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30 November 2023
Dallas Man Indicted for Alleged Smuggling Attempt of 187 Firearms into MexicoRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Dallas man was indicted in a federal court in Del Rio with four counts related to smuggling firearms into Mexico from the United States.
According to court documents, Santiago Ramirez, 26, was subjected to a vehicle inspection at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in the early morning of Oct. 30. Customs and Border Protection Officers noticed that the interior sidewall of the trailer Ramirez was hauling appeared to have been altered. Further inspection allegedly revealed 187 firearms wrapped in cellophane and hidden in the trailer’s wall.
Ramirez made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew H. Watters on Oct. 31. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms; one count of trafficking firearms; one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; and one count of smuggling goods from the United States. If convicted, Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each of the two charges related to trafficking firearms. The smuggling of goods conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, while the remaining smuggling of goods count could result in up to 10 years imprisonment. All four counts also carry fines of up to $250,000 each. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ATF is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Garland and Zachary Bird are prosecuting the case.
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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Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms on Three Separate OccasionsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Quincy Dushawn McWaine, 26, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 82 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to information contained in court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between July 2021 and June 2022, McWaine illegally possessed firearms on three separate occasions. Specifically, court documents show that on July 2, 2021, CMPD officers were dispatched on a service call for an alleged assault with a deadly weapon. Responding officers approached McWaine to question him in connection with the incident and observed a firearm sticking out of the defendant’s pant pocket. McWaine was arrested and officers removed two firearms from the defendant’s pockets, one of which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers also seized from the vehicle digital scales, marijuana, more than $25,000 in cash, and a Glock magazine.
According to court records, the second incident occurred on December 10, 2021, while CMPD officers were investigating McWaine in connection with a shooting incident. CMPD officers located McWaine, who was on court-ordered electronic monitoring for prior offenses, and attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle he was driving. McWaine did not stop and tried to evade arrest, first by speeding away in his vehicle and later on foot. McWaine was apprehended shortly thereafter. Investigating officers also found a firearm McWaine had discarded while he fled on foot. The recovered firearm was affixed with a large capacity magazine and was loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
The third incident took place on June 3, 2022, while CMPD officers were attempting to execute outstanding arrest warrants against McWaine. Officers located McWaine seated in the rear passenger seat of a vehicle parked at a gas station, and the defendant was taken into custody. Arresting officers also searched the vehicle and located a loaded firearm tucked under the seat where McWaine had been sitting.
On June 20, 2023, McWaine pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and CMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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, a
Columbia Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kentrell Thompson, 34, of Columbia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on July 26, 2020, shortly after 4:00 a.m., City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert of 10 shots fired at an apartment complex in Columbia. CPD received information that three men were possibly involved in the incident and that they had walked into one of the apartments. CPD officers went to the apartment and spoke with Thompson, who denied any involvement in the shooting incident. Further investigation led officers to discover a video of the shooting incident that had been recorded by a nearby city camera. Thompson was identified in the video firing a large revolver several times in the air. The revolver was later found in the apartment where Thompson first spoke with CPD officers. The revolver was loaded with one round of ammunition.
Thompson was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to various state felony convictions. In 2013, Thompson was convicted of strong-arm robbery. While serving a probationary term on the robbery conviction, Thompson was arrested in 2015 for selling cocaine and marijuana. He was later convicted on those drug charges and his probation was revoked. In 2018, Thompson was convicted of assault and battery first degree. Thompson was on probation for the assault and battery first degree conviction when the July 2020 shooting incident occurred.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Thompson to 57 months in prison, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
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Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Xanax to Her 16-Year-Old SonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Maria Davis-Conchie, age 49, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing alprazolam (Xanax) to her 16-year-old son and his friends.
According to the plea agreement, on a regular basis over the course of at least one year leading up to January 30, 2022, Davis-Conchie illegally distributed controlled substances to her teenage son and his teenage friends. Davis-Conchie repeatedly sold the kids alprazolam (Xanax), a Schedule IV controlled substance. Davis-Conchie provided her son and his friends with Xanax for $5 to $10 per pill and gave them cautionary instructions to not use too many of the pills at one time. For a period of time, Davis-Conchie’s son and one of his friends used Xanax every weekend, although some of the Xanax was from people other than Davis-Conchie.
The plea agreement explains Davis-Conchie assumed her son would do drugs no matter what, so she decided to sell him and his friends drugs she felt were “safe.” In addition to Xanax, Davis-Conchie also provided the boys with marijuana, marijuana concentrate, and acid (LSD). Around December 31, 2021, Davis-Conchie purchased Xanax bars and LSD for her son and his friends. Davis-Conchie acquired these drugs and gave them to the boys because her son and his friends wanted to try something different on New Years Eve, and Davis-Conchie believed psychedelic drugs like LSD were “safe.” Davis-Conchie claims she bought those drugs from co-defendant Marlene McGuire at a fire station near McGuire’s residence and she brought her son and two of his friends with her.
Evidence considered at sentencing also established that Davis-Conchie introduced her son to co-defendants Douglas Floyd and Marlene McGuire, so he could buy fentanyl pills from them. Floyd pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl which resulted in the death of Davis-Conchie’s son and was sentenced to 157 months in federal prison on November 21, 2023. A federal jury convicted McGuire of distributing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl which resulted in the death of Davis-Conchie’s son and several other charges on September 22, 2023. McGuire’s sentencing is scheduled for January 19, 2024.
“This case brings into stark relief the nightmare that is occurring daily in America,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Catastrophic decision-making paired with a deadly poisonous drug killed a child and destroyed a family.”
“Fentanyl continues to kill members of our communities at an alarming rate. This case is almost beyond belief: A mother provided drugs to her son and then introduced him to the dealers that supplied him with fentanyl, resulting in his death,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This woman’s son is gone because of the chain of events she started, and this sentence is a consequence of her actions. We cannot ignore the devastation this drug continues to bring to countless lives here in Colorado and across the nation."
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced Davis-Conchie on November 29, 2023.
The FBI and the Colorado Springs Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Alyssa Christine Mance handled the prosecution of the case.
Case Number: 22-cr-00080-RMR
Coalport Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison and 4 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 87 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Jacob Troxell, age 33, of Coalport, Pennsylvania on November 29, 2023.
According to information presented to the court, on or about July 22, 2019, Troxell did possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Troxell.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Accessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who participated in an online chat group where adult men made requests to a 13-year-old girl for sexually explicit photos and videos was sentenced November 29, 2023, to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Jason Dean Anderson, age 50, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 16, 2023 guilty plea to one count of accessing child pornography including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that during 2021 and 2022, Anderson participated in a Snapchat group where men would sexually exploit a 13‑year-old girl. Anderson admitted to requesting that the girl take and post sexually explicit depictions of herself. Officers seized Anderson’s cell phone and found several videos and photos of child pornography, including depictions of adults sexually abusing infants. Anderson admitted that he was interested in teenagers and that he had chatted with some children online. Anderson had previously been encountered by law enforcement in 2012 after it was discovered that he was having sexually explicit conversations online with a seventeen‑year‑old girl who lived in a facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Anderson had been communicating with the seventeen‑year‑old for approximately two years and had requested that she send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.
Anderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Anderson was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $5,100 in special assessments. He must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Anderson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Dupuich and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00008‑CJW‑MAR.
Castle Shannon Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Castle Shannon, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Michael Hunsinger, age 58, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 3, 2022, the Castle Shannon Police Department executed a state court search warrant at the defendant’s residence. During the search, the officers seized large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine from a vehicle located in the driveway of the residence and smaller quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, along with digital scales, and $1,046 in U.S. currency from inside the house. The defendant informed the agent and officers that the quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine found in the car and in the house were his and that he intended to distribute those drugs.
Senior Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Castle Shannon Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hunsinger.
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.
Carroll County Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Controlled Substances from Life Care Center EmployerRead the Press Release
A nurse, who stole controlled substances from a life care center where she was employed, pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Cassandra Lynne Vonnahme, age 32, from Arcadia, Iowa, entered a guilty plea to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, and one count of false statements relating to health care matters. Vonnahme had been scheduled to begin a jury trial on December 11, 2023.
At the plea hearing, Vonnahme admitted that between November 2020 and December 2020, she diverted controlled substances and falsified related documents. The controlled substances Vonnahme stole and the records she falsified pertained to actual patients. Vonnahme was later convicted of burglary in Carroll County in 2021, where she stole controlled substances from a stranger’s home.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Vonnahme remains free on bond pending sentencing. Vonnahme faces a possible maximum sentence of 9 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 4- years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4019.
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California Man Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Huntington Park, California, man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing 2.6 pounds of cocaine, which he carried hidden in a suitcase while travelling by bus through Kansas City, Mo.
Alan E. Sanchez, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to eight years and one month in federal prison without parole.
On July 18, 2023, Sanchez was found guilty at trial of one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
A detective with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics (MOWIN) Task Force approached Sanchez at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station as he got off the bus, which originated in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2021. Sanchez, who had a bus ticket with an ending destination in Baltimore, Maryland, was carrying a soft-sided suitcase. He claimed to have dirty clothes in the bag, but nothing illegal, and agreed to let officers search his luggage.
When the detective searched the suitcase, he found a bundle that contained approximately 1,133.98 grams (2.6 pounds) of cocaine. Sanchez also had $2,626 in cash.
Evidence was presented during the trial that Sanchez was conspiring with another drug-trafficking mule who was on the same bus, who was transporting nearly two kilograms of cocaine. Testimony during the trial indicated that Sanchez had transported illegal drugs previously and was planning to smuggle illegal drugs from Mexico to the United States. When cocaine is broken down it can sell on the street for as much as $100 per gram; Sanchez personally was transporting nearly $100,000 worth of cocaine, indicating that he had earned the trust of his co-conspirators.
According to court documents, Sanchez made false statements and perjured himself at trial in an effort to obstruct justice, which was a factor considered by the court in determining his sentence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and John C. Constance. It was investigated by the Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
California Businessman Pleads Guilty to COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 30, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Sean Winston, the CEO of Atlas Capital Management, LLC, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he fraudulently obtained $875,900 from COVID-19 pandemic-era loan programs.
