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7 December 2023
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DERRICK JOHNSON, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, JOHNSON was arrested on a state warrant at a New Orleans motel. After the arresting officers saw two guns in the room, they called the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for assistance. JOHNSON told the ATF agent who arrived that anything found in the room belonged to him. A female who rented the room consented to a search by the ATF agent. After searching, the agent found two handguns, a .380 pistol and a 9-millimeter pistol. JOHNSON admitted the guns were his. At the time, he had numerous prior felony convictions that prevented him from possessing a firearm.
Subsequently, JOHNSON pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, namely the two pistol founds during the search of the motel room. At his April 11, 2024 sentencing, JOHNSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 6, 2023, GREGORY WILLIAMS, age 30, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to four counts of a seven-count superseding indictment for drug and weapons violations. Sentencing is set for April 3, 2024.
In Count 4, WILLIAMS is charged with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(d). For this charge, WILLIAMS faces up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and at least 2 years of supervised release.
In Count 5, WILLIAMS is charged with possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). For this charge, WILLIAMS faces a mandatory minimum sentence 5 years imprisonment up to life, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 5 years of supervised release.
In Count 6, WILLIAMS is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). For this charge, WILLIAMS faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years supervised release.
Finally, in Count 7, WILLIAMS is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). As to this charge, WILLIAMS faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each charged count, WILLIAMS faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, on February 10, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (“JPSO”) conducted a narcotics investigation in the Metairie Heights Apartment complex in Metairie, LA. Based on their observations, officers stopped a vehicle in the parking lot. During that stop, several individuals located in the parking lot fled from law enforcement. One of those individuals was later identified as WILLIAMS. Investigators identified WILLIAMS as the front-seat passenger of a Dodge Charger that was also located in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and during the subsequent search, located a firearm and narcotics, as well as documentation linked to WILLIAMS. Additionally, on October 1, 2022, officers observed WILLIAMS in possession of two firearms outside of a residence in the 3600 block of Clio Street in New Orleans.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Making Threatening Communications and Calling in False Bomb ThreatsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for making threatening telephone and email communications to New Jersey state officials, judges, law enforcement officers, and attorneys, and phoning in false bomb threats to local and state government offices, a police department, two law firms and a commercial establishment, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Eric G. Hafner, 32, formerly of Monmouth County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp on May 17, 2022, to one count of making threating communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort, one count of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, and one count of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device. U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant repeatedly targeted public servants—elected representatives, judges, and law enforcement officials—and private citizens with threats and attempts at extortion. He further victimized these public officials, private citizens, and the public generally by calling in numerous false bomb threats to a courthouse, a police department, law firms, businesses, and an elected official’s office. These types of threating communications are unacceptable. They cause serious harm to victims, and will be met with a swift response by this Office. This defendant has now faced justice for these serious crimes.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2016 and May 2018, while residing outside the United States, Hafner communicated threats to numerous individuals located in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The victims were elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families. Hafner sought to extort $350,000 from some of his victims. Hafner also made false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Hafner to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; New Jersey State Police; the Bradley Beach Police Department; Fairhaven Police Department; Aberdeen Police Department; the Hazlet Police Department; Shrewsbury Police Department; the Red Bank Police Department; the Freehold Township Police Department; the Middletown Police Department; the Neptune Township Police Department; the Oceanport Police Department; the Deal Police Department; and the Manasquan Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton and R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division.
Michigan Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Darrell Lamar Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning approximately in or before 2019, Holcomb began supplying controlled substances including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana to an individual living in the Oak Hill area of West Virginia. Holcomb or a courier would transport the controlled substances to the individual from the Detroit, Michigan area approximately once or twice per month. Holcomb usually provided the controlled substances on consignment, accepting payment after the individual sold them. Holcomb also provided cell phones to the individual that he was to use only to communicate with Holcomb.
In early December 2021, Holcomb negotiated with the individual to sell him approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine and 4.4 pounds of fentanyl along with approximately 2 pounds of a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount. The individual was required to pay Holcomb $60,000 from a prior shipment as part of this drug deal.
Co-defendant Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, admitted that she was the courier for the December 2021 transaction. Ball pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl on August 1, 2023, and awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-216.
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 46 Months for Transportation of Aliens and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ruben Altunar-Lopez, a/k/a “Hervin Lopez-Javier,” age 49, a citizen of Mexico who was residing in Indiana, was sentenced last week to 46 months in prison for the transportation of aliens and his illegal reentry to the United States subsequent to a felony conviction. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Altunar-Lopez admitted that in the early morning of February 19, 2023, he picked up four aliens in the area of Mooers, New York, in his pickup truck, knowing that they did not have authorization to be in the United States. Altunar-Lopez intended to transport those individuals to other locations in the United States, including Indiana. Altunar-Lopez further admitted that he had two prior felony convictions, including a conviction in United States District Court for the District of Arizona for illegal reentry, for which he was still serving a term of supervised release.
At sentencing on November 30, Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also revoked Altunar-Lopez’s previously imposed term of supervised release and sentenced him to a 6-month term of imprisonment on his supervised release violations, to run consecutive to the 46-month term Altunar-Lopez received for new criminal conduct.
United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Assault of an Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on December 4, 2023.
Elias Glen Sims, age 19, was sentenced to two years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sims was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. A Superseding Information was filed, and the defendant pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023.
The defendant was convicted of physically abusing his pregnant girlfriend in McLaughlin. On May 10, 2023, the defendant became angry and struck the victim about the body, strangled her, and punched her in the stomach. The defendant was 24 weeks pregnant at the time of the assault.
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 Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Sims was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced to Eleven Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm While Trafficking Fentanyl in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to eleven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in Chicago.
THOMAS L. GATES illegally possessed the gun and drugs on the evening of Nov. 16, 2021, in the Old Town neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. Chicago Police officers detained Gates in the 1500 block of North Sedgwick Avenue after observing him display the firearm to another individual. The officers then discovered approximately 45 small, packaged baggies of fentanyl and cocaine in Gates’s jacket pocket.
Gates had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was not lawfully allowed to possess a firearm.
Gates, 43, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal drug and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the sentence Tuesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, DEA, and Illinois State Police.
“Possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking are extremely serious offenses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant posed a severe threat to the community, which is already plagued by gun violence, when he carried a loaded semi-automatic weapon on a public street to protect his drug distributions.”
Machineguns, Long and Short-Barrel Rifles, Handguns, Ammunition Seized in Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigations and ArrestsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The United States Attorney’s Office has filed charging documents in federal court in three separate Project Safe Neighborhood cases, involving possession of a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking and illegal possession of an array of illicit firearms, including multiple machine guns, eleven silencers, three AR-15 rifles, two long-barrel and three short-barrel rifles, as well as dozens of firearm magazines and various rounds of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
“Every illegal firearm loose in our communities is one too many, particularly when it comes to illicit automatic weapons that can inflict carnage on our families and neighbors with a single pull of the trigger,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Combatting the proliferation of illegal firearms and keeping guns out of the hands of felons remains a core priority of this Office. These charges represent superb work by the ATF, HSI, USPIS and our local law enforcement colleagues, and reflect our resolve to keep illegal guns off Rhode Island’s streets and out of our communities.”
Brendan Farley
Smithfield, RI
On December 6, 2023, a federal criminal complaint was filed charging Brendan Farley, 39, of Smithfield, with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of unregistered firearm silencers.
According to charging documents, it is alleged that on November 29, 2023, United Parcel Service notified Homeland Security Investigations of a suspicious package in the mail stream addressed to Farley. An inspection of the contents of the package allegedly revealed several firearm components used to build or repair an AK-47 rifle. A further check by United Parcel Service indicated that 45 parcels were delivered to Farley’s residence between December 2022 and November 2023, of which at least sixteen were shipped from various firearm or firearm-related part vendors.
Homeland Security Investigations determined that Farley had previously been convicted on state felony firearm and narcotics charges and therefore is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm or ammunition.
On December 6, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations executed a court-authorized search of Farley’s residence and vehicle and, from his residence, seized an AR-15 fully automatic machinegun; AR-15 style rifle, AR-15 shotgun, five handguns, and two short-barrel rifles; eleven firearm suppressors or silencers, two of which were attached to firearms; two AR-15 lower receivers and various parts for an AK-47 rifle; 32 firearm magazines; and various supplies used to construct and/or repair firearms. Most of the firearms were privately made firearms, otherwise known as “ghost guns,” that bore no serial numbers or other manufacturer markings.
From Farley’s vehicle agents seized two firearm magazines, including a drum-style magazine.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Warwick Police Department, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department Portsmouth Police Department and Smithfield Police Department.
Jose Marrero
Woonsocket, RI
On December 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jose Marrero, 35, of Woonsocket, with two counts of possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, as part of an ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into Marrero’s alleged illegal possession of firearms, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents executed a court-authorized search of Marrero’s residence and located two loaded firearms and assorted ammunition. The items were allegedly located on a bookshelf in a bedroom where two young children were asleep in cribs.
A semi-automatic firearm with a machinegun conversion device affixed to it, converting it into a machinegun, a semi-automatic handgun, assorted ammunition, fentanyl, and cocaine was also seized as result of this investigation.
According to court documents, it is alleged that the some of the firearms seized by law enforcement are identical to some firearms allegedly displayed by Marrero on a social media account he controlled.
According to court records, Marrero was convicted twice previously in Rhode Island state court on felony drug trafficking charges.
This matter was investigated by ATF, members of the ATF Violent Crime Task Force with substantial assistance from the Massachusetts State Police, and the Woonsocket and central Falls Police Department.
