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Thursday 19 October 2023
“Used Car King of New York” sentenced for nationwide scheme to sell hundreds of thousands of fake Texas paper vehicle tagsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old man who advertised himself as the “Used Car King of New York” has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Octavian Ocasio pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2022, to conspiring with others residing in the Southern District of Texas to buy and sell thousands of fraudulent Texas-issued temporary buyer tags for cars outside of Texas without a legitimate vehicle purchase.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Ocasio to serve 53 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Ocasio and others engaged in a widespread fraud to use fictitious car dealerships to generate and sell Texas temporary buyer tags without actually selling cars, all while also making false promises and assurances that it was legal. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Ocasio committed the offense utilizing mass marketing and sophisticated means. The court also ordered Ocasio to pay restitution to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in the amount of $324,600.
“If it seems like there are more cars driving around the streets of Houston with temporary paper plates, you would be correct, in part thanks to the hundreds of thousands fake paper plates Ocasio sold to Texas drivers,” said Hamdani. “Ocasio’s fake plates would come back to a car that was never sold or sold to drivers who never should have been issued plates in the first place. Because of this, Texas recently changed the way paper plates are issued, and because of his decision to produce and sell fake plates, Ocasio will now spend several years inside of a real jail cell.”
“It’s not every day that one of our cases leads to changes in the law, so I’m extremely proud of our FBI Houston agents and our partners who maneuvered through the complexities and scale of this investigation in the name of justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI. “Ocasio was one of several who, for too-long, allowed thousands of drivers across the country to ride around with fraudulent paper license plates- all just to save a few dollars. Now, he’ll have to park himself inside a federal prison to pay for his crimes. Ocasio and his co-conspirators pocketed more than $200 million from their illegal activity which exploited not just the state of Texas but allowed unsafe vehicles on our streets with uninsured and unlicensed drivers at the wheel.”
Ocasio and co-conspirators used the internet to buy and sell the fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and exchange proceeds from the illegal tag sales.
At the time of his plea, Ocasio acknowledged he and his co-conspirators communicated through accounts on Gmail, Instagram and Facebook to receive and deliver fraudulent buyer tags to purchasers all over the United States, including New York, Florida and Washington, D.C.
He also admitted he and his co-conspirators advertised the state-issued buyer tags on social media platforms and received and shared fraud proceeds via electronic payment services such as Cash App and Zelle.
Ocasio will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Emmanuel Padilla Reyes aka Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera is still a fugitive in this case. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone providing information that directly leads to his arrest. Those with information about the fugitive’s location should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or email www.TIPS.FBI.GOV
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance of Travis County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Adam Goldman prosecuted the case.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Multiple Armed Carjackings After High-Speed Police ChasesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 250 months in prison for multiple carjackings and for using a firearm while committing the carjackings.
According to court documents, on November 3, 2020, in Chesapeake, Bryant Marcus Wilkerson, 30, approached an individual who was sitting in the driver seat of their vehicle after having just left their work. Wilkerson told the driver of the vehicle to get out of the car or he would shoot the driver. Before the driver could close the door, Wilkerson stood in between the door and the driver’s seat and once again told the driver that he would shoot the driver if he did not get out of the vehicle. Wilkerson then produced a firearm and hit the driver in the face with it. The driver then got out of the vehicle and Wilkerson drove it away. The vehicle was found abandoned the next day.
On November 9, 2020, Wilkerson approached another individual who was sitting in the driver seat of their vehicle in Currituck, North Carolina. Wilkerson opened the passenger side door, pointed a firearm at the driver, and ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle. The driver exited the vehicle, but Wilkerson was unable to start the car because the driver still had the key fob. Wilkerson then got into another vehicle that was unoccupied with the engine running and fled the scene. Deputies from the Currituck County Police Department attempted to stop Wilkerson, but he led them on a high-speed chase where Wilkerson drove into oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed and ran other vehicles off the road.
Wilkerson later exited that vehicle and, after a foot pursuit, jumped on the hood of another vehicle, pointed a firearm at the driver, and told the driver to get out. Wilkerson then fired a shot into the dash and pointed the firearm at the driver again. The driver got out of the vehicle and Wilkerson drove it away. Wilkerson led law enforcement officers on another high-speed chase, this time traveling at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour while driving in the wrong direction on an expressway. Law enforcement officers were able to flatten Wilkerson’s tires using spike strips, which forced him to finally stop. Wilkerson fled on foot again, robbed another citizen, and ultimately broke into yet another locked vehicle. Officers found Wilkerson hiding in the vehicle with a firearm and took him into custody.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jason Miyares, Virginia Attorney General; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Significant assistance was provided by the Currituck County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cheney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc West prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-152.
United States Files Civil Lawsuit Against Waterloo Woman for Alleged Wire FraudRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The United States has filed a civil lawsuit against a Waterloo woman after she allegedly continued to move money for scammers following warnings to stop from federal law enforcement officers.
Janice M. Augustine, 74, is facing a civil lawsuit for her alleged involvement as a money mule. She was recruited to participate in the scheme by an individual claiming to be an American working abroad who was in search of a romantic relationship.
“Criminals scour online dating and social media websites looking for lonely or vulnerable people to exploit. Oftentimes, criminals exploit elderly or vulnerable victims by tricking them into believing they are interested in a romantic relationship. But other times, the criminals persuade elderly or vulnerable people into helping them launder the money they receive by defrauding others,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Southern Illinois is not immune to these scams. Residents should be wary of anyone who asks them to receive and transfer money for them.”
The civil complaint alleges Augustine knowingly accepted money obtained via fraud schemes. The money was sent via wire transfers and electronic deposits into her personal bank accounts. Augustine then transferred the funds to the perpetrators who had committed the fraud.
“Acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable even if you aren’t aware you’re committing a crime,” said FBI Springfield Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. “According to the FBI’s 2022 Internet Crime Report, Illinois residents lost $17.8 million to romance scams. Romance scams manifest in a variety of forms, all for the purpose of manipulating victims to do their bidding. And fraudsters won’t stop pursuing a victim until the victim breaks off communication or contacts law enforcement.”
The federal complaint alleges that a perpetrator convinced Augustine he was involved in a romantic relationship with her in summer 2022. He then persuaded her to transmit fraud proceeds. In January 2023, an FBI agent interviewed Augustine about her suspicious bank activity. FBI warned Augustine of this reality and encouraged her to end the relationship.
Undeterred, Augustine registered a limited liability company with the Illinois Secretary of State and opened a new bank account in April 2023 in the LLC’s name.
In May 2023, special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) visited Augustine at her Waterloo residence to discuss her unusual financial activity and again explained how her actions were illegal.
“Developing romantic attachments to bad characters can lead to financial ruin, or as in this case, involvement in money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). “Sadly, some seniors continue to fall for the tricks of criminals. CI is proud to partner with other law enforcement agencies to help raise awareness in the senior community to protect them from even greater consequences.”
According to court documents, the defendant is accused of moving nearly $400,000 in fraud proceeds even after receiving multiple warnings by federal law enforcement officers.
She has continued to execute fraudulent financial transactions, thus acting as a money mule for a criminal organization. The term “money mule” refers to individuals who receive funds and send the money on to the criminals who conduct the schemes.
The United States is seeking a permanent injunction against Augustine which would prohibit her from participating in money transmitting activities in the future.
FBI and IRS CI agents handled the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hanna is prosecuting the case with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman.
If you believe you are participating in a money mule scheme, contact FBI Springfield immediately.
As part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, federal prosecutors visit senior communities throughout the Southern District of Illinois to give presentations on scams targeting older residents. To schedule a visit or learn more information, email Lauren Barry at [email protected].
United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. Rates are disproportionately higher for historically underserved populations, including LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
“Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “We who serve as federal prosecutors for the Western District of Tennessee have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal — and to leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors — to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”
Purple Thursday, observed on October 19, 2023, is a National Day of Action during DVAM. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and to show commitment to promoting safe communities. Please join us on October 19 by wearing purple and starting a conversation about domestic violence.
Union County Man Admits Role in Interstate Car Theft RingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal and transport across state lines luxury cars stolen from towns in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
Malik Baker, 29, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and one count of receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines after being stolen.
Baker’s conspirators – Hakeem Smith, Nafique Goodwyn, and Bilal Cureton – previously pleaded guilty to related charges. Smith was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 41 months in prison. Sentencing is pending for Goodwyn and Cureton.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since as early as July 2019, the defendants and others stole and conspired to steal at least 10 luxury cars from towns in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and hid those cars at a location in Irvington, New Jersey. The cars include a 2019 BMW X4 M40i, stolen from Greenwich, Connecticut, on July 19, 2019; a 2017 BMW Alpina, stolen from Hewlett Bay Park, New York, on July 22, 2019; a 2017 Maserati GranTurismo, stolen from Manalapan, New Jersey, on Aug. 5, 2019; a 2018 Range Rover and a 2019 Porsche Cayenne, stolen from New City, New York, on Aug. 6, 2019; a 2017 Mercedes S550 and a 2019 Rolls Royce, stolen from Hewlett Bay Park, New York, on Aug. 13, 2019; a 2019 Land Rover, stolen from Kensington, New York, on Aug. 22, 2019; a 2019 Mercedes Maybach, stolen from Quogue, New York, on Aug. 29, 2019; a 2014 Lexus GS, stolen from West Long Branch, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, 2019; a 2017 BMW M4, stolen from Marlton, New Jersey, on Sept. 7, 2019; and a 2017 Mercedes AMG S63, stolen from Orangeburg, New York, in September 2019.
The defendants often used the stolen cars to steal more cars, and, in one instance, they used a Maserati GranTurisimo they stole from Manalapan to steal a Range Rover and a Porsche Cayenne. When law enforcement attempted to conduct a stop of the Maserati, the Maserati accelerated and crashed head-on into a police vehicle before the suspects fled the scene in another stolen vehicle. Law enforcement recovered one of the stolen cars in a shipping container at the port in Newark en route to Ghana, Africa.
The charge of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The charge of receiving stolen vehicles is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Both charges are punishable by a fine up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé. He also thanked officers with the Irvington Township Police Department, under the direction of Director Tracy Bowers; the Clarkstown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker; the Wall Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean O’Halloran; the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Pezzullo; the Tewksbury Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Tim Barlow; the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward Cetnar; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson. He also thanked officers with Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz; and the Department of Commerce-Office of Export Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson in New York, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
baker.information.pdfUndocumented Man Who Shot Seminole Police Officer Sentenced to 180 Months for Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who shot a police officer in Seminole, Texas was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Jose Ramon Castillo-Lopez, 28, was charged via criminal complaint in October 2022 and indicted later that same month. He pleaded guilty in May 2023 to illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Mr. Castillo-Lopez, a Mexican national in the United States illegally, admitted he was pulled over by a Seminole Police Department officer for traffic violations on Oct. 1, 2022.
