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20 October 2023
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 10+ Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of RestaurantRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man from Riverview, Missouri to 125 months in prison for the armed robbery of the Steak ‘N Shake where he once worked and ordered him to pay $3,715 in restitution.
Jonathan Davis, 24, was found guilty at a June trial of two felonies: robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Evidence and testimony showed that on Jan. 23, 2021, at about 12:30 a.m., Davis walked to the back office of the Steak ‘N Shake at 9550 Natural Bridge Road in Berkeley and robbed the owner of cash at gunpoint.
Davis had worked at the restaurant until about two months before the robbery. After the robbery, Davis went on a five-day spending spree, paying his rent, buying an iPhone, buying a diamond ring for his girlfriend, paying her cell phone bill and giving her cash. He also lost $1,000 to a scammer while trying to buy a car online.
The Berkeley Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Michael Hayes are prosecuting the case.
Southeastern Connecticut Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS ANTONIO CRESPO-FEBUS, 43, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Crespo-Febus. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Febus was coordinating the shipment of parcels, each typically containing two kilograms of cocaine, from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New London County. Crespo-Febus paid at least three individuals to receive parcels of cocaine at their homes, and at least two others to serve as “runners” who retrieved parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to Crespo-Febus. The runners were paid $500 for each parcel they delivered.
Investigators intercepted and seized approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and identified dozens of other suspicious parcels that likely contained kilogram quantities of cocaine. Crespo-Febus has admitted that he trafficked at least 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus has been detained since his arrest on September 20, 2021. On October 21, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus’ criminal history includes a conviction in Puerto Rico for murder in the second degree, for which he was incarcerated for 11 years and four months, and a federal conviction in 2013 for unlawful possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Snohomish County man sentenced to 8 years in prison in connection with three arrests over two years for possessing guns and drugsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old Snohomish County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 8 years in prison and three years of supervised release for persistently dealing drugs while armed, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jade Alexander Beavin was caught three different times, twice with distribution amounts of narcotics while also carrying firearms. Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a lengthy criminal history. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “It is an extremely dangerous circumstance when dealing that drug (fentanyl)with a firearm, because the gun is only there to protect you or protect the drugs.”
According to records filed in the case, Beavin was arrested by law enforcement officers ten times between 2020 and 2022. The sentence imposed today references three specific incidents:
- January 24, 2020, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police officers due to an active Department of Corrections warrant. In his car Beavin had a Rossi Revolver and heroin. Beavin also had materials to package the drug for distribution.
- On July 27, 2021, Beavin was again pulled over by Everett Police. In the vehicle was a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun, ammunition, and three kilos of fentanyl powder. The car also contained drug scales and a drug ledger.
- Finally, on February 25, 2022, Beavin was arrested by Everett Police on a Department of Corrections warrant. In the car was a loaded Taurus 9mm firearm.
Beavin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple previous convictions: Residential Burglary, Second Degree Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission, and Bail Jumping, all in Snohomish County in 2018.
In asking for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “The defendant’s prior encounters with the criminal system also failed to deter or dissuade him from selling drugs and carrying firearms. A review of the defendant’s criminal history establishes that from the age of eighteen, the defendant has been in a revolving door of crime commission to prison admission.”
Speaking to the court, Beavin said, “I’ve struggled with addiction for the last ten years of my life… I made excuses and that is what I think addiction does to you – it takes away accountability…. Please help me.”
Judge Jones recommended drug treatment while incarcerated and ordered treatment as part of Beavin’s supervised release saying, “You have to make an affirmative decision that you want to change your life… Every day you need to get up and commit yourself to saying, ‘I need to make a change.’”
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department with assistance from the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
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.
Shiprock Woman Charged with Child AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jazmyne Deschinny appeared in federal court on an indictment charging her with two counts of abandonment and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm and three counts of abandonment and abuse of a child. Deschinny, 20, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending a detention hearing set for Monday, October 23, 2023.
According to the indictment, on April 10, 2023, Deschinny was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and intoxicating substances, placing five minors under the age of 18 in a situation that may have endangered their life and health and that her alleged conduct resulted in great bodily harm to two of the minors.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious allegation, Deschinny faces up to 18 years in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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Serial Robber Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Robbery of an Indianapolis BusinessRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- James Bennett, 44, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted commercial robbery.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2022, Bennett entered a PetSmart store on the East side of Indianapolis. Once inside, Bennett pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the cashier’s head and hit her with the weapon as he demanded she give him money, but she was unable to open the cash register. Bennett then unsuccessfully attempted to open the register himself by banging on it with his firearm. Bennett left the store. The entire attempted robbery was captured on video.
Before attempting to rob the PetSmart, Bennet was convicted of five separate robberies and a burglary, and one prior conviction for sexual intercourse with a minor. He was sentenced to prison in 2007 and released on July 30, 2022, just 3 months before he attempted to rob the PetSmart.
“This defendant assaulted and terrorized an innocent woman just doing her job,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The sentence imposed here demonstrates that robbery is not a quick way to make some money—it’s a quick way to end up in prison. Our office, the FBI and IMPD, are committed to protecting the public by taking repeat, violent criminals off our streets.”
FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Bennett be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted 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.
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Salmon Man Sentenced for Lemhi County ArsonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Dennis Caffero-Hopkins, 24, of Salmon, was sentenced to three years of probation for causing a fire on public lands, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco also sentenced Caffero-Hopkins to pay the full restitution requested for the loss of salvage logs to the Forest Service valued at $6,435 and fire suppression by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which cost $1,128.97. Caffero-Hopkins pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.
According to court records, on October 8, 2021, Caffero-Hopkins started a fire on BLM public lands in Lemhi County, Idaho, near Stormy Peak Road. The fire burned logs, set up as a log deck, on United States federal land under the administration of the BLM.
Investigation into the fire determined that Caffero-Hopkins was responsible for setting the logs on fire after a local citizen reported Caffero-Hopkins’ involvement. Further, Caffero-Hopkins, after waiving his Miranda rights, admitted that he used oil and a rag to start the log deck on fire.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the investigation by the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho Falls, which led to the charge.