Joshua Pavao
Coventry, RI
On December 6, 2023, Joshua Pavao, 43, who frequently resides in Coventry, was charged by way of a criminal complaint with four counts of unlawful possession of a machinegun and four counts of possession of an unregistered firearm.
It is alleged in charging documents that Coventry Police Department and East Providence Police Detectives and ATF agents discovered eight long guns, including four machine guns, inside a duffel bag belonging to Pavao that was found stored inside a garage of the Coventry residence where he frequently resided.
The discovery of the firearms followed the arrest of Pavao by East Providence Police on state charges brought as the result of an investigation into a December 1, 2024 incident that included reports of shots fired; a car chase resulting in several motor vehicle crashes; as well as the discovery of three loaded firearms, 81 loaded rifle magazines, and a multitude of ammunition inside a vehicle driven by Pavao.
Federal criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brendan Farley is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R Gendron; Jose Marrero is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell; Joshua Pavao is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
These cases have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) ongoing investigations. PSN brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Lock Haven Man Convicted of Visa FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vinaykumar Patel, age 33, a citizen of the Republic of India, was convicted of multiple counts related to visa fraud and conspiracy following a three-day jury trial that concluded on December 6, 2023.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Patel was the manager of the Fuel-On convenience store in Lock Haven, PA. In June 2019, Patel contacted an associate of his in New Jersey and asked that person to hire someone to stage a robbery at the Fuel-On store. After the staged robbery occurred, it was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police. Patel then used the PSP reports of the robbery to apply for a U-visa. The U-visa is a special visa offered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to non-citizens who are victims of crime and who are cooperative with law enforcement. Patel had no lawful immigration status in the United States at the time of the staged robbery.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey MacArthur and Alisan Martin prosecuted the case.
Patel faces a maximum penalty of 25 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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Lead Defendant Pleads Guilty to International Human Smuggling and Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States and distribute cocaine in the United States.
According to court documents, Carl Allison, 47, of Pittsburgh, conspired with at least seven others to bring Honduran nationals and cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Allison and others attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran migrants and at least 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a vessel co-owned by Allison. The migrants each paid up to $20,000 to Allison or his co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States. At some point during a voyage in February 2022, the M/V Pop had engine trouble in the Gulf of Mexico. Allison and others chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 95 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and towed it to shore.
For approximately three years, Allison participated in the scheme to bring Honduran migrants from Honduras to the United States via vessels such as the M/V Pop. Allison and his co-conspirators smuggled at least 15 migrants into the United States on each voyage. Once the migrants reached the United States, Allison and his co-conspirators placed them in factories and other businesses knowing that the migrants lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States.
Allison pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Three co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty earlier this year for their roles in the scheme. Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison. Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Houma, Louisiana, investigated the case, with assistance from HSI Pittsburgh, HSI Atlanta, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.
The investigation is being conducted under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 260 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 170 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The investigation is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States 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 ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI, and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy and Trial Attorney Kate Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carter Guice and Ben Myers for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jerel D. Jenkins, 29, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jenkins pleaded guilty to this charge on September 1, 2023.
On April 27, 2022, Jenkins was driving a car in La Crosse with a passenger. An officer saw Jenkins’ car was not displaying proper license plates and attempted a traffic stop. Jenkins sped down an alleyway and jumped from the car, which crashed head-on into a detached garage with the passenger still in it. Jenkins fled and was not apprehended that evening. While responding to the scene, officers found a .380 caliber handgun, with a magazine inserted and loaded, on the ground near the driver-side door of the car. DNA from the trigger guard of the handgun matched Jenkins.
On October 12, 2022, Jenkins was charged federally with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Local law enforcement attempted to arrest Jenkins on several occasions, but he eluded capture, in one instance by driving his car through a detached garage and hitting an occupied squad car.
On February 16, 2023, officers from multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies coordinated efforts to arrest Jenkins. Officers saw Jenkins leave an apartment and get into an SUV parked in an alleyway. The officers activated their lights and sirens and attempted to box Jenkins’ SUV in the alleyway. Jenkins responded by accelerating toward one end of the alleyway. He hit a dumpster and then a vehicle driven by a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Jenkins hit the vehicle with such force that its airbags deployed and the Deputy U.S. Marshal was injured. Jenkins was extracted from the SUV and arrested. Two shotguns and ammunition were found in the SUV.
Based on the events surrounding his arrest, Jenkins was charged with illegally possessing the two shotguns and with assaulting a federal officer and causing injury. Jenkins ultimately pleaded guilty to possessing the two shotguns and agreed for the purposes of sentencing that he injured the Deputy U.S. Marshal and possessed the loaded .380 caliber handgun in April 2022.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson concluded that 84 months in prison was necessary to protect the public from Jenkins’ reckless behavior. Judge Peterson noted that Jenkins suffered from substance abuse and mental health issues, but emphasized that Jenkins had an obligation to manage those issues so not to present a danger to the public. Judge Peterson credited Jenkins’ good behavior while he was detained pretrial to encourage him to pursue sobriety and prosocial behavior.
The charges against Jenkins were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Marie Boor and Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Kenton County Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Florence, Ky., man, Ryan Stivers, 30, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 78 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in 2017, law enforcement began investigating suspicious packages being mailed from California to multiple addresses in Northern Kentucky, which were associated with Stivers. During the investigation, law enforcement seized significant amounts of marijuana and cash proceeds of drug trafficking. Stivers admitted to his participation in the marijuana distribution conspiracy and that he was responsible for distributing at least 100 kilograms of marijuana.
Under federal law, Stivers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division; and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by USPIS and DEA.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randell Lee Proctor, 45, of Belle, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2022, Proctor possessed a Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the Rand area of Kanawha County. Proctor fired two rounds with the firearm while outside a residence, one into the air and the other into the front porch ceiling of the residence while his girlfriend was inside. Law enforcement officers responding to complaints about the gunshots encountered Proctor inside the residence, where they recovered the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Proctor knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic battery on September 15, 2016, November 26, 2013, January 24, 2005 and September 24, 2002, all in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
The Court granted an upward variance from Proctor’s original sentencing range. The Court cited several factors including Proctor’s prior convictions and criminal history, the fact that he discharged the firearm during an active domestic violence altercation, and the danger to the community he posed by discharging a firearm in a residential area.
“With the upward variance granted by the Court, today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s crime and protects the public,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This defendant has a significant criminal history of domestic violence crimes dating back two decades. The fact that he fired shots in this incident raises grave concerns that his tendency toward violence in his domestic relationships is escalating.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
“This case shows why domestic abusers should not possess firearms. They pose extreme danger to intimate partners, family and to the public,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division which covers all of West Virginia. “ATF prioritizes these cases and will work alongside our law enforcement partners, including the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, to protect the community and send these dangerous offenders to federal prison, where they belong.”
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-74.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida Restaurant to Resolve Claims of Employment DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with OSI/Fleming’s LLC, which owns and operates the Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (Fleming’s) restaurant in Sandestin, Florida. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Fleming’s violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a lawful permanent resident when checking whether he had ongoing permission to work.
“Employers that discriminate against workers by rejecting their valid documents or requiring that they show unnecessary documents to prove they can continue to work violate federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold employers accountable for unlawfully discriminating against workers because of citizenship, immigration status or national origin.”
After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the department concluded that Fleming’s discriminated against a lawful permanent resident by rejecting the valid documents the worker originally provided and unnecessarily requiring him to present a document with an expiration date to prove his citizenship status. When he failed to do so, Fleming’s fired him, according to the department. Federal law allows workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to demonstrate their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers cannot demand more documents than are necessary or specify documentation they prefer to see as part of this process.
After the department started its investigation, Fleming’s rehired the worker and paid him lost wages. Under the agreement, Fleming’s will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its human resources staff on the INA’s requirements and provide an alternative way of accepting a worker’s documentation if the company’s software will not accept a worker’s valid documentation.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits employment discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
fnl_-_executed_settlement_agreement_flemings_redacted_ocred.pdfJury Convicts Akron Man of Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on December 6, 2023, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Britt Lander, 42, from Akron, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. The verdict was returned after about 1 hour of jury deliberations. In 2012, Lander was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
The evidence at trial showed that Lander, along with others, conspired to receive methamphetamine by mail and vehicle from California and Mexico to distribute in the Sioux City and Akron, Iowa areas. Evidence also showed Lander assisted others in the unloading of 5-10 pound loads of methamphetamine transported to rural properties associated with Lander. Evidence also included an audio/video recording of Lander and another using cutting tools to remove 7 kilograms of methamphetamine from inside a spare tire that was used to transport the methamphetamine from Mexico.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Lander remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Lander faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and 10 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City 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 22-4071.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Joliet Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm While on Court-Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Joliet man to more than two years in prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while on court-supervised release for a drug conviction.
GARY MCDONALD, 50, illegally possessed the gun on Oct. 8, 2023, in a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Sherman Street in Joliet. McDonald had been released from federal prison in 2020 after serving time for a drug conspiracy conviction. He was to remain on court-supervised release until 2025, during which time he was not allowed to, among other things, possess a firearm or commit another federal or state crime.
After a hearing in federal court on Nov. 30, 2023, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that McDonald violated the conditions of supervised release. Judge Blakey revoked McDonald’s release and sentenced him to an additional two years and three months in federal prison.
The government was represented at the hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright. Valuable assistance with the supervised release prosecution was provided by the Joliet Police Department and the FBI.
