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1 December 2023
Amarillo Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
A violent Amarillo fentanyl distributor has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Johnny Evrick Johnson, Jr., 30, was indicted in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in June 2023 to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Johnson was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 240 months in federal prison, an upward variance. At sentencing, the court discussed Johnson’s use of multiple “trap houses” and the fact that Johnson provided several of his coconspirators with firearms to engage in drug trafficking and other violent acts, including robberies. The court also discussed evidence that linked Johnson to two armed robberies that occurred in July 2019.
According to court documents, on June 8, 2022, Johnson agreed to sell an undercover officer 100 fentanyl pills. On June 10, 2022, Johnson meet with the undercover officer in a parking lot and distributed the fentanyl pills. This quantity of fentanyl is only consistent with distribution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Amarillo Police Department, and several state and local partners. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted the case.
Airline Employee and Passenger Sentenced on Cocaine ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ahkoy Smith 25, and Shakari Francis, 27, both of St. Thomas, were sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy to 20 months incarceration on their convictions of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
According to court documents, on January 11, 2023, Customs and Border Protection officers observed Frances, a Cape Air employee, on an airport surveillance camera entering the men’s restroom in the departure terminal. Officers approach Francis who admitted that he was paid $2,000.00 to deliver two bricks of cocaine to Smith in the restroom. Officers later established a passenger screening station at the Spirit Airlines departure gate at the Cyril E. King Airport. As the officers approached Smith, he ran unto the active runway to escape, but was immediately apprehended. Smith was found in possession of a red “Jordan” backpack containing two bricks of cocaine.
This case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard Potter. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCEDTF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transactional criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
18 Individuals Charged in Superseding Indictment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 60-count superseding indictment charging 18 individuals with importation of cocaine and marijuana into the District of Puerto Rico and continental United States, and money laundering. The investigation is still ongoing. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection, CBP Air and Marine Operations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, and the Barceloneta Police Department. To date, law enforcement has seized over six million dollars in U.S. currency and assets, approximately ten firearms, and over two thousand kilograms of narcotics.
“Today’s announcement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of all our partners who work to dismantle these dangerous drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and stop these criminals from harming our communities,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.
“The leader of this organization shows no respect for authorities, continuing operations from behind bars,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations. “Today we dismantled his criminal empire, focusing on arresting all individuals involved and seizing millions of dollars in assets acquired with drug money.”
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The individuals charged in the superseding indictment are:
José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba, a.k.a. “Chambi/Chembi/Josué/Chambo/Patrón”
Bárbara Valentín-Rivera, a.k.a. “Barbara Paola”
Luis Crespo-Cumba, a.k.a. “La L”
Luis Roberto Alvarado-Reyes, a.k.a. “El Viejo”
Ricardo Lopez-Ramos, a.k.a. “Ricky”
Héctor L. Derkes, a.k.a. “El Venezolano”
William J. Pantoja-Nieves, a.k.a. “W”
Luis J. Hernández-Cruz, a.k.a. “Tampa Pana”
Edwin Daniel Gonzalez-Reyes, a.k.a. “Cotto” and “Coto”
Fernando Cortes-Flores, a.k.a. “La Bruja”
Emiliano Feliciano-Hernández
Luis Héctor Adames-Nieves, a.k.a. “Monki”
Ángel Xavier Pérez-Olivencia, a.k.a. “Chavy”
Niurka A. Rodríguez-Cumba, a.k.a. “Adela”
Marta D. Cardona-Cumba
Christian Prado
Luis Alberto Bourdon-Román, a.k.a. “El Negro Capi Bueno”
Edwin Candelaria-Ramos
According to court documents, José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba, directed a large-scale drug trafficking organization that imported and distributed multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine from South America, into Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The organization also received multi-kilogram shipments of marijuana from the continental United States for distribution throughout Puerto Rico. The superseding indictment alleges that Rodríguez-Cumba’s drug trafficking organization is involved in the distribution and sale of over two thousand kilograms of cocaine and marijuana. Rodríguez-Cumba has been designated as a Regional Priority Organization Target (RPOT) under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.
As the alleged principal or leader of a drug trafficking organization, Rodríguez-Cumba is also charged in Count Five with engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) whose purpose was to “smuggle, import, offload, purchase, distribute, and supply controlled substances within Puerto Rico and the continental United States all for significant financial gain and profit.” In furtherance of the enterprise, Rodríguez-Cumba, in concert with his associates, including co-conspirators identified in the superseding indictment, committed and caused to be committed, a continuing series of felony drug violations, including but not limited to:
(a) Conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States;
(b) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;
(c) Importation of cocaine into the United States;
(d) Attempted importation of cocaine into the United States; and
(e) Distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include: Principal Leaders, who were responsible for the day-to-day organizational and operational decision making in Puerto Rico; Cell Leaders, who were responsible for the day-to-day organizational and operational decision making of the cells located and operating in the continental United States; Money Launderers, who were responsible for conducting financial transactions with the goal of legitimizing and disguising millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds generated by the organization; Transporters: who were responsible for the transportation of the narcotics from South America into Puerto Rico, and subsequently into the continental United States; and Enforcers or Hitmen, who were responsible for protecting and securing the assets and members of the organization from rival drug trafficking organization to include committing acts of violence on behalf of the organization. Seven defendants are also charged, in Count Ten, with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
The superseding indictment also charges the defendants with several counts of money laundering. José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba is alleged to have made efforts to disguise the narcotics proceeds as legitimate earnings by establishing several business entities and deposits for Lottery “winnings” from:
- September 24, 2020, he deposited two winnings for $35,000 and $40,000;
- December 16, 2020, he deposited winnings for $10,000;
- December 29, 2020, he deposited winnings for $15,000;
- February 26, 2121, he deposited winnings for $10,000;
- March 10, 2121, he deposited winnings for $50,050; and
- May 14, 2121, he deposited winnings for $250,000.
In total, in a span of eight months, José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba allegedly “won” the lottery seven times for a total of $375,050 in lottery winnings. As part of the manner and means of the money laundering conspiracy, Jose Julio Rodríguez-Cumba and his co-defendants opened personal and corporate bank accounts to manage the finances from both their businesses and its drug trafficking operation, structured both cash deposits and withdrawals to evade financial transaction reporting requirements, made transfers from personal bank accounts to corporate bank accounts and vice-versa to disguise the source and nature of the funds, and used mobile payment systems to transfer proceeds from person to person and avoid detection from authorities.
The superseding indictment also includes forfeiture allegations of more than six million dollars in assets including cash, real property, and personal property, as well as firearms.
If convicted, Rodríguez-Cumba faces a statutory mandatory penalty of life in prison pursuant to Title 21, U.S.C., Section 848(b). All co-defendants charged in the drug conspiracy (Count One) are facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years of imprisonment with a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. The money laundering offenses carry a maximum sentence of twenty years of imprisonment. The firearms offense carries a consecutive penalty of five years to life imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSAs Jorge L. Matos and Ryan R. McCabe are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-coordinated, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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30 November 2023
Violent Aryan Brotherhood Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Barry Willis, 49, of Anderson has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Willis was released from the Indiana Department of Corrections to parole on January 17, 2022. He failed to contact his parole agent, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on February 17, 2022. On April 6, 2022, law enforcement officers obtained information that Willis was dealing narcotics, was in possession of a firearm, and had pointed a firearm at a juvenile.
ATF agents went to Willis’ home in Anderson to execute search and arrest warrants. Willis saw investigators arrive and barricaded himself inside the attic. Willis refused to comply with commands to surrender and A SWAT team was called in to assist and deployed chemical agents and a K9 to force Willis outside. Willis continued to resist arrest, leading to a four-hour standoff before he was finally taken into custody.
Once inside the home, agents located a loaded, green 9mm pistol under the bed. Forensic examination located Willis’ DNA on the gun’s trigger guard, magazine, and a bullet. Willis is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law following each of his six previous felony convictions in Anderson and Muncie between 1994 and 2017, including for dealing methamphetamine, burglary, theft, resisting law enforcement, and intimidation. Willis has an Aryan Brotherhood tattoo and has been previously established as a member of the violent, white supremacist gang.
