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25 October 2023
Beaver Resident Indicted on Charges of Violating Federal Firearm LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Beaver, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Eric Kalif Hubbard, age 41, formerly of Beaver, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on May 23, 2023, and July 14, 2023, Hubbard possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Under federal law, possession of a firearm and ammunition is prohibited.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of fifteen (15) years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Beaver Falls Police Department, and New Brighton Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
24 October 2023
Yon chèf gang ayisyen akize pou zak kidnaping ki lakòz lanmò yon sitwayen ameriken nan peyi Dayiti nan mwa oktòb 2022Read the Press Release
Yon ak akizasyon ki te depoze nan distri Columbia epi ki pibliye jodi a akize sitwayen ayisyen Vitel’homme Innocent, chèf gang Kraze Baryè a, pou wòl li ta sanse jwe nan pran de sitwayen ameriken kòm otaj avèk zam nan peyi Dayiti nan mwa oktòb 2022. Pandan zak sa, youn nan sitwayen yo te rive mouri.
Se pwokirè Ameriken Matye M. Graves ak Ajan espesyal ki responsab biwo FBI nan Miami, Jeffrey B. Veltri, ki anonse ak akizasyon sa.
Daprè ak akizasyon an, Vitel’homme Innocent ak gang Krazye Barye ap opere nan depatman Lwès nan peyi Dayiti, ki gen ladann zòn Dèlma, Tòsèl, ak Taba. Gang sa a patisipe nan kidnape moun pou lajan, vòlè ak vòlè machin.
Vitel’homme Innocent te bay manm nan gang nan lòd pou yo kidnape Jean Franklin ak Marie Odette Franklin lakay yo nan peyi Dayiti 7 oktòb 2022. Nan dat sa a, manm gang yo ki te gen zam nan men yo te antre nan kay Franklin yo epi eseye kidnape koup lan. Pandan kidnaping la, Marie Odette Franklin te rive pèdi lavi li. Yo te kidnape mari an epi kenbe misye nan yon kote yo sekrè nan peyi Dayiti. Pandan Jean Franklin te nan men kidnapè yo, Vitel’homme Innocent te patisipe nan negosyasyon pou lajan an echanj pou liberasyon Jean Franklin. Jean Franklin te jwenn liberasyon li nan dat 28 oktòb 2022, aprè yo te fin peye gang nan lajan nan non fanmi Franklin.
Pwokirè Ameriken Graves fè konnen : « Nou rete fèm nan misyon nou pou kenbe moun k ap komèt krim vyolan kont sitwayen ameriken nan peyi Dayiti yo responsab pou zak yo ». « Gang yo ak chèf gang nan peyi Dayiti yo dwe peye pou zak atwosite yo ap fè kont sivil inosan. Nou pral sèvi ak tout metòd nou genyen nan dispozisyon nou yo pou arete ak trennen devan lajistis moun ki fè vye zak sa yo ».
Ajan espesyal Veltri deklare : « Ak akizasyon ki pibliye jodi a montre angajman FBI pou li swiv prèv yo nenpòt kote yo mennen, epi jwenn [chache] chimen ki mennen li kote chèf konplo kriminèl yo nenpòt kote yo ye a ». « Ni tan, ni distans pap fè volonte nou febli. Nou pral sèvi ak tout zouti ki disponib epi nou prale nan tout kwen latè pou nou jwenn epi mennen devan lajistis sila kap chache fè Ameriken mal yo».
Vitel’homme Innocent toujou nan kouri. Li ta dwe ap viv nan zòn Taba, nan peyi Dayiti. Gen chans pou Vitel’homme Innocent akize de lòt move zak toujou nan distri Columbia pou sa ki gen rapò ak wòl li nan kidnape 16 sitwayen ameriken nan otòn nan 2021. Dosye sa a nan egzamen.
Si yo ta rekonèt li koupab, Vitel’homme Innocent riske jwenn yon kondanasyon pou prizon avi oswa pèn lanmò.
Biwo lokal FBI nan Miami ap mennen ankèt sou dosye sa, avèk èd biwo Atache jiridik FBI nan peyi Dayiti, ak èd Sèvis Sekirite Diplomatik nan Depatman Deta. Se pwokirè federal adjwen Jack F. Korba ki responsab Dosye a.
Akizasyon ki nan ak akizasyon sa a se jis akizasyon. Tout moun yo akize prezime inosan jiskaske yon tribinal pwouve ke li koupab san kite plas pou tout dout rezonab.
Wichita man pleads guilty to causing fentanyl related deathRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to one count of distribution of a controlled substance which resulted in death.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2019, Tyler Ralls, 35, of Wichita gave Michael Marsalla, 35, an M30 pill while the two men were working together at a company in Park City. Ralls admits that he knew the pill contained fentanyl and knew that Marsalla didn’t have a tolerance for fentanyl. When Marsalla didn’t arrive at work the next day and couldn’t be reached, Ralls drove to Marsalla’s house in Valley Center and found him unresponsive. After calling 911, Ralls phoned his source for fentanyl pills to discuss whether anyone had ever died after taking them. Emergency responders pronounced Marsalla deceased at the scene. A subsequent autopsy determined the victim died of fentanyl toxicity.
“Because of the enormous influx of counterfeit pills into our communities, anytime a person ingests pills that they didn’t get directly from a medical professional, they are at great risk of dying of fentanyl overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Michael Marsalla accepted a pill from someone he thought he could trust. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced, and it cost Mr. Marsalla his life.”
Ralls is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Valley Center Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
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Western Washington cities, county, and three tribes awarded nearly $6 million for drug treatment and family recovery programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs has awarded more than $5.9 million in federal grants to improve drug treatment and family recovery programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The funding is going to Mason County, the cities of Kirkland and Olympia, the Quinault Indian Nation, Tulalip Tribes, and the Puyallup Tribe.
“On this Red Ribbon Week when we celebrate living drug free, I am excited to see new programs aimed at ending drug addiction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Each of these entities has identified ways to improve their services and help those struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. Justice Department funding will help identify best practices that can be replicated elsewhere.”
The City of Kirkland, Washington, was awarded $1,286,400 to implement an opioid and substance abuse screening and treatment program in their jail. The program will include medication assisted treatment options both in custody and for those transitioning into the community.
The City of Olympia, Washington was awarded $1,000,000 to support training for first responders and to expand the capacity and the hours of operation for a diversion program. The grant will further support the creation of an adult mental health program. A research team from Washington State University will evaluate the project’s success.
Mason County’s Family Recovery Court was awarded $890,675 to enhance its support programs. The improvements are aimed at increased parent engagement, reduced substance use, and reduced mental health issues among parents.
Both the Quinault and Puyallup tribes are receiving about a million dollars to enhance drug treatment services for tribal members. The Quinault Adult and Family Healing to Wellness court will use $1 million to expand services to assist families in recovery. The three-year initiative will provide stabilizing services for those with drug use disorders.
Similarly, the Puyallup Tribal community was awarded $999,324 to reduce barriers to treatment services and increase the length of time a person is supported in treatment. Grant funds will also be used to strengthen family education and engagement in recovery.
The Tulalip Tribes were awarded $749,828 to expand the capacity of its Health and Wellness Court program by hiring additional staff and creating an alumni support network for those who have completed treatment.
To learn more about Red Ribbon week visit: https://www.redribbon.org/about
Warsaw Militia Member Indicted for Phelps County Jail EscapeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Warsaw, Mo., man who claims to be a member of the self-styled 2nd American Militia was indicted by a federal grand jury today for escaping from the Phelps County Jail, where he was being detained on federal charges related to his role in a conspiracy to murder Border Patrol officers following a shootout with FBI agents.
Jonathan S. O’Dell, 33, was charged with one count of escaping from custody in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. This third superseding indictment includes the original charges against O’Dell and co-defendant Bryan C. Perry, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee.
O’Dell escaped from the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Mo., on Sept. 29, 2023. He was recaptured in Ray County, Mo., on Oct. 1, 2023, and remains in federal custody without bond.
The 45-count third superseding indictment alleges that Perry and O’Dell participated in a conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States government. They allegedly planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants crossing the United States – Mexico border. According to the indictment, they also planned to murder officers and employees of the U.S. Border Patrol who would attempt to stop them.
In addition, the indictment also alleges that Perry and O’Dell participated in a conspiracy to assault federal officers and employees and a conspiracy to injure federal officers and employees. The indictment also charges them together in seven counts of the attempted murder of FBI special agents, seven counts of assaulting FBI special agents with a deadly weapon, three counts of assaulting FBI special agents, 14 counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of damaging federal property.