According to his plea agreement, Winston held Atlas Capital Management out to the public as an entity that financed business projects, but in fact performed no business and was a shell corporation. Winston admitted that he submitted five loan and loan-forgiveness applications containing false statements to trick lenders into giving his company relief funds. Winston submitted fabricated bank account records, false payroll data, and a fake IRS Form 1120-S to create the illusion that Atlas Capital Management qualified for various pandemic era loans.
Winston admitted that he used the borrowed funds to pay his personal expenses and purchase luxury vehicles, such as a 2021 Lamborghini Urus, 2018 Rolls Royce Dawn, 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade. On September 28, 2023, federal law enforcement agents seized the vehicles and money in two bank accounts. Winston agreed to forfeit the cars and money to the United States.
The defendant applied for loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), which was enacted on March 27, 2020, to provide more than $2 trillion of economic relief to workers, families, small businesses, industry sectors and other levels of government that were hit hard by the public health crisis created by COVID-19. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to temporarily guarantee loans under a new loan program titled the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).
Under the PPP, financial institutions made loans to qualified borrowers, and the SBA backed the loans. Borrowers agreed to use the PPP loans to cover payroll costs and certain eligible nonpayroll costs. In some cases, the borrower could apply for forgiveness of the loan. If approved for forgiveness, the SBA paid the loan for the borrower. One of Winston’s loans was forgiven.
The CARES Act also authorized the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”). Winston also submitted a false EIDL application. Borrowers agreed to use EIDL funds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the disaster. Working capital expenses included payroll expenses, sick leave, production costs, and ordinary business obligations, like debts, rent, and mortgage payments.
Winston is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes on March 4, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Christopher Beeler and Carl F. Brooker, IV.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-CR-2441-WQH
Sean K. Winston Age: 44 Chino Hills, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $1 million fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Brownsville man admits to attempting to transport more than $200,000 of cocaineRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than four kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Oct. 4, Elias Garcia attempted to drive a Jeep Cherokee SUV through the primary inspection lane of the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Soon thereafter, an X-ray of the vehicle showed the presence of an anomaly inside the vehicle’s battery compartment located beneath the driver’s seat.
Authorities searched the vehicle and discovered four bundles of cocaine concealed within the battery.
The weight of the cocaine was approximately four kilograms and had an estimated street value of more than $200,000.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing Feb. 21. At that time, Garcia faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
BP and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck is prosecuting the case.
Brewer Woman Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Wire Fraud, Making False Statements to a Lending Business & Making Straw PurchaseRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Brewer woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. She was also sentenced for making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in a separate case.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Carol Bragdon, 50, to 30 months imprisonment for her fraud counts and 12 months for her gun crimes, served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Bragdon was also ordered to pay $177,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023.
According to court records, between November 2020 and April 2021, Bragdon provided false statements and representations to a residential mortgage lender for the purpose of obtaining a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) backed loan. She used Google email accounts to communicate with the lender and the VA and to transmit documentation as part of the scheme. The emails were transmitted from Maine and through another state.
In August 2021, Bragdon purchased five firearms at Maine Military Supply in Brewer, falsely stating that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms. She was accompanied by an individual who directed her to specific firearms and who was later arrested with one of the firearms, a Walther model PK380 .380 caliber pistol. That individual was prohibited from purchasing a firearm under federal law.
The VA Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cases.
STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
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Blue Springs Man Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Kenneth James Paulson, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 16, 2022, Paulson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Aug. 11 to Oct. 14, 2020.
Paulson is the third and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Louis Melvin Williamson, 52, of Independence, Mo., was sentenced on May 16, 2023, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Kurt Thomas Kingsley, 41, of Independence, was sentenced on April 6, 2023, to seven years in federal prison without parole.
Williamson sold bulk quantities of methamphetamine to other dealers, including Kingsley, who in turn sold to Paulson. Williamson also sold smaller quantities to methamphetamine users. Paulson admitted that he purchased methamphetamine from Kingsley and sold bulk quantities to lower level dealers.
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, through undercover agents and confidential informants, made controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Paulson at his home and at a movie theater parking lot in Grain Valley, Mo. On Oct. 13, 2020, DEA agents stopped Paulson’s car in Blue Springs while he was on his way to another undercover controlled purchase. Agents found 145 grams of 99 percent pure methamphetamine in his car. Agents also searched his residence and found 226 grams of 99 percent pure methamphetamine in his garage. Agents also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver in his garage.
On Oct. 14, 2020, Kingsley arrived at Paulson’s residence for an arranged drug sale. DEA agents found a black backpack on the passenger’s seat of Kingsley’s Ford F-150 that contained 46.7 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Birmingham-area Musician “88 DayDay” Charged for Role as Administrator of “Glass House Records,” a Telegram Channel Dedicated to Sale of Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a Birmingham-area musician and a co-conspirator for their roles in a cyber-enabled check fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A nine-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Daylin R. Banks, aka “30Skiii Only 1” and “88 DayDay,” 22, of Springville, Alabama, and Gabriel Samuel Odiot, aka “Motion,” 19, of Kissimmee, Florida, with conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that between August 2022 and July 2023, Banks participated in a scheme to sell stolen or otherwise fraudulent checks on a Telegram channel called “Glass House Records.” Banks obtained checks that had been stolen from the custody of the U.S. Postal Service and marketed a portion of them for sale on the “Glass House Records” Telegram channel. At the same time, Banks collaborated with Odiot and others to alter, duplicate, or forge other stolen checks and have them deposited into accounts controlled by the conspiracy.
The charges against Banks and Odiot relate to an indictment filed in August against Mekhi Diwone Harris, an administrator of an Alabama-based scam Telegram channel called “Work Related.” According to court documents, thousands of stolen or fraudulent checks totaling more than $15 million were posted to the “Work Related” channel.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices is 10 years in prison. The minimum penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Heflin Police Department, and the Hueytown Police Department have all provided significant assistance during the course of the investigation.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Berwick Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, in January and February of 2023, Bo Rodden, 33, sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential source. On February 14, 2023, Rodden was pulled over by a police officer in a traffic stop in Lebanon, Maine. He possessed five bags containing approximately 49 grams of fentanyl in total and two bags containing approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine in total.
Rodden faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Strafford (NH) County Sheriff’s Office and York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Beaverton Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beaverton, Oregon drug trafficker with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison Wednesday after he was caught possessing a large quantity of drugs and several firearms.
Roderick Larkins, 54, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in late May 2021, the Beaverton Police Department obtained information that Larkins was supplying fentanyl and other drugs to area drug dealers and possessed large quantities of drugs and several firearms in his Beaverton apartment. On May 23, 2021, investigators obtained and executed a search on Larkins apartment. They located and seized more than two pounds each of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine; smaller quantities of heroin, cocaine, and cocaine hydrochloride; a semiautomatic pistol, and two short-barreled assault rifles. Larkins, who was arrested without incident during the search, had tens of thousands of dollars stuffed into his pants pockets.
On July 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an eight-count indictment charging Larkins with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Later, on August 8, 2023, the charges of distributing fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute heroin were added by superseding indictment.
On August 31, 2023, Larkins pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin.
This case was investigated by the Beaverton Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and FBI. It was prosecuted by Parakram Singh and Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Baytown woman imprisoned after embezzling millions from her employerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 55-year-old Baytown woman has been ordered to prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Judy M. Green pleaded guilty April 27, admitting to embezzling over $3 million from her employer for approximately 10 years.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has now ordered Green to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Bennett also ordered Green to pay $3.4 million in restitution, with $10,000 due immediately. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that because of the her theft, the victim company had to lay off employees and could not give bonuses to the remaining employees. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the length and depth of Green’s betrayal of people who trusted her.
Green worked as an account manager for a Houston-based building and maintenance supply company. As part of the scheme, she submitted fraudulent invoices to induce payment from the company and pocketed the funds for personal expenses. Ultimately, authorities uncovered the scheme when one of the business owners noticed a large payment to an unknown credit card company in the summer of 2022. An audit revealed the fraud had been ongoing since 2012.
Green 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 Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Floyd C. Hose, Jr., age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 70 months in federal prison following his conviction for bank robbery. The Court further sentenced Hose to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay $9,605 in restitution.
On or about December 5, 2022, Hose entered the Cottonport Bank in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and passed a note to a teller demanding cash. According to reports, Hose said, “don’t do anything stupid or you will get hurt.” He took $9,605 from the teller and fled the bank. During a search of Hose’s apartment, detectives located a mask suspected to be worn during the robbery and money suspected to be taken during the robbery. After Hose’s arrest, he confessed to the robbery.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Baton Rouge Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
Australian Man Sentenced to Serve More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant to Face Lifetime of Supervised Release Following Prison Sentence
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, NATHAN BENFALL, 35, an Australian citizen living in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 220 months in federal prison for producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 5, 2022, Benfall was charged with two counts of production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of material containing child pornography. An affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint previously in the case indicates that during an FBI online undercover investigation beginning April 1, 2022, authorities identified several videos depicting child pornography. Those videos had been uploaded to the BitTorrent network, from an IP address that linked to Benfall’s Oklahoma City home.
On September 6, 2022, authorities arrested Benfall. During the arrest, a camera inside a law enforcement vehicle depicted Benfall deleting an app from his cell phone. The FBI ultimately found 520 child pornography videos and 1,104 child pornography photographs on devices seized from Benfall, including videos depicting child pornography Benfall produced of boys with a camera hidden in his downstairs bathroom.
On March 8, 2023, Benfall pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
At yesterday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Benfall to serve 220 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted that Benfall had worked at a metro children’s theater, where he met and groomed multiple boys over several years, showed them pornography, and gave them marijuana. Evidence presented at sentencing indicated that Benfall had overnight stays at his house with the boys, took them on hiking and out-of-state trips, and engaged in sexual misconduct with them. Judge Friot further noted that Benfall’s “protracted periods of grooming” of the boys involved “multiple stunningly egregious breaches of trust” and “hands-on predation,” which “cried out for a stern sentence.”
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Armed Richmond Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to over 19 YearsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to 235 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and for unlawfully possessing three firearms.