“For decades, this defendant has been a menace to the people of East-Central Indiana. Prior convictions and prison sentences have not seemed to alter his utter disrespect for the law and public safety,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The sentence imposed here demonstrates the serious consequences awaiting repeat, violent felons who continue to illegally possess firearms. I commend the ATF, Indiana State Police, and our federal prosecutor for ensuring this career criminal spends years in federal prison and off our streets.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Indiana State Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Willis be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office hosts United Against Hate meeting with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office held a United Against Hate meeting Wednesday evening in Pablo, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, with members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes community and federal, tribal and local law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
United Against Hate is an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice focused on improving the prevention of hate crimes and hate incidents by building relationships at the local level. Through this initiative, the Justice Department seeks to create and strengthen partnerships among law enforcement, community leaders and residents.
“Hate crimes and incidents create fear, divide our communities, and tragically, can turn violent. Through our United Against Hate initiative, the U.S. Justice Department is committed to fighting hate crimes and preventing violence by bringing people together to discuss how we can combat this behavior. Last month, the FBI released its statistics for 2022, which showed that less than 2 percent of all reported hate crimes were committed against an American Indian or Alaska Native, and that none of those was reported to have occurred in Montana—a first since 2015. We know that statistics tell only part of the story, and we know more hate crimes against American Indian or Alaska Natives are occurring and are going unreported or are underreported. Our hope is that by having meetings like this, we can stress the importance of identifying hate incidents and crimes and reporting them to law enforcement. If we can prove a person violently acted out due to their racist beliefs, we will seek to hold such conduct accountable by aggressively pursuing a hate crime prosecution. I thank our close partner, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, for joining us in this important work,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes appreciate the United Against Hate initiative led in Montana by U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich. We know that many of these types of crimes against Indigenous peoples are underreported or go unreported altogether. With this type of community outreach, we want our community to feel empowered when they are faced with hate crimes, and that people have the tools and knowledge to engage with law enforcement to help stop these destructive instances,” CSKT Chairman Tom McDonald said.
The meeting with CSKT is one in a series of meetings the U.S. Attorney’s Office is holding throughout Montana and provided an opportunity for the tribal community to have a better understanding of hate crimes and hate incidents, how to report them to law enforcement and to learn about available resources. Approximately 30 persons attended the meeting, which was held at the Tribal Council Chambers in Pablo. Additional Justice Department information and resources about hate crimes are available at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Speakers at the event included U.S. Attorney Laslovich and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon, from the Missoula Division Office. In addition, the event featured a Hate Crimes Panel Discussion and question and comment session that included U.S. Attorney Laslovich, FBI Special Agent Charles Sampson and CSKT Police Chief Craige Couture. CSKT Chairman Tom McDonald and CSKT Councilwoman Jennifer Finley provided welcoming and concluding remarks.
The District of Montana will be holding additional United Against Hate events in coming months in communities across the state.
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Two Men Sentenced for Gun Crimes Committed During the Robbery of a U.S. Postal Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nathan Suaste, 20, of West Valley City, Utah, and Lorenzo Saavedra, 20 of Saratoga Springs, Utah, were each sentenced today after they pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Suaste was sentenced to 60 months Saavedra was sentenced to 84 months. A third defendant, Exodus Matua, is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024.
According to court documents, and admissions made during their change of plea hearing, in August 2022, Suaste, Saavedra, and Matua targeted a U.S. Postal Mail Carrier with the intent to threaten and steal his arrow key. An arrow key is a Postal Service key used by USPS employees who deliver and pick up mail from mail receptacles. Suaste was the driving force behind the robbery and recruited Saavedra and Matua to participate. Saavedra, armed with a firearm provided by Suaste, confronted and pulled the mail carrier out of his mail truck. While detaching his arrow key, Matua, who was also armed with a firearm, punched the mail carrier in the face and pointed his firearm at the mail carrier. Suaste, Saavedra, and Matua intended to use the stolen arrow key to open mail receptacles, steal mail belonging to third parties, and use the contents of the stolen mail – including checks and other financial instruments – to obtain money under false and fraudulent pretenses.
Matua will be sentenced March 18, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. in courtroom 7.2 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. See prior news release here.
“Mail carriers should never be worried about being held at gunpoint,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute people who harm public servants. We will use every resource available to protect the United States mail system, its critical workforce, and the community.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes any acts of violence against our employees very seriously. U.S. Postal Inspectors relentlessly investigated this robbery until all responsible parties were identified and brought to justice. Attacks against our dedicated public servants will not be tolerated,” stated Dominique Giroux, Acting Inspector in Charge of the USPIS Phoenix Division.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Saratoga Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark Y. Hirata of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Twenty-six charged in Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking indictmentRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Twenty-six people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.
Individuals from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia were charged with drug trafficking in an indictment unsealed today. According to court documents, Dorian Scott Burks, also known as “Cash,” age 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, supplied methamphetamine to Andrew Ross Hose, age 54, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Hose and others redistributed methamphetamine, as well as with fentanyl and cocaine, in Hampshire, Morgan, and Berkeley Counties. During the investigation, officers seized drugs, firearms, and United States currency.
“The supply of drugs from Pittsburgh to the Eastern Panhandle has been disrupted thanks to the excellent work of the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Law enforcement will continue to use every tool available to pursue and to prosecute out-of-town dealers who operate for profit in West Virginia.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Virginia State Police, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Berkeley County and Hampshire County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices assisted.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
List of defendants: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/case-document/list-defendants-us-v-hose-et-al
Tulsa, Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 54 Months for $7 Million COVID-19 Testing FraudRead the Press Release
A Tulsa, Oklahoma man who submitted fraudulent insurance claims for COVID-19 testing, resulting in a more than $7 million loss to insurers was sentenced Wednesday to 54 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
William Paul Gray, 50, was charged via criminal information in March and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr. Mr. Gray was also ordered to pay over $7 million dollars in restitution.
According to plea papers, Mr. Gray admitted that he and his coconspirators accessed private patient information – including names, dates of birth, and insurance subscriber numbers – by accessing confidential electronic medical records to obtain large amounts of patient information at once.
They then used the patient information to submit claims to insurance providers – including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care – for COVID-19 testing that was never performed. (The patients had not requested COVID-19 testing, nor were they aware their information was being used to submit claims.)
Mr. Gray admitted that the “labs” at which the coconspirators claimed the testing occurred, including TC Diagnostics, ME Diagnostics, and PHR Diagnostics, were, in fact, shell entities that never operated as labs. Collectively, these three entities submitted approximately $30 million in claims and were paid more than $7 million in reimbursements for fake testing.
Also charged in the scheme are Connie Jo Clampitt, 52, Terrance Barnard, 40, and Don Hogg, 37. Clampitt, Hogg and Bernard have each pled guilty and are pending sentencing.
The Dallas Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Dallas Office of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit's Fort Worth Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha handled the forfeiture.
For more information about the Justice Department’s response to wrongdoing connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Allen Lee Glover (25, Orlando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Glover to forfeit a Glock GMBH Model 19 pistol and associated 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Glover had pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, officers with the Orlando Police Department attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Glover. At the time, Glover was on felony probation and had active felony warrants from Polk County. Glover immediately fled at a high rate of speed from the traffic stop. Later, officers observed the same vehicle pulling into the driveway of a residence. When officers drove towards the vehicle, Glover exited the vehicle, fled on foot, and threw a black handgun over the fence of the residence. Glover was taken into custody. The officers recovered a loaded Glock 9mm firearm from the backyard of the residence.
At the time of this offense, Glover had previously been convicted in state court in Florida for multiple felonies, including grand theft, conspiracy to commit burglary, and burglary. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Three Montanans admit roles in trafficking fentanyl in Missoula, HelenaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—Three Montanans accused of trafficking fentanyl in the Missoula and Helena communities admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nikolas Loren Pellant, 34, and Lynsi Noel Barnes, 32, both of Missoula, and Beau James Breneman, 44, of Helena, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing for Barnes and Breneman was set for March 28, 2024, while sentencing for Pellant was set for March 29, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. All the defendants were detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2022, federal agents intercepted a package that contained more than 300 fentanyl pills and was addressed to Pellant. Officers arrested Pellant when he accepted the package in a controlled delivery. The investigation determined that Pellant and his girlfriend, Barnes, had been selling fentanyl in the Missoula are for several months and that they acquired the drug through the mail and by making weekly trips to Spokane, Washington. The government further alleged that in January, the Montana Highway Patrol stopped Barnes as she was returning from one such trip and seized more than 450 fentanyl pills and other evidence of drug distribution from her vehicle.