“Violating supervised release by possessing a loaded firearm is a serious offense that carries with it serious consequences,” said Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute serious violations of supervised release as appropriate.”
Houstonian admits to $935,000 international money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 31-year-old local man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
From July 2018 to November 2018, Baudelaire Tchouala laundered money into several bank accounts and withdrew the money to send to others. He used a business account to conceal the fraudulent activity.
Victims believed they paid for goods and services from legitimate individuals and companies but were tricked into sending the money to Tchouala’s accounts. On July 23, 2018, a victim wired $64,000 from their bank account to Tchouala’s account based on instructions they received via email. The victim sent the money, believing it was for the purchase of a house.
On Oct. 29, 2018, another victim directed $198,955 into Tchouala’s account for a down payment on a condominium. The receiving account was just opened Oct. 12, 2018.
In addition, several companies also fell victim to the scheme. One had communicated via email with someone pretending to be from another company. On Oct. 4, 2018, that person sent an email requesting that payment be sent to an updated bank account. Based on that email, the victim company sent approximately $645,711 to Tchouala’s bank account.
The victims reside in various countries including the United States, South Korea and Japan.
Tchouala withdrew most of the money via cash, card purchases, checks and transfers. Tchouala’s fraudulent financial activity totaled approximately $935,000.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 7, 2024. At that time, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $500,000 maximum fine.
Tchouala was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Shirin Hakimzadeh is prosecuting the case.
Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC to Pay More Than $1.1 Million in Penalties and Implement Compliance Measures for Violations of Hazardous Waste RegulationsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC (HCC) to resolve pending claims of the United States on behalf of the EPA, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the State of Indiana for violations of requirements governing management of hazardous waste, as well as a violation of used oil management requirements, at current or former HCC facilities located in Indianapolis; Shreveport, Louisiana; Atlanta; Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania and Denver. Under the settlement, HCC commits to pay civil penalties totaling $1,162,500 and to implement various measures to ensure that HCC facilities will not treat, store or dispose of parts-washing solvents that qualify as hazardous waste unless and until HCC receives a hazardous waste permit authorizing it to manage hazardous waste. Plaintiffs estimate that the compliance measures required under the settlement will cost at least $1,628,502.
“While federal law encourages responsible recycling of hazardous waste, recyclers must still comply with legal requirements designed to ensure the health and safety of our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This settlement reflects our commitment to ensuring that hazardous waste recycling operations are conducted in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its regulations.”
“Companies that manage hazardous wastes for other companies are required to ensure that those wastes are handled properly, which Heritage Crystal Clean repeatedly failed to do,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is committed to fair and robust enforcement of our hazardous waste laws to ensure that our communities and the environment are protected from mismanaged hazardous wastes.”
In January 2022, a 21-count complaint was filed against HCC in federal district court in the Northern District of Illinois under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and applicable state law. The complaint states that in the course of providing parts-washing services to customers throughout the United States, HCC accepted some used solvent that qualified as hazardous waste, but HCC did not transport and manage those solvents in accordance with applicable hazardous waste management requirements. In particular, the complaint states that HCC (1) transported hazardous waste without required hazardous waste manifests, (2) stored hazardous waste at various HCC facilities without required permits, (3) failed to make required hazardous waste determinations after mixing used solvents from different parts-washing customers, (4) failed to comply with certain requirements for reducing air emissions from certain hazardous waste tanks and equipment, and (5) failed to maintain adequate secondary containment for certain hazardous waste tanks. The complaint alleges that some used solvents managed by HCC were hazardous waste because HCC needed to subject the material to systematic gravity separation to make the used material suitable for resale. Plaintiffs contend HCC evaded hazardous waste requirements by improperly claiming that the unusable solvents were products instead of wastes.
As part of the settlement, HCC must perform compliance measures at multiple HCC facilities to achieve and maintain compliance with RCRA. As one element of the compliance program, the proposed settlement requires HCC to implement measures to ensure one type of used solvent referred to by HCC as “106 solvent” is acceptable for re-use without prior reclamation and that it is legitimately reused. The settlement will also prohibit gravity separation (removing water and solids while recovering the valuable solvent component) of used 106 solvent in order to meet re-use solvent customer product specifications or to otherwise render the material suitable for reuse. Used solvents that are legitimately reused for their solvent properties without prior reclamation are not subject to regulation as hazardous waste.
Another central element of the proposed settlement is a sampling program to determine whether another type of parts-washing solvent – referred to by HCC as “142 solvent” – exhibits hazardous waste characteristics. HCC must promptly remove from its facilities any 142 solvent drums and consolidation containers that exhibit hazardous waste characteristics, and HCC must thereafter manage such characteristic wastes in accordance with applicable hazardous waste management requirements.
The proposed settlement also requires HCC to apply for a RCRA permit at its Indianapolis facility. Pending issuance of the permit and construction of certain hazardous waste management units, the settlement requires HCC to implement specified interim measures at the Indianapolis facility, including frequent inspections of tanks and containers, as well as elimination of open venting of tanks containing used 142 solvent.
Finally, the proposed settlement includes numerous other provisions, including provisions that require HCC to distribute educational materials to parts-washing customers in specified circumstances, and provisions for HCC to retain a third party to conduct audits at designated HCC facilities to ensure future compliance.
The five HCC facilities included in this settlement are recognized by EPA to be located within communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Nearby communities will benefit from the improved controls and new work practices that will be implemented at HCC facilities as required by the consent decree. These new controls and practices will reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and reduce risk of exposure to hazardous wastes managed at these facilities.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, is subject to a 30-day federal public comment period and approval by the federal court. The consent decree can be viewed on the Justice Department's website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
For more information about this settlement, please visit Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC Settlement Information Sheet on EPA’s web page.
EPA is investigating the case.
Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are prosecuting the case.
Grand jury indicts Butler County man for romance-fraud conspiracy involving more than $1 million in proceeds, separate COVID-relief fraudRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A dual Ghanaian and American citizen currently residing in Ohio was indicted for crimes related to a romance-fraud conspiracy and making false statements on a COVID‑relief application.
Benjamin Adu Acheampong, 37, of Fairfield, Ohio, is charged in a 7-count indictment.
According to the indictment, from January 2019 through July 2021, Acheampong conspired with others to create false online profiles, which the conspirators used to express romantic interest in victims. Once the victim believed he or she was in a romantic relationship with the person pictured in the online profile, the coconspirators, using false pretenses, would convince the victims to send money by mail or by wire transfer. For example, the conspirators commonly falsely represented that the person pictured in the online profile was expecting a large inheritance of gold and needed financial assistance to bring it to the United States, or that he or she needed money for a plane ticket or medical expenses.
Acheampong allegedly laundered part of the $1 million in scam proceeds through multiple bank accounts, including bank accounts he opened in the name of ABA Automotive & Export LLC, an Ohio LLC he created.
It is alleged the money was laundered by making wire transfers, including to accounts in Africa, and by falsely representing that the transfers were for, among other things, paying workers and family expenses.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Acheampong made false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in a Payment Protection Program (PPP) loan application, which resulted in the SBA awarding him more than $20,000 in COVID relief to which he was not entitled.
Acheampong is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, two counts of international money laundering, and two counts of concealment money laundering, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Acheampong is also charged with one count of making false statements to an agent of the United States, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Robert Hunter Biden with Three Felony Tax Offenses and Six Misdemeanor Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment today charging Robert Hunter Biden (Hunter Biden) with three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses.
According to the indictment, Hunter Biden engaged in a four-year scheme in which he chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019 and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns. As alleged in the indictment, to further this scheme, Hunter Biden:
- subverted the payroll and tax withholding process of his own company by withdrawing millions outside of the payroll and tax withholding process;
- spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills;
- in 2018, stopped paying his outstanding and overdue taxes for tax year 2015;
- willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes;
- willfully failed to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns, on time; and
- when he did finally file his 2018 returns, included false business deductions in order to reduce the very substantial tax liability he faced as of February 2020.
The indictment charges Hunter Biden with the following offenses:
COUNT
STATUTE
OFFENSE
TAX YEAR AND FILING
1
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to pay
2016 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
2
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to pay
2017 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
3
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to file
2017 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
4
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to pay
2018 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
5
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to file
2018 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
6
26 U.S.C. § 7201
tax evasion (felony)
2018 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
7
26 U.S.C. § 7206
filing a false return (felony)
2018 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
8
26 U.S.C. § 7206
filing a false return
(felony)
2018 Form 1120 for Hunter Biden’s company, Owasco, PC
9
26 U.S.C. § 7203
failure to pay
2019 Form 1040 for Hunter Biden
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 17 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.
The investigation is ongoing.
David C. Weiss, Special Counsel, made the announcement.
Court documents and information for this case is located on the website of the District Court for the Central District of California or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-00599.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
IndictmentGeorgia Motel Manager Sentenced for Trafficking and Forced Labor of VictimRead the Press Release
A motel manager in Georgia was sentenced to 57 months in prison for trafficking a victim with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or forced labor and ordered to pay $42,648 in restitution to seven individuals.
According to court documents, Shreesh Tiwari, 71, an Indian national and legal U.S. permanent resident, began managing the Budgetel Motel in Cartersville, Georgia, in 2020. Shortly thereafter, Tiwari hired the victim to work as a maid at the motel and provided her with a room where she could live. Tiwari knew that, prior to arriving at the motel, the victim had experienced homelessness, struggled with a heroin addiction and lost custody of her young child. Tiwari promised the victim that he would help her regain custody of her child by providing her with pay, an apartment and an attorney.