Perry is also charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, one count of the possession of body armor by a violent felon, one count of possessing an explosive, and one count of threatening to injure another person. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Perry has a prior felony conviction for robbery.
O’Dell is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of threatening to injure another person, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.
Throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2022, the indictment says, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join their militia group. They advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw prior to leaving for the United States – Mexico border.
On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They allegedly used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.
The federal indictment cites a series of social media posts from Perry. On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”
On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022.
On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry held a phone conversation with an unidentified individual in which Perry stated they were going to go down to the United States – Mexico border to “start a war.” Perry expressed their plan to shoot people coming across the border and to shoot “federal agents” who would oppose them. Perry also stated they would acquire gear and supplies from federal agents after they “take a couple of ’em out.”
On Oct. 7, 2022, according to the indictment, Perry and O’Dell had amassed six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, a handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two items that appeared to be ballistic helmets, and multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target.
On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence and took O’Dell and Perry into custody. Federal agents approached the property in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker on one of the vehicles, stating that they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle. According to the indictment, Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. FBI special agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Urologist Charged in Superseding Indictment with Sexually Abusing Eight Patients, Including MinorsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that a grand jury in Manhattan federal court returned a Superseding Indictment charging DARIUS A. PADUCH, a New York–area urologist, with seven counts of inducing a person to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and six counts of inducing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, relating to his yearslong sexual abuse of eight victims who were his patients, six of whom were minors during part of the period of abuse. On April 11, 2023, PADUCH was arrested after a four-count Indictment was unsealed charging him with sexually abusing two former patients who were minors during part of the period of abuse. PADUCH has been detained on his federal charges since his arrest. PADUCH’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. Trial is scheduled to commence on April 22, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Darius A. Paduch was a serial sexual abuser. Purporting to provide clinical care, Paduch instead violated patients — including minors — to gratify his own sexual desires. As alleged in today’s Superseding Indictment, Paduch’s abuse was pervasive, spanning over a decade and victimizing patients inside and outside the clinical setting. With today’s additional charges, my Office seeks to hold Paduch accountable for the full measure of his reprehensible conduct.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Over the course of several years, PADUCH sexually abused multiple male patients, including minor male patients, while conducting purported urological examinations in his capacity as a medical doctor employed by a prestigious medical institution in New York, New York (“Medical Institution-1”).
From at least in or about 2007 through at least in or about 2019, PADUCH, while working as a urologist, enticed and induced multiple victims to travel to his medical offices at Medical Institution-1, so PADUCH could, among other things, sexually abuse the victims. PADUCH also induced victims to travel to New Jersey where he abused and assaulted the victims under the guise of medical care. In or about 2019, PADUCH began practicing at a different hospital located in Long Island, New York (“Medical Institution-2”), where he continued to sexually abuse patients. PADUCH used his position as a urologist at prominent medical institutions in New York to make or attempt to make the victims believe that the sexual abuse he inflicted on them was medically necessary and appropriate, when, in fact, it was not. PADUCH often directed the victims to schedule follow-up visits, and he instructed victims to return to see him again. As a result, some of the victims attended many appointments with PADUCH over the course of multiple years, at which PADUCH repeatedly abused them.
As alleged, PADUCH induced six victims to travel to New York, New York, from or through another state to engage in unlawful sexual activity — in other words, his abuse of the victims. As alleged in Count Six, PADUCH induced one victim to travel from New York to another state to engage in unlawful sexual activity. PADUCH also used a telephone and other means of interstate commerce to induce six minor victims to engage in the unlawful sexual activity.
If you have been victimized by DARIUS PADUCH in any way or have any additional information about his alleged illegal behavior, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or reach out at www.tips.fbi.gov.
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PADUCH, 56, of North Bergen, New Jersey, is charged as follows:
Count
Charge
VICTIM
Minimum/Maximum Penalties
1
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-1
20 years in prison
2
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-2
20 years in prison
3
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-3
20 years in prison
4
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-4
20 years in prison
5
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-5
20 years in prison
6
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
VICTIM-6
20 years in prison
7
Inducement of a Victim to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
VICTIM-7
20 years in prison
8
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-1
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
9
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-2
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
10
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-3
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
11
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-4
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
12
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-5
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
13
Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity
MINOR VICTIM-8
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marguerite B. Colson, Elizabeth A. Espinosa, and Jun Xiang are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
University City High School Teacher Charged with Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 24, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Sean Stevenson, a high school science teacher at University City High School, was arrested today by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and charged in federal court with Attempted Enticement of a Minor.
Stevenson is scheduled to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin on October 25, 2023, at 2 p.m.
Stevenson’s alleged illicit activity was discovered during another sex trafficking investigation. According to a criminal complaint, a review of messages from that investigation identified Stevenson as interested in paying for sex with a minor.
An undercover law enforcement officer began text messaging with Stevenson via the Pinger application. The officer claimed to be sex trafficking her 16-year-old cousin.
The complaint states that on October 23, 2023, Stevenson messaged the undercover officer and negotiated a price of $140 for oral sex from a 16-year-old girl. Stevenson and the undercover officer agreed to meet early on October 24, 2023, on El Cajon Boulevard for the “date” with the minor. Stevenson arrived at the location around 7 a.m. and was arrested.
The complaint states that $140 was found in Stevenson’s car.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Ko and Andrew Sherwood.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers (888-580-8477) and the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888).
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23MJ3854
Sean Stevenson Age: 58 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Enticement of a Minor– Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, 10-year mandatory minimum
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney's Office Releases 2023 Third Quarter Immigration Enforcement StatisticsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending September 30, 2023, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,219 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 254 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. In this time period, the United States also prosecuted 82 reactive drug cases arising out of immigration ports of entry and checkpoints.
Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of alien smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include four cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time period.
These statistics represent United States Attorney’s Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-157_2023 Third Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
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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.United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. Announces Selection of First Assistant and Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announces the selection and appointment of April Leon Johnson to First Assistant United States Attorney. Mrs. Johnson is the first woman and African American woman appointed to this title. The former First Assistant United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis is now Counsel to the United States Attorney.
Mrs. Johnson has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana where she is assigned to the Special Matters Division. She also served as the criminal civil rights coordinator and human trafficking coordinator for the Middle District. Previously, she clerked for the Honorable Benjamin Jones and Honorable Carl Van Sharp of Louisiana’s 4th Judicial District Court before joining the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 2009. During her tenure at the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, Mrs. Johnson earned an administrative position as Section Chief of Section IV Trials and has the distinction of being the first African American woman in the Parish to obtain such status.
Since joining the Department of Justice in April of 2022, Mrs. Johnson has had the distinction of representing the Middle District at the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference. She also served on the United States District Court’s Merit Selection Panel to consider the reappointment of United States Magistrate Judge Erin Wilder-Doomes, and the host committee for the 28th Annual African American Heritage Celebration. She participated in piloting “United Against Hate” outreach programs across the district in a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice to combat hate crimes and encourage discussion between representatives of law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public.
Mrs. Johnson obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Howard University in 2004 where she studied Communications and Rhetoric. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center. During her law school tenure, she was selected by the faculty as a member of the moot court and mock trial competition teams. Mrs. Johnson externed as a law student at East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's Office as a Special Assistant Rule XX Prosecutor and tried her first case as a prosecutor before graduating.
Mrs. Johnson’s accolades include an appointment by Governor John Bel Edwards to the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force as well as a Writing Fellow for Southern University Law Center where she assists recent graduates with preparation and passage of the Louisiana State Bar Examination. Her involvement in the legal community consists of mentoring with Louisiana State Bar Association’s “Transition Into Practice” Program, and memberships in the National Black Prosecutors Association, Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, Federal Bar Association, and Louisiana State Bar Association. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Mr. Travis has served as First Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Louisiana since 2018. He was appointed and sworn in as the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana from March 2021 to December 2021, following the resignation of Brandon J. Fremin who had served as the United States Attorney since 2018.
Previously, Mr. Travis was with the Louisiana Department of Justice for over twenty years. During his tenure with the Louisiana Department of Justice, he served as the Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Criminal Division (2017-2018), as an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (2002–2017), and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division (1997–2002). Mr. Travis also served as an Assistant District Attorney (1990–1996). During his thirty years in public service, he has prosecuted all manner of criminal matters, including violent crimes, financial crimes, and public corruption. Mr. Travis helped author and pass legislation to penalize those who commit electronic abuse of persons with infirmities and those who commit public program fraud. He also represented the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the state Legislative Task Force on Medicaid Fraud Prevention.
Mr. Travis received his Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Louisiana State University.
