Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
9 November 2023
Armed Charlotte Man Indicted for Assaulting Two U.S. Postal Service Employees on the Same Day Appears in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment was unsealed in court late yesterday, following the arrest of Dujuan Marquise McNeil, 38, of Charlotte, for assaulting two U.S. Postal Service employees on the same day and related firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, on or about June 1, 2023, McNeil, used a deadly weapon to assault a U.S. Postal Service employee, identified in the indictment as K.S., while she was at work. The indictment also alleges that on the same day McNeill used a deadly weapon to assault a second U.S. Postal Service employee, identified as A.H., while she was working. As alleged in the indictment, during both incidents, McNeil possessed and brandished a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, that being the assaults. The indictment further alleges that, on June 14, 2023, McNeil possessed a number of firearms, including an assault rifle, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony and was not permitted to possess a firearm.
In addition to the criminal charges, the indictment lists four firearms, a ghost gun, magazines, and ammunition seized from the defendant’s residence, which are subject to forfeiture for violation of federal law.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McNeil is currently in federal custody. The maximum penalty for each count of assault of a federal employee by means of a dangerous weapon is 20 years in prison. The minimum penalty for each count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence is seven years and the maximum is life in prison. The charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended USPIS for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Apple Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Apple Valley man has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2023, law enforcement attempted to arrest Timothy Allen Torell Wetzstein, 31, on outstanding warrants. Wetzstein fled from police officers but was arrested after a short foot chase. During the chase, Wetzstein threw away a Springfield Armory .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Police searched Wetzstein’s backpack and vehicle and recovered quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, more than $11,000 in cash, and three additional firearms. As part of his guilty plea, Wetzstein also admitted to possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms on multiple other occasions between October 2020 and July 2023.
Wetzstein pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Ramsey Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Drug Task Force, and Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
Alleged Promoter of an Illegal Tax Shelter Charged with Tax Evasion and Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Sherman, Texas, returned an indictment today charging a Texas man with tax evasion and corruptly obstructing the IRS for attempting to evade his personal federal income taxes by, among other things, using an abusive-trust tax shelter. In September, a federal grand jury in Denver charged him with conspiring with others to defraud the United States by promoting nationwide the same abusive-trust tax shelter.
According to the indictment, from 2001 to 2014, Larry Conner, of Frisco, Texas, filed his individual income tax returns but did not pay the income taxes reported due on those returns. Conner allegedly attempted to prevent the IRS from collecting the unpaid taxes by creating sham trusts to hide over $5 million in income he earned from 2016 through 2021 and other assets from the IRS. Conner allegedly signed trust instruments purporting to create five trusts and opened bank accounts in the name of each trust, which he used to pay for personal living expenses. The indictment alleges that Conner assigned virtually all his income to the sham trusts and filed false individual income tax returns that did not report the income he assigned to those sham trusts.
The indictment further alleges that in 2018, Conner submitted a false form to the IRS as part of an offer to settle a portion of his tax debt. In the form, Conner allegedly understated his assets, omitted multiple bank accounts and falsely represented to the IRS that he did not run a business.
If convicted, Conner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion and three years in prison for corruptly obstructing the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The pending Denver federal indictment charges Conner with conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting nationwide the same abusive-trust tax shelter that he allegedly used to evade his personal taxes as charged in today’s indictment. In that matter, Conner is alleged to have promoted and sold the abusive-trust tax shelter for approximately $25,000 to $50,000 per client, assuring them that they would continue to benefit from and control the income assigned to the sham trusts. In total, Conner’s promotion and sale of the tax shelter allegedly resulted in tens of millions of dollars in unpaid federal income taxes.
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.
Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Addiction Treatment Center Supervisor Admits to Participating in a Scheme to Defraud Federal, State, and Private Health Care InsurersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A clinical social worker today admitted to a federal judge that she helped devise and execute a scheme that shortchanged Rhode Island and Massachusetts substance abuse disorder patients out of counseling and treatment services while, at the same time, defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of more than $3.5 million dollars, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Mi Ok Song Bruining, 63, of Warwick, admitted that, while employed as a supervisor at Recovery Connections Centers of America, Inc. (RCCA) in Providence, she and others working at her direction routinely submitted false and fraudulent claims for psychotherapy and counseling services that did not occur for the length of time billed, consistently billing for far more patients than was possible for RCCA staff to have seen during office hours. Bruining, known at RCCA as the “5 Minute Queen” for her speed in seeing patients for so-called counseling sessions, admitted that while billing for 45-minute sessions she actually saw patients for no more than 5-10 minutes, at times asking patients only one question before she ended a session.
According to information presented to the court, to facilitate this fraud, Ms. Bruining directed counselors and others at RCCA to record in their notes that they were providing counseling in 45-minute intervals, but without listing AM or PM for the start time. Ms. Bruining gave this instruction so that it was not clear that they were seeing more patients than possible within a single hour. She also instructed other counselors to copy and paste the last visit’s note into each entry to make the bill look complete. As a result, many of the patient notes for patients billed by RCCA were simply identical cut-and paste copies of the same note.
Bruining pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 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 Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Kevin Love Hubbard.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the IRS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation.
###
8 November 2023
Wisconsin Gymnastics Coach Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Superior, Wisconsin, man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing images depicting his sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, George Francis Deppa, 50, sexually abused a 15-year-old minor and produced visual depictions of the sexual abuse.
Deppa was federally charged in May of 2022 and entered a guilty plea on June 28, 2023, to one count of production of child pornography. Pursuant to the federal plea agreement, Deppa also agreed to enter guilty pleas in additional state felony charges involving sexual assaults against at least five other minors in St. Louis County and Douglas County. Deppa was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Kate M. Menendez. Aggravating factors noted during his federal sentencing included a pattern of isolating and, in some instances, drugging his victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Duluth Police Department, with assistance from the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office and the Douglas County (Wisconsin) Attorney’s Office. Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at (218) 722-3341.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children in crimes involving child pornography, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Wilmington Gang Member Receives More than 8 Years in Prison for Possessing Multiple Ghost Guns with High-Capacity MagazinesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man, and validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. On June 5, 2023, Demirion Keziah Barnett, age 19, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on January 28, 2023, at approximately 11:16 p.m., investigators with the Wilmington Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Metting Street following a ShotSpotter alert and notification that an individual in the residence sustained a gunshot wound to the hand.
When officers arrived on scene they saw the defendant, Demirion Barnett, walking away from a vehicle parked in the parking lot before making contact with the occupants of the home involved in the shooting. Officers saw the numerous bullet holes in the walls and windows of the residence, indicative of someone firing into the home. During the investigation officers located approximately 437 grams of marijuana and a 9mm handgun in a backpack inside the residence. Officers also looked under the vehicle the defendant was observed walking away from and found a .223/556 AR style “ghost” gun rifle with a 60-round drum magazine and a stolen 9mm handgun with a 24-round magazine and two obliterated serial numbers wrapped inside a blanket.
Barnett was detained and interviewed by law enforcement. He told investigators he was inside the home when the shooting occurred, and he put the guns in the blanket under a vehicle to hide them from law enforcement.
The next day, investigators responded to a call that another firearm was located in the parking lot next to the location where they found the firearms the previous day and found a 9mm semi-automatic “ghost” gun with a 31-round magazine.
At the time of the offense, the defendant was a convicted felon and was on state probation for felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule VI Controlled Substance. Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections reflect that the defendant is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department’s Gun Crime Task Force, and the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff Office Mobile Field Force Unit investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-cr-00026M-001.
###
Waseca Man Sentenced to Prison for Domestic Assault on Bois Forte ReservationRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Waseca man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for assaulting an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2021, David Alvarez, Jr., 33, assaulted his domestic partner at their residence on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. At the time of the assault, Alvarez had two prior domestic assault convictions in Steele County.
Alvarez pleaded guilty on July 25, 2023, to one count of domestic assault by a habitual offender. Alvarez was sentenced on October 31, 2023, in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Bois Forte Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Wall Street Director and Head Trader Charged for U.S. Treasuries Market Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, returned an indictment that was unsealed today charging a Wall Street bond trader for a scheme to manipulate the U.S. Treasuries market.
“Securities fraud and manipulation, as alleged here, victimize investors and degrade the integrity of our public securities markets,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department will continue to protect our financial systems and investors by holding accountable those who violate our securities laws.”
According to court documents, between approximately April 2018 and May 2019, Jeyakumar Nadarajah, 39, who was employed as a director at a bank in New York and head of the desk that was responsible for trading U.S. Treasuries, allegedly engaged in a scheme to mislead market participants in the secondary (or cash) market for U.S. Treasuries. Nadarajah is alleged to have engaged in a spoofing and layering scheme that involved placing orders that he did not intend to execute in order to create the appearance of false supply and demand, and to fraudulently induce other market participants to trade at prices, quantities, and times that they otherwise would not have traded.
“There’s money to be made in the financial markets. And if there’s money to be made, it means that fraudsters are right there looking to take advantage of other market participants,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Whether it’s a simple investment scam or a complex scheme like the one Mr. Nadarajah allegedly tried to pull off, Postal Inspectors are there to bring the scammers to justice.”
Nadarajah is charged with two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of securities fraud, and seven counts of securities manipulation. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, securities fraud, and securities manipulation.
USPIS is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorney John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IndictmentViolent alien strangles federal agent in attempt to fleeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 20-year-old El Salvadorian for assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury convicted Jose Milton Mendoza-Felipe following a two-day trial.