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St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Kelly Bruney, 36, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty on October 11, 2023 before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, in January 2022, Bruney and a co-conspirator arranged to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agents. As part of the deal, on February 3, 2022, Bruney and his co-conspirator were to deliver 86 kilograms of cocaine to the undercover agents. That same day, federal agents raided a residence in Frenchtown and recovered 87 kilograms of cocaine and a Glock pistol. Bruney’s co-conspirator was found hiding inside a closet in the residence and Bruney was arrested a short time later driving a truck in the area of the residence.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Air Marine Operations, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
Red Water Man Arrested for MurderRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – On October 19, 2023, a Red Water man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging murder in the second degree.
According to court documents, Montero Ray Willis, 21, was charged in the criminal complaint which alleged he shot to death another person in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
A criminal complaint is an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Trails Task Force which is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns will prosecute the case.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim’s Address to Tribal SummitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Office of Environmental Justice and Office of Tribal Justice convened a Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week. The event was hosted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Summit participants also included representatives from the FBI, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Tribal nations representatives from California, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Todd Kim of ENRD addressed attendees on Tuesday over videoconference. He highlighted the U.S. government’s commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, further environmental justice and combat the climate crisis.
“Tribes face substantial challenges, exacerbated by the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, in establishing and preserving sustainable homelands,” he said. “I feel very confident that the federal and Tribal summit participants can make real progress in identifying ways to improve our cooperation – and the outcomes we achieve – on these incredibly complex, and incredibly important, matters.”
AAG Kim highlighted efforts by ENRD to adjudicate and litigate on behalf of Tribes, whose communities suffer disproportionately from pollution and other environmental justice concerns. He pointed to the Justice Department’s creation of the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), housed within ENRD, and publication of a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which provides guiding principles to ensure the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts are focused and coordinated to address environmental justice concerns. Last week, OEJ issued its first annual report on implementation of the Strategy.
In addition to addresses by AAG Kim and others, the summit featured breakout sessions focused on environmental justice and Tribal homelands, securing Tribal water rights, Tribal communities and the climate crisis, trespass claims and jurisdictional challenges. The third day of the summit focused on criminal enforcement, including addressing the alarming number of murdered and missing indigenous persons – a terrible phenomenon which can sometimes coincide with an uptick in illegal and legal resource extraction on or near a reservation.
The summit was the final of three Regional Summits planned for 2023, and followed national conversations with Tribes held in Washington, D.C., in November 2022 and Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this year. The summits are intended to deliver on the promise in the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to “address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.”
Oklahoma City Woman Sentenced to Serve a Year in Federal Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ordered To Pay More Than $213,500 In Restitution to Her Former Employer
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, ALEXANDRIA FISK, 45, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison for identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 4, 2023, Fisk was charged by Information with identity theft. According to public record, Fisk was hired to be a bookkeeper for three businesses owned by the same person. Court documents allege that on November 17, 2020, the business owner alerted authorities that checks had been issued without his consent to a company owned by Fisk.
On May 10, 2023, Fisk pleaded guilty to the Information. As part of her plea, Fisk admitted to using the identity of the victim, her former employer, to forge checks for her own personal use.
At the sentencing hearing on October 18, 2023, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Fisk to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Russell also ordered Fisk to pay $213,581.12 in restitution to the victim.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Farrior prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Attacking Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Clifford Mackrell, 22, of Wellington, Ohio, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that he forcibly assaulted a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 5, 2023.
According to court documents, Mackrell traveled from his home in Ohio to Washington, D.C., to participate in the January 6 political rally at the Ellipse. At the rally, Mackrell wore a red shirt covered by a heavy blue-toned, striped jacket and heavy tan-colored gloves. He also carried a black backpack and donned a gas mask. Following the speeches, he marched to the Capitol.
Around 2:30 p.m., Mackrell positioned himself on the front line of rioters on the west front of the U.S. Capitol building. While on the front line of rioters, he engaged with and assaulted law enforcement officers from both the USCP and the Metropolitan Police Department who were on a line attempting to hold back the mob.
At 2:30 p.m., Mackrell pushed back barricades with other rioters, forcing law enforcement to abandon their line and retreat closer to the Capitol building to form a new protective line without the use of barricades.
While there, between 2:28 p.m. and 2:35 p.m., Mackrell engaged in multiple assaults and unlawful conduct, which included striking and pushing officers who were engaged in and assisting officers of the United States in the performance of official duties. Specifically, Mackrell attempted to push an MPD officer, then successfully struck and pulled down the officer’s gas mask as the officer tried to help hold a line against rioters. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that when he struck the officer and pulled down the officer’s gas mask, he knew the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
In another instance, Mackrell helped push a piece of what appeared to be plywood into a line of officers, pushing them off the protective line. When the plywood fell, another rioter pushed an officer to the ground. Mackrell then physically confronted other law enforcement officers on the front line by pushing them.
The FBI arrested Mackrell in Wellington on Mar. 17, 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Field Office, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
North Carolina and North Dakota Police Chiefs and Federal Firearms Licensees Indicted for Conspiracy to Illegally Acquire Machineguns and Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging five defendants with a conspiracy to illegally acquire machineguns and other regulated firearms. Charged in the indictment, which was unsealed yesterday are: Sean Reidpath Sullivan, age 38, of Gambrills, Maryland; Larry Allen Vickers, age 60, of Charlotte, North Carolina; James Christopher Tafoya, age 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Matthew Jeremy Hall, age 53, of Four Oaks, North Carolina; and James Sawyer, age 50, of Ray, North Dakota.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Inspector General Joseph Y. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (“DHS OIG”).