Instead of following through with his promises, Tiwari monitored the victim’s interactions with motel guests and employees and forbade her from speaking to them. He also discouraged the victim from communicating with her family and friends, falsely claiming that they did not care about her. Tiwari began making numerous sexual overtures to the victim. When Tiwari became angry at the victim, he threatened to evict her from the room he provided her at the motel, knowing that she would become homeless as a result. In addition, Tiwari threatened to report the victim’s drug use to law enforcement or child welfare agencies whenever he was angry at the victim. Eventually, Tiwari began to regularly “evict” the victim from her motel room, and even locked her out of her room at night without warning. Tiwari even threatened to call animal control to remove the victim’s dog despite permitting the victim’s dog to live with the victim in her motel room at first. Ultimately, Tiwari required the victim to perform sex acts with him to stay at the motel. If she did not, Tiwari removed her from the property, causing her to be homeless.
“Human trafficking can occur anywhere since traffickers are adept at identifying someone’s vulnerabilities and often fraudulently extend hope to someone looking for an opportunity to improve their dire circumstances,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence and the restitution secured for the survivors of this heinous labor trafficking scheme make clear that the Justice Department is committed to prosecuting anyone who flagrantly exploits their position of power. We will tirelessly seek restitution on behalf of the victims that traffickers callously exploit.”
“Tiwari used his position of power to ruthlessly abuse a victim he knew had already suffered immeasurably,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The level of this defendant’s callousness is shocking. But we are thankful that our community is now safer, and other potential victims spared, due to the excellent investigative work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who made Tiwari’s conviction possible. Our office also intends for Tiwari’s prosecution and sentence to provide a stark warning to other traffickers that these crimes carry especially serious penalties on account of the lasting harm done to victims and their families.”
“Tiwari preyed upon the victim’s difficult past and fear of homelessness to control and extort her, subjecting her to unspeakable horrors,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta. “HSI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to ensure that predators like Mr. Tiwari will be held accountable for their actions.”
The HSI Dalton Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Annalise Peters for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Kate Hill of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Four Members of Violent Bridgeport Gang GuiltyRead the Press Release
On December 5, 2023, a federal jury in New Haven found KEISHAWN DONALD, 22; TREVON WRIGHT, also known as “Tre,” 22; ERIC HAYES, also known as “Heavyweight Champ,” 26; and TRAVON JONES, also known as “Budda,” 21, guilty of racketeering offenses related to their involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones have been members of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.
East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
During the trial, the government presented evidence that:
- On January 30, 2018, Donald shot and killed Eric Heard, a.k.a. “Fetti,” a member and associate of the GHB/Hotz gang;
- On March 5, 2019, Hayes shot and killed Jerrell Gatewood;
- On July 12, 2019, Jones and another East End Member, Tyrone Moore, shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On September 15, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Marquis Isreal, a.k.a. “Garf” or “Gbaby,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On October 17, 2019, Jones shot and attempted to kill Joshua Gilbert, a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On December 8, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Arvan Smith, a.k.a. “Arv Barkley,” an associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On January 26, 2020, Wright shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang
The jury found Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity. At sentencing, Donald, Wright, and Jones face a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Hayes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. All are detained pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that due to rising level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, this wide-ranging investigation commenced in January 2020, shortly before the violence culminated on January 27, 2020, when GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members, in retaliation for the Myreke Kenion murder and D’Andre Brown shooting, attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport. After a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the courthouse, law enforcement and first responders discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a car.
Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have now been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
“We believe that the investigation of these warring gangs and resulting prosecutions have had a significant and substantial impact on the violence being perpetrated in Bridgeport,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “In 2020 and 2021, when many other cities saw significant surges in gun violence, much of it caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and longstanding societal issues, Bridgeport saw a significant decrease in gun violence, with a 61 percent decline in gang-related homicides and a 59 percent decrease in gang shootings not resulting in death. Moreover, the gun violence, and particularly the gang related violence, has decreased from 2022 to 2023. While these statistics are encouraging, the amount of gun violence in our cities remains unacceptable and a top priority for our office and our federal partners. I thank all of the law enforcement officers who have contributed to these investigations, and commend and acknowledge the trial teams that are prosecuting these cases.”
“Every Connecticut resident, regardless of where they reside or their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class, should be able to feel safe in their community,” U.S. Attorney Avery continued. “No person, or group of people is entitled to wreak havoc by engaging in repeated acts of violence, instilling fear and trauma on the children and families who reside in our communities. Every life matters. We implore anyone engaged in, or planning to engage in, senseless violence like these defendants to reconsider so you don’t end up either killed or facing the prospect of wasting your life sitting in a federal prison.”
“The continuing cooperation between local, state, and federal officials in Bridgeport is a model of effective law enforcement,” said Fairfield Judicial District State’s Attorney Joseph T. Corradino. “The net result of these sustained efforts is a safer community for the people who live and work in the Greater Bridgeport area. We are committed to maintaining this successful long term relationship with our federal counterparts for the benefit of the people we serve.”
“The level of complexity involved in this long term investigation proved to be no match for our Connecticut professional law enforcement partners ability, skills and determination to bring about justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “We here in Connecticut have a unified partnership with local, state, and federal partners that is second to none in the country. Justice has been served.”
“Keishawn Donald, Trevon Wright, Eric Hayes and Travon Jones have been found guilty in federal court of gang related racketeering offenses, including murder and other violent crimes. Said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “The ATF alongside our local, state and federal partners remain dedicated to protecting the citizens of Bridgeport from violent gangs like the East End gang.”
“Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Drug dealers and street gangs value their own profits over human life, and are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. These crimes hold law abiding citizens of Connecticut hostage to drug-fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state, and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
“On behalf of the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Police Department, I want to the thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of the federal law enforcement agencies for their continued support and partnership in helping to reduce violent crime in the City of Bridgeport and bringing those responsible for violence in our city to justice,” said Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The East End gang cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale, and Stephanie T. Levick
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Fort Pierce Man Detained for Robbery of U.S. Postal Letter CarrierRead the Press Release
MIAMI - On Dec. 6, Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23 of Fort Pierce, Florida, was ordered detained in custody pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, after he was charged by federal criminal complaint for participating in a conspiracy to commit a postal/U.S. Property robbery, armed postal/U.S. Property robbery, illegal theft/possession of a U.S. Postal Service Arrow Key, and use or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to the criminal complaint, between November 19, 2022, and October 21, 2023, Brown and two other individuals (Bernard Jerome Davis, III, and Jalen Dennis Elliott) committed armed robberies of U.S. Postal Letter Carriers, in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange, and Miami-Dade Counties.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Fort Pierce Police Department Chief Diane Hobley-Burney, Miami Beach Police Department Chief Richard Clements, Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson made the announcement.
USPIS investigated the case with assistance from the Fort Pierce Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting it.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In May of 2023, the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the Project Safe Delivery campaign to crack down on postal crimes and attacks on postal employees. Part of this effort includes increased reward amounts for these crimes. Currently there is an up to $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in these crimes. If you have information, please report it via www.uspis.gov/report or by calling 877-876-2455.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-mj-00124.
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Former and Present Owners of Standish Surveying Company Charged in Scheme to DefraudRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A federal grand jury indicted Andrew Semenchuk and Adam Ball, former owners and executives of Surveying Solutions, Inc. and Jeffrey Bartlett, a current owner and executive of Surveying Solutions, Inc., on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. The indictment arises out of false statements made to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the process of applying for and receiving highway construction and surveying contracts.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region.
Indicted were Andrew Semenchuk, age 51, of Rives Junction, Michigan, Adam Ball, age 46, of Saginaw, Michigan, and Jeffrey Bartlett, age 51, of Standish, Michigan. All were charged in the indictment as co-conspirators in one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and 13 counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Andrew Semenchuk, Adam Ball, and Jeffrey Bartlett were owners and employees of Survey Solutions, Inc., a company that was awarded millions of dollars in construction and surveying contracts by MDOT. Those contracts were funded almost entirely by federal funds through USDOT. The indictment alleges that statements made by Semenchuk, Ball, and Bartlett to MDOT and USDOT included false claims that SSI qualified as a disadvantaged business which tricked MDOT into granting SSI contract preferences. The indictment further alleges that Semenchuk, Ball, and Bartlett also reported false and fraudulent employee costs, and false and fraudulent equipment, real estate, and IT expenses which artificially inflated payments MDOT made to SSI.
“Every year USDOT entrusts millions of taxpayer dollars into programs intended to support and improve our community’s infrastructure, including the maintenance of our highways system. When the integrity of USDOT’s contracting system is damaged by individuals who cheat to obtain contracts and fraudulently inflate the expenses and costs they claim for reimbursement, the public trust is broken, and taxpayer funds are squandered. The charges in this indictment serve as a promise to the taxpaying public that such violations of the public trust will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
"The defendants' alleged actions to personally profit through their fraud scheme, which created an unfair competitive market for other businesses to earn contracts, is particularly disturbing," said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. "The FBI is uniquely poised to investigate fraud cases with financial intricacies like those documented in this case. We commend our partner law enforcement agencies for their assistance in taking strong action against those who seek to corrupt the integrity and fair administration of government programs."
“The indictment announced today demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to identify and put an end to this extensive fraud scheme,” stated Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “We will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly defraud the Federal government and put taxpayer dollars at risk.”
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, Bartlett, Semenchuk, and Ball face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 5 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, and 20 years in prison for each of the 13 counts of wire fraud. If convicted, a federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.
