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Tuesday 17 October 2023
American Citizen Sentenced to Life in Prison for Providing Material Support to ISIS That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, 46, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was sentenced to life in prison for providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, that resulted in death. Asainov was also sentenced to concurrent terms of 20 years in prison on related convictions of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and obstruction of justice, and 10 years in prison for receipt of military-type training from ISIS. Asainov was convicted by a federal jury after a three-week trial in February.
“Mr. Asainov abandoned his family and country to fight for ISIS and train others to carry out its reign of terror, a cause to which he remains devoted to this day,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Now, he is being held accountable for his crimes with a sentence of life in prison. The Department of Justice is committed to bringing to justice those who would aid such murderous terrorist organizations.”
“Today’s life sentence was rightly holds Asainov responsible for the carnage he inflicted as a sworn member of ISIS and protects the world community from this avowed killer,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendant committed his life to that terrorist organization and became a lethal sniper for ISIS in Syria, training many other ISIS members to shoot to kill as ISIS waged its brutal, barbaric campaign. To this day, the defendant maintains his unrepentant allegiance to that evil cause. Like this defendant now knows, anyone who takes up arms in service of ISIS and causes death and destruction will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this office.”
“The U.S. government worked tirelessly with our international partners to locate and return this U.S. citizen to face accountability for his crimes,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “He's a convicted terrorist who fought for ISIS and taught others how to kill on behalf of their violent extremist ideology. Justice was served with today's life sentence.”
Between December 2013 and March 2019, Asainov provided and conspired to provide material support and resources in the form of personnel, including himself, training and expert advice and assistance, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS, knowing that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization that had engaged in terrorist activity and terrorism. Asainov also received military-type training from ISIS, in violation of federal law.
On Dec. 24, 2013, Asainov abandoned his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, and boarded a flight at JFK International Airport, bound for Istanbul, Turkey. Along with a co-conspirator, Mirsad Kandic, by early January 2014, Asainov traveled to northern Syria in the area of Aleppo and joined ISIS as a fighter. Kandic was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS resulting in death by a federal jury in Brooklyn in May 2022, and sentenced to life in prison in July.
Over the course of approximately five years fighting on behalf of ISIS, Asainov fought in numerous battles against ISIS enemies, including engagements at Kobani, Tabqa, Raqqa, Dayr Az Zawr, and ISIS’s last stand in Syria at Baghouz, in March 2019. Asainov received training in how to use automatic rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. In Tabqa, in mid-2014, he volunteered to train as a sniper. Over time, Asainov became a sniper trainer or “emir” on behalf of ISIS, estimating that he taught nearly 100 students. A former U.S. Navy SEAL scout sniper testified at Asainov’s trial that the defendant’s sniper training course was consistent with what the former SEAL would expect to be taught in a sniper training program.
From Syria, the defendant attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS and sought to obtain funds to purchase a scope for his rifle from the same person. The defendant also told his estranged wife that he was fighting on behalf of ISIS, described by him in a recorded January 2015 voicemail as “the most atrocious terrorist organization in the world that ever existed.” Asainov’s estranged wife testified at his trial that he sent her a photograph of three dead fighters, one of whom was wearing a patch reading, “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham,” i.e., ISIS, in Arabic script.
Asainov was captured in Syria after ISIS’s last stand at Baghouz, near the Syria-Iraq border. Just before his capture, Asainov discarded his rifle and destroyed his cell phone.
Asainov admitted to agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that he had fought in numerous battles on behalf of ISIS as a warrior and sniper, serving in several different katibas or ISIS fighting brigades. In recorded phone calls to his mother from facilities operated by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the defendant told her that he was carrying out Allah’s orders when he waged jihad and killed for ISIS, that he intended to return to waging jihad if released, and that he would fight until he “meet[s] Allah,” i.e., until his death. In September 2020, staff at a BOP facility confiscated a makeshift ISIS flag affixed to Asainov’s cell wall. The defendant had filled in an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper with black ink and Arabic writing in the design of the ISIS flag. During his trial, the defendant reiterated his allegiance to ISIS to court personnel, stating that ISIS would rise again.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, J. Matthew Haggans, Nicholas J. Moscow and Nina C. Gupta for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Mary Clare McMahon.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attachés abroad, and foreign authorities in multiple countries on multiple continents provided critical assistance in this case. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian authorities, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Sarajevo provided extraordinary assistance in the investigation and prosecution. The Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Finland, the Stuttgart Police Department and Federal Office of Justice in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Africa, and the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in or responsible for those countries provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
American Citizen Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Plus Seventy Years for Providing Material Support to ISIS that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis to life imprisonment plus seventy years for providing material support to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization, that resulted in death. Asainov was also sentenced to concurrent terms of 20 years’ imprisonment on related convictions of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and obstruction of justice, and 10 years’ imprisonment for receipt of military-type training from ISIS. Today’s sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. Asainov was convicted by a federal jury after a three-week trial in February 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence rightly holds Asainov responsible for the carnage he inflicted as a sworn member of ISIS and protects the world community from this avowed killer,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant committed his life to that terrorist organization and became a lethal sniper for ISIS in Syria, training many other ISIS members to shoot to kill as ISIS waged its brutal, barbaric campaign. To this day, the defendant maintains his unrepentant allegiance to that hateful cause. Like this defendant now knows, anyone who takes up arms in service of ISIS and causes death and destruction will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this Office.”
“Mr. Asainov abandoned his family and country to fight for ISIS and train others to carry out its reign of terror, a cause to which he remains devoted to this day,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “Now, he is being held accountable for his crimes with a sentence of life in prison. The Department of Justice is committed to bringing to justice those who would aid such murderous terrorist organizations.”
“The world is undoubtedly safer with Ruslan Maratovich Asainov behind bars," stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “Mr. Asainov pledged himself to ISIS, committed unconscionable acts on behalf of the terrorist group, and bragged about how he taught nearly 100 aspiring snipers how to kill. He further aligned himself to the Islamic State by covering his federal prison cell wall with an improvised ISIS flag. HSI New York is proud to stand with our partners to ensure his atrocities end here.”
“Today’s sentence is a just and fair punishment for a naturalized U.S. citizen who forsook the country that took him in,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “Instead of embracing all that America had to offer him and his family in New York City, he instead pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization. This outcome serves as a warning to those who intend to actively promote or carry out the violent objectives of such groups: The NYPD and our law enforcement partners around the globe will never stop working to identify and bring to justice anyone who so clearly considers our nation their sworn enemy.”
Between December 2013 and March 2019, Asainov provided and conspired to provide material support and resources in the form of personnel, including himself, training, and expert advice and assistance, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS, knowing that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization that had engaged in terrorist activity and terrorism. Asainov also received military-type training from ISIS, in violation of federal law.
On December 24, 2013, Asainov abandoned his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, and boarded a flight at JFK International Airport, bound for Istanbul, Turkey. Along with a co-conspirator, Mirsad Kandic, by early January 2014, Asainov traveled to northern Syria in the area of Aleppo, and joined ISIS as a fighter. Kandic was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS resulting in death by a federal jury in Brooklyn in May 2022, and sentenced to life in prison in July 2023.
Over the course of approximately five years fighting on behalf of ISIS, Asainov fought in numerous battles against ISIS enemies, including engagements at Kobani, Tabqa, Raqqa, Dayr Az Zawr, and ISIS’s last stand in Syria at Baghouz, in March 2019. Asainov received training in how to use automatic rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. In Tabqa, in mid-2014, he volunteered to train as a sniper. Over time, Asainov became a sniper trainer or “emir” on behalf of ISIS, estimating that he taught nearly 100 students. A former U.S. Navy SEAL scout sniper testified that the defendant’s sniper training course was consistent with what the former SEAL would expect to be taught in a sniper training program.
From Syria, the defendant attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS, and sought to obtain funds to purchase a scope for his rifle from the same person. The defendant also told his estranged wife that he was fighting on behalf of ISIS, described by him in a recorded January 2015 voicemail as “the most atrocious terrorist organization in the world that ever existed.” Asainov’s estranged wife testified that he sent her a photograph of three dead fighters, one of whom was wearing a patch reading, “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham,” i.e., ISIS, in Arabic script.
Asainov was captured in Syria after ISIS’s last stand at Baghouz, near the Syria-Iraq border. Just before his capture, Asainov discarded his rifle and destroyed his cell phone.
Asainov admitted to agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that he had fought in numerous battles on behalf of ISIS as a warrior and sniper, serving in several different katibas or ISIS fighting brigades. In recorded phone calls to his mother from facilities operated by the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”), the defendant told her that he was carrying out Allah’s orders when he waged jihad and killed for ISIS, that he intended to return to waging jihad if released, and that he would fight until he “meet[s] Allah,” i.e., until his death. In September 2020, staff at a BOP facility confiscated a makeshift ISIS flag affixed to Asainov’s cell wall. The defendant had filled in an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper with black ink and Arabic writing in the design of the ISIS flag. During his trial, the defendant reiterated his allegiance to ISIS to court personnel, stating that ISIS would rise again.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, J. Matthew Haggans, Nicholas J. Moscow, and Nina C. Gupta are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jenny Levy of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice and Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Mary Clare McMahon.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attachés abroad, and foreign authorities in multiple countries on multiple continents provided critical assistance in this case. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian authorities and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Sarajevo provided extraordinary assistance in the investigation and prosecution. The Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Finland, the Stuttgart Police Department and Federal Office of Justice in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Africa, the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices for those countries provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
The Defendant:
RUSLAN MARATOVICH ASAINOV (also known as “Suleiman Al-Amriki” and “Suleiman Al-Kazakhi”)
Age: 46
Bay Ridge, BrooklynE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-402 (NGG)
Related Defendants:
MIRSAD KANDIC
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New York; KosovoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-449 (NGG)
Ada Resident Pleads Guilty to Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Shyla Faye Pittman, age 37, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Arson in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that on March 11, 2023, Pittman willfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling and placed the life of another person in jeopardy. The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pittman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Gross and Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Monday 16 October 2023
Utah man admits defrauding Montana employerRead the Press Release
HELENA — A Utah man accused of embezzling more than $700,000 from a Montana company admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Thomas Lynn Syddall, 50, of American Fork, Utah, who worked for a company owned by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to money laundering-concealment as charged in an indictment. Syddall faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for March 20, 2024. Syddall was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that Syddall worked as a salesman for Information Technology Corporation, which was owned by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. From about March 2020 to about August 2021 in Helena, Syddall embezzled money through multiple means, including creating bogus purchase orders and invoices, stealing inventory and directing payments to fictitious companies and unauthorized vendors. Syddall then sold the inventory, none of which was authorized, on eBay and KSL Classifieds. When questioned by other employees about the discrepancies in orders and payments, Syddall sent lulling emails attempting to cover up and prolong the fraud. In addition, Syddall concealed financial transactions by laundering proceeds from the wire fraud into third-party accounts. Syddall then directed the transfer of the money into accounts over which he had control. The government alleged the investigation has identified approximately $759,100 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
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United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. Announces the Passing of Deputy Chief Brian K. FrazierRead the Press Release
Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announces the untimely passing of Deputy Chief Brian K. Frazier. Mr. Frazier has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana since 2018. Before his passing, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Special Matters Unit.
