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1 November 2023
Fort Washakie man arraigned on sexual abuse chargesRead the Press Release
Robert Antone Brown, age 36, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was arraigned on Oct. 31 on three counts of aggravated sexual abuse and three counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Brown pleaded not guilty. A trial has been set for Jan. 2, 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
If convicted on all counts, Brown faces 30 years to life imprisonment with five years to life of supervised release, up to a $1.5 million fine, $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2005, and a $600 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 23-CR-00135
Former chief scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute sentenced for conspiring to defraud Georgia Tech and the CIARead the Press Release
ATLANTA - James G. Maloney, who served as the Chief Scientist for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to defraud Georgia Tech and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Maloney’s co-conspirators, James J. Acree and James D. Fraley, III—both of whom pleaded guilty in 2016 and cooperated with the government—were also sentenced.
“Maloney, who was trusted to work on classified contracts for the U.S. government, took advantage of his high position at GTRI to line his own pockets at the public’s expense,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “In addition to losing his job and his top-secret security clearance, Maloney is now facing a prison sentence and will be required to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution.”
“Maloney’s sentence should send a clear message to anyone seeking to abuse their positions for personal gain, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable”, said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to our extraordinary partnership with Georgia Tech, even with Maloney’s defense tactics he was unable to avoid the consequences of his crimes. He will now be held accountable with his coconspirators, closing out this lengthy case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: From early 2007 through late 2013, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley engaged in a scheme to defraud Georgia Tech and the CIA. The men are experts in electromagnetic analysis and measurements and were assigned to GTRI’s Advanced Concepts Laboratory (ACL), where they worked on projects funded by the United States Department of Defense, various intelligence agencies, and private industry.
PCard Fraud
As part of his duties and responsibilities at GTRI, Fraley had access to a Georgia Tech credit card known as a “PCard.” Fraley was only authorized to use his PCard to purchase materials and supplies for official Georgia Tech business. Neither Fraley nor anyone else was allowed to charge personal expenses on a PCard.
Maloney, Acree, and Fraley falsely led GTRI to believe that all of their PCard charges were for official business. In fact, they charged approximately $200,000 in frivolous personal expenses on Fraley’s PCard. Maloney and Fraley also used Fraley’s PCard to pay for remodeling and maintenance expenses related to six rental properties that they owned together in the name of a Georgia corporation called J’s Services, Inc.
Some of the fraudulent PCard charges and some of the remodeling and maintenance expenses for Maloney and Fraley’s rental properties were fraudulently charged to a classified GTRI contract funded by the CIA.
Fraudulent Consulting Activity
In February 2007, Maloney and Acree were reprimanded by GTRI for engaging in outside consulting activity that violated Georgia Tech’s conflict-of-interest policy. Maloney and Acree sent a letter to their supervisor at GTRI, acknowledging that they had used facilities and equipment owned by Georgia Tech for their personal gain and benefit and promising that they would never do so again. But Maloney and Acree continued to engage in outside consulting activity that harmed Georgia Tech, and they were soon joined by Fraley.
Tec-Masters Inc.
From December 2007 through March 2013, while they were employed full-time by Georgia Tech, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley received approximately $500,000 from Picatinny Arsenal, SRA International, and the U.S. Air Force. They obtained those consulting contracts by using Acree’s former employer, Tec-Masters, Inc., as a billing pass-through. Tec-Masters, a defense contractor located in Huntsville, Alabama, performed no labor on any of the projects but merely facilitated the transfer of money from the customers to Maloney, Acree, and Fraley. Maloney, Acree, and Fraley falsely led those customers to believe that the work would be done by GTRI. They fostered this false impression by using their official GTRI telephone numbers and GTRI email addresses in their communications with customers. In addition, they met with customers at GTRI’s headquarters on the Georgia Tech campus and gave customers tours of GTRI’s labs and other facilities. Maloney called this conduct “hiding in plain sight.”
Spectra Research, Inc.
From December 2010 through July 2013, Maloney and Fraley also moonlighted as consultants for Spectra Research, Inc., a defense contractor located in Dayton, Ohio. Spectra paid J’s Services $196,000 for this work. Maloney and Fraley directed Georgia Tech employees under their supervision at GTRI to help perform this consulting work for Spectra. Maloney and Fraley also directed those Georgia Tech employees to bill time for Spectra work to a classified CIA contract, even though that contract had nothing to do with Spectra.
In their outside consulting work, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley violated Georgia Tech’s conflict-of-interest policy and code of business conduct; diverted customers and revenue away from Georgia Tech for their personal gain; and used Georgia Tech facilities and equipment for their personal benefit.
Cover-up
During a routine audit in early 2013, Georgia Tech discovered problematic charges on Fraley’s PCard and scheduled a meeting with him. Maloney suggested to Acree and Fraley that they meet to get their “story straight.” Fraley, fearing that Maloney would seek to shift all the blame to him, recorded the cover-up meetings and provided those recordings to the FBI.
In their cover-up meetings, Maloney asked Acree and Fraley to help him create a fictitious story to mislead Georgia Tech auditors. Maloney also suggested that they try to force Georgia Tech to shut down the audit by telling the auditors that the items charged to Fraley’s PCard were purchased for use on a classified CIA contract, and that the auditors did not need to know further details. That false narrative foreshadowed Maloney’s planned defense in the criminal case.
James G. Maloney, 58, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, ten months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $1,972,543.61. Maloney was convicted on these charges on May 22, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
James J. Acree, 58, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve three years on probation, with the first 12 months to be served on home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution of $604,692.56. Acree was convicted on these charges on August 15, 2016, after he pleaded guilty.
James D. Fraley, III, 45, of Canton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve three years on probation, with the first eight months to be served on home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution of $476,960.95. Fraley was convicted on these charges on September 2, 2016, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Russell Phillips and Stephen H. McClain and Trial Attorney Emma D. Ellenrieder of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Tennessee Supervisory Corrections Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Offenses After Assaulting an Inmate and Ignoring His Medical NeedsRead the Press Release
Former supervisory state corrections officer, Kenan Lister, was sentenced today to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to two civil rights offenses.
In April 2022, Lister pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for using unlawful force on an inmate and one count of being deliberately indifferent to the same inmate’s medical needs.
“Correctional officers who abuse the people in their custody not only violate the Constitution, but also erode public trust in the criminal justice system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While on duty as a supervisory officer, the defendant brutally assaulted a man in a state corrections facility and then deliberately ignored his obvious medical needs resulting from the assault. The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting officials inside our jails and prisons who abuse their power and exploit their position in full disregard of the constitutional rights which we all possess.”
“The defendant, who was entrusted with the care of inmates, abused his authority as a corrections officer by violently assaulting an inmate,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This sentence sends a clear message that our office will investigate and hold accountable anyone who violates the constitutional rights of others.”
“When correctional officers abuse their authority and harm inmates, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI makes it a priority to bring to justice any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect.”
The facts established in connection with the defendant’s guilty plea revealed that, on Aug. 30, 2019, Lister assaulted an inmate in a holding cell at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in Hartsville, Tennessee. At the time, Lister was on duty as the facility’s security threat group coordinator. While the inmate was sitting calmly in a holding cell, Lister punched the inmate in the head, knocking him to the ground. Lister then kicked, punched and struck the inmate multiple times in his head, chest and torso after he was on the ground and not resisting. The assault fractured the inmate’s ribs and punctured his lung. After the assault, Lister knew that the inmate had serious medical needs. Despite this knowledge, Lister failed to provide medical care to the inmate or obtain medical care from others. Instead, Lister left the inmate locked in a holding cell and filed a report that omitted any mention of his assault.
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Tennessee Supervisory Corrections Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Offenses After Assaulting an Inmate and Ignoring His Medical NeedsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Former supervisory state corrections officer, Kenan Lister, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release today after he pleaded guilty to two civil rights offenses, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee
In April 2022, Lister pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for using unlawful force on an inmate and one count of being deliberately indifferent to the same inmate’s medical needs.
“The defendant, who was entrusted with the care of inmates, abused his authority as a corrections officer by violently assaulting an inmate. This sentence sends a clear message that our office will investigate and hold accountable anyone who violates the constitutional rights of others,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
“Correctional officers who abuse the people in their custody not only violate the Constitution, but also erode public trust in the criminal justice system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While on duty as a supervisory officer, the defendant brutally assaulted a man in a state corrections facility and then deliberately ignored his obvious medical needs resulting from the assault. The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting officials inside our jails and prisons who abuse their power and exploit their position in full disregard of the constitutional rights which we all possess.”
“When correctional officers abuse their authority and harm inmates, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI makes it a priority to bring to justice any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect.”
The facts established in connection with the defendant’s guilty plea revealed that, on August 30, 2019, Lister assaulted an inmate in a holding cell at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in Hartsville, Tennessee. At the time, Lister was on duty as the facility’s security threat group coordinator. While the inmate was sitting calmly in a holding cell, Lister punched the inmate in the head, knocking him to the ground. Lister then kicked, punched and struck the inmate multiple times in his head, chest and torso after he was on the ground and not resisting. The assault fractured the inmate’s ribs and punctured his lung. After the assault, Lister knew that the inmate had serious medical needs. Despite this knowledge, Lister failed to provide medical care to the inmate or obtain medical care from others. Instead, Lister left the inmate locked in a holding cell and filed a report that omitted any mention of his assault.
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
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Former State Trooper Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – FREDDIE WAYNE HUFF, II was sentenced yesterday to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
HUFF was indicted in September 2022 on one count of conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. HUFF pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on February 9, 2023.
HUFF was sentenced to a 252-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, HUFF was ordered to forfeit $500,000 in a money judgment.
This case arises from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Forsyth County Drug Task Force, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division and was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Randall Galyon.
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Former Investment Banker Sentenced to 36 Months for Insider Trading and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that BRIJESH GOEL, a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for insider trading and obstruction of justice. GOEL was previously convicted after a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s sentence vindicates the integrity of our financial markets and the investors who play by the rules and serves as a reminder that crime doesn’t pay. If you try to cheat the system by engaging in insider trading, you will be punished, and if you try to cover your tracks while under investigation, you only make matters worse.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
BRIJESH GOEL was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York, New York. In that position, GOEL received confidential internal emails directed to Goldman Sachs’ Firmwide Capital Committee and Credit Markets Capital Committee, which contained detailed information and analysis about potential merger-and-acquisition transactions that Goldman Sachs was considering financing. In violation of the duties that he owed to Goldman Sachs, GOEL misappropriated that confidential information and tipped a friend, Akshay Niranjan, who worked at another investment bank in New York, New York, with the names of potential target companies from those internal emails during in-person meetings such as when the two met at the New York Health and Racquet Club. Niranjan then used that confidential information to trade call options, including short-dated, out-of-the-money call options, in brokerage accounts that were in the name of Niranjan’s brother. GOEL and Niranjan agreed to split the profits from their trading. Between approximately 2017 and 2018, GOEL tipped Niranjan on at least six deals in which Goldman Sachs was involved, yielding total illegal profits of approximately $280,000.