According to the 26-count indictment, Hall and Sawyer were Chiefs of Police in Coats, North Carolina and Ray, North Dakota, respectively. Sullivan was the owner and operator of Trident, LLC, located in Gambrills, Maryland, and was also an Intelligence Analyst with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Sullivan and Trident were Federal Firearms Licensees (“FFLs”) and Special Occupational Taxpayers (“SOTs”), which allowed them, in certain circumstances, to possess, import, manufacture, and deal in fully automatic firearms (machineguns) and other regulated firearms. Tafoya and Vickers owned and operated firearms related businesses in New Mexico and North Carolina and were also FFLs and SOTs.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in at least June 2018 through at least March 2021, the defendants conspired to acquire machineguns and/or other restricted firearms, such as short-barreled rifles, by falsely representing that the firearms would be used for demonstration to law enforcement agencies, including the Coats Police Department and the Ray Police Department. The indictment further alleges that Hall, Sawyer, and other conspirators signed law letters with no expectation that the weapons would ever be demonstrated to their respective law enforcement agencies.
The defendants allegedly intended to impermissibly import into the United States and resell the machineguns and other firearms for profit or to keep for their own use and enjoyment. Sullivan allegedly submitted the false law letters to the ATF seeking to import the machineguns and other restricted weapons. Once the firearms were received, Sullivan allegedly kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons and transferred some of the weapons to Vickers, Tafoya, and other conspirators.
In addition to the indictment, Larry Vickers pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in the conspiracy to import and obtain machineguns and other restricted firearms and admitted that he received some of the imported machineguns and other weapons. As detailed in his plea agreement, Vickers kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons in his personal collection and transferred other machineguns and restricted weapons to other FFLs and third parties. Vickers also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions against a foreign firearms manufacturer between July 2014 and March 2021, in the Southern District of Florida.
Vickers faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate federal law regulating firearms and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has not yet scheduled sentencing for Vickers.
If convicted, Sullivan, Tafoya, Hall, and Sawyer face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate federal law regulating firearms and for each count of false statements related to submission of a law letter. Sullivan and Tafoya face a maximum of five years in federal prison for each count of unlawful importation of a firearm and for each count of making a false statement in records maintained by FFLs. Sullivan also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of unregistered machineguns and 10 years in federal prison for using criminal proceeds to conduct financial transactions. 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. Sullivan and Tafoya have already had an initial appearance U.S. District Court in Baltimore and were released pending trial. Hall and Sawyer are expected to have an initial appearance at a later date.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the IRS-CI on behalf of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and DHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys P. Michael Cunningham and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting the case and recognized Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Criminal Division, respectively, for their work on the Vickers guilty plea.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New defendant pleads guilty in conspiracy involving $44 million in drug proceeds laundered to Mexico through local cell phone store frontsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A ninth federal defendant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The defendant orchestrated teams of drug dealers in central Ohio and laundered the proceeds to Mexico.
In the fall of 2020 and spring 2021, eight original, federal defendants were sentenced to prison for the same conspiracy, in which they laundered $44 million in drug proceeds to Mexico through local cell phone store fronts. The stores sold few, if any, cell phones, and they conducted little, if any, legitimate business otherwise. The defendants received sentences ranging from five to 18 years in prison.
In his guilty plea today, Cruz Alberto Perez-Nunez, 36, admitted to being a drug trafficker and regular “customer” of the cell phone store fronts who laundered his drug proceeds from Columbus to Nayarit, Mexico.
Perez-Nunez oversaw the narcotics-distribution operation of multiple teams of drug dealers in the Southern District of Ohio. In 2018, he oversaw the supply chain of heroin and directed and controlled drug-trafficking and money-laundering activities of individuals in and around Columbus. Perez-Nunez also set up living arrangements for the teams of drug traffickers.
Perez-Nunez and others coordinated with the owners of Los Rosales on Shady Lane Road, Los Rosales 2 on East Main Street and Express Cellular on Eastland Square Drive to send bulk money transfers to lists of names in Mexico. Thousands of illicit wire transfers were completed per year. Drug dealers from multiple narcotics-trafficking cells would drop large amounts of narcotics money at the stores, after which the store owners would falsify money sender names, addresses and phone numbers on the wire transfers to Mexico to conceal the nature of the proceeds.
In total, the joint state–federal efforts led to the prosecution of nine defendants federally and 35 defendants by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation and prosecution of these defendants removed approximately 34 kilograms of heroin, 516 grams of cocaine, 76 grams of fentanyl and 250 pounds of marijuana from Central Ohio streets. Additionally, investigators seized $458,500 in U.S. currency and a home valued at nearly $248,000 as part of the investigation and prosecution of these cases.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Division; Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Commission announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Jessica W. Knight are representing the United States in this case. Daniel J. Stanley, formerly with the office of Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, also represented the United States in this case as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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New Kensington Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Kensington pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of preparing false tax returns for clients, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Harvey Smith, Jr., 58, of New Kensington, PA pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Smith operated a tax return preparation business through which he prepared false tax returns for his clients. Smith falsely reported that his clients incurred educational expenses and business expenses they did not in fact incur, in an attempt to obtain larger tax refunds for his clients. Smith then frequently took his fees, which reached as high as $1,000 per return, from the inflated refunds. In total, Smith’s conduct resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $138,426.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for 11 a.m. on February 5, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of 3 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court released Smith on his personal recognizance.Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and William B. Guappone are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harvey Smith.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison for Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Nevada man, Jacob Pangborn, 34, was sentenced on October 18, 2023, to 77 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government stated that Pangborn, who had previously been convicted of several felony offenses in the State of Nevada, was stopped when he attempted to enter the Rock Island Arsenal military installation. Officers determined that Pangborn’s driver’s license had been revoked, and he was arrested. A search of Pangborn’s vehicle revealed that he had a loaded 9 mm pistol under his seat. The firearm did not have a serial number.
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 Rock Island Arsenal Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko represented the government in the prosecution.
NYPD Officer and Yonkers Man Arrested for Distributing Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the filing of a Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging GRACE ROSA BAEZ and CESAR MARTINEZ with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of narcotics. The defendants were arrested yesterday and were presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Grace Rosa Baez took an oath to protect and serve the people of New York City. As alleged, she flagrantly violated that oath by pushing poison, including fentanyl and heroin, which are driving the nation’s deadly opioid crisis and have been responsible for thousands of tragic deaths in this city and around the nation. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those peddling these deadly poisons – no matter who they are.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Baez and Martinez allegedly took part in a conspiracy to distribute dangerous narcotics on the streets of our city. This is a direct violation of the oath Baez took to protect and serve. The FBI along with our partners in law enforcement will continue to investigate and hold responsible anyone who endangers our community through narcotics sales.”