In addition, the government alleged that in January 2022, law enforcement received reports of a rash of fentanyl overdoses in Lewis and Clark County. An investigation determined that co-defendant Breneman was distributing heroin laced with fentanyl and that he had warned at least one customer to use small and diluted quantities of the drug because it was dangerous. Breneman admitted to distributing heroin laced with fentanyl. On May 31, Breneman and Barnes were passengers in a vehicle that was stopped in Shoshone County, Idaho. Law enforcement searched the car and found more than 300 fentanyl pills. Officers also found a plastic bag containing more fentanyl pills concealed on Breneman’s person.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Service, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Tennessee Man Sentenced for Failure to Pay Child SupportRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jancent M. Powell, 39, of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $44,628.39 in restitution for failure to pay child support obligations.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 18, 2013, the Family Court of Wood County, West Virginia, ordered Powell to pay $361 a month in child support for his twin daughters. Powell admitted that he made only six of the monthly payments, all in 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-100.
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Sugar Land business owner imprisoned for nine-year fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 56-year-old business owner has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sudhakar Kalaga pleaded guilty March 6.
U.S. District Judge U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $10,406,219 although the court noted that the restitution had already been paid. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from a representative of the victim company that described the losses the company incurred and how it had caused employees at the company to lose their jobs. In handing down the sentence, the court stated that while Kalaga was very active in his community, he had taken an oath when he became a U.S. citizen to defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States and was a coward for going along with the fraud.
At the time of his plea, Kalaga admitted that from 2010 to 2019, he engaged in a bribery and bid rigging fraud scheme to secure construction and maintenance work contracts from a company with a manufacturing facility in Houston.
Kalaga admitted he submitted fake bids from non-existent construction companies to the victim company’s facilities manager. This was designed to make it appear his companies’ bids were the lowest. In return, Kalaga paid the facilities manager millions of dollars in kickbacks. Kalaga failed to disclose he was submitting falsified bids and paying kickbacks from the victim company’s own funds.
The victim company would not have paid Kalaga’s companies’ invoices had it known about the falsified bids or the kickback payments.
Kalaga was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
Substitute teacher sentenced for extorting sexual images via SnapChatRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 31-year-old Mission resident has been sent to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Edgar Aaron Hernandez pleaded guilty March 31.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Hernandez to 120 months in prison. The court also heard additional information today including that Hernandez admitted to requesting nude images from numerous minor victims via Snapchat and would engage in this conduct while at work. Hernandez also possessed over 1,000 additional images and videos of child pornography across various platforms. The Court also heard from victim impact statements detailing the lifelong effects of fear and shame victims of coercion feel. Hernandez was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 7 years of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hernandez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“We leave our children with teachers on a daily basis because we trust them,” said Hamdani. “Hernandez breached that trust when he used his experience with children to abuse and exploit them. He extorted our most vulnerable to get what he wanted with no regard for their well-being or how his actions would affect them. But, thankfully, with this sentence, justice has forced this predator to exchange one piece of clothing for another; a teacher’s cape for an orange prison jumpsuit.”
“With the ever-increasing access criminals have to communication platforms, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) must stay a step ahead of those who utilize the technology to exploit victims. The defendant in this case will serve the next 10 years in prison for his unfathomable acts,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio. “This sentencing sends a powerful message to those who would prey on the innocent and serves as a reminder that HSI will unceasingly pursue child predators.”
“Today’s sentencing is a reminder that the Secret Service is committed to investigating electronic crimes involving child exploitation,” said Resident Agent in Charge Brian Gibson, U.S. Secret Service - McAllen Resident Office. “The success in this case demonstrates the investigative capabilities of the Secret Service and the collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners. Together we will continue pursing these bad actors and protect the nation’s most vulnerable population.”
Between April 1-4, 2022, a 13-year-old minor child reported she sent nude images via SnapChat to a man in Texas named Edgar. He claimed to be 17-years-old and threatened to disseminate them if she did not send him additional nude images.
Law enforcement identified the IP address and traced it to a residence associated with Hernandez in Mission.
On Dec. 5, 2022, authorities contacted Hernandez at Mission High School where he was employed as a substitute teacher. He admitted he believed the minor to be 13, soliciting sexually explicit images and videos via SnapChat and threatening the victim when she refused to send additional images and videos.
Hernandez further admitted to soliciting nude images and videos over the last two years from other minor children. If they refused, he threatened to expose them to their family and friends. Some of the minors told Hernandez they would commit suicide or harm themselves if he exposed them. Hernandez admitted that this did not bother him and would block the victim before seeking additional victims to coerce images from.
Law enforcement discovered approximately 1,000 videos and images of child exploitation materials on his Dropbox, Mega, and SnapChat accounts.
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the Springfield, Illinois, Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexa D. Parcell and Cahal McColgan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
St. Louis Sex Offender Admits Seeking Child Pornography OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A sex offender from St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted seeking explicit images from teens online.
James W. Rankin, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of solicitation of child pornography and one count of transfer of obscene material. Rankin admitted communicating on an anonymous chat site with multiple individuals he believed to be underage and seeking explicit pictures from them.
In January of 2023, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California were conducting an undercover investigation into internet-facilitated child exploitation when they received a message from Rankin. Using the screen name “Lonely_Nerd,” Rankin began communicating with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. After moving the conversation to the social media application Whisper, Rankin sent her a picture of his genitals, discussed going to California to pick her up and asked for sexually explicit pictures of her.
Rankin also admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed child pornography on his cell phone and that he’d engaged in conversations via Whisper with individuals who identified themselves as minors. In those conversations, Rankin sought more sexually explicit pictures.
Rankin was convicted of first-degree statutory rape of a minor under 14 in Greene County Circuit Court in 2021 and sentenced to five years in prison. He had been released on parole and was residing in a residential re-entry center at the time of his federal crimes. He was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and domestic assault in a 2017 Christian County, Missouri case after he engaged in sexual contact with a child under 17.
The solicitation of child pornography charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years because Rankin is a prior offender. The transfer of obscene material charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s office will ask for 20 years at Rankin’s sentencing, scheduled for March 5, 2024.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis Man Who Struck Officer While Fleeing Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri, who struck a St. Charles police officer while trying to flee was sentenced Thursday to 63 months in prison.
On July 11, 2022, officers from the St. Charles Police Department were called to a Waffle House and found Ameer Raff-Covington, now 32, passed out behind the wheel of a Mazda SUV. Officers had also been told that Raff-Covington had been involved in a dispute with a waitress earlier. Once awakened, Raff-Covington refused to get out of the SUV and provided a false date of birth and Social Security number to police. After being told he was under arrest, Raff-Covington put the SUV in reverse, striking an officer in the knee and pinning him between his car and another vehicle, according to Raff-Covington’s plea agreement. Raff-Covington also struck two vehicles and two Ameren electrical boxes. He stopped when officers held him at gunpoint. After Raff-Covington was removed from the vehicle, officers found a stolen Glock handgun between the driver’s seat and the center console.
Raff-Covington pleaded guilty in August to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Charles County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Who Altered and Deposited Stolen Checks Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who fraudulently deposited checks stolen from St. Louis area businesses to two years in prison.
Jacob Wolf, 35, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to a felony bank fraud charge and admitted hatching a scheme to defraud banks by acquiring and depositing checks stolen from the mailboxes of St. Louis area businesses. The names of the intended recipients on the stolen checks were removed and replaced. Wolf also obtained identification documents belonging to others and posed as those other people when trying to deposit checks. Wolf tried to fraudulently deposit checks totaling $84,557, but only successfully received $11,163.76, his plea agreement says.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
St. Charles County Man Admits Unlicensed Sales of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri on Thursday admitted selling firearms without a license, including over 30 that were recovered at or after crimes.