On June 28, law enforcement approached a group of undocumented non-citizens near the Rio Grande River. Mendoza-Felipe was one of those individuals and tried to flee the area. A BP agent caught up to him and attempted to place him in custody. However, Mendoza-Felipe resisted and became combative.
The jury heard testimony that Mendoza-Felipe attempted to strangle the agent by squeezing his windpipe during the struggle. When the agent was able to escape from the chokehold, Mendoza-Felipe again tried to grab him by the throat, but struck the agent’s jaw instead, causing him to bleed. Mendoza-Felipe only complied once another BP agent arrived.
At trial, the jury saw the scratch marks left on the agent’s neck and heard how he had to take pain medication for his injuries.
Mendoza-Felipe testified in the trial, claiming that he did not choke the agent and that he did not realize he was law enforcement. He told the jury he was just defending himself. The jury did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 29, 2024. At that time, Mendoza-Felipe faces up to eight years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Mendoza-Felipe has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Fry and Devin V. Walker are prosecuting the case.
Violent Bloods Gang Leader in Raleigh Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Raymond Lawrence Brown was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for leading a violent Bloods gang that dealt cocaine and crack and terrorizing a southern Raleigh community through violence and intimidation. On May 11, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
"This conviction and sentence ensure that a violent gang leader will remain in federal prison for the next two decades," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "We will continue to partner with law enforcement at every level to identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals driving the violence in our community."
Court documents and other highlighted at the hearing, evidence presented in court confirm that Brown received an enhancement for his involvement in at least one murder. During the sentencing hearing, law enforcement presented evidence of a house that Brown used for drug dealing getting robbed in 2019. In retaliation, Brown issued an order to murder one of the suspected robbers. On June 10, 2019, the individual Brown ordered killed was found dead from gunshot wounds. This incident represents just one example of Brown’s use of directed violence and intimidation highlighted at the sentencing hearing.
The investigation into Brown showed he coordinated, directed, or supplied drug deals carried out by subordinates in the gang. Law enforcement also documented Brown selling a gun and his ordering of others to commit acts of violence on his behalf, all in furtherance of the gang and drug dealing. During the sentencing, he received enhancements for being a leader, maintaining a house for distributing drugs, using guns, and using violence.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and 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. 5:20-cr-00141-FL-1.
###
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Exceptional Law Enforcement Work at Law Enforcement Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont honored a number of individuals from a variety of law enforcement agencies at the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony. Individual investigators and officers from federal, state, and local agencies were nominated by U.S. Attorney’s Office staff in a variety of categories for their outstanding work supporting the mission of this office and promoting public safety. The specific categories and individuals recognized today are as follows:
Investigative Excellence Award: This category includes recipients whose actions led directly to an arrest of a dangerous subject or to the exposure of a significant criminal or civil conspiracy.
- Lieutenant Frank Scalise, Milton Police Department and former Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer – nominated for United States v. Deamontae Luchie, et al.
- Deputy Marshal Max Galusha, United States Marshals Service – nominated for United States v. Lisa Miller, et al.
- Detective Sergeant Ashley “Skip” Barnes, Vermont State Police – nominated for United States v. Krystal Whitcomb, et al.
Investigative Achievement Award: This award is for those individuals, both sworn and non-sworn who have significantly contributed to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Special Agent Jennie Emmons, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent John Schroeder, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation
- Special Agent Anders Ostrum, Internal Revenue Service -Criminal Investigation
- Resident Agent in Charge Derek Roy, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations
- All nominated for United States v. Ariel Quiros, William Kelly, and William Stenger
Outstanding Collaborative Investigation Award: This category recognizes those who have demonstrated outstanding efforts to overcome significant challenges in collaboration with multiple agencies in order to meet the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Special Agent Eric Boyce, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Analyst Virginia Churchill, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent Stephanie Dubuc, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent Jennie Emmons, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent Eric Gempp, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service
- Special Agent Michael Jankowiak, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent Lisa Tutty, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Special Agent Kellie Senecal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- All nominated for outstanding collaborative investigation in United States v. Nathan Carman.
- Special Agent Samuel Brown, on behalf of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Detective Eric Dalla Mura, on behalf of the Burlington Police Department
- Both nominated as their agency representatives for outstanding collaborative investigation in United States v. Lesine Woodson, et al.
Award recipients gathered today at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by colleagues and family. Each recipient received an engraved award commemorating their outstanding efforts. U.S. Attorney Kerest stated: “It is a special honor to recognize law enforcement officers like today’s awardees, who represent the very best of this noble work and contribute so much to Vermont. I also want to thank our awardees’ family members and loved ones whose care and encouragement make the accomplishments recognized today possible.”
U.S. Attorney's Office Testifies Before D.C. Council in Support of the ("ACTIVE") Amendment Act of 2023Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will testify today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, Bill 25-0479, the “Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement (“ACTIVE”) Amendment Act of 2023.”
USAO-DC strongly supports Bill 25-0479, the “Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement (“ACTIVE”) Amendment Act of 2023.” Our Office is using every available tool to combat the violent crime crisis we are experiencing in the District. This bill provides critical additional tools to hold violent offenders and gun offenders accountable and enable our Office to prosecute cases that are harming our communities, filling legal gaps that will make our residents safer.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, provided written remarks, available in the accompanying attachment.
The testimony is available in the attachment below.
Two KC Men Indicted for Cyberstalking That Resulted in MurderRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy that used a GPS tracking device to surveil their victim, who was shot to death in a grocery store parking lot.
Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 35, and Michael Smith, also known as “Black Mike,” 37, were charged in a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment and adds Lawhorn as a defendant. Co-defendant Dontay Campbell, 34, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., has pleaded guilty and therefore is not charged in this superseding indictment.
The federal indictment alleges that Lawhorn, Smith and Campbell participated in the cyberstalking conspiracy, which resulted in the murder of Dontayus Wiles, from Feb. 22 to March 20, 2019. The indictment alleges that Lawhorn shot a firearm multiple times at Wiles and killed him.
According to the indictment, conspirators placed a GPS tracking device on Wiles’s red Chevrolet Tahoe. On March 16, 2019, Lawhorn and Campbell surveilled Wiles as he drove to Happy Foods grocery store, located at 4019 E. 31st Street, Kansas City, Mo. When Wiles left the grocery store and walked back to the Tahoe, Lawhorn and Campbell pulled up next to the Tahoe in a Chrysler Sebring. Lawhorn allegedly exited the Sebring and shot at Wiles several times with a Sturm, Ruger & Co. .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun. During the shooting spree, Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to remove the GPS tracker from Wiles’s vehicle.
Lawhorn and Campbell then ran back to the Sebring, briefly drove around the parking lot, and parked again near Wiles’s Tahoe. Lawhorn allegedly again fired multiple shots into Wiles’s Tahoe while Campbell again tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the GPS tracker. Lawhorn and Campbell then sped out of the parking lot in the Sebring.
According to the indictment, Lawhorn and Smith then dumped the Sebring. Smith and Campbell left the Kansas City metropolitan area and traveled to Phoenix, Arizona.
In addition to the conspiracy, Lawhorn and Smith are charged with one count of cyberstalking resulting in death.
Lawhorn is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Lawhorn has prior felony convictions for assault, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lawhorn has also pleaded guilty to his role in an insurance fraud scheme and awaits sentencing.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and are 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. Attorneys Trey Alford and Nicholas Heberle. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Two Former Federal Correctional Officers in Kentucky Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Inmates and Conspiring with a Supervisor to Cover It UpRead the Press Release
Two former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) corrections officers, Samuel J. Patrick, 41, and Clinton L. Pauley, 42, were sentenced today to 36 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and 40 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, respectively, for their roles in the assaults of inmates held at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy. Patrick and Pauley previously pleaded guilty and testified against a third co-defendant at trial earlier this year.
“As today’s convictions demonstrate, the Department of Justice will hold accountable BOP employees who abuse their position of authority and those in their custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We will not let up in our ongoing efforts to root out abuse and misconduct at the Bureau of Prisons, so that it can fulfill its mission to safely and humanely care for the adults in its custody while also preparing them to reenter society.”
“Physical abuse and corruption by law enforcement officers is unacceptable no matter where it occurs, but these offenses stand out because they were committed by veteran federal officers in a Bureau of Prisons facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Defendant Patrick’s racially-charged and violent assault on one inmate was not only unlawful but morally reprehensible. The Justice Department takes constitutional abuses by federal officers extremely seriously, and we will continue to prosecute officers who violate federal civil rights laws.”
“Patrick and Pauley engaged in egregious acts of violence towards inmates in their custody and care, and then tried to cover up their crimes,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Justice Department. “Today’s sentencing shows that assault of inmates will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will be held accountable.”
“These defendants were charged with the custody and care of others; instead, they committed themselves to abusing those in their care, breaching the public trust, disserving the interests of true law enforcement and violating the civil rights of others,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Holding law enforcement officials accountable for civil rights violations is an important first step to restoring the public trust in dedicated law enforcement and to protecting the civil rights of everyone.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Patrick and Pauley unlawfully used force to punish two inmates housed at Big Sandy. On March 30, 2021, the officers assaulted an inmate by spraying him in the face with pepper spray and kicking him in the head and upper body. Witnesses, including those who assaulted the inmates, testified that the inmate was not a threat and was compliant, and was assaulted for walking too slowly to his cell, rather than for any legitimate penological purpose. On April 29, 2021, the officers assaulted a second inmate by elbowing him in the head and punching him in the body. The victim of that assault had requested protection from other inmates. When the victim, who is white, revealed that he used to affiliate with Black gangs, Patrick referred to him as a “race traitor,” after which Patrick and Pauley both repeatedly struck him in the head and body. In addition to the preceding incidents, Pauley further admitted that he assaulted a third federal inmate during an unrelated encounter on March 26, 2021.