Between approximately May and June 2022, GOEL also obstructed investigations by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Specifically, GOEL deleted and asked Niranjan to delete text messages regarding the insider trading scheme, including during an in-person meeting that Niranjan consensually recorded.
* * *
In addition to the prison sentence, GOEL, 39, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $85,000 and a restitution in an amount to be determined at a future date to Goldman Sachs. GOEL was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for their assistance and cooperation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild and Andrew Thomas are in charge of the prosecution.
Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty to Structuring ChargesRead the Press Release
An Estes Park, Colorado, man and former FBI Agent pleaded guilty today to structuring charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Gregory Paul Trahan, 60, was charged via criminal information in October. He pleaded guilty today to one count of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.
Because Trahan worked as a Special Agent in the Houston FBI office, and presented cases to the Southern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s office, the Southern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorneys were recused, and Northern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch was appointed as a Special Attorney to the Attorney General.
In plea papers, Trahan admits to structuring transactions to prevent his spouse at the time from knowing that he had money in undisclosed bank accounts and hiding cash to prevent those funds from becoming part of the resolution of the community estate during their divorce proceedings. Trahan withdrew several hundred thousand dollars from various bank accounts in amounts under the reporting requirements and made deposits, also under the reporting requirements, in other bank accounts. He also stashed money at family residences.
Mr. Trahan now faces up to 5 years in federal prison. His sentencing will be set at a later date.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch is prosecuting the case.
Former Employee of San Francisco Money Services Business Charged with Conspiring to Launder Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The United States Attorney’s Office has charged Yessenia Margarita Barrientos-Lainez—a former employee of a money services business in the Tenderloin district—with conspiring to launder drug proceeds by wiring large sums of money abroad for a known drug trafficker in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark; and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Oakland Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. Barrientos made her initial federal court appearance on October 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson to face the charge against her.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Barrientos, 42, of Daly City, California, worked as a teller at a money services business located in San Francisco until mid-May 2023 and used her position there to launder the drug proceeds of an unnamed co-conspirator—a man who was known to DEA agents as a Bay Area drug trafficker and who was arrested in possession of narcotics on June 1, 2023, in Daly City—by wiring significant sums of cash to various foreign bank accounts, including some in Mexico, at the unnamed co-conspirator’s direction.
Specifically, the complaint alleges that, on May 1, 2023, when she was still working as a teller at the money services business, Barrientos sent her unnamed co-conspirator text messages saying that her boss had left and therefore that the unnamed co-conspirator could send her information and come drop off cash. The complaint also alleges that, in the approximately two hours that followed, (i) the unnamed co-conspirator sent Barrientos a text message containing a photograph depicting three handwritten names and bank account numbers; and (ii) Barrientos sent her unnamed co-conspirator several messages containing photographs of receipts showing thousands of dollars being wired to each of the three names and account numbers depicted in the photograph she had earlier received from her unnamed co-conspirator. The complaint further alleges that records received from the money services business confirm Barrientos processed each of the three transactions, and that each of the three recipient bank accounts was located in Mexico, including two in Sinaloa. And the complaint alleges that Barrientos charged her unnamed co-conspirator an “under-the-table fee” to process the three wires, each of which she structured to “evad[e] certain reporting requirements.”
Finally, the complaint alleges that there is other evidence of Barrientos’ money laundering activity. For example, the complaint alleges that surveillance footage from the money services business from April 25, 2023, shows Barrientos (i) walking outside to retrieve a white plastic bag from an unknown individual in a parked car; (ii) bringing the white plastic bag inside the money services business and placing it under her teller station; (iii) pulling large amounts of cash from the bag and running it through a money counting machine; (iv) processing wire transfers with no customers present at her teller window; and (v) using her cellphone to take photographs of the cash and receipts.
Barrientos was arrested on October 26, 2023, and was released on bond at her initial appearance the following day. Her next scheduled appearance is on November 2, 2023.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater. As part of any sentence, the court also may order the defendant to pay restitution, if appropriate, and to serve an additional term of supervised release to begin after any prison sentence is complete. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Parker is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA and IRS-CI.
Former Economy Inn Managers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – Two former managers for the Economy Inn in Bay St. Louis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, in 2023, agents began investigating drug activity at the Economy Inn located at 810 Us Hwy 90. Agents received information that Pernell Robert Galloway, 54, and his girlfriend, Cassie Louise McKenzie, 42, were managers at the hotel but also selling drugs from the hotel. Law Enforcement began doing controlled purchases of a methamphetamine/fentanyl mixture from the duo. On or about June 8, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the Economy Inn where Galloway and McKenzie were located. Agents also located an additional 14 grams of a methamphetamine/fentanyl mixture in two separate bags. Agents also located a firearm, digital scales, and additional unused distribution baggies.
The pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. They are both scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2024, and they each face a up to twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Former Air Force Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) contractor pleaded guilty today to engaging in a bribery scheme relating to a large technology contract awarded by the USAF.
According to court documents, from late 2013 to late 2019, Juan Carlos Arevalo III, 44, of Occoquan, served as the chief technologies officer and senior technical consultant for a USAF component that focuses on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and innovation. Arevalo worked closely with senior USAF officials in the Pentagon and helped them to design, develop, and deliver various military technologies.
Julio R. “Jace” Sotomayor was a retired USAF colonel who was the owner of two consulting firms – Eagle Market Group (EMG) and Federal Security Agency (FSA) – and the minority owner of a government contracting firm. As alleged, beginning in late 2013, Sotomayor and the contracting firm’s majority owner sought to provide services to the USAF to support various technology projects and initiatives. As part of this objective, Arevalo and Sotomayor agreed to engage in a corrupt, multi-year scheme in which Sotomayor, through EMG, paid $185,000 to Arevalo using his relative as a pass-through intermediary. In exchange for these payments, Arevalo agreed to perform and did perform official acts, and sought to influence other officials, to benefit Sotomayor, the firm, and the firm’s majority owner.
Beginning in late 2014, Sotomayor also engaged in a similar pass-through bribery scheme with a former federal contracting officer, Diane Sturgis, by using EMG to pay $150,000 to Sturgis’s relative in exchange for official assistance regarding the same USAF technology contract. Through early 2020, the firm had received approximately $51.6 million from the USAF of which at least $5.9 million was paid to Sotomayor.
Arevalo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sotomayor and Sturgis have pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their various schemes.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Elisabeth Kaminsky of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (State OIG), made the announcement after U.S District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr., accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-162.
Former Air Force Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) contractor pleaded guilty today to engaging in a bribery scheme relating to a large technology contract awarded by the USAF.
According to court documents, from late 2013 to late 2019, Juan Carlos Arevalo III, 44, of Occoquan, Virginia, served as the chief technologies officer and senior technical consultant for a USAF component that focuses on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and innovation. Arevalo worked closely with senior USAF officials in the Pentagon and helped them to design, develop, and deliver various military technologies.
Julio R. “Jace” Sotomayor was a retired USAF colonel who was the owner of two consulting firms – Eagle Market Group (EMG) and Federal Security Agency (FSA) – and the minority owner of a government contracting firm. As alleged, beginning in late 2013, Sotomayor and the contracting firm’s majority owner sought to provide services to the USAF to support various technology projects and initiatives. As part of this objective, Arevalo and Sotomayor agreed to engage in a corrupt, multi-year scheme in which Sotomayor, through EMG, paid $185,000 to Arevalo using his relative as a pass-through intermediary. In exchange for these payments, Arevalo agreed to perform and did perform official acts, and sought to influence other officials, to benefit Sotomayor, the firm, and the firm’s majority owner.
Beginning in late 2014, Sotomayor also engaged in a similar pass-through bribery scheme with a former federal contracting officer, Diane Sturgis, by using EMG to pay $150,000 to Sturgis’s relative in exchange for official assistance regarding the same USAF technology contract. Through early 2020, the firm had received approximately $51.6 million from the USAF of which at least $5.9 million was paid to Sotomayor.
Arevalo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sotomayor and Sturgis have pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their various schemes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Elisabeth Kaminsky of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (State OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and State OIG investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
Felon Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison in Connection with Firearm Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack sentenced Dennis Wolfolk of Marietta, Georgia, to 57 months in prison for possessing firearms in relation to a larger scheme to purchase and illegally transport into New York more than two dozen handguns. Wolfolk pleaded guilty in May 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-defendant Patrick Polidore pleaded guilty in September 2023 to making false statements to acquire firearms and is awaiting sentencing.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Thomas Kalogiros, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the charges.
“The so-called gun trafficking “Iron Pipeline” from Georgia to Long Island took a detour to a federal courtroom for Wolfolk, a convicted felon, who was punished today for his continuing disregard of the law and serious criminal conduct that resulted in guns being found in the hands of juveniles, a parolee, criminals and at the scene of a murder,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those like the defendant who attempt to circumvent state and federal gun laws and contribute to the presence of deadly guns in our community.”
Mr. Peace thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the ATF’s Atlanta Field Division, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Hempstead Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
“The interstate flow of illegal guns is a grave threat to public safety,” stated ATF Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Kalogiros. “This sentencing sends a clear message to those who think they can traffic firearms into NY without consequence. ATF NY will continue to share Crime Gun Intelligence with law enforcement partners across all boundaries to identify, disrupt and dismantle firearms trafficking schemes. Each illegal firearm recovered is a potential life saved. I commend the work of ATF NY’s Long Island Field Office, Nassau County PD, Hempstead PD and EDNY for their diligent efforts and collaboration through this investigation.”
Between October and December 2020, Polidore visited numerous federally licensed retailers in the Atlanta metropolitan area and acted as the straw purchaser for approximately 27 handguns, many of which were purchased in rapid succession on a handful of common dates. For example, on October 29, 2020, Polidore purchased two handguns from two different retailers; six days later, on November 4, 2020, he purchased six more handguns from four different retailers; on November 18, 2020, he purchased five firearms from four different retailers; between November 20, 2020 and November 23, 2020, he purchased 10 handguns from at least four different retailers; on November 30, 2020, he purchased two handguns from two different retailers; and two days later, on December 2, 2020, he purchased three more handguns from two different retailers. On ATF Forms 4473—federal records that document firearms transactions—Polidore falsely affirmed that he was the intended recipient of the weapons when, in actuality, he had conspired with Wolfolk, who, as a convicted felon, was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, to traffic the handguns to New York, where he distributed them to street-level buyers, many of whom were themselves prohibited from having a gun.
At least 12 of the handguns Wolfolk transported to New York have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in and around Long Island. On November 4, 2020, for example, Polidore purchased six firearms from four different retail locations in Georgia, which Wolfolk trafficked to New York. Shortly after, those firearms began emerging on Long Island. On December 22, 2020, a serialized gun box matching a .40-caliber Glock model 27 handgun purchased by Polidore was recovered from the scene of a murder in Hempstead. On January 13, 2021, during a traffic stop in Hempstead, three juveniles were found in possession of a 9mm Ruger model Security-9 handgun purchased by Polidore. on May 28, 2021, during a traffic stop in Patchogue, police arrested an individual in possession of a .22-caliber Walther model P22 handgun purchased by Polidore. And on October 3, 2021, a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun purchased by Polidore was recovered from a robbery suspect in Bethpage.