Harry Trueblood, 69, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being an unlicensed firearms dealer.
As part of his plea, Trueblood admitted selling firearms to multiple customers of at least 15 gun shows from January of 2021 through May of 2023 despite never having been licensed to deal in firearms and even after being warned that he was committing a crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating Trueblood after multiple guns recovered in unrelated crimes were traced back to him as the original purchaser. Trueblood sold AR-15-type pistols and handguns to undercover ATF agents before the ATF on Feb. 1, 2023 sent him a cease and desist letter ordering him to stop dealing in firearms without a license. Trueblood continued to sell guns, his plea agreement says.
Agents found at least 250 bills of sale reflecting firearms sales and have traced at least 30 guns recovered in connection with crimes to Trueblood.
Trueblood is scheduled to be sentenced March 4, 2024.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 46 months in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A Springfield man, Javon Young, 25, of the 2000 block of Normandy Road, has been sentenced to 46 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for Bank Robbery. Young will also have to pay over $5,000 in restitution to the victim bank.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Myerscough noted the robbery “terrified” the victims and she remarked on the emotional toll such crimes take on bank employees’ ability to feel safe at work. At the time Young committed the offense, he was already serving a term of supervised release for a previous charge of interference with commerce by threat or violence. Judge Myerscough revoked that term of supervision and sentenced Young to a consecutive 6-month term of imprisonment for his supervised release violations.
Young was indicted on January 19, 2022, he pled guilty on July 31, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught. Young has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since January 2022.
The statutory penalties for Bank Robbery are up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
The Springfield Police Department with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office named in award for prosecutions targeting major drug trafficking operationsRead the Press Release
Award recipients who attended the Atlanta ceremony for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Special Group Achievement Award include Blake Dill, with Customs and Border Protection (from left); Jacob Royal, with the Blackshear Police Department; Kristeena Jackson-Billiot, with the Drug Enforcement Administration; Barry Ripley, Georgia Ports Authority Police Department; Brandon Carver, Appling County Sheriff’s Office; AUSA Marcela Mateo; Jason Peters, DEA; Jason Kennedy, DEA; AUSA John Harper; Shawn Fields, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; AUSA Frank Pennington; DEA Group Supervisor Deverron “Ram” Ramcheran; U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg; and Linh Vuong, DEA.
SAVANNAH, GA: Prosecutors with the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office are among the recipients of an award celebrating success in investigating, prosecuting and dismantling major drug trafficking operations in Georgia and beyond.
U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced receipt of the Special Group Achievement Award from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Southeast Region, recognizing the efforts of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force Group that includes the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Three federal prosecutors – Assistant U.S. Attorney and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and John P. Harper III – are named in the award, along with individuals and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies.
“This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding success of the collaborative efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in disrupting regional and transnational drug trafficking and money laundering operations,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The award is a visible symbol of their unwavering commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The Special Group Achievement Award recognizes a group of individuals who demonstrate a commitment to OCDETF’s mission and goals, including its principal strength in partnership through multi-agency cooperation.
The investigations and prosecutions named as part of the award are credited with the seizure of more than 2,200 kilos of cocaine; more than 18,000 kilos of marijuana; approximately 56 kilos of heroin; dozens of firearms; and approximately $13 million, with more than 60 defendants prosecuted as result of indictments from the investigations.
In addition to the prosecutors from the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, recipients of the award and their agencies at the time of the operations include DEA Group Supervisor Deverron M. Ramcheran, Intelligence Analyst Kristeena Jackson-Billiot, and special agents Lupersio Perez, Jason Peters, Linh Vuong, and Jason Kennedy; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Harry D. Hamrick; Customs and Border Protection Agent Blake R. Dill; Georgia Ports Authority Police Department Investigator Barry T. Ripley; GBI Special Agent Nicholas K. McNeal; Chatham-Savannah County Narcotics Investigators Joseph Hood, with the Savannah Police Department, and Thomas Hicks, with the Thunderbolt Police Department; Investigators Ryan Alexander with the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, Shawn E. Fields with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Robert L. Livingston with the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, Thimothy G. Burris with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Carver with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office, and Michael Lewis with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office; and Investigators Jacob T. Royal with the Blackshear Police Department, and Willie J. Tyler with the Richmond Hill Police Department.
Operations cited in the OCDETF award include:
Operation Apex: This investigation targeted a transnational criminal organization operating within the United States and abroad with activities ranging from harvest and distribution of shark fins and other illegal seafood products, and resulted in the seizure of tons of cocaine and marijuana, and more than $11 million in laundered proceeds including diamonds, gold, silver and jewelry. Twelve defendants were prosecuted as a result of the investigation.
Operation Hear My Train A-Comin’: Agents from the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations targeted a transnational criminal organization using container vessels to smuggle bulk quantities of cocaine and other illegal drugs from South America and the Caribbean to European ports by way of the Port of Savannah. The operation seized more than 1,200 kilos of cocaine and approximately $664,000 in cash.
Operation Snow Plow: In conjunction with the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, this investigation targeted a major drug trafficking organization in the Savannah area, and resulted in 29 federal arrests from Georgia, Florida and Texas and the seizure of nearly 40 kilos of cocaine and other drugs, 38 firearms, nearly $600,000 in cash and 11 vehicles.
Operation Monroe Doctrine: Centered in the greater Laurens County area, this operation seized nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine, 86 firearms, nearly $50,000 in cash and resulted in the prosecution of 29 defendants on drug trafficking charges.
Operation Deadlier Catch: In collaboration with the FBI, this investigation in the Chatham County area resulted in nearly 60 arrests on drug trafficking charges, along with the seizure of more than 24 kilos of cocaine, 126 pounds of marijuana, three kilos of heroin, 14 firearms, and $1.5 million in cash and other assets.
South Carolina Return Preparer Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for preparing and filing false individual income tax returns for himself and his clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jeffrey Harmon of Lexington, owned and operated TFL Worldwide, a tax preparation business through which he willfully prepared and filed returns for himself and clients that claimed fraudulent deductions to which he and his clients were not entitled. To reduce his and his clients’ tax liability, Harmon consistently deducted non-deductible personal expenses, including, among other things, rent and mortgage payments for personal residences, personal vacation travel, personal fitness equipment and golf, country and hunt club membership fees. In total, Harmon caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $300,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Harmon was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $320,000 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge Donald Trey Eakins of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Wilson Stamm of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.
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Six Former Correctional Officers Charged with Federal Offenses Following Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, returned an indictment today charging five former correctional officers — Mark Holdren, 39; Cory Snyder, 29; Johnathan Walters, 35; Jacob Boothe, 25; and Ashley Toney, 23 — in connection with an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., All five correctional officers, as well as a former lieutenant, Chad Lester, 33, were also charged for covering up of the use of unlawful force.
The indictment alleges that, on March 1, 2022, Holdren, Snyder and Walters conspired with other officers at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, to use unlawful force against Q.B. to retaliate for his earlier attempt to leave his assigned pod. The indictment further alleges that Holdren, Snyder and Walters struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained and handcuffed, and that Boothe and Toney failed to intervene in the unlawful assault, resulting in Q.B.’s death.
The indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to cover up the use of unlawful force by omitting material information and providing false and misleading information to investigators. The indictment also charges each defendant individually with engaging in misleading conduct toward another person to hinder, delay or prevent the communication of information of the possible commission of a federal offense. Further, the indictment alleges that Walters, Holdren, and Boothe submitted incident reports that contained false and misleading information, as well as omitted the fact that officers had assaulted Q.B. The indictment also charges Lester, Holdren, Snyder, Toney and Boothe with making false statements to the FBI about the circumstances surrounding Q.B.’s death.
The maximum penalties are life in prison for each of the civil rights offenses, five years in prison for each of the false statement offenses, and twenty years in prison for each of the remaining offenses.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
indictment_holdren_et_al_11.29.23.pdfSerial Armed Robber Sentenced to More than Fifty-Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A seven-time convicted felon who robbed or attempted to rob employees of Cedar Rapids businesses at gunpoint seven times in a twelve-day period in November 2020 was sentenced today to more than fifty-five years in prison.