On both March 30 and April 29, 2021, Patrick and Pauley’s co-defendant, Lieutenant Kevin C. Pearce, 39, was present and saw his lower-ranking officers using force out of anger. Afterwards, Pearce helped them try to cover up what happened by writing false reports, backing up their cover stories and pressuring subordinate officers to join the cover-ups. Pearce was found guilty at trial of writing false reports that covered up the assaults. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5.
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
BOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous BOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the Department’s reform efforts.
Two Former Federal Correctional Officers in Eastern Kentucky Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Inmates and Conspiring with a Supervisor to Cover It UpRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. Two former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) corrections officers, Samuel J. Patrick, 41, and Clinton L. Pauley, 42, were sentenced today to 36 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and 40 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, respectively, for their roles in the assaults of inmates held at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy. Patrick and Pauley previously pleaded guilty and testified against a third co-defendant at trial earlier this year.
“As today’s convictions demonstrate, the Department of Justice will hold accountable BOP employees who abuse their position of authority and those in their custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We will not let up in our ongoing efforts to root out abuse and misconduct at the Bureau of Prisons, so that it can fulfill its mission to safely and humanely care for the adults in its custody while also preparing them to reenter society.”
“Physical abuse and corruption by law enforcement officers is unacceptable no matter where it occurs, but these offenses stand out because they were committed by veteran federal officers in a Bureau of Prisons facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Defendant Patrick’s racially-charged and violent assault on one inmate was not only unlawful but morally reprehensible. The Justice Department takes constitutional abuses by federal officers extremely seriously, and we will continue to prosecute officers who violate federal civil rights laws.”
“Patrick and Pauley engaged in egregious acts of violence towards inmates in their custody and care, and then tried to cover up their crimes,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Justice Department. “Today’s sentencing shows that assault of inmates will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will be held accountable.”
“These defendants were charged with the custody and care of others; instead, they committed themselves to abusing those in their care, breaching the public trust, disserving the interests of true law enforcement and violating the civil rights of others,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Holding law enforcement officials accountable for civil rights violations is an important first step to restoring the public trust in dedicated law enforcement and to protecting the civil rights of everyone.”
“Federal corrections officers are entrusted to protect the individuals placed in their custody. The two defendants in this case blatantly broke that trust by violently assaulting multiple inmates,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “The FBI will continue its vigorous pursuit of investigating and holding accountable any law enforcement official who chooses to violate the civil rights of those they take an oath to protect.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Patrick and Pauley unlawfully used force to punish two inmates housed at Big Sandy. On March 30, 2021, the officers assaulted an inmate by spraying him in the face with pepper spray and kicking him in the head and upper body. Witnesses, including those who assaulted the inmates, testified that the inmate was not a threat and was compliant, and was assaulted for walking too slowly to his cell, rather than for any legitimate penological purpose. On April 29, 2021, the officers assaulted a second inmate by elbowing him in the head and punching him in the body. The victim of that assault had requested protection from other inmates. When the victim, who is white, revealed that he used to affiliate with Black gangs, Patrick referred to him as a “race traitor,” after which Patrick and Pauley both repeatedly struck him in the head and body. In addition to the preceding incidents, Pauley further admitted that he assaulted a third federal inmate during an unrelated encounter on March 26, 2021.
On both March 30 and April 29, 2021, Patrick and Pauley’s co-defendant, Lieutenant Kevin C. Pearce, 39, was present and saw his lower-ranking officers using force out of anger. Afterwards, Pearce helped them try to cover up what happened by writing false reports, backing up their cover stories and pressuring subordinate officers to join the cover-ups. Pearce was found guilty at trial of writing false reports that covered up the assaults. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5.
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
BOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous BOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the Department’s reform efforts.
– END –
Tucson Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Importing FentanylRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Gerardo Hernandez, 40, of Tucson, was sentenced on November 2, 2023, by United States District Judge Jennifer Zipps to 120 months in prison, followed by 36 months supervised release. Hernandez pleaded guilty on May 5, 2023, to Importation of Fentanyl.
On December 4, 2022, Hernandez, a United States citizen, entered the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, from Mexico. He was a passenger in the front seat of a vehicle that contained 49.9 kilograms of fentanyl concealed inside the vehicle. Hernandez was aware that the vehicle contained controlled substances and agreed to import them into the United States. The driver of the vehicle was unaware that they were importing controlled substances. Hernandez has 11 prior felony convictions and six prior misdemeanor convictions since 2002.
The fentanyl Hernandez imported was in 30 milligram tablets. Forty-nine kilograms is approximately 1,600,000 tablets or single use doses of fentanyl.
The Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 22-2775-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-172_Hernandez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Toppenish Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Robert Ray Root, age 54, of Toppenish, Washington has been sentenced after pleading guilty to Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 96 months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Root was also ordered to pay a total of $21,000 in restitution to 7 individual victims of his conduct.
According to court documents, Root had been downloading and sharing child pornography with others online for approximately 30 years when an undercover federal agent downloaded child pornography files from Root in October and November of 2021. In January 2022, agents executed a search warrant at Root’s home and seized several electronic devices, including a computer with thousands of child pornography images and more than 100 videos. In addition to admitting the decades’ long interest in and trading of child pornography, Root also admitted to investigators that he had sexually abused a young girl several years earlier.
“Mr. Root spent decades victimizing the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “Protecting children from harm remains a priority of my office and is critical to building a safe and strong Eastern Washington community. I am deeply grateful for the work of Homeland Security Investigations, our local partners, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, for pursuing those who use technology to exploit our children.”
“Sentences such as this highlight the importance our law enforcement partnerships bring to stopping the scourge of violence against children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “In this case, our joint efforts stopped decades of exploitation and saved the childhoods of unknown future victims from the lifelong effects of trauma.”
“Having a dedicated southeast regional ICAC task force, in our own backyard, with a great partnership including a Richland PD sergeant and detective at work to bring individuals like Mr. Root to justice, is truly an amazing feat,” said interim Chief for the Richland Police Department, David Neher. “Each member of the ICAC team serves a remarkably crucial role in putting away individuals who have infiltrated our community and taken the innocence of our youth. This sentencing is one we can be proud of, and in the end, it’s the ‘why’ behind what we do every day.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Yakima Police Department and the Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force, consisting of Richland and Kennewick Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Three Port of San Juan Employees Arrested for Narcotics ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Carlos Alberto Hernández-Laguer, a/k/a “Brea”, Luis Roberto De León-Sánchez, a/k/a “Coco”, and Misael Ruiz-Valentín, a/k/a “Misa”, with four counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, importation of cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On November 6, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan, Seaport-Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST) and partner agencies, arrested three longshoremen working at the Port of San Juan for their involvement in facilitating the transportation of narcotics between the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Continental United States.
According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2022, the defendants intentionally conspired and agreed to possess, import, and distribute cocaine into the United States from the Dominican Republic. The HSI San Juan Seaport-BEST investigation revealed that the three Port of San Juan longshoremen were members of a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) operating between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. These longshoremen exploited their positions to circumvent security and smuggle large quantities of cocaine concealed in cargo ship containers and compartments/voids within the cargo ships.
“Disrupting drug trafficking networks is vitally important to our ongoing efforts to combat the drug trafficking in Puerto Rico and the violence associated with drug trafficking,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “International cartels like these affect many jurisdictions and stopping them requires robust coordination with our domestic and international partners.”
HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge, Rebecca González-Ramos said: “Our agents are relentless in their efforts to protect our borders by dismantling any criminal scheme that facilitates the entrance of poisonous narcotics into our island. This multi-agency law enforcement collaboration is a great example of the work we are doing to detect any intent to smuggle deadly contraband into our communities. With these arrests, HSI is sending a clear and strong message: nobody is above the law, we will find those who violate the law and hold them accountable for their decisions -- especially those in critical positions in our ports that create vulnerabilities to our island.”
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in jail and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This significant operation was successful with the support of U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations San Juan, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Services and CBP Air and Marine Operations.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Max Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción, Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, and AUSA Camille García-Jiménez are prosecuting the case.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations visit: Homeland Security Investigations. To report suspicious activities, please call (787) 729-6969 (24 hours, 7 days a week).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
# # #
About Homeland Security Investigations
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
# HSI #
Three Arrested for Operating High-End Brothel NetworkRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three individuals have been arrested in connection with operating sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. Commercial sex buyers allegedly included elected officials, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, attorneys, scientists and accountants, among others.
The following defendants have been charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity:
- Han Lee, a/k/a “Hana,” 41, of Cambridge, Mass.;
- James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif.; and
- Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Mass.
Han Lee and Junmyung Lee were arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today. James Lee was arrested in the Central District of California and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, from at least July 2020, the defendants operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Va.
It is alleged that the defendants collectively established the infrastructure for brothels in multiple states which they used to persuade, induce and entice women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution.