Other firearms involved in the scheme were similarly recovered in the hands of criminals. On January 12, 2021, for example, a Taurus 9mm model G3C handgun purchased by Polidore on November 23, 2020, was recovered from a parolee in Lynbrook.
Wolfolk has a previous felony conviction for attempted second-degree criminal possession of a firearm.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Bagnuola and Mark E. Misorek are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Special Agent Michael Cassidy.
The Defendants:
DENNIS WOLFOLK
Age: 30
Marietta, GeorgiaPATRICK POLIDORE
Age: 33
Powder Springs, GeorgiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-347 (JMA)
Felon Found with Almost a Dozen Firearms, Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington. - United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Zachary Wade Bennett, 41, of Spokane Valley, to 84 months in federal prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Rice also imposed 3 years of federal supervision upon Bennett’s release from custody.
According to court documents, In September of 2020, Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives developed information that Bennett, who is a convicted felon, was dealing drugs and was in possession of a large number of weapons. During the execution of a search warrant at his home, Deputies found Bennett hiding in the attic. Bennett told deputies he did not respond to law enforcement at his house the night before the search warrant because he knew he would go to jail. He also told deputies he did not believe there were guns in the house. During a search of home, deputies found 10 guns, including three AR-15 rifles, boxes of ammo, drug paraphernalia, ledgers detailing his drug distribution operations, heroin and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Bennett had previously been convicted for burglary, first degree and robbery, second degree in Spokane County Superior Court.
“I commend the work of our law enforcement partners who work to prevent violent crime by ensuring that repeat offenders like Mr. Bennett do not stockpile firearms and ammunition.” Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington stated. “Our community is safer and stronger today, because of the excellent work of the prosecutors and investigators in this case.”
“Drug dealing and stolen firearms in the hands of a convicted felon are a dangerous combination for the community,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “This sentence demonstrates that these types of actions will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Cashman.
Federal Jury Finds Former Fort Hood Texas Soldier Guilty on 5 Child Exploitation CountsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Fort Hood, Texas soldier was found guilty today of one count of enticement of a child, two counts of travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The verdict came after a two-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor with Judge Lance E. Walker presiding.
According to evidence presented during the trial, between February and December 2021, Christopher Meza, 22, interacted with a 13-year-old from Maine on a popular online gaming platform. The conversations included descriptions of sex as well as Meza’s acknowledgement of the victim’s age. Meza twice traveled from Texas to Maine to meet with the then 14-year-old victim, and on both occasions was successful in leaving the state with the victim.
Of the five counts for which Meza was found guilty, three counts carry a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison while the remaining two counts have maximum penalties of 30 years. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was the lead law enforcement agency. Additional investigative resources were provided by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and multiple police departments in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Texas.
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Farmington Man Charged with First Degree Murder, Assault and Federal Firearms Offenses to Remain in Jail Pending TrialRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Hanson Tsosie appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with one count of first degree murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Tsosie, 33, of Farmington, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the indictment, on September 5, 2021, Tsosie allegedly killed Jane Doe 1 by shooting her and assaulted John Doe and Jane Doe 2 with a firearm. The alleged assault on Jane Doe 2 resulted in serious bodily injury. Tsosie was previously convicted of battery against a household member. As a previously convicted domestic violence misdemeanant, Tsosie cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious allegation, Tsosie faces life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
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District Man Indicted on First Degree Murder and Other Charges for a Shooting Rampage on WMATA SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Trotman, 32 of Washington, D.C., was indicted on October 25, 2023, on 52 charges, including first degree murder while armed, for a fatal shooting rampage on February 1, 2023, that claimed the life of 63-year old Robert Cunningham and left two other people injured, at and inside the Potomac Avenue Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment charges Trotman with multiple counts, each, of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping while armed, destroying property, and carrying a pistol without a license.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Branch and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jackson.
Decatur, Illinois, Man Convicted of Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on October 31, 2023, against Brian R. Lewis, 45, of Decatur, Illinois, for possession of child pornography. Sentencing for Lewis has been scheduled for March 15, 2024, in front of Senior United States District Judge Michael M. Mihm at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
In a half day of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Lewis possessed on his cellular phone nearly one hundred images depicting child pornography. Lewis also emailed himself several child pornography images. The images depicted children as young as four to six years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Lewis was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service. At sentencing, Lewis faces up to ten years’ imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000; and up to a lifetime term of supervised release.
The case investigation was conducted by the Decatur Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon O’Brien Ranck and Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government at trial.
The case against Lewis was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to Firing at ATF AgentRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who shot at an ATF agent in an apparent fit of road rage pleaded guilty Tuesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Michael Fagan, 30, was charged via criminal complaint in April 2023 and was indicted in May 2023. He pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez on Tuesday.
According to plea documents, on April 6, an ATF agent stopped at a red light at the intersection of Garland Road and Gaston Avenue in East Dallas observed the SUV’s driver, later identified as Mr. Fagan, inside the vehicle yelling and flailing his arms. Thinking the driver might be experiencing an emergency, the agent rolled down his front passenger window and asked if the driver was okay.
Mr. Fagan opened his driver-side door and began yelling incoherently at the agent, who instructed Mr. Fagan to get back in his vehicle. Mr. Fagan re-entered his vehicle, leaned over the passenger seat, and turned around to face the agent holding a black semiautomatic pistol in his hand.
The agent ducked down below the dashboard, and heard a gun discharge. The agent drew his weapon and fired three shots, hitting Mr. Fagan once.
Mr. Fagan fled the scene and was later arrested after he was admitted to Baylor hospital.
Mr. Fagan now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Withers is prosecuting the case.
Domincan Replublic Man Sentenced to 168 Months on Cocaine Conspiracy ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Yefri Martinez-Herrera, 31, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy after pleading guilty on March 6, 2023, to conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Martinez-Herrera and co-defendant Kelly Bruney, agreed to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to an undercover agent at a cost of $11,500.00 per kilogram. The investigation concluded on February 3, 2022, when federal agents executed a search warrant at Martinez-Herrera’s home in French Town. From the search, agents recovered 87 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm in Martinez-Herrera’s bedroom. Agents also discovered Martinez-Herrera hiding in a closet.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
DEA Investigations Result in Three Southern Oregon Drug Traffickers Pleading Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the head of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, have pleaded guilty in federal court following investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Medford resident office.
Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Candice Nadine Mckee, 31, a distributor in Martinez-Gil’s network and resident of Lakeview, Oregon, pleaded guilty Monday to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Also on Monday, in a separate criminal case, Jessie Cole Merkel, 31, of Redding, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl.
U.S. v. Martinez-Gil et al.
According to court documents, between August 2019 and September 2021, Martinez-Gil, the head of a Klamath Falls area drug trafficking organization, conspired with various associates, including McKee, to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, in and around Klamath Falls. A coordinated law enforcement operation conducted in September 2021 led to the arrests Martinez-Gil and several of his co-conspirators. Federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles. Over the course of the investigation, DEA special agents, working with other southern Oregon law enforcement agencies, seized approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine and 700 counterfeit Oxycodone pills.
Martinez-Gil will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Mckee will be sentenced the same day and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
U.S. v. Merkel
According to court documents, between February and April 2022, Merkel, a known northern California drug dealer responsible for trafficking quantities of fentanyl from California to Oregon, sold fentanyl to undercover law enforcement officers on two separate occasions. On April 14, 2022, Merkel was arrested while traveling from California to Oregon.
Merkel will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by Judge McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years’ supervised release.
Martinez-Gil et al. was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.
Merkel was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police, and the Central Point Police Department.
Both cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Cuatro acusados extraditados de Guatemala condenados por participar en una asociación delictuosa internacional de tráfico de personas con resultado mortalRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia, junto con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y sus socios, anunciaron hoy importantes sentencias obtenidas a través del procesamiento por parte de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA) de líderes, organizadores y miembros de un prolífico ardid de tráfico de personas que resultó en la muerte de un migrante guatemalteco en 2021.
Cuatro acusados han sido condenados hoy en el Distrito Oeste de Texas por su participación en el ardid de tráfico de personas. López Mateo Mateo, alias Bud Light, de 43 años, fue condenado a 30 años de prisión; Felipe Diego Alonzo, alias Siete, de 40 años, fue condenado a 19 años y siete meses de prisión; y Nesly Norberto Martínez Gómez, alias Canche, de 38 años, y Juan Gutiérrez Castro, alias Andrés, de 46 años, fueron condenados a 10 años y un mes de prisión.
“Los cuatro acusados sentenciados en este caso formaban parte de una mortífera operación de tráfico de personas que ponía en peligro a migrantes vulnerables con fines lucrativos y que le costó la vida a una mujer”, dijo el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Cuando dirigí la formación de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa en 2021, dije que el Departamento de Justicia combatiría las amenazas planteadas por las peligrosas redes de tráfico de personas allí donde se originaran y operaran. Desde entonces, el Departamento de Justicia ha realizado más de 260 aprehensiones nacionales e internacionales y ha logrado 150 condenas por cargos de tráfico de personas. El Departamento de Justicia seguirá desarticulando y desmantelando la amenaza que representan las operaciones de tráfico y trata de personas”.
“Los traficantes de personas harán cualquier cosa para obtener beneficios y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional hará todo lo que esté en su poder para detenerlos”, declaró el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “La condena de estas cuatro personas es el resultado directo de un esfuerzo sin precedentes de todo el Gobierno para prevenir estos delitos y buscar justicia para las víctimas. En estrecha colaboración con el Departamento de Justicia y otros organismos a través de la JTFA, nuestros agentes de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) seguirán investigando y desmantelando las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales que se aprovechan de personas vulnerables”.
“Tragedias como esta nos recuerdan crudamente los peligros que los traficantes de personas representan para los migrantes”, declaró la fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri, de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “La Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa, junto con nuestros socios internacionales encargados de la aplicación de la ley, seguirá persiguiendo y desarticulando peligrosas operaciones transnacionales que socavan nuestro sistema de inmigración legal y explotan a los migrantes con fines lucrativos”.
Según documentos del tribunal, los acusados admitieron haberse unido en una asociación delictuosa con otros traficantes para facilitar el traslado de un gran número de migrantes desde Guatemala a través de México y, en última instancia, a los Estados Unidos. Ellos les cobraron a los migrantes y a sus familias entre $10,000 y $12,000 dólares estadounidenses por el peligroso viaje. Uno de los viajes resultó en la muerte de una joven indígena guatemalteca, quien falleció en Texas en abril de 2021. La familia de la mujer pagó a los acusados unos $10,000 dólares estadounidenses para que la introdujeran ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos. Los acusados se encargaron de guiarla durante varios días a pie por el desierto desde México hasta Texas y luego la condujeron a una casa clandestina en Odessa, Texas, donde finalmente murió. Los acusados y sus coconspiradores arrojaron su cuerpo a un lado de una carretera rural en las afueras de Odessa, Texas. Los acusados y sus coconspiradores también coordinaron para sobornar a la familia de la víctima en Guatemala.
