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15 November 2023
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri man who admitted selling fentanyl and methamphetamine, fleeing from police and possessing machine guns was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk also ordered Marvel Sherell, 23, to be placed on supervised release for four years after his eventual release from prison.
Sherell was the final defendant to be sentenced of five charged in the drug conspiracy. He pleaded guilty in July to three felony counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possessing one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a machine gun.
The investigation began after the Drug Enforcement Administration learned that Sherrell was selling meth and fentanyl and used a confidential source to make drugs buys from him.
“Like many business owners, drug trafficking organizations want to protect their business and assets,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of DEA investigations in eastern Missouri. “However, there is no similarity to legitimate businesses when dealing in illicit drugs and protecting the business includes illegal weapons. DEA is pleased this criminal enterprise is permanently closed for business."
In his plea agreement, Sherrell admitted engaging in a drug conspiracy with others including Nicholas L. Nixon, 24; Jacquez T. Love, 25; Turhan Robinson Jr., 23; and Arion D. Strickland, 29.
Sherrell admitted selling methamphetamine and fentanyl to the DEA. He also admitted fleeing from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on May 5, 2022. After officers spotted Sherrell driving recklessly, they tried to stop his car. Sherrell sped off, even after police spike strips deflated the tires on the driver’s side of the vehicle. He ran a red light, hit another vehicle and continued to flee from police, who again used spike strips. Sherrell kept going, violating more traffic signals. During the chase, Strickland tossed a KelTec rifle out of the vehicle and Nixon discarded a Micro Draco AK-47-style pistol and 1,181 pills containing fentanyl. A fully automatic AR-15-style weapon was found after the case where Robinson had been sitting.
When deputy U.S. Marshals arrested Love at the apartment Sherrell, Nixon and Love shared in St. Louis County on May 12, 2022, they found methamphetamine and a fully automatic .40-caliber Glock handgun in Sherrell’s bedroom, along with two “switches” that convert a Glock into a machine gun. They found a pistol in both Nixon’s and Love’s bedroom and in the kitchen. They also found fentanyl and meth in the kitchen.
Nicholas L. Nixon, now 24, pleaded guilty in April to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Judge Pitlyk sentenced him in August to five years in prison.
Strickland and Love pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Strickland was sentenced to six years in prison and Love to 37 months.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane Washington - Today, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Jody Lee Wallette, 36, of Spokane, Washington, to 20 years in federal prison for Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Rice also ordered Wallette to serve 5 years of supervised release following his release from prison. In pronouncing sentence Judge Rice told Wallette, “Your distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine kills people. The amount of drugs you had was atrocious.”
According to court documents, in January of 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed information that Wallette was selling fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine and was in possession of a gallon-size bag of fentanyl pills. A confidential informant was subsequently utilized to conduct two audio and video recorded controlled buys of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills from Wallette in January and February 2023. During the January 2023 controlled buy, Wallette was captured on video holding a very large bag of crystal methamphetamine (below) in addition to the pound of methamphetamine he sold that day.
In March of 2023, Wallette was federally indicted by a Grand Jury and a warrant was issued for his arrest. A short time later, Wallette was contacted during a traffic stop and arrested. During a search of Wallette’s vehicle, agents located several hundred more fentanyl-laced pills, methamphetamine, cocaine, a loaded firearm, multiple rounds of miscellaneous ammunition, body armor, several cellphones and more than $4,500 in cash. Also located in Wallette’s vehicle was information pertaining to Randy Coy James Holmes regarding the investigation into the shooting of an ATF agent in Spokane and discussing the identity of a suspected confidential informant in that case.
The ATF and DEA also executed a search warrant at Wallette’s storage unit where they seized additional methamphetamine as well as numerous rounds of ammunition.
According to court documents, Wallette is a multiple-time convicted felon, and in fact, qualifies as a federal “Career Offender” based on several prior significant drug trafficking convictions.
“Mr. Wallette brought dangerous drugs into our community that put our neighborhoods at risk, stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “I am grateful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners to identify Mr. Wallette’s repeated drug trafficking activities, to prevent him from further distributing this poison, and to protect our families from drug-related violence.”
At sentencing, Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard stated, “Mr. Wallette’s conduct was egregious. This was not a one-time instance. Mr. Wallette’s drug trafficking and violent conduct occurred over the past 20 years.”
“Mr. Wallette knew his actions endangered our community and this sentence reflects that danger,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “Firearms, fentanyl and methamphetamine are a losing combination that only harms society as a whole.”
“Drug crime and gun violence too often go together, so I am gratified by our partnership with ATF and other law enforcement agencies as we confront this threat together,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case is another example of our unified resolve to keep our community safe from drug poison and gun violence.”
The case was investigated by the ATF and DEA Spokane Task Force consisting of DEA, HSI, USCBP and BIA. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin Baunsgard and Stephanie Van Marter.
Slidell Man Sentenced to 33 Months Imprisonment for Manufacturing Machine Gun Conversion Devices and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on November 9, 2023, RENE LADMIRAULT, age 21, of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 33-months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty.
LADMIRAULT was a manufacturer of machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as “Glock switches.” These devices, when attached to Glock firearms, convert semi-automatic firearms to fully automatic firearms, or machine guns. LADMIRAULT manufactured the devices at his residence using a 3D-printer and a milling machine and used Instagram to sell them. After learning that LADMIRAULT was illegally manufacturing the devices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at his residence. As the agents attempted to enter the residence, LADMIRAULT flushed a machine gun conversion device down his toilet to destroy the device and to avoid its seizure by the FBI.
After serving his term of imprisonment, LADMIRAULT will be supervised by U.S. Probation for two (2) years. LADMIRAULT must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.
Six Arrested for Conspiracy and Operation of an Illegal Cockfighting Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Edward Caspino, 46, of Waianae, William Caspino, 48, of Waianae, Lavern Joseph, 71, of Waianae, and Kerilyn Keliinoi, 31, of Waianae were arraigned today on a four-count Indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 26, 2023. All four pled not guilty, and trial was set for January 17, 2024. Two other defendants, Fauston Aragon, Jr., 65, of Pearl City, and Howard Unebasami, 80, of Waianae, are expected to appear later this week.
Counts 1 and 2 of the Indictment charge all six defendants with conspiracy and the operation of an illegal gambling business. According to the Indictment, the defendants conducted, financed, managed, supervised, directed or owned an illegal gambling business at a property in Waianae. The group allegedly hosted multiple, large-scale chicken fights, called “derbies,” at the property between June 2020 and March 2023, that involved gambling on the fights, as well as other unlawful games of chance. Count 3 charges Edward Caspino with the operation of illegal game rooms.
If convicted, each defendant faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to three years on each of Counts 1, 2, and 3.
Edward Caspino also made an initial appearance today on a separate Criminal Complaint in which he is charged with three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to the Criminal Complaint, on three occasions in July 2021, Edward Caspino distributed approximately one pound of methamphetamine to an individual working with federal law enforcement. Each of these counts carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years incarceration, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
The charges in the Indictment and Criminal Complaint are merely accusations, and each of the charged individuals is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese.Shreveport Man Receives Lengthy Federal Prison Sentence for Illegally Possessing an AR-Style PistolRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Broxstonie Demichael Mitchell, 37, of Shreveport, has pleaded guilty to and was sentenced yesterday on a firearm charge. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Mitchell to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented to the court, on the afternoon of May 5, 2021, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were conducting surveillance and video recorded Mitchell carrying an AR-style pistol at a local Shreveport motel. Agents observed Mitchell get into the rear passenger seat of a vehicle parked nearby and leave with three other individuals. Soon after, Louisiana State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop and ordered all occupants from the vehicle. As Mitchell exited the backseat, a digital scale fell from his lap onto the pavement. Law enforcement placed Mitchell in custody and advised him of his Miranda rights. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and agents found a loaded AR-style pistol with a high-capacity magazine lying on the floorboard where Mitchell had been sitting. This pistol was determined to be stolen. Also on that floorboard was a single yellow pill, and between the driver’s seat and center console was a clear plastic baggie containing amounts of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and yellow pills.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that the firearm was a functioning Anderson Arms model AM-15 pistol which had affected commerce. At the time of his arrest, Mitchell was on supervised probation for another felony offense and knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In 2010, Mitchell was previously convicted in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.
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San Antonio Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio to one count of sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Adrian Scott Warren, 46, disclosed to another user in a private messaging app, that he had been engaging in sexual contact with a prepubescent minor for several years. Warren also told the app user that he was interested in meeting up to engage in sexual activity and watch child pornography that Warren would provide. Additionally, Warren used the app to send two photos of an adult male sexually assaulting a child.
On Aug. 4, 2022, Warren traveled to meet the messaging app user at a hotel, where he expected to engage in sexual acts with the user’s nine year old nephew. Instead, Warren was met by FBI agents who arrested him and seized his phone.