U.S. Attorney’s Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force Announces Indictment of Spokane Valley Couple in Connection with Fraudulent COVID Relief LoanRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted a Spokane Valley couple for fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief funding. The Indictment is the most recent announced by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force, which has brought criminal charges against numerous individuals and recovered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained COVID relief funding.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The EIDL program have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
The Indictment announced today charges Raymond and Jennifer Hilderbrand, ages 53 and 52, of Spokane Valley, Washington, with eight counts of fraud in connection with a fraudulently-obtained EIDL loan. The Indictment alleges that Raymond Hilderbrand applied for and received $363,000 in EIDL funding on behalf of his company, Hilderbrand Auto Service, with the intent to defraud, steal, and convert the proceeds of the EIDL loan for the couple’s use in Powerline Enterprise LLC, a purported business that was not eligible to receive EIDL funding. The Indictment also alleges that Defendant Jennifer Hilderbrand made false and fraudulent representations on an application for EIDL funding on behalf of Powerline Enterprise LLC, a purported business that was not eligible to receive EIDL funding. The SBA denied that application.
“We created the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because combatting pandemic-related fraud and holding those accountable who abused these programs is critical to the strength and safety of our community in Eastern Washington, stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My Office will continue to lead the effort to prosecute those who stole money intended for those in legitimate need.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others.
The fraud charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison as well as restitution for fraudulently-obtained funds. This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by TIGTA, SBA OIG, and IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Tulsa Men Indicted for Introducing Misbranded Drugs into Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
Two Tulsa men were indicted for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and were arrested today, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Aaron Michael Thomas, 41, and Darren Doils Means, 68, were both charged in a three-count indictment for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act.
“A federal grand jury indicted Aaron Thomas and Darren Means for their alleged criminal actions associated with drugs, like gabapentin, xylazine, and pregabalin,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This United States Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue cases against healthcare providers who skirt FDA regulations developed to ensure the safety of individuals receiving prescription drug treatments.”
“The distribution of misbranded drugs in the U.S. marketplace puts all consumers’ health at risk. FDA will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect the U.S. public health from potentially dangerous products,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office.
According to court documents, Thomas and Means are alleged to have introduced misbranded gabapentin, xylazine, and pregabalin into interstate commerce. Thomas and Means are alleged to have been running a business on the dark web where they were selling prescription drugs without prescriptions, or appropriate branding or labelling.
If convicted, Thomas and Means each face up to 3 years in prison, per count.
The Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Aaron M. Jolly are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Men Indicted in Austin for Robbing U.S. Postal CarriersRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Austin returned an indictment charging two men with crimes related to the robberies of postal carriers.
According to court documents, Camren Hamilton, 22, of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Jonathan Rangel, 26, of Austin, allegedly robbed two postal carriers in Round Rock on Sept. 30. The affidavit in a filed complaint alleges that Rangel also assaulted multiple letter carriers with the intent to rob them in Georgetown and Austin in the days prior. The affidavit alleges that in each incident, the assailant demanded that the carriers give him their Arrow Key, which enables the carrier to access mail receptacles on their route.
Hamilton is charged with two counts of robbery of mail matter, money or other property of the United States and two counts of receipt, possession, concealment and disposal of stolen mail matter and property of the United States. Rangel is charged with four counts of robbery of mail matter, money or other property of the United States and two counts of receipt, possession, concealment and disposal of stolen mail matter and property of the United States.
The defendants made their initial court appearances on Oct. 2 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin M. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas; and Inspector in Charge Scott Fix of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Houston Division made the announcement.
The USPIS is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Guess is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tucson Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Fatal Crash While Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Sunshine Michelle Betters, 47, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 120 months in prison for Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death. Betters also was sentenced to an additional 11 months imprisonment for violating her federal supervised release for a prior conviction for Transportation of Illegal Aliens.
On June 3, 2021, the Tohono O’odham Police Department (TOPD) responded to a two-vehicle collision on State Route 86 on the Tohono O’odham reservation. TOPD officers and detectives determined Betters was driving a vehicle which sideswiped an oncoming truck, which caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and strike a tree. There were two occupants in Betters’ vehicle, both undocumented noncitizens illegally present in the United States. One of those undocumented noncitizens, a citizen of Guatemala, died at the scene. Given the death of a foreign national, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Border Patrol responded.
Through further investigation, HSI agents determined Betters was transporting the two undocumented noncitizens for financial gain. They also discovered that prior to the collision Betters, who was severely intoxicated, falsely believed she was being followed by Border Patrol and thus increased her speed. The combination of intoxication and speed were contributing factors to the collision and death.Betters, who was on federal supervision for a previous conviction for Transportation of Illegal Aliens, pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022. She also admitted that her conduct violated the conditions of her supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protections U.S. Border Patrol, and the Tohono O’odham Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 21-01526-TUC-JGZ
CR 18-02003-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-158_Betters# # #
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.St. Louis County Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Dealing Fatal Dose of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man to life in prison for selling the heroin and fentanyl that killed a Florissant, Missouri man in 2018.
Wyland Kinney, 50, of St. Louis County, was convicted by a jury in May distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death, two counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Kinney sold the victim, who had been battling heroin addiction and had just been in the hospital for treatment, heroin and fentanyl at 2:30 p.m. on August 16, 2018. The victim was living with his grandmother, who found him dead at about 8 p.m. An autopsy and toxicology results showed that the quantity of heroin and fentanyl individually was enough to kill him.
During the subsequent investigation of the death, officers had a confidential informant purchase a mix of fentanyl and ketamine twice from Kinney, on October 11 and 12. A court-approved search of Kinney’s home found six handguns, five shotguns, two rifles, an AK-style pistol, ammunition and $6,443 in cash. They also found text messages regarding drug sales on his phone.
“Everyone is well aware illegal drugs can harm the people who find themselves dependent on these substances,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in Eastern Missouri. "But families are also victims of the terrible criminal activity of drug dealing, as the grandmother of Kenney’s victim must know. The powerful narcotics available today destroy lives and families. DEA makes it a priority to ensure the destruction is shared by the dealers by putting them in prison.”
The case was investigated by the Florissant Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Bateman and Tiffany Becker are prosecuting the case.
Six Defendants Indicted for $240,000 Covid Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Six defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy that resulted in more than $240,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Renetta Golden-Larimore, 54, Tajona Manning, 31, and Tashawn Mayfield, 24, all of Kansas City, Mo., Camonte Henderson, 25, of Raytown, Mo., Quinniece Smith, 33, of Dallas, Texas, and Dannisha Taylor 32, of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Oct. 18. That indictment was unsealed and made public today.
The federal indictment alleges that each of the six defendants participated in a conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans from March 2021 to January 2022. The scheme allegedly caused more than $240,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.
According to the indictment, Golden-Larimore prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of the other co-conspirators. She allegedly received payments between $2,000 and $7,000 from the loan proceeds for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loan applications. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses, the indictment says, and inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan.
Manning, Mayfield, Henderson, Smith, and Taylor each received a PPP loan of $20,832.
In addition to the conspiracy, Manning, Mayfield, Henderson, and Taylor each are charged with one count of wire fraud. Smith is also charged with two counts of wire fraud.
The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require Golden-Larimore to forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she obtained from the conspiracy, and each of the remaining defendants to forfeit to the government $20,832, which represents the proceeds they obtained from the conspiracy.
In a separate case, Golden-Larimore was also charged in an April 26, 2023, federal indictment for her role in a similar conspiracy that resulted in nearly $250,000 in fraudulent PPP loans being issued to a dozen Kansas City metropolitan area residents.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Senior Executive Pleads Guilty to Defrauding International Cargo Airline EmployerRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea today of ROBERT SCHIRMER in connection with a massive scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (“Polar”), a leading cargo airline, of tens of millions of dollars in revenue and the honest services of its employees. SCHIRMER pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Polar senior executive Robert Schirmer admitted his guilt in a scheme to defraud his employer that lasted more than a decade. Today’s plea reflects our Office’s longstanding commitment to rooting out corporate fraud.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2009 through in or about July 2021, ROBERT SCHIRMER and nine other individuals participated in a massive scheme to defraud Polar. At all relevant times, SCHIRMER and three codefendants were senior executives of Polar (the “Executive Defendants”), and six codefendants (the “Vendor Defendants”) owned and operated various Polar vendors and customers. The Executive Defendants agreed to accept millions of dollars in kickbacks from the Vendor Defendants, and also reaped substantial financial benefits as a result of their secret ownership interests in certain Polar vendors, in exchange for ensuring that those vendors received favorable business arrangements with Polar. The fraud they perpetrated — which involved a substantial portion of Polar’s senior management and at least 10 customers and vendors of Polar — led to pervasive corruption of Polar’s business, touching nearly every aspect of the company’s operations, for over a decade.