“Estas sentencias reflejan hasta qué punto esta oficina y el Departamento de Justicia en general harán justicia a las víctimas de crímenes atroces y evitarán más daños”, dijo el fiscal de los EE. UU. Jaime Esparza para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Las redes de tráfico como estas operan, no con preocupación por las vidas de sus víctimas, sino más bien su codicia y el deseo de dinero contante y sonante. En coordinación con nuestros socios, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en todo el mundo, seguiremos haciendo todo lo que esté en nuestras manos para desmantelar estas redes y hacer que los traficantes rindan cuentas”.
“HSI continuará aplicando su amplia autoridad investigadora y su presencia internacional para garantizar que los miembros de estas redes delictivas transnacionales rindan cuentas por aprovecharse y abusar de una población vulnerable”, declaró el agente especial a cargo Francisco B. Burrola, de HSI El Paso. “Nuestro mensaje es claro: si diriges una de estas organizaciones ilícitas que trasladan cargamentos de personas, te encontraremos, no importa lo cerca o lejos que estés”.
Cada uno de los acusados se declaró culpable de un cargo de asociación delictuosa para introducir a un extranjero en los Estados Unidos con resultado mortal. Como se anunció el año pasado, la amplia coordinación entre las autoridades del orden público estadounidenses y guatemaltecas condujo a la acusación formal y aprehensión de estos cuatro acusados, así como a la aprehensión de 15 coconspiradores más en Guatemala. En virtud de una solicitud de extradición, las autoridades guatemaltecas extraditaron en marzo a Mateo Mateo, Diego Alonzo, Martínez Gómez y Gutiérrez Castro a los Estados Unidos, la primera extradición de guatemaltecos por tráfico de personas a los Estados Unidos en casi cinco años y la primera extradición de Guatemala a los Estados Unidos por cargos de tráfico de personas con resultado mortal.
HSI Midland dirigió la investigación, trabajando en colaboración con HSI Guatemala y la Unidad de Tráfico de Personas de HSI en Washington, D.C. HSI recibió una asistencia sustancial de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley y Expulsiones del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU. (ICE); Unidad de Programas de Libertad Supervisada y Aplicación de la Ley de ICE; Centro Nacional de Objetivos/Operación Centinela del Servicio de Aduanas y Protección de Fronteras de los EE. UU.; la Patrulla Fronteriza de EE. UU.; el Servicio de Alguaciles de EE. UU.; los Departamentos de Policía de Odessa y Midland; el Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas; y las oficinas de los alguaciles de los condados de Ector, Midland y Crane.
La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA) del Departamento de Justicia proporcionó una importante asistencia para garantizar la aprehensión y extradición de los cuatro acusados. La Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación de Fiscales (OPDAT) de la División Penal proporcionó tutoría basada en casos para apoyar la investigación. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a las autoridades del orden público de Guatemala, quienes fueron fundamentales para proseguir con la investigación.
El codirector de la JTFA, James Hepburn, de la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP) de la División Penal, y los fiscales auxiliares de los EE. UU. José Luis Acosta y John Fedock, del Distrito Oeste de Texas, procesaron el caso, con la importante asistencia del fiscal auxiliar de los EE. UU. Adrián Gallegos, del Distrito Oeste de Texas, y de la historiadora y especialista en América Latina de la HRSP Joanna Crandall.
Este procesamiento y la colaboración con las autoridades del orden público de Guatemala se coordinaron bajo la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA). El fiscal general Garland creó la JTFA en junio de 2021 en colaboración con el DHS para reforzar los esfuerzos del Departamento de Justicia en la lucha contra el aumento del prolífico y peligroso tráfico procedente de Centroamérica y que afecta a nuestras comunidades fronterizas. La JTFA está compuesta por agentes de las Fiscalías de los EE. UU. a lo largo de la frontera suroeste, incluidos el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. También proporcionan apoyo específico numerosos componentes de la División Penal que forman parte de la JTFA, dirigidos por la HRSP, y apoyados por ODPAT, la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas, la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos, la Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley, la OIA y la Sección de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada. La JTFA también cuenta con una importante colaboración para la aplicación de la ley por parte del DHS, el FBI, la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA) y otros socios. Hasta la fecha, el trabajo de la JTFA ha dado como resultado más de 260 aprehensiones nacionales e internacionales de dirigentes, organizadores y facilitadores importantes del tráfico de personas; más de 150 condenas; importantes penas de cárcel impuestas; y decomisos de bienes sustanciales.
Colombian Citizen Arrested for Transportation of Mexican Citizens Who Entered the United States UnlawfullyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that David Henao-Palacio, 28, a citizen of Colombia most recently residing in Newark, New Jersey, was charged by criminal complaint with unlawfully transporting Mexican citizens who had entered the United States unlawfully. Henao-Palacio made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle yesterday, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on Friday, November 3, 2023.
According to court records, United States Border Patrol agents observed a vehicle being driven by Henao-Palacio on the All-American Highway, a rural road that is adjacent to the international border with Canada and known for human smuggling activity. A traffic stop of Henao-Palacio revealed that three Mexican citizens were in the back seat of his vehicle, all of whom admitted to having crossed the border moments before the traffic stop. After the three Mexican citizens were removed from the vehicle, they attempted to flee into the woods, but were apprehended shortly thereafter. According to immigration records, Henao-Palacio is a Colombian citizen who illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas on August 31, 2022. Henao-Palacio was paroled into the country on September 4, 2022, pending immigration proceedings.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only, and that Henao-Palacio remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted of a crime. As presently charged, Henao-Palacio faces a maximum sentence of 5 years of imprisonment; however the actual sentence following any conviction would be determined with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by AUSA Jonathan Ophardt. Henao-Palacio is being represented by Assistant Federal Defender Barclay Johnson.
Note: Press Release was edited to correct the spelling of the nationality of the defendant.
Clarksville Home Business Owner Sent to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – David Haley, 65, of Clarksville, Tennessee was sentenced yesterday to two years in federal prison for filing false tax returns that omitted income he earned from his business, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Haley was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and restitution in the amount of $186,290. Upon release from prison, he will be subject to one year of supervised release.
In November 2022, Haley was convicted of three counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The jury acquitted Haley of one count of filing a false tax return relating to his 2014 tax filing. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Haley owned Haley & Associates Mechanical Contractors, a heating and plumbing business. From 2014 through 2017, Haley & Associates was hired as the subcontractor on commercial projects in middle Tennessee and was paid more than $1,000,000 for each year. Generally, the contractors that hired Haley & Associates paid via check and reported the payments to the IRS via Forms 1099-MISC as non-employee compensation. Even though Haley personally received a portion of the company’s earnings as business income and nonemployee compensation, Haley reported earning no income on his 2014-2017 tax returns. Haley’s failure to report that income on his tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2017 caused the IRS a loss of approximately $186,290.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn W. Booth and Mitchell T. Galloway are prosecuting the case.
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Chelsea Woman Sentenced for False Claims and Stealing Benefits from Three Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Chelsea woman was sentenced today to 6 months in prison for one count of conversion of benefits by representative payee and one count of making a false statement, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Arvella Evyon Downing, 55, to 6 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Heil further ordered Downing to pay $28,368 in restitution.
“Downing not only abused her position as a guardian, but she also stole thousands of dollars in social security benefits from children,” said U.S. Attorney Clint J. Johnson.
According to court documents, Downing pled guilty on Mar. 3, 2023. She admitted from on or about Oct. 1, 2019, through on or about Sept. 30, 2020, that she made application to receive social security benefits on behalf of 3 minor children. She received approximately $28,368 and claimed that she spent it on housing, clothing, education, medical and dental expenses, recreation, or personal items.
In a related indictment, Downing’s boyfriend, Keith Alan Schulze pled guilty on Mar. 3, 2023, to child neglect in Indian Country and will be sentenced at a later date.
Arvella Evyon Downing was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Jolly and Steven Briden prosecuted the case.
Car battery conspiracy: three men convicted of cocaine traffickingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine across the border, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Mikeal Jovany Phillips, 35, Huffman, and Juan Andres Rodriguez-Murillo, 31, Mexico, conspired with others to smuggle narcotics into the United States by concealing the drugs inside car batteries.
On Jan. 6, Christopher Sheffield, 38, Crosby, drove a gold SUV to the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. Upon inspection, authorities discovered approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the battery compartment. The battery shell contained a smaller battery to power the vehicle and three bundles of cocaine.
The investigation revealed numerous text and Facebook messages between Sheffield and Phillips discussing the trip. Subsequently, authorities learned Phillips had coordinated the trip and arranged for Sheffield to travel from the Houston area to Brownsville to retrieve the cocaine. While in Brownsville, Sheffield met Rodriguez-Murillo who then provided the cocaine-filled car battery and made the switch in the vehicle.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing for Phillips and Rodriguez-Murillo Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, 2024, respectively. At that time, each man faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.
Phillips and Rodriguez-Murillo have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Sheffield previously pleaded guilty and is also pending sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin is prosecuting the case.
Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Xiaoling Li, 32, of China, pleaded guilty to Illegal Entry into the United States before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and was sentenced to time served.
According to court documents, Xiaoling Li was arrested after being inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before he attempted to board a Delta flight to New York on August 2, 2023. During his inspection, officers determined that Li traveled from China to Suriname, and on July 26, 2023, Li paid $7,500.00 to his traffickers to illegally transport him by boat to St. Thomas. Li’s inspection also confirmed that no record exists that authorized his legal entry into the United States, and no evidence exists that Li applied for, sought, or received prior permission to enter or reside in the United States.
This case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to “Ponzi” Schemes, Money Laundering, and Stealing over $6 Million in Federal Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Stanislav Bril, 40, a/k/a “Stan Bril,” a/k/a “Slava Bril,” a resident of Jamison, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty on October 30, 2023 before United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to three counts of mail fraud, eleven counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and five counts of money laundering, all arising from Bril’s operation of two different Ponzi schemes, his false applications for bank loans, his defrauding of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and related conduct.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue leading the charge with our law enforcement partners to hold Stanislav Bril and other fraudsters accountable for their schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These fraud schemes impact us all, from individual investors to taxpayers. We also appreciated the public’s assistance and cooperation in bringing these cases.”
“Over the course of ten years, Bril perpetrated multiple fraud schemes, stealing variously from investors, a bank, and the U.S. government,” said Richard Langham, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Fortunately, the FBI and our partners are experts at ensuring criminals like him are held accountable.”
“IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to have provided its financial expertise in this investigation,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “We, along with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, are committed to aggressively investigating individuals who engage in money laundering, tax fraud, or other types of white-collar crimes.”