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “These charges are extremely troubling because there is no place for corruption within the NYPD. If found guilty of these allegations, this officer will have tarnished the shield that she wore, as well as her sacred oath to New Yorkers. She and her co-defendant will certainly be held to the highest account provided by the law.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least on or about October 9, 2023, through on or about October 19, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ had numerous conversations with a confidential source (the “CS”) working with law enforcement regarding wholesale narcotics trafficking. In particular, during those discussions, BAEZ and MARTINEZ offered to sell the CS kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. For example, on or about October 11, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ could sell the CS two kilograms of fentanyl for $30,000 per kilogram, could sell the CS an additional 400 grams of heroin with pricing to be negotiated later, and further agreed to provide the CS with a sample of the fentanyl. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that the fentanyl was top quality and directed that the CS meet her on or about October 16, 2023, to obtain a sample of the drugs available for sale.
On or about October 16, 2023, BAEZ and the CS met in Yonkers, New York, near BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment. During the meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a plastic candy container and indicated that the fentanyl sample was inside. As depicted below, the bottle contained a small, clear bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain fentanyl.
On or about October 17, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ had a sample of heroin ready for the CS and asked the CS to meet her in Yonkers. During their meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a clear plastic bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain heroin. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that she had additional heroin available for sale and that she would provide the CS’s phone number to her boyfriend, MARTINEZ.
Later that day, on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ called the CS and negotiated the sale of approximately one kilogram of heroin and 800 grams of fentanyl. MARTINEZ further stated, in substance and in part, that he would have cocaine for sale in the following weeks. Later in the evening on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that on or about October 19, 2023, MARTINEZ and BAEZ could sell the CS one kilogram of heroin for approximately $25,000 and an additional 800 grams of fentanyl with pricing to be negotiated later. MARTINEZ directed the CS to test the purity of the fentanyl and then pay BAEZ and MARTINEZ based on the quality of the fentanyl.
On or about October 18, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ continued to discuss narcotics transactions with the CS, including negotiations over pricing. BAEZ and MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that they would also sell the CS approximately 400 grams of a lesser-quality heroin and an additional sample of fentanyl.
On or about October 19, 2023, the CS and BAEZ met in Yonkers to complete the narcotics transaction. BAEZ handed the CS packages containing suspected narcotics, including what appeared to be one kilogram of suspected heroin, which was labeled “#1”; 400 grams of suspected heroin, which was labeled “400”; 640 grams of suspected fentanyl, which was labeled “640 MANZANA”; and an additional, separate sample of suspected fentanyl, as depicted below:
After BAEZ was arrested, members of law enforcement approached BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment and observed a package of suspected narcotics being thrown from inside the apartment to outside the apartment. Inside the apartment, law enforcement discovered a kilogram press machine, as well as additional suspected narcotics that MARTINEZ had apparently attempted to throw outside.
Up to the date of her arrest, BAEZ had been employed as a police officer with the NYPD. BAEZ began her employment with the NYPD in or about 2012. In or about 2020, following accusations of misconduct, the NYPD began to investigate BAEZ, who was ultimately placed on modified duty. As of October 2023, during her participation in selling kilogram quantities of narcotics, BAEZ was assigned to modified desk duty at a particular NYPD facility.
BAEZ engaged in some of the above-described offense conduct while on duty. For example, BAEZ was on duty: (i) on or about October 11, 2023, when BAEZ communicated with the CS regarding where to meet to discuss the drug sales; (ii) on or about October 13, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the price and quality of the fentanyl and arranged to deliver a sample of fentanyl to the CS; and (iii) on or about October 18, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the final delivery with the CS.
* * *
BAEZ, 37, of the Bronx, New York, and MARTINEZ, 43, of Yonkers, New York, are charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin and in Counts Two, Three, and Four with narcotics distribution. Counts One and Four carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Counts Two and Three carry a maximum sentence of 20 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 defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda C. Weingarten is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Eugene Estes, age 34, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 27, 2022, Estes pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Estes admitted that he possessed five grams or more of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to others within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Estes will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pahl represented the United States.
Minnesota Man Who Defrauded Elderly Victim Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who defrauded an elderly victim by abusing his power of attorney entered a plea of guilty on October 18, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Hamilton Girard, age 65, of Stillwater, Minnesota, was charged with 1 Count of Wire Fraud.
In the plea agreement, Girard admitted that in February, 2020, he was designated as an agent, and given power of attorney and for an elderly person diagnosed with early onset dementia. Girard, acting with power of attorney, misappropriated approximately $149,000 of the victim’s funds. Girard signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Girard remains free on bond previously set. Girard faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3-years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3015.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican city council woman admits to trafficking nearly a million dollars in cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 34-year-old Reynosa, Tamaulipas, city council woman has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute approximately 42 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On June 10, Denisse Ahumada-Martinez drove a vehicle from Reynosa, Mexico, into the United States to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. An X-ray search of the vehicle revealed multiple anomalies believed to be narcotics concealed within the vehicle.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement conducted a search of her vehicle and found approximately 42 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine had an estimated street value of $900,000.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing Jan. 31, 2024. At that time, Ahumada-Martinez faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
She has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Alexa Parcell prosecuted the case.
Methamphetamine, fentanyl trafficking send Missoula man to prison for more than six yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in the community after a traffic stop in which officers found drugs, a firearm and some cash was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Eric Anthony Navarro, 33, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Navarro was involved in importing meth and fentanyl into Montana to be sold in the Missoula area using short term property rentals. On Feb. 4, law enforcement pulled over a vehicle, in which Navarro was a passenger, for a traffic stop. Navarro was taken into custody. In a later search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered meth, fentanyl pills, heroin, a firearm and $279 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Missoula Police Department and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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.
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Member of Catalytic Converter Theft Crew Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a regional organized theft crew that stole catalytic converters from over 490 vehicles. It is alleged that the crew stole from ATMs and jewelry stores.