As a result of the scheme, the Executive Defendants, along with two co-conspirators who also worked as senior executives at Polar, received unlawful payments, either directly or through various limited liability companies they controlled, in excess of approximately $23 million in kickback payments or disbursements as a result of their ownership of conflicted companies.
* * *
SCHIRMER, 58, of Port Jefferson Station, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. SCHIRMER also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $983,759.32 and to make restitution to Polar in the amount of $9,340,729.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. SCHIRMER is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Furman on February 13, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Reilly, Danielle Kudla, Kevin Mead, and Qais Ghafary are in charge of the prosecution.
Sacramento Area Tax Preparer Convicted of Presenting False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a five–day trial, a federal jury found Leticia Tyshalle Marie Reed, 47, of Sacramento, guilty Monday of six counts of making false claims to the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The trial was held before U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta.
According to evidence presented at trial, Reed was a paid tax preparer who was registered with the IRS. In 2014 and 2015, Reed prepared and submitted federal income tax returns for Sacramento-based clients, relating to tax years 2013 and 2014. These tax returns requested tax refunds to which the clients were not entitled. Reed deliberately manipulated the reported income on each tax return by either inflating it or fabricating it altogether, in order to qualify her clients for the maximum refundable tax credits available. Based on these falsehoods, each return that Reed submitted sought thousands of dollars in tax refunds from the IRS. At times, the refunds requested were almost half of the annual income claimed. Reed would then take a substantial portion of any tax refunds that issued as compensation for preparing her clients’ Form 1040s.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shelley D. Weger and Kristin F. Scott are prosecuting the case.
Reed is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Calabretta on Feb. 1, 2024. Reed faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the six counts. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the Court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Richmond Man Who Led Officers on High-Speed Car Chase Pleads Guilty to Southside Plaza CarjackingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to a carjacking.
According to court documents, on August 6, 2022, Keith Travers, 37, and an accomplice met with the victim at Southside Plaza in Richmond, purportedly to sell the victim a catalytic converter. However, Travers and his accomplice had driven to the meeting with no catalytic converters to sell. When the victim realized this and turned to leave, Travers’s accomplice stated, “you know what this is, give me your wallet, keys and your phone.” In response, the victim reached for the gun he was carrying on his right hip. As the victim was doing so, Travers pointed a gun at the victim’s head and exclaimed, “don’t lose your life over this.”
Fearing that Travers was about to shoot him, the victim turned his gun over to Travers’s accomplice, who then pointed it at the victim. The victim also handed over his business wallet, car keys, and work cell phone. There was between $5,000 and $6,000 in the wallet when he handed it to Travers’s accomplice. Travers’s accomplice then drove off in the victim’s car and Travers left in the car he had driven to the carjacking.
On August 19, 2022, officers of the Richmond Police Department attempted to arrest Travers for the carjacking. He was in the same car he had driven to the Southside Plaza robbery. When Travers saw the officers, he accelerated suddenly, leading the officers on a pursuit for nearly an hour. Eventually, Travers abandoned his car and fled on foot. As the officers were closing in on him, Travers threw a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol under a nearby vehicle. The gun was the same firearm Travers used during the carjacking on August 6, 2022.
Travers is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 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; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Miller 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. 3:23-cr-38.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment. The sentencing took place on October 19, 2023.
Antonino Alvarez-Resendiz, 36, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Alvarez-Resendiz was indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment by a federal grand jury in January 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023.
In December of 2021, in Rapid City, Alvarez-Resendiz, while knowing he was under indictment on felony charges in South Dakota state court, was in possession of a Beretta, .40 caliber Smith & Wesson, which was found after Alvarez-Resendiz came into contact with law enforcement. Alvarez-Resendiz was also found in possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Alvarez-Resendiz was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Putnam County Man Sentenced for Making False Declaration in Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – William Howard Gregory, 73, of Scott Depot, was sentenced today to 30 days in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, including five months on home detention, and ordered to pay $24,662.56 in restitution for knowingly and fraudulently making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2018, Gregory filed false documents in his bankruptcy case that failed to disclose the existence of five life insurance policies with the collective surrender value of approximately $235,000. Gregory admitted that he knew he was required to disclose the existence of his policies and chose not to disclose them.
The United States Trustee learned that Gregory also failed to disclose the sale of his 50 percent ownership in a hardware store for $400,000, cash deposits of $124,900 in his personal checking account on the day he filed for bankruptcy, $193,000 in accounts receivable owed to him, and a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The United States Trustee Program is the component of the Department of Justice that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-95.
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Post Falls Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Convicted Sex Offender and Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Eric Lynn Heartburg, 63, of Post Falls, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for failure to register as a convicted sex offender and possession of a stolen firearm, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Heartburg to five years of supervised release, which will commence upon completing his prison sentence. Heartburg continues to be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, Heartburg was convicted of child molestation in the first degree in Spokane County in 1992. As a result of his conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). However, beginning in August 2020, Heartburg absconded from sex offender registration.
In early 2023, while still an unregistered sex offender, Heartburg moved from Spokane, Washington to Post Falls, Idaho, and into a home with two women and four children. Heartburg lived in that home until he was arrested on February 25, 2023. During a search of Heartburg’s room, law enforcement found a pistol that had been stolen from one of Heartburg’s roommates.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the joint investigation of the Idaho State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service, which led to the charges.
“Cooperation between federal and state partners is critical to ensuring that sex offenders who fail to register are identified and brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit.
“This investigation was a great collaborative effort with the Idaho State Police and our agency,” said United States Marshal Brent Bunn for the District of Idaho. “It was sparked by proactive police work by the state police. It is our duty to protect the public and ensure out-of-state convicted sex offenders obey the law by registering and updating their sex offender registration in Idaho.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted the case.
Heartburg was prosecuted for a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006. The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside. Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Pensacola Man Sentenced to Thirty-Five Years in Federal Prison for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marcus D. Flintroy, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to thirty-five years in federal prison after previously having been found guilty by a federal jury of two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Hundreds of individuals are killed every day in communities throughout our country due to the distribution of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Each of these deaths is a tragedy, robbing individuals of their promise and crippling families left behind with unimaginable grief. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and aggressively prosecute those who distribute these addictive, controlled substances. This sentence serves as a significant deterrent to drug traffickers and demonstrates our resolve to hold them accountable.”
Between December 8, 2022, and January 5, 2023, Flintroy distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 200 grams of fentanyl in Pensacola. The evidence against Flintroy culminated with a traffic stop conducted by law enforcement, which Flintroy tried to evade by ramming his vehicle into multiple undercover law enforcement vehicles. Flintroy then ran on foot when his vehicle became disabled, but he was caught by law enforcement officers. In his vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, a loaded assault rifle, a loaded pistol, and over 180 rounds of ammunition.
“Illicit fentanyl is the most dangerous drug threat facing our county, and Florida is not immune to its devastating effects. We need to be doing all we can to keep our Florida communities safe and healthy, including holding those who bring this poison into our communities accountable for their actions,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The DEA, in collaboration with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who distribute these deadly drugs.”
Flintroy had prior state felony convictions for offenses including aggravated assault with a firearm; sell, manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance; and others. Flintroy had just been released from state prison in late 2021 before engaging in the new federal offenses.
Flintroy’s imprisonment will be followed by 8-years of supervised release.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
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 intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve Life in Federal Prison After Kidnapping and Shooting Woman in Metro Parking GarageRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, ROBERT LEE HARRISON JR., 50, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve life in federal prison for kidnapping, carjacking, and other crimes, announced U. S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 6, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Harrison: Count 1 charged illegal possession of ammunition; Count 2 charged carjacking; Count 3 charged kidnapping; and Count 4 charged use and discharge of a firearm during the carjacking. On January 11, 2023, Harrison was tried by a federal jury and found guilty on all counts.
At trial, Harrison’s ex-girlfriend testified that he forced her into her car at gunpoint as she left work at the Integris Baptist Medical Center parking garage in Oklahoma City. Evidence at trial further indicated that Harrison confined her in the car and repeatedly punched her before she escaped. Harrison then caught her in the elevator lobby of the parking garage, where he shot her approximately eight times before he fled. The following day, Oklahoma City Police Department officers arrested Harrison after a brief foot chase.