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2024 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Rochester man going to prison for 19 years for four home invasions targeting drug dealersRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Forbes, Jr. a/k/a Ra Ra a/k/a Henny, 37, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and two counts of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, was sentenced to serve 228 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between February 18, and March 26, 2020, Forbes participated, with others, in four separate home invasions in Rochester and Greece, NY. Forbes took part in planning, recruiting participants, obtaining, and providing information about the suspected presence of controlled substances and/or money derived from the sale of controlled substances in the residences, driving individuals to and from the residences, and providing a firearm to use. During some of the home invasions, individuals were restrained, pistol-whipped, and/or suffered injuries. Forbes was arrested April 1, 2020, on W. Ridge Road after a 13-minute car chase in the City of Rochester.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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Repeat Sex Trafficker Arrested for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man previously convicted of multiple counts of sex trafficking has been arrested on sex trafficking charges.
Marvin Pompilus, 39, was charged with one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Pompilus was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Nov. 28, 2023.
“For years, this man allegedly victimized numerous women. Upon his release after a six-year prison sentence on sex trafficking charges, it is alleged that Mr. Pompilus almost immediately returned to targeting and exploiting vulnerable victims to line his own pocket – regularly using violence and drugs to maintain control,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that inflicts unimaginable, long-lasting trauma – and it’s happening every day in our communities. Today’s arrest underscores our office’s unwavering commitment to remove sex traffickers from our communities.”
“Marvin Pompilus is accused of exploiting his victims in the worst way. By coercing them with drugs, forcing them to engage in commercial sex, and subjecting them to violence if they refused, he took away the freedom and dignity to which these women are entitled,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will not stop working to find and help trafficked victims, to protect them from further abuse, and keep their traffickers from hurting anyone else.”
According to the charging documents, from on or about 2021 through 2022, Pompilus used force, fraud, or coercion to cause one victim to engage in commercial sex and victimized at least four others.
In February 2018, Pompilus was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and deriving support for prostitution. He was sentenced to six years in state prison and was released in October 2021.
Almost immediately following his release from state custody, it is alleged that Pompilus posed as a sex buyer and responded to the victim’s online advertisement for commercial sex. When Pompilus arrived at the victim’s location, instead of engaging in commercial sex, he allegedly recruited her to engage in commercial sex on his behalf. Over the course of the next several months, Pompilus allegedly used physical violence, threats of violence and drug-based coercion to cause the victim to engage in commercial sex on a daily basis – for which he collected all of the proceeds. It is alleged that Pompilus physically beat the victim regularly and never allowed her to seek medical treatment. At times, Pompilus manually strangled the victim and on one occasion, pointed a gun in the victim’s face. If the victim disobeyed any of the rules that Pompilus set for her, Pompilus would allegedly become physically violent or withhold drugs from the victim until she started to experience the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
It is further alleged that Pompilus used a driver to drive him to deliver drugs or pick up money from other vulnerable women who he was coercing to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit. Pompilus allegedly used force, physical violence, threats of violence and drug-based coercion to victimize at least four other women and cause them to engage in commercial sex.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five 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 U.S. Attorney Levy; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston and Randolph Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Tokash of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Protection Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Repeat Offender: Deported Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Federal Charges AgainRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jamaican man was sentenced today to 204 months in prison for trafficking kilogram quantities of cocaine. On August 17, 2023, Michael Kenroy Bell aka “Jamaica Mike,” age 47, pled guilty to the charges. Bell had been deported to Jamaica on June 25, 2020, after serving a federal sentence for a previous drug trafficking offense and is in the country illegally.
“This career drug trafficker was previously charged, convicted, and deported. This time he was caught trying to dodge accountability with a false identity,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Drug traffickers operating in Raleigh should take note of this seventeen-year sentence. We are actively partnering with Raleigh Police and the FBI to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking networks like this one.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Raleigh Police Department were involved in an investigation of a drug trafficking organization operating in Raleigh in the Fall of 2021. Through physical and electronic surveillance, including a federal wiretap, Bell was observed interacting frequently with known drug dealers that were subjects of the investigation.
Though he was not charged in the 2021 investigation, Bell remained under surveillance by law enforcement, and, between February and May 2022, was observed making numerous trips between Raleigh and Huntersville, as well as 11 trips to Miami, Florida specifically to purchase cocaine. He was often observed in the 700-block of Quarry Street, which is frequented by members of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips and is known by law enforcement to be a high drug trafficking area.
In June 2022, Bell was pulled over in Florida, and, after detecting an odor of marijuana, officers searched his vehicle and found both cocaine and marijuana. Bell provided law enforcement a fake identification card, but his identity was discovered when he was booked at the local jail. Despite being in custody Bell orchestrated the continuation of his cocaine distribution in the Raleigh area. Bell has a lengthy criminal record including multiple felonies, including a 2009 federal conviction for two drug trafficking charges.
This 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00052-D.
Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A federal jury convicted a Pittsburgh man today for possessing modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of child celebrities. United.States Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on two separate occasions, James Smelko, 56, of Pittsburgh, possessed pictures that digitally superimposed the faces of child actors onto nude bodies and bodies engaged in sex acts. Smelko possessed the pictures at his home in Pittsburgh, and law enforcement discovered the pictures during a search of Smelko’s computer. Smelko was then charged for possessing CSAM. While pending trial, Smelko was found to have violated his conditions of release by again possessing such images, after concerning searches and images were detected by court-mandated monitoring software on his cell phone.
The jury convicted Smelko of two counts of possessing child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Mitchell and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Pittsburgh convicted a Pennsylvania man today for possessing modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of child celebrities.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on two separate occasions, James Smelko, 56, of Pittsburgh, possessed pictures that digitally superimposed the faces of child actors onto nude bodies and bodies engaged in sex acts. Smelko possessed the pictures at his home in Pittsburgh, and law enforcement discovered the pictures during a search of Smelko’s computer. Smelko was then charged for possessing CSAM. While pending trial, Smelko was found to have violated his conditions of release by again possessing such images, after concerning searches and images were detected by court-mandated monitoring software on his cell phone.
The jury convicted Smelko of two counts of possessing child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to Federal Correctional Institution PetersburgRead the Press Release
On Nov. 13, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Petersburg, which has a medium-security and low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility for men with an adjacent minimum security camp, located in Petersburg, Virginia. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff during their visit.
The visit to FCI Petersburg was the fourth in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is conducting for inmates and staff at different FBOP locations.
The first took place at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security institution in New Jersey in January. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The second took place at United States Penitentiary Lewisburg, a medium-security institution in Pennsylvania in April. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The third took place at FCI Aliceville, a low-security institution for women in Alabama in July. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 500 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility.
These educational sessions within the FBOP are part of a year-round initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Pennsylvania Owners of a Landscape and Excavation Firm Plead Guilty to Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man and woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States related to their efforts to evade paying employment taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Theodore Shearba and Jennifer Cemini, of Perkiomenville, owned a landscaping and excavation business. They did not report income received from the business, nor did they pay employment taxes the business owed to the IRS. Shearba and Cemini attempted to thwart IRS efforts to collect the unpaid employment taxes by depositing business gross receipt checks in nominee bank accounts. Shearba also did not file personal income tax returns for 2019, 2020 or 2021. Together, the defendants caused a tax loss to the IRS of $682,446.80.
Shearba and Cemini are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2024, and face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The defendants also face periods of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Pennsylvania Man Admits $4.8 Million Cares Act Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man admitted to his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $4.8 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for himself and others, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Darryl Duanne Young, aka “Darryl Duanne Isom Young,” 60, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court on Nov. 14, 2023, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant admitted taking advantage of government programs that were specifically designed to provide needed financial assistance to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combatting pandemic fraud in all of its forms is a top priority for this office and our law enforcement partners. Together, we will continue to root out those who have exploited the suffering of others to line their own pockets, and bring them to justice.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals,” Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of IRS – Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office. “Let today’s plea serve as a proof of the commitment of IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners dedication to vigorously pursue those who took advantage of government programs intended to provide financial assistance to Americans in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The CARES Act was created to assist to American citizens and businesses that were impacted financially by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Christopher A. Nielsen, Inspector in Charge, Philadelphia Division, said. “However, as alleged, Darryl Young, and his co-conspirators, manipulated this critical lifeline through a sophisticated scheme that fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Postal Inspectors will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners, to identify and hold accountable, those individuals who steal pandemic relief to fulfill their own greed.”
“Mr. Young admittedly obtained money from the Paycheck Protection Programs intended to assist those with critical needs during the pandemic,” Gail S. Ennis, Social Security Administration Inspector General, said. “His criminal actions allowed him and his fellow conspirators to selfishly profit. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to hold those accountable who misuse Social Security numbers, falsify documents, and fraudulently obtain access to federal benefit programs. I appreciate the collective efforts of the investigating agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that those who fraudulently obtained funds from COVID-19 relief programs will be held accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) said. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice those who participate in fraudulent schemes and threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation’s banking system.”