Cardel Demetrius Redmond, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 6, 2023 jury verdict finding him guilty of six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, six counts of using and possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of those robberies, one count of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The evidence at trial showed that on November 17, 2020, Redmond robbed the Subway restaurant on Gateway Place SW in Cedar Rapids by displaying a firearm to the employees and demanding the cash from the register. On November 19, 2020, Redmond robbed a cashier at gunpoint in the Wine and Spirits area of the Hy-Vee grocery store on Oakland Road NE in Cedar Rapids. On November 25, 2020, Redmond robbed the Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on Southgate Court SW in Cedar Rapids by pointing a firearm at one of the employees of the business. On the night of November 27, 2020, Redmond used a firearm to rob an employee at the Hy-Vee grocery store on Mount Vernon Road SE in Cedar Rapids. Minutes later, Redmond robbed two employees at gunpoint at the Little Caesar’s Pizza on Mount Vernon Road SE. Less than twenty-four hours later, on November 28, 2020, Redmond attempted to rob two employees at the Hy-Vee Drugstore on 6th Street SW by brandishing a firearm. One of the employees told him there was a police officer in an unmarked car in the parking lot, and Redmond fled. The following night, November 29, 2020, Redmond robbed the same Subway restaurant on Gateway Place SW by pointing a firearm at an employee.
Additional information from sentencing showed that Redmond was released on probation on November 4, 2020. He committed three burglaries on November 9, 2020. The first burglary was at restaurant. He stole a valuable truck parked in front of the restaurant belonging to the restaurant owner. He used the truck as transportation to commit two additional burglaries that morning at cellular telephone stores. After committing the three burglaries, Redmond was driving the stolen truck, when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with another car, causing serious injuries to the other driver. Redmond stayed at the scene of the accident and provided false information to a police officer. He committed another burglary at a retail store on November 12, 2020, that resulted in more than $4,000 in property damage.
Redmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Redmond was sentenced to 666 months’ imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, Judge Williams noted the tremendous impact Redmond had had on the community in committing highly aggravating offenses and found that Redmond posed a grave danger to the public. Redmond was ordered to make $2,068.54 in restitution to the victims of the robberies. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyndra Lundquist and Tony Morfitt and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-0085.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
San Francisco Motorist Charged in Death of A Bicyclist in the PresidioRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Arnold Kinman Low today with involuntary manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Park Police Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor.
According to the indictment, Low, 81, of San Francisco, was the driver of a motor vehicle that struck a bicyclist in the Presidio on April 4, 2023. The victim-bicyclist died of his injuries shortly after the crash. Low is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, to a degree that rendered him incapable of safe operation.
Driving while under the influence of any amount of alcohol can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. The United States Attorney for the Northern District of California takes seriously all allegations of driving under the influence in places of federal jurisdiction like the Presidio Trust. Area drivers are reminded to consider alternative forms of transportation like ride-sharing or carpooling if necessary.
Low currently is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco at 10:30 AM on December 6, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Erick Machado. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Park Police.
Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerry Dewayne Rogers, age 61, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, and 180 months in prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The sentences run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 20, 2022, after a three-day trial, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, and one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that over the course of five years, Rogers sexually abused a child under the age of twelve at the time of the crimes. The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Rogers 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Rutland Man Indicted on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that John Ryea, 40, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned in the District of Vermont on November 29, 2023. A federal grand jury sitting in Rutland, Vermont returned a two-count indictment on November 15, 2023 alleging that Ryea possessed a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and possessed a stolen firearm. Ryea was arrested on November 28, 2023 and made an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on November 29, 2023. Ryea was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
According to court records, Ryea has a November 30, 2022 misdemeanor domestic violence conviction from Rutland Superior Court where he admitted to punching his then live-in girlfriend in the jaw. He remained on probation in that state court case when he allegedly committed the charges contained in this federal indictment.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Ryea remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted of a crime. If convicted, Ryea faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment of $100. The actual sentence will be advised by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Ophardt and Colin Owyang. Ryea is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
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.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Trickbot Malware ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Russian national pleaded guilty today to his role in developing and deploying the malicious software known as Trickbot, which was used to launch cyber-attacks against American hospitals and other businesses.
According to court documents and public reporting, Vladimir Dunaev, 40, of Amur Blast, provided specialized services and technical abilities in furtherance of the Trickbot scheme. Trickbot, which was taken down in 2022, was a suite of malware tools designed to steal money and facilitate the installation of ransomware. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were among the millions of Trickbot victims who suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses. While active, Trickbot malware, which acted as an initial intrusion vector into victim computer systems, was used to support various ransomware variants.
“Dunaev’s guilty plea and our collaboration with South Korea that made his extradition possible are a prime example of what we can accomplish together with our foreign partners,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cybercriminals should know that countries around the world stand ready to bring them to justice and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
Dunaev developed browser modifications and malicious tools that aided in credential harvesting and data mining from infected computers, facilitated and enhanced the remote access used by Trickbot actors, and created a program code to prevent the Trickbot malware from being detected by legitimate security software. During Dunaev’s participation in the scheme, 10 victims in the Northern District of Ohio, including Avon schools and a North Canton real-estate company, were defrauded of more than $3.4 million via ransomware deployed by Trickbot.
“As set forth in the plea agreement, Vladimir Dunaev misused his special skills as a computer programmer to develop the Trickbot suite of malware,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Dunaev and his codefendants hid behind their keyboards, first to create Trickbot, then using it to infect millions of computers worldwide — including those used by hospitals, schools, and businesses — invading privacy and causing untold disruption and financial damage. The Justice Department and our office have prioritized investigating and prosecuting cybercrime, and today’s guilty plea demonstrates our willingness to reach across the globe to bring cybercriminals to justice. We will continue to work closely with our partners, foreign and domestic, and use all resources at our disposal to stop similar behavior.”
“Combating bad actors in cyberspace is a team sport, and we are proud of the collaboration and coordination at the international level that went into today’s plea,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “The FBI will pursue criminals who target the American people with malware no matter where they reside.”
“As the world of technology is ever-changing, cybercrime continues to evolve. This case underscores the FBI’s relentless pursuit of cyber criminals and highlights our expertise to find and dismantle criminal networks,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “We appreciate the coordinated work among our public and private sector global colleagues together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to further protect the public from destructive malware.”
In 2021, Dunaev was extradited from the Republic of Korea to the Northern District of Ohio.
Dunaev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison on both counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The original indictment returned in the Northern District of Ohio charged Dunaev and eight other defendants for their alleged roles in developing, deploying, managing, and profiting from Trickbot.
In June, one of Dunaev’s co-conspirators, Alla Witte, who was a Trickbot malware developer and Latvian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
In February and September, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued financial sanctions against multiple suspected Trickbot members.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Candy Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duncan Brown and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division, as well as the Treasury Department’s OFAC, provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Criminal Affairs Division of the South Korean Ministry of Justice to secure the arrest and extradition of Dunaev.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Trickbot Malware ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Russian national pleaded guilty today to his role in developing and deploying the malicious software known as Trickbot, which was used to launch cyber-attacks against American hospitals and other businesses.
According to court documents and public reporting, Vladimir Dunaev, 40, of Amur Blast, provided specialized services and technical abilities in furtherance of the Trickbot scheme. Trickbot, which was taken down in 2022, was a suite of malware tools designed to steal money and facilitate the installation of ransomware. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were among the millions of Trickbot victims who suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses. While active, Trickbot malware, which acted as an initial intrusion vector into victim computer systems, was used to support various ransomware variants.
“Dunaev’s guilty plea and our collaboration with South Korea that made his extradition possible are a prime example of what we can accomplish together with our foreign partners,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cybercriminals should know that countries around the world stand ready to bring them to justice and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
Dunaev developed browser modifications and malicious tools that aided in credential harvesting and datamining from infected computers, facilitated and enhanced the remote access used by Trickbot actors, and created a program code to prevent the Trickbot malware from being detected by legitimate security software. During Dunaev’s participation in the scheme, 10 victims in the Northern District of Ohio, including Avon schools and a North Canton real-estate company, were defrauded of more than $3.4 million via ransomware deployed by Trickbot.