From October 2011 to August 2014, Bril operated a “Ponzi” scheme through his company, Mortgage Consultant Group (“MCG”), obtaining over $1 million from investors and using much of these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril approached investors and persuaded them to make capital loan investments in MCG. In his marketing materials and his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that these investments would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. Bril falsely promised that investors would obtain regular returns, or “interest,” on their capital loan investments in MCG. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the vast majority of the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including his gambling losses at casinos – and to perpetuate his scheme by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
From October 2018 to June 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained a $750,000 line of credit from a bank headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania for another company he created, The Bril Group, Inc. (“TBG”). In order to secure the line of credit, Bril made false statements about TBG’s business, the number of TBG employees he was hiring, and the intended use of the line of credit. Once he obtained the line of credit, Bril caused those funds to be spent on unauthorized purchases and laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts.
From April 2020 to March 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained over $6.7 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Programs (“PPP”) by making false statements about the number of employees of, the wages and payroll taxes paid by, and the intended use of the loan proceeds by several companies that Bril created. Bril falsely claimed that these companies – TBG, MCG LOAN, and SAB Services LLC – had several hundred employees when in fact none of these companies had more than one employee. In his PPP and EIDL applications, Bril submitted allegedly historical tax forms with inflated payroll information for nonexistent employees that had never actually been filed. In addition, Bril falsely denied that there were criminal charges pending against him at the time of his applications. In fact, federal charges were already pending against Bril for his perpetration of the Ponzi scheme detailed above. Once he fraudulently obtained these funds, Bril wired them to other individuals, cryptocurrency platforms, and a title company towards a purchase of a Los Angeles condominium. Bril also laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts and transactions.
From July 2019 to at least August 2021, Bril revived MCG and used it to perpetrate yet another “Ponzi” scheme, obtaining millions of dollars in loans from several investors and using these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril initially took short-term loans from investors and repaid investors with high interest rates to lull them into a false sense of security and to obtain larger loans from them. In his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that their loans would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects and/or enable MCG to make short-term, high-interest loans. However, Bril provided investors with few details of these purported projects and declined to identify his purported borrowers. Bril often encouraged investors to “rollover” their loans into new deals rather than take their payouts per their agreements with Bril. When investors asked Bril whether he had any claims, lawsuits, or legal proceedings filed against him, Bril falsely answered in the negative despite his knowledge that federal charges were already pending against him for his perpetration of the earlier Ponzi scheme. When Bril began missing the agreed repayments to investors, Bril provided bogus explanations for his theft of their loans, including that he was waiting for a wire to clear, that he waiting for a check to be mailed from his bank, that he was looking for a new bank, that his new bank was giving him a “hard time,” and that he was suffering from a variety of health emergencies and personal tragedies that were somehow preventing him from making timely paying to the investors. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including trading in digital currencies – and to perpetuate his schemes by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Matthew T. Newcomer.
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to “Ponzi” Schemes, Money Laundering, and Stealing over $6 Million in Federal Pandemic ReliefRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Stanislav Bril, 40, a/k/a “Stan Bril,” a/k/a “Slava Bril,” a resident of Jamison, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to three counts of mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and five counts of money laundering, all arising from Bril’s operation of two different Ponzi schemes, his false applications for bank loans, his defrauding of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and related conduct.
From October 2011 to August 2014, Bril operated a “Ponzi” scheme through his company, Mortgage Consultant Group (“MCG”), obtaining over $1 million from investors and using much of these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril approached investors and persuaded them to make capital loan investments in MCG. In his marketing materials and his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that these investments would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. Bril falsely promised that investors would obtain regular returns, or “interest,” on their capital loan investments in MCG. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the vast majority of the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including his gambling losses at casinos – and to perpetuate his scheme by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
From October 2018 to June 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained a $750,000 line of credit from a bank headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania for another company he created, The Bril Group, Inc. (“TBG”). In order to secure the line of credit, Bril made false statements about TBG’s business, the number of TBG employees he was hiring, and the intended use of the line of credit. Once he obtained the line of credit, Bril caused those funds to be spent on unauthorized purchases and laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts.
From April 2020 to March 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained over $6.7 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Programs (“PPP”) by making false statements about the number of employees of, the wages and payroll taxes paid by, and the intended use of the loan proceeds by several companies that Bril created. Bril falsely claimed that these companies – TBG, MCG LOAN, and SAB Services LLC (“SAB”) – had several hundred employees when in fact none of these companies had more than one employee. In his PPP and EIDL applications, Bril submitted allegedly historical tax forms with inflated payroll information for nonexistent employees that had never actually been filed. In addition, Bril falsely denied that there were criminal charges pending against him at the time of his applications. In fact, federal charges were already pending against Bril for his perpetration of the Ponzi scheme detailed above. Once he fraudulently obtained these funds, Bril wired them to other individuals, cryptocurrency platforms, and a title company towards a purchase of a Los Angeles condominium. Bril also laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts and transactions.
From July 2019 to at least August 2021, Bril revived MCG and used it to perpetrate yet another “Ponzi” scheme, obtaining millions of dollars in loans from several investors and using these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril initially took short-term loans from investors and repaid investors with high interest rates to lull them into a false sense of security and to obtain larger loans from them. In his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that their loans would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects and/or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. However, Bril provided investors with few details of these purported projects and declined to identify his purported borrowers. Bril often encouraged investors to “rollover” their loans into new deals rather than take their payouts per their agreements with Bril. When investors asked Bril whether he had any claims, lawsuits, or legal proceedings filed against him, Bril falsely answered in the negative despite his knowledge that federal charges were already pending against him for his perpetration of the earlier Ponzi scheme. When Bril began missing the agreed repayments to investors, Bril provided bogus explanations for his theft of their loans, including that he was waiting for a wire to clear, that he waiting for a check to be mailed from his bank, that he was looking for a new bank, that his new bank was giving him a “hard time,” and that he was suffering from a variety of health emergencies and personal tragedies that were somehow preventing him from making timely paying to the investors. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including trading in digital currencies – and to perpetuate his schemes by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Matthew T. Newcomer.
Brooklyn Resident and Two Russian Nationals Charged with Exporting Dual-Use Electronics Used in Russian Military's DronesRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in Brooklyn charging Nikita Arkhipov, Nikolay Grigorev and Artem Oloviannikov with conspiracy and other charges related to an export control scheme to benefit companies affiliated with the Russian military. Grigorev, a Brooklyn resident, was arrested on November 1, 2023. Arkhipov and Oloviannikov remain at large.
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, the defendants utilized a Brooklyn-based corporate entity, Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC), to facilitate the export control scheme. QLC was registered and controlled by Grigorev and Oloviannikov, with Arkhipov utilizing a QLC email account from Russia. Through QLC, the defendants procured dual-use electronic components for entities in Russia involved in the development and manufacture of drones for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce announced the charges.
“As alleged, these defendants conducted a sophisticated scheme, violating American sanctions in order to fuel Russia’s war effort,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “In Brooklyn and around the world, our Office will not rest in making sure that military technologies do not fall into the wrong hands.”
“In the past two days alone, the Justice Department and its law enforcement partners have arrested and charged multiple individuals accused of perpetrating sophisticated schemes to unlawfully acquire, conceal, and ship U.S. electronic components on behalf of the Russian defense industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals who would defy U.S. law in support of Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
“Sanctioned dual-use electronic components intended for the Russian military were allegedly obtained and exported by the defendants. Export control laws are put in place to defend our national security and any violation of these laws is extremely serious. FBI New York will ensure that anyone responsible for evading these laws is punished in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“The Office of Export Enforcement is focused on rooting out the illicit procurement networks that supply Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and leverage our unique authorities to prosecute these violators responsible, as alleged in the indictment, for undermining the extensive sanctions put in place to stem the flow of war materials to Russia’s military,” stated Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce.
SMT-iLogic
The most notable of these entities is SMT-iLogic, a Russia-based technology company. SMT-iLogic is associated with an entity known as the Special Technology Centre (STC). STC is a Russia-based entity that was added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List (SDN List) on or about December 29, 2016, for assisting the foreign military intelligence agency of Russia’s armed forces, commonly known by the acronym “GRU,” in conducting signals intelligence operations.
According to public reporting, SMT-iLogic shares an address with STC in St. Petersburg, Russia, was founded by a top Russian scientist and major shareholder of STC, and has imported millions of dollars’ worth of electronics into Russia. On or about May 19, 2023, SMT-iLogic was also added to the SDN List. Per OFAC, SMT-iLogic “is known to be involved in the supply chain for producing Russian military UAVs used in Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
On or about January 4, 2017, STC was added by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to the Entity List for supporting the GRU. STC was involved in the production of the “Sea Eagle Orlan 10 UAV,” a drone vehicle that has been involved in Russian military operations in Ukraine. STC’s biggest customer, according to the same reporting, is Russia’s Ministry of Defense, which paid STC the equivalent of nearly $99 million between February and August of 2022.
Export Control Scheme
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, between October 22, 2021 and February 22, 2022, QLC accounts controlled by Grigorev received wire transactions from iLogic totaling approximately $272,830.40. These funds were used almost entirely to make payments to a Brooklyn-based electronics distributor (the “Brooklyn Company”) or pay Grigorev’s credit cards, which he used to buy goods from the Brooklyn Company. Email and chat communications among the defendants explicitly reference efforts to circumvent U.S. sanctions, use “test” or “fictitious” orders to test new supply lines to Russia, and discuss front companies in third countries. In June 2023, a court-authorized search warrant of Grigorev’s residence in Brooklyn successfully interdicted over 11,500 electronic components purchased from the Brooklyn Company that were awaiting unlawful export to Russia.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell, Rebecca Schuman and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Natalya Savransky of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.
The Defendants:
NIKITA ARKHIPOV
AGE: 39
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIANIKOLAY GRIGOREV
AGE: 36
BROOKLYN, NYARTEM OLOVIANNIKOV
AGE: 37
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIAE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-M-429
Bay Area Doctor Convicted of Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme for Referrals to Medicare-Funded Home Health ServicesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Henry Geoffrey Watson, a medical doctor residing in Oakland, California, was convicted by a federal jury today of charges that included accepting kickbacks for patient referrals to home health agencies, health care fraud, and false statements relating to a health care matter, announced Attorney for the United States Thomas A. Colthurst, Robert K. Tripp, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge, and Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG).
The jury found that Watson, 67, engaged in three health care kickback schemes from 2013 to 2019, using his position as a licensed medical doctor. The first scheme involved a conspiracy in which Watson agreed to refer patients to home health agency Amity Home Health Care in exchange for illegal kickback payments. The evidence at trial proved that Watson and employees of Amity and its CEO, Amanda Singh, conspired to pay Watson regular and recurring amounts, sometimes in the form of cash payments of $3,000 a month, to ensure that Watson referred Medicare patients to Amity each month.
Title 42, United States Code, Section 1320a-7b, the Anti-Kickback Statute, makes it a crime for any person to knowingly solicit, offer, or pay a kickback, bribe, or rebate for furnishing services under a Federal health care program including Medicare.