“Today, Darryl Duanne Young admitted his role in stealing nearly $5 million in relief funds intended to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso said. “This is an egregious case of an individual taking advantage of an unprecedented public health crisis for personal gain. HSI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who perpetrate these illicit schemes and see that they are brought to justice.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Young engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain for himself and his conspirators over $4.8 million in loans authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Young submitted and directed others to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications, which fabricated numbers of employees and misrepresented company information, to induce lenders to approve the loan applications that they otherwise would not have approved. Among other things, Young submitted falsified tax documents and bank statements to a victim lender in support of PPP loan applications. Young personally received over $230,000 in PPP loans for businesses he controlled and received a percentage of loan proceeds for assisting in submitting fraudulent applications on behalf of others.
The applications Young submitted each allegedly contained fraudulent representations to the lender – including a victim lender that was a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank system – including bogus federal tax documents. According to IRS records, none of the purported tax documents that Young submitted in support of the loan applications were ever in fact filed with the IRS. Based on Young’s misrepresentations, loan applications for his purported businesses and the purported businesses of other applicants were approved for approximately $4.8 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The charge of money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. As part of his guilty plea, Young agreed to make restitution to the victim lenders for the full amount of the fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tomlins; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Nielsen Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and David E. Dauenheimer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Pawtucket Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Jomar Cruz-Aponte, 28, of Pawtucket, is scheduled to be sentenced by a federal judge in February after admitting today that in December 2021, he retrieved and took possession of a package he believed contained a controlled substance, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Cruz-Aponte admitted that he agreed to retrieve the package from the front porch of a Pawtucket residence and deliver it to another individual in exchange for $500.
According to information presented to the court, the package retrieved by Cruz-Aponte was shipped from Colombia and was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection. An inspection determined that it contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine stashed inside the tube of an old TV. Law enforcement officers set up surveillance at the location that the package was addressed to and, after the package was delivered, minus the cocaine, they observed Cruz-Aponte walking around the area, returning a short time later as a passenger in a vehicle, and then retrieve the package. He left the left the area in the same vehicle in which he arrived.
Surveillance officers observed the vehicle leave the area and a Pawtucket Police cruiser effected a car stop a short time later. During the traffic stop, Cruz-Aponte briefly attempted to flee by lunging from the car, with the package in hand, and throwing the package to the ground. He quickly surrendered to law enforcement.
Cruz-Aponte pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pawtucket Police Department.
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Pawtucket Man Admits to Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A convicted sex offender living in Pawtucket who was previously convicted in Pennsylvania of indecent assault on a person under the age of thirteen pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to a charge of failure to register as a sex offender, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, following his release from prison and a halfway house in Pennsylvania, Antonio Medina-Santiago, 34, failed to register as a sex offender, as required by law. Arrest warrants for Santiago-Medina were issued by the Philadelphia Police Department in December 2022 and by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in January 2023.
Further investigation by the United States Marshals Service determined that Santiago-Medina has relatives in Rhode Island and that in May 2022 he began utilizing federal benefits in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Further investigation determined that Medina-Santiago resided at his mother’s Pawtucket residence before moving to a different apartment in Pawtucket.
On June 1, 2022, as members of law enforcement approached Medina-Santiago as he was walking near his residence, he fled on foot back to his residence and barracked himself inside an apartment behind a locked steel door. On the advice of a relative, Medina-Santiago surrendered about thirty minutes later to members law enforcement who had surrounded his residence.
Santiago-Medina is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2024. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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Owner of New Jersey Businesses Charged with $3.2 Million Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An owner of several New Jersey businesses was charged with fraudulently obtaining over $3.2 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Daniel Dadoun, 47, formerly of South Plainfield, New Jersey, and who holds French, Canadian and Israeli passports, was charged by complaint with four counts of bank fraud and two counts of transacting in criminal proceeds. Dadoun made his initial appearance on Nov. 13, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was detained.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“The allegations in this complaint describe the falsifying of documents in order to secure loans and then submitting fraudulent documents to have those loans forgiven. These programs were designed to help Americans struggling through the pandemic. Our office will combat this type of fraud whenever we encounter it.”
“Daniel Dadoun is alleged to have engaged in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud for personal gain without any regard for the United States taxpayer and undermined the public trust in government programs,” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso said. “HSI takes allegations of fraud seriously and will continue to pursue these crimes vigorously.”
“It is not only alleged that Dadoun defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program by submitting false loan applications, but he anted up the game by submitting fraudulent loan forgiveness applications,” Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York, said. “Dadoun may have known how to work the benefit system for his own financial gain, but now it’s law enforcement and the judicial system that will work to hold him accountable for his crimes.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 through August 2022, Dadoun engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $3.2 million in PPP loans on behalf of businesses located in New Jersey by submitting false and fraudulent loan applications. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds, Dadoun sought to keep the money by submitting false and fraudulent PPP loan forgiveness applications. The loan applications misrepresented information about the companies, including the number of employees and payroll expenses. In support of the loan applications and subsequent applications for loan forgiveness, Dadoun submitted falsified tax documents, altered and falsified bank statements, an altered and falsified lease agreement, and a false letter purportedly signed by a New Jersey accountant.
The charges of bank fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The charges of transacting in criminal proceeds each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office, under direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso Jr.; special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon Mac Dermott; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; and the Canada Revenue Agency with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement 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. 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.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
dadoun.complaint.pdfOperation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alexandria Jasmine Estep, 22, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Estep admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Estep participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy between October 2022 and January 2023. Initially, Estep regularly obtained multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a Charleston supplier. She would then re-distribute the methamphetamine to others in the Charleston area.
In November 2022, Estep stopped dealing with the Charleston supplier and arranged to buy multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator. On November 29, 2022, the co-conspirator delivered the methamphetamine by vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence. Estep conducted the transaction with an additional co-conspirator who was in the vehicle during the delivery.
Estep is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Estep is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Estep and 22 other defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Assault at Eppley AirfieldRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Chol Magwit, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 15, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for interference with security screening personnel. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Magwit to 15 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Magwit will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release.
On April 7, 2023, Magwit forced open two separate doors to restricted areas and made it onto the tarmac at Eppley Airfield. Magwit was tackled when he refused commands to stop his movement and before he made it to the active operating area. Magwit was then arrested. Magwit did not appear impaired and said he wanted to go to Egypt. During the arrest, Magwit assaulted an airport officer who had security duties within the airport, and bit the officer’s hand, penetrating the officer’s skin and causing him to require medical treatment. The assault interfered with the performance of the airport officer’s duties while undergoing treatment for his injuries.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Omaha Airport Authority Airport Police.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Sudesh Rai, 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 14, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Rai to 42 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rai’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Rai was ordered to pay $1,100 in special assessments.
On June 1, 2021, Rai was interviewed in person by law enforcement in Omaha, Nebraska, in relation to a separate matter. During the interview law enforcement requested consent to seize and search Rai’s cell phone. Rai completed a Consent to Search Form. The data extraction and forensic review of Rai’s cell phone revealed four videos and two images of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kyrell Wells, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced November 14, 20223 in federal court in Omaha for felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United State District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Wells to 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wells is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On August 11, 2022, Omaha Police Department gang officers observed Kyrell Wells enter Phillips 66 on 59th and Sorensen Parkway. Officers were aware he had several warrants. Officers entered the gas station and ordered Wells to put his hands up. Wells initially complied but then attempted to run. Officers took Wells to the ground and a handgun fell from Wells’ waistband, down his sweatpants, to his ankle. The gun was loaded with one in the chamber. The firearm was a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson. Wells is a convicted felon from a tampering with witness charge in November of 2021.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Gregory Johnson, 47 years old, of Franklin, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady on his conviction for Attempted Child Exploitation following a two-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Defendant Johnson was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2020, Johnson engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover officer who Johnson believed to be sexually active with a minor. Over the course of several online conversations, Johnson made sexual comments about the minor and expressed an interest in watching a livestream of the minor engaged in sexual activity with the undercover officer. Johnson attempted to commit this crime by providing the undercover officer with graphic detail about exactly what he wanted to see.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley J. Miller Lowery and Justin Sheridan.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Ohio Man Indicted for Making False Statements to Purchase Firearms and Selling/Transferring Firearms to JuvenilesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing an indictment charging Gabriel Gladman, (23, Akron, OH) with eight counts of providing false statements with the intent to purchase firearms and six counts of selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile under the age of 18.
If convicted, Gladman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each false statement count and up to a year in federal prison for each count of selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile. The indictment also notifies Gladman that the United States intends to forfeit the following eight firearms: a Smith & Wesson, SD40 (.40 caliber semi-automatic firearm), a Taurus G2 semi-automatic firearm, a Glock 24 semi-automatic firearm, a FMK 9C1 semi-automatic firearm, two Taurus G3 semi-automatic firearms, and two Tara TM-9X semi-automatic firearms, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, between November 22, 2022, and June 16, 2023, Gladman bought semi-automatic firearms on eight separate occasions in Tampa, providing false information to federally licensed firearm dealers each time. Gladman represented that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, when in fact he was buying the firearms on behalf of someone else. On six separate occasions, Gladman sold or transferred those firearms to juveniles under the age of 18.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky is handling the forfeiture of the firearms.
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.