As the officer approached Mr. Castillo-Lopez’s vehicle, he began firing at the officer with a handgun. The officer was struck but moved to a defensive position and returned fire. Mr. Castillo-Lopez exited his vehicle and fled, dropping a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol as he did so.
The officer was able to radio in a description of the defendant, and he was apprehended a few blocks away shortly thereafter.
In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Castillo-Lopez admitted he had been previously deported and was currently in the county illegally. He also admitted to firing the pistol, which he said he purchased from an unknown individual at a traffic light in Midland, Texas for $200.
The victim officer’s body armor prevented serious injury, and he returned to duty shortly thereafter.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Seminole Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McLeod prosecuted the case.
U.S. Postal Worker Is Indicted for Stealing Business Checks Worth over $1.9 Million from Ballantyne Post OfficeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment was unsealed today in federal court, charging Dontavis Romario Truesdale, 27, of Charlotte, with conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, from November 2022 to April 2023, Truesdale worked as a processing clerk at the Ballantyne Post Office in Charlotte. The indictment alleges that Truesdale used his position as mail processing clerk to steal hundreds of checks of businesses that maintained post office boxes at the Ballantyne Post Office. The indictment further alleges that Truesdale sold the stolen checks to other co-conspirators who committed bank fraud, by depositing the stolen checks into bank accounts they controlled, and then quickly removed the funds before the banks detected the fraud. As alleged in the indictment, over the course of the scheme, Truesdale stole more than 200 checks with a total face value of over $1.9 million.
Truesdale was released on bond following his initial appearance in court. The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of theft by a postal employee has a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the five counts charged in the indictment.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked USPS-OIG, USPIS and CMPD for their investigation which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Court Maryland Enjoins Former Frostburg-Based Dentist from Prescribing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin today approved the United States’ consent decree with Jordan R. Hobel, formerly a Frostburg-based dentist, resolving the United States’ civil allegations that Hobel violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in illegally prescribing opioids.
The consent decree was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division.
“Without exception, all prescribers—including dentists—are subject to the CSA.” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As our Office’s recent consent decrees have shown, we intend to hold accountable all medical professionals who contribute to Maryland’s opioid epidemic by overprescribing opioids, regardless of their title or the letters that follow their name.”
“As our nation battles a surge of opioid overdoses and poisonings, it is more important than ever that healthcare providers prescribe medications in a safe and responsible manner. We know that pharmaceutical abuse has led to a worsening of the opioid crisis as people turn to the streets to find pills which we know most often contain a lethal dose of fentanyl,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division. We encourage prescribers to remain vigilant and responsive to any signs of controlled substance misuse or diversion, for through our collective efforts, we can create a healthier and safer society for all.”
The Government alleges that, between 2017 and 2021, Hobel, who owned and practiced dentistry at Mountain City Dental in Frostburg, Maryland, issued at least several dozen prescriptions for dangerous controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose and fell outside the usual course of professional medical or dental practice.
More specifically, Hobel fraudulently utilized the DEA registration numbers of other dentists in his practice to prescribe himself controlled substances, including oxycodone. Further, Hobel prescribed controlled substances to various friends and family—some who were not his patients—and, for at least some of these prescriptions, Hobel received some of the pills from the intended recipient for his own use. Hobel denies the Government’s allegations.
Under the consent decree, Hobel agrees to not apply for or seek the reinstatement of his DEA registration, which is required for a medical professional to prescribe controlled substances, and which Hobel voluntarily surrendered for cause in 2022.
The Court’s approval of this consent decree should remind all medical practitioners that the Department of Justice intends to use all tools at its disposal—both criminal and civil—to combat the opioid epidemic which continues to plague Maryland and Marylanders.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Washington Division, Hagerstown Resident Office for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Alan C. Lazerow, who handled the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
DVAM renews our commitment to addressing and preventing domestic violence. This dedication is of paramount significance, given the alarming prevalence of domestic and intimate partner violence as violent crimes. For example, nearly 20% of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence, as revealed by the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. By fostering awareness and proactive interventions against domestic, dating, and intimate partner violence, we pave the way for more secure, violence-free communities.
Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
Supporting survivors and preventing these forms of violence is our shared responsibility throughout the year. DVAM offers us a platform, in collaboration with community allies, to unequivocally proclaim our solidarity with survivors, reassuring them of our support and our intolerance for violence, be it within our homes, localities, workplaces, or wider communities.
“Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way,” said U.S. Attorney Kerest, “And we who serve as federal prosecutors for the District of Vermont have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal—and leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors—to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice. One of the tools that we created and are particularly proud of is our Vermont Crime Victim Services Directory. We encourage victims and survivors and anyone who works in support of survivors to use this resource. For more information, please see a PDF version of our 2023 Vermont Victim Services Resource Guide and the mobile downloadable version at https://vtvictimresources.com/.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Montana Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana joins the U.S. Department of Justice in observing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who work tirelessly in support of survivors.
Domestic, dating and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. However, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
“We want Montanans to know that we are here to support victims and survivors of domestic violence--not just in October, but every month,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Domestic violence harms individuals, families and communities and provides each of us with the responsibility in helping to end this abuse.”
Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department violent crime reduction initiative, the District of Montana is working with federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute firearms crimes, which is crucial for combatting domestic violence. Domestic violence abusers who have access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners. In addition, abusers use guns to inflict fear, intimidation and coercive control. Under federal law, persons with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions and those subject to domestic violence protective orders are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also has an essential role in prosecuting crimes in Indian Country, including domestic violence crimes that involve assault of intimate or dating partners. Holding violent domestic offenders accountable is critical for stopping the abuse and ensuring justice and safety for survivors.
To find support in Montana, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources. For immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483. To learn more, please visit www.Justice.gov/OVW
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
“Domestic violence is harmful to individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “We want our community to know that we are here to support victims and survivors in the Middle District of Florida – not just in October, but every month. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to address the systemic problem that is domestic violence.”
Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, including women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces 60 Percent Increase in Day-of-Arrest Prosecution RatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced an increase of over 60 percent in the percent of cases charged by the Office in D.C. Superior Court at the time of arrest. This increase occurred after the District secured a contract that provided sufficient drug testing capacity in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced a 58 percent increase in federal prosecutions targeting individuals responsible for violence in the community. These cases included charges for kidnapping, carjacking, robberies of commercial establishments, firearms, and murder.
“Our top priority has been to prosecute the drivers of violence in both District Court and Superior Court, to remove the threat posed by those individuals, and to give the neighborhoods they terrorize time to heal,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Currently, approximately 60 percent of arrests for D.C. Code offenses are charged immediately after arrest by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Superior Court, or transferred for prosecution to U.S. District Court or the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. The Office continues to charge 90 percent of the most serious violent crimes (homicide, carjacking, assault with intent to kill, and first-degree sexual abuse) at the time of arrest.
The overall day-of-arrest charging rate for Fiscal Year 2023 prosecutions in Superior Court increased to 44 percent. During the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023, the District secured additional drug testing capacity to address the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences’ loss of accreditation in April 2021. Thereafter, in the final quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 (July – September 2023), the Office charged 53 percent of arrests in Superior Court at the time of arrest, and transferred 5 percent of arrests for prosecution by the Office in U.S. District Court or by the District’s Office of the Attorney General.
Of the remaining approximately 40 percent of D.C. arrests, roughly half were arrests where the victim did not want to participate or proceed and the Office respected their wishes. Nearly all of these cases involved misdemeanor charges. In approximately 13 percent of arrests, the Office lacked sufficient evidence to charge the case at the time of arrest, and in about three percent of arrests, the Office determined that the arrested individual had a valid affirmative defense, such as self-defense. In the remaining seven percent of cases, the Office exercised its prosecutorial discretion not to charge an arrest, typically in low-level misdemeanors committed by individuals with no or limited criminal history.
“We will continue to use every available tool in combatting the violent crime crisis we are experiencing in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This includes prosecuting - as adults - those 16- and 17-year olds who are committing pattern or spree armed robberies and carjackings. This includes bringing federal charges against those individuals responsible for gun violence, and coordinating with our federal law enforcement partners in conducting large-scale take-downs in communities being ravaged by violence. We will do everything we can to relentlessly attack them from our lane, using the full force of federal law. One shooting is one too many. One carjacking is one too many. One robbery is one too many.”
Watch this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBK9zF7I_YY
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld marks Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month today by highlighting the important work of two organizations helping to combat the problem in the region.
Ihlenfeld was joined by Jo Elliott, Executive Director of Community Alternatives to Violence, and Katie Spriggs, Executive Director of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center, to discuss their response to domestic violence.
Although his office has accelerated its efforts to address the issue through additional prosecutions, Ihlenfeld explained that enforcement is only part of the solution.
“We will continue to be aggressive in our prosecution of domestic violence offenders while at the same time collaborating with agencies that support victims and rehabilitate offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld.
Community Alternatives to Violence (CAV), a licensed Batterer's Intervention and Prevention Program, serves approximately 400 people in the Eastern Panhandle each year, offering classes for men and women to help build respectful relationships and prevent domestic violence.
“CAV is honored to be a part of this coordinated community response to domestic violence in our region. The role we play, intervention and prevention, provides those who use violence with an opportunity to learn how to be nonviolent and respectful in their families, and in all their relationships,” said Elliott. “We challenge these individuals to examine their belief systems and uncover how those beliefs have led to patterns of behaviors that create harmful dynamics in their homes. We then help them create their own plan of accountability; this is their road map for moving intentionally and with integrity towards a life of respect and empathy.”
The Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center (EPEC) in Martinsburg plays an equally critical role, offering services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.
"The Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center provides direct services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. I have been in the movement to end interpersonal violence movement for over a decade, and the only response that I have ever seen functionally work to address these issues is a collaborative approach and that is exactly what we are working to build in Martinsburg with this new initiative. Survivors get more efficient, client centered, and more culturally responsive services when the team that is providing those services trusts each other and works well together. We are excited to continue working with this team and making our community safer," said Spriggs.
Both CAV and EPEC are part of the recently formed Berkeley County Domestic Violence Reduction Initiative. Other participating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; and the West Virginia State Police.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or go to thehotline.org.
Two Businessmen Charged for $1M Kickback Scheme Involving Nuclear Weapons ComponentsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in Kansas City, Kansas, charging two businessmen for an alleged scheme to fraudulently steer and award subcontracts by a major engineering firm for work on nuclear weapons manufacturing projects for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC).