In the second scheme proved at trial, Watson accepted kickback payments from an undercover FBI agent posing as a home health agency representative seeking Watson’s agreement to refer his patients to a particular Bay Area home health agency. The evidence at trial included video recordings of Watson accepting envelopes of cash, for a total of more than $10,000, at four meetings in 2017. The jury heard evidence that Watson also suggested other doctors who he believed would be willing to accept illegal payments for referrals from the undercover agent.
The third scheme proved at trial involved a conspiracy between Watson and others to repeatedly and falsely certify individuals for Medicare-funded home health services that the individuals did not seek and did not need. The evidence at trial showed that Watson and co-conspirators arranged for Watson to briefly meet large numbers of unwitting elderly residents of Bay Area retirement homes. After these meetings, held in common areas or recreation rooms, Watson certified that each and every resident he met was homebound, meaning they had a normal inability to leave the home. In fact, according to the evidence and the jury’s verdict, Watson knew that the patients were not homebound and did not need the services he prescribed. Watson did not conduct any tests or conduct any inquiry about whether they were homebound, according to trial evidence, but he nevertheless made fraudulent referrals to the three home health agencies. During time periods that Watson repeatedly certified that certain individuals were homebound, testimony from these individuals and their regular primary care doctors showed that the individuals were generally healthy and active, engaging in activities such as traveling internationally, shopping, walking stairs, and jogging. The evidence proved Watson falsely billed Medicare for certifying these individuals for home health and for supervising their home health care, despite the fact that the individuals did not need that care. As part of the conspiracy, Watson was paid illegal kickbacks of $100 per patient referral by a co-conspirator working for the three home health agencies.
“Henry Watson engaged in a scheme to enrich himself and his co-conspirators by falsely certifying patients needed expensive home health care services, causing Medicare to pay millions in unnecessary and fraudulent claims,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and prosecute medical professionals who cheat our critical healthcare programs like Medicare.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan said: “Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute harm patients by taking away their choice and by depriving them of a doctor committed to doing what is best for them. Kickbacks also can result in medically unnecessary services billed to Medicare, which can affect the availability of services and drive up the cost of health care for everyone. Individuals and entities that participate in the federal health care system must obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of those programs.”
Criminal charges against Watson were unsealed on September 5, 2019, when the United States Attorney’s Office announced charges by criminal complaint against 30 defendants in a wide-ranging, patients-for-kickback scheme. Those charges included criminal kickback charges against Amity Home Health Care, which was then the largest home health care provider in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Advent Care, a provider of hospice care. In relation to the investigation that led to the charges and conviction of Watson, other individuals and doctors were also convicted of illegal kickbacks:
• Amity’s CEO, Ridhima Amanda Singh pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to pay kickbacks for the referrals of Medicare beneficiaries on August 5, 2022, in Court Case No. 22-CR-267 CRB.
• Dr. Bhupinder Bhandari pled guilty to violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute on June 6, 2022, in Court Case No. 20-CR-374 JD.
• Dr. Zheng Zhang pled guilty to violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute on April 25, 2022, in Court Case No. 22-CR-090 VC.
• Dr. Gerald Myint pled guilty to violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute on November 18, 2020, in Court Case No. 20-CR-408 CRB.
• Dr. Juan Posada pled guilty to violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute on January 27, 2021, in Court Case No. 20-CR-420 RS.All those defendants have been sentenced by the judges assigned to those cases.
Watson was charged by a federal grand jury in a Superseding Indictment dated March 9, 2021, that included the following counts, with the following maximum penalties:
NO. OF COUNTS
VIOLATION
DESCRIPTION
MAXIMUM PENALTIES FOR EACH COUNT
Two
18 U.S.C. § 371
Conspiracy to Pay and Receive Health Care Kickbacks
5 years in prison
$250,000 fine
Seven
42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(1)(A)
Anti-Kickback Statute
10 years in prison
$100,000 fine
Eight
18 U.S.C. § 1347
Health Care Fraud
10 years in prison
$250,000 fine
Eight
18 U.S.C. § 1035
False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters
5 years in prison
$250,000 fine
Watson remains released on bond pending sentencing. Watson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 28, 2024, before Judge Breyer in San Francisco. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett, and the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Helen Yee and Laurence Macaraeg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and HHS-OIG.
Bastrop Man Convicted and Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Gary Landon Harper, Jr., 33, of Bastrop, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 300 months (25 years) in prison, for production of child pornography.
This case was the result of an investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office into allegations that Harper was misusing the internet social media application Snapchat to contact minor females in the Monroe area. Their investigation revealed that between January 1, 2021, and October 29, 2021, Harper utilized Snapchat to communicate with numerous females between the ages of 13 and 16 who attended Monroe-area middle and high schools. Harper would pay some of these females for their Snapchat login information which he would use to impersonate them and direct other females in their contact lists to “friend” accounts that he controlled, under the guise of making money from a “sugar daddy.”
Harper would further the scheme by paying females to send him sexually explicit videos and images, and to meet up with him for sex. The specific instance related to the charge in the indictment occurred between January and September 2021 when Harper enticed a 16-year-old female victim to meet him and have sex in exchange for $150. When they met, Harper filmed the pair having sex inside his pickup truck. He did this knowing she was a minor at the time. Investigators recovered that video recording from Harper’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant and positively identified the female victim. Through their investigation, agents learned that Harper victimized over 25 minor females in his heinous schemes. Harper pleaded guilty to the one count of production of child pornography in this case on April 5, 2023.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon.
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Attorney Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Business Seeking to Buy Personal Protective EquipmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – FRANK LABRUZZO pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023, to a bill of information for conspiring with co-defendant, Cynthia Caronna, and a United Kingdom resident, to defraud a business seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Caronna and the UK resident formed a business to sell PPE, and selected LABRUZZO to be the business’s escrow agent. LABRUZZO, an attorney employed as an investigator with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, was represented to PPE buyers as a trustworthy escrow agent. Buyers were told that LABRUZZO would safeguard their purchase funds in an escrow account until the PPE was satisfactorily delivered.
According to court records, the conspirators agreed that LABRUZZO would disburse the buyers’ funds despite the buyers having neither received PPE nor consented to the disbursements. The conspirators also agreed that each of them would receive portions of the buyers’ funds without the buyers’ knowledge or consent.
U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry scheduled LABRUZZO’s sentencing for February 6, 2023. Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Atlanta-Based Fentanyl, Meth Supplier to Central Georgia Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – An Atlanta resident supplying large quantities of controlled substances, including fentanyl, to distributors in the Milledgeville, Georgia, community pleaded guilty to his crime in federal court this week; other members of the conspiracy were also sentenced.
Lagary Williams aka “Frog,” 40, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on Oct. 30. Williams faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to a maximum of life in prison to be followed by at least five years of supervised release and a $10,000,000 fine. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2024.
The following co-defendants, all residents of Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and were sentenced to prison on Oct. 31:
- Damon Hayes aka “D-5” was sentenced to serve 275 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release;
- Derek Ingram was sentenced to serve 190 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
- Quintavius Horton aka “Bloody Bae” was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release; and
- Travarious Davis aka “D Red” was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Co-defendant, Billy Harper, of Milledgeville, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison on Oct. 31 after he previously pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises.
Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the cases. The defendants are not eligible for parole.
“This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case ultimately prevented enough fentanyl to kill hundreds of thousands of people from hitting the streets, undoubtedly saving Georgia lives,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Stopping armed fentanyl trafficking and holding those associated with its distribution accountable is a top priority for our office and our law enforcement partners.”
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine have taken a terrible toll on our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Division. “This drug distributor and his associates will now face the consequences of their actions.”
“A large amount of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine was taken off the streets of Central Georgia, and a key supplier has been stopped,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Partnering with law enforcement at every level, GBI will continue to dedicate resources to investigating armed drug distribution activity in a collective effort to make the communities we serve safer.”
“Our main supply of drugs into Central Georgia is coming from Atlanta. The work of local, state and federal law enforcement linked this Baldwin County drug trafficking network to a significant supplier in Atlanta,” said Ocmulgee Drug Task Force retired Commander Wesley Nunn. “Anytime we catch a fentanyl supplier means we are saving many lives.”
According to court documents, agents with the DEA Macon Resident Office (MRO), Ocmulgee Drug Task Force (ODTF) and the GBI received credible and reliable information from multiple confidential sources regarding illegal drug activities occurring in the Milledgeville area in July 2020. Hayes was identified as a multi-kilogram distributor of methamphetamine, powder cocaine and crack cocaine with Williams as his supply source. Through surveillance, agents observed Hayes acquire bulk quantities of narcotics from Williams’ luxury high-rise apartment in downtown Atlanta.
On Sept. 10, 2021, after intercepts on the wiretap indicated that Hayes was travelling to Atlanta to meet Williams for a drug re-supply meeting, a federal search warrant issued in the Northern District of Georgia was executed at Williams’ apartment. Agents encountered Williams and another person, who both jumped off the apartment’s balcony to evade capture. Both individuals were subsequently captured.
Agents recovered 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl in the apartment, as well as one kilogram of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 50 grams of cocaine base, approximately seven pounds of marijuana, a Glock 19 9mm pistol and a Ruger model 57 handgun.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by DEA, GBI, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, the Baldwin County Sherriff’s Office, the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office and the Gwinnett Metro Task Force.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the cases for the Government. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim previously prosecuted the case.
Arrest Made in Bakersfield Firearms Trafficking Investigation Involving over 100 Guns Found at Crime ScenesRead the Press Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Joshua Ruic Kimball, 40, of Bakersfield, was arrested today on a criminal complaint for unlawful trafficking of firearms controlled by the National Firearms Act and for unlawful trafficking of firearms in violation of state law, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
“Under the guise of operating a legal firearms shop, Kimball was selling firearms in bulk without recording transactions through the ATF or complying with state background check or waiting period requirements,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “Over one hundred firearms traced to his operation have been recovered at crime scenes throughout the district, California, and other states. Our office is grateful for the strong federal, state, and local partnerships that made this investigation successful.”
“There is no higher priority than protecting our communities from firearms violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the ATF. “Crime gun intelligence was a key factor in being able to identity the firearms dealer in this investigation, and we will continue in our collaborative efforts with the Central Valley Crime Gun Task Force to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns.”
“The results of Operation Last Member are not only impressive, but they highlight the profound impact of combating illegal and indiscriminate sales of firearms to criminals,” Fresno Police Department Chief Paco Balderamma said. “The recovery of at least 102 firearms used in crimes from a single source in the western United States is a significant achievement. These guns will no longer pose a threat to our community, and the individual responsible for their distribution will be held accountable. I commend the Central Valley Crime Gun Task Force, a collaboration between the Fresno Police Department and the ATF, for successfully conducting this large-scale and complex investigation. I am also very appreciative of the work by our US Attorney’s Office for taking this case on and prosecuting it at the federal level. I look forward to future investigations by this task force which will work closely with our federal partners to eradicate illegally purchased firearms from the hands of criminals. This type of proactive enforcement will undoubtedly enhance the safety of our community, making it a better place to live.”