Notorious Hacker Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Thomas Kennedy McCormick, aka “fubar,” of Cambridge, Mass., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in the racketeering conspiracy to develop and distribute malicious software (malware) through an international computer hacking forum known as Darkode.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ordered 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, McCormick, 30, was an administrator of Darkode, a criminal organization centered around an online, password-protected criminal forum where high-level international hackers and other cyber-criminals convened to develop, buy, sell, trade, and share hacking tools, information, and ideas. Before becoming a member of Darkode, prospective members were vetted through a process in which an existing member invited a prospective member to the forum to present the skills or products that he or she could bring to the group. Darkode members allegedly used each other’s skills and products to infect computers and electronic devices of victims around the world with malware and, thereby gain access to, and control over, those devices.
McCormick was a long-term member of Darkode, eventually rising to the level of administrator. McCormick made and sold malicious software that stole users’ personal identifying information, banking account login in information, and credit card information. He also sold and brokered the sale of stolen credit cards and other financial account information. When his residence was searched, he had the stolen credit card information of almost 30,000 people in his possession along with numerous copies of malware. As part of McCormick’s guilty plea, he admitted his involvement in causing about $679,000 in financial losses through these offenses.
McCormick was indicted on racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud charges. The racketeering conspiracy charge included conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and access device fraud, identity theft, hacking, and extortion. McCormick was also charged with five counts of aggravated identity theft.
He was arrested on Dec. 10, 2018, at the FBI’s Washington Field Office in Washington, D.C. On March 3, 2020, McCormick pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering influenced corrupt organization and aggravated identity theft. Today, he was sentenced to 12 months for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering influenced corrupt organization followed by 6 months for aggravated identity theft.
McCormick’s sentencing is the latest in this wide-ranging investigation. In July 2015, the Department of Justice originally announced the dismantling of Darkode, with charges filed against 12 individuals associated with the forum. The charges were part of a coordinated effort by a coalition of law enforcement authorities from 20 nations to charge, arrest, or search 70 Darkode members and associates around the world.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from Europol and their European Cyber Crime Center (EC3) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police Service (Scotland Yard).
Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Corbin A. Weiss and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman, working with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, prosecuted the case. The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance.
North Kingstown Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud, Suborning Perjury, Money Laundering, and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A North Kingstown man working as a self-employed contractor admitted to a federal judge today that he executed multiple schemes, made false representations, intentionally omitted significant information in filings, suborned perjury, and intentionally obstructed proceedings before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, all in an attempt to conceal substantial assets during bankruptcy proceedings, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Ernest P. Ricci, 62, also admitted that he fraudulently applied for and received COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration, money that he laundered in an effort to conceal the funds.
Ricci pleaded guilty today to charges of bankruptcy fraud, obstruction, suborning perjury, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Appearing in U.S. District Court, Ricci admitted that in October 2017, prior to filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy petition in an attempt to protect a $1.5 million dollar home in Florida that he and his wife used as both rental property and a vacation home, and on which he had failed to make any mortgage payments for approximately five years, he transferred all of the assets of his business, Premier Home Restoration LLC (Premier), to his wife. Ricci admitted that he then falsely submitted documents to the Bankruptcy Court, under oath, indicating that he had been unemployed for many years, that he had no income, that he garnered no compensation of any kind from his wife’s company, that he controlled no bank accounts, and that he had no assets or properties other than the Florida home.
Ricci admitted today that, in fact, he continued to control Premier after he transferred the company to his wife; that he ran its day-to-day operations; and that he made use of income from the company to maintain his lifestyle, all of which he failed to disclose to the Bankruptcy Court.
Ricci also admitted that he failed to truthfully disclose rental income from his Florida property and from another property that he owned in New Hampshire. Ricci additionally admitted that he was untruthful when he claimed that he held a $200,000 mortgage in the name of another person for the New Hampshire property when, in fact, he owned the property himself and he was collecting rent, and that he convinced that person to commit perjury before the bankruptcy trustee.
According to information presented to the court, in addition to the schemes employed by Ricci to hide assets and mislead the Bankruptcy Court, after the Bankruptcy Trustee was declared to be the equitable owner of Ricci’s former company, Premier, Ricci fraudulently applied for COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration, supposedly to pay Premier employees and company expenses. When filing, Ricci failed to disclose that the Trustee was the owner of Premier, and that he and the company were involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
After fraudulently obtaining the EDIL and PPP funds, Ricci engaged in money laundering by conducted a series of financial transactions to conceal the location, ownership, and control of the COVID support payments , and used the funds to purchase rental property in Warwick, RI, in the name of another person.
Court documents detail a number of stalling tactics, frivolous pleadings, and fraudulent claims by Ernest Ricci, including claims that he was indigent, during the years’ long bankruptcy proceedings. Documents also detail numerous combative communications sent by Ernest Ricci to the bankruptcy Trustee, some laced with profanities.
Ernest Ricci is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the United States Bankruptcy Trustee.
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New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLYLE HENRY, 39, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a drug trafficking and firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statement made in court, shortly before midnight on October 12, 2022, Henry crashed his vehicle on a retaining wall on the Yale University campus. Carlyle was arrested after Yale Police found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and a bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine, packaged heroin and fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Carlyle pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2024.
Carlyle has been detained since his arrest.
Henry’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearms possession and narcotics distribution offenses, and a federal narcotics conviction in 2006 for which he received a sentence of 50 months of imprisonment.
This case has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Yale Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
New Haven Felon Caught with Gun and Drugs Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE MENAFEE, also known as “Mo,” 34, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 86 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the morning of February 9, 2022, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force observed a car involved in suspected drug transactions at the intersection of Baldwin Street and Davenport Avenue in New Haven, and then traveling recklessly at high rate of speed throughout the city. Investigators subsequently located the vehicle parked at a residence on Plymouth Street and identified the driver as Menafee. After Menafee was apprehended, a search of his person revealed $564 in cash and a search of the car revealed a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber pistol, 64 baggies of crack cocaine, and 116 wax folds of fentanyl.
Menafee’s criminal history includes state firearm and drug convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Menafee has been detained since his federal arrest on March 2, 2022. On January 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Boyles and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mexican Man from Florida Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to three months in federal prison.
Luis Ronaldo Lopez-Lopez, age 24, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Arcadia, Florida, received the prison term after a September 12, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Lopez-Lopez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Lopez-Lopez was previously deported in December 2017 and January 2018. On August 13, 2023, immigration officials learned Lopez-Lopez had illegally returned to the United States and found Lopez-Lopez at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges for public intoxication and soliciting prostitution. Those charges are still pending. Lopez-Lopez had been residing in a Dubuque hotel while illegally working in the area. Lopez-Lopez had previously been convicted in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico of illegal entry into the United States in December 2017.
Lopez-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lopez-Lopez was sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lopez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1017.
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Massachusetts Resident Admits to Participating in a Bank Fraud Scheme Targeting a Rhode Island SeniorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Worcester, MA, resident appeared in federal court in Providence today and admitted to participating in a fraud scheme that, among other things, intended to defraud a Portsmouth, RI, senior of $7,500, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Fangzhou Qian, 29, admitted to being a member of a conspiracy that contacted victims via telephone and, fraudulently posing as a representative of the victims’ bank, told them that their bank account had been compromised. Victims were instructed to withdraw large amounts of money from their bank account in order to protect their assets, and to provide the funds in cash to a member of the conspiracy who, posing as a courier, would soon arrive at their residence.
According to information presented to the court, in May 2023, a member of the conspiracy, posing as “Sam,” a bank employee, contacted a 73-year-old Portsmouth, RI , resident and falsely informed him that his bank account had been compromised. The Portsmouth senior was instructed to withdraw $7,500 from his bank account and provide the money to a courier, later identified by law enforcement as Qian, who would stop by his residence that day. The Portsmouth resident withdrew the money, but notified law enforcement of the potential scam call. Qian was intercepted by law enforcement before being able to retrieve the money and was arrested.
According to information presented to the court, members of the conspiracy used some of the funds stolen from their victims to purchase large quantities of gift cards. Qian admitted to purchasing 170 Apple gift cards from various stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire during the same timeframe during which members of the conspiracy, including Qian, were attempting to defraud the Portsmouth resident.
Qian pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on January 17, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated by the Portsmouth Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
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Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison on Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Mount Gilead man was sentenced today to more than 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to two drug charges and two firearms charges, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
SAK KEOSOUMA, age 37, was indicted in March 2023 on one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and three counts related to his possession of firearms. KEOSOUMA entered a guilty plea to the drug counts and two of three gun counts on May 1, 2023.
According to court documents, investigators seized approximately 138 grams of methamphetamine, 232 grams of fentanyl, 16 grams of suspected heroin, 3,759 grams of marihuana, 230 grams of suspected hallucinogenic mushrooms, and approximately $26,750 in United States currency.