According to court documents, Steven Oliver, 43, was part of a larger drug trafficking organization operating in the Richmond area. Between June 2020 and January 2023, Oliver was involved in the trafficking of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Between April and November 2022, Oliver distributed more than 175 grams of fentanyl, some of which he marketed as heroin. During this time frame, Oliver also possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 14.5 kilograms of heroin. Moreover, Oliver informed law enforcement that, prior to his arrest in 2023, he had received approximately 750 grams of heroin from his source of supply for distribution during 2021 and 2022.
On January 11, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Oliver’s residence. Law enforcement discovered that Oliver unlawfully possessed three firearms and ammunition despite his prohibited status as a convicted felon. The three firearms Oliver possessed were a Del-Ton multi-caliber pistol, a Ruger 5.7x28 caliber pistol, and a Rock Island Armory revolver, as well as assorted ammunition. Additional distribution quantities of cocaine and fentanyl were recovered from Oliver’s residence during the search.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
This case was investigated by the Richmond Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Chesterfield County Police Department; and the Richmond Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Patrick McGorman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-3.
Allentown Man Facing Federal Charges for Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rubiel Perez, 29, of Allentown, Pennsylvania was arrested and charged by Indictment with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with three armed robberies that occurred over the course of two days in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
The Indictment alleges that on March 28, 2023, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on Union Boulevard in Allentown, pointed a firearm at a store employee, and stole $937 before fleeing. The following night, the defendant targeted a 7-Eleven convenience store on South Fourth Street in Allentown. There, he pointed a handgun at a store employee and threatened him, before stealing $150 from the store. Also on March 29th, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township, and attempted to rob the store by pointing a firearm at the store employee and threatening him.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allentown Police Department, and the South Whitehall Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Schopf.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Alien Smuggling Foot Guide Convicted of Smuggling Offenses After a Migrant in His Care DiedRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, a federal jury in Tucson convicted Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 27, of Agua Prieta, Mexico, of multiple alien smuggling offenses, including Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses. Each of the alien smuggling convictions carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. United States District Court Judge John C. Hinderaker will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The sentencing date is set for February 22, 2024.
Evidence presented at trial established that Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about February 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals under his care into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona. He led the group on a perilous route due to less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including cold and snow.
By February 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat or walk or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground in order to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States.
The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by United States Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On November 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on Fort Huachuca property. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister.
At trial, additional evidence confirmed that Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June of 2021. This evidence included WhatsApp messages setting up the transportation of aliens to various locations within the United States, including the transportation of two aliens through Tennessee. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting these two individuals.
This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.
Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas office conducted the investigation in this case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00376-TUC-JCH-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-189_Dessens-Romero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.2 defendants plead guilty in case involving armed robbery of mail carrierRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two defendants pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes related to an April 2023 armed robbery of a mail carrier.
Da’mon D. May, 18, of Columbus, and Cody N. Beasley, also known as “Drose,” 22, of Columbus, are two of three defendants charged in this case.
According to court documents, on April 4 at 3:20pm, May and Mahad S. Jama, 21, of Westerville, robbed at gunpoint a USPS letter carrier who was sitting in his work vehicle on Sawmill Road in Dublin.
Jama allegedly approached the USPS vehicle, brandished a handgun that May provided him, and demanded the carrier’s U.S. Postal Service key. Beasley aided and abetted them in that robbery.
The defendants robbed the worker of an “arrow key” that gives access to mail collection boxes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and partner law enforcement agencies continue to investigate a network of individuals involved in robbing or stealing U.S. Postal Service keys for the purpose of stealing checks from collection boxes. Two additional defendants were charged in a separate indictment in Columbus in August for four different armed robberies against U.S. Postal carriers.
May admitted in his plea that he provided Jama a 9mm handgun just prior to the robbery. On April 13, investigators discovered the stolen Postal key at May’s residence.
May pleaded guilty this morning to aiding and abetting the aggravated robbery of property of the United States, a crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a potential sentence of at least seven years and up to life in prison.
Beasley pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail in another district and to aiding and abetting the aggravated robbery of property of the United States in the current case.
Beasley admitted to stealing a Postal key in March 2023 in the Cleveland area. He and Jama were stopped for a traffic violation in Parma Heights and fled from law enforcement. Officers eventually detained the men and searched the vehicle they had been using, discovering a black trash bag with numerous pieces of mail that had not yet been postmarked. A search of Beasley’s phone also revealed pictures of stolen checks and research about 38 Post Offices and blue USPS collection boxes in Cleveland.
While Beasley and Jama were detained in jail together for the crimes in the Northern District of Ohio, Beasley admits he began planning for a new Postal robbery in Dublin. Beasley directed the April 4 armed robbery and later paid Jama for his alleged role in the theft.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the guilty pleas entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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19-Year-Old Victoria Gabriela Rodríguez-Morales Charged with 13 Counts of Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 29, 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment against Victoria Gabriela Rodríguez-Morales for making thirteen interstate threats between May and October 2023 in violation of 18 U.S.C. 875(c), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for illegal threats, especially threats that target people who are the victims of the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We hope that this arrest brings a sense of peace to those who were targeted by the defendant.”
“Threatening with violence, under any context, is unacceptable behavior. Making threats of violence to schools and other public institutions, is a federal crime,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “School shootings are one of the most heinous of violent acts, and those impacted by this tragedy, such as the family, friends and co-workers of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting, deserve to grieve and process their experiences in peace. The subject in this case was hundreds of miles away from the place she intended to torment through threats of violence. Yet she was still identified, located and arrested. May this serve as public notice that this behavior will not be tolerated, in Puerto Rico or anywhere else in the nation.”
According to the indictment, the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and other public documents, Rodríguez-Morales used Gmail, Instagram, Facebook and Kick.com to threaten schools, hospitals and law enforcement in Uvalde, Texas. Some of the threats referenced Salvador Ramos, who murdered in May 2022 several students and teachers from the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Rodríguez-Morales described Ramos’ victims as “all the little losers souls … I pray for them to be burning in hell.” Rodríguez-Morales’ interstate threats included the following:
“They will shoot uvalde high school and morales jr high whenever I tell 'em So yeah the persecution is gonna start today”
“I will haunt everyone from class 2022 to 2023 Each and every single one of y’all will die”
“Each and every single one of y’all will die in the name of Salvador”
“Your childrens hospital may blow in pieces If yall dont do as i say”
“there will be bombs at the uvalde memorial hospital”
“We will shoot Uvalde Texas high school and Texas A&M college”
“If Mata Rubio wins the elections I will kill her”
Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the Uvalde shooting, ran to become mayor of Uvalde.
At least one of Rodríguez-Morales’s prior threats resulted in the temporary closing of a school in Texas.
Each the thirteen counts of conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. If the defendant is found guilty, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz of the Violent Crimes Division is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s San Juan Cyber and Violent Crimes Divisions are in charge of the investigation with collaboration from the United States Secret Service.
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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15 Charged after FBI Task Force Investigation into Waterbury Drug Trafficking RingsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo today announced that the following 15 individuals have been charged with federal offenses stemming from the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl in and around Waterbury:
ANGEL QUIROS, aka “Papa John,” 34, Waterbury
DANIEL DIAZ-RIVERA, a.k.a. “Danny,” “Lupin,” “Lupito,” and “L,” 31, Waterbury
LUIS MUNOZ, aka “P.R.” and “Puerto Rico,” 39, Waterbury
LUIS CRUZ, aka “Fat Boy” and “Goldo,” 26, Waterbury
RICARDO VERDEJO, aka “Ricky,” 25, Waterbury
JOSE RINCON, aka “Mexico,” 42, Prospect
JESUS MALDONADO, aka “Zeus,” 34, Waterbury
CARMELO CANCEL, aka “Bebe,” 30, Waterbury
WILLIE REDD, 42, Naugatuck
TOMMY FIGUEROA, aka “Coco,” 30, Waterbury
JOSE DELROSARIO-CANELA, aka “Domi,” 38, Waterbury
MICHELLE MORALES-RIOS, 31, New Britain
AMBAR MORALES-RIVERA, aka “Gorda,” 34, Waterbury
NEYSA VAZQUEZ-FERRER, 33, Waterbury
OSCAR PENA-CRESPO, aka “Boti,” 28, WaterburyAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies have been conducting an investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury by drug organizations headed by Angel Quiros and Daniel Diaz-Rivera. The investigation, which has included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the Quiros and Diaz-Rivera organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. Munoz, Cruz, Verdejo, Maldonado, Rincon, and Redd distributed drugs within the Quiros organization, which was based out of the William Street area of Waterbury, and Figueroa, Pena-Crespo, Delrosario-Canela, and Morales-Rios, distributed drugs within the Diaz-Rivera organization, which was based out of the Maple Avenue area of Waterbury. Morales-Rios, Vazquez-Ferrer, and Morales-Rivera packaged and stored narcotics. Carmelo Cancel supplied both organizations with narcotics, and investigators identified additional overlap between the two organizations.
Fourteen of the defendants were arrested yesterday on criminal complaints, and Figueroa is currently detained in state custody. An additional five individuals were arrested on state charges. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
“We and our federal law enforcement partners continue our work with Waterbury Police to stifle the flow of dangerous narcotics into and around Waterbury, and federally prosecute those responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank the members of the FBI Task Force and all the agencies involved in this investigation and who assisted with today’s arrests. Their work is saving lives and making our communities safer.”
“The FBI Joint Task Force execution of several search and arrest warrants in various locations in and around Waterbury concluded without incident or physical harm to anyone within those communities, and stolen firearms, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and cash were among the items seized,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “The individuals responsible for violating the law will now have to face the consequences of their actions and risk to Connecticut residents. We would like to thank all our incredible law enforcement partners for great collaboration and making Connecticut a bit safer today.”
“The culmination of this investigation has addressed many issues tied to drug activity and violence in our City,” said Chief Spagnolo. “We are grateful for our partnerships with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The continued support we receive from our federal partners makes our community safer.”