At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Harrison to serve life in federal prison and to pay $13,907.41 in restitution. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the circumstances of the offenses, including their vicious nature. Judge Friot also noted that it was “miraculous” the victim survived.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with assistance from the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Nichols, Jr. and Jacquelyn Hutzell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of “Operation 922” and operation “Shots Fired,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. “Operation 922” prioritizes prosecution of federal firearms violations connected to domestic violence. “Shots Fired” targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show EventsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to using fire and explosives to commit a felony, all in connection with his attempt to burn down a church because of the church’s support for the LGBTQI+ community.
According to court documents, on March 25, Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, made Molotov cocktails and drove to the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), in Chesterland, Ohio.
Angered by the church’s plan to host two drag events the following weekend, Penny threw two Molotov cocktails at the church, hoping to burn it to the ground. Through Penny’s guilty plea, he admitted to using force through fire and explosives, intending to obstruct CCC congregants in their enjoyment and expression of their religious beliefs.
Penny was arrested and charged earlier this year with violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, one count of using fire to commit a federal felony, one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.
“Attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland for their support of the LGBTQI+ community is reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in this country for such biasmotivated violence and terror, and the Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans in their free exercise of religious beliefs by vigorously prosecuting those who target houses of worship. Our churches should be safe havens for all people, not sites subjected to violence motivated by hate and vitriol.”
“Mr. Penny admitted to attempting to burn down a church because he did not like the way congregants chose to express their beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Such acts of extremist violence are antithetical to core American values of freedom of expression and worship and we will not tolerate those who would use force to deny our citizens the free exercise of their rights.”
“By pleading guilty, Aimenn Penny has admitted that he attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland because he disagreed with a planned LGBTQI+ event,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Violence is never appropriate to settle differences in beliefs. All members of our community are entitled to peacefully assemble, worship, and express themselves freely, without fear of violence or intimidation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will aggressively prosecute criminals who threaten that right.”
“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force worked in tandem with our local law enforcement and community partners to identify and bring federal charges against a hate-fueled individual, motivated to violence by his extremist ideology,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “He committed these despicable acts in an effort to terrorize and intimidate a religious institution’s free expression, and he should face accountability for these crimes.”
Penny faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act and a 10-year mandatory prison sentence that will run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 29, 2024.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Deckert and Matthew W. Shepard for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show EventsRead the Press Release
An Ohio man pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to using fire and explosives to commit a felony, all in connection with his attempt to burn down a church because of the church’s support for the LGBTQI+ community.
According to court documents, on March 25, Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, made Molotov cocktails and drove to the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), in Chesterland, Ohio. Angered by the church’s plan to host two drag events the following weekend, Penny threw two Molotov cocktails at the church, hoping to burn it to the ground. Through Penny’s guilty plea, he admitted to using force through fire and explosives, intending to obstruct CCC congregants in their enjoyment and expression of their religious beliefs.
Penny was arrested and charged earlier this year with violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, one count of using fire to commit a federal felony, one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.
“Attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland for their support of the LGBTQI+ community is reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror, and the Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans in their free exercise of religious beliefs by vigorously prosecuting those who target houses of worship. Our churches should be safe havens for all people, not sites subjected to violence motivated by hate and vitriol.”
“Mr. Penny admitted to attempting to burn down a church because he did not like the way congregants chose to express their beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Such acts of extremist violence are antithetical to core American values of freedom of expression and worship and we will not tolerate those who would use force to deny our citizens the free exercise of their rights.”
“By pleading guilty, Aimenn Penny has admitted that he attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland because he disagreed with a planned LGBTQI+ event,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Violence is never appropriate to settle differences in beliefs. All members of our community are entitled to peacefully assemble, worship, and express themselves freely, without fear of violence or intimidation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will aggressively prosecute criminals who threaten that right.”
“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force worked in tandem with our local law enforcement and community partners to identify and bring federal charges against a hate-fueled individual, motivated to violence by his extremist ideology,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “He committed these despicable acts in an effort to terrorize and intimidate a religious institution’s free expression, and he should face accountability for these crimes.”
Penny faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act and a 10-year mandatory prison sentence that will run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 29, 2024.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Deckert and Matthew W. Shepard for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Off-Duty Commercial Airline Pilot Charged in Federal Court for Interfering with Flight CrewRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An off-duty commercial airline pilot, who was arrested on Sunday after he attempted to shut down the engines of passenger plane in flight, has been charged in federal court.
Joseph David Emerson, 44, of Pleasant Hill, California, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, Port of Portland police officers responded to a report of inbound aircraft that had diverted from its route between Everett, Washington, and San Francisco to Portland International Airport due to an inflight disturbance. Police dispatch reported that Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot seated in a cockpit jump seat, had attempted to shut down the plane’s engines during flight.
After landing, responding officers interviewed the two pilots. The pilots recounted that, approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, after engaging with them in casual conversation, Emerson attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines. After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit.
Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft. During the flight’s descent, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his.
After landing in Portland, Emerson was arrested without further incident and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on multiple state charges of attempted murder and reckless endangerment. He remains in custody in Multnomah County on a federal hold pending his first appearance in federal court on a later date.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Port of Portland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
North Hills Man Charged in Indictment Alleging He Fraudulently Obtained Millions of Dollars by Identity Theft via Mail TheftRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was charged today in a federal grand jury indictment alleging he fraudulently obtained approximately $2.6 million by stealing Beverly Hills residents’ identities – often by stealing mail and packages from their homes – then using that information to open fraudulent bank accounts to which he unlawfully transferred money from the victims’ bank accounts.
Oren David Sela, 35, of North Hills, was charged in an eight-count indictment that a federal grand jury returned today. The grand jury charged Sela with three counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, one count of unlawful possession of at least five identity documents, and two counts of possession of stolen mail.
Sela’s arraignment is scheduled for October 30. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on October 10. A federal magistrate judge has ordered him jailed without bond.
According to the indictment returned today and other court documents, from November 2021 to October 2023, Sela stole the mail of Beverly Hills residents to obtain debit cards, bank account numbers, credit cards, telephone numbers, and other personal identifying information (PII). Sela allegedly used the PII he obtained to gain unauthorized access to the victims’ bank accounts. Sometimes, to defeat two-factor authentication on a victim’s account, Sela would engage in “SIM swapping” of the victim’s telephone number to a SIM card that he would control.
“SIM swapping” is the process of fraudulently inducing a carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by another without the legitimate subscriber’s authorization. This allows the fraudster to take control of the victim’s various accounts through two-step authentication text messages sent to a victim’s cell phone.
After gaining access to a victim’s bank account, Sela allegedly would open additional fraudulent accounts in the victim’s name and transfer funds from the victim’s bank account into those accounts. Sela allegedly would then withdraw funds from the fraudulent accounts or use the fraudulent accounts to make unauthorized purchases or transfers.
Sometimes, Sela caused debit cards and credit cards linked to a victim’s account to be sent directly to him, and he then allegedly used those cards to make fraudulent unauthorized purchases.
In December 2022, Sela was arrested for allegedly driving a car reported as stolen, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case. On Sela’s person at the time of his arrest, law enforcement found six debit and credit cards in the names of four different victims.
Subsequent to this arrest, during a search of Sela’s then-residence in West Hollywood, law enforcement uncovered extensive stolen mail containing victims’ PII; bank statements and account information relating to at least 18 different victim accounts; five California driver’s licenses belonging to five confirmed victims of identity theft; seven debit and credit cards belonging to confirmed fraud victims; and checks and receipts for expensive retail items, including a watch worth nearly $17,000, that had been fraudulently obtained using victims’ money, the affidavit alleges.
Sela was found with approximately 33 pieces of stolen mail in December 2022 and at least 118 pieces of stolen mail on October 10, the indictment alleges.
The losses incurred by four victims are approximately $2,590,836, according to court documents, and at least 20 additional victims have been identified.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of all charges, Sela would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the possession of unauthorized access devices count and for the unlawful possession of identity documents count, a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each possession of stolen mail count, and for the aggravated identity theft count, a mandatory two-year prison sentence consecutive to the rest of his sentence.
The Secret Service and the Beverly Hills Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
North Dakota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Fargo, North Dakota, man, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on October 10, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Bryant Elliot DeCoteau, age 32, was sentenced to 10 years federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
DeCoteau was indicted for Sexual Abuse by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. He pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact on July 10, 2023.
According to court documents, in January of 2018, and continuing through December of 2019, DeCoteau knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual contact with the victim.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
DeCoteau was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Robbery, Firearm, and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KING SANCHEZ, was sentenced today by the United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for violations of the Federal Gun Control, the Federal Controlled Substances, and Hobbs Acts.