Additionally, according to court documents, the firearms seized included a Glock 9mm pistol, an Aero Precision multi-caliber rifle, and nine privately manufactured firearms bearing no serial numbers. These nine privately manufactured and untraceable firearms are also known as “ghost guns.” Seven of the nine ghost guns were Polymer 80 9mm pistols. The other two ghost guns included a .300Blk caliber rifle with an attached firearm silencer that also lacked serial numbers, and a 7.62x39mm/.223 caliber rifle with a “Wide Open Trigger” installed that allowed the rifle to fire automatically, thus constituting a “machinegun” under the National Firearms Act (NFA). Both the silencer and the rifle with the “Wide Open Trigger” constituted NFA "firearms” that require a license and registration in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR).
KEOSOUMA was sentenced to a 210-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, KEOSUMA was ordered to forfeit 11 firearms and more than 500 rounds of ammunition and will be subject to supervised release for 4 years following his release from prison.
This case arises from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Moore County Sheriff's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe.
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Man Sentenced in Lakewood Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Darren Michael Connolly, age 27, of Englewood, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for bank robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing a weapon during a federal crime of violence. His codefendant, James David Trujillo Jr., age 25, of Lakewood, was sentenced on September 18, 2023, to 135 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to facts presented at trial, on June 15, 2022, Connolly and Trujillo robbed a Canvas Credit Union on West 5th Avenue in Lakewood. The men were armed with an AR-15 and shotgun. Connolly was wearing a GPS bracelet at the time of the robbery. Both he and codefendant Trujillo were covered in masks and ran from the bank to a waiting getaway car. Connolly was arrested at his residence on June 16, 2022 and charged. Officers found the AR-15 and shotgun in Connolly’s residence. Investigators were able to identify Trujillo soon thereafter. Connolly subsequently pleaded guilty, and a jury found Trujillo guilty of bank robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing a weapon during a federal crime of violence.
“We will not tolerate such brazen criminal conduct in our communities,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their invaluable help in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“It’s a blatant criminal who carries out the armed robbery of a bank while he is being monitored on parole. Clearly, this is a hardened felon and the public is safer with him behind bars,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force will continue to work with state and local agencies to protect our communities from violent criminals.”
United States District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello presided over the sentencing on November 14, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Coccaro handled the prosecutions.
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.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-00213
Man Extradited from Spain to Face Child Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Kristian Ignacio Feliz, age 24, of Danbury, Connecticut, has been extradited from Spain to face prosecution in the United States after being indicted in March 2023 for committing child sex crimes. The indictment specifically charges Feliz with three counts of sexually exploiting a minor in Kalamazoo County in January 2023, and one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
“I am grateful to the FBI and our Spanish law enforcement partners for their persistent and successful efforts to find and arrest the defendant in Spain, and to facilitate his swift extradition to the United States to face these very serious charges,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We are prepared to make our case as part of our ongoing efforts to protect children.”
"The FBI prioritizes the protection of children from dangerous predators and is fully committed to investigating criminals, regardless of their location in the world,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Those who make the unconscionable decision to victimize innocent children will be brought to justice. The FBI works with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to hold those criminals accountable, and I would like to extend my appreciation to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for initiating this case and the Spanish National Police for their support in extraditing the defendant to the United States. We continue to urge the public to report alleged crimes of child sexual and physical abuse by calling 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324), contacting your Legal Attaché Office, or submitting tips online to http://tips.fbi.gov."
“Investigating sex crimes that involve children are extremely difficult to pursue because they cross jurisdictional lines and involve sophisticated computer activity,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division Captain Rafael Diaz.“However, the Task Force Officer program that allows Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Stolsonburg to coordinate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation means that sexual predators will be found and held accountable. This commitment does not waiver.”
The government expects the defendant’s initial appearance will take place on November 16, 2023, at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids at a time to be determined by the court. Spanish Civil arrested Feliz in June 2023, in Barcelona, at the request of the United States. The extradition proceedings took place in the Spanish judiciary system, through which Feliz consented to be extradited to the United States in August 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) to prepare and submit a request for Kristian Ignacio Feliz’s provisional arrest, with a plan to seek his extradition soon after. U.S. Attorney Totten and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Michigan Cheyvoryea Gibson extend their appreciation and thanks to Spain’s Ministry of Justice, Spanish National Police, and Guardia Civil.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Castle, and investigated by the FBI, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State provided critical assistance in securing Feliz’s arrest and extradition.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Laurel Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Involving More Than $1.5 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael Akame Ngwese Ay Makoge, a/k/a “Hype” and “2Hype”, age 28, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to a wire fraud conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft, in relation to a Maryland and California unemployment insurance scheme totaling more than $1.5 million.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division (USPIS); Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP); and Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
According to his plea agreement, from March 2020 to October 2021, Makoge and his co-conspirators impersonated victims to submit fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in Maryland and California. As part of the scheme, Makoge and his co-conspirators obtained the birthdates, social security numbers, and other personal identifying information of numerous victims which they used to prepare and submit fraudulent applications for UI benefits. The applications contained false information, including the victims’ contact information, states of residence, and availability for work. These fraudulent applications caused financial institutions to load UI benefits onto debit cards and mail the cards to physical addresses provided and monitored by Makoge and his co-conspirators. Once Makoge and his co-conspirators received the fraudulently obtained benefits on the debit cards, they used them for cash withdrawals and other transactions for their own financial benefit.
A search at Makoge’s residence on February 16, 2021, recovered 11 UI debit cards in the names of six victims from the bedroom. The investigation also revealed numerous text messages between Makoge and his co-conspirators exchanging the PII of victims and discussing the execution of the UI fraud scheme. Further, Makoge made numerous ATM withdrawals using the identities of victims, personally obtaining at least $35,540 as a result of his participation in the scheme. In all, Makoge and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent UI claims using the names and PII of at least 12 victims, resulting in more than $1.6 million in losses.
Makoge faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and a mandatory two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for February 1, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the USPIS, DOL-OIG, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, HSI, MSP, and ATF, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked the United States Marshals Service, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen McGuinn, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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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Latest Prison Sentence in Unprecedented Firearms Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Charles O’Bannon, 25, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for his role in a multi-conspirator firearms trafficking operation that flooded the City of Philadelphia with 292 guns over the course of five months.
United States District Court Judge John M. Younge sentenced O’Bannon for his role in this unprecedented firearms trafficking operation, which involved hundreds of firearms being straw purchased from federal firearms dealers in Atlanta, Georgia, and then transported across state lines for resale on the black market in the City of Philadelphia. This fact pattern is known as the “iron pipeline.” Dozens of firearms have since been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and elsewhere. The conspiracy’s guns have taken the lives of two Philadelphians and used to perpetrate violent crime, including shootings, carjackings, and drug trafficking.
Judge Younge had previously sentenced O’Bannon’s conspirators as follows:
- Edwin Burgos, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the leader of the Philadelphia side of the firearms trafficking operation, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.
- Fredrick Norman, 26, of Villa Rica, Georgia, the leader of the Atlanta side of the firearms trafficking operation, was sentenced to 99 months’ imprisonment.
- Ernest Payton, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.
- Kenneth Burgos, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 75 months’ imprisonment.
- Roger Millington, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment.
- Stephen Norman, 25, of Villa Rica, Georgia, and brother of Fredrick Norman, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.
“An important piece of our commitment to stopping the illegal flow of guns through the ‘iron pipeline’ is charging crimes like straw purchasing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The substantial prison sentences each defendant received in this case demonstrate that straw purchasing will carry significant consequences.”
“The defendants in this case flooded 300 firearms onto the streets of Philadelphia, a city already plagued with gun violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric Degree. “We appreciate the support of the United States Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and members of our Firearms Trafficking Task Force, which allowed us to dismantle this firearm trafficking organization.”
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
Largest-Ever Counterfeit Goods Seizures Result in Trafficking Charges Against Two IndividualsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the recent seizures of approximately 219,000 counterfeit bags, clothes, shoes, and other luxury products with a total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (“MSRP”) of approximately $1.03 billion.[1] Two indictments were unsealed today charging ADAMA SOW and ABDULAI JALLOH, a/k/a “Troy Banks,” with trafficking in counterfeit goods. The defendants were arrested this morning and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. SOW’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. JALLOH’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants used a Manhattan storage facility as a distribution center for massive amounts of knock-off designer goods. The seizures announced today consist of merchandise with over a billion dollars in estimated retail value, the largest-ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history. This is a testament to the commitment of this Office and its law enforcement partners to combat counterfeit trafficking in New York City.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “Today's groundbreaking announcement underscores the unwavering commitment of HSI New York in the fight against intellectual property theft and serves as a testament to the dedication of our team and partner agencies, who have tirelessly pursued justice, culminating in the largest-ever seizure of this kind. I extend my gratitude to all those involved for their relentless efforts and late nights dedicated to upholding the law.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “The trafficking of counterfeit goods is anything but a victimless crime because it harms legitimate businesses, governments, and consumers. Today’s indictments show how seriously the NYPD and our federal partners take this offense. And we will continue to work hard to hold accountable anyone who seeks to benefit by selling such items on the black market.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments and other publicly available information:[2]
From about January 2023, up to and including October 20, 2023, ADAMA SOW and ABDULAI JALLOH ran large-scale counterfeit goods trafficking operations out of a storage facility located in Manhattan. JALLOH also trafficked counterfeit goods out of an offsite location in Manhattan. Searches of premises controlled by SOW have resulted in the seizure of over 83,000 counterfeit items with a total estimated MSRP of over $502 million. Searches of premises controlled by JALLOH have resulted in the seizure of over 50,000 counterfeit items with a total estimated MSRP of over $237 million.