Former Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Perryopolis, PA has been sentenced in federal court to a total term of 276 months’ imprisonment (23 years) on his conviction for seven counts of child sexual exploitation, including the production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and transportation and attempted transportation of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon ordered a period of 25 years’ supervised release following McKenzie’s incarceration sentence and ordered that McKenzie pay restitution totaling $61,000.00 to his minor victims.
According to information presented to the court, on three separate occasions in 2020-2021, McKenzie induced a minor known to him to shower and change in a bathroom where he surreptitiously recorded the minor. McKenzie saved one of the videos that he had captured of this minor on a thumb drive where he also had saved hundreds of other videos of child sexual abuse material, including videos that depicted prepubescent minors, toddlers, and babies being sexually abused. Additionally, McKenzie transferred the videos he created of the minor to a Dropbox account, along with another video of an unknown minor showering and changing. At the time of this criminal conduct, McKenzie was employed by the Pennsylvania State Police as a Corporal. Law enforcement recovered the thumb drive containing the child sexual abuse material from the lapel pocket of McKenzie’s Pennsylvania State Police uniform.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Bissoon acknowledged the pain and harm McKenzie caused all of the victims of his crimes. Judge Bissoon stated that McKenzie is a danger to society.
“This defendant betrayed his oath as a sworn law enforcement officer and victimized the very children he was sworn to protect,” said United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “McKenzie’s conduct represents the most disturbing betrayal of trust, and today’s sentence provides more proof that this office and our partners in law enforcement will bring the full force of federal law to seek justice for child sexual abuse victims.”
“The investigation, prosecution and sentencing of Sean McKenzie was made possible by the unparalleled cooperation between HSI Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “Today’s sentence is a warning to all would-be predators that our law enforcement agencies continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent those who harm children. This is especially true when the perpetrator of these horrific crimes is a law enforcement officer.”
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McKenzie.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Owner and Operator of Norfolk Dermatology Practice Sentenced for Stealing over $310,000 in Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner and operator of a Norfolk-based dermatology practice was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for fraudulently receiving federal workers’ compensation and disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Karen Nolan, 66, of Norwood, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served (one day in prison) and three years of supervised release, with the first six months in home confinement. Nolan was also ordered to pay restitution of $235,563 to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and $78,446 to the SSA. On Sept. 22, 2023, Nolan pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements.
From approximately November 2017 through August 2021, Nolan stole federal workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security disability benefits from approximately July 2019 through August 2021, totaling more than $310,000. In April 2019, Nolan falsely reported to the SSA that she had not worked since 2017 due to a medical disability, but was actively self-employed at a dermatology practice at the time. Nolan also made similar false statements to OWCP in May 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations, Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Former NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Obstructing A Federal Investigation and Helping A Gang Leader Evade Capture After Committing MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of GINA MESTRE, a former New York City Police Officer, in connection with her involvement in obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and serving as an accessory after the fact to a murder committed by the gang’s leader. MESTRE pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As she has now admitted, Gina Mestre, a former NYPD Officer, abused her position of public trust and betrayed the oath she took to protect and serve the citizens of New York City by helping a gang member evade capture for a murder of a rival gang member that he committed in broad daylight. When law enforcement officers break the laws they are sworn to uphold, they do a disservice to their fellow officers, to the departments that employ them, and to the public they serve. My Office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute such corruption.”
As alleged in the Indictment, other public court documents, and statements made during court proceedings:
MESTRE was an NYPD Police Officer from July 2013 to May 2022 and assigned to the 52nd Precinct’s Public Safety Unit. In the summer of 2020, a major focus of the precinct and the Public Safety Unit was the reduction of gun violence, much of which was committed by members of the Shooting Boys gang.
The Shooting Boys gang is a criminal organization based in the University Heights section of the Bronx. Since at least 2017, members of the gang have sold drugs, used guns, and committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members. The gang’s territory and base of operations fell within the jurisdiction of the NYPD’s 52nd Precinct, where MESTRE worked. The leader of the Shooting Boys was Andrew Done, a/k/a “Caballo.”
In or about June 2020, MESTRE began communicating with Done through secret social media accounts and phone numbers. MESTRE and Done began an intimate relationship, during which MESTRE provided Done and other gang members with confidential, non-public law enforcement information about the federal grand jury investigation into the Shooting Boys. For example, MESTRE warned Done and other gang members that federal authorities were investigating the gang and preparing to bring a federal indictment. MESTRE also warned Done about impending law enforcement operations, enabling Done and other gang members to conceal their criminal activity. In addition, MESTRE disclosed the identity of a witness cooperating with law enforcement and providing information about the gang, which allowed Done and other Shooting Boys to assault and intimidate the witness in an effort to prevent the witness from further cooperation.
On November 5, 2020, Done shot and killed a rival gang member (“Victim-1”) as Victim-1 sat in his car in the Bronx. NYPD Detectives investigating the murder recovered security camera video capturing Done’s commission of the murder. Several members of the 52nd Precinct were called upon to assist in the identification of the person captured on the video. MESTRE was one of several officers who identified Done as the perpetrator.
During the manhunt to apprehend Done, of which MESTRE was a part, MESTRE covertly advised Done that authorities were looking for him and sent Done a copy of the video that showed him committing the murder (thus making clear to Done that the evidence against him was overwhelming). In the days and weeks following the murder, MESTRE continued to secretly communicate with Done and warn him about law enforcement’s efforts to capture him, which helped him avoid apprehension and eventually flee the United States. During this time, while authorities were trying to locate Done, MESTRE was aware of the cellphone numbers being used by Done, communicated with Done while he used those cellphones, knew that the cellphone numbers could be used by law enforcement to track Done’s location, but failed to share the information regarding Done’s use of the cellphone numbers with other law enforcement officers.
In March 2022, 10 members of the Shooting Boys were charged in a 15-count indictment with various federal crimes, including racketeering conspiracy and murder. Done was charged with the murder of Victim-1 and was apprehended in the Dominican Republic several months later.
On November 17, 2022, Done pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and admitted to murdering Victim-1. On February 22, 2023, Done was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
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MESTRE, 33, of Mohegan Lake, New York, pled guilty to one count of accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MESTRE will be sentenced by Judge Cote on March 21, 2024.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, Group 25, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Gretna Postal Carrier Sentenced for Desertion of MailRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kevin Radik, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced December 7, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for desertion of mail. United States Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson sentenced Radik to one year of probation.
Radik had been employed as a rural mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Gretna, Nebraska, since 2009. In 2023, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General began investigating after receiving reports of Radik not delivering the weekly ads and newspapers to an apartment complex along his route. Investigators observed Radik on video removing a postal bin from a postal vehicle and placing it in the back of his personal vehicle. Radik was found with twenty pieces of mail in his personal vehicle. Radik admitted that since December 2022 or January 2023, he had not been delivering bulk business mail to the apartment complex and would instead throw the mail away in a dumpster. Radik indicated that he had intended to throw away the mail found in his vehicle at his home. Radik advised that not delivering the bulk mail saved him five minutes on his route.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Former Elementary School Principal Sentenced to 30 Years for the Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – A former school principal will spend 30 years in prison after he secretly videotaped and photographed students in the bathroom and locker room of the school where he was the principal.
Norman Keith Aycock, 56, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the attempted production of child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Aycock to 360 months in federal prison for the offense to be followed by five years of supervised release. Aycock was also ordered to pay restitution to victims and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began in January of 2022, after a student discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom of the girls’ locker room at Bayou Academy, located in Cleveland, Mississippi. Law enforcement determined Aycock placed the camera along with others throughout the school, including the office where he met with students. At the time, Aycock was employed as the principal of the Academy’s elementary school. Ultimately, investigators discovered that Aycock’s hidden camera footage in the school spanned over six years.
On August 10, 2023, Aycock pled guilty to two counts of attempted production of child sexual exploitative material. Aycock is also under state indictment in the Circuit Court of Bolivar County, Mississippi, where the charges remain pending.
“I can think of few things more despicable than a school official betraying the trust of parents, children and the community in the most profound way possible – the sexual exploitation of students in his care,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “The sentence imposed by Judge Mills in this case will mean that this defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison and should serve as a stern warning to anyone entrusted with the care and protection of our kids who would ever consider violating that trust. I appreciate the investigative work of our partners at the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Mississippi and the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office in helping to bring this abhorrent conduct into the light.”
"Safeguarding our children from predators is one of my top priorities," said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. "I am proud of my team's efforts investigating this case with the Bolivar County Sheriff's Department, and I grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office to secure this federal sentence. While we cannot undo the harm that has been done to these victims, we can work together to ensure justice is served."
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division investigated the case, with assistance from the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
Former Columbus vice detective pleads guilty to depriving victims’ civil rights, obstructing justiceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus vice detective pleaded guilty in federal court today to crimes related to kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest.
Andrew K. Mitchell, 59, of Sunbury, pleaded guilty to two counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under color of law and one count of obstructing justice.
As part of the plea agreement, the parties involved have recommended a sentence of seven to 11 years in prison.
Mitchell was employed by the Columbus Division of Police from 1988 until 2019 and was assigned to the vice unit from 2017 until 2019. As part of his duties in that role, Mitchell conducted law enforcement actions for solicitation offenses.
According to court documents, in July 2017, Mitchell picked up a sex worker who was working in the Hilltop near Sullivant and Whitethorne avenues. Mitchell was in plain clothes and an unmarked black sedan. He told the victim he was a police officer and acted as if he were doing a check for any outstanding warrants on the victim.