Specifically, the defendants allegedly rented high-end apartment complexes as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. The monthly rent for the brothel locations were as high as $3,664. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted women to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network.
The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network primarily on two websites – bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog – which offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia, respectively. Both websites purported to advertise nude Asian models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments with women listed on their websites. The websites listed the height, weight and bust size of women available for appointments and depicted nude and/or semi-nude photographs of each. The women listed as available on the websites updated frequently, with updates to include “coming soon” or “open” to reflect an impending arrival of new women arriving in the area.
Each website allegedly described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to be eligible for appointment bookings– including requiring clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one.
It is further alleged that the defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text message. In these text message exchanges, the defendants allegedly sent customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate. Additionally, the defendants allegedly texted customers directions to the brothel’s location – a high-end apartments – where they engaged in commercial sex with the women.
According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour depending on the services and were paid in cash. The defendants allegedly concealed the proceeds of the prostitution network through depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into their personal bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Over the course of the investigation, a wide array of buyers were identified, including, but not limited to, politicians, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, scientists and accountants.
The investigation into the involvement of sex buyers is active and ongoing.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].
The charge of conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; the Eastern District of Virginia; the U.S. Postal Service; and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Thirteen-time ‘Career Criminal’ Sentenced to 17 Years for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
A thirteen-time felon found guilty of a gun crime was sentenced Wednesday, November 8th to 17 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Curtis Wayne Rodgers, 41, was indicted in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in June 2023 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced last Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
Due to his multiple prior felony convictions, Mr. Rodgers was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which raises the maximum penalty for offenders with three previous convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense.
According to plea documents, Mr. Rodgers was arrested in June 2022, after officers with the Irving Police Department identified him as a suspect in a possible burglary and aggravated assault in a neighborhood in Irving, Texas.
Witnesses told law enforcement that the suspect kicked in the door to a home and asked neighbors where the homeowner was. Mr. Rodgers then pointed a firearm at the neighbor and instructed him to go inside his home and not to call anyone.
Footage from the neighbor’s surveillance system showed Mr. Rodgers driving a black Ford F-150 away from the incident. Officers obtained a search warrant for Mr. Rodgers residence and vehicles and located the firearm used in the incident.
A query of Mr. Rodger’s criminal history revealed thirteen prior felony convictions, including over three violent crimes and/or serious drug offenses – all offenses that made it a federal crime for him to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The Irving Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Niedermair prosecuted the case
Texas Resident Sentenced for Conviction of Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Sachse, TX, has been sentenced in federal court to 4 months of imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on his conviction of money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Tien Nguyen, 34, of Sachse, TX.
According to information presented to the court, individuals involved in the scheme convinced elderly or otherwise vulnerable persons, through deceit, to send their funds to accounts set up at various banks and brokerage houses. The accounts were created in the names of other victims whose personal identification information had been stolen (PII accounts). Nguyen, as part of the money laundering aspect of the scheme, accessed the PII accounts, used a portion of the money to make payments on his credit cards and mortgage, and then sent the bulk of the funds to the leader of the money laundering portion of the scheme, Thien Phuc Tran. The Court ordered Nguyen to pay restitution to the victims who lost money in the sum of $259,122.16.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and Robert S. Cessar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Nguyen.
Ten Members and Associates of the Gambino Crime Family Arrested in Coordinated U.S.-Italian TakedownRead the Press Release
A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 10 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes committed in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries. All ten defendants are in custody and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. In connection with the arrests, federal authorities executed search warrants, one of which resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms from an associate of the Gambino crime Family.
In a coordinated operation, Italian law enforcement today arrested six organized crime members and associates who are charged with, among other crimes, mafia association and connected criminal offenses. One individual remains at large.
The defendants are Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino,” an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family, Diego “Danny” Tantillo, Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi,” and James LaForte, alleged Gambino soldiers, Vito Rappa, alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate, Francesco Vicari, also known as “Uncle Ciccio,” alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate, and Salvatore DiLorenzo, Robert Brooke, Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick,” alleged Gambino associates.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Elizabeth Crotty, Commissioner and Chair, New York City Business Integrity Commission (BIC), announced the charges.
“As alleged, for years, the defendants committed violent extortions, assaults, arson, witness retaliation and other crimes in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Today’s arrests reflect the commitment of this Office and our law enforcement partners, both here and abroad, to keep our communities safe by the complete dismantling of organized crime.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York Waterfront Commission, the Office’s law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of Palermo, the Polizia di Stato, the Servizio Centrale Operativo, and the Squadra Mobile of Palermo.
“These defendants learned the hard way that the FBI is united with our law enforcement locally and internationally in our efforts to eradicate the insidious organized crime threat. Those arrested are alleged to have taken part in a racketeering conspiracy in an attempt to control the carting and demolition industries in the city. The FBI will continue to lead the fight against organized crime and ensure that individuals willing to cross the line face punishment in the criminal justice system” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“Today’s arrests should serve as a warning to others who believe they can operate in plain sight with apparent impunity – the NYPD and our law enforcement partners exist to shatter that notion,” stated NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “And we will continue to take down members of traditional organized crime wherever they may operate.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving labor unions and their affiliated employee benefit plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said DOL-OIG Special Agent-in Charge Jonathan Mellone.
“Investigating these matters is at the heart of BIC’s mission to ensure the industries under our regulation do not pose a risk to public safety. These arrests demonstrate that the influence of organized crime will never go unchecked,” stated BIC Commissioner and Chair Elizabeth Crotty. “BIC thanks the NYPD, FBI, EDNY, and our other agency partners for their collaboration and excellent work on this case.”
As alleged in the government’s court filings and summarized below, members and associates of the Gambino crime family used violent extortions, fraud, theft and embezzlement schemes to infiltrate the carting and demolition industries to enrich themselves and the Gambino crime family, including by laundering criminal proceeds. For example, in the midst of a financial dispute between Tantillo and the owners of Demolition Company 1, Tantillo and Johnson coordinated a violent hammer assault on the dispatcher for Demolition Company 1, which left the dispatcher bleeding and seriously injured.
Extortions Related to the Carting and Demolition Industries
Tantillo, Rappa, Vicari and Johnson engaged in a violent extortion conspiracy relating to the demand and receipt of money from John Doe 1, who operated a carting business in the New York City area. The extortion scheme involved threatening John Doe 1 with a bat, setting fire to the steps to John Doe 1’s residence, attempting to damage John Doe 1’s carting trucks, and violently assaulting an associate of John Doe 1. In addition, Tantillo and Vicari were captured on judicially-authorized wiretaps discussing threats they made to John Doe 1 and John Doe 1’s father-in-law. On one call, Rappa stated that Vicari “acted like the ‘Last of the Samurai,” describing how Vicari picked up a knife and directed John Doe 1’s father-in-law to threaten to cut John Doe 1 in half in order to get John Doe 1 to make extortionate payments. After John Doe 1 ultimately made a payment of $4,000 to Vicari, Vicari and Rappa met and sent Tantillo a photo of Vicari raising a small champagne bottle, as in a toast.
In addition, Tantillo, Brooke and Johnson engaged in two separate violent extortion schemes of Demolition Company 1 and its owners over purported debts owed to Tantillo and a company operated by Tantillo and Brooke. Brooke violently assaulted one of the owners on a street corner in midtown Manhattan. In another instance, as mentioned, Tantillo and Johnson coordinated a violent hammer assault on a dispatcher at Demolition Company 1, which left the dispatcher bleeding and seriously injured. Pictures of the victim dispatcher were then circulated to various people in the carting and demolition industries.
Frauds and Union-Related Crimes in the Carting and Demolition Industries
The defendants also committed a series of crimes to steal and embezzle from unions and employee benefit plans and rigged bids in the demolition and carting industries. As part of one such scheme, DiLorenzo provided Rappa with a “no-show” job at DiLorenzo’s demolition company so that Rappa could receive paychecks and union health benefits, among other benefits. Similarly, Tantillo arranged for Gradilone to receive a “no-show” job at a construction company with which Tantillo was associated, which enabled Gradilone to receive paychecks and union health benefits to which he was not entitled. Tantillo and Johnson also conspired to secure a “no-show” job for Johnson, so that Johnson could similarly receive union health benefits.
Tantillo also embezzled from employee benefit plans by using laborers from a non-union company, Gane Services, Inc., to perform work for union companies operated by Tantillo, and failing to make contributions for such work as required by collective bargaining agreements.
In addition, Tantillo, DiLorenzo and their co-conspirators conspired to rig bids for lucrative demolition contracts in New York City. Among other things, Tantillo and DiLorenzo coordinated that their companies exchange bidding information to secure a project on Fifth Avenue.
Additional Charged Schemes
The defendants also perpetrated a series of other crimes throughout the New York and New Jersey areas from 2017 through 2023. Their pattern of racketeering activity included additional extortions, retaliating against a federal witness, and money laundering, among other crimes, as detailed in court documents. For example, in September 2023, Lanni and Minsquero coordinated an assault on proprietors of a restaurant in New Jersey, including physically assaulting a woman at knifepoint. In addition, LaForte, having previously been convicted of a felony, illegally possessed a firearm in or about May 2023.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants variously face maximum sentences between 20 and 180 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti, Anna L. Karamigios, and Andrew M. Roddin are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emme Moosher.