Mr. Frazier’s dedicated service to the Department of Justice began in 1993 when he was selected for the Attorney General’s Honors Program. After completing the program, Mr. Frazier clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham. He then went into the private sector as an associate attorney at prestigious law firms in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.
Mr. Frazier returned to government service at the Southern District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office in January of 2000, where he began his career as an Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting major crimes with an emphasis on public integrity and national security. He handled approximately thirty federal jury trials and eleven federal appellate arguments as a line prosecutor and began his focus on counterterrorism, where he reviewed actionable charges in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. In 2008, Mr. Frazier was appointed Resident Legal Advisor for the United States Embassy, United Arab Emirates and Gulf Region, where he served as the Department of Justice’s legal attaché to eight Middle Eastern countries on money laundering, weapons proliferation, threat finance, and terrorism issues.
Mr. Frazier then returned to the Southern District of Florida office where he was tasked with establishing the first National Security Section in the district. As Chief of this section, Mr. Frazier significantly increased counterterrorism prosecutions within the first five years of its establishment and coordinated federal prosecutions for the third largest Joint Terrorism Task Force in the country. He supervised trial teams that convicted ISIS and al-Qaeda extremists and served as the lead prosecutor in cases against al-Shabaab financiers, recruiters, and travelers. He also coordinated the district-wide efforts in prosecuting high-profiled domestic terrorism mass shootings at Ft. Lauderdale International Airport and Pulse Nightclub. Mr. Frazier led the trial team that successfully prosecuted Jose Padilla, the U.S. citizen and designated enemy combatant who trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Mr. Frazier was a nationally recognized skilled and knowledgeable national security prosecutor both within the Department and with federal and local partner agencies.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe stated the following on the passing of Mr. Frazier, “South Florida is very sad of Brian’s passing. He exemplified true commitment to public service and to excellence, as shown by his many years of service and the robust accomplishments both as a trial lawyer and later in management. Tremendous loss to the Department but I’m glad I got a chance to work with him 20 years ago as line prosecutor in Miami and will remember his very present personality.”
During his tenure here in the Middle District, Mr. Frazier served as the Criminal Chief from 2020 until 2022 where he was responsible for supervising Criminal Division prosecutors and staff. He also maintained positive relationships with our federal investigative agencies as he coordinated with them the substantive development and management of all criminal prosecutions in the district. He continued his work with the local Joint Terrorism Task Force by handling national security matters in the district and consulting with critical infrastructures.
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana Ronald Gathe, Jr. stated, “My deepest condolences go out to all of Brian’s family, friends and loved ones. Words cannot express the tremendous impact he’s made in his 25 years of service here at the Department of Justice. He will be deeply missed by many locally and nationally, and his presence will forever be felt at our office and in our hearts.”
Mr. Frazier is the recipient of multiple government honors, including the Justice Department’s highest award—The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service—for the successful prosecution of Jose Padilla. He was also awarded the National Intelligence Medallion by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Law Enforcement Award for Transnational Security Threats by the Department of Treasury, the National Organized Crime/Drug Enforcement Task Force Award by the Department of Justice, and Federal Prosecutor of the Year by the Law Enforcement Officers’ Foundation and Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police to name a few.
Mr. Frazier obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Dartmouth College. He further obtained a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He concluded his studies at Yale Law School where he obtained his Juris Doctor.
The Department of Justice suffers an immeasurable loss due to Mr. Frazier’s countless contributions in pursuing justice. He was an example of a true government servant, and we will honor his legacy within our office by continuing to serve according to the ideals and mission of the Department of Justice.
U.S. Government Reaches Settlement in Class Action Family Separation Case Seeking Injunctive ReliefRead the Press Release
On Oct. 16, the United States reached a settlement in Ms. L., et al. v. ICE, et al., a class action litigation filed in 2018 seeking injunctive relief relating to the separation of parents and children at the southwest border. The proposed settlement agreement is subject to final approval by the district court after notice to the class and an opportunity to object.
“The practice of separating families at the southwest border was shameful,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This agreement will facilitate the reunification of separated families and provide them with critical services to aid in their recovery. I am grateful to Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and the Department’s Civil Division for their work on this matter.”
Under the proposed settlement, new standards will be established to limit family separations in the future. The settlement provides for continued family reunifications, immigration relief, and certain support services for separated families, including behavioral health services, targeted legal support related to immigration claims, limited housing assistance, and certain medical coverage. The settlement does not involve the payment of monetary damages. Those who believe they are class members may submit claims of class membership to the Family Reunification Task Force through the Together.gov website.
“The separation of families at our southern border was a betrayal of our nation’s values,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “By providing services to these families and implementing polices to prevent future separations, today’s agreement addresses the impacts of those separations and helps ensure that nothing like this happens again.”
On Feb. 26, 2018, a plaintiff identified as “Ms. L” filed a complaint in the Southern District of California alleging she had been unlawfully separated from her child. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) later filed an amended complaint to add class action claims contending that the separation of putative class member parents from their children violated procedural and substantive due process, as well as the asylum statute. On June 26, 2018, the district court certified a class of separated parents and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting future separations except in certain specified circumstances. The court also required the reunification of families previously separated.
Since that time, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have worked with plaintiffs to identify class members and their children, developed plans for reunification, and reunified class members with their children. On Jan. 26, 2021, the Justice Department rescinded the Department’s 2018 zero-tolerance policy for offenses under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a). In Feb. 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order establishing the Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families, comprised of representatives from various federal agencies, including the Justice Department, DHS, and HHS. The parties have worked extensively to reunify families in accordance with the Executive Order and subsequent orders from the district court. The task force has searched through thousands of government records to identify separated families and has thus far reunited more than 750 children with their families and has identified 85 additional children who are currently in the process of being reunited with their families. The task force has also identified more than 290 U.S. citizen children who were separated from their parents during the relevant time frame, is working to confirm that they have been reunified with their families, and will offer them services to support their reunification.
Director William C. Peachey, Assistant Director William C. Silvis, Senior Litigation Counsel Sarah B. Fabian, and Trial Attorney Fizza Batool, all of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, are handling the case.
Fact Sheet Motion for Settlement SettlementU.S. Department of Justice announces grants totaling more than $1.2 million in the Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced more than $1.2 million in grants awarded to agencies and entities to support law enforcement and public safety initiatives in the Southern District of Georgia.
These federal grants include funding for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a key component of the Department of Justice’s strategy for reducing violent crime, and funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“In addition to fueling the fight against violent crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods, these grants will assist local agencies and communities in keeping their residents safe and improving outcomes for vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg.
The end-of-fiscal-year 2023 PSN grant to the Southern District of Georgia of $98,657, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, will distribute funding to Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick, the three most populous cities in the Southern District, in collaboration with local public safety agencies to help achieve reductions in violent crime.
“Every sector of our society – not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers – plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Additional Department of Justice grants awarded during the regular end-of-fiscal-year funding cycle include:
Office on Violence Against Women:
- Waycross Area Shelter for Abused Persons Inc.: $500,000. This award, through the Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program, is aimed at improving the greater Ware County area criminal justice system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by focusing on victim safety. The collaborative effort with the city of Waycross will implement a project that serves communities throughout the region.
- East Georgia State College, Swainsboro, Ga.: $399,117. With this award, East Georgia State College, in coordination with Sunshine House and the Swainsboro Police Department, will provide planning, education and training activities to prevent and respond to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Bureau of Justice Assistance: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program:
- City of Savannah, $119,429. This funding will be used to purchase two new bomb suits for the Savannah Police Department’s Bomb Unit; to replace outdated equipment used by the SPD Underwater Search and Recovery Team; and to purchase new traffic enforcement equipment for the Garden City Police Department.
- Glynn County, $23,925. This grant will be used to purchase five bicycles for the Glynn County Police Department’s patrol division for use in community oriented policing strategies.
- City of Waycross, $10,328: The funding will be used to purchase an air purification system for the Waycross Police Department’s evidence room, and to purchase ballistic shields for the Ware County Sheriff’s Office.
Bureau of Justice Assistance: The Kevin and Avonte Program:
- Liberty County, $99,990. Through its Bringing the Lost Home Project, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, primarily through its K9 Unit, will partner with Senior Citizens Inc. and Magnolia Manor Nursing Home and in each public school to operate a proactive program to locate or prevent the wandering of individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities.
More information on the implementation of these grants is available from the individual recipient agencies, and from the U.S. Department of Justice grants information page at justice.gov/grants.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of PR Celebrates the Award of Federal Grant Funds in Excess of $28.8 Million to the PR Department of Justice, the Forensic Science Institute, and to Stakeholders in Community Responses to Gender-Based ViolenceRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office celebrates a comprehensive federal grant funds package awarded to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute, and to Community Response to Gender-Based Violence Stakeholders in excess of $28.8 million.
“The Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with our state law enforcement partners and community response stakeholders to effectively investigate and prosecute crimes and provide justice and protection to our victims of crime. Identifying available federal funding and ensuring that these funds are properly and efficiently expended enhances our collaborative law enforcement efforts,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.