A photograph of boxes of counterfeit goods seized from the storage facility is below.
A photograph of one of the storage units controlled by ADAMA SOW inside the storage facility is below.
A photograph of one of the storage units controlled by ABDULAI JALLOH inside the storage facility is below.
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ADAMA SOW, 38, of Queens, New York, and ABDULAI JALLOH, 48, of New York, New York, are each charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of HSI and NYPD. He further thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its assistance and the management of the storage facility in Manhattan for its cooperation with the execution of the seizures.
The cases are being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Ross is in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] The street value of counterfeit goods typically is significantly lower than the MSRP.
[2] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
KC Husband, Wife Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Three Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., couple has indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sexual exploitation of three child victims.
Houston Wade Young, 36, and Jessica Ann Young, 33, were charged in an eight-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment returned against Houston Young on July 25, 2023, and adds Jessica Young (who was arrested today) as a defendant with additional charges.
The federal indictment charges Houston Young with one count of using a minor (identified in court documents as Jane Doe) to produce child pornography, two counts of using the internet and a cell phone to attempt to induce Jane Doe and another minor (identified in court documents as John Doe 1) to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of receiving and distributing child pornography, and one count of distributing child pornography.
The indictment charges Jessica Young with two counts of using a minor, John Doe 1, and another child victim identified in court documents as John Doe 2 to produce child pornography, and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Vernon County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Justice Department Secures over $900,000 Agreement with National Staffing Agency to Resolve Claims of Hiring DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Kforce Inc. (Kforce), a staffing agency with 36 offices across the United States. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Kforce violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens with permission to work in the United States and excluding them from job opportunities based on their citizenship status.
“Companies cannot unlawfully exclude people with permission to work in the United States from job opportunities because of their citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold those accountable who engage in behavior that runs afoul of our nation’s federal civil rights laws.”
The department’s investigation determined that from at least March 1, 2019, to Feb. 28, 2022, Kforce distributed job advertisements that contained unlawful hiring restrictions based on citizenship status or otherwise screened out candidates based on their citizenship status. These actions harmed workers who have been granted asylum or refugee status, and lawful permanent residents by unlawfully deterring them from applying to the job advertisements and failing to meaningfully consider those who did apply.
Under the terms of the settlement, Kforce will pay $690,000 in civil penalties to the United States and set aside $230,000 to compensate affected workers. The agreement also requires Kforce to train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
2023.11.14_kforce_settlement_agreement_signed.pdfJury finds former federal defendant guilty of possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted Antoine Dwayne Riley, 37, of Columbus, with illegally possessing firearms after previously being convicted as a federal defendant in the Southern District of Ohio.
Riley was convicted in 2009 of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
According to court documents and trial testimony, on Nov. 13, 2022, officers with the Columbus Division of Police responded to a domestic violence call on East 13th Avenue in Columbus.
Officers were informed that Riley had pushed down a victim and stomped on her face with his foot. Officers were told Riley may have a handgun.
Riley was inside his room in the residence at the time and, for several hours, refused officers’ requests to open his door and exit. Riley eventually complied and was taken into custody. Officers cleared Riley’s bedroom and discovered two rifles: a 12-gauge shotgun and a multi-caliber rifle.
Riley was indicted in June 2023. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the verdict returned on Nov. 14. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Damoun Delaviz represented the United States in this case.
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Jury Finds Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder in 2014 Christmas Eve Killing of Waitress on 14th St. NWRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Marvin Lopez, 44, of El Salvador, was found guilty by a jury on November 14, 2023, of first-degree murder while armed for the 2014 Christmas Eve slaying of his ex-girlfriend, Evelyn Yamileth Arroyo Guerra, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The slaying took place in front of the El Sabor Latino Restaurant on the 3900 block of 14th St., NW, where Yamileth worked as a waitress.
Lopez was also found guilty of a related gun offense. The verdict followed an eight-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for January 26, 2024. Lopez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes.
According to the government’s evidence, a pair of MPD Lieutenants were driving south on 14th Street on Dec. 24, 2014, when they heard two gunshots. Citizens on the 3900 block of 14th Street pointed in the direction the gunman had run. One of the Lieutenants gave chase on foot but lost the shooter in a wooded area at the end of Shepherd St, NW. The other Lieutenant found Yamileth on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant at 3910 14th Street NW, suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest and a graze wound to her head. Yamileth had been shot as she was arriving for work at El Sabor Latino, where she was a waitress.
Two witnesses who knew Yamileth told police that they had seen Lopez—the victim’s recent ex—approaching her outside of the restaurant moments before the killing. One of the witnesses showed police Facebook messages between Lopez and Yamileth from days before the murder in which he threatened to kill her. Although an arrest warrant was obtained the next day, Christmas Day, Lopez was not located by police before he fled to El Salvador. He was extradited back to the United States and arrested in March of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Natiello and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian Hinson and Sarah Prins.
Jury Convicts Felon with Violent Criminal Past for Illegally Possessing GunRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A federal jury convicted a Valdosta, Georgia, resident with a lengthy and violent criminal history of illegally possessing a firearm after officers discovered an AK-47 style firearm during a domestic violence investigation triggered by a child attempting to protect his mother.
Angelo Devon Williams, 35, was found guilty of one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Nov. 14. The trial began on Nov. 13 before U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson at the federal courthouse in Macon. Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2024, in Valdosta, Georgia. The defendant is not eligible for parole.
“Angelo Williams not only has a violent criminal history, but he was illegally armed when a child bravely attempted to protect his mother,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “We have zero tolerance for violent convicted felons who illegally possess firearms. Working with our law enforcement partners at every level, our office will continue to pursue these worthy prosecutions.”
“The abhorrent behavior conducted by Williams, especially in the presence of a child, is shocking,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Valdosta office. “This conviction sends the message that the FBI and our partners are devoted to removing violent criminals from our neighborhoods to make them safer for law abiding citizens.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lowndes County, Georgia, 911 received a call from a child the night of July 26, 2020, who told the operator something related to his mother “was being hit.” The 911 operator called back and spoke to the next-door neighbor of the location where the domestic dispute was occurring; Valdosta Police Department patrol officers were dispatched to the scene. Officers found a woman standing outside of the residence who said that Williams allegedly assaulted her and had left the scene shortly before the officers arrived. The victim had significant scrapes, scratches, cuts and bruises on her body and face and a large knot in the center of her forehead.
The victim told officers that Williams had allegedly taken the keys of the victim’s rental car and refused to give them back when she and her child asked. Williams allegedly pushed the child and began punching the victim. The altercation continued when the child ran to the next-door neighbor’s house and called 911.
The rental car was full of Williams’ belongings, including his AK-47 style semi-automatic rifle. Williams has prior state felony convictions for robbery/carjacking in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and felony fleeing/attempting to elude in Hamilton County, Florida. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Valdosta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonja Profit and Monica Daniels are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Amy Lynn Carter, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to deliver 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 20, 2021, Carter was a passenger in a vehicle parked at a Barboursville convenience store when a law enforcement officer approached the vehicle. The officer observed drug paraphernalia in plain view within the vehicle. A police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found 19 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, more than 242 grams of methamphetamine and $10,300. Carter admitted that she possessed the seized methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. Carter further admitted that she intended to buy additional methamphetamine with the cash found in the vehicle for distribution within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. 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. 3:22-cr-19.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jimmie Lee Holbrook, 43, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2023, Holbrook sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a vehicle outside of a service station in Huntington.
Holbrook is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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-149.
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Houstonian sent to prison for trafficking meth and heroinRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute nearly 4,000 grams of drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jorge Delgado-Santacruz pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Delgado-Santacruz to serve 180 months in prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony about the impact meth and heroin has had on the community at large and noted the sentence was appropriate to deter this kind of activity.
The investigation began in November 2020 when authorities learned Delgado-Santacruz was trafficking both meth and heroin in the Houston area.
Law enforcement set up numerous controlled drug buys. Delgado-Santacruz would negotiate the sale price of the substances and then directed others to deliver the narcotics.
Delgado-Santacruz was ultimately held accountable for the distribution of 892 grams of meth and 3,059.357 grams of heroin from Dec. 9, 2020, to Jan. 18, 2022. The total street value of all the drugs attributable to him is estimated at $375,000.
Delgado-Santacruz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart A. Burns prosecuted the case.
High-Ranking MS-13 Fugitive Arrested on Terrorism IndictmentRead the Press Release
Today, at the conclusion of a removal hearing, a federal court in Houston, Texas ordered Elmer Canales-Rivera, also known as “Crook de Hollywood,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, to be transferred in custody to the Eastern District of New York where he and 13 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders were indicted in December 2020 on terrorism offenses relating to their direction of the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico and elsewhere over the past two decades.