SANCHEZ previously pled guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment, charging him with conspiracy to possess and brandish firearms in furtherance of and during crimes of violence and drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). SANCHEZ also pled guilty to Counts 7 and 8, charging him with conspiracy to interfere and interference with commerce through robbery (Hobbs Act Conspiracy and Hobbs Act Robbery), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951. SANCHEZ additionally pled guilty to Count 9, charging him with possessing and brandishing firearms in furtherance of and during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). For Counts 1, 7, and 8, SANCHEZ was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. As to Count 9, SANCHEZ was sentenced to an 84-months imprisonment, which must run consecutively to the sentences in Counts 1, 7, and 8, as well as five years supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Thus, SANCHEZ received a total sentence of 204 months. SANCHEZ must also pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee for each count.
According to public documents, in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated a group responsible for committing various violent crimes and illegal drug trafficking, primarily in New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward. SANCHEZ, along with nine others, were indicted in December 2021, for conspiring to possess firearms, traffic drugs and commit armed robberies of drug dealers. SANCHEZ also participated in a Hobbs Act robbery, during which he and his co-conspirators victimized a mother and her two-young children. SANCHEZ and his co-conspirators by breaking n into and ransacking their home, brandishing firearms, and tying up the mother.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Carjacking and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MILTON CARTER, age 32, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by a federal grand jury on October 6, 2023, in a three-count indictment for carjacking and violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
CARTER is charged in Count 1 with carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). He is charged in Count 2 with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). He is charged in Count 3 with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
If convicted of Count 1, CARTER faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 2, he faces a minimum of seven years up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, he faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each charged count, CARTER also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven 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 Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Business Owner Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud First NBC BankRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KENNETH CHARITY (“CHARITY”), age 58, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 18, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Lance Africk to 20 months in prison for conspiring to defraud First NBC Bank (FNBC), the New Orleans-based bank that failed in April 2017.
According to court documents, from February 2007 through April 2017, CHARITY had a banking relationship with FNBC. During that time, FNBC President, Ashton Ryan, acted as the loan officer for CHARITY and certain of CHARITY’s entities. By the time FNBC failed, the balances on the loans issued to CHARITY and the entities, totaled more than $16 million. CHARITY, Ryan, and others, knowingly conspired to defraud FNBC by disguising and misrepresenting the true financial status of CHARITY and his entities, as well as the purpose of the loans issued to them.
CHARITY admitted that he, Ryan, and others carried out the conspiracy by repeatedly lying in bank loan documents about the purpose of loans that Ryan approved for CHARITY. Specifically, Ryan approved loans for CHARITY and his entities that appeared to be for legitimate business purposes. In reality, CHARITY spent loan proceeds on personal expenses, and Ryan was aware that CHARITY did not spend the loan proceeds consistent with the loans’stated purposes. For example, from in or around August 2014 through in or around December 2016, Ryan caused three loans to be disbursed to one of CHARITY’s entities for the purpose of, in part, enclosing a patio at a beignet shop. CHARITY never built the patio. Instead, the loan proceeds were used to pay CHARITY’s overdrafts, including personal expenses, and to make loan payments. Ryan was convicted at trial in February 2023, for bank fraud and other offenses related to the CHARITY loans.
In addition to prison, Judge Africk sentenced CHARITY to three years of supervised release. Judge Africk also ordered CHARITY to pay $16,502,831.55 in restitution to the FDIC, along with a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the agencies that conducted this years-long investigation: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Field Office; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Regional Office; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit , Nicholas D. Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator, J. Ryan McLaren of the Appellate Unit , and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that a federal judge sentenced 37-year-old Karnival McGhee, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 125 months in prison. McGhee’s sentence follows his entering a guilty plea to the charge of sex trafficking a minor. During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered that McGhee serve five years of supervised release following the prison term. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, in December 2021, McGhee was in contact with a child under the age of 16 for several days. During this time, McGhee – both in person and via social media – assisted and enabled the minor to engage in sexual acts with others for money. McGhee facilitated the commercial sex by arranging for hotel rooms and using his own financial accounts for payment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The United States Department of Homeland Security, the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the United States Marshals Service investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Tara S. Ratz prosecuted.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – RYAN P. MULLEN, age 42 and a resident of Jayess, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, MULLEN conspired with DUANE DUFRENE, DILLON ARCENEAUX, LANCE VALLO, GRANT MENARD, and ZEB SARTIN to use several shell Louisiana corporations, devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN as the owners of the existing shell corporations, MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, along with another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell corporations he helped create.
Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE a portion of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses to the victim of approximately $6.4 million.
DUFRENE is to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum sentence of five years on the wire fraud conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of up to twenty years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Willie Renard Craft, also known as “Nut,” 47, of Pontiac, Michigan, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 16, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Craft’s Seventh Avenue residence. Craft told the officers there was a controlled substance in the kitchen cabinet. Officers found approximately 74 grams of fentanyl and drug packaging materials in the cabinet. Officers also found a loaded Taurus 856 .38-caliber revolver on a shelf in Craft’s bedroom, and $1,800 in Craft’s possession. Craft admitted to possessing and intending to distribute the fentanyl, and further admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-43.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ALEJANDRO AGUILAR-RAMOS, a Mexican national, age 30, pleaded guilty as charged on October 17, 2023 to Count 1 of the indictment, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. AGUILAR-RAMOS faces a minimum sentence of ten years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, in March of 2023, AGUILAR-RAMOS knowingly conspired and agreed with others to pick up a bag containing over 9 kilograms of methamphetamine in Dallas, Texas, then work with others to transport the bag and the narcotics within, from Texas to Kenner, Louisiana .
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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Metairie Doctor Pleads Guilty in $5,600,000 Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DR. ALEX L. GLOTSER, age 36, a resident of Metairie, pled guilty on October 18, 2023, to defrauding Medicare out of approximately $5.6 million in connection with ordering medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”) and Cancer Genetic Testing (“CGx”).
GLOTSER pled guilty to a bill of information charging him with health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. According to court documents, GLOTSER was an independent contractor for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately September 2017 to August 2019, GLOTSER, through the telemedicine companies, signed thousands of doctors’ orders for DME and CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, GLOTSER’s orders resulted in over $5.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2.4 million. To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, GLOTSER made several false and fraudulent statements to support these orders, including falsely certifying, in medical records and requisition forms, that he was the beneficiaries’ “treating physician,” that he had “personally” examined patients, including performing certain in-person procedures for knee braces, and that he used the DME and CGx tests ordered for the “management” of the patients’ conditions. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering DME and CGx tests, GLOTSER was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30, totaling $270,570.
GLOTSER faces up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to GLOTSER or the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. GLOTSER is also required to pay $2,420,100 in restitution to Medicare. Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle set the sentencing hearing for January 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorneys Kelly Walters and Samantha Stagias of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, are prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing and Discharging Firearms in Relation to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trenton Robinson, 28, of District Heights, Maryland pleaded guilty today to brandishing and discharging firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2024.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Interim Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Robinson is one of more than two dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 49 pounds of marijuana, 61 grams of crack cocaine, 23 firearms including three fully automatic machineguns, and more than $497,000 in cash.
Robinson, who utilized the street nickname “Zulu,” pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, and one count of discharging a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Robinson and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Robinson distributed marijuana in bulk quantities and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory.
As part of his plea agreement, Robinson admitted that he conspired with others to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. Robinson also admitted that he conspired with others to use, carry, and possess firearms in relation to drug trafficking. Finally, Robinson admitted to carrying and brandishing firearms on multiple occasions between January 2, 2020, and May 30, 2020, when necessary to defend the co-conspirators, their drugs, or their cash. Robinson also admitted that, on April 12, 2020, he brandished and discharged a fully automatic .223 caliber AR-Pistol at the driver of a passing vehicle in the co-conspirators’ drug-dealing territory. Robinson faces a mandatory-minimum sentence of 17 years in prison.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Interim Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI, ATF, and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Violent Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Elan David Nash, 36, of Polacca, was sentenced on September 25, 2023, by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 25 years in prison. Nash previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder, Kidnapping, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury of an Intimate Partner.