According to court documents, from at least 2011 through approximately January 2021, Michael Clinesmith, 67, of Kansas, allegedly solicited and received kickbacks and bribes from Richard Mueller, 63, of Missouri, in exchange for steering subcontracts from Clinesmith’s employer to Mueller’s company (Subcontractor 1). Clinesmith, a long-tenured employee of a major engineering firm (Company 1) working at the KCNSC, was responsible for designing and procuring gages that were specially designed and manufactured to measure the components of nuclear weapon products. Clinesmith allegedly used his position and authority at Company 1 to steer gage subcontracts to Subcontractor 1 in exchange for Mueller paying him over $1 million for surreptitiously performing some or all of the work. Clinesmith is alleged to have told Mueller how much to bid on gage subcontracts that Company 1 awarded. Then, Clinesmith told his employer, Company 1, that those bids were fair and reasonable without disclosing that, in exchange for the subcontracts, Mueller would secretly funnel to Clinesmith the money awarded to Subcontractor 1. The indictment also alleges that Mueller lied to federal agents regarding the number of impacted subcontracts and his involvement in the scheme.
Clinesmith and Mueller are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. Mueller is also charged with one count of making false statements to federal agents. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy, wire fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Mueller also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements charge.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas, and Special Agent in Charge Justin Kessel of the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG), Western Field Office made the announcement.
The DOE-OIG Western Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Andrew Jaco of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Top Source of Supply in Juvenile Fentanyl Case Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A top source of supply in the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl case – which has resulted in at least 14 juvenile overdoses, four of them fatal – pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Julio Gonzales, Jr., 18, was charged via criminal complaint in July 2023 with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was indicted in August 2023. He pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez.
According to plea papers, Mr. Gonzales admitted to receiving and selling approximately 120,000 counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to multiple customers including codefendants and at least one juvenile M30 dealer. Mr. Gonzales sold M30 pills individually and also sold customers “K Packs” which consisted of 1,000 pills at a time.
According to court documents, in February 2023, a 16-year-old dealer who delivered the fentanyl pills that killed a 14-year-old girl in December 2022 allegedly identified Mr. Gonzales, whom he called “J-Money,” as his supplier. In text messages, the child discussed “J-Money” with codefendant Luis Eduardo Navarrete, one of the first dealers charged in the scheme. They identified “J-Money” as their “plug,” street parlance for a source of supply.
During a search of the residence used to store and sometimes distribute illegal drugs including counterfeit M30 pills, DEA agents found thousands of fentanyl-laced M-30 pills stuffed in the microwave, a partial kilogram of cocaine tucked in a plastic food storage container, bulk U.S. currency hidden in the closet, and numerous firearms, including a pistol equipped with an illegal Glock switch, littered throughout the home.
Mr. Gonzales is the eighth defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdose investigation to enter a guilty plea. Jason Xavier Villanueva, Magaly Cano, Robert Alexander Gaitan, Rafael Soliz, Jr., Adrian Martinez-Leon, Donovan Jude Andrews and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty earlier this year; Luis Eduardo Navarrete has been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
Mr. Gonzales now faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department’s SWAT team, and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.
Timothy Gabriel Faces Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Timothy Gabriel, 29, who most recently has been living in the Rutland area, appeared today in United States District Court in Burlington on a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Gabriel be held without bail pending further proceedings.
According to the criminal complaint that was filed on October 18, someone stole a Vermont State Police cruiser from the residence in Rutland where it was parked in the pre-dawn hours of October 17. A few hours later, the car was found parked behind a downtown Rutland business. Investigators found that a police-issued Sig Sauer rifle had been forcibly removed from a secure locking device in the vehicle. Surveillance camera footage from businesses near where the cruiser was found showed the car enter a parking lot before dawn. The footage depicted a man, whom several witnesses later identified as Timothy Gabriel, get out of the car, then leave the area with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. Gabriel is prohibited from possessing any firearms because he has several prior convictions in Vermont for felony offenses. Gabriel was arrested in Burlington on the afternoon of October 18.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is an accusation and that Gabriel is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
If convicted, Gabriel faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Gabriel is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Three Indicted, Accused of St. Louis Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and accused of involvement in the shooting death of a woman in St. Louis in July.
Andrew C. Hubbard, 37, of Maryland Heights, Justin R. Lee, 37, of Northwoods, and Eric Washington, 45, of Jennings, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire in connection with the death of Andreaia Worthem.
The indictment says the men received money and other items of value in exchange for their agreement to kill Worthem.
St. Louis police officers found Worthem, 53, early on the morning of July 7, 2023 in an alley in the 4400 block of Kennerly Avenue.
Each of the charges is punishable by a life sentence in prison or the death penalty.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Walker and Matthew Martin are prosecuting the case.
Thirty-Seven Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The 37th and final defendant charged as part of the case against members and associates of the Simon City Royals gang – a gang aligned with the Gangster Disciples – pleaded guilty today to racketeering (RICO) conspiracy.
“The Simon City Royals terrorized Mississippi prisons and communities for far too long,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These convictions underscore the Justice Department’s dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent criminal enterprises, regardless of where they operate.”
“Our communities have every right to expect that violent criminal gangs will be held to account and incarcerated for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “Thanks to the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners and career federal prosecutors led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow, 37 members of the Simon City Royals, a violent gang acting outside as well as inside our prisons as a criminal enterprise, have been arrested, incarcerated, or are currently awaiting sentencing. There will be no compromise in protecting our citizens, and every criminal gang operating in the Northern District of Mississippi can consider itself to be on notice.”
According to court documents, the Simon City Royals were a violent prison gang operating primarily in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but with members and associates acting on their behalf outside of prison throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and elsewhere. Through an alliance with the violent Gangster Disciples gang and with a sophisticated structure, the Simon City Royals engaged in a host of criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, large-scale drug trafficking, and fraud.
“These convictions mean that the Simon City Royals’ time is over,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New Orleans. “Protecting the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. To anyone damaging our streets with gun violence and drugs – law enforcement is here. No matter how long it takes, no matter if you are on the streets or in prison, we will bring the full weight of the federal government down on the violent gangs terrorizing our communities, neighborhoods, and institutions.”
“This investigation demonstrates the significant impact multiple agencies can achieve when they work together,” said Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Division. “We are committed to continuing our collaboration with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who threaten our communities through criminal activities. This final conviction should send a clear message to others engaged in organized crime that this type of activity will not be tolerated.”
The Simon City Royals were responsible for the brutal murder of a prison inmate in 2018, when a Simon City Royals leader issued a “kill on sight” order, directing any gang member who encountered the targeted inmate to murder him. In January 2018, Dillon Heffker and Robert Williams acted on the order, stabbing the victim dozens of times with improvised prison knives. Leaders of the Simon City Royals rewarded Heffker and Williams for the murder by arranging for hundreds of dollars to be directed to their prison commissary accounts.
“The U.S. Marshals Service, along with our federal, state, and local partners, strive daily to protect our communities from violent criminal organizations such as the Simon City Royals,” said U.S. Marshal Daniel R. McKittrick for the Northern District of Mississippi. “The final guilty plea ended a reign of terror for 37 career criminals, who were responsible for a tremendous amount of criminal activity in our local communities.”
“The Secret Service is committed to investigating and pursuing those who aim to exploit our nation’s financial systems in order to further a criminal enterprise,” said Resident Agent in Charge Kyle Smith of the U.S. Secret Service’s Jackson Resident Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, a violent gang was dismantled and the individuals involved can now be held responsible for their crimes.”
Simon City Royals were also responsible for the savage kidnapping and torture of a former member for perceived violations of the gang’s code of conduct. In 2015, a member of the Simon City Royals kidnapped the victim at knifepoint and forced him into a hotel room. There, Simon City Royals members and associates tied the victim to a chair, interrogated him, tortured him, and burned off his Simon City Royals tattoo.
"These convictions demonstrate the steadfast commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protecting the public from violent gangs that terrorize and poison our communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “As a result of our collective efforts, this destructive criminal enterprise has been dismantled and the members who have been operating both in and out of the prison system are being held accountable.”
In addition, the Simon City Royals engaged in widespread drug trafficking, including smuggling large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana, heroin, and benzodiazepines into dozens of Mississippi state prison facilities. The gang distributed these dangerous substances, including nearly 100% pure crystal methamphetamine, to inmates throughout the prison system.
Below are the defendants and the charges to which they pleaded guilty:
- Allen Posey, 48, of Jackson, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jonathan Davis, 39, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jeremy Holcombe, 43, of Meridian, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jonathan Burnett, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama, racketeering conspiracy;
- Hank Chapman, 38, of Riply, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jason Hayden, 42, of Picayune, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Joshua Miller, 41, of Jackson, racketeering conspiracy;
- Gavin Pierson, 33, of San Diego, racketeering conspiracy;
- Justin Shaw, 36, of Holly Springs, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Bobby Brumfield, 44, of New Orleans, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jordan Deakles, 31, of Gulfport, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Bryce Francis, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, racketeering conspiracy;
- Anthony Murphy, 30, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Chancy Bilbo, 31, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Dillon Heffker, 32, of Bay St. Louis, racketeering conspiracy;
- Douglas Jones, 34, of Jackson, racketeering conspiracy;
- Cody Woodall, 31, of Gulfport, racketeering conspiracy;
- Michael Muscolino, 43, of Phoenix, racketeering conspiracy;
- Valerie Madden, 54, of Chicago, drug conspiracy;
- Samuel Conwill, 45, of Tupelo, Mississippi, money laundering conspiracy;
- Jason Collins, 40, of Loraine, Ohio, money laundering conspiracy;
- Justin Leake, 43, of Meridian, racketeering conspiracy;
- Michael Dossett, 42, of Carriere, Mississippi, felon in possession of a firearm;
- Angel Labauve, 43, of Picayune, Mississippi, drug conspiracy;
- Bruce Floyd, 42, of Senatobia, Mississippi, drug conspiracy;
- Jacquelyn Harmon, 33, of Senatobia, drug conspiracy;
- Cody Myrick, 33, of Grenada, Mississippi, unlawful transport of firearms;
- Craig Thomas, 36, of Grenada, unlawful transport of firearms;
- Arvis Tolbert, 43, of Hurley, Mississippi, violent crime in support of racketeering activity;
- Preston Edwards, 36, of Jackson, drug conspiracy;
- Catherine Perry, 41, of Tupelo, interstate transportation in aid of racketeering;
- John Brooks, 37, of Greenwood, Mississippi, drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy;
- Alana Dickey, 21, of Holly Springs, interstate transportation in aid of racketeering;
- Austin Ruby, 35, of Holly Springs, drug conspiracy;
- Chris Vincent, 20, of Gulfport, drug conspiracy;
- Trevor Overby, 45, of Jackson, drug conspiracy;
- Anthony Rouse, 33, of Picayune, drug conspiracy.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Jackson Field Office, Mississippi Department of Corrections, and dozens of local law enforcement agencies across multiple states investigated the cases. The Tupelo Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, Benton County Sheriff's Department, and Tippah County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stringfellow for the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the cases, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Thirty-Seven Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The 37th and final defendant charged as part of the case against members and associates of the Simon City Royals gang – a gang aligned with the Gangster Disciples – pleaded guilty today to racketeering (RICO) conspiracy.