On November 9 2023, Canales-Rivera was arrested by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), when he arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. Specifically, Canales-Rivera has been charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism and narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Christopher A. Wray, Director, FBI; and Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security announced Canales-Rivera’s arrest and initial appearance.
“We allege that Elmer Canales-Rivera, a founding member of MS-13’s ‘Twelve Apostles of the Devil,’ bears responsibility for the gang’s efforts over decades to terrorize communities, target law enforcement, and sow violence here in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The arrest of this high-ranking, long-time leader of MS-13 should serve as a warning to MS-13’s other leaders that the Justice Department will hold you accountable for your crimes.”
“The defendant’s appearance in a federal courtroom today in the United States is a giant step in holding him accountable for his significant role as an alleged member of the MS-13 gang’s leadership body known as the ‘Twelve Apostles of the Devil’ and later renamed Ranfla Nacional,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As alleged, Canales-Rivera along with his co-defendants acted as a board of directors, directing acts of violence, intimidation and material support of terrorists in El Salvador and throughout the United States including in the Eastern District of New York where he will appear next in a federal courtroom in Central Islip to answer these charges.”
This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13, led by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Durham of the EDNY, and comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as other government agencies and offices have been essential partners in JTFV, including the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the USMS; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General.
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, which has spearheaded JTFV’s MS-13 leadership investigations, with critical support provided by the Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit, along with HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit and HSI’s New York and Houston Field Offices. Additionally, FBI Legal Attachés in Mexico City and San Salvador, FBI Houston Field Office, HSI Attaché Mexico City, USMS Legal Attaché in Mexico City and the United States Customs and Border Protection Officers at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston provided critical support in connection with the arrest, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office and the USMS for the Southern District of Texas for coordinating the initial appearance in Houston.
Mr. Peace also thanked the numerous Department of Justice components that contributed to this indictment, including: the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Executive Office; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. In addition, the Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control have provided valuable assistance for JTFV’s mission.
“With determination and coordinated effort, the FBI and our law enforcement and foreign partners successfully apprehended a violent criminal that directly threatened the safety of our communities," said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. "This pursuit exemplifies the FBI's commitment to safeguard the American public and continued promise to dismantle criminal networks like MS-13.”
“This arrest makes it clear that there is no hiding place for leaders of criminal syndicates that threaten our communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Through the dedication and investigative abilities of HSI agents and our federal partners, we are taking on criminal organizations like MS-13 and helping to bring all those who perpetrate transnational crimes to justice.”
As set forth in the indictment, which was returned on December 16, 2020 and unsealed on January 14, 2021, and related court filings, Canales-Rivera and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They play significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. In total, 27 of the highest-ranking leaders of MS-13 have been charged in the Eastern District of New York in this indictment and the related indictment of United States v. Arevalo-Chavez, et al.
As further alleged, in approximately 2002, Canales-Rivera, his co-defendants, and other MS-13 leaders began establishing a highly-organized, hierarchical command and control structure as a means to effectuate their decisions and enforce their orders, even while in prison. They directed acts of violence and murder in El Salvador, the United States, and elsewhere, established military-style training camps for its members and obtained military weapons such as rifles, handguns, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers. Further, beginning in approximately 2012, Canales-Rivera and other members of the Ranfla Nacional negotiated with officials from the government of El Salvador (GOES) and obtaied benefits and concessions from the GOES. In order to extract those benefits and concessions from GOES, MS-13 engaged in public displays of violence to threaten and intimidate civilian populations, targeted GOES law enforcement and military officials, and manipulated the electoral process in El Salvador. Canales-Rivera played one of the most prominent roles in MS-13’s negotiations and agreements with the GOES.
Additionally, as alleged, the Ranfla Nacional directed the expansion of MS-13 activities around the world, including the United States and Mexico, where several high-ranking leaders were sent to organize operations, make connections to obtain narcotics and firearms from Mexican drug cartels such as the Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Sinaloa Cartel, and engage in human trafficking and smuggling. The Ranfla Nacional also directed MS-13’s large membership in the United States to engage in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and extortion to raise money to support MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador and elsewhere.
Finally, the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13’s transnational leadership structure is alleged to have directed members in the United States to commit acts of violence, including murders, to further its goals and implemented rules that enabled MS-13 to entrench itself in parts of the United States, including within the EDNY where, under the defendants’ leadership and rules, MS-13 has committed numerous acts of violence—including murders, attempted murders, assaults, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion of individuals and businesses, obstructed justice and sent dues and the proceeds of criminal activity by wire transfer to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador. For example, this Office’s Long Island Criminal Division has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.
When the indictment was unsealed in January 2021, Canales-Rivera was in custody in El Salvador serving a prison sentence, and the United States lodged an INTERPOL Red Notice and submitted an extradition request for Canales-Rivera to the GOES. However, in or about November 2021, Canales-Rivera was released from custody by the GOES and then unlawfully entered Guatemala. Canales-Rivera remained a fugitive until November 7, 2023, when he was apprehended by Mexican authorities.
Further, in addition to requesting Canales-Rivera’s extradition, in 2021 and 2022, the United States requested the extradition of 11 of his co-defendants, including Borromeo Enrique Henriquez, also known as “Diablito de Hollywood,” who is widely recognized as the most powerful member of the Ranfla Nacional. To date, the GOES has not extradited any of those defendants.
Two of Canales-Rivera’s co-defendants, Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, also known as “Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View,” and Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, also known as “El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners,” and three related defendants from the Arevalo-Chavez indictment, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, also known as “Cruger de Peatonales,” Juan Antonio Martinez-Abrego, also known as “Mary Jane de Hollywood,” and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” remain at large. Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI’s toll-free MS-13 tip line, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423 or https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form. Together, FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitives.
These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Canales-Rivera faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell from the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Donnelly (District of New Jersey), Matthew Shepherd (Northern District of Ohio), and Stewart Young (District of Utah) from JTFV.
Newly Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody:
ELMER CANALES-RIVERA (“Crook de Hollywood”)
Age: 47Fugitive Defendants:
FREDY IVAN JANDRES-PARADA (“Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View”)
Age: 47CESAR HUMBERTO LOPEZ-LARIOS (“El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners”)
Age: 44Defendants with Pending Extradition Requests, Reportedly in El Salvador Custody:
BORROMEO ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ (“Diablito de Hollywood”)
Age: 45EFRAIN CORTEZ (“Tigre de Park View” and “Viejo Tigre de Park View”)
Age: 54RICARDO ALBERTO DIAZ (“Rata de Leewards” and “Mousey de Leewards”)
Age: 50EDUARDO ERAZO-NOLASCO (“Colocho de Western” and “Mustage de Western”)
Age: 51EDSON SACHARY EUFEMIA (“Speedy de Park View”)
Age: 49JOSE FERNANDEZ FLORES-CUBAS (“Cola de Western”)
Age: 49LEONEL ALEXANDER LEONARDO (“El Necio de San Cocos”)
Age: 43JOSE LUIS MENDOZA-FIGUEROA (“Pavas de 7-11” and “Viejo Pavas de 7-11”)
Age: 59HUGO ARMANDO QUINTEROS-MINEROS (“Flaco de Francis”)
Age: 50SAUL ANTONIO TURCIOS (“Trece de Teclas”)
Age: 45ARISTIDES DIONISIO UMANZOR (“Sirra de Teclas”)
Age: 45E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-577 (JMA)
High-Ranking MS-13 Fugitive Arrested on Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
At the conclusion of a removal hearing, a federal court in Houston, Texas ordered Elmer Canales-Rivera, aka Crook de Hollywood, a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, aka MS-13, to be transferred in custody to the Eastern District of New York where he and 13 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders were indicted in December 2020 on terrorism offenses relating to their direction of the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades.
On Nov. 9, Canales-Rivera was arrested by members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) when he arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. Specifically, Canales-Rivera has been charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism and narco-terrorism conspiracy.
“We allege that Elmer Canales-Rivera, a founding member of MS-13’s ‘Twelve Apostles of the Devil,’ bears responsibility for the gang’s efforts over decades to terrorize communities, target law enforcement, and sow violence here in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The arrest of this high-ranking, long-time leader of MS-13 should serve as a warning to MS-13’s other leaders that the Justice Department will hold you accountable for your crimes.”
“This arrest makes it clear that there is no hiding place for leaders of criminal syndicates that threaten our communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Through the dedication and investigative abilities of HSI agents and our federal partners, we are taking on criminal organizations like MS-13 and helping to bring all those who perpetrate transnational crimes to justice.”
“With determination and coordinated effort, the FBI and our law enforcement and foreign partners successfully apprehended a violent criminal that directly threatened the safety of our communities,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “This pursuit exemplifies the FBI's commitment to safeguard the American public and continued promise to dismantle criminal networks like MS-13.”