The Defendants:
JOSEPH LANNI (also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”)
Age: 52
Staten Island, New YorkDIEGO TANTILLO (also known as “Danny” and “Daniel”)
Age: 48
Freehold, New JerseyROBERT BROOKE
Age: 55
New York, New YorkSALVATORE DILORENZO
Age: 66
Oceanside, New YorkANGELO GRADILONE (also known as “Fifi”)
Age: 57
Staten Island, New YorkKYLE JOHNSON (also known as “Twin”)
Age: 46
Bronx, New YorkJAMES LAFORTE (also known as “Jimmy”)
Age: 46
New York, New YorkVINCENT MINSQUERO (also known as “Vinny Slick”)
Age: 36
Staten Island, New YorkVITO RAPPA (also known as “Vi”)
Age: 46
East Brunswick, New JerseyFRANCESCO VICARI (also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”)
Age: 46
Elmont, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-443
Two Residents of Nayrit, Mexico Sentenced to a Collective 408 Months in Prison for Traffikcing in Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – The second of two Mexican nationals residing in Springdale, Arkansas was sentenced today to nineteen years in the United States Bureau of Prisons for Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable amount of Methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a mobile home in rural Benton County, Arkansas as a location which was receiving packages containing controlled substances, to include methamphetamine and fentanyl. Surveillance on the location revealed that Alfredo Vladimir Andrade Medina, age 30, and Kevin Heriberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, age 24, were regularly accessing the mobile home. Medina and Gonzalez are both of Nayarit, Mexico, but residing in Springdale under assumed names which they utilized to regularly wire United States Currency in amounts just under one-thousand dollars to Mexico.
Based upon this information, on February 8, 2023, the DEA served federal search warrants on the Benton County mobile home and the apartment where Medina and Gonzalez were residing in Springdale. Inside the kitchen of the mobile home, the DEA located quantities of controlled substances to include fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills, and over 4 kilograms of methamphetamine. Inside the Springdale apartment where Medina and Gonzalez resided, the DEA located $22,168 in United States Currency which was admitted by Medina to be cash derived from drug sales that was to be wired back to Mexico in amounts of less than one-thousand dollars per transaction.
On March 8, 2023, Medina and Gonzalez were Indicted by a Grand Jury sitting in the Western District of Arkansas for their offenses. On April 27, 2023, Medina entered a plea of guilty, followed on May 3, 2023, by a plea of guilty by Gonzalez. Both defendants were convicted of Aiding and Abetting in the Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.
Gonzalez was sentenced on September 15, 2023, to 15 years in the United States Bureau of Prisons and $500.00 in fines and costs. On November 7, 2023, Medina was sentenced to 19 years in the Bureau of Prisons and $1,000.00 in fines and costs.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case for the United States.
Today’s announcement is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, 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 and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov. Western District of Arkansas Case Number 5:23 CR 50008.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of John Costanzo and Manuel RecioRead the Press Release
“John Costanzo, a DEA Special Agent on leave, and Manuel Recio, a former DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, trafficked sensitive, non-public, confidential law enforcement information in exchange for cash and other valuable financial benefits. In doing so, they endangered public safety by disclosing the timing of sealed indictments and arrests of DEA targets. Moments ago, Recio and Costanzo were convicted by a unanimous jury for their brazen violation of the public’s trust and for providing information that could have put their former colleagues and others in harm’s way. This case underscores that corruption in the ranks of any law enforcement agency will be met with zero tolerance, and we stand with the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers who carry out their service with integrity and honor.”
Skysville Woman Sentenced to Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Sykesville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on her conviction for violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Christina Shaffer, age 55.
According to information presented to the court, Shaffer was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained over a pound of methamphetamine from Derek Hillebrand, which Shaffer then redistributed. Additionally, Shaffer’s residence was searched on July 20, 2021, and approximately 280 grams of methamphetamine was seized.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shaffer. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Serbian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Running Monopoly Drug Market on the DarknetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Milomir Desnica, 33, a national of Serbia and Croatia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Desnica, of Smederevska Palanka, Serbia, entered into a conspiracy in 2019 to develop and operate a website to sell narcotics that became Monopoly Market. According to the indictment, Monopoly grew into a vast marketplace for the sale of illicit narcotics including opioids, stimulants, psychedelics, and prescription medications, among other drugs.
In 2021, law enforcement within the United States placed and received numerous orders for narcotics on Monopoly from various vendors. Authorities ordered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine on Monopoly. Through its investigation, the FBI determined that Monopoly facilitated over $18 million in narcotics sales around the world, including the sale of over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine to customers in the United States.
In December 2021, in coordination with foreign law enforcement partners in Germany and Finland, law enforcement seized the computer server hosting Monopoly and took it offline. Through analysis of the seized server, law enforcement identified records of the narcotics sales, financial records documenting cryptocurrency payments on Monopoly, an online forum associated with Monopoly, communications from the Monopoly operator to vendors, commission payment invoices, and more. Through extensive analysis of these records, Desnica was identified as an operator of Monopoly.
In November 2022, in coordination with the Austrian Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) and the Public Prosecutors Office Vienna, Desnica was located and arrested in Austria. Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence and vehicle, seizing electronics and cash.
On June 23, 2023, Desnica was extradited from Austria to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force and Germany’s Zentrale Kriminalinspektion (ZKI) Oldenburg Cybercrime Unit. The Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force is composed of FBI agents, analysts, and task force partners, including special agents and officers of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious darknet marketplaces and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other opioids.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked to secure the arrest and extradition from Austria of Desnica and also provided significant assistance. Valuable assistance was also provided by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation; Europol; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt; Austria’s Bundeskriminalamt Cybercrime Competency Center, FAST team, and Public Prosecutors Office Vienna; and the Republic of Serbia High-Tech Crimes Special Prosecutor. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy Wang and Nihar Mohanty of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Seeley Lake man sentenced to more than eight years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Seeley Lake man who admitted to receiving child pornography after joining a Facebook group was sentenced on Nov. 7 to eight years and six months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Charles Lief Isaacson, 62, pleaded guilty in June to receipt of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in September 2022, Isaacson began communicating on Facebook with a profile he believed belonged to a child under the age of 14. Those communications eventually resulted in Isaacson’s arrest on Oct. 25, 2022, after he arrived at a location in Missoula County to meet the child. An investigation determined that in December 2021, Isaacson joined a Facebook group, called “Sweet Kids,” and was able to receive videos and images of minors involved in sexually explicit conduct. Isaacson also solicited one of the group’s members to send him child pornography outside of the group chat in a manner that would help them avoid detection by law enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
XXX
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Downloading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 136 months in prison and 20 years supervised release for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Marlon Zurita, 47, stored more than three dozen files containing child sexual abuse material on his online storage accounts. A search warrant executed by Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents led to the seizure of 18 electronic devices, 11 of which were determined to contain child sexual abuse material (CSAM) Zurita had downloaded from the internet. Between Jan.1, 2020 and Sept. 24, 2020, Zurita had downloaded over 3,000 video files and over 39,000 images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. Zurita pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 22, 2022.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered Zurita to pay $90,000 restitution and forfeit the 11 electronic devices that contained CSAM.
“This individual sought out and stored child sexual abuse material, further victimizing minors by enabling the production of child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and with our agency partners at Homeland Security Investigations leading many of these investigations, we are able to prosecute predators who cause unfathomable harm to the lives of innocent children.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children.” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “We remain committed to working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize our children.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
###
Salt Lake City Man Allegedly Robs Two Banks, Takes Uber Home After the First RobberyRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with two bank robberies after he allegedly used a note to rob Brighton Bank then took an Uber ride from the scene. Days later, he robbed a second bank.
According to court documents, on Oct. 31, 2023, David Converse Harris, 35, of Salt Lake City, Utah, walked into the Brighton Bank located at 93 West 3300 South in South Salt Lake, Utah, and passed the teller a note. The note stated, “Money in till now! Do not alert anyone! No one needs to be hurt right? Wait until I leave to contact authorities.” Harris received money from the teller along with a dye pack that exploded shortly after Harris left the bank. The investigation revealed Harris then left the scene in a blue Chrysler 200. A records check of the vehicle’s license plate returned to an Uber driver. The Uber driver informed law enforcement that he picked up a passenger on Oct. 31, 2023, around the time of the bank robbery, at a games store in South Salt Lake. The game store is in the same plaza as the Brighton Bank. The Uber driver then drove the passenger to 258 West 700 South, Salt Lake City, later confirmed as Harris’ residence. The Uber driver also informed law enforcement that the passenger had red dye on his hands and jacket and smoke billowing out of his right jacket pocket. During the investigation, law enforcement found a dye pack of bait money where the Uber driver picked up Harris.
As alleged in court documents, on Nov. 2, 2023, law enforcement learned Harris was at a motel in Midvale. Harris was spotted and law enforcement made efforts to arrest him when he fled in a Lexus SUV, which was later identified as stolen. The chase became too dangerous to continue and officers called off the chase. On the same day, Harris allegedly committed another robbery at the Chase Bank located at 1285 East 3900 South in Millcreek, Utah. Surveillance video showed Harris approached the teller counter, passed a note, and left with money.
On Nov. 3, 2023, Harris was located in Tooele County in the same stolen Lexus. Police attempted a traffic stop, and Harris again fled in the stolen Lexus. A large multi-agency pursuit ensued throughout Tooele County and proceeded into Salt Lake County. Harris eventually drove onto the Jordan River Parkway Trail, where he crashed into a barrier. Harris then fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended.