During a violent crime spree in November of 2019, Nash shot and killed a woman on the Hopi Indian Reservation. Soon after that incident, Nash picked up another woman from the side of the road and forced her into his vehicle. He drove her to a remote area of the Hopi Indian Reservation, where he robbed her. After a pursuit by tribal law enforcement, Nash abandoned the vehicle he was driving, leaving behind evidence related to the murder. The investigation into these crimes also revealed that on December 3, 2019, on the Navajo Nation, Nash assaulted his then girlfriend, leaving her with substantial injuries. Nash pleaded guilty to all three charges in a single plea agreement combining three separate cases.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Hopi Law Enforcement Services and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-22-8088-PCT-SPL
CR-22-8089-PCT-SPL
CR-23-8063-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-159_Nash# # #
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.Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Two People with a KnifeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lawrence Twisdale, 50, pleaded guilty today to assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her son in 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Lawrence Twisdale pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (a knife). Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2024, before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 29, 2021, Twisdale went to 411 P Street NW at some point in the morning. This location was the residence of his ex-girlfriend, who had broken up with him a few weeks before. The victim allowed him in but quickly realized Twisdale was under the influence of PCP. An argument ensued regarding Twisdale’s drug use, at which point Twisdale pulled a black folding knife from his pocket and attacked the victim with it by swinging it at her and knocking her over. He struck her in the face, the back, and the left arm with the knife, causing multiple lacerations. When the victim’s son entered the room to intervene, Twisdale started swinging the knife and eventually stabbed the second victim in the chest. Twisdale left the victims’ residence as the ambulance was arriving. He was apprehended by MPD on that same day.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde, who prosecuted the case, and AUSA Sara Hanson, who investigated and indicted the case.
Man Found Guilty of St. Louis Murder, Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Tuesday found a man guilty of drug trafficking charges that included a 2019 murder.
Freeman Whitfield IV, 29, was found guilty of seven felonies: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, heroin and cocaine; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, causing the death of Antonio Boyd through premeditated murder; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Whitfield was “an enforcer for a large drug conspiracy,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mantovani told jurors in closing arguments. Whitfield, a convicted felon, was caught with body armor and firearms, and used multiple phones to conduct drug sales, Mantovani said. The organization brought drugs from Houston and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to the St. Louis area. A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation that started in 2018 eventually resulted in the seizure of more than $1.5 million in drug payments, as well as 25 kilograms of cocaine, 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 10 kilograms of heroin, luxury vehicles, watches and guns.
Photo courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration.Boyd, who distributed drugs for Whitfield's supplier and co-conspirator, Guy R. Goolsby, was arrested on March 21, 2018. When Whitfield heard rumors that Boyd might be cooperating with investigators, “he decided to kill him for it,” Mantovani said. Boyd was fatally shot Dec. 9, 2019, outside a home in the 2500 block of West Palm Street in St. Louis. Another man was also shot and wounded.
In a related DEA investigation, Whitfield sold fentanyl to an undercover officer in March and July of 2020. Investigators also watched as Whitfield sold drugs to others. During a court-approved search of one of Whitfield’s homes, in Maryland Heights, on May 4, 2021, they found Whitfield with an AK-style pistol, ammunition and other firearms. A second home he maintained in St. Louis contained an AR-15-style pistol, a Glock pistol, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor, a police scanner, cash, six cell phones, digital scales and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.
Photo courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration.The trial started last week. Whitfield is scheduled to be sentenced in January. Goolsby was sentenced in 2020 to 151 months in prison.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the Bridgeton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys John Mantovani and Geoff Ogden are handling the case for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Madison County man sentenced to 20 years in prison for exploiting minor victims, distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Donald Adams, 52, of Mount Sterling, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 240 months in prison for exploiting children online and sharing child sexual abuse material.
Adams pleaded guilty in May 2023 to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and two counts of distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, between May and September 2021, Adams exploited two teenage victims. Specifically, Adams used Snapchat and Google Duo to coerce the victims into sending him images and videos of themselves engaged in sexual conduct. Adams made the minors believe they were in a legitimate romantic relationship with him.
Adams also exploited at least one of the minor victims by directing them to send the sexual content to other online predators.
The defendant drove to another state to pick up one of the victims in person and took her to a hotel room for three hours.
In September 2021, Adams sent an online undercover FBI agent videos of children 3 to 7 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Upon Adams’s arrest, law enforcement recovered more than 1,500 images and 2,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. Adams possessed images and videos of victims as young as infants and toddlers being sexually abused by adults.
As part of his sentence, Adams will pay restitution to the minor victims he directly exploited, and eight other victims identified in Adams’s pornography collection through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
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Líder de pandilla haitiana acusado de delitos de toma de rehenes que resultaron en la muerte de un ciudadano estadounidense en Haití en octubre de 2022Read the Press Release
Note: View the indictment, the wanted poster, and the reward poster here.
Una acusación, presentada en el Distrito de Columbia y revelada hoy, acusa a Vitel'homme Innocent, ciudadano haitiano y líder de la pandilla Kraze Barye, por su presunto rol en la retención armada de dos ciudadanos estadounidenses, uno de los cuales fue asesinado durante el evento en octubre de 2002 en Haití.
La acusación fue anunciada por el fiscal federal Matthew M. Graves y el Agente Especial a Cargo del FBI, Jeffrey B. Veltri, de la oficina regional de Miami.
Según la acusación, Vitel'homme Innocent y la pandilla Krazye Barye operan en el área de Ouest de Haití, que incluye Delmas, Torcelle y Tabarre. La pandilla participa activamente en secuestros para exigir rescate, extorsión y robo de automóviles.
Vitel'homme Innocent dio la orden a los pandilleros de secuestrar a Jean Franklin y Marie Odette Franklin de su casa en Haití el 7 de octubre de 2022. En esa fecha, pandilleros armados forzaron la entrada a la residencia de Franklin e intentaron secuestrar a la pareja a la fuerza. Durante el secuestro, Marie Odette Franklin fue asesinada a tiros por los pandilleros. Su esposo fue llevado en cautiverio y retenido en un lugar no revelado en Haití. Mientras Jean Franklin estaba en cautiverio, Vitel'homme Innocent participó en las negociaciones de rescate a cambio de la liberación de Jean Franklin. Jean Franklin fue liberado de su cautiverio el 28 de octubre de 2022, luego de los pagos de rescate realizados por su familia a la pandilla.
"Nos mantenemos firmes en nuestra misión de procesar a los responsables de crímenes violentos cometidos contra ciudadanos estadounidenses en Haití", dijo el fiscal federal Graves. "Las pandillas y los líderes de las pandillas en Haití deben rendir cuentas por las atrocidades cometidas contra la población civil. Utilizaremos todos los medios a nuestra disposición para detener y enjuiciar a quienes cometan actos tan atroces".
"La acusación revelada hoy demuestra el compromiso del FBI de seguir la evidencia dondequiera que nos lleve y de perseverar hasta dar con los líderes de los complots criminales donde sea que estén", dijo el Agente Especial a Cargo Veltri. "Ni el tiempo ni la distancia debilitarán nuestra determinación. Utilizaremos todas las herramientas disponibles e iremos a los confines del mundo para llevar ante la justicia a aquellos que buscan hacerle daño a los estadounidenses".
Vitel'homme Innocent sigue prófugo y se cree que reside en Tabarre, Haití. Vitel'homme Innocent enfrenta cargos adicionales en el Distrito de Columbia relacionados con su rol en el secuestro de 16 ciudadanos estadounidenses en el otoño de 2021, por el cual fue acusado. En el otoño de 2022, el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos anunció una recompensa hasta de $1 millón de dólares por información llevando a arresto y/o conviccion de Vitel'homme Innocent. La recompensa se ofrece bajo el Programa de Recompensas contra el Crimen Organizado Transnacional.
Si es declarado culpable, Vitel'homme Innocent se enfrenta a una pena máxima de cadena perpetua o podría enfrentar la pena de muerte.
Este caso está siendo investigado por la oficina regional del FBI en Miami, con la asistencia de la oficina del Agregado Jurídico del FBI en Haití y con la valiosa asistencia del Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado. El caso está siendo procesado por el fiscal federal adjunto Jack F. Korba.
Los cargos en una acusación son meramente acusaciones, y cada acusado se presume inocente a menos y hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
Los Angeles County Trio Arrested on Complaint Alleging They Committed 10 Armed Robberies of Pharmacies in Six-Week SpreeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two South Bay men and one Harbor-area woman are expected to appear today in federal court after being charged in a complaint with allegedly committing 10 armed robberies of chain pharmacy stores over a six-week span, sometimes assaulting and injuring their victims.
The following defendants have been charged via a criminal complaint filed on October 6 with Hobbs Act robbery, and using and carrying a firearm during an in relation to a crime of violence:
- Makai Yusef Sanders, 22, of Hawthorne;
- Kenyatta Kamar Jones, 22, of Hawthorne; and
- Diavion Deshawna Mouton, 22, of Carson.