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department are assisting the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Patrick Doherty through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
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29 November 2023
ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਅਸਫਲ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਦੇ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੋਸ਼ਾਂ ਦਾ ਐਲਾਨ ਕੀਤਾRead the Press Release
ਅੱਜ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਦੇ ਦੱਖਣੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਵਿੱਚ, ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਨਾਕਾਮ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਾਗ ਲੈਣ ਦੇ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਨਿਖਿਲ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਉਰਫ਼ ਨਿਕ, 52, ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਕਿਰਾਏ ਦੇ ਲਈ ਕਤਲ ਦੇ ਦੋਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਪਰਤੱਖ ਮੁਕੱਦਮਾ ਅਣ-ਸੀਲ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਚੈੱਕ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਜ ਅਤੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਦੁਵੱਲੀ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਸੰਧੀ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ 30 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਜ਼ਰਬੰਦ ਕੀਤਾ।
ਅਦਾਲਤੀ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ, ਇਸ ਸਾਲ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਵਿੱਚ, ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ (CC-1), ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਥਾਵਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਸਮੇਤ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ, ਨੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ 'ਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜਨੀਤਿਕ ਕਾਰਕੁਨ ਜੋ ਕਿ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੈ, ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚੀ ਸੀ। ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ (ਪੀੜਤ) ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਮੂਲ ਦੇ।
ਗੁਪਤਾ ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, CC-1 ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸਨੇ CC-1 ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੰਚਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਨਸ਼ੀਲੇ ਪਦਾਰਥਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹਥਿਆਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਤਸਕਰੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। CC-1 ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਏਜੰਸੀ ਦਾ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਹੈ ਜਿਸਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ "ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਨ" ਅਤੇ "ਖੁਫੀਆ" ਵਿੱਚ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ "ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਫੀਲਡ ਅਫਸਰ" ਵਜੋਂ ਦਰਸਾਇਆ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਕੇਂਦਰੀ ਰਿਜ਼ਰਵ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਬਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ "ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ" ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਹਵਾਲਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ। "ਲੜਾਈ ਕਰਾਫਟ" ਅਤੇ "ਹਥਿਆਰਾਂ" ਵਿੱਚ [] ਸਿਖਲਾਈ”। CC-1 ਨੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚੀ ਸੀ।
ਮਈ 2023 ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਨੇ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਜ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਭਰਤੀ ਕੀਤਾ। ਪੀੜਤ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਵੋਕਲ ਆਲੋਚਕ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਯੂਐਸ-ਅਧਾਰਤ ਸੰਗਠਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਵੱਖ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਵਕਾਲਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉੱਤਰੀ ਭਾਰਤ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਰਾਜ ਜੋ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਇੱਕ ਵੱਡੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ, ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਨਸਲੀ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਘੱਟ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਸਮੂਹ ਦਾ ਘਰ ਹੈ। ਪੀੜਤ ਨੇ ਜਨਤਕ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਕੁਝ ਜਾਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੂੰ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਖ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ ਨਾਮਕ ਸਿੱਖ ਪ੍ਰਭੂਸੱਤਾ ਸੰਪੰਨ ਰਾਜ ਸਥਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਵਿਕਟਿਮ ਅਤੇ ਉਸਦੀ ਵੱਖਵਾਦੀ ਸੰਗਠਨ 'ਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਬੰਦੀ ਲਗਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ।
CC-1 ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ 'ਤੇ, ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਿਸਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਇੱਕ ਅਪਰਾਧਿਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਮੰਨਦਾ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਜੋ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਗੁਪਤ ਸਰੋਤ ਸੀ ਜੋ ਯੂਐਸ ਡਰੱਗ ਇਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਐਡਮਿਨਿਸਟ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ (ਡੀਈਏ) (CS) ਨਾਲ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ, ਇੱਕ ਹਿੱਟਮੈਨ ਨੂੰ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇਕਰਾਰਨਾਮੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ। ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ। CS ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ-ਪਛਾਣ ਇੱਕ ਕਥਿਤ ਹਿੱਟਮੈਨ ਨਾਲ ਕਰਵਾਈ, ਜੋ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਡੀਈਏ ਅੰਡਰਕਵਰ ਅਫਸਰ (UC) ਸੀ। CC-1 ਨੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ UC $100,000 ਦਾ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਦਲਾਲ ਸੌਦੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਿਮਤੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ। 9 ਜੂਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਅਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਕਤਲ ਲਈ ਪੇਸ਼ਗੀ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਵਜੋਂ UC ਨੂੰ $15,000 ਨਕਦ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਕੀਤਾ। CC-1 ਦੇ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਨੇ ਫਿਰ ਮੈਨਹਟਨ ਵਿੱਚ UC ਨੂੰ $15,000 ਡਿਲੀਵਰ ਕੀਤਾ।
ਜੂਨ 2023 ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਆਸ-ਪਾਸ, ਕਤਲ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਾਉਣ ਲਈ, CC-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਪੀੜਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕੀਤੀ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ, ਪੀੜਤ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜੇ ਫ਼ੋਨ ਨੰਬਰ, ਅਤੇ ਵਿਕਟਿਮ ਦੇ ਡੇ-ਟੂ ਬਾਰੇ ਵੇਰਵੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਸਨ। ਦਿਨ ਦਾ ਆਚਰਣ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਫਿਰ UC ਨੂੰ ਦਿੱਤੀ। CC-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਗਤੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਿਯਮਤ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਤਸਵੀਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ-ਨਾਲ CC-1 ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਭੇਜ ਕੇ ਪੂਰਾ ਕੀਤਾ। ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ UC ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਕਤਲ ਨੂੰ ਜਲਦੀ ਤੋਂ ਜਲਦੀ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਪਰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ UC ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਵੀ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਉੱਚ ਪੱਧਰੀ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਹਫ਼ਤਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਨੁਮਾਨਿਤ ਰੁਝੇਵਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਦੇ ਆਲੇ-ਦੁਆਲੇ ਕਤਲ ਨਾ ਕਰਨ।
18 ਜੂਨ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਤਰੀਕ ਨੂੰ, ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਬ੍ਰਿਟਿਸ਼ ਕੋਲੰਬੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਦਰ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰ ਨਕਾਬਪੋਸ਼ ਬੰਦੂਕਧਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਹਰਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦਾ ਕਤਲ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਨਿੱਝਰ ਵਿਕਟਿਮ ਦਾ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਵਿਕਟਿਮ ਵਾਂਗ, ਸਿੱਖ ਵੱਖਵਾਦੀ ਲਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਆਗੂ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਆਲੋਚਕ ਸੀ। ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦੇ ਕਤਲ ਤੋਂ ਅਗਲੇ ਦਿਨ 19 ਜੂਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ UC ਨੂੰ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਨਿੱਝਰ ਵੀ "ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾ ਸੀ" ਅਤੇ "ਸਾਡੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨੇ ਹਨ।" ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ, ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦੇ ਕਤਲ ਦੇ ਮੱਦੇਨਜ਼ਰ, ਪੀੜਤ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਲਈ "ਹੁਣ ਇੰਤਜ਼ਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਕੋਈ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ" ਸੀ। 20 ਜੂਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਪੀੜਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਇੱਕ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਭੇਜੀ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਨੇਹਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ, "[i] ਹੁਣ [a] ਤਰਜੀਹ ਹੈ”।
ਗੁਪਤਾ 'ਤੇ ਕਿਰਾਏ 'ਤੇ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਰਾਏ 'ਤੇ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚਣ ਦਾ ਦੋਸ਼ ਹੈ। ਹਰੇਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ 10 ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਕੈਦ ਦੀ ਅਧਿਕਤਮ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਹੈ। ਇੱਕ ਸੰਘੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਦਾ ਜੱਜ ਯੂ.ਐੱਸ. ਸਜ਼ਾ ਸੁਣਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ-ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਕਾਰਕਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਤ ਕਰੇਗਾ।