“The Simon City Royals terrorized Mississippi prisons and communities for far too long,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These convictions underscore the Justice Department’s dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent criminal enterprises, regardless of where they operate.”
“Our communities have every right to expect that violent criminal gangs will be held to account and incarcerated for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “Thanks to the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners and career federal prosecutors led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow, 37 members of the Simon City Royals, a violent gang acting outside as well as inside our prisons as a criminal enterprise, have been arrested, incarcerated, or are currently awaiting sentencing. There will be no compromise in protecting our citizens, and every criminal gang operating in the Northern District of Mississippi can consider itself to be on notice.”
According to court documents, the Simon City Royals were a violent prison gang operating primarily in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but with members and associates acting on their behalf outside of prison throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and elsewhere. Through an alliance with the violent Gangster Disciples gang and with a sophisticated structure, the Simon City Royals engaged in a host of criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, large-scale drug trafficking, and fraud.
“These convictions mean that the Simon City Royals’ time is over,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New Orleans. “Protecting the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. To anyone damaging our streets with gun violence and drugs – law enforcement is here. No matter how long it takes, no matter if you are on the streets or in prison, we will bring the full weight of the federal government down on the violent gangs terrorizing our communities, neighborhoods, and institutions.”
“This investigation demonstrates the significant impact multiple agencies can achieve when they work together,” said Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Division. “We are committed to continuing our collaboration with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who threaten our communities through criminal activities. This final conviction should send a clear message to others engaged in organized crime that this type of activity will not be tolerated.”
The Simon City Royals were responsible for the brutal murder of a prison inmate in 2018, when a Simon City Royals leader issued a “kill on sight” order, directing any gang member who encountered the targeted inmate to murder him. In January 2018, Dillon Heffker and Robert Williams acted on the order, stabbing the victim dozens of times with improvised prison knives. Leaders of the Simon City Royals rewarded Heffker and Williams for the murder by arranging for hundreds of dollars to be directed to their prison commissary accounts.
“The U.S. Marshals Service, along with our federal, state, and local partners, strive daily to protect our communities from violent criminal organizations such as the Simon City Royals,” said U.S. Marshal Daniel R. McKittrick for the Northern District of Mississippi. “The final guilty plea ended a reign of terror for 37 career criminals, who were responsible for a tremendous amount of criminal activity in our local communities.”
“The Secret Service is committed to investigating and pursuing those who aim to exploit our nation’s financial systems in order to further a criminal enterprise,” said Resident Agent in Charge Kyle Smith of the U.S. Secret Service’s Jackson Resident Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, a violent gang was dismantled and the individuals involved can now be held responsible for their crimes.”
Simon City Royals were also responsible for the savage kidnapping and torture of a former member for perceived violations of the gang’s code of conduct. In 2015, a member of the Simon City Royals kidnapped the victim at knifepoint and forced him into a hotel room. There, Simon City Royals members and associates tied the victim to a chair, interrogated him, tortured him, and burned off his Simon City Royals tattoo.
"These convictions demonstrate the steadfast commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protecting the public from violent gangs that terrorize and poison our communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “As a result of our collective efforts, this destructive criminal enterprise has been dismantled and the members who have been operating both in and out of the prison system are being held accountable.”
In addition, the Simon City Royals engaged in widespread drug trafficking, including smuggling large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana, heroin, and benzodiazepines into dozens of Mississippi state prison facilities. The gang distributed these dangerous substances, including nearly 100% pure crystal methamphetamine, to inmates throughout the prison system.
Below are the defendants and the charges to which they pleaded guilty:
- Allen Posey, 48, of Jackson, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jonathan Davis, 39, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jeremy Holcombe, 43, of Meridian, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jonathan Burnett, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama, racketeering conspiracy;
- Hank Chapman, 38, of Riply, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jason Hayden, 42, of Picayune, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Joshua Miller, 41, of Jackson, racketeering conspiracy;
- Gavin Pierson, 33, of San Diego, racketeering conspiracy;
- Justin Shaw, 36, of Holly Springs, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Bobby Brumfield, 44, of New Orleans, racketeering conspiracy;
- Jordan Deakles, 31, of Gulfport, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Bryce Francis, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, racketeering conspiracy;
- Anthony Murphy, 30, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Chancy Bilbo, 31, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, racketeering conspiracy;
- Dillon Heffker, 32, of Bay St. Louis, racketeering conspiracy;
- Douglas Jones, 34, of Jackson, racketeering conspiracy;
- Cody Woodall, 31, of Gulfport, racketeering conspiracy;
- Michael Muscolino, 43, of Phoenix, racketeering conspiracy;
- Valerie Madden, 54, of Chicago, drug conspiracy;
- Samuel Conwill, 45, of Tupelo, Mississippi, money laundering conspiracy;
- Jason Collins, 40, of Loraine, Ohio, money laundering conspiracy;
- Justin Leake, 43, of Meridian, racketeering conspiracy;
- Michael Dossett, 42, of Carriere, Mississippi, felon in possession of a firearm;
- Angel Labauve, 43, of Picayune, Mississippi, drug conspiracy;
- Bruce Floyd, 42, of Senatobia, Mississippi, drug conspiracy;
- Jacquelyn Harmon, 33, of Senatobia, drug conspiracy;
- Cody Myrick, 33, of Grenada, Mississippi, unlawful transport of firearms;
- Craig Thomas, 36, of Grenada, unlawful transport of firearms;
- Arvis Tolbert, 43, of Hurley, Mississippi, violent crime in support of racketeering activity;
- Preston Edwards, 36, of Jackson, drug conspiracy;
- Catherine Perry, 41, of Tupelo, interstate transportation in aid of racketeering;
- John Brooks, 37, of Greenwood, Mississippi, drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy;
- Alana Dickey, 21, of Holly Springs, interstate transportation in aid of racketeering;
- Austin Ruby, 35, of Holly Springs, drug conspiracy;
- Chris Vincent, 20, of Gulfport, drug conspiracy;
- Trevor Overby, 45, of Jackson, drug conspiracy;
- Anthony Rouse, 33, of Picayune, drug conspiracy.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Jackson Field Office, Mississippi Department of Corrections, and dozens of local law enforcement agencies across multiple states investigated the cases. The Tupelo Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, Benton County Sheriff's Department, and Tippah County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stringfellow for the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the cases, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Taholah, Washington, man pleads guilty to sex offense against a minorRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 21-year-old Taholah, Washington, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to abusive sexual contact in connection with the sexual assault of a teenager on the Quinault Nation reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jerimiah McCrory was arrested in July 2021, after a teen victim reported McCrory raped her after attending a gathering on the Quinault reservation. The investigation by Quinault Nation Police and the FBI revealed that other teens also had been sexually assaulted.
According to the plea agreement, the sexual assault of one teenager occurred on April 12, 2021, when McCrory and the victim were visiting a home on the Quinault Nation reservation. McCrory admits that he sexually assaulted the teen and pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact in connection with that assault. As part of the plea agreement, McCrory admits two other sexual assaults against teenage victims in 2019. Those facts can be considered by the judge at sentencing as relevant conduct.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence no higher than the top of the guidelines range. McCrory is scheduled for sentencing on January 26, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Quinault Nation Police and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Tate London and Rebecca S. Cohen. Mr. London serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
Sulphur Resident Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Riley Stephens, age 32, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for a September 2018 violent assault.
The charges arose from investigations by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 8, 2022, Stephens pleaded guilty to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. According to investigators, Stephens kicked in the door of a Mill Creek residence, and once inside, attacked the occupant, who sustained multiple facial fractures and lacerations. The crime occurred in Johnston County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Stephens will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Steel Manufacturer Enters Agreement Solidifying Its Commitment to Spend More Than $100 Million to Reduce Emissions from Its Dearborn, Michigan, FacilityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a modification to a 2015 consent decree between the United States and state of Michigan and the Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation (formerly AK Steel) to resolve Clean Air Act violations at the company’s Dearborn, Michigan, steel manufacturing plant.
The decree required the Dearborn plant to implement certain measures to address visible air emissions from the plant. Because these measures failed to bring the plant into full Clean Air Act compliance, the modification requires Cleveland-Cliffs to undertake additional extensive measures at a cost of over $100 million, which are expected to reduce visible emissions from the plant, as well as curtail emissions of manganese and lead. Inhalation of lead and manganese can cause various, negative health effects, including impacts to the central nervous system. In addition, inhalation of lead has been linked to impacts to kidney function, and to the immune, cardiovascular, reproductive and developmental systems in humans. In anticipation of the agreement, Cleveland-Cliffs has already performed much of the required work.
“The agreement will ensure that Cleveland-Cliffs’ steel manufacturing plant in Dearborn operates in compliance with federal and state air pollution requirements,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This modification will result in better air quality for Dearborn residents around the plant, who have been disproportionately burdened by pollution.”
“Today’s announcement shows that EPA and the Department of Justice are committed to achieving cleaner air for communities across the country,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The changes that Cleveland Cliffs will make at its Dearborn facility will reduce harmful air pollution and improve air quality for local residents.”
The modification lodged today requires replacement of the plant’s electrostatic precipitator (ESP) that removes particulate matter from exhaust gases that stem from the plant’s operations and thereby controls visible emissions. It also requires routine testing of the new ESP to assure compliance with applicable emission limits, certain operational parameters and regular monitoring for visible emissions.
The company will also pay a civil penalty of $81,380 to the state of Michigan for violating the state permit’s opacity, lead and manganese limits. Additionally, Cleveland-Cliffs will implement a state-law supplemental environmental project in which nearby residents will receive home air purifiers, at an estimated cost of $244,000. The facility is located in an area with environmental justice concerns according to data from EPA’s EJSCREEN tool. For more information on the original settlement, click here.
Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed the modification.
There will be a 30-day public comment period on the proposed modification. The modification and instructions on how to submit a public comment is available on the on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
St. Joseph Woman Sentenced for Using Prison Inmates’ Identities in Covid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for using the stolen identities of prison inmates to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Brooke Stewart, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Stewart to pay $139,663 in restitution to the Missouri Dept of Employment Security and a $50 fine.