Santo Feliberty, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property; conspiracy to commit bank theft; bank theft; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The firearm charge arises from a pistol and ammunition found during the search of Feliberty’s residence as part of the catalytic converter theft investigation. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 31, 2024
Feliberty and six other men were arrested on April 12, 2023, and charged with offenses related to the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from over 490 vehicles during 2022 and 2023.
Catalytic converter theft has become a nationwide problem across a multitude of state, local, and federal jurisdictions due to the high-valued precious metals they contain – some of which are more valuable than gold, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each in recent years. The theft of a vehicle’s catalytic converter results in damage that renders the vehicle inoperable – both mechanically and legally under EPA regulations – until properly replaced.
Feliberty was a member of an organized crew that stole catalytic converters from at least 492 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 and 2023 alone. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were not ever reported to law enforcement, however. According to court documents, the crew was skilled and able to locate and cut away the catalytic converter from a vehicle within a minute in most instances – often utilizing battery operated power-tools, car jacks. It is alleged that, on numerous occasions, the defendants targeted more than 10 vehicles in a single night, with one night reporting thefts from 26 vehicles.
It is alleged that the crew was led by Rafael Davila, who engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis – committing thefts multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night. Rafael Davila was allegedly responsible for the planning of and transportation to each targeted theft – using his vehicle, determining price values for stolen converters and purchasing needed materials. It is further alleged that he maintained meticulous notes accounting for the locations that he and his co-conspirators had targeted and the number of catalytic converters that had been stolen, including the makes and models and when they were dropped off.
During the plea hearing, Feliberty admitted to participating in thefts of catalytic converters from 52 vehicles across eight cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Once in possession of the stolen catalytic converters, the crew would then sell them to Jose Torres, who would accumulate stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and then in turn sell them to scrap dealers in the Northeast – transacting approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converters per week. Torres then sold stolen catalytic converters to scrap dealers who have since been charged federally for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Oklahoma.
In addition to the catalytic converter thefts, Feliberty pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. It is alleged that this conspiracy involved the use of stolen trucks to rip the ATMs from the ground and gain access to the vault.
Feliberty also admitted to committing burglaries of two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12, 2023, and the theft of a trailer on Dec. 14, 2022. The combined total value of the jewelry stolen during the burglaries was determined to be over $137,000, with each store facing approximately $10,000 in costs to repair the resulting damage.
Additionally, a firearm and ammunition were found at Feliberty’s residence. Feliberty is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
On May 17, 2023, Torres pleaded guilty to his role in the catalytic converter theft conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, 2023. On May 24, 2023, Oyola pleaded guilty to the ATM and jewelry store burglaries and will be sentenced at a later date. On March 13, 2023, Nicolas Davila pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on January 9, 2024. Charges against Rafael Davila, Carlos Fonseca and Zachary Marshall are pending and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The charge of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of interstate transportation of stolen property each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit bank theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of bank theft provides for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN). Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Over 70 local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut contributed to this investigation through the submission of their investigations of catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. The Massachusetts police departments contributing to the investigation were Abington, Acton, Andover, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Beverly, Billerica, Burlington, Bridgewater, Canton, Carver, Chelmsford, Concord, Cranston, East Hampton, Easton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Hampton, Hanover, Haverhill, Hingham, Holliston, Holyoke, Hudson, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Malden, Mansfield, Medford, Marlborough, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plymouth, Randolph, Rockland, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, Woburn and Worcester. The Bow, Concord, Derry, Hooksett, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Salem and Windham New Hampshire police departments also contributed. The South Windsor and Windsor Connecticut Police Departments also contributed to the investigation.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man sentenced to 18 months in prison for making racially-motivated harassing calls to African American woman employed at Billings churchRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A man who admitted making numerous racially-motivated harassing calls to an African American woman employed at a Billings church was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Joshua Leon Hiestand, 41, formerly of Dillon, pleaded guilty in June to harassing phone calls.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $617 restitution.
“When Hiestand, a white man, went to a Billings church looking for help, an elderly African American woman who worked there responded with kindness and assistance. In return and for nearly two years, Hiestand launched a barrage of harassing hateful and racist calls and voicemails at her and the church. His racist conduct isn’t just abhorrent, it is illegal. We are better than this,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In a statement to the court, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, said Hiestand’s messages contained racist rants and obscenities. “The first message made me sick. I literally started shaking. What he said really frightened me. I get high anxiety when I listen to those messages,” Jane Doe said.
In court documents and statements in court, the government alleged that in November 2020, Hiestand, a white man, went to a church in Billings looking for a job and money. Jane Doe, an elderly African American who works at the church, gave him a gift card. Several days later, Hiestand left a voicemail for Jane Doe and, using a racial epithet, said he would give more money to the church if it did not employ an African American. The next month, Hiestand reached Jane Doe on the phone and referenced his “white friends” and, again, how he would contribute to the church if it did not employ African Americans. Hiestand’s behavior escalated. In another voicemail from Hiestand, he stated, “Nobody wants you here.” Jane Doe contacted the Billings Police Department, and officers identified Hiestand as the caller. In a telephone interview with law enforcement, Hiestand apologized for his conduct. But his behavior continued. In August 2021, Hiestand left another voicemail and, using a racial epithet, told Jane Doe that the “world is going to end because of your black ass race.” Hiestand’s conduct continued for approximately the next 19 months. Hiestand also made similar threatening and racially motivated calls to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the southern United States. The investigation determined that Hiestand placed the calls from outside of Montana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl Linked to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ron Montgomery, age 43, of Richland has been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge Edward F. Shea imposed a sentence of 51 months in federal custody followed by five years of supervised release.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, investigators were led to Montgomery, following the death of a man in July of 2018 from a fentanyl overdose. Montgomery, along with Christopher West, who was sentenced in March, were identified as being responsible for selling the pills to the man that died. During the next several months, investigators conducted surveillance on Montgomery and witnessed hundreds of quick visits to his residences, indicative of ongoing drug distribution. A search warrant was ultimately executed at Montgomery’s residence where fentanyl laced pills, firearms and other evidence of distribution were located.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington stated, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our great nation. The sentence imposed sends a stern warning to those who may seek to distribute this poison in our community that they will face significant consequences. The Eastern District of Washington is safer and stronger today as a result of the incredible partnership of our law enforcement agencies, who came together to investigate and successfully prosecute this important and tragic case.”