These recent funding allocations from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) are intended to build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
Among the most significant awards, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice received $12.6 million for the VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant to enhance victim services in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded $700,000 to institute a Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) through the Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute. That initiative also provides funding for the hiring of a Special Prosecutor, primarily in charge of firearms prosecutions arising from intelligence gathered from the CGIC. Other significant awards are listed below:
Date
Grant
Recipient
Amount
9/28/23
OJJDP FY 2023 Title II Formula Grants Program
Oficina para el Desarrollo Socioeconómico y Comunitario
$590,509
9/28/23
BJA FY 23 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program
PR Department of Justice
$ 89,310
9/26/23
BJA FY 2023 Invited to Apply- Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Reallocation Funds Program
PR Department of Justice
$136,058
9/26/23
OJJDP Combined FY 2021 and FY 2022 Invited to Apply – Prison Rape Elimination Act Reallocation Funds
Oficina para el Desarrollo Socioeconómico y Comunitario
$ 27,761
9/25/23
BJA FY 23 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program - Formula
Instituto de Ciencias Forenses
$312,708
9/25/23
BJA FY 23 Project Safe Neighborhoods Formula Grant Program
PR Department of Housing
$133,930
9/25/23
OJJDP FY 2023 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence
Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico
$972,405
9/22/23
BJA FY 23 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program - State Solicitation
PR Department of Justice
$2,313,909
9/18/23
BJA FY 23 Invited to Apply Sex Offender and Registration Notification Act (SORNA) Reallocation Program
PR Department of Justice
$272,117
9/8/23
BJA FY 23 Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative
Instituto de Ciencias Forenses
$700,000
9/8/23
Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)
Instituto de Ciencias Forenses
$675,188
8/23/23
VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant
PR Department of Justice
$12,669,225
8/23/23
VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant
PR Department of Justice
$309,000
8/10/23
Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program
Municipality of Loíza
$279,000
8/10/23
Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program
Municipality of Vieques
$420,000
8/10/23
Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program
Municipality of Ciales
$ 92,000
2/13/23
BJA FY 2022-2023 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Formula Solicitation
PR Department of Justice
$2,274,664
More information about the awards announced can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
In order to provide support to victims of crime, the Justice Department announced nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $6,496,287 for the District of Puerto Rico to support community responses to gender-based violence. Among those grants are the following:
Date
Grant
Recipient
Amount
9/27/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Solicitation
Proyecto Matria, Inc.
$550,000
9/22/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking - Solicitation
Taller Salud, Inc.
$450,000
9/22/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking - Solicitation
Hogar Ruth, Inc.
$575,000
9/22/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking - Solicitation
Casa Juana Colón, Apoyo y Orientación a la Mujer, Inc.
$400,000
9/22/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Sexual Assault Services
Hogar Ruth, Inc.
$495,000
9/8/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Legal Assistance for Victims - Solicitation
Taller Salud, Inc.
$750,000
8/22/23
OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Sexual Assault Services and Formula Program - Solicitation
Women’s Advocate Office
$858,652
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee Announces $200,000 in Department of Justice Programs Grant FundingRead the Press Release
KNOXVLLE, Tenn. On October 13, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced $200,000 in Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) funding for Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program.
- City of Knoxville - $200,000.
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services was created through the passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to advance the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information, technical assistance, training, and grant resources. The COPS Office is headed by a Director appointed by the Attorney General, and is organized into directorates, comprising key operational divisions and several functional areas.
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) funds are used to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs. The 2023 LEMHWA program funded projects that develop knowledge, increase awareness of effective mental health and wellness strategies, increase the skills and abilities of law enforcement, and increase the number of law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders using peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. Additional information about FY23 awards can be found on COPS’s website here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. For a complete list of the LEMHWA awards, please click on this link: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2023AwardDocs/lemhwa/award_list.pdf.
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Tulare County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Deniz, 33, of Farmersville, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Deniz’s residence and found more than a pound of methamphetamine, an AK-style rifle, a Mossberg pump action shotgun, six handguns, 18 magazines, two handgun silencers, a ballistic vest, thousands of rounds of live ammunition, and firearm accessories. During the search, law enforcement officers also found “auto-sear” devices that are used to convert semi-automatic firearms to fire as fully automatic machine guns. Deniz is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the California Department of Justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Trempealeau County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children & ExtortionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – In an indictment returned on October 11, 2023 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin, a Trempealeau County man is charged with child sexual exploitation offenses and extortion. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges Seth W. Fagan, 32, Galesville, Wisconsin, with using and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct, with transmitting threats to injure the reputation of the minor with the intent to extort a thing of value from the minor, and with receiving a visual depiction of a second minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Fagan was arrested today in La Crosse. The time for his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison has not been set.
If convicted, Fagan faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on the charge of producing child pornography, two years on the extortion charge, and a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years on the charge of receiving child pornography.
The charges against Fagan are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Onalaska Police Department, and school resource officers at Sparta High School and Onalaska High School. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution.
Anyone who believes they have information about this case or believes they may be a victim in this matter should contact Special Agent Maloree Zassenhaus at either [email protected] or by contacting the Division of Criminal Investigation at 715-839-3830.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Three Defendants Plead Guilty to a $38 Million Catalytic Converter Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three Sacramento family members pleaded guilty today to charges related to their participation in a nationwide catalytic converter theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Brothers Tou Sue Vang, 32, and Andrew Vang, 28, and their mother Monica Moua, 58, all pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey in return for over $38 million in wired payments. Tou Sue Vang also pleaded guilty to an additional 39 charges related to money laundering.
In October and November 2022, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from across the United States executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors for their roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for over $600 million dollars. Nine of 21 defendants were charged in the Eastern District of California.
Catalytic converters are part of an exhaust system that reduces toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle’s internal combustion engine. Catalytic converters use precious metals in their center, or “core,” and are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially the precious metals palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years. The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle and what state it is from. They can be stolen in less than a minute. Last year, approximately 1,600 catalytic converters were reportedly stolen in California each month, and California accounts for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims nationwide.
According to court documents, the defendants pleading guilty today operated an unlicensed business from their residence in Sacramento where they bought stolen catalytic converters from local thieves and shipped them to DG Auto Parts LLC (DG Auto) in New Jersey for processing. They sold over $38 million in stolen catalytic converters to DG Auto.
Also charged in the 2022 indictment were co-defendants Navin Khanna, aka Lovin Khanna, 40; Tinu Khanna, aka Gagan Khanna, 36; Daniel Dolan, 45; Chi Mo, aka David Mo, 37; Wright Louis Mosley, 50; and Ishu Lakra, 25, all of New Jersey who operated DG Auto in multiple locations in New Jersey. According to court documents, they knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters and, through a “de-canning” process, extracted the precious metal powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto sold the precious metal powders it processed from California and elsewhere to a metal refinery for over $600 million. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Davis Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Livermore Police Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría is prosecuting the case.
Tou Sue Vang, Andrew Vang, and Monica Moua are not yet scheduled to be sentenced. Andrew Vang and Monica Moua each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The 40 counts to which Tou Sue Vang pleaded guilty carry various maximum penalties per count ranging from 20 years in prison to five years in prison, and fines that range from $500,000 to $250,000 per count or twice the gross gain or loss from the crimes. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Houston, Texas man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others in the Southern District of Mississippi to possess with intent to distribute approximately one pound of a substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Marcus Lamont Wallace, 33, of Houston, Texas, admitted that he knowingly agreed with others to mail approximately 11,000 tablets made with methamphetamine from Houston, TX, to an address Wallace owned in Jackson, MS, with the intent that those tablets be further distributed. Postal video surveillance captured Wallace mailing the drugs by Priority Mail on January 4, 2022, to the Jackson address. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted the parcel and obtained a federal search warrant to open the package after a certified narcotics canine detected the odor of narcotics coming from the parcel. In addition to identifying the methamphetamine in a random sample of the drugs, scientists with Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection Laboratory and Science Services also developed fingerprints on the packaging around the drugs, and these prints belonged to Wallace and an unidentified person.
Wallace is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Inspector in Charge Scott Pierce of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark is prosecuting the case.
South Sound resident charged with hate crime for threatening federal worker due to worker’s raceRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 41-year-old Thurston County resident was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on two federal charges connected to threats made to a Black federal employee at the Social Security office in Olympia, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven L. Veres, remains detained pending trial which is now scheduled for November 28, 2023.
According to records filed in the case, on February 16, 2023, Veres and a companion went to the Olympia, Social Security Office seeking a replacement Social Security card. At the first visit, a Social Security employee, who is Black, told Veres what documents he could use to get a replacement card. When Veres returned to the office a second time, the employee told him the paperwork Veres brought still did not meet the requirements for a new card to be issued. Veres became angry, used racial slurs, and threatened to assault or kill the worker.
Veres is charged with Influencing a federal official by threat, and interference with federally protected activities. The grand jury alleges that Veres intentionally threatened the victim because of his race.
Influencing a federal official by threat is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Interference with a federally protected activity is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Dreher and Jocelyn Cooney in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Rochester man arrested, accused of defrauding lending company out of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Paredes, 52, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, since 2013, Paredes has owned J&E Business Consulting LLC, which provides merchant services to client businesses, including acting as a broker between the credit card processing companies and smaller retail businesses. Small businesses provide J&E with their financial information, such as the owner’s identifying information, including driver’s license, social security number, and email, as well as bank account information.
In January 2023, the FBI received information that a financial lending company (Victim 1) made numerous loans to customers of J&E, known as “equipment financing” loans. These loans were paid out to J&E’s bank account for supposed equipment sold to victim businesses, who supposedly applied for and agreed to the repayment terms of the loan in exchange for getting the equipment. However, only a very few repayments were made on the loans, and subsequent investigation by Victim 1 determined that customers had never applied for nor agreed to any such loan, nor had they acquired or had any knowledge of the specified equipment. In the instances in which repayments had been made, these customers were either unaware of them, or had been told by Paredes that the payments were for a different purpose.
According to the complaint, between May and November 2022, Paredes fraudulently submitted approximately 42 loan applications using the identities of approximately 31 individuals to Victim 1 and, as a result, the victim paid approximately $2,000,000 to J&E. The money was used for loan repayments to Victim 1 and other loan companies, as well as personal expenses such as credit cards, travel, and vehicles. Just four percent of victim funds were utilized for business-related expenses.
Paredes made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was held pending a detention hearing on October 18, 2023.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the New York State Department of Financial Services-Criminal Investigation Bureau, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.
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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Roanoke Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who trafficked more than four pounds of methamphetamine, was sentenced last week to 12 years in federal prison as part of United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh’s ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. In the Western District of Virginia, PSN resources are focused on neighborhoods in Roanoke, Danville, Lynchburg, and the Charlottesville/Albemarle County/University of Virginia region.