According to court documents, the investigation began when law enforcement began discovering firearms traced to Kimball that had been seized in connection with crimes. Over 100 such firearms have been traced to Kimball since 2021. Undercover agents then contacted Kimball at his place of business, Show Off Sports LLC, at which point Kimball sold undercover agents multiple weapons, including a short-barreled rife and several silencers. All of the weapons were sold without background checks or documentation as required by law.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Stephanie M. Stokman are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Kimball faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for trafficking in firearms; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully trafficking in controlled firearms; and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully trafficking in firearms in violation of state law. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Alexandria Man Pleads Guilty to $1.2M COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, unemployment insurance, and other pandemic benefits.
According to court documents, from approximately October 2020 through September 2021, George Mensah, Jr., 32, conspired with others to prepare fraudulent PPP loans and unemployment insurance claims under the CARES Act. Mensah admitted that he and his coconspirators prepared and submitted over 47 applications for PPP loans for fake businesses. At least 21 of these applications were funded by lenders, which caused an actual loss of at least $583,172. In addition, Mensah admitted that he and his co-conspirators obtained the personally identifiable information of others, including identity theft victims, in order to make claims for pandemic unemployment benefits in Virginia and elsewhere. Mensah admitted that he and his co-conspirators obtained at least $658,952 in fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance and pandemic benefits.
Mensah is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Javan Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea.
The Fairfax County Police Department also provided significant assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Shartar and Kathleen Robeson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ezra Spiro are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-168.
Albany Man Indicted in Federal Court for Sexually Abusing a ToddlerRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—An Albany, Oregon man has been indicted in federal court for sexually abusing a toddler on at least five separate occasions, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Kevin Walter Taylor, 33, has been charged with five counts of using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, four counts of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on the morning of September 8, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered material online depicting child sexual abuse and determined that Taylor was likely committing the abuse from his home in Albany. Within hours, HSI agents and officers from the Albany Police Department obtained and executed a federal search warrant on Taylor’s residence. The same night, HSI and Albany Police arrested Taylor and rescued the toddler victim. When taken into protective custody, the toddler victim was still wearing the same clothes as those depicted in the abuse images allegedly produced and distributed by Taylor hours earlier.
Taylor was arraigned in federal court today by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on December 27, 2023.
Using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Distributing and possessing child pornography are punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence.
This case was investigated by HSI in conjunction with the Albany Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
31 October 2023
Yuma Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Prison for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Omar Molina-Galeana, 22, of Yuma, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Molina-Galeana pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023, to Conspiracy.
Between November 3, 2021, and April 14, 2022, Molina-Galeana obtained 48 firearms using nine “straw purchasers.” Each straw purchaser made false statements and representations regarding the actual purchaser of the firearm(s) to gun stores in Arizona.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00318-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-168_Molina-Galeana# # #
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.York County Man Sentenced to 45 Years’ Imprisonment for Child Exploitation Offenses Involving His Infant DaughterRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wyatt Andrew Jones, age 28, formerly of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by the Honorable Christopher C. Conner to 45 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised released based upon his previously entered guilty plea for production of images containing the sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography. Jones was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims of his offenses. Jones is currently incarcerated at the York County Prison on related local charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jones produced and distributed images of him sexually abusing his infant daughter and solicited and received sexually explicit images from a 13-year-old female victim located in Australia. Jones began sexually abusing his infant daughter in January 2021 when she was just three days old and continued that abuse until April 2021 when he was arrested on related local charges now pending in the York County Court of Common Pleas. Jones produced numerous videos of the sexual abuse of his infant daughter and distributed the videos using the internet. The infant’s mother, Marisel Toro, pled guilty to producing images containing the sexual exploitation of her infant daughter and is scheduled for sentencing on January 18, 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler.
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Wyoming man sentenced to three years in prison for traveling to Bozeman with intent to engage in sex with minorRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Wyoming man was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, after he admitted he traveled to Montana with the intent to engage in sex with a minor, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jeremy George Lusk, 39, of Crowley, Wyoming, pleaded guilty in June to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in January, law enforcement was working undercover and responded to an ad on a social media site that was looking for a sexual encounter. The undercover responded, asking the user, who was later identified as Lusk, if he had age limits. Lusk responded that he did not, and the undercover replied that she was 14 years old and lived in Bozeman. Lusk expressed hesitation with the undercover’s purported age before re-engaging and expressing a desire for someone her age. The communications led to Lusk sending a nude photo of himself and to sexually explicit conversations. Ultimately, the two discussed Lusk traveling to Bozeman to meet and have sex. Law enforcement arrested Lusk when he arrived in Bozeman from Wyoming believing he was going to meet the undercover. Inside his truck were lubricant jell, condoms and a sex toy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case. The Bozeman Police Department, Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations 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.
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Walkertown Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Distributing a Video Depicting Animal CrueltyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – TIMOTHY LEWIS BLACKMON was sentenced today to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing an obscene video depicting animal cruelty after a multi-agency investigation, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
According to court records, BLACKMON, age 45, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of knowingly selling, marking, advertising, exchanging, and distributing an obscene video depicting an animal cruelty video on July 25, 2022. In March 2022, investigators received an anonymous tip alerting them of an individual in Forsyth County selling videos of himself engaging in animal cruelty on the application “Kik.” A search warrant for BLACKMON’s mobile devices revealed multiple videos of BLACKMON engaging in animal cruelty.
BLACKMON was sentenced today to a 46-month term of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, BLACKMON was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims of the charges listed in the indictment.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré.
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Virginia man sentenced to more than 12 years for methamphetamine traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Virginia man has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for methamphetamine trafficking.
Jason Knapp Downey, age 39, of Covington, Virginia, was sentenced to 154 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Downey obtained the illegal substance from Cleveland, Ohio and brought it to Weirton, West Virginia to be distributed. Officers executed a search warrant on Downey’s residence and retrieved two digital scales, a large amount of pure methamphetamine, United States currency, and ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force investigated the case.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.Unlicensed Wholesaler Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Foreign Unapproved New Drugs and Mail FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Marina Sievert (58, Dunedin) to two years in federal prison for mail fraud and introduction into interstate commerce of a foreign unapproved new drug. As part of her sentence, the court entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1.5 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct, and ordered Sievert to pay $20,000 in criminal fines. Sievert had pleaded guilty on June 21, 2023.
According to court documents, beginning in July 2019, and continuing through April 2022, Sievert owned and operated Beauty Forever Florida, Inc. (BFF), a Florida corporation that she used to order, purchase, import, receive, and distribute unapproved and misbranded drugs and medical devices. For instance, Sievert distributed Innotox Medytox and Meditoxin, which contained botulinum toxin type A, a highly potent toxin that could cause the disease botulism. Sievert acquired these products from a Korean pharmaceutical company that did not have the required approvals of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for distribution in the United States. Sievert made fraudulent representations on her BFF website to her customers, such as false and misleading claims that BFF’s products were “FDA approved,” had “cleared customs,” and had “guaranteed authenticity.” Sievert collected online orders from the BFF website and used the United States Postal Service and private and commercial interstate carriers to acquire the unapproved new drugs from foreign pharmaceutical retailers. Sievert then distributed the unapproved new drugs across the United States via the mail.
This case was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration—Office of Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
United States Recovers $2.4 Million Obtained in Business Email CompromiseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that the United States has civilly forfeited $2,462,000 in proceeds obtained from a wire fraud scheme that involved the takeover of a business email account. The forfeited funds are being returned to the fraud victim.
According to court documents, the victim, Company 1 (“C1”), sells comprehensive lead frame products and material solutions to the semiconductor packaging industry. In April 2022, C1 received an email requesting a change of payment information from someone it believed worked at its business partner, Company 2 (“C2”), a heavy equipment manufacturer from which C1 regularly purchases lead frame equipment. The email came from what appeared to be C2’s true email address. The email explained that C2 was unable to accept payment into its regular account due to a “fiscal year update,” and instead, asked C1 to make future payments to a different account. This email was a fraudulent communication intended to mislead C1 into unwittingly transferring funds to a criminal entity, rather than C2. As a result of the fraudulent communication, C1 wired $2,462,000 million to the account identified by the fraudster.
After realizing that C2 had not sent the email requesting the change, C1 reported the fraud to its bank, which ultimately caused the $2,462,000 million to be frozen. Agents from the United States Secret Service (USSS) then tracked down the sole signatory of the account that received the funds, S.T., who informed USSS agents that he has never done business with C1 or C2 and he did not believe he was the rightful owner of the funds. S.T. claimed that in approximately January 2022, he met a group of individuals at a Bitcoin conference and agreed to contract his services to the group. S.T. provided his banking information to this group in order to receive payment for the work he was going to perform. S.T. stated that he communicated with the group primarily though the WeChat messaging application, and that when he contacted them about the funds, they denied any fraud-related activity. Because C1 and its bank acted quickly, law enforcement was able to seize and forfeit the full amount transferred by C1.
United States Attorney Handberg has requested and received permission from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section (MLARS) to remit the forfeited funds back to the victim. MLARS administers the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program victim compensation process to ensure forfeited funds are returned to victims. U.S. Attorney Handberg noted that “civil forfeiture is an important tool frequently used by federal law enforcement to benefit victims.” In fact, in fiscal year 2023, the Middle District of Florida obtained permission to use almost $44 million in forfeited funds to compensate crime victims. Since 2000, more than $11 billion in forfeited funds has been returned to victims through federal forfeiture. In many cases like this one, criminal forfeiture is not an option because law enforcement is not able to identify the perpetrator even after the criminal proceeds are recovered. U.S. Attorney Handberg thanks MLARS for its assistance in facilitating the distribution in this matter.
“This is another example of how fraudsters are getting more sophisticated with their schemes to steal money,” said Caroline O’Brien Buster, Special Agent in Charge with the Orlando Field Office. “With the cooperation of our partners in the business community, we were able to quickly freeze the funds and assist with returning them to the victim. The United States Secret Service will continue to investigate these and other types of financial fraud in our community and around the nation.”
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated fraud scheme targeting businesses that use wire transfers as a form of payment. The BEC scheme affects large global corporations, governments, and individuals, with current global daily losses estimated at approximately $8 million. Criminals compromise legitimate business email accounts through various hacking schemes, including social engineering and the use of malware. Once a business email account is compromised, a fraudulent email is sent directing the recipient of the email to unwittingly transfer funds to an illicit account. Alternatively, they create “spoofed” email domain names to trick people into thinking they know the sender. An email domain name is the part of an email address that comes after the “@” symbol. In email spoofing, one character in an email address is often changed or missing, thereby tricking the recipient. Criminals obtain and use privileged information to convince BEC email recipients that the transfer instructions are legitimate.
