danillo stated that he was arguing with the victim in a vehicle. The victim attempted to leave the vehicle and he wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her back into the vehicle. He further stated that he stabbed the victim in the abdomen. The victim is a member of Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shakema Onias, Michael Harder, and Julie Childress prosecuted the case.
Jared Wayne Williams, 34, of Sand Springs, plead guilty on September 14, 2022, to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian County and two counts of child neglect in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil sentenced Williams to 180 months. Following his release from prison, Williams is required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to lifetime supervision. Judge Heil further ordered Williams to pay $1,863.44 in restitution. In his plea agreement, Williams admitted that on 2 separate occasions he sexually assaulted the mother of his children. He further stated that other physical and sexual assaults took place in front of minor children. Williams is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The FBI, Bixby Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
Samuel Aaronson Ragster, 31, of Tulsa, plead guilty on July 15, 2022, to one count of assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and suffocating in Indian Country, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Ragster to 78 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. In court documents, Ragster admitted that he grabbed his victim by her throat and slammed her into a bookcase. She suffered significant puncture wounds in her back which required surgical staples to close. He then threw her on the bed and strangled her. The victim is a member of the Cherokee Nation. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden prosecuted the case.
Every October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) renews our commitment to addressing and preventing domestic violence. Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.“Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “And we who serve as federal prosecutors for the Northern District of Oklahoma have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal—and leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors—to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”
As part of its monthlong observance of DVAM, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern District of Oklahoma is proud to announce that the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,125,000 to the Northern District to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $575,000 to the City of Tulsa under the Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Assistance Program (Rural Program) to support programs by local government, community-based organizations, and medical providers in rural areas to improve the safety of survivors.
- OVW awarded $550,000 to Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. (DVIS) under the Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program) to support programs that provide 6 to 24 months of transitional housing or housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
Facing domestic violence? Find support in your state through @OVWJustice's Local Resources:
https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources.- OVW awarded $575,000 to the City of Tulsa under the Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Assistance Program (Rural Program) to support programs by local government, community-based organizations, and medical providers in rural areas to improve the safety of survivors.