Anthony Banks, 32, pled guilty in February 2023 to three counts of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in 2021, Banks sold approximately four pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in four transactions over the course of five weeks. That methamphetamine was later determined to be more than 96% pure.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Events at IACP’s Annual ConferenceRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland attended the annual meeting of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego where he participated in a fireside chat moderated by IACP Deputy Executive Director Terry Cunningham. The Attorney General discussed a number of issues, including, the Justice Department’s emphasis on the importance of partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies, the Department’s request for an increase in appropriations for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Hiring Program, recently announced funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country, the challenges of recruitment and retention in policing, threats to law enforcement personnel, the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy, and the Department’s attack on every element of the fentanyl epidemic – from the precursor suppliers in China, to the laboratories in Mexico, to the leaders of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels, to their distribution networks in the United States. Attorney General Garland also met with members of the IACP Executive Board for additional discussions.
He also highlighted an increase in dedicated funding for the COPS Hiring Program from $139 million in 2022 to $224 million in 2023, to requested appropriations of $2.7 billion for FY 2024. He also discussed the nearly $75 million in critical grant funding announced on Friday to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country. In addition to supporting efforts to combat drug trafficking and other public safety programs, that funding will help provide assistance to agencies looking to expand their law enforcement mental health and wellness services.
In addition, the Attorney General recognized the continued recruitment, hiring, and retention challenges in policing. Earlier this year, Attorney General Garland tasked the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and the COPS Office with bringing together law enforcement and community leaders to come up with solutions. As part of this effort, in the coming week, the Department will release a recruitment and retention report that makes a range of recommendations. Those include: 1) Investing in officer well-being, including through mental and physical health benefits and improving flexibility in schedules to better reflect the desires of the modern workforce; 2) Developing pipeline programs in high schools and colleges and engaging with community leaders around the role that police serve in their communities; 3) Modernizing the process so that onboarding new hires is done faster.
The Attorney General also addressed the increase in threats of violence to law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, judges and all those who work every day in pursuit of justice and in service to the American people. Making clear that these threats are unacceptable and must not become normalized, the Attorney General said:
“People in a democracy are entitled to argue with each other, to criticize in the most vociferous way, but we won’t have a democracy if people decide that violence and threats of violence are the way to influence outcomes.”
The Attorney General also discussed what the Justice Department is doing in response to the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl. Attorney General Garland shared how he often hears from families who have been impacted by fentanyl. He discussed the Department’s approach of going after every link in the cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking networks that span countries and continents. This includes going after the cartels’ leaders, their drug traffickers, their money launderers, their clandestine lab operators, their security forces, their weapons suppliers, and their chemical suppliers. In April, the Department charged 23 Sinaloa cartel members, leaders and associates, and just last month, the Department extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and one of “El Chapo’s” sons. Agents and prosecutors across the Justice Department are working every day to combat the threat posed by fentanyl. Those efforts have resulted in the seizure of over 62 million fentanyl pills and over 9,700 pounds of fentanyl powder just this year alone.
While in California, the Attorney General also had the opportunity to meet with local police chiefs from across the country and leaders of some of the nation’s major law enforcement associations to thank them for their continued partnership. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Director Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Director Ronald Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office, Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) were also in attendance at IACP.
IACP Attorney General Garland with IACP Deputy Executive Director Terry Cunningham IACP Attorney General Garland with the IACP Executive BoardRichardson Dangleben, Jr. Indicted for Shooting Death of Vipd DetectiveRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 13-count indictment charging Richardson Dangleben, Jr. with federal and territorial offenses relating to the July 4, 2023 shooting death of Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) Detective Delberth Phipps.
“I want to be clear that any act of violence toward our law enforcement officers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Smith said. “Such acts will be met with swift and forceful consequences and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Virgin Islands Attorney General Ariel Smith said: “Officer Phipps bravely responded to a criminal act in progress when his life was taken during the cowardly act of murder. The death of an officer in the line of duty is a loss that affects the entire community, and we expect justice to be served in a manner that reflects the ultimate sacrifice he made. The V.I. Department of Justice (VIDOJ) looks forward to continued collaboration with USDOJ in the pursuit of justice for the Virgin Islands community.”
Virgin Islands Police Chief Steven Phillip said: “We stand united as a community in the pursuit of justice for our fallen Police Detective. This indictment is a significant milestone and serves as a testament to the relentless dedication and steadfast commitment of our law enforcement family, who have tirelessly worked to bring this individual to account. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community for your unwavering support throughout this painful journey, and we assure you that we will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for Detective Phipps and his grieving family. Together, we will continue to stand strong against violence, as we work towards creating a safer and more peaceful community for all.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line daily to serve and protect others,” said Joseph Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, which covers the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. “The FBI will not stand idly by while delinquents display no respect for authority and instill fear in their communities. We will investigate these cases fiercely to bring those responsible to justice. Detective Phipps was a hero, and the FBI will stand by those he left behind in our commitment to curtail violence and bring peace to the communities we serve.”
According to court documents, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, VIPD Detective Delberth Phipps and VIPD Officer Shahim Skeete responded to a 911 call that came in at approximately 7:54 a.m. The caller reported observing a shirtless man in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas wearing a bulletproof vest and appearing to have a gun in his back pocket. Shortly after Det. Phipps and Officer Skeete arrived on the scene, Dangleben began firing at them. Both Officer Skeete and Det. Phipps returned fire. During the shootout, Det. Phipps suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his torso. Dangleben eventually laid on the ground to surrender. He was subdued and transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center to be treated for the gunshot injuries that he sustained. Det. Phipps was pronounced dead at the Schneider Regional Medical Center at 9:05 a.m.
An assault rifle covered in blood was found near Dangleben where he laid on the ground. Officers also recovered the following from Dangleben’s car: (1) two assault rifle magazines; (2) seven boxes of assault-rifle ammunition; (3) a loaded .45 caliber handgun with a serial number that had been obliterated; and (4) over 300 grams of marijuana.
The federal indictment charges Dangleben with: one count of first degree murder; two counts of first degree assault; two counts of third degree assault; one count of attempted first degree murder; one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death; two counts of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; one count of receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment, and one count of wearing body armor during the commission of a violent crime.
Dangleben has been detained in federal custody since his initial arrest following the July 4 shooting.
At the time of the July 4 shooting, Dangleben was on pretrial release for a prior shooting death. He had been previously arrested in connection with a February 24, 2023, homicide and charged in the St. Thomas Superior Court. Dangleben’s release conditions included an order not to possess any firearms or ammunition or any dangerous weapon.
U.S. Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and Dangleben is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government’s case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Conley.
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Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Seizure of More Than Twenty-Four Kilos of HeroinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man found to be in possession of more than twenty-two kilos of heroin within hours of having sold two kilos while under law enforcement surveillance in November 2018, was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Jose Figueroa Rosales, 50, pleaded guilty on April 17, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 100 grams of heroin.
According to information presented to the court, in November 2018, while being surveilled by members of the Rhode Island Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Task Force, Figueroa sold an individual two kilograms of heroin. Later that same day, agents and officers executed a court-authorized search of Figueroa’s residence and seized more than twenty-two kilograms of heroin, valued at the time in excess of one million dollars.
The seizure of more than twenty-four kilos of heroin from Figueroa is among the single largest seizures in Rhode Island by law enforcement.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Figueroa to 84 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and the Providence Police Department.
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Property Developer Z&L Properties Fined $1 Million After Pleading Guilty to Honest Services Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Z&L Properties Inc., a Foster City, California-based subsidiary of a Chinese property development company, was ordered to pay a $1 million fine as part of its sentence for bribing a San Francisco official in exchange for favorable treatment on a construction project, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, United States District Judge.
According to the plea agreement, Z&L Properties’ executives approved or paid bribes to former San Francisco Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, including providing him and another individual with food, drinks, lodging, and transportation during a trip to China in 2018. The purpose of the payments was to influence Nuru to act favorably on Z&L Properties’ requests for city approvals needed to complete construction of a mixed-use property owned by Z&L Properties at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco.
Z&L Properties was charged by Information on July 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud. Z&L Properties pleaded guilty to the criminal scheme on August 17, 2023. In addition to the $1 million fine, Judge Orrick ordered Z&L Properties to implement a three-year anti-corruption corporate compliance program.
Also charged in the scheme was Zhang Li, 70, of Guangzhou, China. Zhang was the owner and controlling member of Z&L Properties as well as the chairman, co-founder, and chief executive officer of R&F Properties Co. Ltd., a real estate holdings and development company based in Guangzhou, China. R&F Properties does business in the United States through Z&L Properties Ltd. Zhang was charged by Criminal Complaint for his role in bribing Nuru. Zhang was arrested in London in November 2022 on an arrest warrant issued in the Northern District of California. He was required to post a £15 million ($19.1 million) bond and remained under house arrest in London for seven months before being extradited to the United States. Zhang waived extradition in June, returned to the United States, and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States.
This case is part of a larger federal investigation targeting public corruption in the City and County of San Francisco. Nuru was charged in January 2020 with a long-running honest services fraud scheme. Nuru pleaded guilty to several charges on January 6, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison on August 25, 2022. Another defendant, Wing Lok “Walter” Wong was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru and others. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s corruption investigations. Judge Orrick has scheduled Wong’s sentencing hearing for January 18, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorney David Ward is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Oxon Hill Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Two Machineguns and for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Jeffrey Wayne Spencer, age 26, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, and for illegal possession of two machineguns.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in October 2021, law enforcement received information that Spencer, known as “Jefe,” was distributing fentanyl and other controlled substances from an apartment in Oxon Hill, Maryland. To corroborate the tip, law enforcement arranged for a confidential source to make two purchases of fentanyl from Spencer at the residence.
On November 4, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant for the apartment. Spencer was the only person in the home at the time and was in the process of cutting and packaging fentanyl on the dining room table. On the dining room table, law enforcement seized 128 individual packaged baggies containing 17.7 grams of fentanyl; unpackaged loose white powdery substance in piles, determined to contain 35.95 grams of fentanyl; a money counter; and a black digital scale. On the living room couch in plain view near the dining room table, law enforcement seized a 9mm handgun with a full automatic switch. The firearm had one round of ammunition in the chamber ready to be fired and 49 additional rounds of ammunition inside a drum magazine. On the kitchen counter, law enforcement seized an additional 9mm handgun magazine containing approximately 14 rounds of ammunition.