Harris is charged with two counts of bank robbery. He is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Nov. 13, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office is investigating the case and had assistance from Taylorsville Police Department, South Salt Lake Police Department, Adult Probation and Parole and Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Rochester woman going to prison for more than 10 years for making internet threats and firearms possessionRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gabygayl Cruz, 22, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on the evening of June 7, 2021, on Facebook Live, Cruz threatened to shoot a man, stating at the end of the video, “Tune-in in five minutes.” Later that night, Cruz and another person went to an area of Rochester where Cruz knew the person she threatened spent time. In a second Facebook Live video, a black screen appeared but 11 gunshots could be heard followed by the sounds of Cruz running and giggling. In a third video, Cruz recounted the earlier shooting, imitated shooting a gun and continued to issue threats to others. On July 1, 2021, Cruz again used Facebook Live to threaten to shoot a woman, displaying a .45 caliber firearm, while issuing the threat. Cruz then went to a Columbia Avenue address in Rochester to confront the woman, but she was not there. While leaving the area, Cruz struck a parked car and fired a shot in the air. Cruz was arrested the next day when she was stopped driving a car in which officers found a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, which was the same firearm she displayed in one of the videos.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito.
# # # #
Rochester man going to prison for 14 years for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nathan Follett, 37, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that between February 2016, and December 16, 2021, Follett used Instagram, Kik, and Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit communications with 11 minor victims, knowing each victim was under the age of 18. During these conversations, Follett coerced the minor victims to produce images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send those images and videos to him via Instagram, Kik, and Snapchat.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei, II.
# # # #
Remarks of United States Attorney Todd Gee Announcing a Pattern or Practice Investigation of the City of Lexington, Mississippi and the Lexington, Mississippi Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
Thank you, Assistant Attorney General Clarke. Also, I thank you all for being here for this important announcement.
All of us in Mississippi and throughout the nation want to feel safe in our homes and in public. But we want that safety to be obtained fairly and legally, not through illegal force or abuse of power.
Make no mistake: good police work is done legally and fairly every day in many places in America and in Mississippi. The investigation we announce today will ensure that the residents of Lexington, Mississippi are receiving the same from their police force.
The allegations of what has happened in Lexington are serious. I have been to Lexington, and I have met with members of the community. A thorough investigation of the Lexington police department is necessary. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our colleagues in the Civil Rights Division to follow the facts wherever they lead us. We look forward to hearing more from the people of Lexington as we conduct our investigation.
This is the first day of that investigation, and we do not pre-judge the outcome. But if we do find the Lexington police are engaging in a pattern or practice of civil rights violations, I hope we will arrive at remedies that ensure Lexington will have a police force that fights crime, protects the community’s civil rights, and serves as a good example for small law enforcement agencies in rural communities throughout Mississippi and the nation.
Let me add that we maintain tools for all residents of the Southern District of Mississippi to report allegations of civil rights violations. To make a report, please call the United States Attorney’s Office’s civil rights hotline at 601.973.2825. You can also find our civil rights complaint form and email address on our website.
Finally, I want to thank Assistant Attorney General Clarke for her leadership and the Civil Rights Division for their work on this matter. We look forward to our continued partnership with them. Thank you.
Registered sex offender charged with new child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Alexander Grupp, 31, of Lancaster, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with attempted enticement and attempted production of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in November 2022, the FBI received a phone call from Erie County Probation requesting assistance regarding Grupp, a probationer and New York State level 2 sex offender. A probation officer advised that she seized a laptop from Grupp after he admitted to her that he was enticing minors to produce child pornography through the mobile application Discord. Investigators searched the laptop and recovered conversations sexual in nature and sexually explicit images exchanged between Grupp and a 15-year-old girl (Victim) on Discord.
Grupp made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, and the Erie County Probation Department, under the direction of Commissioner Richard B. Robillard.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Red Lake Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Drunk-Driving ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has been sentenced to 64 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for involuntary manslaughter resulting from a drunk-driving crash that resulted in the death of his passenger, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on the early morning of November 6, 2021, Gerald Wayne Johnson, 27, was driving his vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger in the front seat. Johnson was driving well over 90 miles per hour on a public road within the Red Lake Indian Reservation with a posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour. While speeding and driving recklessly, Johnson failed to handle a curve, jumped the curb, and crashed his vehicle into a tree, severely damaging the entire right side of his vehicle. Johnson’s passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died from her injuries caused by the crash. Investigators recovered several bottles of alcohol from inside and outside of Johnson’s totaled vehicle. Johnson’s blood draw after the crash revealed a blood alcohol content of .224.
Johnson was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Red Lake Police Department, FBI, and Minnesota State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Red Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic Assault as Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has pleaded guilty to violently assaulting another individual as a habitual offender, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in the late evening of April 9, 2023, Shawn Rene Lussier, 55, physically assaulted another individual in a hotel room at the Seven Clans Casino on the Red Lake Indian Reservation by repeatedly punching and kicking the individual. The assault caused serious bodily injury to the victim, including a bloody lip, a one-inch laceration to the scalp that required stitches and left a scar, and other body bruises, and caused over $450.00 in property damage to the hotel room. According to court documents, Lussier has several Tribal Court convictions for Criminal Domestic Violence involving domestic assaults committed on separate occasions between May 2017 and December 2021.
Lussier pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of domestic assault by a habitual offender. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
Readout of Justice Department Leadership’s Meetings with Law Enforcement and Community LeadersRead the Press Release
This week, Justice Department leaders met with law enforcement and community leaders at a time of increased threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across the country. The Department remains vigilant in combating threats against Americans based on their religion, race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
“In this heightened threat environment, the partnerships between the Department of Justice, state and local law enforcement, and the communities we serve matter more than ever,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, this week, the Department held meetings with law enforcement and community leaders to discuss what they are seeing on the ground and how we can best support them. In these conversations, I reiterated that the Justice Department is committed to protecting our communities from hate-fueled violence. The Department will continue bringing together stakeholders to support our shared goal of preventing, disrupting, and prosecuting illegal acts of hate fueled by antisemitism, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab bias.”
Today, Attorney General Garland, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke, Acting Community Relations Service Director Justin Lock, and other Department officials met with Jewish community leaders in Washington, D.C. The leaders expressed their concerns about the significant increase in threats against Jewish community members, organizations, and businesses over the past month. Department officials discussed their continued commitment to protecting Jewish communities and highlighted recent examples of prosecutions against individuals for threatening or attempting to harm Jewish people across the country.
Also today, in Brooklyn, New York, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco joined U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York for a roundtable discussion with local Jewish leaders. Deputy Attorney General Monaco emphasized that the Justice Department’s top priority is keeping the American people safe, and that the Department will use every available tool to work with partners across the country to combat hate.
These meetings come as there has been a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across the country. During the meetings, Department leadership stressed that no one in the United States should have to live in fear of violence because of where they or their family comes from or because of how they worship.
On Monday, Attorney General Garland and Associate Attorney General Gupta met with community leaders before the Civil Rights Division’s quarterly interagency meeting hosted by Assistant Attorney General Clarke with leaders representing Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, and Hindu communities. The meeting was co-hosted by Officer Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The Department’s Civil Rights Division first began convening regular meetings with Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, and Hindu organizations following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The organizations asked the Justice Department and other federal agencies to continue to take actions to protect their communities from unlawful discrimination and violence.
Also on Monday, Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Gupta hosted the Law Enforcement Quarterly Meeting, at which representatives from the Justice Department’s law enforcement and grantmaking components together with their state and local law enforcement partners, discussed the increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities. Attorney General Garland emphasized to the group that in moments of crisis, strong partnerships and trust between law enforcement and communities are essential and that successfully preventing, disrupting, and prosecuting illegal acts of hate requires close coordination across government and across the country.
The meeting also included discussions regarding violent crime and challenges in recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers. Director Steven M. Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) discussed the work ATF is doing to combat gun violence, as well as new technologies, such as ghost guns and machine gun conversion devices, that exacerbate the threat posed by illegal firearms. The Department continues to implement strategies to combat violent crime. A cornerstone of this effort is providing state and local partners with resources and support to help keep their communities safe. In light of that goal, the Justice Department announced on Thursday that Department investments in community safety have reached over $5.6 billion.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Garland directed the FBI and all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country to work with local law enforcement and community leaders to protect vulnerable communities in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel.
Last week, the Department hosted a virtual forum to highlight the successful implementation of the United Against Hate (UAH) initiative in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and discuss efforts to combat unlawful acts of hate. In conjunction with the event, the Civil Rights Division released a document highlighting the reach of the UAH program in its first year and examples of its impact in communities across the country. These include enhancing coordination on responding to threats to religious communities and sparking the creation of new initiatives at local colleges and similar institutions.
On Oct. 30, the Department announced that it is awarding over $38 million in grants to support the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, increase hate crimes reporting, expand victim services, and improve community awareness.
Puerto Rico Man Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking and MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A jury today found Jann Jousten Aponte-Rivera, 27, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, guilty of participating in the drug-related murder of Shantay Myisha Butler, 42, of Frederick, MD. Specifically, Aponte-Rivers was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of continuing criminal enterprise – causing the intentional death of Shantay Butler – and one count of causing the death of Shantay Butler through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking offense.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG, the Puerto Rico Police Department (Bayamon Homicide Division), and the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico.