"Mr. Montgomery distributed dangerous drugs into his own community for years." said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. "While we have taken one drug dealer off the streets, the FBI and our partners will continue working to provide safer neighborhoods for the citizens we've sworn to protect."
This case was investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force which includes additional officers and detectives from the Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Richland Police Department, Border Patrol and Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
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Malden Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine disguised as Adderall, Xanax or oxycodone in and around the Malden area.
Matthew Ramos, 26, pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2023 to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and other controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2024. Under the terms of Ramos’ plea agreement, he faces a sentence of 90 months in prison.
Ramos was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021 along with co-defendant Igor Desouza. A search of the defendants’ residence on May 25, 2021 resulted in the recovery of a firearm, over 200 rounds of ammunition, black tar heroin, MDMA crystals, cocaine, doses of LSD and nearly 10,000 pills that include thousands of methamphetamine pills pressed to resemble Adderall or Xanax; thousands of fentanyl pills (some mixed with xylazine) pressed to resemble oxycodone; thousands of MDMA tablets; amphetamines; and oxycodone.
Desouza pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, 2023.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and other controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Malden Police Department; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking Offenses and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking offenses and for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the U.S. Marshals Service, Western District of Kentucky, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Brandon Keeling, 39, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Keeling was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On February 21, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, he was convicted of complicity to trafficking methamphetamine, fleeing or evading police in the first degree, wanton endangerment in first degree, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On January 21, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, he was convicted of complicity to trafficking cocaine.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert B. Bonar prosecuted the case.
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Loan Brokers and Bank Loan Officer Sentenced for Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two operators of a loan brokerage business and a loan officer at a Massachusetts-based bank were sentenced today for conspiring to defraud a bank and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Ted Capodilupo, 58, of South Easton; Joseph Masci, 72, of Boston; and Brian Ferris, 45, of Braintree, were each sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Additionally, Capodilupo and Masci were each ordered to pay restitution of $1,424,087 and Ferris was ordered to pay restitution of $1,236,251. The defendants previously pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Between 2015 and 2018, Capodilupo, Masci and Ferris agreed to defraud a bank and the SBA by submitting fraudulent loan applications to the bank, which administered the SBA’s small business express loan program, to secure bank loans guaranteed by the SBA. Specifically, Capodilupo and Masci submitted dozens of fraudulent loan applications on behalf of borrowers who were ineligible for traditional business loans. These loan applications misrepresented, among other things, the identity of the real loan recipients and the businesses for which the loans were sought.
Capodilupo and Masci also falsified applicant signatures and falsely indicated that no broker had assisted in preparing or referring the loan applications, when they in fact charged borrowers excessive fees for obtaining these fraudulent loans. Ferris, who worked as a loan officer at the bank, processed the fraudulent loan applications and in some cases fabricated federal tax forms in support of the applications. Ferris caused the bank to issue loans for which Capodilupo and Masci submitted applications and received a kickback from Capodilupo and Masci of approximately $500 per loan. The scheme generated approximately $270,000 in fees for Capodilupo and Masci. Many of the loans that the bank issued as a result of the fraudulent applications ultimately defaulted, resulting in substantial losses to the bank.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), New York Region; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of SBA OIG’s Eastern Region made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Laredo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for False Statement During Firearm PurchaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A U.S. District Judge in San Antonio sentenced a Laredo man yesterday to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for providing a false statement in required information kept by a firearms dealer. FBI agents arrested him in April 2023; he pleaded guilty to an indictment on June 22, 2023.
According to court documents, Brandon Ray Speed, 20, provided an incorrect home address when he attempted to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun at a sporting goods store in San Antonio on December 11, 2022. Speed’s attempted purchase was delayed due to expanded background checks for purchasers under age 21 required under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and he never completed the purchase.
At sentencing, the prosecution explained that the Laredo Police Department arrested Speed in December 2022 for making terroristic threats related to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Speed had a history of using firearms to promote and amplify his social media posts glorifying the Uvalde gunman, which included a video clip of Speed driving past the memorial at Robb Elementary school, with the caption “Long Live Salvador.” The prosecution argued that Speed’s history of alien smuggling activities warranted an increased sentence and that a substantial sentence was needed because of the dangers Speed posed to the community, which included his admission that he fantasized about committing a school shooting.
The FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center, in conjunction with local law enforcement’s San Antonio Behavioral Threat Assessment Group, provided key information and analysis to assist prosecutors and investigators in this case, including an assessment that Speed posed a high risk of committing acts of violence, which helped authorities to allocate resources appropriately.
“This is a great example of coordinated efforts by local and federal law enforcement to intervene early and keep our community safe using the full panoply of prosecutorial options at our disposal,” said Jaime Esparza, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “I thank our partners at the FBI for their commitment to the investigation in this case, which led to our prosecution and prevented the defendant from inflicting any danger in our communities.”
“Brandon Speed provided false statements on an official form while trying to purchase a gun after demonstrating concerning behavior in several other areas of his life,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr. for the FBI San Antonio Division. “I would like to thank the San Antonio Behavioral Threat Assessment Group, the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, and our local law enforcement partners for their exceptional work on this case.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Stephenson prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department to Award More Than $96.7 Million in Grants to American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today, through its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), announced that it has awarded 182 grants to 111 American Indian and Alaska Native communities, totaling more than $96.7 million.
“This grant program was created in recognition of the fact that Tribes are in the best position to determine how to meet the most urgent public safety challenges facing their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These resources will go directly to supporting Tribes’ efforts to bolster their law enforcement capabilities, combat gender-based and domestic violence, and provide support to victims. The Justice Department will continue to serve as partners to Tribes as they work to ensure the safety of their communities.”