From a shoebox in the bedroom closet, law enforcement seized a .40 caliber handgun with a full automatic switch. The firearm had one round of ammunition in the chamber ready to be fired and a .40 caliber handgun magazine containing approximately 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Also located in the shoebox was an extended magazine containing approximately 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition, as well as a tray containing approximately 5 additional rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. From inside a Burberry bag, law enforcement seized a glass jar containing 28 9mm rounds. From inside a green igloo bag, law enforcement seized a heat-sealed bag containing 499.9 grams of fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue and $77.50 in U.S. currency. Law enforcement also seized $7,765 in cash from the bathroom.
An FBI DNA analysis confirmed the presence of Spencer’s DNA on the seized firearms and firearm magazines and Spencer admitted that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the DEA for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Kibbe and Adam K. Ake, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Orrville Man Sentenced to Prison for Mail, Wire, and Securities FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Thomas Brenner, 60, of Orrville, Ohio, was sentenced to 125 months imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from criminal activity. Judge Nugent ordered Brenner to pay $3,487,938.89 in restitution and serve 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Brenner was a financial broker-dealer and President of First American Securities, Inc., located in Orrville. In March of 2015, Brenner conspired to recruit clients to “invest” in United RL Capital Services, LLC (“URL”), a company that purportedly financed medical laboratory developments.
Investors were solicited by Brenner over the phone, through letters, and in person while he misrepresented material information. Brenner indicated that investors’ money would finance medical laboratory developments; they would receive their money back, with interest, after three years; and that URL was as safe or safer than other existing investments.
Some investors, at Brenner’s encouragement, removed money from their IRAs to invest in URL, and represented this would not result in tax penalties. Instead of apportioning investors’ money, as promised, Brenner used the funds for his benefit, including to make large race car-related purchases, and to pay back tax debts. When investors inquired about their investments, Brenner misrepresented that they were secure and provided some investors with sporadic, minimal payments, disguised as installments of earned interest, all to lull investors into believing their money was safe and being used as promised.
Brenner learned he was being investigated for selling URL securities by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), a congressionally authorized entity that licenses and regulates broker-dealers. Brenner continued to sell URL securities after representing to FINRA under oath that he would stop. He did not tell prospective investors about the investigation, that First American Securities, Inc. could face closure, and that the defendant could be suspended from associating with any FINRA-registered firm, which he eventually was.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Andrachik and Erica Barnhill.
Orleans Parish Woman Pleads Guilty to Violations of Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DANIELLE REED, age 42, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023 to a two-count superseding bill of information charging her with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, a DEA investigation revealed that REED was a drug dealer who primarily sold crystal methamphetamine. DEA agents used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from REED. On April 19, 2022, DEA agents seized a quantity of methamphetamine and two firearms from REED.
For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, REED faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following imprisonment. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, REED faces a statutory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment, to run consecutive with any other sentence, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For both counts, REED faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of a United States Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TARYAN NABOND PRINCE-SADLER, 19, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to robbing a U. S. mail carrier using a firearm, announced U. S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 16, 2023, Prince-Sadler was charged by Superseding Information with robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Prince-Sadler’s co-defendant, Rijae Varnell Luster, 22, was charged by Indictment on May 16, 2023, with aiding and abetting armed robbery of property of the Unites States.
According to affidavits filed in support of the defendants’ criminal complaints, on or about August 22, 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Oklahoma City began receiving numerous reports of stolen U.S. mail. In conjunction with these reports, there were four armed robberies of USPS mail carriers between August 2022, and March 2023. One armed robbery happened on February 1, 2023, in Edmond, Oklahoma, and another armed robbery happened on March 4, 2023, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. During the Stillwater robbery, surveillance cameras spotted a white vehicle following the mail carrier before and after the robbery. An investigation of this vehicle led authorities to Luster. Authorities believed Luster drove Prince-Sadler to the Stillwater location to carry out the robbery.
The complaints also allege on April 17, 2023, USPIS Inspectors observed Prince-Sadler unlocking mailboxes in Edmond, removing U. S. mail, and placing the mail in a trash bag. USPIS Inspectors immediately arrested Prince-Sadler.
Today, Prince-Sadler pleaded guilty to the two-count Superseding Information. As part of his plea, Prince-Sadler admitted to forcefully taking a United States Arrow Key from a U.S. mail carrier and putting that mail carrier’s life in jeopardy by using a firearm.
On September 14, 2023, Luster pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting armed robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States. As part of his plea, Luster admitted that he participated in the robbery when he drove Prince-Sadler, who he knew to be armed, to and from the Stillwater robbery.
At sentencing, Prince-Sadler faces at least five years and up to life in federal prison, and a fine of up to $500,000. Luster faces up to 25 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Danielle London are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Newton Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Franklin Alcantara-Lorenzo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023.
Alcantara-Lorenzo, a citizen on the Dominican Republic, was deported from the United States in July 2021 after serving a 21-month federal sentence for conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. At some point thereafter, Alcantara-Lorenzo returned to the United States and was arrested by immigration authorities in Chestnut Hill in April 2023.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced SHAMAR HOLMES, age 23, a resident of New Orleans, to 57 months imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, HOLMES admitted that in September 2022 he was traveling down Interstate 10 near the Claiborne Avenue exit when another car opened fire on his car. HOLMES was shot several times and taken to the hospital. When New Orleans Police Officers arrived to investigate, they seized the car as part of the shooting investigation. They conducted a search of the car and found a .40 caliber handgun under the seat. In January 2022, HOLMES had pleaded guilty to a felony, in Orleans Parish and was thus prohibited from possessing guns at the time of the September shooting.
Judge Barbier sentenced HOLMES to fifty-seven months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. HOLMES was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Act ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on October 12, 2023, KEATON JOHNSON, age 22 of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to Counts 1 through 3 of the indictment against him. Count 1 charged JOHNSON with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count 2 charged JOHNSON with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 3 charged JOHNSON with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
For Count 1, JOHNSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
For Count 2, JOHNSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
For Count 3, JOHNSON faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to a maximum term of life imprisonment, to run consecutively with Counts 1 and 2, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. As to each count, JOHNSON also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to public records, on July 19, 2022, New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) officers received a call for a gunshot fired in the French Quarter. When NOPD officers arrived at the scene, there was no victim present. During their investigation, officers learned that a man (later identified as JOHNSON) got into a verbal argument with another man and a shooting occurred.
Within minutes of the shooting, an NOPD Detective observed JOHNSON in the French Quarter riding a bike. At the sight of police officers, JOHNSON attempted to flee on foot but was caught and arrested.
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 track violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.
Nevada Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jamie Lyn Music, 41, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Music was a passenger on Interstate 64 near Huntington, West Virginia. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 399.6 grams of fentanyl in a backpack. Music admitted that she possessed and intended to sell the fentanyl.
Music is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 or years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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. 3:22-cr-102.
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Maryland United States Attorney’s Office Secures Settlement in Case Concerning Disability-Based Discrimination at Multifamily Housing Complexes in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced today that Maryland-based developer Humphrey Stavrou Associates, Inc. and related entities have agreed to pay $475,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to build six multi-family housing complexes in Maryland with required accessible features for people with disabilities. As part of the settlement, the defendants also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the three properties Humphrey Stavrou Associates, Inc. still owns and the three properties Humphrey Stavrou Associates, Inc. sold to third parties.
The Justice Department previously resolved part of its lawsuit, which was filed in September 2022, with Maryland-based developer Stavrou Associates, Inc. and related entities, which agreed to pay $185,000 to settle claims that they failed to build 11 multi-family housing complexes in Maryland with required accessible features. Stavrou Associates, Inc. also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the complexes. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland entered the parties’ settlement, in the form of a consent order, on November 22, 2022.
“Developers who fail to abide by the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “These settlements will help ensure people with disabilities have fair and equal access to their homes by making these housing complexes more accessible.”
“When the retrofits required by these settlements are completed, people with disabilities will have equal access to 1,300 more residential units in Maryland,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to ensuring that apartment complexes are accessible to people with disabilities.”
Humphrey Stavrou Associates, Inc. will deposit a sum of $410,000 in an interest-bearing escrow account to be used to retrofit the three properties it has sold since construction, which are now owned by other entities.
The combined 17 properties at issue in the case were built with financial assistance from the federal government’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and some of the properties are specifically marketed as housing for seniors.
The settlement with Humphrey Stavrou Associates, Inc., which must still be approved by the Court, also requires the defendants to pay $60,000 into a settlement fund to compensate individuals who were harmed by the inaccessible conditions and $5,000 to the government in civil penalties to vindicate the public interest.
Under the settlement, the defendants will, among other things, replace steeply-sloped walkways, widen doorways, and modify bathrooms so they are accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs. The settlement also requires the defendants to receive training about the FHA and the ADA, to ensure that their future multi-family housing construction complies with these laws and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department. The six complexes are:
- Pin Oak Village, Bowie, Maryland
- Woodland Creek Apartments (formerly “Henson Creek Manor I and II Apartments”), Fort Washington, Maryland
- Woodside Village Apartments, Fort Washington, Maryland
- Acclaim at Lake Largo (formerly “Largo Center Apartments”), Largo, Maryland
- Randolph Village Senior Apartments, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Vistas at Lake Largo, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
The 11 complexes built by Stavrou Associates, Inc. that are the subject of the previously entered Consent Decree are:
- Villages at Belle Hill, Elkton, Maryland
- Burgess Mill Station I, Ellicott City, Maryland
- Burgess Mill Station II, Ellicott City, Maryland
- River Point Apartments, Essex, Maryland
- Hammarlee House Apartments, Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Overland Gardens, Landover, Maryland
- Rainier Manor Phase II Apartments, Mount Rainier, Maryland
- Chapel Springs Senior Apartments, Perry Hall, Maryland
- Hampshire Village, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Windsor Crossing Family Apartments, Suitland, Maryland
- Windsor Crossing Senior Apartments, Suitland, Maryland
Individuals who believe they or someone they know may have had difficulties because of the inaccessible conditions at any of these properties should send an e-mail to the Justice Department at [email protected] or leave a message at 1-833-591-0291, selecting option 1 for English, selecting option 4 for housing accessibility for persons with disabilities, and selecting option 4 for Stavrou Associates Inc.