Mitchell used this ruse to handcuff the victim to the doorknob of his vehicle. He drove the victim to a nearby parking lot with multiple dumpsters and forcible held and detained the victim against her will before dropping her off at her boyfriend’s residence.
Similarly, in September 2017, Mitchell picked up a second sex worker in the Hilltop. Mitchell was again in plain clothes and was driving a dark SUV. He began discussing the victim’s rates for sexual activity before announcing that he was an officer with the vice unit and said she was going to jail.
Mitchell kidnapped the victim and drove her to Lindbergh Park, holding her against her will.
Mitchell also admitted in his plea agreement to obstructing justice. Specifically, during the federal investigation into Mitchell’s civil rights crimes, he directed several individuals to assist him in cleaning out one of the rental properties he owned, located on Denune Ave. The individuals disposed of evidence including photos, clothing, bedding and rental records, and used bleach extensively in the apartment to clean a bed, couch, ottoman and floor.
Mitchell was charged federally and arrested in March 2019. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Former CEO of Sacramento Non-profit Indicted for Stealing over a Million Dollars from the CharityRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The former CEO of a Sacramento non-profit was arrested today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On Nov. 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Richard Alan Abrusci, 45, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with nine counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity. The indictment was unsealed after the arrest.
According to court documents, in 2014, Abrusci began working at a non-profit organization that operates a chain of retail stores in California and Nevada. Abrusci became the Chief Operating Officer of the organization in 2016 and its president and CEO in 2018.
From 2016 through 2021, Abrusci fraudulently caused the non-profit organization and one of its subsidiaries to pay approximately $1.4 million to Resolution Arrangement Services (RAS). RAS consisted of nothing more than a fictitious business name that Abrusci registered in 2008 and a bank account that he opened the same year. Abrusci caused the fraudulent payments into the RAS bank account that he controlled by using various false documents, including invoices and purchase orders. In one instance, Abrusci used a forged letter purporting to be from an attorney representing the non-profit organization to convince the organization’s CFO to pay RAS $55,000 under false pretenses related to a lawsuit.
The payments to RAS were supposedly for information-technology services, helping to facilitate settlement of a lawsuit, and assisting the non-profit organization in running call centers for the State of California during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, RAS provided none of the services for which it billed the non-profit organization and its subsidiary.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Abrusci faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the nine counts of wire fraud. Additionally, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity. Finally, he faces a consecutive two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
abrusci_indictment_unsealed.pdfFlorida Man Found Guilty of Trafficking Migratory Birds After Five Others SentencedRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida last week convicted a Florida man of three counts of trafficking migratory birds.
Ernesto Gonzalez Campos is the most recent conviction in “Operation Ornery Birds II,” which has resulted in five other defendants being sentenced in the Middle District of Florida. Operation Ornery Birds II was a Florida-wide investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Painted bunting, Exhibit 36 in case 8:22-cr-00287.According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campos, 36, of Brandon, Florida, had engaged in the ongoing capture, sale and trade of protected migratory songbirds. On at least three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and blue grosbeaks, all of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Campos trapped the birds from the wild, and once they were tamed, was able to sell them within the songbird community.
Prior to Campos’ conviction, five other Florida individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The defendants admitted to buying, selling or bartering a variety of MBTA-protected birds, all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. The defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps and the barter, purchase and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals in person and internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. The following individuals were sentenced:
- Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 8 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
- Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 14 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
- Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala, was sentenced on Aug. 18 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
- Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 6 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
- Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to one year of probation and a $500 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement.
The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the above defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spergel and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case against Campos.
Florida Man Found Guilty of Trafficking Migratory Birds After Five Others SentencedRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida last week convicted a Florida man of three counts of trafficking migratory birds.
Ernesto Gonzalez Campos is the most recent conviction in “Operation Ornery Birds II,” which has resulted in five other defendants being sentenced in the Middle District of Florida. Operation Ornery Birds II was a Florida-wide investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Picture of a painted bunting seized from Campos and presented at trial. Exhibit 36, case 8:22-cr-00287.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campos, 36, of Brandon, Florida, had engaged in the ongoing capture, sale and trade of protected migratory songbirds. On at least three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and blue grosbeaks, all of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Campos trapped the birds from the wild, and once they were tamed, was able to sell them within the songbird community.
Prior to Campos’ conviction, five other Florida individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The defendants admitted to buying, selling or bartering a variety of MBTA-protected birds, all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. The defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps and the barter, purchase and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals in person and internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. The following individuals were sentenced:
- Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 8 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
- Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 14 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
- Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala, was sentenced on Aug. 18 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
- Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 6 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
- Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to one year of probation and a $500 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement.
The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the above defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spergel and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case against Campos.
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Federal Jury Convicts Former IBEW Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty and Former Local 98 President Brian Burrows of Conspiracy, Embezzlement of Union Funds, and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John Dougherty, 63, of Philadelphia, PA and Brian Burrows, 63, of Mount Laurel, NJ, were convicted today by a federal jury of numerous charges related to their embezzlement of funds belonging to Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“Local 98”).
John Dougherty previously served as the Business Manager of Local 98, and Brian Burrows served as the president of Local 98. In January 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Dougherty, Burrows, and four other union employees with multiple federal offenses connected to their illegal use of Local 98 funds for personal and other unauthorized expenses, contrary to the provisions of IBEW’s constitution, the by-laws of Local 98, and the beneficial interests of Local 98’s members. The Indictment also charged Dougherty and Burrows with concealing the embezzlement of Local 98’s funds by filing false labor management reports with the U.S. Department of Labor, and with tax fraud by failing to report their personal use of the funds on their tax returns.
Today, the federal jury convicted Dougherty of one count of conspiracy to embezzle the funds of Local 98, 33 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, 24 counts of wire fraud by participating in a scheme to defraud Local 98 of its money, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms that concealed the embezzlement of Local 98 funds, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns. The jury convicted Burrows of 13 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, four counts of signing and submitting false labor management forms that concealed the embezzlement of Local 98 funds, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns.
In December 2022, four other employees of Local 98 pleaded guilty to charges related to the embezzlement of Local 98’s funds. Michael Neill, former Training Director of Local 98’s Apprentice Training Fund, Niko Rodriguez, an employee of the Apprentice Training Fund, and Brian Fiocca, an office employee with Local 98, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of Local 98’s funds. Marita Crawford, who previously served as Local 98’s Political Director, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, the object of which was to obtain money from Local 98 through false and fraudulent representations. The four former employees are currently scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
The same Indictment also charged John Dougherty with multiple crimes involving honest services fraud bribery, which the Court earlier ordered severed from the embezzlement charges and tried first. The Indictment charged that Dougherty and co-defendant Robert Henon defrauded the City of Philadelphia and its citizens of the right to Henon’s honest services as a member of City Council. In November 2021, a federal jury convicted Dougherty of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and seven counts of honest services wire fraud.
“The members of Local 98 trusted Dougherty and Burrows to faithfully manage and protect the union’s funds; the defendants did exactly the opposite – they stole from their own members, and violated that trust.” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the consequences of such dishonesty and theft, which involved egregious and repeated violations of trust and misuse of funds for personal benefit. I want to thank our federal and state law enforcement partners for their tireless cooperation in bringing this case to trial.”
“After decades at the top, John Dougherty grew to believe he was Local 98 — and completely entitled to misuse its money as his own,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “In doing so, Dougherty repeatedly betrayed the electrical union’s members, those thousands of workers who trusted him to act on their behalf and for their benefit. Local 98’s rank and file are clear victims of his greed and these crimes. If you think about it, though, after his convictions at both trials, there aren’t many folks around here who aren’t John Dougherty’s victims. His corrupt acts harmed this city, he cheated taxpayers, and he stole from his own hard-working electricians. Justice means finally holding him accountable for the damage done.”
“The consequences to those who betray the public trust is evident by today’s convictions,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to have provided its financial expertise in this investigation, and we, along with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to aggressively investigate individuals who engage in money laundering, tax fraud, or other types of white-collar crimes.”
“Today’s verdict sends an important message to all those entrusted with protecting benefit plan assets. Regardless of title or position, the U.S. Department of Labor will hold fiduciaries to the highest standards of accountability to protect the employee benefits of America’s workers, ” said Cristina O’Brien, Philadelphia Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.
“By any measure, the crimes John Dougherty and Brian Burrows committed are extraordinarily serious offenses. Labor leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to the members they represent. Dougherty and Burrows violated that responsibility and turned Local 98 and its members – whose interests they were supposed to protect – into victims, when they treated the union and its assets as their own personal piggy banks – harming the union and its members. The Office of Labor-Management Standards will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to protect unions and their members by bringing to justice, and seeking restitution from, any official who chooses to use union funds for their own benefit,” said OLMS District Director Kevin Smallwood.
Burrows faces up to 83 years in prison. Dougherty, in combination with the 2021 conviction, faces up to 901 years in prison. Sentencing for Dougherty has been scheduled for March 20, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. and for Burrows on March 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor Management Standards, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Costello, Chief of the Corruption & Civil Rights Unit; Bea Witzleben, Co-Chief of Trials; Jason Grenell; and Anthony Carissimi.