“As set forth in the plea agreement, Vladimir Dunaev misused his special skills as a computer programmer to develop the Trickbot suite of malware,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Dunaev and his codefendants hid behind their keyboards, first to create Trickbot, then using it to infect millions of computers worldwide — including those used by hospitals, schools, and businesses — invading privacy and causing untold disruption and financial damage. The Justice Department and our office have prioritized investigating and prosecuting cybercrime, and today’s guilty plea demonstrates our willingness to reach across the globe to bring cybercriminals to justice. We will continue to work closely with our partners, foreign and domestic, and use all resources at our disposal to stop similar behavior.”
“Combating bad actors in cyberspace is a team sport, and we are proud of the collaboration and coordination at the international level that went into today’s plea,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “The FBI will pursue criminals who target the American people with malware no matter where they reside.”
“As the world of technology is ever-changing, cybercrime continues to evolve. This case underscores the FBI’s relentless pursuit of cyber criminals and highlights our expertise to find and dismantle criminal networks,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “We appreciate the coordinated work among our public and private sector global colleagues together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to further protect the public from destructive malware.”
In 2021, Dunaev was extradited from the Republic of Korea to the Northern District of Ohio.
Dunaev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison on both counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The original indictment returned in the Northern District of Ohio charged Dunaev and eight other defendants for their alleged roles in developing, deploying, managing, and profiting from Trickbot.
In June, one of Dunaev’s co-conspirators, Alla Witte, who was a Trickbot malware developer and Latvian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
In February and September, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued financial sanctions against multiple suspected Trickbot members.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Candy Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duncan Brown and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division, as well as the Treasury Department’s OFAC, provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Criminal Affairs Division of the South Korean Ministry of Justice to secure the arrest and extradition of Dunaev.
Prior Federal Felon Sentenced Again for Crack Sales and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced yesterday to 192 months in prison for distribution of cocaine base (“crack”) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Tony Lavores Davis entered a guilty plea to these charges on June 8, 2023.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, investigators with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) received information in the summer of 2022 that Davis, 43, was selling crack cocaine out of his residence on Kingston Avenue in Rocky Mount. Davis had recently been released from the Bureau of Prisons after serving an 81-month combined sentence. He was initially sentenced to 48 months and then his supervised release was revoked and served an additional 33 months for a previous conviction in the Eastern District of North Carolina for Distribution of Cocaine Base.
NCSO conducted a series of controlled purchases from Davis at his residence from July through September of 2022. On September 26, 2022, NCSO investigators executed a search warrant at Davis’ residence and seized quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, pills containing methamphetamine, and a loaded .380 handgun.
Davis bonded out of the Nash County jail and quickly resumed selling crack cocaine. Investigators were able to conduct three additional controlled purchases of crack from Davis in October and December of 2022.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-117-D.
Principals of Fire Alarm Repair Company Charged with Decade-Long Scheme to Overbill City AgenciesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two defendants, Walter Stanzione and William Neogra, with wire fraud conspiracy for systematically defrauding the City of New York. The defendants are charged with overbilling New York City agencies for more than a decade in connection with contracts to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. Stanzione is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak, while Neogra is scheduled to be arraigned before Untied States Magistrate Judge Laura D. Hatcher in the District Court of Delaware.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the charges.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were hired to make sure that the fire alarm systems in hundreds of New York City buildings functioned safely and effectively,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants took this as an opportunity to steal and defraud, abusing and betraying their obligations. This indictment demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable government contractors who fleece city agencies and taxpayers.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “These defendants, as charged, overbilled City agencies for more than a decade, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, by submitting fraudulent invoices reflecting inflated prices. I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to hold accountable vendors who use their City contracts to engage in fraud.”
“Doing business with the city is a privilege Neogra and Stanzione allegedly abused for over a decade. Their alleged crimes milked the city of valuable resources. They got used to getting paid more for less, but today it caught up to them,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“The defendants in this case took money out of the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers by allegedly overbilling the city with fake invoices and inflated prices. This fraud affects all those taxpayers who trusted that the City was paying for services rendered. The defendants are now being held responsible for their criminal acts and will face justice for their decades-long scheme.” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. For more than a decade, Fire Alarm Electrical Corp. overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices, including invoices that purported to be from legitimate retailers, which the defendants had altered and modified, as well as invoices from shell companies that the defendants owned and controlled.
The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants face maximum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Michael Gibaldi are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
WALTER STANZIONE
Age: 65
East Meadow, New YorkWILLIAM NEOGRA
Age: 63
Millsboro, DelawareE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-482
President of Auto Parts Distributor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner, president, and chief executive officer of an automotive parts distributor pleaded guilty today in Washington, D.C., to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act.
Aaron Rudolf, 36, of Burlington, North Carolina, pleaded guilty, November 29, 2023, and agreed to pay a fine of $600,000 for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with a monitoring device on diesel trucks. According to court documents, Rudolf founded Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. in 2009. Rudy’s is a distributor and seller of aftermarket automotive and truck parts.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance made the announcement.
According to court documents, Rudolf and others agreed to have Rudy’s employees disable or remove emissions control components and tamper with on-board diagnostic systems (OBDs) on approximately 300 diesel trucks between 2015 and 2017. As part of the process, Rudy’s sold, and its employees installed, “defeat devices” known as “tuners.” The tuners plugged into the vehicle’s OBD port to reprogram the electronic control unit and tamper with the OBDs, impairing its ability to monitor the operation of the vehicle’s emission control system. Rudolf and certain Rudy’s employees knew that using the tuners in this manner would tamper with the OBDs on vehicles that were not used exclusively for competition purposes. The removal of emission control components resulted in additional diesel exhaust emissions, which include multiple hazardous compounds that negatively impact human health and the environment.
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for on April 12, 2024.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case.
Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Placer County Doctor Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Khursheed Haider, 48, of Roseville, charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Haider, a Sacramento Area pulmonologist, used an application called Wire to post, distribute, and request child pornography that included videos and images of prepubescent boys and girls being sexually abused. After a search warrant was executed, agents discovered additional prepubescent child sexual abuse material on one or more of Haider’s electronic devices.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Klein is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of distribution of child pornography, Haider faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, restitution, and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possession of child pornography, Haider faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, restitution, and a $250,000 fine Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Physician sentenced for $1.2M pill mill schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Texas doctor has been sentenced to seven years in prison for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully prescribed over 600,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury convicted Dr. Oscar Lightner, 73, Laredo, April 11 of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lightner and Andres Martinez Jr., 29, Laredo, operated Jomori Health and Wellness (Jomori), a purported Houston pain management clinic, as a pill mill. Lightner, who was the owner of and physician at Jomori, unlawfully prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances — including of hydrocodone, carisoprodol and alprazolam — to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash payments ranging from $250 to $500.
Martinez, who was Jomori’s office manager and Lightner’s stepson, coordinated with crew leaders to bring multiple people, including individuals living in homeless shelters, into Jomori to pose as patients to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. Jomori received over $1.2 million in cash over 14 months through its scheme that resulted in the unlawful distribution and dispensing of more than 600,000 opioids and other controlled substances.
Martinez is set for sentencing Dec. 12
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division made the announcement as well.
The DEA conducted the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Physician Sentenced for $1.2M Pill Mill SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas doctor was sentenced today to seven years in prison for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully prescribed over 600,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Oscar Lightner, 73, and Andres Martinez Jr., 29, both of Laredo, operated Jomori Health and Wellness (Jomori), a purported Houston pain management clinic, as a pill mill. Lightner, who was the owner of and physician at Jomori, unlawfully prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances — including of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam — to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash payments ranging from $250 to $500. Martinez, who was Jomori’s office manager and Lightner’s stepson, coordinated with crew leaders to bring multiple people, including individuals living in homeless shelters, into Jomori to pose as patients to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. Jomori received over $1.2 million in cash over 14 months through its scheme that resulted in the unlawful distribution and dispensing of over 600,000 opioids and other controlled substances.