On May 18, 2023, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of stealing government funds. Stewart admitted that she facilitated the filing of false claims for unemployment benefits by using the stolen identity information of five individuals who were incarcerated in state or federal prison and therefore not eligible to receive Missouri and enhanced unemployment benefits. Stewart also fraudulently received federal unemployment benefits in her own name and another person.
As a result of her fraud scheme, Stewart stole at least $139,663 in benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided additional federal pandemic unemployment compensation to eligible individuals receiving other unemployment benefits under state laws. These funds were intended to assist persons who were unemployed because of the pandemic.
None of the inmates whose identity information was stolen actually received any of the fraudulently obtained benefits. Among those individuals whose stolen identity information was used to obtain benefits from May 2020 to June 2021 were federal defendants Garland Nelson and Brooke Beckley. Nelson is serving a 32-year federal prison sentence for a cattle fraud scheme that led to two murders in Braymer, Mo., and for illegally possessing a firearm, as well as two life sentences in a separate state case for the murders. Beckley is serving a 40-year prison sentence for her role in the murder of a Mexican national who was executed to help her avoid paying a debt owed in a drug-trafficking conspiracy in the Springfield, Mo., area.
Stewart was on supervision from a 2019 state court conviction for trafficking in stolen identities, which resulted in a 10-year suspended sentence, at the time of this federal offense. A revocation hearing has been ordered in that case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations & Labor Racketeering Fraud.
Spiro Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joe Weldon Taylor, III, age 44, of Spiro, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents filed at the time of the plea hearing, Taylor knowingly possessed multiple images and videos on his cell phone depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of 12.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Taylor was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Interstate Domestic Violence Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Lawrence Joseph Florentine, 56, of Rock Hill, pleaded guilty in federal court to interstate domestic violence resulting in death, use of a firearm during a crime of violence to cause death, obstruction of justice, and use of fire during the commission of a felony.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Florentine married Nicole Zahnd Florentine in 2018. Video and audio recordings and the personal observations of Nicole’s family show the relationship was volatile. Beginning in December 2019, law enforcement in York County, where the couple resided, responded to multiple calls made by Nicole for emergency assistance. She reported that Florentine physically abused her and threatened to kill her, burn her, and bury her.
Florentine was arrested twice on domestic violence charges – one of which was dismissed, at least in part, at Nicole’s request before her death. On May 23, 2020, the couple’s Rock Hill home was destroyed by fire. Text messages and photographs Florentine sent to Nicole during the fire show that he intentionally burned her belongings and intentionally set the property on fire. Florentine is charged with arson in state court in connection with the fire.
An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that Nicole and Florentine were traveling by car together in North and South Carolina at least from June 2 to on or around June 11, 2020. Nicole and Florentine were last known to be together in Piedmont, South Carolina, from June 7 to on or about June 10, 2020. No calls to police or for emergency assistance were made by Florentine during this time.
Before the road trip, Nicole regularly communicated with her grandmother. When her grandmother stopped hearing from Nicole, she filed a missing person report.
On June 13, 2020, a groundskeeper for Hill Cemetery in Fredonia, Kentucky, discovered what appeared to him to be a makeshift grave. Officers with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police responded and recovered a partially charred female body from the shallow grave. A gas can was recovered from behind a tree near the burial site. No identification, cell phone, or other personal belongings were found. An autopsy identified the body as that of Nicole, that the manner of death was homicide, and the cause of death was a .22 caliber bullet wound to the head.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car matching the description of Florentine’s car around the cemetery before the body was discovered on June 13. A local hardware store clerk identified sale transactions on June 11, 2020, for a shovel and a gas can identical to the can found at the cemetery by a customer who matched Florentine’s description. Surveillance camera footage from a nearby gas station shows Florentine filling the gas can a short time later. Gasoline is commonly used as a fire accelerant.
No firearm was found; however, police recovered a lighter and .22 caliber cartridges in the center console and located Nicole’s blood on the rear exterior of Florentine’s abandoned car.
Sometime after June 11, 2020, Florentine fled Kentucky and arrived in Denver, Colorado. On June 23, 2020, he surrendered to the Denver Police.
This plea comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Although domestic violence is primarily a matter of state and local jurisdiction, federal laws provide tools for prosecuting domestic violence offenders in certain situations involving firearms and interstate travel or activity. U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors. The US Attorney’s Office encourages anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
“Domestic violence affects our community in a deep and enduring way,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “And we who serve as federal prosecutors for South Carolina have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal—and leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors—to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice. May we honor Nicole’s memory as we work to address and prevent future domestic violence.”
Florentine faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and eight years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Florentine after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Kentucky State Police, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, York County Sheriff’s Office, Rock Hill Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leesa Washington and Benjamin Garner are prosecuting the case.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A man with a history of felony convictions – including 2017 convictions for operating while intoxicated, eluding, and homicide by vehicle – was sentenced Friday, October 13, 2023, to eight years in federal prison.
Jerell Wilson, age 30, of Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 24, 2023, jury verdict finding him guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at trial and sentencing showed that while Sioux City Police were investigating a June 9, 2022, homicide, it was learned through witness and video surveillance that Wilson had been at the crime scene prior to, and after, the homicide, with a Coach backpack containing multiple firearms. Armed with this information, on June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Wilson’s home, where a loaded gun – with a round in the chamber – was found in his bed, along with the Coach bag and ammunition for multiple firearms that were not found in the search. Wilson refused to attend his own federal trial.
Wilson had previously been convicted of attempted possession of a defaced firearm, theft in the first degree, and, most recently, 2017 convictions for operating while intoxicated, eluding, and homicide by vehicle – reckless driving for causing the death of his uncle when he fled from police while under the influence. Wilson was paroled on his 2017 offenses in May of 2020. During his parole, he attended a meeting where he was warned of the consequences of possessing a firearm, and offered access to any services he might need to rebuild his life (employment, mental health counseling, transportation, etc.). Despite this opportunity, defendant committed the instant federal offense less than a year after being discharged from state supervision.
Wilson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, Timothy Duax, stated, “It is unfortunate when an individual rejects assistance, rejects services and chooses the path of criminality, but when that occurs, we must act to ensure the safety of law-abiding citizens.”
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.
Wilson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-04061.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Serial Child Predator Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Coercion and Enticement of Children as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Isaiah Austin, 21, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of two minors while required to register as a sex offender, and illegally possessing a firearm.
On December 3, 2020, Isaiah Austin was convicted in state court of the criminal confinement and sexual battery of a minor. He was sentenced to a total of five years in prison, with the time he served in pretrial detention executed, just less than a year, and the remaining four years to be served on probation. He was released from custody on the same day and was required by Indiana law to register as a sex offender.
In February 2021, Marion County probation officers conducted a compliance visit on Austin at his home. During their search, officers located a cell phone which contained multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse, as well as images of Austin holding firearms. Officers also uncovered text and Snapchat messages between Austin and a 14-year-old girl, beginning in early January 2021, less than a month after he was released from custody. In these text and Snapchat messages, Austin detailed sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child and instructed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself.
On November 10, 2021, Austin engaged in a Facebook chat in which he agreed to sell a handgun. On November 17, 2021, Lawrence Police Department officers went to an address where Austin had been staying for the past week. Austin fled the residence by running out of the house and jumping the fence as police arrived. The homeowner and their partner turned Austin’s 9mm handgun over to officers, which was the same make and model as the gun Austin agreed to sell.
On January 14, 2022, Austin was arrested on federal charges resulting from his exploitation of the 14-year-old girl. While detained in pretrial custody, Austin began sexually exploiting a second minor victim using the jail’s phone and messaging systems. Beginning in March 2022 and continuing through September 2022, Austin directed the second minor to engage in sex acts with an adult male relative of Austin’s and send videos of the conduct to Austin.
Over the next few months, Austin attempted to coerce and entice the second minor into engaging in commercial sex acts, instructing her to “Look up this (adult pornography) website please we need to start making money. Please, for me.” Austin arranged for an adult male to meet up with the second minor for sex and told her that he would get her name tattooed on his face if she recorded the sexually explicit conduct. Austin can be heard on recorded jail calls directing the adult and the minor to engage in sex acts and confirm that they were being recorded.
“This serial sexual predator engaged in years of heinous sexual abuse and exploitation of children, undeterred even while he was on probation and in custody,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He exploited vulnerable, underage girls for his own sick gratification with utter disregard for the dignity or safety of his child victims. Together with the U.S. Secret Service, IMPD, and Indiana’s outstanding Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, our federal prosecutors are committed to identifying and prosecuting these dangerous criminals. The sentence imposed here will ensure that our children are protected from this defendant for decades to come.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service and IMPD as part of Indiana’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Lawrence Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Austin be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years following his release from federal prison and pay $5,000 in restitution to each victim.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton, who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Sentence imposed for using vehicle to assault federal agent and smuggle individualsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old man from Brownsville has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for transporting and attempting to transport undocumented aliens and assaulting a federal officer, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Cristian Rodriguez pleaded guilty May 23.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Rodriguez to serve 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
On Sept. 16, 2022, law enforcement observed three individuals running away from the border wall and getting in a gray vehicle at an intersection in Brownsville. Authorities activated emergency equipment but the driver - Rodriguez - impacted the marked unit in a head-on collision.
Authorities extracted the occupants and evaluated them for injuries.
In total, there were five occupants in the gray vehicle, three of whom were in the rear - Mexican nationals without proper documentation to be in or remain in the United States. They had just made an illegal entry into the United States by crossing the Rio Grande River.
The front passenger was Rolando Rodriguez, the brother of Cristian Rodriguez. He had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for transporting and attempting to transport undocumented aliens.
Previously released on bond, Cristian Rodriguez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender in the near future.
Border Patrol and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Coronado and Paul Marian prosecuted the case.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Richard Massey, 51, of Shady Spring, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $862,871.29 in restitution for wire fraud and money laundering. Massey admitted to issuing fraudulent payments as an insurance claims adjuster and using the money to fund a powersports business that he owns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Massey was employed as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company from 2015 until June 2019. Massey was routinely assigned claim files to investigate after Allstate customers filed claims under their insurance policies. Allstate authorized Massey to investigate assigned claims, determine coverage, and coordinate with insured customers and others to bring claims to conclusion. Allstate entrusted Massey to issue settlement check payments to policy holders and businesses on behalf of Allstate to settle insured property damage claims.
Massey admitted to authorizing and issuing a $15,110.29 check on behalf of Allstate to a business called American Mitigation Services LLC, also known as AMS Cleaning, on December 26, 2018. The check was issued for mitigation work allegedly performed by AMS Cleaning and was deposited into AMS Cleaning’s bank account. Massey admitted that this payment was fraudulent, as AMS Cleaning had completed no work to justify the payment. Massey further admitted that he had a business relationship with AMS Cleaning and was an authorized signer on the business’s bank account.