ਡੀਈਏ ਦੀ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਅਤੇ ਐਫਬੀਆਈ ਦੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਫੀਲਡ ਆਫਿਸ ਦੀ ਕਾਊਂਟਰ ਇੰਟੈਲੀਜੈਂਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ, ਡੀਈਏ ਦੇ ਸਪੈਸ਼ਲ ਓਪਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ, ਡੀਈਏ ਦੇ ਵਿਏਨਾ ਕੰਟਰੀ ਆਫਿਸ, ਐਫਬੀਆਈ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਗ ਕੰਟਰੀ ਆਫਿਸ, ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮਾਮਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ, ਅਤੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਦਾ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਡਰੱਗ ਹੈੱਡਕੁਆਰਟਰ।
ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਦੇ ਦੱਖਣੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਲਈ ਸਹਾਇਕ ਯੂਐਸ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਕੈਮਿਲ ਐਲ. ਫਲੈਚਰ, ਐਸ਼ਲੇ ਸੀ. ਨਿਕੋਲਸ ਅਤੇ ਅਲੈਗਜ਼ੈਂਡਰ ਲੀ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਕਾਊਂਟਰ ਇੰਟੈਲੀਜੈਂਸ ਅਤੇ ਐਕਸਪੋਰਟ ਕੰਟਰੋਲ ਸੈਕਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਟ੍ਰਾਇਲ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟੋਫਰ ਕੁੱਕ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਬਰਟ ਮੈਕੁਲਰਸ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਨਾਲ ਕੇਸ ਦੀ ਪੈਰਵੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਟ੍ਰਾਇਲ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਏ.ਜੇ. ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਅੱਤਵਾਦ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਸੈਕਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਡਿਕਸਨ।
ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ਹੈ। ਸਾਰੇ ਬਚਾਓ ਪੱਖ ਉਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਨਿਰਦੋਸ਼ ਮੰਨੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਜਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਕਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਾਜਬ ਸ਼ੱਕ ਤੋਂ ਪਰੇ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਸਾਬਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ।
ਨਿਖਿਲ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਪਰਸਾਈਡਿੰਗ ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ
न्याय विभाग ने न्यूयॉर्क शहर में अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की नाकाम साजिश के संबंध में आरोपों की घोषणा कीRead the Press Release
आज न्यूयॉर्क के दक्षिणी जिले में, 52 वर्षीय भारतीय नागरिक निखिल गुप्ता उर्फ निक के विरुद्ध भाड़े-पर-हत्या का आरोप लगाते हुए एक अभियोग पत्र खोला गया। यह आरोप न्यूयॉर्क शहर में एक अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की नाकाम साजिश में उसकी भागीदारी के संबंध में लगाया गया है। चेक अधिकारियों ने संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका और चेक गणराज्य के बीच द्विपक्षीय प्रत्यर्पण संधि के अनुसार 30 जून, 2023 को गुप्ता को गिरफ्तार कर लिया और हिरासत में ले लिया।
अदालती दस्तावेजों के अनुसार, इस वर्ष के प्रारंभ में, एक भारतीय सरकारी कर्मचारी (CC-1) ने भारत और अन्य स्थानों पर गुप्ता सहित अन्य लोगों के साथ मिलकर, अमेरिकी धरती पर एक वकील और राजनीतिक कार्यकर्ता की हत्या की निर्देश दिया, जो न्यूयॉर्क शहर में रहने वाला भारतीय मूल का अमेरिकी नागरिक था (पीड़ित)।
गुप्ता एक भारतीय नागरिक है जो भारत में रहता है, CC-1 का सहयोगी है और उसने CC-1 तथा अन्य के साथ अपने संचार में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मादक पदार्थों और हथियारों की तस्करी में अपनी संलिप्तता का उल्लेख किया है। CC-1 एक भारतीय सरकारी एजेंसी का कर्मचारी है, जिसने खुद को “वरिष्ठ फील्ड अधिकारी” के रूप में वर्णित किया है, जिसकी जिम्मेदारियाँ “सुरक्षा प्रबंधन” और “खुफिया” हैं, और जिसने पहले भारत के केंद्रीय रिजर्व पुलिस बल में सेवा करने और “युद्ध शिल्प” और “हथियारों” में “अधिकारी प्रशिक्षण” प्राप्त करने का भी उल्लेख किया है। CC-1 ने भारत से हत्या की साजिश का निर्देशन किया था।
मई 2023 के आसपास, CC-1 ने संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में पीड़ित की हत्या की योजना बनाने के लिए गुप्ता को भर्ती किया। पीड़ितभारत सरकार का मुखर आलोचक है और एक अमेरिकी संगठन का नेतृत्व करता है जो पंजाब के अलगाव की वकालत करता है। पंजाब उत्तर भारत का एक राज्य है, जहां सिखों की एक बड़ी आबादी रहती है, जो भारत में एक जातीय-धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यक समूह है। पीड़ित ने सार्वजनिक रूप से पंजाब के कुछ या पूरे हिस्से को भारत से अलग करने और खालिस्तान नामक एक सिख संप्रभु राज्य की स्थापना करने की मांग की है, और भारत सरकार ने पीड़ित और उसके अलगाववादी संगठन पर भारत में प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है।
CC-1 के निर्देश पर, गुप्ता ने एक व्यक्ति से संपर्क किया, जिसके बारे में गुप्ता का मानना था कि वह एक आपराधिक सहयोगी है, लेकिन वास्तव में वह यू.एस. ड्रग प्रवर्तन प्रशासन (DEA) (CS) के साथ काम करने वाला एक गोपनीय स्रोत (CS) था, ताकि न्यूयॉर्क शहर में पीड़ित की हत्या करने के लिए एक हत्यारे को अनुबंधित करने में सहायता मिल सके। CS ने गुप्ता को एक कथित हिटमैन से मिलवाया, जो वास्तव में DEA का एक गोपनीय स्रोत अधिकारी (UC) था। इसके बाद CC-1 ने गुप्ता द्वारा मध्यस्थता किए गए सौदों में पीड़ित की हत्या के लिए UC को 100,000 डॉलर का भुगतान करने पर सहमति व्यक्त की। 9 जून के आसपास, CC-1 और गुप्ता ने एक सहयोगी के माध्यम से हत्या के लिए अग्रिम भुगतान के रूप में UC को 15,000 डॉलर नकद पहुंचाने की व्यवस्था की। इसके बाद CC-1 के सहयोगी ने मैनहट्टन स्थित UC को 15,000 डॉलर की राशि पहुंचा दी।
जून 2023 में या उसके आसपास, हत्या की साजिश को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए, CC-1 ने गुप्ता को पीड़ित के बारे में व्यक्तिगत जानकारी प्रदान की, जिसमें न्यूयॉर्क शहर में पीड़ित का घर का पता, पीड़ित से जुड़े फोन नंबर और पीड़ित के दिन-प्रतिदिन के आचरण के बारे में विवरण शामिल थे, जिसे गुप्ता ने फिर UC को दे दिया। CC-1 ने गुप्ता को हत्या की साजिश की प्रगति पर नियमित अपडेट प्रदान करने का निर्देश दिया, जिसे गुप्ता ने अन्य चीजों के अलावा, पीड़ित की निगरानी तस्वीरें CC-1 को भेजकर पूरा किया। गुप्ता ने UC को यथाशीघ्र हत्या को अंजाम देने का निर्देश दिया, लेकिन गुप्ता ने UC को यह भी स्पष्ट निर्देश दिया कि वह उच्च-स्तरीय अमेरिकी और भारतीय सरकारी अधिकारियों के बीच आगामी सप्ताहों में होने वाली संभावित बैठकों के समय के आसपास हत्या न की जाए ।
18 जून के आसपास, नकाबपोश बंदूकधारियों ने कनाडा के ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया में एक सिख मंदिर के बाहर हरदीप सिंह निज्जर की हत्या कर दी। निज्जर पीड़ित का सहयोगी था और पीड़ित की तरह ही सिख अलगाववादी आंदोलन का नेता तथा भारत सरकार का मुखर आलोचक था। निज्जर की हत्या के अगले दिन यानी 19 जून को गुप्ता ने UC को बताया कि निज्जर भी “लक्ष्य था” और “हमारे पास बहुत सारे लक्ष्य हैं।” गुप्ता ने कहा कि निज्जर की हत्या के मद्देनजर, पीड़ित को मारने के लिए अब “इंतजार करने की कोई जरूरत नहीं है।” 20 जून के आसपास, CC-1 ने गुप्ता को पीड़िता के बारे में एक समाचार लेख भेजा और गुप्ता को संदेश दिया, "यह अब [एक] प्राथमिकता है।"
गुप्ता पर भाड़े-पर-हत्या करने और भाड़े-पर-हत्या की साजिश रचने का आरोप है। प्रत्येक मामले में अधिकतम 10 वर्ष की जेल की वैधानिक सजा का प्रावधान है। संघीय जिला न्यायालय का न्यायाधीश अमेरिकी सजा संबंधी दिशानिर्देशों और अन्य वैधानिक कारकों पर विचार करने के बाद ही कोई सजा निर्धारित करेगा।
DEA का न्यूयॉर्क प्रभाग और FBI के न्यूयॉर्क फील्ड ऑफिस का काउंटरइंटेलिजेंस प्रभाग मामले की जांच कर रहे हैं, जिसमें DEA के विशेष ऑपरेशन प्रभाग, DEA के वियना कंट्री ऑफिस, FBI के प्राग कंट्री ऑफिस, न्याय विभाग के अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मामलों के कार्यालय और चेक गणराज्य के राष्ट्रीय ड्रग मुख्यालय द्वारा बहुमूल्य सहायता प्रदान की गई है।
सहायक अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी केमिली एल. फ्लेचर, एशले सी. निकोलस, और अलेक्जेंडर ली, दक्षिणी जिला न्यूयॉर्क के लिए राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा प्रभाग के प्रति-खुफिया और निर्यात नियंत्रण अनुभाग के ट्रायल अटॉर्नी क्रिस्टोफर कुक और रॉबर्ट मैककुलर्स के साथ-साथ राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा प्रभाग के आतंकवाद-रोधी अनुभाग के ट्रायल अटॉर्नी ए.जे. डिक्सन की सहायता से मामले पर मुकदमा चला रहे हैं।
अभियोग केवल एक आरोप है। सभी प्रतिवादियों को तब तक निर्दोष माना जाता है जब तक कि उन्हें न्यायालय में उचित संदेह से परे दोषी साबित नहीं कर दिया जाता है।
निखिल गुप्ता पर अभियोग हटाया गया
Women Indicted in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Chrisheena Shante McGee a/k/a Christina Marius, age 47, and Sandra Pierce Bacon, age 71, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 counts of Wire Fraud and Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud.
According to the indictment, between May 2019 and March 2021, in Colorado and elsewhere, defendants McGee, Bacon, and others participated in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from victims. Defendant McGee falsely represented to entities seeking loans that she had access to sources of money to fund loans of up to $150 million. She falsely represented that she would obtain the loan money if victims would pay an advance fee—often about 10% of the total loan amount—into an escrow account managed by Bacon. Defendants McGee and Bacon falsely represented to victims that Bacon would hold in escrow advance fees paid to secure the loans until the loans were funded. As a result of these false representations, at least 10 victims entered into escrow agreements agreeing to pay approximately $14,801,002.75 in advance fees. After McGee and Bacon falsely represented they would hold advance fees in escrow, they used them for other purposes, including to purchase properties and to repay earlier victims of the advance-fee scheme in Ponzi-like fashion.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Fansler.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 23-cr-00472-DDD
Wise County Man Who Trafficked Methamphetamine, Possessed Firearms Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Wise County, Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to serve 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms.
Randall Scott Hileman, 56, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, to possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine, and to possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was sentenced today to serve 120 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Hileman’s conviction stems from five undercover drug transactions in 2021 and 2022 during which Hileman sold methamphetamine to informants. When law enforcement in Wise County attempted to arrest Hileman on outstanding warrants in September of 2022, a standoff ensued, and Hileman was found to be in possession of four firearms and assorted ammunition. Due to his multiple felony drug convictions, Hileman is prohibited from possessing any firearms.