The United States Attorney’s Office together with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforce the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. This law requires that most multifamily housing buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic accessible features. Enacted in 1990, the ADA requires that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes constructed after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Phillips of the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Beth Pepper and Jennifer McAllister of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who are handling these cases.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-Maryland and https://www.justice.gov/usao-Maryland/civil-rights.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Violating Federal Child Sexual Exploitation LawsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of children and attempted online enticement.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service, and Jeffersontown Police Chief Richard W. Sanders made the announcement.
According to court documents, Steven B. Earnest, 35, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by a 30-year term of supervised release, for attempted sex trafficking of children and attempted enticement of a minor. There is no parole in the federal system.
Earnest used the internet to communicate with an individual to negotiate to pay to engage in sexual conduct with a 12-year-old child. Earnest then traveled to an agreed upon location, with money, to engage in the sexual conduct, where he was arrested.
“I commend the work of the Secret Service, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the Jeffersontown Police Department for their outstanding work during the investigation of this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The protection of our most vulnerable citizens is a top priority of this office. Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners we will continue to identify, apprehend, and aggressively prosecute those who seek to sexually exploit our children.”
This case was the result of a joint federal, state, and local operation called Operation Angel, aimed at making federal arrests of individuals who preyed upon children. The United States Secret Service, the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, and the Jeffersontown Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after been deported.
Francisco Araujo Lara, 43, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2023 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2024.
Araujo Lara, a citizen on the Dominican Republic, was deported from the United States in September 2019, after serving an 18–30-month state sentence for a cocaine distribution conviction. Sometime thereafter, Araujo Lara unlawfully reentered the United States. In 2022, he was arrested in Lawrence for heroin and cocaine distribution. Araujo Lara pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Last of 17 Defendants Pleads Guilty in Southeast Washington Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corenzo Mobery, 40, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to participating in a drug trafficking network based in Southeast Washington that sold cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, PCP, and marijuana, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mobery, aka “Snowman,” pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to five counts of a superseding indictment that included unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Mobery was indicted with 16 co-defendants (listed below) who all have pleaded guilty. Nearly all have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 months to 114 months based on their criminal conduct and criminal histories. Mobery is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.
The case stems from an investigation by the MPD Violent Crime Suppression Division’s Violence Reduction Unit and the FBI into the “MLK Crew” — a group of individuals who were operating an open-air drug market in and around the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, Washington D.C.
The investigation began in response to numerous citizen complaints about rampant drug trafficking and accompanying incidents of violence in the area. In addition to numerous citizen complaints, MPD targeted this area as one of the most notorious in the city in terms of recent shootings and shots fired, as well as for the area’s high numbers of arrests—particularly offenses involving drugs and firearms.
As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI began conducting surveillance, obtaining search warrants, and making controlled buys of narcotics from suspected members of the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that MLK Crew members openly engaged in the sale of various drugs (including PCP, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana) and took over the area and, effectively, some of the neighborhood’s businesses. MLK Crew members would often go into the neighborhood businesses to complete sales and constantly loitered outside of these businesses to engage in sales. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI obtained video of defendants openly conducting narcotics transactions in these businesses and even displaying firearms. Throughout the case, law enforcement seized at least 10 firearms (many of which were privately manufactured firearms or “ghost guns”) from MLK crew members and/or stash houses and a sizeable quantity of various narcotics.
The MLK Crew’s drug trafficking contributed to numerous incidents of drug-related violence in and around the 2900 Block of MLK Ave., including multiple assaults, shootings, robberies, and murders—most notably, the murder of a six-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the co-defendants in this case.
In July 2021, a few months after opening the investigation, MPD and FBI arrested 11 initial defendants and seized 10 firearms, along with PCP, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and over $2,500 in cash. The additional six defendants were charged in September 2021 and were arrested shortly thereafter.
DEFENDANT
STATUS
Ricky Lyles, Accokeek, MD
Sentenced to 114 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm
Nico Griffin, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dandre Shorter, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Wesley Leake, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Leon Lindsay, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dezmond Cunningham, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distributecocaine
Divine Chappell, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 76 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shawn Wooden, Washington, DC
Pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
To be sentenced on Nov. 28, 2023Barry Tyson, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 73 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Delonta Chappell, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Anthony Graves, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 27 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Deshawn Loggins, Temple Hills, MD
Sentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Kevonte Randall, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to distribute 2 cocaine and possessing a firearm
Corenzo Mobery, Washington, DC
Pleaded guilty October 16th.
To be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2024Rico Griffin, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shahborne Scales, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Luther McDuffie, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force in partnership with MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Henek, Andy Wang, and Matthew W. Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Case Concerning Disability-Based Discrimination at Multifamily Housing Complexes in MarylandRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Maryland-based developer Humphrey-Stavrou Associates Inc. (Humphrey-Stavrou) and related entities have agreed to pay $475,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The claims alleged that the defendants failed to build required accessible features for people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, at six multi-family housing complexes across Maryland. As part of the settlement, the defendants also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the three properties Humphrey-Stavrou still owns and the three properties Humphrey-Stavrou sold to third parties.
“When the retrofits required by these settlements are completed, people with disabilities will have equal access to 1,300 more residential units in Maryland,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to ensuring that apartment complexes are accessible to people with disabilities.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is dedicated to ensuring that developers who fail to abide by the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “These settlements will help ensure Marylanders with disabilities have fair and equal access to their homes by making these housing complexes more accessible.”
Humphrey-Stavrou will deposit a sum of $410,000 in an account to be used to retrofit the three properties it has sold since construction, which are now owned by other entities.
The agreement with Humphrey-Stavrou, which must still be approved by the court, also requires the defendants to pay $60,000 into a settlement fund to compensate individuals who were harmed by the inaccessible conditions and $5,000 to the government in civil penalties to vindicate the public interest.
Under the agreement, the defendants will, among other things, replace steeply sloped walkways, widen doorways and modify bathrooms so they are accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs. The agreement also requires the defendants to receive training about the FHA and the ADA, to ensure that their future multi-family housing construction complies with these laws and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department. The six complexes are:
- Pin Oak Village, Bowie, Maryland;
- Woodland Creek Apartments (formerly Henson Creek Manor I and II Apartments), Fort Washington, Maryland;
- Woodside Village Apartments, Fort Washington, Maryland;
- Acclaim at Lake Largo (formerly Largo Center Apartments), Largo, Maryland;
- Randolph Village Senior Apartments, Silver Spring, Maryland; and
- Vistas at Lake Largo, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
The Justice Department previously resolved part of its lawsuit, which was filed in September 2022, with Stavrou Associates Inc. and related entities, which agreed to pay $185,000 to settle claims that they failed to build the required accessibility features in 11 other multi-family housing complexes in Maryland. Stavrou Associates Inc. also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the complexes. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland entered the parties’ settlement, in the form of a consent order, on Nov. 22, 2022.
The 11 complexes built by Stavrou Associates Inc. that are the subject of the previously entered consent decree are:
- Villages at Belle Hill, Elkton, Maryland;
- Burgess Mill Station I, Ellicott City, Maryland;
- Burgess Mill Station II, Ellicott City, Maryland;
- River Point Apartments, Essex, Maryland;
- Hammarlee House Apartments, Glen Burnie, Maryland;
- Overland Gardens, Landover, Maryland;
- Rainier Manor Phase II Apartments, Mount Rainier, Maryland;
- Chapel Springs Senior Apartments, Perry Hall, Maryland;
- Hampshire Village, Silver Spring, Maryland;
- Windsor Crossing Family Apartments, Suitland, Maryland; and
- Windsor Crossing Senior Apartments, Suitland, Maryland.
The combined 17 properties at issue in the case were built with financial assistance from the federal government’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and some of the properties are specifically marketed as housing for seniors.
Individuals who believe they or someone they know may have had difficulties because of the inaccessible conditions at any of these properties should send an e-mail to the Justice Department at [email protected] or leave a message at 1-833-591-0291, selecting option 1 for English, selecting option 4 for housing accessibility for persons with disabilities and selecting option 4.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. This law requires that most multifamily housing buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic accessible features. Enacted in 1990, the ADA requires that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes constructed after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
humphrey-stavrou_proposed_consent_order_submitted_2023-10-16.pdfJoint Statements by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office Reinforcing Commitment to Combat Hate Crimes and Potential ThreatsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office, issued the following statements, reinforcing a united commitment to combat hate crimes and potential threats:
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local FBI partners are focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “There is no justification for terrorism. There is no place for hate, evil acts, or threats against Jews, Muslims, or anyone in our diverse South Florida communities or around the globe. We hold a place in our hearts for anyone impacted by acts of terror and grieve for those who are suffering unspeakable losses. As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated this weekend ‘We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate.’”
“FBI Miami is working closely with our law enforcement partners in South Florida to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office. “As always, we take seriously any tips or leads we receive regarding potential threats and investigate them rigorously to determine their credibility. The FBI encourages members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
The community is encouraged to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Leigh Jones, 32, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 5 2023, Jones sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Richmond Street residence. Jones admitted to arranging the transaction beforehand. Jones further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to the informant on two other occasions in May 2023.
On May 11, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Tauris PT22 .22-caliber pistol, and .22-caliber ammunition. Jones admitted to the officers that she had been involved in the distribution of drugs within the Southern District of West Virginia and possessed the seized firearm for protection following the theft of fentanyl from her.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-82.
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Houston businessman charged with fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 55-year-old Houston resident is now in custody for wire fraud in relation to a fraudulent loan scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities took Michael Wayne Galvan into custody Oct. 12. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 2 p.m.
The three-count indictment, returned Aug. 17, alleges Galvan owned and operated MWG Ventures LLC dba MGB Builders. He allegedly defrauded various individuals by making false representations to obtain loans from them.
Galvan solicited loans to purchase tile and granite from China and overseas for his construction business, according to the charges. However, the indictment alleges he did not use the loan money for that purpose and instead used some of it to repay loans and interest to other lenders.
If convicted, Galvan faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
High Ranking Gang Member Receives 19.5 Years in Federal Prison for Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH , N.C. – William Dayshawn Wilson, also known as “Santana,” of New Bern, North Carolina, was sentenced to 234 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting. On June 3, 2022, Wilson, age 32, pled guilty to the charges.