On April 11, Lightner and Martinez were convicted of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and conspiracy. Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Perry Johnson Jr., 29, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 28, 2022, Johnson conducted phone calls with co-conspirator Alexandria Jasmine Estep, during which he arranged to sell multiple pounds of methamphetamine to her. Johnson arranged for the methamphetamine to be delivered by third parties in a vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence the following day.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Estep, 22, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on November 15, 2023, and awaits sentencing. Johnson and Estep are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Johnson, Estep and 22 other defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Miguel Avalos-Diaz, 26, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced November 30, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for four drug trafficking charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Avalos-Diaz to 260 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Avalos-Diaz’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
In August, a jury convicted Avalos-Diaz of conspiracy to distribute meth and cocaine and found him not guilty of a gun charge. The day before trial, Avalos-Diaz pleaded guilty to three charges, including two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one charge of possession with intent to distribute meth.
Omaha police received information from a cooperator that Avalos-Diaz was distributing meth and cocaine. Police used the cooperator to make three “controlled buys” from Avalos-Diaz in February and March of 2022. All three times, the cooperator bought meth from Avalos-Diaz. During the third drug deal, Avalos-Diaz also “fronted,” i.e. provided on credit, one ounce of cocaine.
After the third drug deal, police searched a residence in south Omaha near Bellevue on March 30, 2022. Inside, officers encountered and arrested Avalos-Diaz and co-defendant Jose Salvador Perez. Police seized approximately 2.5 pounds of meth, more than $36,000 in cash, and a loaded .45-caliber handgun. Officers also found evidence of cocaine distribution in the residence, including six digital scales, cutting agents, a vacuum sealer, and small amounts of cocaine packaged in baggies. Review of both defendants’ Facebook messages dating back to December 2021 revealed a conspiracy to distribute meth and cocaine throughout the time period of the messages.
Avalos-Diaz’s advisory sentence under the United States Sentencing Commission guidelines was increased because he maintained a premise for the purpose of manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance and possessed a weapon in connection with a drug offense.
A total of $36,598 in cash has been forfeited to the United States as proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Perez, 27, of Omaha is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Nebraska attorney was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for filing false individual income tax returns.
Thomas Campbell, of Bennington, pleaded guilty on July 27 to one count of filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2014 and 2018, Campbell, a licensed attorney since 2011, was the owner and manager of TLN Law, a solo-practice law firm in Omaha. Campbell controlled the law firm’s finances and was aware of substantial amounts of cash payments his firm received for legal services. For 2014 through 2018, Campbell did not report over $2.8 million in cash his firm received, which flowed through to, and should have been reported on, his personal tax returns. In total, Campbell caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $400,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Brian C. Buescher ordered Campbell to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $407,665 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Susan T. Lehr for the District of Nebraska made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Ferretti for the District of Nebraska prosecuted the case.
Omaha Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Thomas Campbell, 41, of Bennington, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 30, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for filing a false individual income tax return. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Campbell to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Campbell’s release from prison, he will begin a 1-year term of supervised release. Campbell was also ordered to pay $407,665 in restitution to the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2014 and 2018, Campbell, a licensed attorney since 2011, was the owner and manager of TLN Law, a solo-practice law firm in Omaha. Campbell controlled the law firm’s finances and was aware of substantial amounts of cash payments his firm received for legal services. For 2014 through 2018, Campbell did not report over $2.8 million in cash his firm received, which flowed through to, and should have been reported on, his personal tax returns. In total, Campbell caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $400,000.
“IRS Criminal Investigation takes violations of our tax laws very seriously,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock. “It’s important for all taxpayers to have confidence that the tax system is fair, and all are paying their share.”
In praising the work IRS Criminal Investigation did on this case and the sentence imposed, Acting U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr stated, “This case ends years of investigation and goes to show that no one, regardless of their position or status, is above the law. Millions of Americans every year pay their taxes in accordance with the law. Mr. Campbell was not immune from that obligation.”
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Ferretti for the District of Nebraska prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.
Nicholas County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jolene Myers, 41, of Mount Nebo, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2022, Myers sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Summersville-area business. Myers admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on three other occasions in Nicholas County.
On April 9, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Myers on Mount Lookout Road in Nicholas County. Myers admitted that officers found a quantity of methamphetamine in her pants and a SCCY Model CPX-1, 9mm pistol in her purse when they searched her and the vehicle.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-53.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons Offenses and Possessing Car Stolen from Norfolk Southern RailyardRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NORMAN ANDREWS, age 23, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to possession of a car stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659; possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, ANDREWS was arrested, following a brief chase, on February 11, 2023 in the French Quarter by a New Orleans Police Department officer. When ANDREWS was finally apprehended, he possessed a Glock Model 19x firearm with a loaded, extended magazine containing 31 rounds, a black ski mask, two blister packs of tapentadol, two bags of marijuana, and over $2,000 in cash.
On March 27, 2023, a Ford Explorer Timberline was stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. Andrews was observed on surveillance video driving the Ford Explorer, two days after it was stolen.
For possessing the stolen car, ANDREWS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and a minimum of three years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, ANDREWS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Multiple assaults on dating partner on Blackfeet Indian Reservation send Babb man to prison for more than four yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Babb man who admitted assaulting his dating partner on three separate occasions within a year was sentenced today to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Zachary James Cassidy, 33, pleaded guilty in June to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial injury.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Cassidy and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, were in a romantic relationship between March 2022 and January 2023. During that time, Cassidy assaulted the victim on three separate occasions. In June 2022, Cassidy and the victim were at a bar in St. Mary when Cassidy became upset with Jane Doe. Cassidy assaulted the victim in the bar, dragged her outside and continued the assault. Cassidy then dragged Jane Doe to a truck and drove to his residence, where he continued the assault. Jane Doe woke up on a couch, was alone and could not move. When found, she had to be carried to a car. Jane Doe sought medical attention the next day for multiple injuries and returned to the hospital a month later for follow up. In August, Cassidy assaulted Jane Doe at his residence. When a friend sought to intervene, Cassidy assaulted her, told her she was trespassing and that he was going to shoot her. Jane Doe went to the hospital after that assault for treatment of injuries. A third assault occurred on Jan. 9 as Cassidy and Jane Doe were traveling from Doe’s family residence toward Babb. Cassidy started getting mad at Jane Doe and his truck ultimately got stuck in the snow. Cassidy assaulted Jane Doe, who refused to get out of the truck. A neighbor witnessed the assault and called law enforcement. A standoff between Cassidy and officers ended with the use of chemical agents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, conducted the investigation.
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Missouri Man Indicted, Accused of Seeking Child Pornography OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from O’Fallon, Missouri was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday and accused of coercing two underage girls to send him images containing child pornography and the statutory rape of one of the girls.
Andrew Haller, 33, was indicted on two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
Haller was initially charged by complaint November 14. Charging documents say the FBI received a tip about Haller in October alleging that a 15-year-old girl had met Haller online, communicated with him via Tumblr and Telegram and sent him nude pictures at his request.
A motion seeking Haller’s detention until trial and a subsequent detention order say the second alleged victim is also 15, and that Haller traveled out of state to meet her. The indictment accuses Haller of the statutory rape of that girl.
“It is common for child predators to lurk and prey where children spend time interacting with others on the internet. It is no different in the physical world,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “When it comes to online child exploitation, we need our children to know they are the victims and are not in trouble with the law so they feel comfortable telling a trusted adult.”
The FBI is asking for information relevant to the investigation of Andrew Haller or any potential victims to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
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 FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of ToddlerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri has admitted recording the sexual abuse of a toddler.
Kyle J. Gipson, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to one felony count of production of child pornography.
In March of 2023, an undercover FBI agent in an online group on the social media platform Wickr that was dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse learned of Gipson. The agent and Gipson began communicating on Wickr and later moved to the social media platform Telegram. Gipson sent the agent a picture of a 2-year-old girl and said he had sexually abused her, his plea agreement says. He also sent a nude picture and offered to provide access so the girl could be sexually abused, his plea says.
After a court-approved search of Gipson’s home on March 13, investigators found child sexual abuse material involving that toddler and others. They also found communications in which Gipson discussed his sexual abuse of the victim with six others on social media. Gipson was also monitor and gatekeeper for a social media group focused on child sexual abuse material, bestiality and rape.