According to the government’s evidence, Aponte-Rivera was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in San Juan that was sending kilogram quantities of cocaine to the mainland United States, including the Washington D.C. region, via the U.S. Postal Service. Law enforcement identified over 50 parcels of cocaine shipped by the organization from Puerto Rico to the Washington, D.C. area with a wholesale street value of at least $2 million. Once the drugs arrived in the metropolitan area, a local drug trafficking organization distributed the cocaine to mainland dealers.
Additionally, the Puerto Rico organization’s members allegedly traveled from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area to collect drug proceeds, and then surreptitiously traveled on commercial airliners to return the proceeds to the conspiracy’s leader, Rey “Gordo” Rivera Ruiz, 40, and others.
According to the government’s evidence, during the life of the drug conspiracy Rivera Ruiz and his associates shipped between 50 kilograms and 150 kilograms of cocaine to the local drug trafficking organization. The charged drug trafficking conspiracy began around October 2019 and ended in April 2021, when Aponte-Rivera was indicted with co-defendants Rivera Ruiz, Nomar Medina Diaz and Michael Gabriel Rivera Hernandez . The four men have remained in custody since their April 2021 arrests.
The leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization owed several thousand dollars to the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization and had been ordered to pay for several kilograms of cocaine which did not arrive in the Washington, D.C. area.
On Oct. 14, 2020, Aponte-Rivera and Rivera Hernandez lured the leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization and Shantay Butler to a desolate part of Toa Baja in Puerto Rico. When the leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization arrived with Ms. Butler in a car, Aponte-Rivera and Rivera Hernandez ambushed them. They both pulled out firearms and opened fire on the vehicle. The leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization was shot five times, remained in a coma for several weeks, but survived. His girlfriend, Ms. Butler, died of her wounds.
The FBI arrested Aponte-Rivera on Apr. 15, 2021, in Allentown, Pa.
Rivera Ruiz pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022, before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Judge Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023. In total, 10 individuals have been convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking conspiracy, and murder.
Aponte-Rivera remains held pending his sentencing by Judge Boasberg, who scheduled sentencing for February 8, 2024. The charges require a mandatory 30-year prison term with a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG and the Puerto Rico Police Department Homicide.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Fletcher and Dineen Baker assisted in the investigation and charging of this case.
Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Coercing Minor Victims to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Adrian Nathaniel Haynes, age 24, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years supervised release, for production of child pornography. Judge Xinis also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Haynes must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 1, 2019, Victim 1 contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) and reported that an Instagram user with the username “darealrico_”, later identified as Haynes, had demanded that Victim 1 send images and videos of Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct to him over the internet via direct share to darealrico_. Victim 1 also disclosed that darealrico_ threatened Victim 1 that if Victim 1 did not continue to produce images of Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, darealrico_ would expose Victim 1 by publishing the previously produced images and videos online.
Special Agents with the FBI determined that the darealrico_ Instagram account was registered on November 6, 2018, with a phone number matching a phone number that Haynes had provided to law enforcement previously. Law enforcement also determined that many of the communications from this account during the relevant period were coming from Haynes’ residence in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
A search warrant was obtained for the contents of the Instagram account associated with darealrico_. Special Agents with the FBI discovered communications from Haynes to Victim 1 on November 12, 2018, and multiple other dates, in which Haynes directs Victim 1 to produce videos of Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send the produced child sexual abuse material to Haynes. On November 12, 2018, while communicating via the derealrico_ account, Haynes falsely denied to Victim 1 that his name was Adrian, falsely told Victim 1 that he was 15 years old, and falsely identified himself to Victim 1 by using a fictitious name, all in an effort to convince Victim 1 to continue producing child pornography and thwart Victim 1’s efforts to identify him.
Law enforcement’s review of Haynes’s Instagram account revealed communications with 16 other Instagram users who self-identified as minors and sent child sexual abuse material to Haynes pursuant to his request. Haynes used a similar method for each, asking the user how old they were, confirming that they were a minor, then coercing the user into producing child sexual abuse material in the manner requested by Haynes.
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 Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Hagan, who prosecuted 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Parsons to lead civil rights enforcement in Northern West VirginiaRead the Press Release
Pictured L-R: U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Parsons; U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld, Northern District of West Virginia.WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Wheeling native Jeffrey Parsons has been tabbed to lead civil rights enforcement efforts in Northern West Virginia.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced today that Parsons has been hired to prosecute hate crimes, disability and housing rights violations, and the enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination based upon race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.
“Jeff is a tremendous addition to our team,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “He has a strong desire to serve the public, to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to defend the rights of those in need.”
Parsons comes to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the private sector, where he handled consumer protection, employment, and complex litigation matters. Prior to that, he served for thirteen years as the career law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey. He has served on the board of Appalachian Outreach, Inc., which aids poverty and disaster-stricken residents of West Virginia, and as a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for children in the legal system.
Parsons received both his undergraduate and law degrees from West Virginia University.
Oregon Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joel Waters, 44, of Wallowa, Oregon, was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 60 months in federal prison for interstate stalking, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Waters’ victim appeared in court and provided a victim impact statement. “We were all living in fear. We were all hostages in an invisible prison of Joel’s making,” the victim said.
According to court records, between October 7, 2020, and December 24, 2020, Waters traveled between Oregon and Idaho to harass and intimidate the victim who was residing in Boise. Waters took dogs from the victim’s home and car, slashed the tires on the victim’s vehicle, set fire to the victim’s residence in Oregon on two occasions, placed a tracking device on the victim’s vehicle, set fire to the victim’s vehicle, and sent the victim numerous harassing emails. Some of Waters’ acts occurred in violation of a civil protection order that the victim had obtained against Waters in Oregon.
“The defendant’s crimes in this case were horrific, dangerous, and deeply affected the courageous victim,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am glad that justice has been served and honored to support the victim as she moves forward with her life.”
“We’re thankful to our investigators as well as our federal partners for ensuring that Joel Waters is held accountable for his crimes,” said BPD Criminal Investigation Division Captain Matt Jones. “The victim in this case was terrorized by Waters for months and while we can’t undo the impact this had on their life, we hope this sentencing brings them some peace.”
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Waters to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine. Judge Nye sentenced Waters to an additional 30 days in prison for contempt of court as a result of Waters’ behavior in the courtroom at sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Boise Police Department, and the Oregon State Police, which led to charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kassandra McGrady prosecuted this case.
###
Omaha Man Sentenced to 140 Months’ Imprisonment for Distribution and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Donald R. Hamilton, 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 8, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hamilton to 140 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Hamilton will begin a 5-year term of supervised and will be required to register as a sex offender.
On several dates beginning in March 2021 and ending on August 29, 2021, an investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol was conducting an online investigation on a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigator identified a specific residential internet protocol (IP) address associated with unique file identifiers from known images of child pornography. The investigator was able to make a direct connection to the suspect’s IP address and was able to download files containing child pornography using investigative software. Further investigation revealed Hamilton was the suspect.
On September 28, 2021, the Nebraska State Patrol executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s residence on Read Street in Omaha. During the forensic examination of Hamilton’s residence, the Nebraska State Patrol located evidence of the specific peer-to-peer client software on Hamilton’s device.
The files downloaded between March 27, 2021, and August 29, 2021, totaled 670 images and 25 videos. These 695 files included depictions of child pornography containing prepubescent children, adults having sex with children, and children being bound with ligatures.
Hamilton had been on pretrial release pending sentencing, but it was revoked on October 27, 2023, when the Court learned that Hamilton had attended a birthday party in the company of children in violation of his conditions of pretrial release. Hamilton failed to report the contact.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Northwest Safe Trails Task Force awarded DOJ grant to enhance prosecutions in tribal communitiesRead the Press Release
Seattle – The Northwest Safe Trails Task Force, made up of the FBI and five western Washington Tribes, will receive $888,748 from DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to enhance efforts to battle violent crime and drug crime in tribal communities, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The funding, delivered over five years, will pay for an additional federal prosecutor who can review and file cases in either tribal or federal court.
“I congratulate the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community for their successful application for this grant funding. Working to make our tribal communities safer is a key priority for the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Having an additional prosecutor working with the Swinomish, Tulalip, Lummi, Nooksack, and Upper Skagit Tribes will improve our ability to assist the Tribes with the prosecutions they identify as key to community safety.”
Swinomish Senator Brian Porter, as Chairman of the Swinomish Law and Order Committee, championed this grant application and sees this grant as key to improving safety within tribal communities. “Partnering with our federal and tribal law enforcement is essential to combating violent and drug related crimes on our tribal lands,” said Senator Porter. “The FBI Pacific Northwest Safe-Trails Task Force has been an ally to Swinomish and our neighboring Tribes as we collaborate to prosecute large drug offenses that have a high community impact. The Safe Trails Special Assistant United States Attorney is a key component in our partnership as they will be able to work directly with our federal and tribal law enforcement to bring cases in federal court. We applaud the efforts and partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington,” said Senator Porter.
The FBI investigates major crimes such as homicide, sexual abuse, major drug trafficking, and felony assaults on tribal land. This will be the second term of a dedicated prosecutor for the Safe Trails Task Force. During the last two-year grant period there were more than eight different federal cases prosecuted involving armed drug dealing in and around tribal communities.