Federal Jury Convicts Buxton Man for Twitter ThreatRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Buxton man was found guilty today of transmitting a threatening interstate communication. The verdict came after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland with Chief Judge Jon D. Levy presiding.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on September 8, 2021, Brian Dennison, 27, posted on Twitter, “I’m going to kill jews with my ar15 tomorrow.” FBI investigators identified Dennison as the likely author of the threat and executed search warrants at his Buxton residence. Among the items seized were approximately 1,700 rounds of ammunition that could be fired from an AR-15-style rifle. Investigators also found evidence that Dennison had a long-standing animus toward Jewish people. In October 2021, investigators executed another search warrant at the property and found an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition in a case that had been hidden in the woods behind the residence.
Dennison faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
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Fall River Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the Mail and Diverting PackagesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to obstructing the mail by diverting multiple mail packages in his custody.
Rafael De Los Angeles, 43, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2023 to five counts of obstruction of mail. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2024.
On five separate occasions in August 2017, De Los Angeles knowingly and willfully obstructed the passage of five mailed packages he was responsible for delivering. Specifically, on each occasion, De Los Angeles drove the packages to different locations that were not listed as the delivery addresses. There, he scanned the packages to record them as having been delivered to the correct addresses before ripping off the address labels and giving the packages to someone other than the listed recipients.
The charge of obstruction of mail provides for a sentence of up to six months in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Luke Goldworm of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Española Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Abandoning Child and Assaulting GirlfriendRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Larry G. Valdez, Jr. pled guilty to the crimes of child abandonment and assault by striking, beating, or wounding and was sentenced to one year of probation.
In March 2022, Valdez, Jr. struck John Doe’s mother with a closed fist at a roadside location within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. When six-year-old John Doe (Valdez, Jr.’s son) attempted to intervene on his mother’s behalf, Valdez, Jr. punched John Doe in the face with a closed fist, which caused Doe to sustain a bloodied and swollen upper lip. Valdez, Jr. then left John Doe and Doe’s mother by the dark roadside without calling for medical attention.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement View the Indictment# # #
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un restaurante de Florida para resolver unas acusaciones de discriminación en el empleoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con OSI/Fleming’s LLC, propietaria y operadora del Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar restaurante (Fleming’s) en Sandestin, FL. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Fleming’s vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar a un residente permanente legal cuando verificó si contaba con un permiso continuo para trabajar.
«Aquellos empleadores que discriminan a los trabajadores, rechazando sus documentos válidos o exigiendo que muestren documentos innecesarios para demostrar que pueden seguir trabajando, están vulnerando las leyes federales», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá responsabilizando a los empleadores de discriminar ilegalmente a los trabajadores debido a su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen».
Después de abrir una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, el Departamento concluyó que Fleming’s discriminó a un residente permanente legal al rechazar los documentos válidos que el trabajador originalmente proporcionó y exigir, de forma innecesaria, que presentara un documento con una fecha de vencimiento para demostrar su estatus de ciudadanía. Según el Departamento, cuando no lo hizo, Fleming’s lo despidió. Las leyes federales permiten a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. Los empleadores no pueden exigir más documentos de los necesarios o especificar la documentación que prefieren ver como parte de este proceso.
Después de que el departamento comenzara su investigación, Fleming’s volvió a contratar al trabajador y le pagó los salarios perdidos. En virtud del acuerdo, Fleming’s pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a su personal de recursos humanos sobre los requisitos de la INA y proporcionará una forma alternativa de aceptar la documentación de un trabajador si el software de la empresa no acepta la documentación válida de un trabajador.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Suscribirse a actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
fnl_-_executed_settlement_agreement_flemings_redacted_ocred.pdfDetroit Man Sentenced for Dealing Drugs While on Supervised Release for Dealing DrugsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for dealing dangerous drugs while on pretrial release for another drug and firearm offense pending in state court, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Rickey Butler, age 40, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Denise Page Hood.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2022, Butler—who was then on a GPS tether for controlled substance and weapons offenses—possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Butler also possessed a Glock firearm, which he used to protect the narcotics. Butler admitted to police that he had been selling drugs for approximately eight years before he was apprehended in this case.
“All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and both are causing far too many deaths in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to remove illegals guns, drug dealers, and other drivers of violent crime out of our neighborhoods.”
“This sentencing shows the unwavering commitment by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to remove traffickers who conspire to distribute harmful drugs in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue those involved in narcotics trafficking to safeguard Michigan’s streets and communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Livonia Police Department and Detroit Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Lanning.
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.
Del Rio Man Sentenced to Prison for Coaxing Sexually Explicit Material from Minors on Social MediaRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Del Rio man was sentenced in federal court to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay a $35,000 special assessment for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Leeroy Hinojosa, 35, used the mobile app Snapchat to message two minors, knowing they were underage, and repeatedly request illicit sexually explicit photos and videos from them. The interactions led to Hinojosa receiving 129 images and 106 videos of child pornography from the victims. Hinojosa was arrested on Dec. 17, 2020 and has remained in federal custody.
“Without help from members of the community who said something when they saw something, the authorities would not have been able to investigate and prosecute this offender who repeatedly sought nude photos and videos of underage girls,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We must look out for the innocent, vulnerable children in our lives and our community. I appreciate the investigative work of our local, state and federal partners, ensuring this predator serves his time in confinement, where he can no longer harm these victims.”
“Homeland Security Investigations agents make it a top priority to work with all of our local law enforcement partners to investigate predators involved with the receipt of child pornography,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “Each year, millions of children fall prey to sexual predators, and it is imperative that we do our part to protect vulnerable children from victimization and ensure the perpetrators are punished for their heinous crimes.”
HSI, Customs and Border Protection, Del Rio Police Department, and TX DPS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Pavlinski 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fire Bombings of Police VehiclesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—All five members of a group responsible for the fire bombings of multiple police vehicles will spend time in prison for their crimes. On Thursday, Chief United States District Court Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. sentenced the final four defendants in a case dating back to August and September 2020, when the group, by its own words, resolved to “attack [] the institution of the American police structure” and destroyed property at five different police stations, which escalated to the use of incendiary weapons. The leader of the group, Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho, received a 5 ½-year sentence for his conduct, which involved the use of Molotov cocktails to burn police cars. The five defendants include:
Defendant
Age
Hometown
Sentence
Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho
33
North Little Rock, AR
66 months’ incarceration, $86,099.37 restitution
Brittany Dawn Jeffrey
34
Little Rock, AR
17 months’ incarceration, $529.30 restitution
Emily Nowlin
30
Little Rock, AR
18 months’ incarceration, $35,956.31 restitution
Aline A. Espinosa-Villegas
27
Little Rock, AR
18 months’ incarceration, $34,356.31 restitution
Renea Goddard
25
Little Rock, AR
18 months incarceration, $35,956.31 restitution
Jeffrey had previously been sentenced, while the other four were sentenced Thursday. In addition to the prison sentences, all defendants received terms of supervised release: Lung’aho 36 months; Nowlin, Espinosa-Villegas, and Goddard 24 months; and Jeffrey 18 months. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is a result of numerous incidents of violence and vandalism that occurred in late August and early September 2020 and involved Lung’aho, Jeffrey, Nowlin, Goddard, and Espinosa. The investigation revealed that on August 25 and into August 26, 2020, Lung’aho, Jeffrey, and others traveled to the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) Northwest Substation with Molotov cocktails and parked nearby; however, once the group noticed several officers in the area, they left the scene. Later, the group went to Shannon Hills, Arkansas, where a marked police car was parked. Several members of the group broke a window of the car, cut a tire, and stole a toolbox from the vehicle.
The group then traveled to LRPD’s 12th Street Substation. As some of the individuals broke patrol vehicle windows and slashed tires, Lung’aho and another individual threw Molotov cocktails at the LRPD patrol vehicles. According to surveillance video, a Molotov cocktail was lit but burned out as it was thrown over the fence. Two Molotov cocktails used that night were made at Jeffrey’s residence with gasoline, liquor bottles, and bed sheets. On the same day, the group went to the North Little Rock Police Department’s (NLRPD) Levy Substation and damaged several police cars’ tires.
In the early morning hours of August 28, 2020, Lung’aho, Goddard, Nowlin, and Espinosa traveled to the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Headquarters with Molotov cocktails. Lung’aho cut a section of a chain-link fence, and he and the others entered the property through the hole in the fence and vandalized multiple ASP vehicles, slashing 33 tires. Espinosa threw a Molotov cocktail, but it did not explode. Lung’aho threw a Molotov cocktail at a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol unit, and the device exploded. The explosion caused the vehicle to catch fire, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle.
On September 3, 2020, Lung’aho and others traveled to the Rose City Police Station in North Little Rock and threw a Molotov cocktail at a NLRPD police vehicle, destroying the vehicle. The Molotov cocktail was made from a liquor bottle and bed sheets, the same materials used in the attempted destruction of a patrol car on August 26, 2020. The fire was observed by officers at 3:20 a.m. and Lung’aho’s phone contained an image of the fire taken at approximately 3:10 a.m.
“There is no justification for violent acts targeting our law enforcement community. The use of Molotov cocktails to destroy law enforcement property is not a form of legitimate protest; rather, it is a troubling escalation of gratuitous violence that seeks to stoke embers of anarchy in our community, and it will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Arkansas,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “The Constitution protects our rights to peacefully assemble. But make no mistake, when you use violence to advance your agenda, the Department of Justice will make every effort to put you in prison. Anyone engaging in such criminal activity will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Lung’aho was originally charged in a complaint on September 14, 2020, and then indicted on October 6, 2020, on charges alleging conspiracy to commit arson and arson. On Feb. 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding the other four defendants, and adding numerous charges including conspiracy to commit arson, arson, and possession of unregistered destructive devices.