Massey also admitted that he authorized and issued 68 fraudulent claim payment checks totaling more than $850,000 on behalf of Allstate to AMS Cleaning from at least January 22, 2018, until at least June 19, 2019. Massey attempted to hide the fraudulent nature of some of these checks by creating fraudulent receipts and documents that appeared to justify the payments.
Massey used the fraudulent claims payments deposited in AMS Cleaning’s bank account to fund Massey Powersports LLC, a Beckley business owned and operated by Massey. The investigation revealed that Massey routinely wrote checks from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to pay Massey Powersports employees, to purchase inventory for Massey Powersports, and to pay Massey Powersports’ recurring bills. Massey admitted that on December 27, 2018, he wired $105,403.20 in fraudulently obtained proceeds from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to a North Carolina business to prepay for tractors intended for Massey Powersports.
Massey attempted to conceal his scheme from investigators. Massey falsely told an Allstate fraud investigator that he had no financial interest in AMS Cleaning. In response to a federal grand jury subpoena, Massey created and submitted a fictitious $1 million contract purporting to show that AMS Cleaning was sold to a fictitious company prior to his scheme. Massey provided a detailed, false story to Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents claiming that AMS Cleaning was sold to this non-existent company.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the FBI and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-219.
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President of Suburban Chicago Environmental Company Indicted for Allegedly Obstructing Federal Probe into Grant Funding of Hotel Demolition ProjectRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted the president of an environmental services company for allegedly obstructing an investigation into the grant funding of a hotel demolition project in the Chicago suburb of Harvey, Ill.
CARL FIORAVANTI, 55, of Lansing, Ill., is charged with one count of obstruction of justice, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
According to the indictment, Fioravanti was the president of Alliance Environmental Control, Inc., a Lansing, Ill.-based company that performed asbestos testing and removal services. In 2017, Alliance was hired by the Cook County Land Bank Authority to conduct an asbestos survey in advance of the demolition of the Chicago Park Hotel, commonly known as the “Harvey Hotel,” in Harvey, Ill. The Land Bank Authority had acquired the hotel and intended to use a Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish and repurpose the property.
Fioravanti submitted the asbestos survey to the Land Bank Authority in the fall of 2017, stating that asbestos was present on the Harvey Hotel site, the indictment states. Alliance was later hired as a subcontractor on the project by a Chicago-area demolition company that was chosen by the Land Bank Authority to demolish the hotel.
In September 2018, a federal investigation led by HUD’s Office of Inspector General, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the FBI, probed whether Alliance accurately described the amount of asbestos on the property in its survey to the Land Bank Authority and the amount of asbestos removed from the property in an asbestos waste manifest that Alliance provided to a landfill operator, as well as whether Alliance and the demolition company had received Community Development Block Grant funds to which they were not entitled in connection with the hotel demolition. The indictment alleges that Fioravanti intended to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation when he responded to a subpoena from HUD-OIG by providing asbestos waste manifests that had been altered to reflect that a different quantity of asbestos was removed from the hotel site and delivered to the landfill.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of HUD-OIG in Chicago, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Lisa Matovic, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of EPA-CID, Nic Evans, Special Agent-in Charge of EPA’s Office of Inspector General, Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Franzblau, Kirsten Moran, and Brian Netols.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Fioravanti indictmentPreliminary Injunction Entered in Justice Department Suit to Stop Fraudulent Debt Collection Scheme that Harmed VeteransRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining three individuals and two companies from continuing their fraudulent debt collection scheme. The order was issued after the department filed a civil complaint against Assured Collections LLC, Assured Financial LLC, Christopher Parks, Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller.
According to the complaint, Christopher Parks, 62, who is currently incarcerated in Cushing, Oklahoma, his son, Christopher Noah Parks, 29, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Stephen Miller, 39, also of Broken Arrow, operate Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC. The defendants, according to the complaint, used those companies to distribute thousands of fraudulent debt collection notices to consumers across the country. These notices falsely stated that consumers owed money, often thousands of dollars, for durable medical equipment. In fact, defendants had no authority to contact consumers to attempt to collect any debt. Many of the notices were sent to older adults and veterans.
“No consumer should have to panic at the thought of needing to pay thousands of dollars they do not in fact need to pay,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department and its partners remain steadfast in our resolve to protect consumers from companies and individuals responsible for sending fraudulent debt collection notices.”
“The defendants in this case victimized individuals who were already traumatized by illness and were struggling emotionally, physically and financially,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “This fraudulent billing scheme caused additional harm and eroded the public’s trust in the medical industry. I’m thankful for the collaborative effort of all the investigative agencies that worked together in pursuit of justice for the victims.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for our military members,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael C. Mentavlos of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “This action is the result of strong partnerships across the law enforcement community, and demonstrates the DCIS’s ongoing commitment to investigating and prosecuting companies and individuals that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our military members, their families and the American taxpayer.”
“This action sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General makes it a priority to investigate those who would seek to exploit our nation’s most vulnerable veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to achieve justice in this case.”
According to the complaint, Christopher Parks (who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison), Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller knew that debt notices were fraudulent. Despite that knowledge, defendants continued to contact consumers attempting to collect.
Anyone who believes that they are a victim of the unlawful debt collection activity is encouraged to report to the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.
The VA-OIG, DCIS, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Runkle of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle for the Northern District of Oklahoma filed the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndok.
Preliminary Injunction Entered in Justice Department Suit to Stop Fraudulent Debt Collection Scheme that Harmed VeteransRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining three individuals and two companies from continuing their fraudulent debt collection scheme. The order was issued after the department filed a civil complaint against Assured Collections LLC, Assured Financial LLC, Christopher Parks, Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller.
According to the complaint, Christopher Parks, 62, who is currently incarcerated in Cushing, Oklahoma, his son, Christopher Noah Parks, 29, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Stephen Miller, 39, also of Broken Arrow, operate Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC. The defendants, according to the complaint, used those companies to distribute thousands of fraudulent debt collection notices to consumers across the country. These notices falsely stated that consumers owed money, often thousands of dollars, for durable medical equipment. In fact, defendants had no authority to contact consumers to attempt to collect any debt. Many of the notices were sent to older adults and veterans.
“No consumer should have to panic at the thought of needing to pay thousands of dollars they do not in fact need to pay,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department and its partners remain steadfast in our resolve to protect consumers from companies and individuals responsible for sending fraudulent debt collection notices.”
“The defendants in this case victimized individuals who were already traumatized by illness and were struggling emotionally, physically and financially,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “This fraudulent billing scheme caused additional harm and eroded the public’s trust in the medical industry. I’m thankful for the collaborative effort of all the investigative agencies that worked together in pursuit of justice for the victims.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for our military members,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael C. Mentavlos of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “This action is the result of strong partnerships across the law enforcement community, and demonstrates the DCIS’s ongoing commitment to investigating and prosecuting companies and individuals that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our military members, their families and the American taxpayer.”
“This action sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General makes it a priority to investigate those who would seek to exploit our nation’s most vulnerable veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to achieve justice in this case.”
According to the complaint, Christopher Parks (who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison), Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller knew that debt notices were fraudulent. Despite that knowledge, defendants continued to contact consumers attempting to collect.
Anyone who believes that they are a victim of the unlawful debt collection activity is encouraged to report to the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.
The VA-OIG, DCIS, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Runkle of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle for the Northern District of Oklahoma filed the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndok.
Possession of unregistered shortened shotgun sends East Helena man to prison for more than two yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who admitted to possessing an unregistered shortened shotgun was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Joshua Alan Roberts-Sprinkle, 36, pleaded guilty in May to possession of an unregistered firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 27, 2022, Roberts-Sprinkle possessed three firearms—a loaded AR-style rifle, a shortened shotgun and a loaded .40-caliber handgun, when law enforcement arrested him on an outstanding warrant in East Helena. Officers located the firearms, ammunition, a glass container with methamphetamine residue and a ballistic vest when they executed a search warrant on his vehicle. A Savage Arms/Stevens shotgun, model 94, .410-caliber, with a shortened stock and barrel, was located in the trunk. The recovered shotgun had a barrel length of approximately 14 inches and an overlength of approximately 21 ½ inches. The shotgun was originally manufactured with an overall length of 44 inches and a barrel length of 28 inches. The shortened shotgun was not registered as required by law and the possession of it is a violation of federal firearms laws.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, East Helena Police Department and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Pocola Resident Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Patrick Timothy Kelley, age 46, of Pocola, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, punishable by up to life in prison.
According to investigators, Kelley engaged in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 years old. The crime occurred in Le Flore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Kelley was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
Pocatello Woman Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Hailey M. Card, 32, of Pocatello, was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. The fentanyl distributed by Card was consumed by a Pocatello man who died from a fentanyl overdose.
According to court records, on January 15, 2022, officers with the Pocatello Police Department responded to a report regarding the unattended death of a Pocatello man (K.A.). Upon arrival, the officers discovered drug paraphernalia and other items indicating an opiate overdose. Interviews with residents revealed that K.A. had left the home around 11:30 p.m. on January 14, 2022, to go to the store and get gasoline, returned around midnight in a normal state and went to his basement bedroom. At around 2:30 a.m., a family member found K.A. deceased.
A subsequent investigation uncovered cellphone records, text messages, Facebook Messenger exchanges, and witness statements that showed that in early morning of January 15, 2022, Card sold the fentanyl that K.A. returned home and consumed. An autopsy performed on January 18, 2022, at the Ada County Coroner's Office, confirmed that K.A. died from acute fentanyl intoxication.
“The battle against fentanyl requires all of us to work together,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “In this case, we had exceptional cooperation between law enforcement and the coroner’s offices that allowed us to obtain the evidence we needed to obtain justice and to protect others from the tragic fate of the deceased in this case.”
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Card to 188 months in federal prison. Card, upon completion of her prison sentence, was also ordered to serve an additional three years of supervised release. Card pleaded guilty to the charge on July 20, 2023.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for severe pain management and prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges. While prescription fentanyl can be diverted for misuse, most cases of fentanyl-related overdoses in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl that is sold through illicit drug markets for its heroin-like effect.
Idaho in general has seen a massive influx of counterfeit pills in the last several years. The pills are mass-produced by criminal drug networks and falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills. The pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and alprazolam (Xanax); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall).