“We are committed to keeping our streets safe from the destructive influence of gang activity and the deadly impact of fentanyl trafficking. Today’s sentencing is a clear message to those who engage in such criminal enterprises will face the full force of the law. We will relentlessly protect our communities and ensure justice is served,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on January 13, 2019, Craven County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a report of shots fired at one of Wilson’s drug stash houses at the Gracie Farms trailer park in Craven County. Law enforcement discovered that Coriana Cox had been killed as individuals shot into the trailer, likely as a part of an attempted robbery.
Before law enforcement arrived at the drug stash house, Wilson called someone inside the residence and told them to get rid of the narcotics and firearms that were inside. During the homicide investigation, law enforcement found 46 grams of fentanyl that had not yet been destroyed.
The investigation revealed that from 2014 until 2020, Wilson orchestrated drug trips from New Jersey to Eastern North Carolina and oversaw several drug “trap houses” in Craven County. The investigation uncovered that Wilson was involved in the distribution of large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.
On April 2, 2019, Wilson was arrested in Greenville, North Carolina for a North Carolina State probation violation. Wilson had attempted to alter his appearance, was in possession of a Florida Driver’s license in the name of “Akiz Jackman,” and had a suitcase that contained more than $30,000.
On April 24, 2019, law enforcement observed Shatavia Wilson, William Wilson’s wife, meet someone in a parking lot in Craven County. Following that meeting, that person placed a shoebox in the trunk of Shatavia Wilson’s car. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the car. A K-9 alerted on the car and officers found more than more $42,000 in the shoebox.
On May 1, 2019, Wilson used a recorded jail phone to arrange for someone to pick up heroin from New Jersey for distribution in Eastern North Carolina. Detectives were able to confirm that a third party left New Bern and travelled to Newark, New Jersey. On May 3, 2019, members of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office stopped the car in Oxford, North Carolina and found 80 grams of heroin.
According to law enforcement and other information, Wilson was one of the highest-ranking Blood gang members in Craven County and had a reputation for using fear and intimidation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Craven and Granville County Sheriffs’ Offices, the New Bern Police Department, Craven County District Attorney Scott Thomas, and the Craven County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Lemmon and Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 4:21-CR-0053-D-1.
Hagerstown Man Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement on a Loan Application to Obtain COVID-19 FundsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jeffrey Bearden, age 47, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement on a loan application relating to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector (“SBA OIG”), Eastern Region.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program, (“PPP”) administered through the Small Business Administration, through participating financial institutions.
According to his plea agreement, Bearden was the Chief Executive Officer of B&D Consulting Inc., a corporation that provided information technology services, including cybersecurity services. As detailed in the plea agreement, on May 1, 2020, Bearden submitted an application for a $734,609 PPP loan for B&D Consulting. As part of the application, Bearden certified that the loan application and supporting documents for his company, B&D Consulting, were accurate and correct. The $734,609 PPP loan was intended to be used primarily for employee salaries, but at the time of the application, the company had no employees, nor reported paying any earnings and wages for any employee to the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing (DLLR) in 2020.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2020, the loan was approved and $734,609 was deposited into B&D’s bank account. That same day, the $734.609 was transferred to a different B&D bank account and a total of approximately $69,848.06 was subsequently transferred to Bearden and three other individuals. The next month, $600,000 was transferred to Bearden’s brokerage account and was used to purchase stocks in a variety of publicly traded companies, including one that produced a vaccine for COVID-19. The purchase of stocks is not an approved use of PPP loan funds by the Small Business Administration.
In February 2021, Bearden applied for a second PPP loan in a similar amount, attaching a fraudulent bank statement for B&D Consulting for the month of March 2020 showing the company was paying salaries to at least 19 individuals and that there had been $335,000 in total deposits and $332,017.10 in total withdrawals from the account. In fact, no deposits or withdraws had been made from that account in March 2020 and the account was overdrawn by more than $275. A loan for $734,609 was initially approved but later cancelled after the discovery of the fraudulent March 2020 bank statement and no funds were disbursed.
Bearden faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. As part of his guilty plea, Bearden will also be required to pay a money judgment of $734,609 and to forfeit $16,562.15 seized from an investment account during the investigation. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and the SBA OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the federal case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Guilty Plea Reached After over 50 Kilograms of Cocaine Interdicted in New Kent CountyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Durham, North Carolina, man pleaded guilty today to attempted possession of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, on August 2, Jose Arellano-Rodriguez, 26, was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents when he brought $90,000 to a rest stop in New Kent County to pay for what he believed was a load of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine. The load had been intercepted one week prior by law enforcement from within a vehicle believed to have crossed the Mexican border into the United States. The individuals Arellano-Rodriguez provided the money to were members of law enforcement. Once the money was provided by Arellano-Rodriguez, he was arrested and taken into custody. Following his arrest, law enforcement discovered a firearm in Arellano-Rodriguez’s possession.
Arellano-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to attempted possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for DEA’s Washington Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case.
Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
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. 4:23-cr-61.
Former Navy IT Manager Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Hacking a Computer Database, Stealing over 9,000 People’s Identities, and Selling the Information for $160,000 in BitcoinRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Former Navy IT Manager Marquis Hooper, 32, of Selma, California, was sentenced today to five years and five months in prison for hacking a computer database that contained personally identifiable information (PII) and selling it, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, in August 2018, Hooper opened an online account with a company that runs a database containing the PII for millions of people. The company restricts access to the database to businesses and government agencies that have a demonstrated, lawful need for the PII. Hooper, however, opened his database account by falsely representing to the company that the Navy needed him to perform background checks.
After Hooper opened his database account, he added his wife and co-defendant, Natasha Chalk, to the account. They then stole over 9,000 people’s PII and sold it to other individuals on the dark web for $160,000 in bitcoin.
At least some of the individuals to whom Hooper and Chalk sold the PII used it to commit further crimes. For example, one individual used the PII to create a fake driver’s license and then tried to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account.
In December 2018, Hooper’s database account was closed for suspected fraud. Thereafter, Hooper, Chalk, and an unindicted co-conspirator tried to regain access to the database. Hooper instructed the unindicted co-conspirator to open a new database account by representing that the Navy needed him to perform background checks just like Hooper had done. Hooper offered to pay the unindicted co-conspirator $2,500 for each month that the database account was opened. The unindicted co-conspirator submitted an application to open the database account and the company told him that a supply officer had to sign the contract. Navy supply officers have contracting authority to purchase certain services and supplies for the Navy.
Hooper then sent the unindicted co-conspirator multiple documents falsely identifying an identity theft victim as the supposed Naval supply officer. These documents included a false contract, a fake driver’s license for the identity theft victim, and a forged letter purporting to be from a commanding officer in the Navy. The unindicted co-conspirator submitted the fake documents to the company, but the company decided not to open the new database account.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Chalk is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20, 2023. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former Jackson Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan ApplicationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his submission of a false COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application.
According to court documents, Wesley Murray, Sr., 54, submitted to the United States Small Business Association (“SBA”) a false EIDL application containing material misrepresentations. In reliance on his certification that he would use the EIDL funds for business purposes, the SBA awarded Murray approximately $72,400 in COVID-19 relief funds. Murray acknowledged that he used these funds for purely personal expenses. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement with the United States, Murray agreed to make full restitution to the SBA.
Murray is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former High Desert Doctor Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Charges for Illegally Issuing Prescriptions During Telehealth SessionsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Antelope Valley physician pleaded guilty today to federal narcotics charges for illegally dispensing prescriptions for often-abused controlled substances – including opioid-based medications – during telemedicine sessions with “patients” from across the United States.
Raphael Tomas Malikian, 39, who resides in Llano and Palmdale, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud and one count of distribution of oxycodone.
The Medical Board of California suspended Malikian’s medical license in November 2021. His license expired in November 2022.
According to his plea agreement, from at least December 2019 to August 2021, Malikian was a licensed physician in California and, in this role, was authorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe medication. Malikian also owned and operated Happy Family Medicine, a medical clinic that was advertised as being in a co-working space in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, but primarily offered telehealth services via telephone or text message communications.
Malikian issued prescriptions for controlled substances to customers without first obtaining the person’s full medical history, conducting a physical examination, requiring medical testing, or utilizing diagnostic tools. Malikian did not verify his customers’ identities before prescribing controlled substances, and he allowed customers to obtain prescriptions in the names of others.
He also worked with two co-conspirators, who provided Malikian with false names, addresses, dates of birth, and Malikian issued controlled substance prescriptions accordingly, which the co-conspirators then filled and re-sold on the black market.
Many of Malikian’s fraudulent controlled substance prescriptions contained notes on the prescriptions or accompanying documentation that falsely urged pharmacies not to verify such prescriptions because medications were emergently needed and the failure to dispense could be life threatening because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malikian issued hundreds of false prescriptions for liquid promethazine with codeine during this period – including to people he knew were fictitious patients and which totaled more than 82 liters – and directed them to be sent to various pharmacies across the nation for co-conspirators to obtain.
From April to July of 2020, Malikian prescribed to a buyer 702 pills of 10 milligrams oxycodone and 240 milliliters of promethazine with codeine. The customer, in fact, was an undercover law enforcement officer. Malikian issued each prescription to this buyer without conducting proper medical evaluations or verifying the buyer’s identity and was performed outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
In addition, from May to July of 2020, Malikian prescribed to a customer – who also was an undercover law enforcement officer – 234 pills of the painkiller Norco, which contained a total of 2,340 milligrams of the opioid hydrocodone and 180 pills of alprazolam, an anxiety medication sold under the brand name Xanax. Once again, Malikian issued each prescription to this buyer without conducting proper medical evaluations or verifying the buyer’s identity and was performed outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a February 5, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Malikian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distribution of oxycodone and up to four years in federal prison for aiding and abetting the acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud.
The DEA investigated this matter. The California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
Former California Resident Sentenced to 13 Years of Imprisonment for Violating Federal Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Stockton, California has been sentenced in federal court to 13 years of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws. This conviction is related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Marco Galvez, age 32.
According to information presented to the court, Galvez was a narcotics supplier who supplied at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine that was shipped from California and Nevada to Jefferson County, Clearfield County, and Allegheny County.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Galvez.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Former California Police Officer and Three Co-Defendants Sentenced for Years Long Operation of Illicit Massage BusinessesRead the Press Release
Peter Griffin, 79, a retired San Diego police officer and former vice detective, attorney and private investigator, was sentenced on Friday to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release for committing various crimes in connection with his operation of five California and Arizona-based illicit massage businesses that profited for years by selling commercial sex under the guise of offering therapeutic massage services.