After his arrest, Hileman admitted his connection to co-defendant Justin Elliott, who law enforcement had previously identified as a methamphetamine trafficker as a result of Elliott’s August 2021 arrest in Coeburn, Virginia. That arrest resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of methamphetamine and several additional firearms. As a result of this investigation, both Hileman and Elliott admitted not only to being involved in the distribution of methamphetamine throughout Southwest Virginia, but also admitted they trafficked a massive quantity of crystal ice methamphetamine into the same area over the course of a two year span, including over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, some of which was 100% pure. In May 2023, Elliott was sentenced to serve 188 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement..
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Coeburn Police Department, the Norton Police Department, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.
Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, from at least 2020 through March 2023, Thomas Cervantes, 24, used social media applications, to manipulate and coerce minors to create sexually explicit images that he could then distribute over the internet. In one instance, Cervantes offered money to a minor to initially induce her to create a sexually explicit video of her. When she expressed reluctance to create more sexually explicit material for Cervantes, he threatened to send the images to her family members if she did not comply. Cervantes was also have found to have enticed and coerced other minors and even in one instance shared a video on social media of himself assaulting a minor.
Cervantes is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2024. Although he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-93.
United States Attorney and ATF Discuss Emerging Threat of Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Launches New Initiative “Project Switch Off” to Combat Threat
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, United States Attorney Robert J. Troester and ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek provided a briefing on illegal firearm conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears” which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons (i.e., machineguns) in a matter of seconds.
According to the ATF, the number of devices recovered by law enforcement increased more than 500% nationwide between 2017 and 2021. In Oklahoma, the number of switches recovered by ATF increased more than 300% in just two years, between 2022 and 2023. The rapid fire of firearms converted to machineguns presents a significant danger in our community to both the public and law enforcement.
Possession of these devices violates federal law as illegal possession of a machinegun and carries a penalty up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
To directly address and combat this emerging threat, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has launched a new initiative “Project Switch Off” to target prosecutions related to these conversion devices and take illegal machineguns off the streets. This initiative is a local implementation of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The Project Switch Off initiative specifically includes (1) specialized training of law enforcement on the illegality of these devices under federal law and how to identify the many different types of conversion devices that exist, (2) public education of danger and illegality of these devices, and (3) the federal prosecution priority for those who illegally possess or sell these devices and the significant penalties they face.
“The proliferation of machinegun conversion devices presents a clear and immediate danger to Oklahomans,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester. “Project Switch Off serves as a warning. My office will relentlessly pursue those who endanger the public and law enforcement by the illegal possession or use of conversion devices. We are glad to partner with ATF and local law enforcement in this effort.”
“These devices, in the wrong hands, can have catastrophic consequences. Through our partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, and state and local law enforcement agencies, we will continue to dial in and aggressively charge the manufacturers and distributors of these illegal machineguns,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Keeping these illegal firearms off the streets of Oklahoma and the citizens free from the fear of their usage is one of our highest priorities.”
For more information about conversion devices, please see fact sheet below.
ATF Fact SheetU.S.-Based Conspirators Sentenced to Prison for International Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Adetunji Adejumo (44, Oklahoma City, OK) to 33 months in prison and Ibrahim Jinadu (35, Atlanta, GA) to 27 months in prison for their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Both had previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi (London, UK) is pending extradition from the United Kingdom for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021.
According to court documents, international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personal identifying information of United States residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS. Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States, collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators. The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled.
The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Tampa Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS - CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, IRS - CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, UK authorities, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
U.S. Marshals Capture Alleged Multimillion-Dollar Fraudster William MizeRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – During the morning hours of November 28, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service in the Eastern District of Washington and Middle District of Florida located and apprehended William Oldham Mize, a fugitive wanted on federal charges for a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving false and fabricated insurance claims. Mize is alleged to have used the profits from his alleged schemes to purchase luxury automobiles, boats, along with other luxury items. Mize had been a fugitive since 2019.
Mize was indicted by a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington on December 18, 2018. The federal indictment alleges numerous charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud, health care fraud, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. According to the indictment and other court filings, Mize is alleged to have caused or participated in dozens of fake car accidents, falls, and other accidents in multiple states between September 2013 and April 2018. Mize then allegedly collected the insurance proceeds from these fabricated accidents. To date, insurers are alleged to have paid more than $6 million on Mize’s allegedly fraudulent claims.
Mize originally appeared in federal court on his indictment on January 9, 2019. He was released pending trial on conditions that included reporting to the U.S. Probation Office as often as directed, contacting his defense attorney weekly, posting an unsecured $750,000 appearance bond, surrendering his U.S. Passport, limiting his travel to Washington and Nevada, and showing up for all future court dates. Mize absconded in July 2019, and had been a fugitive ever since. During this time, Mize allegedly used a number of different aliases and had a history of frequenting various areas, including Washington, California, Florida, Mexico, Las Vegas and New Orleans.
On November 28, 2023, the U.S. Marshals apprehended Mize in Jacksonville, Florida, based on a lead that Mize was using an alias to sell a boat in the Jacksonville area. Mize was then located and arrested at a marina in central Florida. Later that day, Mize appeared before the Honorable Patricia D. Barksdale, who serves as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Florida. Judge Barksdale issued an order of removal for Mize to be extradited back to Spokane, Washington to appear in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Below are photographs of Mize and the boat he allegedly was selling on Craigslist.org in the Jacksonville area.
Craigslist.orgThe United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “I am grateful for the tremendous work of the United States Marshals, who work tirelessly to locate fugitives, such as Mr. Mize. As a result, Mr. Mize’s victims finally will be able to confront Mr. Mize in a court of law, and the criminal justice process against Mr. Mize finally will proceed.”
“William Mize was a fugitive who thought that because he had financial means, he could avoid apprehension and flout the rule of law,” said Craig Thayer, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington. “As evidenced, this is clearly not the case. No matter the resources they have or where they run to, the U.S. Marshals will never stop in the pursuit of fugitives until they have been brought to justice.”
The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
18-CR-00232-TOR
Anyone with information about a wanted fugitive is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit tips via the USMS Tips App.
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York CityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the filing of murder-for-hire charges against Indian national NIKHIL GUPTA, a/k/a “Nick,” in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. Czech authorities arrested and detained GUPTA on June 30, 2023, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. I am grateful that my Office and our law enforcement partners neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat. We will not tolerate efforts to assassinate U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, and stand ready to investigate, thwart, and prosecute anyone who seeks to harm and silence Americans here or abroad.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “The dedicated law enforcement agents and prosecutors in this case foiled and exposed a dangerous plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil. The Department of Justice will be relentless in using the full reach of our authorities to pursue accountability for lethal plotting emanating from overseas.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “When a foreign government employee allegedly committed the brazen act of recruiting an international narcotics trafficker to murder a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, DEA was there to stop the plot. I want to recognize the outstanding work of the DEA New York Field Division for their leadership in this investigation, the prosecution team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan for pursuing today’s indictment, and our federal and global law enforcement partners for their assistance.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Murder for hire is a crime out of a movie, but the plot in this case was all too real. The excellent teamwork of the law enforcement partners in this case exposed this brazen conspiracy and is why Nikhil Gupta finds himself in jail waiting to answer to these charges.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public court documents:[1]
Earlier this year, an Indian government employee (“CC-1”), working together with others, including GUPTA, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the “Victim”).
GUPTA is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence,” and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India.
In or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited GUPTA to orchestrate the assassination of the Victim in the United States. The Victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The Victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India.
At CC-1’s direction, GUPTA contacted an individual whom GUPTA believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA (the “CS”), for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City. The CS introduced GUPTA to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the “UC”). CC-1 subsequently agreed in dealings brokered by GUPTA to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the Victim. On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and GUPTA arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided GUPTA with personal information about the Victim, including the Victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the Victim, and details about the Victim’s day-to-day conduct, which GUPTA then passed to the UC. CC-1 directed GUPTA to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which GUPTA accomplished by forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the Victim. GUPTA directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but GUPTA also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials.
On or about June 18, 2023, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the Victim, and like the Victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, GUPTA told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” GUPTA added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent GUPTA a news article about the Victim and messaged GUPTA, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”
* * *
GUPTA, 52, of India, has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the DEA’s Special Operations Division, the DEA’s Vienna Country Office, the FBI’s Prague Country Office, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters for their assistance. The DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprises agents and task force officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit, Violent and Organized Crime Unit, and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Robert McCullers of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Rochester men arrested, charged with selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen items at pawn shopRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark Remein, 41, and Derek Verna, 44, both of Rochester, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with committing and conspiring to commit wire fraud, interstate transportation and sale of stolen property, and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Remein and Verna owned and/or operated West Ridge Connections, a pawn shop located on West Ridge Road in Rochester. Remein and Verna knowingly purchased stolen, new-in-box items from serial shoplifters for a fraction (approximately 30%) of the items’ retail value. Remein and Verna listed the items for sale on eBay and shipped them to buyers. The items were listed as “New” and priced below retail value. In total, between January 2020, and August 16, 2023, Remein and Verna purchased and re-sold on eBay approximately 8,100 “New” items and received approximately $497,842 for those sales. The money was deposited into bank accounts that were opened in the name of third parties to avoid detection.
The investigation began in February 2022, after law enforcement received a complaint from Home Depot security personnel, who had followed a shoplifter from a Home Depot location to West Ridge Connections with recently stolen merchandise. A store security manager entered West Ridge Connections and observed the stolen merchandise behind a table counter. None of the stolen merchandise was entered into LeadsOnline, an online database where secondhand dealers, like Remein and Verna, are required to report all purchases from other individuals. The investigation determined that individuals sold new-in-box items to West Ridge Connections on a regular basis. Some of the sellers were admitted opioid users, whom law enforcement observed attempting to buy drugs immediately after they sold new-in-box items to West Ridge Connections.