“The defendant’s appearance in a federal courtroom today in the United States is a giant step in holding him accountable for his significant role as an alleged member of the MS-13 gang’s leadership body known as the ‘Twelve Apostles of the Devil’ and later renamed Ranfla Nacional,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, Canales-Rivera along with his co-defendants acted as a board of directors, directing acts of violence, intimidation, and material support of terrorists in El Salvador and throughout the United States, including in the Eastern District of New York where he will appear next in a federal courtroom in Central Islip to answer these charges.”
As set forth in the indictment, which was returned on Dec. 16, 2020 and unsealed on Jan. 14, 2021, and related court filings, Canales-Rivera and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They play significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. In total, 27 of the highest-ranking leaders of MS-13 have been charged in the Eastern District of New York in this indictment and the related indictment of United States v. Arevalo-Chavez, et al.
As further alleged, in approximately 2002, Canales-Rivera, his co-defendants, and other MS-13 leaders began establishing a highly-organized, hierarchical command and control structure as a means to effectuate their decisions and enforce their orders, even while in prison. They directed acts of violence and murder in El Salvador, the United States, and elsewhere, established military-style training camps for its members and obtained military weapons such as rifles, handguns, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers. Further, beginning in approximately 2012, Canales-Rivera and other members of the Ranfla Nacional negotiated with officials from the government of El Salvador (GOES) and obtained benefits and concessions from the GOES. In order to extract those benefits and concessions from the GOES, MS-13 engaged in public displays of violence to threaten and intimidate civilian populations, targeted GOES law enforcement and military officials, and manipulated the electoral process in El Salvador. Canales-Rivera played one of the most prominent roles in MS-13’s negotiations and agreements with the GOES.
Additionally, as alleged, the Ranfla Nacional directed the expansion of MS-13 activities around the world, including the United States and Mexico, where several high-ranking leaders were sent to organize operations, make connections to obtain narcotics and firearms from Mexican drug cartels such as the Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Sinaloa Cartel, and engage in human trafficking and smuggling. The Ranfla Nacional also directed MS-13’s large membership in the United States to engage in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and extortion, to raise money to support MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador and elsewhere.
Finally, the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13’s transnational leadership structure is alleged to have directed members in the United States to commit acts of violence, including murders, to further its goals and implemented rules that enabled MS-13 to entrench itself in parts of the United States, including within the EDNY where, under the defendants’ leadership and rules, MS-13 has committed numerous acts of violence — including murders, attempted murders, assaults, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion of individuals and businesses, obstructed justice and sent dues and the proceeds of criminal activity by wire transfer to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador. For example, this the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Long Island Criminal Division has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.
When the indictment was unsealed in January 2021, Canales-Rivera was in custody in El Salvador serving a prison sentence, and the United States lodged an INTERPOL Red Notice and submitted an extradition request for Canales-Rivera to the GOES. However, in or about November 2021, Canales-Rivera was released from custody by the GOES and then unlawfully entered Guatemala. Canales-Rivera remained a fugitive until Nov. 7, when he was apprehended by Mexican authorities.
Further, in addition to requesting Canales-Rivera’s extradition, in 2021 and 2022, the United States requested the extradition of 11 of his co-defendants, including Borromeo Enrique Henriquez, also known as “Diablito de Hollywood,” who is widely recognized as the most powerful member of the Ranfla Nacional. To date, the GOES has not extradited any of those defendants.
Two of Canales-Rivera’s co-defendants, Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, aka Lucky de Park View and Lacky de Park View, and Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, aka El Grenas de Stoners and Oso de Stoners, and three related defendants from the Arevalo-Chavez indictment, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, aka Cruger de Peatonales; Juan Antonio Martinez-Abrego, aka Mary Jane de Hollywood, and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, aka Veterano de Tribus, remain at large. Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI’s toll-free MS-13 tip line, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or HSI’s tip line at 866-347-2423 or www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form. Together, FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitives.
This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Durham of the Eastern District of New York, and comprised of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, including the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as other government agencies and offices have been essential partners in JTFV, including the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the FBI’s Criminal Division; HSI; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); USMS; Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP); and U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office spearheaded JTFV’s MS-13 leadership investigations, with critical support provided by the Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit, along with HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit and HSI’s New York and Houston Field Offices. Additionally, the FBI Legal Attachés in Mexico City and San Salvador, FBI Houston Field Office, HSI Attaché Mexico City, USMS Legal Attaché in Mexico City, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston provided critical support in connection with the arrest, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the USMS for the Southern District of Texas for coordinating the initial appearance in Houston.
Numerous Justice Department components that contributed to this indictment, including: the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. In addition, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) have provided valuable assistance for JTFV’s mission.
If convicted, Canales-Rivera faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell for the Eastern District of New York’s Long Island Criminal Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Donnelly for the District of New Jersey, Matthew Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stewart Young for the District of Utah from JTFV.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Harrison County man sentenced for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Neal Boram, II, age 38, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 80 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Boram, a convicted felon, persuaded a female to purchase him a 9mm pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Morgantown. Investigators searched Boram’s hotel room and found the 9mm pistol’s box, another firearm, ammunition, and controlled substances. Further investigation revealed that Boram sold the 9mm, along with two other firearms, to a convicted felon.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Harlem man sentenced to 18 months in prison for drive-by shooting of residence on Fort Belknap Indian reservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Harlem man who admitted to shooting into an occupied house in Fort Belknap Agency on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tyree Daniel Doney, 22, pleaded guilty in June to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered $3,900 restitution.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 19, a man, identified as John Doe, was inside his residence with his family, including two children. John Doe heard multiple gunshots, and one bullet lodged inside his residence. John Doe feared that he or his family would be harmed from the drive-by shooting. Law enforcement learned that Doney was in the area at the time of the shooting, and Doney ultimately admitted to firing the gunshots into John Doe’s home. Doney did so, in part, because Doney was upset about a physical fight he had with John Doe four months prior. Officers recovered 9mm casings outside John Doe’s residence, 9mm casings inside Doney’s vehicle and the 9mm firearm inside Doney’s residence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Killing Bald EagleRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Domingo Zetino Hernandez, 21, of Guatemala, was sentenced on November 14, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced Zetino Hernandez to time served. Zetino Hernandez has been in custody since March 20, 2023. Zetino Hernandez is subject to removal proceedings with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On or about February 28, 2023, law enforcement received a report of a suspicious vehicle located at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area, located in Stanton County, Nebraska. Law enforcement arrived at Wood Duck and approached the vehicle with Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin and Zetino Hernandez as the occupants. During the encounter, Zetino Hernandez admitted that he shot a bird and that it was in the trunk of the vehicle. Law enforcement obtained consent to search the vehicle and found one bald eagle carcass. Zetino Hernandez admitted to taking and possessing the bald eagle found in the trunk of the vehicle without being permitted to do so.
Co-defendant Hernandez Tziquin remains at large. Hernandez-Tziquin, who was living in Norfolk, Nebraska, at the time of the incident, is believed to have fled the local area around the time his arrest warrant was issued, and to date has not been located. Hernandez-Tziquin may currently be living with family or associates in Nebraska, Texas, or elsewhere. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking information regarding the current location of Hernandez-Tziquin. There may be a reward available for information leading to an arrest by calling 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477) or online at https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips. Callers may remain anonymous.
This case was investigated by United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Nebraska Games and Parks Commission, and the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office.
Greensboro Man Sentenced to Total of 142 Months on Firearm Offense, Supervised Release ViolationsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – RYAN ROBERT AUGHENBAUGH was sentenced today to a total of 142 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
AUGHENBAUGH was indicted in November 2022, and pleaded guilty to the single-count Indictment on July 17, 2023.
AUGHENBAUGH was sentenced to a 115-month term of imprisonment for the felon in possession charge by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition, Judge Schroeder sentenced AUGHENBAUGH for two supervised release violations, imposing terms of 27 and 24 months, to run concurrently with each other but consecutive to the 115-month sentence.
This case arises from an investigation by the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to documents filed in the case and evidence presented at sentencing, on June 29, 2022, GPD responded to a call reporting someone breaking into cars on Westhaven Drive. As officers approached, AUGHENBAUGH - who matched the description of the suspect given by the caller – attempted to flee on foot. He was taken to the ground, and during the ensuing struggle, AUGHENBAUGH discharged a gun, hitting himself in the leg and wounding one of the officers. Officers ultimately recovered two guns from AUGHENBAUGH, both of which had been reported stolen.
As of June 29, 2022, AUGHENBAUGH had been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison. Most notably, on April 22, 2016, he was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon by the Hon. Catherine C. Eagles in case number 1:15CR406-1 [MDNC]. He also received a sentence of 24 months of imprisonment on December 14, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, for bank fraud in case number 7:15CR98-1.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon and former Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Kroeger.
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Greene County Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drew Caswell, age 25, of Cairo, New York, appeared in federal court yesterday on a charge that he possessed child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred A. Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the criminal complaint, on August 7, 2022, Caswell possessed a phone that contained numerous electronic files depicting the sexual abuse of children. The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Caswell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
As part of yesterday’s initial appearance in which Caswell was detained, United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart scheduled a detention hearing for tomorrow, November 16.
If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Caswell faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Caswell would also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.