The defendants are expected to make their initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, the defendants committed 10 armed robberies from August 9 to September 19 of Rite Aid and Walgreens stores in Long Beach, Bellflower, South Los Angeles, Pasadena, Whittier, Lakewood, Monterey Park, Burbank, and Glendale. Mouton allegedly served as the driver while Sanders and Jones allegedly robbed the stores, typically one hour before closing, used handguns, stole victims’ cellphones, then went to the stores’ staffing offices and took money from their safes.
Specifically, on September 19, two armed men believed to be Sanders and Jones – one wearing a black balaclava mask and the other wearing a black mask with a red logo – robbed a Walgreens store in Glendale. The suspects robbed a store customer who was at a register attempting to purchase some items, held the victim at gunpoint, and stole the victim’s iPhone.
One of the defendants allegedly then robbed a store employee, pointing a handgun at her back, telling her to take him to the store’s safe and using the barrel of the gun to push her to get her to move faster. In fear for her life, the employee began walking to the back of the store where the safe was located. Once at the back of the store, the employee noticed the robber was distracted talking to the other robber. The employee then locked herself inside the store’s staffing office and called 911.
In total, the robbers stole approximately $776 from the Walgreens cash registers, along with four iPhones belonging to the victims. The suspects then exited the store and drove away in a white Honda Civic, which law enforcement later discovered had been booked via a peer-to-peer carsharing company, and allegedly was driven by Mouton.
Using phone records and GPS data, law enforcement tracked the defendants down and arrested them on September 26. At the time of their arrests, Jones and Sanders allegedly possessed handguns consistent with the firearms used in the Walgreens robbery. Law enforcement also found clothing – including the black mask with a red logo – consistent with what one of the suspects wore during that robbery.
The defendants were in state custody until being transferred to federal custody today.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of both charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the Hobbs Act robbery count and up to life in federal prison for the firearm count.
The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Glendale Police Department are investigating this matter. The Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Pasadena Police Department, and the Whittier Police Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Littleton Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Trafficking Methamphetamine in New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Littleton man was sentenced today in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Eric Briggs Jr., 33 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 42 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Mr. Briggs pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances on June 20, 2023.
“Federal law enforcement’s partnership with the Littleton Police Department on this case sends a strong message that there will be consequences for trafficking drugs to the North Country,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “This office will continue to aggressively prosecute those trafficking dangerous drugs in all corners of the Granite State.”
“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Briggs accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“The Littleton Police Department remains committed to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners in the ongoing effort to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs to the Town of Littleton and Northern New Hampshire," said Chief Paul Smith of the Littleton Police Department.
On April 1, 2021, law enforcement conducted a motor vehicle stop of Mr. Briggs while he was driving in Carol, New Hampshire. Upon a search of his vehicle, investigators located approximately 43 grams, or 1.5 ounces, of methamphetamine, which Mr. Briggs admitted he possessed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police and the Littleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.
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Large-Scale Iranian Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MALEK BALOUCHZEHI, a/k/a “Malek Khan,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to import heroin into the United States and distributing heroin for importation into the United States. BALOUCHZEHI was convicted after a one-week jury trial in May 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Malek Balouchzehi was in the business of peddling poison. His drug trafficking operations had already brought large-scale quantities of deadly narcotics around the world for at least a decade, but when he sought to expand his operation to the United States, our law enforcement allies, in partnership with the career prosecutors of this Office, swiftly put an end to his life-endangering trade.”
According to court documents and the evidence presented at the trial of BALOUCHZEHI:
BALOUCHZEHI is an Iran-based drug trafficker. In or about September 2019, BALOUCHZEHI and his associate began communicating with individuals whom BALOUCHZEHI believed were heroin traffickers interested in large quantities of heroin for importation into the United States, as well as methamphetamine for distribution in Australia. Those individuals were, in fact, a confidential source working at the direction of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and an undercover DEA agent posing as a New York-based heroin distributor. In December 2019, BALOUCHZEHI caused a sample of approximately two kilograms of heroin to be delivered in Mozambique with the understanding that those drugs would be transported to the United States for testing and sale. Following this sample shipment, BALOUCHZEHI planned to supply larger quantities of heroin for importation to and distribution within the United States. In meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2021, BALOUCHZEHI agreed to distribute ton quantities of heroin for importation to New York and to provide the heroin via maritime routes, using a fishing company to conceal his narcotics activities, in order to make millions in profits. During these meetings in Nairobi, BALOUCHZEHI also described his prior international drug trafficking activities over the last decade, including transporting loads of thousands of kilograms of heroin, and showed photographs evidencing his large-scale trafficking operation.
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In addition to the prison term, BALOUCHZEHI, 40, of Iran, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and New York Field Division; the DEA’s Nairobi, Maputo, Pretoria, Bucharest, and Jakarta Country Offices; the Kenyan National Police; the Mozambique National Criminal Investigation Services; and the Western Australia Police Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky, Michael J. Lockard, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Elinor L. Tarlow, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kayla Collins, are in charge of the prosecution.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Galena, Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute and a firearm.
Carlos Joseph Blake Gandy, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, Oct. 23, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gandy was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On Oct. 18, 2022, Gandy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Gandy was arrested on Aug. 30, 2021, when a law enforcement officer saw him driving a motorcycle in Joplin, Mo., although his driver’s license was revoked. Gandy pulled into a restaurant parking lot and carried a black backpack with him into the restaurant. Gandy placed the backpack in a booth while he waited in line with other customers to order. A Joplin police officer placed Gandy under arrest for driving with a revoked license. When the officer asked him about the backpack, Gandy denied having a bag.
Officers found the backpack in a booth. Inside the backpack, officers found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 33.86 grams of methamphetamine, another baggie that contained approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber pistol.
Gandy committed this federal offense while on parole or probation for two robbery convictions and a conviction for stealing a car. Gandy also has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, resisting arrest, possessing a chemical with the intent to create a controlled substance, and possessing a stolen vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
KC Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was injured when his ATV flipped over while making a turn on an Independence, Mo., street was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine.
Melvin L. Carter, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years and nine months in federal prison without parole.
On May 30, 2023, Carter pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Independence police officers were called to an address on S. Overton Avenue on Oct. 14, 2022, after Carter was ejected from his ATV as it flipped over while making a turn. Prior to the officers’ arrival, the Independence Fire Department responded to an earlier 911 call and informed officers that Carter had been armed when they arrived at the scene of the accident. They retrieved his firearm, a Keltec 9mm pistol, which they turned over to the police officers. Officers found the ATV flipped on its side when they arrived at the scene. Carter was bleeding from his head and being treated by paramedics.
Police officers checked Carter’s jacket and found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 105 grams of methamphetamine.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carter has prior felony convictions for robbery, possession of a controlled substance, sale of a controlled substance, trafficking, and resisting arrest.
After Carter was federally indicted, Independence police officers located him and placed him under arrest on March 22, 2023. Carter was in possession of a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine and approximately 215 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jeannette City Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating a Federal Narcotics LawRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Jeannette City, PA pled guilty in federal court to a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Mr. Axton also acknowledged responsibility for violating conditions of supervised release related to a separate previous conviction.
Tristin Bradley Axton, 25, of Jeanette City, PA, pled guilty to a one-count Information before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, attorneys for the United States advised the Court that on or about March 27, 2023, Mr. Axton possessed approximately 139 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. In connection with his supervised release, Mr. Axton acknowledged responsibility for violations resulting from criminal charges in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed against him in November 2021, January 2022 and twice in July 2023; and for the conduct that led to his federal charges.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing and a final supervised release revocation hearing for February 20, 2024. In connection with the Information, the law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. In connection with the supervised release violations, the law provides for a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison and a term of supervised release of up to life. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the defendant’s prior criminal history.
The Court ordered the Mr. Axton’s supervised release to be revoked and ordered him to be remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals for detention until his sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Lenhardt and Benjamin C. Dobkin are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigations that led to the prosecution of Mr. Axton.
Jackson County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Jackson County man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing heroin.
Bradford Thompson, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, in May of 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence of Bradford Thompson, Jr. During the execution of the warrant, agents found suspected cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, over $30,000.00 in cash, and a firearm. Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed that the controlled substances included 100 grams or more of a substance containing heroin. Field tests also confirmed the presence of fentanyl and cocaine.
Thompson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2024. He faces a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment. 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 and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, investigated the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner.
Jackson Center, PA Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Michael Love pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack, and to receiving and transporting a firearm while under a felony indictment, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Love, age 46, of Jackson Center, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on February 21, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.
The law provides for up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,250,000, for the crimes of conviction. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed are to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the convictions in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.