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that our resources support Tribal sovereignty and address acute public safety challenges in Indian Country and in rural Alaska,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who announced the awards today in remarks to the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage. “We are committed to working with our Tribal partners to make our resources more accessible to Tribal communities.”
The tribal grant awards are designed to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
In addition to the CTAS awards, several other Justice Department components announced grant awards to Tribes. For example, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime has awarded almost $70 million through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside to provide services for crime victims in tribal communities and to increase the quantity and quality of victim-centered services available to assist tribal victims of human trafficking in urban areas.
The Justice Department also awarded more than $8.5 million through OJP's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking to 24 tribes to assist in their compliance with federal law on sex offender registration and notification.
“Through partnership and collaboration with tribal leaders, we are identifying the specific assistance that tribal communities need to ensure safety and justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of OJP. “These awards support innovative programs that address challenges faced by law enforcement, improve crime prevention and intervention, strengthen victim services, and protect American Indian and Alaska Native people from violence.”
Of the more than $96.7 million in grants awarded under CTAS, a streamlined application that helps Tribes apply for tribal-specific grant programs, OJP made more than $66 million in awards, and the COPS Office made nearly $30 million.
The COPS Office used these funds to assist 49 Tribes in hiring personnel, equipment, and training grants to expand the implementation of community policing. Specifically, this funding can be used to hire or re-hire full-time career law enforcement officers, Village Public Safety Officers and school resource officers and to procure essential equipment, technology, and training to assist in initiating or enhancing tribal policing efforts.
“The COPS Office is honored to be able to continue our support to our Tribal partners and provide funding for vital resources to help agencies enhance their law enforcement responses to the communities they serve,” said Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office. “We know that this support is integral to enhancing public safety and continuing to build trust and sustain relationships.”
About the Office of Justice Programs
OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice, assist victims, and uphold the rule of law.
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime-fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. Since 1994, the COPS Office has appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Architects and Builders of Hawaii Apartment Complexes to Resolve Allegations of Disability-Based DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Hawaii-based developer, Albert C. Kobayashi Inc., and other defendants have agreed to pay $120,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The department’s lawsuit, filed in 2019 and amended in 2022, alleges that the defendants failed to design and build five multifamily housing complexes in Hawaii with required accessible features for persons with disabilities.
Under the agreement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, the defendants are required to make extensive retrofits at the properties, including replacing or modifying steps and overly steep slopes on sidewalks and walkways, lowering mailboxes so that people with disabilities can reach them and modifying doorways, kitchens and bathrooms so that persons in wheelchairs can use them. The defendants will also pay $200,000 for additional accessibility-related improvements at one of the properties.
“People with disabilities have the right to safe and accessible housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, hundreds of apartment units in Hawaii will be significantly improved so that people with disabilities are able to easily navigate the property. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce our federal civil rights laws to address discrimination faced by people with disabilities across our country.”
“These Hawaii developers were required by law to provide accessibility features for persons with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “Enforcement of these federal rights is a priority, and this settlement marks significant progress towards achieving it.”
The five properties in this case are Napilihau Villages, in Lahaina; Napili Villas, in Lahaina; Wailea Fairway Villas, in Kihei; Kahului Town Terrace, in Kahului; and Palehua Terrace Phase I, in Kapolei. Two of these properties — Kahului Town Terrace and Palehua Terrace Phase I — were designed as affordable housing under the federal government’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The other defendants are Martin V. Cooper, Design Partners Inc., Michael N. Goshi, Fritz Johnson Inc., Frederick M. Johnson, Stanford Carr Development LLC, SCD Wailea Fairways LLC, Sato & Associates Inc., Fukumoto Engineering Inc., Rojac Construction Inc., Delta Construction Corp., Warren S. Unemori Engineering Inc., GYA Architects Inc. and Goodfellow Bros. LLC.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. The FHA requires that residential buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic accessible features. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected] or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
View the proposed consent order here.
Justice Department Secures Agreement Requiring New York Village to End Discrimination Against Orthodox Jewish ResidentsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has obtained a consent decree with the village of Airmont, New York (Airmont), resolving the United States’ lawsuit under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
The lawsuit alleged that Airmont had revised its zoning code in 2018 to discriminate against Orthodox Jewish residents and make it more difficult for them to worship in their own homes. The consent decree increases the amount of space in private homes that can be used for worship, removes restrictions that limited who residents are allowed to invite into their own homes to pray and eliminates the use of an arbitrary, drawn-out application process designed to delay and effectively deny permits for even minor alterations to private houses. Since 1991, this is the third lawsuit brought by the United States against Airmont for discriminating against the Orthodox Jewish community.
“Zoning laws that intentionally make it more difficult to engage in religious worship and that are designed to impair the rights of obstruct religious communities violate federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a message to officials across the country that we will hold them accountable when they abuse zoning restrictions to stop religious communities from freely exercising their faith. The Justice Department will tirelessly defend the right of all faiths and religions to worship in the manner consistent with their religious beliefs and traditions.”
“When religious intolerance poses a threat to the unity of this nation of many faiths and traditions, it is vital to stand up for the First Amendment right to freedom of worship,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “While we are pleased that Airmont has agreed to settle this matter, the fact that this is the third time we have sued the Village over similar concerns demonstrates that this office will be ever vigilant in protecting the rights of religious minorities.”
This consent decree follows the department’s announcement commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the signing of RLUIPA. The department will host a series of outreach events and has released updated informational materials about RLUIPA to provide an overview of the law and the department’s enforcement efforts, as well as information about how to identify and report violations. The department’s first RLUIPA outreach event will take place at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, New Jersey, on Oct. 30. For more information about these events, please see the department’s RLUIPA website. All events will be open to the public.
In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. RLUIPA authorizes the department to commence an action against any local government that implements a land use regulation that places a substantial burden on religious exercise, discriminates on the basis of religion, treats religious land uses worse than nonreligious assemblies or totally or unreasonable excludes religious land use. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php.
View the consent decree here.