Counterfeit pills are becoming more and more common place. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its law enforcement partners seized nationally more than 59.6 million fentanyl pills and approximately 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder during 2022. Despite law enforcement efforts to educate the public and stop the flow of these illegal drugs, the number of overdose deaths related to these pills continues to rise. For more information regarding this concerning trend please visit: https://odp.idaho.gov/opioid-use-and-overdose-workgroup/.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Pocatello Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Idaho State Police, and the Bannock County Coroner’s Office, which led to charges. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett
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Pensacola Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joseph T. Holbert, 54, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to producing multiple images and videos of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Crimes against our children are among the most sinister types of offenses and deserving of the most significant sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Those who produce child pornography facilitate the abuse of children, robbing them of their innocence. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
In February 2023, Holbert was caught using hidden cameras to film two minor females in various stages of undressing, and using an outdoor shower to clean themselves, in order to capture images and videos of them without clothes. The victims were 8 and 9 years old. Law enforcement was alerted to this behavior and seized hidden cameras and Holbert’s cellular telephone. A forensic review of the seized items revealed the child pornography Holbert produced for his own pleasure.
“This sentencing confirms the FBI’s commitment to seek justice for our kids,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Jacksonville. “Together with our partners, we have ensured one less predator is victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community, and we will continue to dedicate every available resource to identifying and stopping those who exploit our children.”
Holbert’s prison sentence will be followed by lifetime of federal supervised release, and he will be required to register as a sex offender.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced today on nine total felony and misdemeanor charges for her actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Rachel Marie Powell, 43, of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth. Judge Lamberth also ordered Powell to pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines, and fees.
Powell was found guilty on July 18, 2023, following a bench trial before Judge Lamberth of civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; destruction of government property; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Powell was one of the first rioters to break through onto Capitol grounds near the Peace Circle. At the West Plaza, Powell pushed against barricades and encouraged other rioters to attack the police line. After the West Plaza was breached, Powell climbed up to the Lower West Terrace (LWT), and eventually entered the Capitol itself through a broken window. Powell later used an ice axe and a battering ram to break through a different window and breach the Capitol at a different location, encouraging other rioters to enter the Capitol. After the riot, instead of remorse, Powell continued to call for political violence.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Powell first attended former President Trump’s rally before joining rioters at the Capitol building and grounds. She was wearing a pink hat, black jacket, and carried a bullhorn. She ignored numerous police orders to leave the grounds. Instead, she repeatedly pushed against the barricades using her hands, shoulders, and back. At approximately 2:28 p.m., rioters breached the police line at the West Plaza and pushed forward toward the Capitol, violently assaulting law enforcement officers along the way. Powell participated in this breach by shoving a barricade against an officer as the police line broke.
Powell is seen in multiple videos and photographs using the bullhorn to further instruct others on how to gain control of the Capitol. One video of Powell depicts a group of individuals inside a room of the Capitol discussing how to penetrate the building further. One individual is heard asking, “What’s the floor plan?” Another shouts, “We just need a plan. We need enough people. We need to push forward.”
Shortly after, Powell is clearly seen speaking through the bullhorn and giving very detailed instructions about the layout of the building to others in the room. Powell can be heard stating that she had just been inside an adjacent room and that they should “coordinate together if you are going to take this building.” Powell also notes that they “have another window to break.”
Law enforcement authorities identified multiple images and videos of Powell during the day’s events, including instances of her using an ice axe to breach windows of the Capitol. Video footage from inside the Capitol building shows Powell entering the building at 2:41 p.m. through the West Lower Terrace exterior door along with a large crowd of rioters. At 5:01 p.m., Powell returned to the left side of the tunnel as part of an effort to coordinate a breakthrough into the Capitol building. That attempt failed when officers emerged from the tunnel and successfully dispersed Powell and the rioters from the area at 5:05 p.m.
On January 7, she posted on social media: “we have given you all a chance to help us settle this peacefully. We have been patient. The time is up.”
In the following days, Powell repeatedly bragged about the aggressive behavior of rioters, their violence towards law enforcement, and the eventual retreat of officers. For example, on January 7, Powell wrote: “IT WAS F--ING WAR TO GET IN. IF YOU WERE NOT HERE THEN STFU.” In another post, she wrote: “There were lots of security. They had to retreat into the building and fight back because patriots were relentless.” In another, Powell replied, “They didn’t open the gates. The people trampled them. It was war.”
The FBI arrested Powell on Feb. 4, 2021, in Pennsylvania. On Apr. 5, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Powell with nine counts.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Pittsburgh and Washington Office, which identified Powell as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #110 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Passenger sentenced to six years in prison for meth trafficking and gun crimes after attempted traffic stop led to shooting of Great Falls police officerRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A woman passenger who admitted to methamphetamine and gun crimes after an attempted traffic stop led to the driver shooting and wounding a Great Falls police officer was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nikki Marie Snell, 38, of Harlem, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm as charged in a superseding information.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in mid- 2022, the Russell Country Drug Task Force in Great Falls learned that Snell was trafficking meth in the community and acquired meth that agents traced to Snell. Then on March 7, 2023, Great Falls police officers attempted a traffic stop of a car from Billings, but the car fled. Officers found the car and saw a man, later identified as the driver, and Snell, the passenger, walking away from it. Snell stopped and complied with the officers, while the driver ran away with Snell’s brown purse. An officer chased the driver, who shot the officer numerous times, wounding him. During the pursuit and shooting, the driver dropped the purse. Officers recovered the purse and found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside. The handgun was a different firearm from the one used in the shooting. Snell admitted that the recovered purse was hers and that she knew it contained the handgun. Snell had a prior federal felony conviction for assault and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Great Falls Police Department, with assistance from the Russell Country Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Over $1M Worth of Dinosaur Bones Allegedly Stolen from Utah, Shipped to China for ProfitRead the Press Release
UPDATE
Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release against Vint Wade, Donna Wade, Steven Willing and Jordan Willing in this case was dismissed on August 22, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 13-count indictment charging four people for allegedly purchasing and selling over $1M in paleontological resources. The dollar amount represents 150,000 pounds of paleontological resources, including dinosaur bones, illegally removed from federal and state lands in southeastern Utah.
According to court documents, Vint Wade, 65, and Donna Wade, 67, of Moab, Utah; Steven Willing, 67, of Los Angeles, California; and Jordan Willing, 40 of Ashland, Oregon, committed several felony offenses against the United States by violating the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA).
Between March 2018 and continuing until at least March 2023, the defendants allegedly purchased, transported and exported dinosaur bones from federal land. The defendants further illegally conspired by knowingly concealing and retaining stolen property of the United States. As charged, in a typical execution of the conspiracy, the Wades purchased paleontological resources removed from federal land by paying cash and checks to known and unknown unindicted individuals. Those individuals removed the dinosaur bones for the Wades’ personal use. The Wades stockpiled paleontological resources to sell at gem and mineral shows to national vendors and to sell some of the illegally obtained paleontological resources to Steven and Jordan Willing. Using their company, JMW Sales, the Willings’ exported the dinosaur bones to China by mislabeling the dinosaur bones and deflating their value to avoid detection by federal agents.
In addition to the selling over $1,000,000 in paleontological resources, the defendants caused over $3,000,000 in damages that includes the commercial value of the resource, the scientific value of the resource, and the cost of restoration and repair.
According to the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA), paleontological resources mean any fossilized remains, traces, or imprints of organisms, preserved in or on the earth’s crust, that have paleontological interest and provide information about the history of life on earth.
BLM“By removing and processing these dinosaur bones to make consumer products for profit, tens of thousands of pounds of dinosaur bones have lost virtually all scientific value, leaving future generations unable to experience the science and wonder of these bones on Federal land,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting paleontological resources throughout the State of Utah. We will hold accountable anyone who seeks to engage in similar criminal conduct.”
All defendants are charged with conspiracy against the United States; Paleontological Resources Preservation Act violation; theft of property of the United States and other charges as alleged in the indictment. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance on the indictment, Oct. 19, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
“Southeastern Utah is well-known destination for visitors to experience paleontology on the landscape. The public deserves the opportunity to benefit from and appreciate prehistoric resources on the lands,” said BLM Utah State Director Gregory Sheehan. “We are grateful to our team, including technical experts and law enforcement rangers, and the many partner-agencies who have committed time and energy to bring closure in this case.”
BLM
“The Bureau of Land Management should be greatly commended in dismantling the illegal trade of paleontology artifacts here in our community, said Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins.
The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Monticello Field Office, the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office with assistance from Grand County Sheriff and San Juan County Sheriff Offices are investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Hackford-Peer and Melina Shiraldi for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case as an environmental crime. For more information on environmental crimes click here. For more information about casual collecting of paleontological resources allowed under PRPA click here.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars using credit cards he fraudulently opened using the identities of others, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert Lourenco, 52, of Queens, New York, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to one count of an indictment charging him with access device fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
During 2015, Lourenco opened 23 credit cards using the identities of three victims he had befriended, two of whom were senior citizens. Lourenco’s victims did not know he was using their identities to obtain the credit cards, nor did they authorize Lourenco to obtain the credit cards. Lourenco used the 23 credit cards to make more than $423,000 in unauthorized purchases. He also used the debit card for a joint bank account belonging to two of the victims to make an additional $57,000 in unauthorized charges. Lourenco admitted that he knew at least one of his victims was a vulnerable victim when he used the victim’s identity to commit his crime.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Lourenco to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $36,849 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for its role in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
National Constitutional Militia Member Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Mississippi convicted felon and member of an anti-government extremist group who took part in discussions to kidnap and attack federal officials on Thanksgiving Day 2022 pleaded guilty this week to illegally possessing firearms during a trip to Georgia.
Joshua Colston, 50, of Corinth, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Oct. 18. Colston faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. Colston is not eligible for parole.
“Extremist convicted felons who choose to illegally arm themselves will be held federally accountable when they are caught with guns in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to thank the dedicated FBI agents involved in this case for their tireless efforts to protect our nation and bring this defendant to justice.”
“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, Colston will spend significant time behind bars where he will not be able to carry out any of his extremist plans to harm members of our community,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Albany office. “This plea should send the message that the FBI is determined to hold violent felons accountable with lengthy prison sentences and no opportunity for parole.”
According to court documents, the FBI investigation revealed that Colston and others participated in discussions on a Zello chat channel entitled “NCM Leadership.” Zello is an encrypted push-to-talk application used on cellular phones. “NCM” is an abbreviation for the National Constitutional Militia, an anti-government extremist organization. Colston and other NCM members discussed a plan to kidnap or attack elected federal officials on Thanksgiving Day 2022. Ultimately, the Thanksgiving Day plan never developed due to the group’s lack of resources and poor health of the members.
FBI agents took Colston into custody on Dec. 14, 2022, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, where Colston had travelled to purchase horses. Colston told agents he planned to travel horseback across the country for several years and that he was preparing to go “off the grid.” The FBI believed that Colston had training in explosives and knew him to be a convicted felon. Colston was in possession of five firearms: a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a .40 semiautomatic pistol, a .22 semiautomatic rifle, a semiautomatic shotgun and a .44 lever-action rifle. The semiautomatic rifle was reported stolen in Alcorn County, Mississippi. In addition to the firearms, Colston had a bulletproof vest and a significant amount of ammunition, including armor piercing rounds in his vehicle. Colston has prior convictions in Texas for third degree felony theft and a state jail felony for criminal mischief. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess firearms.