In December 2022, investigators made a controlled sale of three, new-in-box Google Nest thermostats to defendant Verna at West Ridge Connections. The combined retail value of the items was approximately $567.00. Verna paid $100.00 for all three items before listing them on eBay for $124.99 each. Between January and August of 2023, investigators conducted a total of 15 controlled sales, which included 37 items.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Thirteen Defendants Named in Federal Drug Conspiracy IndictmentRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – On November 13, 2023, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Oklahoma returned an indictment charging thirteen individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Christopher J. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Indictment alleges that beginning in or about August 2022 and continuing until on or about the date of the indictment, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendants willfully and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States, namely the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Each of the following defendants stands indicted for Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, UNITED STATES CODE, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A):
- HEATH LLOYD TAYLOR, age 44, of McAlester;
- AARON GUY KEY, age 46, of McAlester;
- MALLORY NICOLE LAIRD, age 36, of Poteau;
- CODY WADE REECE, age 33, of Poteau;
- TERRI ANGELA STROUD, age 52, of Spiro;
- KANDI ANNE HANKINS, age 42, of Poteau;
- TRAVIS AUSTIN POWERS, age 37, of Starr, South Carolina;
- HEATHER LEIGH BROWN, age 32, of McAlester;
- TRACIE ANN SELLS, age 54, of Sallisaw;
- JEREMY PAUL NEWMAN, age 46, of Poteau;
- STEPHEN DUANE EMBREY, age 64, of Poteau;
- WHITNEY GRANITE-JEFFREY, age 33, of Spiro; and
- RANDI SHAWN GANN, age 33, of Poteau.
If convicted on the drug conspiracy charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
In addition to drug conspiracy charges, seven defendants are also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl or Methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, UNITED STATES CODE, Sections 841(a)(1), and defendant Whitney Granite-Jeffery is also charged with Felon in Possession of Firearms, a violation of Title 18, UNITED STATES CODE, Section 922(g). If convicted, these defendants face additional sentences.
The charges arose from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
The joint investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, working in cooperation with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Additionally, several law enforcement agencies contributed at various stages of the investigation, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Poteau Police Department, the Spiro Police Department, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Seminole Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.
“Today a federal indictment was unsealed after members of a drug trafficking organization operating within the Eastern District of Oklahoma were arrested on federal warrants for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The arrests mark the culmination of a months-long multi-agency investigation. I want to thank each of the federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers for their many hours of work in this case. Illegal drugs continue to destroy lives every day, and the United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating and dismantling groups peddling poison in our communities.”
“Dismantling a criminal drug trafficking organization requires both tenacity and teamwork. We are fortunate to have both due to DEA McAlester’s partnership with the various law enforcement entities throughout Eastern Oklahoma,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez, whose office oversees all DEA operations in Oklahoma. “Those who are responsible for the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in our communities will be held accountable. Our families deserve to live and work in safe environments, free from drugs, and we will never waver in our efforts to achieve that goal.”
“We want this investigation to serve as a clear and powerful message that Oklahoma is not a safe haven for drug criminals,” said Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson. “Meth and fentanyl take more Oklahoma lives each year than any other drugs. And my agency is dedicated to working with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively target, dismantle and prosecute those who threaten the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
“The Oklahoma Department of Corrections appreciates working alongside all our law enforcement counterparts – local, state, tribal and federal – to keep Oklahomans safe,” said Oklahoma Department of Corrections Executive Director Steven Harpe. “Our partnership with OBNDD to create and operate the Watch Center is vital and has resulted in taking down bad actors who threaten public safety.”
“The collaboration among the federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies has been exemplary throughout this investigation,” said District 16 District Attorney Kevin Merritt. “I want to thank each of the law enforcement officers involved for protecting our citizens and helping to keep our communities safe.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Cornell and Ryan Bondura are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt but is a method of bringing formal charges against defendants. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man to Spend 14 Years in Prison After Exchanging Nude Images with Minor He Met in Online Video GameRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 168 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Jonathan Travis Flora, 35, met a Canadian minor in July 2018 while playing an online video game. Knowing each other’s ages, the two held conversations that were often sexual in nature and exchanged nude photos and videos of themselves through gaming communication features as well as a phone messaging application.
In March 2019, Flora purchased a cell phone with a Canadian area code in order to continue communicating with the child victim under the guise that Flora was a classmate. The following month, the victim’s father received an unusually high phone bill and found that the child had exchanged more than 2,000 phone messages in a 15-day period. The victim then disclosed her interactions with Flora and the Ontario Provincial Police initiated an investigation.
“Preying on children will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This case reminds us that sexual predators can be found lurking in a multitude of places, including online video games, but it also shows the dedication shared by federal, state and international law enforcement to protect children and aggressively pursue those predators who manipulate them and prey upon their innocence.”
“Individuals who commit crimes against children will be investigated and brought to justice by Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio Division. “This case highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement entities, domestically and globally, to pursue criminals who target children.”
HSI, the New Braunfels Police Department and the Ontario Provincial Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Antisemitic Hate Crime After Seeking to Burn Down SynagogueRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $470,000 in restitution for a hate crime and arson in which he set fire to the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 31, 2021.
Franklin Sechriest, 19, of San Marcos, pleaded guilty to a hate crime and arson charges on April 7. Sechriest admitted that he targeted the synagogue because of his hatred of Jews, and journals recovered from the defendant were replete with virulent antisemitic statements and views. Sechriest also possessed several decals and stickers expressing antisemitic messages.
“This defendant is being held accountable for this depraved, antisemitic attack on Congregation Beth Israel, a community with a rich history and heritage that dates back to 1876,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This hate-filled act of violence against a house of worship was an attempt to sow fear in the Jewish community and was intended to intimidate its congregants. Attacks targeting Jewish people and arsons aimed at desecrating synagogues have no place in our society today, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute antisemitic violence.”
“No one should have to fear that their daily lives will be inflicted by hate-fueled violence, or that their place of worship and community could become a target of hate,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We stand firmly committed to those impacted by this arson, and my office will continue to combat criminal acts of hate while seeking justice for the victims.”
“Hate crimes have the power to devastate and terrorize entire communities. To target a place of worship, a space meant to be a sanctuary in every sense of the word, is one of the most heinous acts that can be committed,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We remain dedicated to investigating hate crimes and will continue to work relentlessly to hold responsible those who would commit violent acts based on hate.”
According to court documents and admissions made during his plea and sentencing hearings, on Oct. 28, 2021, three days before the arson, Sechriest drove to the synagogue’s parking lot outside its sanctuary. According to Sechriest’s journals, he went there to “scout out a target.”
The night of the arson, Sechriest drove to the synagogue and was seen on surveillance video carrying a five-gallon container and toilet paper toward the synagogue’s sanctuary. Moments later, multiple surveillance videos captured the glow of a fire from the direction of the sanctuary. A security camera captured Sechriest jogging away from the direction of the fire and toward the open driver’s side door of a vehicle. A concerned citizen reported the fire, and the Austin Fire Department responded quickly to extinguish it. In Sechriest’s journal, in an entry dated Oct. 31, 2021, he wrote “I set a synagogue on fire.” In the days following the arson, Sechriest’s journal noted that he was actively monitoring media reports to track the progress of the investigation into the arson.
The FBI San Antonio Field Office and Austin Fire Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin for the Western District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Death ThreatsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that JEREMY JOSEPH pled guilty to two counts of sending interstate threats to injure or kill two former co-workers. JOSEPH was indicted on this case on February 6, 2023, and arrested in Sarnia, Canada. JOSEPH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken only two days after his trial on the charges had begun. Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2024, before Judge Oetken.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jeremy Joseph terrified two former co-workers from a decade prior by repeatedly emailing them hateful, violent, and antisemitic death threats. No individual deserves to be at the receiving end of hateful threats or to be targeted because of their religion. This Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting hate crimes of all kinds and seeking justice for the victims of these offensive and harmful acts.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Jeremy Joseph tracked down personal information on people he worked with years ago and threatened them with bombs and firearms. This along with his details of how he planned to kill the victims and their families was terrifying. Now he will answer to the judicial system for his actions.”
According to Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
From in or about December 2022 through at least in or about January 2023, JOSEPH sent emails with antisemitic death threats to two former colleagues (the “Victims”) with whom JOSEPH had worked more than a decade ago. The emails detailed how JOSEPH planned to murder his Victims and included photographs of pipe bombs, ammunition, and a firearm. The emails also included personal information about the Victims and their families.
JOSEPH’s threats toward the Victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various other individuals from JOSEPH’s life, as well as politicians, judges, and prosecutors. The targets of his threats spanned multiple countries and the U.S. In these communications, JOSEPH consistently used violent and threatening language that targeted Jewish people.
* * *
JOSEPH, 41, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to two counts of sending interstate threats to injure or kill another person, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie Bagliebter and Diarra Guthrie, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Isabel Loftus, are in charge of the prosecution.
Superseding Indictment Charges 3 More for Involvement in Scheme to Steal and Sell Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that four men have been charged with federal offenses related to their participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
On November 14, 2023, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an eight-count superseding indictment charging ALEXANDER KOLITSAS, 29, of Wolcott; YANQUEE RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Yankster Rodriguez,” 27, of West Hartford; MERVIN FIGUEROA, 26, of New Haven; and MICHAEL ALMODOVAR, also known as “Eme ElColorado,” 30, of New Haven. Kolitsas and four other men were originally charged by indictment in August 2022.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement continues to investigate the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The superseding indictment alleges that Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford. At Downpipe Depot, Kolitsas and a co-conspirator purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of suppliers, including Rodriguez, Figueroa, and Almodovar. Kolitsas and his associate instructed their suppliers on the types of catalytic converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale. Kolitsas and his associate then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Kolitsas and his associate acquired and maintained firearms as Kolitsas’s residence and Downpipe Depot’s warehouse.
The superseding indictment charges Kolitsas, Rodriguez, Figueroa, and Almodovar with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with one or more counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The superseding indictment also charges Kolitsas with one count of promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, for using proceeds from the theft and sale of catalytic converters to purchase a Ford Transit Van. He also is charged with two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count, related to his using Downpipe Depot funds to make a payment to a Mercedes Benz dealership in Florida, and to purchase a home entertainment system. Kolitsas also is charged with one count of possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user or addict, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The superseding indictment seeks the forfeiture from Kolitsas of the Ford Transit Van, a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2016 Polaris Slingshot, a 2022 Toyota Supra, approximately $55,000 in cash, and $92,581 that is held in a Downpipe Depot bank account.