Griffin’s three female co-defendants, Kyung Sook Hernandez, 59, Yu Hong Tan, 57, and Yoo Jin Ott, 46, who managed the different illicit massage businesses in Griffin’s network, were each sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, Griffin, Hernandez, Tan and Ott owned and operated “Genie Oriental Spa,” “Felicita Spa,” “Blue Green Spa,” “Maple Spa” and “Massage W Spa,” located in the greater San Diego area and in Tempe, Arizona, between 2013 and August 2022. The criminal scheme included incorporating their businesses with state agencies, managing the businesses’ illicit proceeds, advertising commercial sexual services online, recruiting and employing women to perform commercial sex services and benefiting financially from the illegal enterprises.
“Defendant Griffin – a former vice detective who once took an oath to uphold our laws – is being held accountable for abusing his position of authority and, with his co-defendants, operating illicit massage businesses and profiting by exploiting women for commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case is an example of how strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies can combat the illicit massage industry. The Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who callously prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.”
“Peter Griffin used the skills he developed as a vice detective — and his status as a former law enforcement officer — to operate a network of illicit massage businesses and evade law enforcement,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to this multiagency investigation, Griffin has been held accountable for his nearly decade-long criminal scheme. This case underscores the department’s commitment to prosecuting the purveyors of these illicit businesses, who profit from pressuring their employees to engage in commercial sex.”
“Illicit massage businesses hide in plain sight in many communities in America, including our district,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Operators of these businesses often profit through exploitation. For years, Peter Griffin used his connections as a former police officer for his own criminal profiteering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting these kinds of offenses, protecting our communities and ensuring that legitimate local businesses are not tarnished by criminal activity.”
“Peter Griffin abused and exploited vulnerable women by pressuring them into commercial sex for profit while taking advantage of his status in the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “This sentence sends a clear message to those who mistakenly believe they can get away with such repugnant crimes. HSI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work vigorously and bring to justice those who exploit and victimize vulnerable members of our community.”
“Law enforcement professionals swear an oath to protect and defend our communities, and the spirit of that oath should live on even when we stop carrying a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “Griffin preyed on people who should have felt safer because of his presence. He and his co-conspirators failed in their attempts to conceal their illicit activities because of our special agents’ unique ability to follow the money and a strong cross-agency effort to find the evidence to bring these predators to justice.”
Through this scheme, the defendants exploited the employees, mostly vulnerable women from Korea and China; pressured the employees to perform commercial sex services; and made substantial financial profits from the illegal commercial sexual activity. When one employee initially refused to perform commercial sexual services, one of the defendants instructed her to “leave [her] morals in China” in order to “make the customers happy.”
Griffin, who left the department in 2002, previously worked as a detective with the Vice Operations Unit of the San Diego Police Department, a unit tasked with dismantling the very businesses he operated and promoted for personal profit. Throughout the nine-year criminal scheme, Griffin used the experience and skills he acquired through his work as a vice detective – skills honed by his education as an attorney and work as a private investigator – and his reputation as a former police officer to help the businesses evade law enforcement; conceal evidence; pressure employees to engage in commercial sex; maintain a façade of legitimacy; and thwart regulatory inspections, investigations and any official action against the businesses.
Griffin repeatedly used his status as a former law enforcement officer to falsely assure local authorities that his businesses would be operated legitimately. On one occasion, Griffin flashed his badge to a local officer responding to a citizen complaint regarding one of his illicit businesses. Additionally, Griffin told an employee that he was a former police officer and instructed her not to “open [her] mouth” about working at the illicit massage business. Griffin’s co-defendants similarly informed employees of Griffin’s law enforcement background and his resulting “connections” and promised he would protect the illegal businesses from law enforcement detection. Griffin also abused resources he had access to by virtue of his private investigator license to obtain information on customers and employees on behalf of the illicit massage businesses.
HSI, IRS-CI and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, a regional, multi-agency effort led by the California Justice Department dedicated to supporting survivors and holding traffickers accountable, led the investigation. The FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Sherriff’s Office, the Escondido Police Department, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and the Tempe, Arizona Police Department also supported the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Streja for the Southern District of California, Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case, with assistance from Senior Financial Investigators Sheila Olander and Kathryn Montemorra of the Money Laundering Section’s Special Financial Investigations Unit.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Former Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Todd Eric Tripp, age 35, of Sorrento, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to receipt of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, Tripp faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release—which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to admissions made during his plea, from March 2020, and continuing until October 2020, Tripp used a multimedia instant messaging application to obtain child pornography. Tripp received at least 15 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This matter was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ascension Parish Sherriff’s Office, and the York County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner and Criminal Chief Jamie A. Flowers Jr.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Felon Pleads Guilty to the Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to the unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Garrito (“Tony”) Fort, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for January 25, 2024. Fort was charged on August 1, 2022.
According to court documents, on the morning of November 1, 2021, Fort believed a man had scratched his car the night before, so he left a residence in Seabrook to confront him. Armed with a Taurus 9 mm pistol, Fort confronted the man for approximately three minutes. During the confrontation, two witnesses tried separating Fort and the man. One of the witnesses also told Fort to “put that gun away.” Fort fired two shots. The first shot seriously injured another man, and the second shot killed the man that Fort thought scratched his car. The shooting was captured on video camera.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Seabrook Police Department, and New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam T. Le also previously worked on this matter.
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Federal inmate convicted of assaulting correctional officerRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dwight Foster, age 50, a federal inmate formerly housed at United States Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, was convicted of assaulting a correctional officer.
After a two-day trial, a jury found Foster guilty of assault of a correctional officer involving physical contact and possession of a weapon. According to court documents and statements made in court, Foster was found with a prison-made weapon during a random search. When a correctional officer attempted to seize the object from Foster and detain him, Foster struck the officer in the face and chest with his fist.
Foster faces up to 8 years in prison for the assault charge and up to 5 years for the weapon charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Christie Utt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Danbury Postmaster Admits Operating Bribery, Kickback, and Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that on October 13, 2023, EPHREM D. NGUYEN, 50, formerly of Brookfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a fraud offense stemming from a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme he operated while serving as the Postmaster of the Danbury Post Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nguyen was employed by the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) as the Postmaster of the Danbury Post Office in Danbury, with responsibilities that included supervising the maintenance and repair of all equipment, facilities, and vehicles assigned to the post office. In November 2020, Nguyen required that all Danbury Post Office vehicle maintenance and repair work be performed by a certain vendor, even though Nguyen knew that another vendor already had a contract for with the Danbury Post Office for those services. Nguyen demanded that the vendor provide free vehicle maintenance and repairs for himself, one of his children, a USPS employee, and employee of Nguyen’s personal business. In 2022, Nguyen solicited and received $90,000 in cash bribes from the vendor. In exchange for these bribes, Nguyen caused the USPS to overpay the vendor for vehicle maintenance and repair, which Nguyen characterized as a “raise.” Between approximately January 2022 and February 2023, Nguyen used USPS credit cards to pay the vendor more than $1 million, or approximately $760,000 more than necessary to pay for legitimate maintenance and repair work.
In addition, Nguyen embezzled more than $80,000 from the USPS by using his USPS credit cards to rent vehicles for the personal use of himself and others, and he approved more than $8,000 in fraudulent travel expense reimbursement claims for a co-worker.
Through these schemes, Nguyen defrauded the USPS of approximately $874,930.59.
“As federal employees, we take an oath to protect the public, including funds that have been allocated for federal services,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This corrupt employee operated a brazen bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I commend the USPS Office of Inspector General and the FBI for their excellent work in this investigation.”
“The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner,” said Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted. We are gratified to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the United States Attorney’s Office for assuring that there is no place for public corruption anywhere within the Postal Service.”
“Investigations into the breach of public trust by government employees are a top priority for the FBI, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “We would like to extend our appreciation to the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General for the excellent collaboration that led to this individual being brought to justice. We hope the results of this case and similar previous cases will send a clear message to anyone engaging in fraudulent government activities.”
Nguyen pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 5, 2024.
Nguyen who is currently residing in Quincy, Massachusetts, is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan N. Francis.
Corona Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Prison for Scheme that Fraudulently Obtained $2.1 Million in COVID Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 68 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to obtain more than $2.1 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by filing fraudulent applications claiming, among other things, that the claimants were salon and barbershop workers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Campbell Jr., 30, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who also ordered him to pay $2,113,966 in restitution.
Campbell, this case’s lead defendant, pleaded guilty on March 6 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a presidentially declared emergency and one count of mail fraud in connection with benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency. He has been free on $100,000 bond since his July 2022 arrest in this case.
From March 2020 to July 2021, Campbell and other co-conspirators used the personally identifiable information (PII) of others – including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers – to file fraudulent UI applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program.
The fraudulent UI claims were federally funded through programs authorized by Congress in response to the pandemic, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Lost Wage Assistance programs.
Many of the fraudulent claims were made on behalf of ineligible out-of-state claimants and on behalf of people ineligible for benefits because they were imprisoned, including one claimant in Texas.
The fraudulent applications falsely stated the claimants had prior annual incomes of $42,000 and they were self-employed individuals whose jobs were adversely impacted when salons and barbershop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraudulent applications listed mailing addresses with locations chosen and controlled by Campbell and his accomplices. Once the fraudulent applications were approved, debit cards were mailed to those addresses.
In total, Campbell and others caused 174 fraudulent applications to be filed with EDD, resulting in 125 fraudulent claims to be paid and resulting in total losses of approximately $2,113,966.
Campbell is the eighth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. The other seven defendants pleaded guilty and Judge Bernal imposed previous sentences ranging from probation and home confinement to 18 months in federal prison.
“While the nation struggled with unprecedented loss of life and social and economic disruption, [Campbell] seized upon the dislocation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the public of more than $2.1 million,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Campbell] organized, led, and encouraged his coconspirators throughout, and mocked considerations of decency and honesty at every turn in his communications with them.”
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division are investigating this matter. Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit, and the United States Secret Service provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Conehatta Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Conehatta man pleaded guilty today to abusive sexual contact with a child.
According to court documents, Dayleon Phillips, Sr., 35, engaged in sexual contact with a minor under the age of twelve. Court records show that the offense occurred in the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on January 19, 2024, and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns are prosecuting the case.