Lung’aho pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023, to arson, related to the firebombing of the NLRPD police car on September 3, 2020. On May 18, 2022, Jeffrey pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with conspiracy to possess an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail, and she was sentenced on December 12, 2022. On September 23, 2021, Espinosa-Villegas pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail. Nowlin pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail, on September 26, 2022. Goddard pleaded guilty on September 26, 2022, to a superseding information charging her with conspiracy to possess an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail.
“This investigation is an example of ATF working with law enforcement partners and the community to hold persons accountable that choose to engage in violent crime that threatens the safety of our shared community,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “ATF will remain engaged with the law enforcement team and the public to best serve and protect our communities.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, North Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Shannon Hills Police Department.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Chief Executive Officer Admits False Statements to Conceal Foreign Origin of Forklifts Provided to U.S. ArmyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The chief executive officer of a Passaic, New Jersey, company today admitted falsifying data plates on forklifts provided to the U.S. Army to make it appear as if the forklifts, which were purchased in China, had been manufactured in the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
James Cai, 33, of Hackensack, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert A. Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of making false statements in connection with the provision of two forklifts to a U.S. Army installation, Fort Cavazos, in Killeen, Texas.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From September 2018 to January 2019, Cai, through his company, Toner Connect LLC, submitted bids on, and obtained, contracts to supply various U.S. Army installations with forklifts. The contracts required that the forklifts be compliant with the Buy American Act (BAA), that is, the forklifts had to be manufactured in the United States and at least 50 percent of the cost of the forklift components had to be of U.S. origin.
One of those contracts awarded Toner Connect LLC $247,000 for the provision of two FD150 diesel forklifts to Fort Cavazos. Despite the BAA clause in that contract, and in order to reduce costs, Cai purchased the two forklifts from a company based in Shanghai, China. To conceal the origin of the forklifts and make them appear compliant with the BAA, Cai installed data plates on the forklifts that falsely stated:
Final Assembly in the USA
Millennial Enterprise LLC
Newark, NJ 07102
North American Headquarters
After the forklifts were delivered to Fort Cavazos on Aug. 26, 2019, Fort Cavazos personnel discovered that the forklifts had multiple operational problems and could not be repaired due to the concealment of their true make and model.
The charge to which Cai pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Army, Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Curran; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary of the Economic Crimes Unit.
cai.information.pdfCedar Rapids Man Charged with Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Christopher King, age 52, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with three counts of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on September 8, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, between February and August of 2023, King possessed a pistol, a shotgun, and ammunition while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of felonies.
If convicted, King faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.
King appeared for a detention hearing on November 29, 2023, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. King’s next appearance for trial is set for January 16, 2024.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 23-62.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Custody for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Arvin, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Use of a Communication Facility in the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Crime. The sentencing took place on December 4, 2023.
Victor Leon-Pacheco, 33, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The federal sentence runs consecutive to his remaining sentence in Oklahoma.
Leon-Pacheco was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. He was found guilty after a three-day federal jury trial concluding on September 7, 2023.
Leon-Pacheco is formerly from California. In 2016 he was convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Oklahoma and sentenced to 18 years custody. While in a locked facility, he gained access to a contraband cell phone which he utilized to conduct drug trafficking activities. He arranged drug sales to people in several states, including South Dakota. Leon-Pacheco then recruited others in California, including co-defendant Eduardo Acosta, to accept payments for drug proceeds that were wired through money exchange services. This occurred multiple times between September of 2021 and January of 2022. Acosta also sent packages containing controlled substances to South Dakota at the direction of Leon-Pacheco. Law enforcement was able to introduce an undercover agent to whom Leon-Pacheco organized three shipments of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Leon-Pacheco’s co-defendant, Eduardo Acosta, was sentenced to 37 months in custody on August 11, 2023.
“This trial conviction and resulting sentence should send a clear message to out-of-state drug traffickers who think they can get away with distributing lethal drugs in South Dakota,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “I am grateful to the many investigative agencies who participated in this case through the local Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team and worked collaboratively to ensure Victor Leon-Pacheco remains in custody for another thirty years.”
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Leon-Pacheco was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Burlington County Man Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Al-Fahim Medina, 24, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Jan. 31, 2020, through June 12, 2020, Medina possessed mobile phones and a tablet, which contained multiple images of child sexual abuse, including children under age 12 and sadistic and masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence or sexual abuse or exploitation involving an infant or toddler.
The count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg of the Camden Office.
medina.information.pdfBrooklyn Park Felon Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearms Violations Following Deadly Vehicle CrashRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Derrick John Thompson has been federally indicted for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that killed five victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“These federal charges underscore the seriousness of Mr. Thompson’s criminal actions. We will continue to take an aggressive stance against individuals who engage in armed fentanyl dealing and present grave danger to our community,” said U. S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
According to court documents, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac SUV speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper observed Thompson abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. The trooper began following the SUV but did not initiate the emergency lights or attempt to make a traffic stop because the trooper did not want to cause the driver, later identified as Thompson, 28, to continue to drive recklessly on city streets. At the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four adult females and one juvenile female, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers that Thompson had fled on foot through a nearby alley. Officers found Thompson sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.
According to court documents, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac SUV indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the SUV, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing more than 2,000 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of powder fentanyl, a baggie containing 13 MDMA pills, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale.
Because Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.The indictment charges Thompson with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm as a felon, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before a Magistrate Judge at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brooklyn Hospital Dietician Found Guilty of Filing False Tax Returns and Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a New York woman today of filing and aiding in the filing of false tax returns, obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ehrenfriede Kauapirura worked at a Brooklyn hospital as a dietician. Kauapirura filed a false amended 2015 tax return and a false original 2016 tax return. On both returns, Kauapirura reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in fictitious tax withholdings that she used to claim refunds of approximately $250,000 for each year, which the IRS paid her.
The evidence at trial proved that after determining that Kauapirura’s claims were fraudulent, the IRS began collection activity to recoup the funds it paid her. To thwart the IRS’s collection efforts, Kauapirura transferred money from her personal bank account to a bank account that she controlled held in the name of a purported trust. Kauapirura also submitted a bogus $1 million dollar check drawn on a non-existent bank as payment of her tax obligations. In addition, Kauapirura did not file individual tax returns with the IRS for the years 2017 through 2020, despite earning substantial income from her job at the hospital.
Kauapirura is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2024, and faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each false return and obstruction count and one year in prison for each count of willful failure to file a tax return. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kenneth C. Vert and Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Bergen County Public Relations Company Settles Allegations It Received Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, public relations firm entered a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to which the company was not entitled, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency financial support to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
MWW Group LLC, which does business as MikeWorldWide (MWW), applied for and received a PPP loan totaling $2 million even though it was ineligible for such a loan because it was a required registrant under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. MWW thereafter sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan.
MWW fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, MWW has agreed to pay the United States $2.29 million, plus interest. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $229,000 as his share in the recovery.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Forsyth v. MWW Group LLC, Civil Action No. 23-299 (D.N.J.).
mww.settlementpdf.pdfBend Man Sentenced for Theft from Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon man was sentenced in federal court today for stealing tools from Warm Springs Composite Products, a wood products manufacturing business owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Kevin Neal Strampher, Jr., 40, was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. Strampher was also ordered to pay $2,378 in restitution to the tribe.
According to court documents, on January 28, 2023, Strampher entered the Warm Springs Composite Products mill and stole more than $2,000 in power and hand tools. Using surveillance footage obtained by the mill manager and other evidence collected, Warm Springs Tribal Police officers identified Strampher as the individual who burglarized the business.
On March 21, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Strampher with theft from an Indian tribal organization. On September 14, 2023, Strampher pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department with assistance from the FBI. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Shooting Officers in Hot Springs National ParkRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS, AR – An Arkansas man will serve twenty years in federal prison for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with Intent to Do Bodily Harm, in connection with a July 28, 2019, shooting incident in Hot Springs National Park. On November 27, the Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey, sentenced Jonathan Allen Scott, age 36, of Hot Springs, to twenty years in federal prisons on both counts, and three years’ supervised probation after he pleaded guilty, on April 14, to Count Two and Count Four of a seven-count Indictment in which he was named.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2019, Scott entered Hot Springs National Park, along Bath House Row, east of Central Avenue, carrying a 12-gauge shotgun. Hot Springs is a United States National Park in Garland County. After receiving 911 calls regarding Scott, he was confronted by officers of the Hot Springs Arkansas Police Department and fired a slug into the ground in the direction of one of the officers. Dozens of visitors to the park and downtown area, along the sidewalks, and nearby city and park structures, were in the immediate vicinity, as well as a usually crowded Central Avenue. Two Hot Springs Officers, along with their city canine partner, approached Scott, and ordered him to drop the shotgun near park headquarters. Scott refused the orders and turned on the officers with the shotgun, discharging the weapon, and simultaneously one of the officers discharged his service weapon at Scott striking him multiple times. The second round Scott fired, struck the sidewalk in front of the officers, and the resulting slug round fragmented, striking and wounding one officer and his canine partner. Both officers recovered from their injuries sustained by gunfire. Scott was treated and later arrested at a local hospital.
A subsequent investigation by special agents of the Arkansas State Police and National Park Service-Investigative Services Branch, established the full extent of Scott’s actions and he was taken into custody after release from the hospital. Scott was later indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2019.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Arkansas State Police, National Park Service - Investigative Services Branch and U.S. Park Rangers at Hot Springs National Park, with the assistance of the Garland County Arkansas Sheriff’s Office and Hot Springs Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenny Elser prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.