The production of child pornography charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. The U.S. Attorney’s office will ask for the maximum penalty at Gipson’s sentencing, scheduled for March 6, 2024.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Metamora Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Metamora, Illinois man, Dana Anthony Curtin, 50, of the 1100 block of Willow Lake Drive, was sentenced on November 29, 2023, to 180 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Curtin must also register as a sex offender.
At the trial before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence to establish that from March through May 2022, Curtin spoke with an individual he believed to be an adult offering sex with a minor, then traveled to meet the adult and child. Federal law enforcement agents arrested him when he arrived at the meeting location.
Curtin was arrested on May 20, 2022, and was indicted on June 7, 2022. A federal jury found him guilty on June 15, 2023, following trial. Curtin was initially released on bond and has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 2023.
The statutory penalties for attempted sex trafficking of a minor are15 years to life imprisonment, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release, and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States.
The case against Curtin was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Impersonating A Deputy United States MarshalRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Derry Wayne Lambert (52, Belleview) has pleaded guilty to false impersonation of a federal officer. Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, on July 31, 2023, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office observed Lambert driving a pickup truck with no agency markings that had activated red/blue emergency lights and an audible siren. When confronted by the deputy, Lambert claimed to be a Deputy United States Marshal from Texas. Though he had no law enforcement credentials, Lambert was wearing a hat with the logo “Police - U.S. Marshal.” He presented the deputy with a false U.S. Marshal badge. Further investigation revealed that Lambert had no affiliation with the U.S. Marshals Service. Deputies also recovered a .380 caliber pistol in the center console of Lambert’s truck.
Lambert’s truck, hat, and badge.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Man Who Pointed Gun at Sikeston Officer Sentenced to 168 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon from Sikeston, Missouri who pointed a gun at a police officer to 168 months in prison.
Ruben R. Ramirez, 27, pleaded guilty in August to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ramirez admitted as part of his plea that an officer with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety was responding to a reported burglary on March 8, 2023, when he spotted Ramirez walking away. Ramirez raised a silver-colored .22-caliber pistol and pointed it at the officer before dropping the gun when the officer drew his own firearm.
In a later interview, Ramirez said he tried to fire the pistol because he wanted the officer to kill him, but his gun jammed.
Ramirez has a prior conviction for unlawful use of a weapon in a 2021 case in New Madrid County Circuit Court.
The Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to Three Years for Cyberstalking After Months of Harassment and Violent Threats to a North Carolina FamilyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Timothy Mann, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for two counts of cyberstalking. Mann, 25, pled guilty to the charge on August 23, 2023.
“Online harassment, threats, and cyberstalking cause immense trauma for victims. They are also federal crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Those who would try to send heinous death threats through anonymous social media accounts should take note. The sentences are stiff, and there is no screen time in federal prison.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, around May 2021, D.E., a Raleigh NC resident, met and befriended the defendant Timothy Mann through social media online. Mann, who lived in New York, later moved to North Carolina. D.E., however, began to distance himself from Mann after Mann’s behavior became erratic, and this resulted in increased hostility. Mann began contacting and harassing D.E. and D.E.’s mother repeatedly. Despite their attempts to block and otherwise avoid him, Mann persisted contacting them using dozens of anonymous phone numbers, social media accounts, and email accounts, as well as through messages to other family members.
Many of these messages were violent and threatening. For example, in early 2022, Mann commented on an Instagram photo of D.E.’s daughter, stating that Mann hoped the daughter would be present when he “takes out” D.E. “so her last memory is her father getting his brains out.” In a separate Instagram message to D.E.’s girlfriend, Mann wrote that he knew where she lived, would “handle” her too, was “gonna shoot” her, hoped her “baby dies and [she] bleed[s] out,” and finally that he would “piss on [her] child.” The same day, Mann sent D.E.’s stepfather a text message photo of a Glock pistol along with the statement that Mann “will not be held accountable” and was not concerned about the police because “after i kill him im going kill myself.” In March 2022, D.E.’s mother received a message stating that “bullets go threw windows houses and cars im just getting started.” With the message, Mann attached a photo of the mother’s home. The harassment continued into the fall. In an October 2022, message to D.E. and his mother, Mann stated that the mother would have “bullet holes all threw ya body” and that she wouldn’t be able to stay in her home all day. He added that they better “hope nd pray Raleigh police department gets there fast enough.” In messages to D.E.’s aunt in November, Mann announced repeatedly that he planned to kill the mother on Christmas Day, that he had “been planning this for a while year,” and that he was “ready to die” if necessary.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00014-FL.
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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Girlfriend on the Warm Springs Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for assaulting his girlfriend and leaving her lying injured in the driveway of her home on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
Maron Brent Graybael, Jr., 38, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 16, 2023, Graybael Jr. became angry at his girlfriend, grabbed her by her hair, and punched her more than ten times with a closed fist in her abdomen. After the woman fell to the ground, Graybael Jr. kicked her, grabbed her by her hair again, and slammed her head into the ground multiple times. He then left the woman, seriously injured, lying in her driveway, and walked away. After several minutes, the woman called 911 to report her own assault and injuries. Police responded and she was transported to a local hospital.
On June 1, 2023, Graybael Jr. was charged by criminal complaint with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. One week later, on June 7, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted him on the same charge. On August 31, 2023, Graybael was convicted at trial.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso and Suzanne Miles, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Domestic violence is a serious crime that can include both physical and emotional abuse, and it is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members, friends, and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have also created support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.
Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Alan Walker, 41, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 30, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for abusive sexual contact with a minor and for failing to register as a sex offender. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Walker to 108 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
In September 2022, Walker entered a family residence and groped an 11-year-old child’s buttocks as the child slept. The child woke up to Walker’s inappropriate touching and reported his conduct to a trusted adult, who notified law enforcement.
In 2012, Walker was convicted in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, for Sexual Assault of a Child in the 3rd Degree, requiring him to register as a sex offender. Beginning in September 2022, Walker failed to update his registered address as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Man Gets 11+ Years in Prison for Aiding St. Louis County Armed Robbery, Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man to 11 years and five months in prison for helping rob a St. Louis County Boost Mobile store in 2021.
Damonta Bridges, who is a convicted felon, also admitted possessing a firearm in a carjacked vehicle.
Bridges was present at a Boost Mobile store at 12135 Bellefontaine Road on Aug. 9, 2021 when his co-defendant, Kadijah McFadden, pointed a firearm at a store employee and demanded cash. McFadden stole about $630. She and Bridges also stole mobile phones.
On Sept. 5, 2021, Bridges was a passenger in a 2017 Jeep Cherokee that McFadden had carjacked at gunpoint earlier that day. McFadden was driving. After police spotted the stolen vehicle, Bridges threw a Stoeger 9m pistol out of the window. Both McFadden and Bridges were caught by police after McFadden crashed.
Bridges, 31, pleaded guilty in August to a robbery charge and a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
McFadden was sentenced in September to 15 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in December to carjacking, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker prosecuted the case.
Man Charged in $148M Medicare and Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, returned an indictment today charging a Louisiana man for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of over $148 million in medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing services.
According to court documents, Brad Paul Schaeffer, 48, of Zachary, was a co-owner and chief executive officer of MedComp Sciences LLC (MedComp), a diagnostic laboratory located in Zachary. From approximately January 2013 through approximately August 2022, MedComp, at the direction of Schaeffer, allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid for definitive testing of at least 15 substances in urine specimens it received, regardless of the patient’s treatment plan and history, or the request of the referring provider. To perpetuate the fraud, Schaeffer, through MedComp, allegedly took several actions, among them, writing off patient co-pays, directing MedComp staff to fill out and submit order forms on providers’ “behalf,” concealing the true nature, permissibility, and extent of testing from providers, orchestrating a pass-through billing scheme using hospitals, and paying kickbacks to physicians disguised as laboratory ownership interests. Schaeffer then allegedly used the fraudulent proceeds for his own benefit, including spending thousands of dollars to renovate a pool and on a pool house in his backyard, and to restore a truck.
Schaeffer is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud, and three counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office, and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha E. Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth E. White for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.