“It takes resources to successfully perform our work.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Reducing and investigating violent crime on our state’s reservations is a goal for the FBI and our partners. Securing of this funding and enabling additional personnel to support investigations and prosecutions substantially advances that aim.”
The Special Assistant United States Attorney who is hired to work with the Safe Trails Task Force will join three other tribal liaisons working in the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington. The current liaisons are Assistant United States Attorneys J. Tate London, Jocelyn M. Cooney, and Michael Harder.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Role in Large Scale Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On November 2, 2023, United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced HAKIM SHABAZZ, age 46, of New Orleans, for conspiring to violate the Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Judge Zainey sentenced SHABAZZ to 60 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. He also ordered SHABAZZ to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court records, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped an individual traveling from New Orleans to Houston on Interstate 10 and found $948,174 in cash in the vehicle, as well as several cell phones. Those phones contained text messages about drug trafficking, as well as ledgers. By analyzing text messages and phone records, agents determined that SHABAZZ, who operated an auto body shop, was receiving cocaine shipments, that were hidden in gas canisters, and distributing them throughout New Orleans. SHABAZZ admitted that the conspiracy involved between 50 and 150 kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 2, 2023, JONATH WILLIAMSON, age 39, pled guilty to Counts 1 through 4 of an indictment that charged him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count 1); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Count 2); being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g) and 924(a)(8) (Count 3); and, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(k) and 924(a)(1)(B )(Count 4).
As to Count 1, WILLIAMSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to Count 2, WILLIAMSON faces a term of imprisonment between five years up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release. As to Count 3, WILLIAMSON faces a term of imprisonment of up to fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. As to Count 4, WILLIAMSON faces a term of imprisonment up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count, WILLIAMSON also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. WILLIAMSON is set for sentencing on February 27, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Special Response Team (SRT), NOPD Violent Crime Abatement Investigative Team (VCAIT), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force (NOVCTF), executed a search warrant at a location on Camelia Street, in New Orleans. WILLIAMSON was present at the time of the warrant’s execution and was arrested based on outstanding NOPD warrants for theft. A search of WILLIAMSON revealed distributable amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in seven small bags in his front pocket. Additionally, WILLIAMSON was found in possession of over $2,900 in U.S currency, drug paraphernalia, and multiple keys and key fobs.
Among the items in WILLIAMSON’s possession was the key fob to a black Dodge Ram truck on the scene. Inside the vehicle, agents located two firearms: a stolen Smith & Wesson Model M&P M2.0, .40 caliber pistol and a Palmetto Armory Model PA-15, 5.56 caliber rifle, with an obliterated serial number. Also inside of the vehicle were quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia consistent with distribution.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Sahire Walker was convicted of committing crack cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Walker, age 45, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone. Walker pled guilty to committing the following crimes on June 4, 2020: (1) possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, and (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing to occur on March 26, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least 5 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $2,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The New Castle Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Neosho Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Kidnapping Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Neosho, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the torture and death of the victim, and in a separate and unrelated case for illegally possessing stolen firearms.
Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder
On April 27, 2023, Vaughan pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to commit kidnapping in July 2020.
Five co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing in this case. Freddie Lewis Tilton, also known as “Ol’ Boy,” 50, and Carla Jo Ward, 49, both of Joplin; James B. Gibson, 41, of Neosho; Amy Kay Thomas, 40, of Webb City, Mo.; and Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 51, of Greenwood, Mo., have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Vaughan admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020. Tilton offered Ward and Vaughan $5,000 each to locate and secure M.H. for him. Ward picked up M.H., whom she knew was being sought by Tilton, and took him to Vaughan’s residence. Vaughan texted Tilton, stating “Call me quickly handing (M.H.) to you.” Vaughan and Tilton continued communicating throughout the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “He’s got 2 guns.” A few hours later, Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “OK we’ve got both his guns put up,” and “Guns are secure I’m waiting for you.”
Tilton, Thomas, and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. Gibson, Thomas, and others assaulted M.H. for a period of time. M.H. was cut, beaten, shot at, and burned with a blowtorch. Tilton fatally shot M.H. in the head. Vaughan and others cleaned up the blood and damage created during the assault and shooting of M.H. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and transported it to Hurtt’s property.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, Tilton fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers. Tilton was apprehended.
Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found a Rigarmi .25-caliber pistol, an Ithaca .22-caliber rifle, a Remington .22-caliber rifle without a serial number, a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun without a serial number.
Illegally Possessing Firearms
On Feb. 24, 2021, Vaughan pleaded guilty to one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and two counts of possessing a stolen firearm.
Vaughan admitted that he was in possession of a DB9 9mm handgun, which was found in the glove box of his truck and had been reported stolen, on Jan. 4, 2019.
Vaughan also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun, which had been reported stolen, on March 12, 2019. The handgun was lying on the couch inside a travel trailer, which had been stolen two days earlier and was found on Vaughan’s property. Vaughan was inside the trailer, where officers also found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. They were investigated by the FBI, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Nehawka Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nolan Balfour, 34, of Nehawka, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 8, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for bank fraud. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Balfour to 30 days’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Balfour’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Balfour was ordered to pay $500,205.93 in restitution to First Nebraska Bank.
On March 4, 2013, Balfour and his wife signed a Promissory Note with First Nebraska Bank for the amount of $1,160,000. The note was a 5-year commitment and was renewable annually. On March 11, 2016, this note was modified. The purpose of this note was to finance Balfour’s farming operations in the Nehawka, Nebraska area. In 2014, Balfour began having shortfalls and was having trouble with his loan. On January 10, 2017, Balfour submitted a financial statement to First Nebraska Bank for Fiscal Year 2016. In this financial statement, Balfour overstated his assets, specifically, the amount of corn and soybean that had been harvested and the heads of livestock that he had on hand. Balfour signed this balance sheet stating that it was true and correct when he knew that the information contained in this financial statement was not true and correct. Balfour knew that this financial statement was going to be relied upon by First Nebraska Bank in deciding whether or not to renew his loan. In 2018, Balfour filed for bankruptcy and, during the bankruptcy proceedings, admitted that this financial statement was false and that he knew it would be relied upon by First Nebraska Bank. First Nebraska Bank suffered an economic loss as a result of Balfour’s misrepresentations. First Nebraska Bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Natin Paul Now Facing Wire Fraud Charges in Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Federal prosecutors presented a superseding indictment in Austin, charging Natin Paul, aka Nate Paul, 36, with four new counts related to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Paul, allegedly conspired to obtain money from limited partners by falsely representing that he would isolate the partnership’s assets to be used exclusively for the benefit of the partnership. The superseding indictment alleges that Paul’s scheme allowed unrestricted use of limited partnership funds.
Adding to the initial eight counts of false statements to lenders, Paul is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. The new charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison with fines of $250,000 per count. Each of the eight counts in Paul’s initial June 6 indictment carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison with a fine of $1 million. 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 and State Securities Board are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Almonte, Alan Buie and Dan Guess are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Five people have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on felony charges including illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
“The continuing work toward making our community safer demands the removal of guns from the hands of individuals who illegally possess them,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “That especially includes holding accountable previously convicted felons found in possession of firearms.”
In the past five years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the November term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Tacumsa Xcaiver Lovett, A/K/A “GB Poncho,” 24, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Marijuana and Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Fentanyl; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Zanuck Lorenzo Berry, 43, of Martinez, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jeremy Studdard, 42, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Robert Antonio Green, 26, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Matthew Lacey, 29, of Savannah, charged with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Lyondo Larell Ware, a/k/a “China,” 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Ware, a member of Augusta’s Loyalty Over Everything (L.O.E.) criminal street gang, was on felony probation when Richmond County deputies and Georgia Department of Community Supervision officers found a loaded pistol while searching his residence in September 2021.
- Arthur Singleton, 46, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Singleton in February 2023 while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence and found a bag containing loaded high-capacity gun magazines in Singleton’s waistband.
- Tyrell Smith, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Smith, who had an active arrest warrant related to a March 2022 Savannah exchange of gunfire with a neighbor, ran from Savannah police who arrested him when they found him carrying a pistol.
- Johnny Harris, 23, of Savannah, was sentenced to 44 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested in October 2022 when Savannah police officers conducting surveillance near Frazier Homes determined Harris possessed an assault-style pistol while fleeing the area.
- Jonathan Bennett Capece II, 54, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Dublin police officers arrested Capece in April 2020 after finding drugs and two pistols in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
- DeShawn Tisdale, 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Tisdale’s vehicle while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence in July 2021.
- Calvin Polite, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Polite’s possession in September 2022 while investigating a report of shots fired in a Savannah neighborhood.
- Keith Ponsell, 34, of Jesup, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found an illegal “pen” gun in Ponsell’s pocket during a traffic stop in Jesup in June 2022.
- Akeem Ajmia Lanier, 34, of Metter, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Metter police officers found a pistol in Lanier’s vehicle during a May 2022 traffic stop.
- Daiyuonte Reed, 31, of Oak Bluffs, Mass., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Reed’s possession while investigating a disturbance at a Savannah restaurant in July 2021.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Metter Police Department, and the Dublin Police Department.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Multi-Convicted Felon Federally Indicted for Illegal Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jerome Swopshire (40, Silver Springs) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Swopshire faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on August 9, 2023, Swopshire possessed a Taurus firearm and Sig ammunition. At the time, Swopshire had previous state felony convictions for robbery, child abuse, resisting an officer with violence, felony domestic battery, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
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 Ocala Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.