Rodriguez and Figueroa were arrested on November 15, 2023, and Almodovar surrendered to law enforcement yesterday. As alleged in statements made in court, during one incident, while Almodovar was in the process of stealing a catalytic converter from a car parked in a parking lot, he was interrupted by a witness, who used his cellphone take pictures of Almodovar. Almodovar attacked the witness, smashed his car window, cut him with the saw he used to steal the converter, and then fled. As alleged in the indictment, the day after this incident, Almodovar sold six converters to Downpipe Depot in exchange for $2,180.
Each of the four defendants entered pleas of not guilty and are released on bond pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Four other individuals have been convicted of federal charges stemming from this investigation, which is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
St. Louis Man Found Guilty of Carjacking, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri, who was caught on camera carjacking a truck in 2020, was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of all of the charges he faced.
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found James Blakemore, 36, guilty of three felonies: carjacking, possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence and testimony at the trial this week showed that on Sept. 16, 2020, the victim was napping in his work truck at the Convention Center MetroLink Station in downtown St. Louis when someone opened his door and demanded his cash and phone at gunpoint. The robber also stole the victim’s company’s 2016 Dodge Ram.
The truck was equipped with a GPS tracking device and “in-car cameras,” and both the victim’s boss and the company’s owner were able to provide police with its location. When police arrived, a man jumped out and ran away, but left a backpack behind with a pistol and both a debit card and EBT card in Blakemore’s name.
Blakemore’s picture was captured by the in-car camera video recording and his DNA was found in the truck and on the gun. The victim also identified Blakemore as the carjacker.
At Blakemore’s sentencing in March, he faces up to 15 years in prison on the carjacking charge, up to 10 years in prison on the felon in possession charge and seven years to life in prison on the brandishing charge, consecutive to all other counts.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie Schneider and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Selling Fentanyl that Killed TwinsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri, was arrested Wednesday on an indictment that accuses him of selling the fentanyl that killed the buyer in May.
Jesse Charleston, 33, of Florissant, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on November 15 with three felonies: distribution of fentanyl with death resulting, distribution of fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
The indictment accuses Charleston of selling fentanyl on March 21 that proved fatal to the buyer. It also says Charleston sold fentanyl on March 27 in St. Charles County and possessed it that same day in St. Louis.
In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald said the victim who bought fentanyl from Charleston brought it home and fatally overdosed, along with his twin brother.
The distribution of fentanyl with death resulting charge carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison, with a maximum term of life. The fentanyl distribution and possession with intent to distribute charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles County Police and St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald is prosecuting the case.
Southaven man sentenced for fishing violationsRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Southaven man was sentenced today to a total of $3,500 in fines and restitution for the illegal harvest of crappie from the Enid Lake Spillway.
According to court documents, Fu Chen, 52, of Southaven, Mississippi, pled guilty to one count of taking more than the daily creel limit of crappie from the Enid Lake Spillway on January 1, 2023. Chen caught a total of 90 crappie from the spillway, which is 75 more fish than the allowed creel limit of 15 crappie.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David A. Sanders ordered Chen to pay a fine of $1,000 as well as restitution to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks in the amount of $2,500. In addition to the fine and restitution, Chen was placed on probation for a period of one year, during which time he will be prohibited from fishing anywhere in the world and banned from all Corps of Engineers property in the Northern District of Mississippi as a condition of his probation.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark stated, “We are committed to conducting criminal investigations with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. The Office of Law Enforcement takes these federal violations . . . very seriously and remains committed to ensuring that these violations are fully investigated and prosecuted.”
MDWFP Colonel Jerry Carter stated, “We appreciate the collaborative investigative efforts of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and prosecution of this case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We will continue to work with our federal partners to conserve and protect Mississippi’s natural resources by utilizing all investigative tools available to ensure that those who choose to violate the laws of this state are investigated and prosecuted accordingly.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages members of the public to report allegations of wildlife crimes to the Service’s Office of Law Enforcement via the Wildlife Crime Tips page at https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips or via phone at 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477).
South Carolina Return Preparer Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A South Carolina man was sentenced today 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.
Sleep disorder medical practice with clinics in California and Washington resolves allegations it overbilled government medical programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The Department of Justice and Innovative Sleep Centers PLLC and Innovative Sleep Centers, Inc., have resolved allegations that the sleep centers improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid for medical services. The clinics paid $644,562 to resolve the matter. Of the settlement amount, $435,404 went to the federal government as restitution and penalties and $209,138 to Washington State for its share of restitution and penalties.
The United States contends that between 2013 and 2022, Innovative Sleep Centers (ISC) submitted three categories of false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid.
- Between January 2018 and December 2020, ISC submitted false claims to Medicare for evaluation and management (E&M) services that were performed by lower-level providers, but billed under the name of ISC’s Medical Director, Dr. Mehrdad Razavi. By identifying a physician as the rendering provider on the claims, the clinic was able to bill at a higher rate. Those bills were false.
- Between October 2013 and July 2022, ISC submitted claims to Medicare for office visits that falsely identified Dr. Razavi as the rendering provider. In fact, the services were provided by employees who were not qualified to perform office visits, including office staff, Respiratory Therapists, and Registered Polysomnographic Technologists. By billing the claims under a physician’s NPI, ISC obtained reimbursement for non-covered services.
- And finally, between January 2015 and December 2020, ISC submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for sleep studies that were performed by technologists who did not have required credentials.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties known as relators to file suit on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The qui tam suit is captioned United States, State of California and State of Washington ex rel. SW Sleep LLC v. Innovative Sleep Centers, PLLC et al., No. 3:19-CV-5604 (W.D. Wash.).
The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Burns and Kayla Stahman and investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG).
Six Former Correctional Officers Charged with Federal Offenses Following Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal grand jury 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
Sanostee Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Melvin C. Smith pled guilty to assault. Smith, 62, of Sanostee, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court records, on Oct. 6, 2022, Smith used a long, hard wooden walking stick to assault his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law’s girlfriend. Smith repeatedly hit his brother-in-law as he shielded his girlfriend from Smith’s blows. The assault caused physical pain to Smith’s brother-in-law and the brother-in-law’s girlfriend.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
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Sanbornton Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Sanbornton man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Timothy Ryan, 35, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possession of child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2024.
According to court records and statements made in court, the defendant was identified as a top offender in the state of New Hampshire for supplying CSAM through the peer-to-peer network BitTorrent. Investigators traced the illicit internet activity to his residence, and later obtained a federal search warrant to seize and search his electronic devices. Forensic examination of the defendant’s cell phone revealed the presence of approximately 2,600 files of apparent CSAM.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum 5 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and mandatory restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New England Cyber Fraud Task Force, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Nashua Police Department, the Grafton County Sheriff’s Department, and the Sanbornton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Robeson County Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years After Being Found with Child Holding a Bag of FentanylRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Robeson County man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for orchestrating and directing a 2020 fentanyl distribution conspiracy while in custody for multiple state charges including possession of a firearm by a felon, trafficking heroin, and discharging a weapon into an occupied property. His role in the conspiracy continued after his release from prison and continued after his arrest. On August 22, 2022, Clarence Jamar Graham pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. During a traffic stop executed during the investigation, Graham was found in a car with a child in the backseat holding a bag of fentanyl.
“Small amounts of fentanyl can be deadly, especially for small children,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This fentanyl dealer jeopardized the safety of the community and put a small child at risk. We will not tolerate callous narcotics dealers who endanger the innocent. Our message with this case is clear –distributing fentanyl in North Carolina will lead to prison.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Graham, 36, utilized co-defendant Jania Leggett to sell fentanyl on his behalf while he was serving a state prison sentence between April and September of 2020. Witnesses reported to law enforcement that they had seen AR-15 style rifles and small children in the house that Leggett used as a hub for her fentanyl sales.
In October of 2020, investigators learned that Graham had been released from prison and using a Lumberton area hotel for drug sales made by him and Leggett. Lumberton Police Department detectives stopped Leggett and Graham leaving the hotel on October 13, 2020. When detectives approached their vehicle, they observed that Leggett had a .40 caliber handgun in her lap and that there was a small child in the backseat holding a bag of fentanyl. Detectives then searched the vehicle and a storage unit in Graham’s name and found a total of 334.98 grams of fentanyl, $46,647 in cash, an additional handgun in Leggett’s purse, and a variety of items used to package drugs for sale.
After Graham was arrested for the traffic stop, he continued to run fentanyl sales from the Robeson County Jail. Investigators located multiple recorded jail phone calls made in November and December of 2020 where Graham gave directions to another co-conspirator about the prices and quantities of drugs being sold. In total, investigators determined that Graham was involved in the distribution of over 4,600 grams of fentanyl during the year 2020.
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 Lumberton Police Department and 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. 7:21-CR-95-D-1.
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Richmond County man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man with a violent criminal history has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for illegal possession of a gun.
Todd Joseph Harbuck, 48, of Augusta, was sentenced to 188 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also found that Harbuck violated the terms of his supervised release after a prior conviction and imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and sentenced Harbuck to an additional 24 months in prison to run consecutively with the new sentence. Upon release from prison, Harbuck must serve an additional five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Todd Harbuck’s disturbing record of violent attacks on women and public safety officers and illegal drug use makes it abundantly clear he is danger to society,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will work to keep our community safe and remove guns from the hands of violent offenders.”
As described in court, Columbia County sheriff’s deputies responded in July 2022 to a report of domestic violence in Grovetown, Ga., and found Harbuck’s ex-girlfriend with injuries that included a serious laceration to her head and a bite mark on her arm. Harbuck threatened to shoot her and struck her in the head with a pistol before taking a gun from her. He then shoved a neighbor who came to her defense, pointed a weapon at her and fired into the air as he left and drove away.
Harbuck was arrested the next day in Oconee County, Ga. Deputies found drugs in Harbuck’s vehicle and later located the pistol taken from his ex-girlfriend.
Harbuck previously was sentenced to prison 2008 in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He has prior state felony convictions that include assaulting and stabbing a loss prevention officer; attacking a Medical College of Georgia police officer who attempted his arrest for a felony probation violation in 2000 by punching her in the face and shoving her into a concrete floor; and for firing at McCormick County, S.C., deputies during a vehicle chase in July 2008.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.