This case was investigated by FBI and the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ricky Alan McFarland, age 32, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On August 14, 2023, law enforcement officers executed an outstanding state arrest warrant for McFarland and found him in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, which McFarland knew he was prohibited from possessing due to his 2014 conviction for Rape by Instrumentation.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Marshal Service, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muskogee Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. McFarland was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jessie Heidlage and Kyra Jenner represented the United States.
More than Two Dozen Arrested in Roundup of Members and Associates of the Black Mafia FamilyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – More than two dozen people were arrested this week in connection with charges including drug trafficking and financial crimes, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said Thursday.
The arrests by the U.S. Marshals, federal agents and local police follow a series of grand jury indictments. Thirty-four people have been charged in connection with the investigation, most in the past few weeks. During the arrests and associated court-approved searches, officers and agents recovered a large quantity of fentanyl, pounds of methamphetamine, firearms and cash.
In detention hearings Thursday, prosecutors described the arrestees as members or associates of the Black Mafia Family.
A motion seeking to have one of the defendants jailed until trial says the BMF holds itself out as a drug trafficking and money laundering organization distributing large quantities of narcotics in the St. Louis area and elsewhere. One of the defendants, Chad Brown, calls himself the “Junior Boss” of the BMF, another detention motion says, and has discussed drug trafficking by the BMF in multiple videos posted on various social media platforms.
“These indictments and arrests targeted an organization that did not just limit their crimes to drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “Others have been accused of laundering money for the organization or taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars in loans that were intended for struggling businesses and employees.”
Those indicted include:
- Chad E. “JBo” Brown, 51, indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of using a false writing or document. He is accused of submitting a fraudulent IRS Schedule C form to obtain a PPP loan.
- Robert L. Lewis, 45, was indicted on four counts of fentanyl distribution and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Robert “Honest” Sims, 40, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
- Samir Simpson-Bey, 37, was indicted on one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
- Jeremy “Welo” Steele, 44, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
- Carl Von Garrett, 53, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering in an indictment which alleges that nearly $1,000,000 of drug proceeds were laundered between March and May 2021.
- Tiffany J. “Tiff BMF” Nelson, 42, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering. She is accused of laundering the proceeds of illegal activity.
"Anytime we are able to dismantle an organization involved in selling the big four – fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine – it’s a big deal," said Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration division that leads DEA investigations in Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois. "The scale of this Midwest criminal operation is uncommon, so it’s no wonder that it took the combined resources of federal, state and local law enforcement to bring the operation to an end. Protecting our citizens is DEA’s primary goal and the reward is worth the effort.”
“This week’s take-down demolished multiple drug trafficking organizations which were the main suppliers of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into the St. Louis region,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Today’s arrests of more than two dozen suspects by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force is a culmination of a 4-year investigation into a world of violence frequently associated with drug trafficking. The St. Louis Gateway Strike Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat violent gang crimes and drug trafficking throughout the bi-state region.”
“The goal of every criminal organization is to make money. The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) are the best in the business at following money trails leading to a criminal’s door,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock. “If we can track where money is coming from and where it’s going, we can disrupt the financial structures that support criminal networks.”
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force, which is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The OCDETF strike forces are permanent, multi-agency, prosecutor-led teams that conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Louis County Police Department and other members of the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force.
More than $3.6 million in DOJ grants coming to Washington State to support services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalkingRead the Press Release
Seattle – Organizations dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are receiving more than $3.6 million in federal grant funds to enhance their programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The largest award, $750,000, goes to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence to enhance services for survivors in rural areas of the state. The funds support culturally appropriate programs in Skagit and Whatcom counties in Western Washington as well as Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties on the east side of the state.
“On this day when we wear purple to show support for the survivors of domestic violence, I am pleased to highlight the DOJ funding coming to Washington for the organizations that work to help and heal those who suffer abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The Office on Violence Against Women targets these federal dollars where they can do the most good, and it is a tribute to the quality of the programs in Washington that so many organizations successfully competed for these grants.”
In addition to the grant to the Washington Coalition against Domestic Violence, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project received $500,000 to provide services in Adams, Benton, Chelan, Franklin, Grant, Okanogan, and Yakima counties.
The five other grant recipients include:
The Atlantic Street Center, Seattle - $575,000 – to enhance advocacy and therapeutic services in King and Pierce Counties with specific emphasis on communities of color.
YMCA of Clark County, Vancouver, Washington - $500,000 – to provide housing and supportive services for victims of domestic violence.
Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center, Shelton, Washington - $500,000 to provide services in Mason County, including advocacy and outreach, training for first responders and language services.
Consejo Counseling & Referral Inc., Renton, Washington, - $400,000 to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, and therapeutic services to Hispanic/Latino survivors in King County.
The Yarrow Project, Normandy Park, Washington - $385,000 – to provide services to indigenous survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.
October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
Missouri Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Defendant Publicly Assaulted Girlfriend and Shot at Bystanders During Getaway
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, JACOB WAYNE HORWITZ, 45, of Missouri, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction, announced U. S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Public record reflects that Horwitz was arrested on June 29, 2021, after he had assaulted his girlfriend outside of a metro convenience store and fired multiple gunshots at bystanders as he fled on a motorcycle. Shortly thereafter, Oklahoma City Police Department officers arrested Horwitz still in possession of the firearm.
On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Horwitz. He pled guilty on January 21, 2022.
Public records further reflect that Horwitz has a lengthy criminal history. His felony convictions include:
- burglary in the second degree in Camden County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 98004168F;
- two counts of kidnapping and four counts of second-degree assault in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 399CF5394;
- possession of a controlled substance in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 1631-CR07265;
- failure to register as a sex offender in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 1631-CR09905; and
- resisting stop by fleeing—creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license (third and subsequent) in Douglas County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 17DG-CR00308.
On October 16, 2023, U.S. District Judge Charles B. Goodwin sentenced Horwitz to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the circumstances of Horwitz’s arrest and his apparent willingness to kill to avoid arrest and escape responsibility.
This case is the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dain K. Barnett.
This case is part of "Operation 922" and operation “Shots Fired," the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal firearms violations connected to domestic violence. "Shots Fired" targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Missouri Man Sentenced for Selling Machine GunsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on Thursday sentenced a man from Stoddard County, Missouri to 21 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to sell devices that convert AR-style rifles into fully-automatic weapons.
Edward Hardin supplied his co-defendant Sidney Brianne Scowden, also of Stoddard County, with the devices, also known as “lightning links.”
Scowden sent a Snapchat message to a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Aug. 3, 2022 offering to sell a lightning link. Eight days later, she sold three of the devices for $1,500 to the informant, saying her source bought a link for $10,000 and made copies. Scowden sold three more devices on Sept. 19, 2022 and another on Oct. 19, 2022.
Hardin, 41, pleaded guilty in April to a charge of conspiracy to distribute machine guns. Scowden, 28, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and three counts of transferring a machine gun. She was sentenced in May to 18 months in prison..
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
Middlesex County Man Admits Online Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted inducing a minor to engage in sexually activity over an online messenger service, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sunil Vaid, 51, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of online enticement of a minor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Aug. 3, 2020, to Aug. 6, 2020, Vaid used an online messaging service to communicate with a minor victim, including requesting that the minor victim pose nude so he could take sexually explicit images. Vaid knowingly misrepresented his identity to induce the minor to engage in the sexual activity.
The charge of online enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and members of the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the North Brunswick Police for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
vaid.information.pdfMexican Man Residing in Westford Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Pedro Romo-Gonzalez, 42, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns, who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2023. Romo-Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023.
On at least eight separate occasions between April 1998 and July 2010, Romo-Gonzalez was removed from the United States or voluntarily returned to Mexico. After each removal, he illegally re-entered the United States without obtaining the appropriate permission to reenter. He was first encountered by federal authorities in April 1998 after he entered the United States via California without being admitted by an immigration officer. In December 2009, Romo-Gonzalez was convicted in Arizona state court of solicitation to commit smuggling. Most recently, on June 13, 2023, federal immigration authorities were notified of Romo-Gonzalez presence in Massachusetts after he was arrested on unrelated state charges.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Westford Police Chief Mark Chambers made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Medford Contractor Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Filing False Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a local excavation and plowing company was sentenced today in connection with a multi-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns and to obtain loans based on false loan applications.
Peter Tufts, 55, of Medford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to two years of supervised release and 240 hours of community service. Tufts was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, forfeiture of $450,000 and restitution of $551,941. On July 13, 2023, Tufts pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of submitting false loan applications.
Tufts is the owner of Tufts Construction, Inc., a construction company in Everett. For tax years 2015 through 2021, Tufts cashed check payments from customers and did not report the income from those checks in his tax filings, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $465,000. Instead, Tufts used the proceeds of his income tax evasion scheme to fund an off-the-books, under-the-table cash payroll that he used to avoid employment taxes, causing a payroll tax loss of more than $539,000.
Additionally, while perpetrating his tax evasion scheme, Tufts obtained loans from a local community bank and from the Small Business Administration (SBA) based on false loan applications. In his loan applications, and associated loan documents, Tufts falsely told the bank and the SBA that he had never declared bankruptcy, owed no back taxes, and was not involved in litigation. In fact, Tufts was involved in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings when he obtained his loans and was engaging in a multi-year income and employment tax evasion scheme.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service in Boston made the announcement today. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations Bureau; and the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil and James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine Through the U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for trafficking cocaine through the United States Postal Service (USPS), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Bryam Toribio Frias, age 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 27, 2023, Frias pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely, cocaine.
“The United States Postal Inspection Service’s proactive work intercepting shipments of narcotics through the mail kept these drugs out of our communities,” United States Attorney Jane E. Young stated. “It is a priority of this office to prevent individuals like the defendant from using USPS as a means to traffic dangerous drugs, and today’s sentence sends a deterrent message that drug traffickers will be apprehended, prosecuted, and incarcerated.”
"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep drug traffickers out of our communities,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to keeping these and other highly addictive drugs from destroying lives. Combatting illicit drugs in the mail is a top priority and we will continue to prioritize our resources in areas with high levels of illicit drug activity.”
On December 15, 2021, the defendant signed for and accepted a Priority Mail package addressed to him, which contained approximately four kilograms of cocaine. The defendant was arrested shortly after he received the package. A later search of the defendant’s phone showed communications he sent about the package, and a search of his residence revealed additional cocaine.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.
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