To avoid becoming the victim of a BEC scheme, verify email addresses are accurate when checking mail on a cellphone or other mobile device before you open any attachments or follow any instructions and never make any payment changes without verifying with the intended recipient by phone or in person. If you think you have been a victim of a BEC scheme, 1) immediately contact your bank to request a recall or reversal as well as a Hold Harmless Letter or Letter of Indemnity; and 2) file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov for updated information regarding BEC trends as well as other cyber fraud schemes.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana Announces Funding Awards During Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans joins The Department of Justice, survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide in recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This is a time to center the experiences of survivors, honor those who lost their lives to domestic violence; express gratitude to the countless individuals in the movement to end violence; and raise awareness on the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As part of its monthlong observance of DVAM, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana (EDLA) is proud to announce that the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $949,920 to EDLA to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Data from the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate about 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
The announced grants will reach Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, culturally specific communities, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, improving survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.
Specifically, the Eastern District of Louisiana received the following funding awards for the 2023 fiscal year:
- OVW awarded $450,000.00 to Vietnamese Initiatives In Economic Training under the Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program (Culturally Specific Program) to help community-based organizations develop culturally relevant programs specific to American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Tribal communities to support survivors. Through this new Culturally Specific Services Program project, Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training (VIET) will implement a project addressing increased community capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; strengthen criminal justice interventions, by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities on culturally specific responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; enhance traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and provide culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance for the Asian and Vietnamese communities in Southeast Louisiana.
- OVW awarded $499,920.00 to Dillard University under the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program) to support colleges and universities to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies for such crimes and to develop prevention education and awareness programs. The OVW award falls under the new Strengthening Culturally Specific Campus’ Approaches to Address Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative to support new programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). With this new award, Dillard University, in collaboration with its campus partners, will create culturally specific strategies tailored to LGBTQ and immigrant communities and work with the designated Campus technical assistance provider to build the capacity of the institution to develop a culturally specific, coordinated community response to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by securing relevant partnerships, conducting trainings, and developing resources tailored to the campus community; develop an action plan to outline key strategies necessary to establish a coordinated community response; and establish a coordinated community response team that will oversee and implement project activities.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans commented: “I am pleased to announce that the Eastern District of Louisiana has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women.” “These awards highlight DOJ’s commitment to give our community partners the tools needed to enhance public safety through programs that specifically addresses domestic violence and sexual assault public safety initiatives.”
“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.]
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Hold Forum on Civil Rights Protections for Religious Land UseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division held an outreach forum yesterday on combatting religious discrimination and promoting religious liberty through enforcement of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects persons and religious institutions from discriminatory and overly burdensome land use regulations. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Johnathan Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division held the first of a series of public education and outreach events convened by the Civil Rights Division to ensure that communities know about their protections under RLUIPA and the work that the Justice Department is doing to enforce this important law.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Our office is committed to combatting religious discrimination and ensuring that religious groups are treated fairly and equally under local land use laws. RLUIPA provides important protections for religious groups throughout New Jersey. At the same time, we will continue to use every legal authority at our disposal to bring justice to those who commit illegal acts of hate, and we will confront anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and any form of religious hatred wherever it occurs. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence or discrimination because of how they worship or where they or their family came from.”
“The ability to practice one’s faith freely, and without interference, is a fundamental right, enshrined in our constitution and protected by our nation’s civil rights laws,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Smith. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting religious liberty. Recent events both domestically and abroad, have resulted in increasing threats to people of faith, including Jewish, Muslim, and other communities and institutions. It is in moments like this that we must refocus our efforts on protecting religious freedom for all people in our country.”
U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Smith, religious leaders in New Jersey whose organizations have benefited from RLUIPA’s protections and attorneys who have experience litigating RLUIPA cases spoke at the event. Approximately 100 members of many religious communities, including Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities, attended the event.
For more information about the event and others the Civil Rights Division plans to hold around the country, please see the department’s RLUIPA’s website. All events are open to the public.
RLUIPA was passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law on Sept. 22, 2000, and contains provisions covering religious land use and religious exercise by people who are incarcerated. Since RLUIPA’s passage, the Department has opened over 150 formal investigations and filed 28 lawsuits and 34 friend of the court briefs related to RLUIPA’s land use provisions, including several in the District of New Jersey. Since 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed four lawsuits and two friend of court brief’s related to RLUIPA’s land use provisions. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Individuals may also contact the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or submit a complaint through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; Announces Justice Department Funding for Community-Based ResponsesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Department of Justice joins survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide in recognizing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This is a time to center the experiences of survivors, honor those who have lost their lives to domestic violence; express gratitude to the countless individuals in the movement to end violence; and raise awareness about issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As it concludes its month-long observance of DVAM, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is proud to announce that the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded approximately $1.25 million to Rhode Island service providers to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Data from the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate that about 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
Nationally, the announced grants will reach Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, culturally specific communities, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, improving survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.
Community-based agencies in the District of Rhode Island received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:
- OVW awarded $232,584 to Day One and $108,034 to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence under the State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to enhance the coordination between courts, child protective services agencies, advocates, law enforcement, and community programs to encourage trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
- OVW awarded $400,000 to Progresso Latino under the Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program (SAS Culturally Specific Program) to support communities in establishing or expanding culturally appropriate services that address the needs of sexual assault survivors from culturally specific communities.
- OVW awarded $500,000 to Sojourner House under the Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program) to support programs that provide 6 to 24 months of transitional housing or housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
“These grant funds from the Office on Violence Against Women are a critical part of the Department’s effort to assist our Rhode Island community partners as they support survivors and stand up for victims across our state, not just in court, but throughout their courageous efforts to carry on with their lives in the wake of violence,” commented U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with Kansas Nail Salon After Complaint of Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with a Kansas nail salon to resolve allegations that the salon discriminated against an individual with a disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher announced today.
Under the settlement, Pretty Nails, Inc. of Shawnee agrees to adopt a non-discrimination policy and post it in a conspicuous place, to train current and future employees on the requirements of Title III of the ADA, and to pay $1,500 in damages to the individual complainant in this matter. Title III prohibits disability discrimination in places of public accommodation, like nail salons. The settlement resolves allegations that Pretty Nails discriminated against a woman with cerebral palsy, who uses a motorized wheelchair, by refusing to provide nail services.
“What was supposed to be a fun outing to get her nails done, instead turned into an ordeal that left the complainant in this case upset and embarrassed,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “We at the U.S. Justice Department hope to spare people with disabilities from these kinds of painful experiences by educating business owners and their employees about disability rights laws.”
The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as nail salons. This settlement agreement is the fourth agreement that the Department of Justice has reached with a nail salon through its U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, and the first in the District of Kansas. In June 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina entered a settlement agreement resolving an allegation that a nail salon in Durham, North Carolina, refused to provide services to an individual with HIV. In June 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Harahan, Louisiana, to resolve an allegation that an individual was refused services because of the inability to transfer out of their wheelchair. And in February 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey entered a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Ocean County, New Jersey, to resolve allegations that the salon discriminates against individuals with mobility impairments.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by the Civil Rights Coordinator, Andrea L. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, Kansas.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Celebrates Funding Announced During Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The Department of Justice joins survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide in recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This is a time to center the experiences of survivors, honor those who lost their lives to domestic violence; express gratitude to the countless individuals in the movement to end violence; and raise awareness on the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As part of its monthlong observance of DVAM, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is proud to announce that the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,347,116 to the Middle District to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Data from the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate about 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
The announced grants will reach Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, culturally specific communities, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, improving survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.
Specifically, the Middle District of Pennsylvania received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:
- OVW awarded $573,202 for PA Coalition against Domestic Violence/PA Coalition Against Rape under State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to enhance the coordination between courts, child protective services agencies, advocates, law enforcement, and community programs to encourage trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
- OVW awarded $374,836 State College Borough under the Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Grant Program to promote coordinated community responses among law enforcement agencies, courts, victim service providers, and other system partners.
- OVW awarded $399,078.00 to Widener University under the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program) to support colleges and universities to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies for such crimes and to develop prevention education and awareness programs.
“I am pleased to announce that the Middle District of Pennsylvania has been awarded over $1.3 million in funding from the Office on Violence Against Women,” said United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “These grants will help agencies, organizations, and colleges to provide victim services and to address domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our communities across the Middle District.”
“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”
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OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa.
U.S. Attorney's Office for Western District of Kentucky Celebrates Funding Announced During Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – The Department of Justice joined survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide as it recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (“DVAM”). This was a time to center the experiences of survivors; to honor those who lost their lives to domestic violence; to express gratitude to the countless individuals in the movement to end violence; and to raise awareness on the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As its monthlong observance of DVAM ends, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky is proud to announce that the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (“OVW”) awarded $782,036 to organizations working in Western Kentucky to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate about 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
The announced OVW grants will reach Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, culturally specific communities, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, improving survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.
Specifically, organizations providing services for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in the Western District of Kentucky received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:
OVW awarded $340,618 to two Western Kentucky organizations under the State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to enhance the coordination between courts, child protective services agencies, advocates, law enforcement, and community programs to encourage trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence and sexual assault. Under this initiative, ZeroV, Inc., formerly the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence, received $108,034, and the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs received $232,584. These organizations provide support for programs and shelters across Kentucky, including locations in Louisville, Elizabethtown, Owensboro, Paducah, Hopkinsville, Bowling Green, and Somerset.
OVW awarded $441,418 to Women Aware, Inc., a non-profit in Paducah, Kentucky, under the Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program) to provide 6 to 24 months of transitional housing or housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Western District of Kentucky U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett stated, “I am thrilled to share these funding awards from the Office on Violence Against Women which benefit organizations and service providers advocating for victims and helping survivors throughout the Western District of Kentucky escape abuse, heal from trauma, and rebuild their lives. These awards will support their ongoing commitment to providing essential services in our communities and empowering survivors and their families to realize a life free from abuse.”
“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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U.S. Attorney's Office for District of Arizona to Collaborate with Colorado River Indian Tribes on Domestic Violence CasesRead the Press Release
Colorado River Indian Tribes Awarded Grant to Prosecute Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases
PHOENIX, Ariz. ⸺ The Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women awarded the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) $830,000 to prosecute domestic violence and sexual assault occurring on tribal lands. Among other things, this grant will fund a Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA).
The OVW grant will enhance the capacity of CRIT to hold domestic violence offenders accountable by partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona to increase law enforcement coordination, and strengthen the relationship between federal prosecutors and CRIT. Most importantly, the OVW grant will allow a CRIT SAUSA to prosecute these cases alongside Assistant U.S. Attorneys in federal court, while simultaneously staying connected to the tribe and identifying cases to remain in tribal court.
“The prosecution of these crimes is a priority for my office,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “I am very pleased that attorneys from my office will be able to work with a CRIT SAUSA, who will bring personal cultural sensitivity to this very difficult work.”
“The Colorado River Indian Tribes is pleased and honored to have been selected to receive the Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorney grant,” said Amelia Flores, Chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribal Council. “Domestic violence and sexual assault continue to harm our members, families, and children. The grant funding will allow us to improve communication and coordination among the various jurisdictions, apply best practices, improve outcomes of prosecution and community safety and ensure victims receive the services and support they need.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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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.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-169_CRIT OVW Grant