Justice Department Participates in the 22nd Annual International Competition Network Conference in Barcelona, SpainRead the Press Release
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division led the delegation at the International Competition Network’s (ICN) 22nd annual conference, hosted by the Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 18-20. The division received an ICN Advocacy Working Group – World Bank Competition Advocacy Contest award for its work in effectuating the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kumar spoke on the Cartel Working Group plenary on “Transforming Cartel Enforcement in ICN’s Third Decade: Current Trends and the Challenges Ahead,” where he discussed the use of international cooperation to generate cases, the department’s recent resolutions in the generic drugs industry and lessons learned from recent trials.
“Now in its third decade, ICN has cemented itself as a key forum for international collaboration,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kumar. “The United States and competition authorities around the world share the important mission to find antitrust crimes and bring perpetrators to justice, and we benefit when we share perspectives and expertise.”
In awarding the World Bank Competition Advocacy Contest Award to the division, the ICN recognized the division's work in effectuating the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. The award recognizes the division’s work developing relationships with agencies across the U.S. government through memoranda of understanding, case coordination and cooperation, training and education exchanges, case referrals, technical assistance and formal comments to advocate for competition. This initiative was a remarkable leap forward for a whole-of-government approach to competition enforcement and policy and it has already yielded tangible results, including more effective merger enforcement, investigation and case referrals and competition-focused rulemaking.
Delegates from the ICN’s member jurisdictions included agency leadership and staff, competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, academic and consumer communities. Nearly 100 jurisdictions participated in the conference, which showcased the achievements of the ICN’s Advocacy, Agency Effectiveness, Cartel, Merger and Unilateral Conduct Working Groups and examined a range of competition enforcement and policy issues.
The division currently co-chairs the Cartel Working Group with Italy and Chile. The Cartel Working Group’s breakout sessions focused on topics such as labor market enforcement, detecting cases beyond leniency and the tools needed for cartel investigations in the digital area.
The Merger Working Group’s plenary focused on digital mergers. Merger Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as non-horizontal mergers and investigative techniques in merger control.
The Agency Effectiveness Working Group’s plenary focused on how competition agencies set priorities. Agency Effectiveness Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as technologies and techniques for collecting and processing information in antitrust cases and effectively using innovative detection tools.
The Unilateral Conduct Working Group’s plenary focused on challenges in unilateral conduct cases. Unilateral Conduct Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as effective remedies in unilateral conduct cases and the interaction between antitrust and regulation in digital markets.
The ICN was created in October 2001 to increase understanding of competition policy and promote convergence toward sound antitrust enforcement around the world. It was founded by 15 agencies, including the division, and now boasts a diverse membership of competition agencies from over 140 jurisdictions, supported by a wide network of non-governmental advisors from around the world.
Justice Department Announces Violence Against Women Act Alaska Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the launch of a pilot program under the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that will allow Alaska Native Tribes to seek to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) over non-Indian offenders for certain crimes, including crimes of sexual and domestic violence. The Department’s implementation plan for the Alaska Pilot Program provides opportunities for Alaska Native communities to access technical assistance and other resources to help build the capacity of their criminal justice systems and strengthen public safety.
“The launch of this pilot program marks an important step forward in the Justice Department’s public safety partnership with Alaska Native communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The program was developed in close consultation with Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal organizations and represents our continued commitment to helping Tribal communities meet the most urgent public safety challenges they are facing. I discussed the implementation plan with Tribal representatives when I visited Alaska in August, and I look forward to continuing to work with Tribal partners to help the Alaska Pilot Program succeed.”
“Last year, at the first Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in Alaska, the Department of Justice heard from Alaska Native leaders about how to best make their communities safer,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We listened. The launch of this pilot program honors the Department’s commitment to working with Alaska Native communities to extend the benefits and promise of VAWA throughout the entire state of Alaska.”
“This week, I met with advocates, law enforcement, and care providers in Anchorage and Nome to discuss the acute crisis of sexual and domestic violence in rural Alaskan communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who announced the Pilot Program’s launch in remarks to the Alaska Federation of Natives today in Anchorage. “VAWA 2022 is an important step forward in ensuring Tribes can keep their communities safe from those offenses. As I said today at the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention, we hope that all Tribes will consider participating in this important program.”
The Violence Against Women reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) included a historic provision – originally proposed by the Justice Department – that recognized the inherent authority of Tribes to exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders who commit domestic-violence-related crimes in Indian country. Tribes in Alaska, however, were generally unable to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction because there is so little Indian country in Alaska.
In the VAWA 2022 Reauthorization, Congress expanded this criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders to extend to crimes of sexual violence, sex trafficking, stalking, child violence, obstruction of justice, and assault of Tribal justice personnel in Indian country.
VAWA 2022 also includes provisions specific to Tribes in Alaska. The first recognizes the inherent authority of Tribes in Alaska Native villages to exercise criminal and civil jurisdiction over all Indians present in the Village. And the second establishes a pilot program to enable Alaska Tribes designated by the Attorney General as “participating Tribes” to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders who commit covered crimes in their Villages. The statute gives preference to Tribes occupying villages with predominantly Indian populations and that do not have a permanent state law enforcement physical presence.
VAWA 2022 mandated that the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and affected Tribes, establish a process to designate Tribes to participate in the pilot program. The process must include a determination by the Attorney General that the criminal justice system of the requesting Tribe has adequate safeguards in place to protect defendants’ rights.
In June 2022, the Justice Department convened an intradepartmental Alaska Pilot Program Working Group. Tribal consultations, which included representatives from the Department of Interior, began in July 2022. Based on feedback received during those consultations, the working group formulated a three-track process for the Pilot Program that meets the requirements set forth in VAWA 2022 and provides Tribes with requested support.
Under Track One, all Alaska Tribes are invited to join an Alaska-specific Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group (ITWG) on special Tribal criminal jurisdiction to receive technical assistance and peer-to-peer support. This Alaska-specific ITWG will be supported by an Office on Violence Against Women technical assistance award to the Alaska Native Justice Center and its partners.
Under Track Two, any Alaska Tribe may opt to become a Preliminary Pilot Program Tribe by completing a questionnaire to assess their readiness to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction and identify any gaps in meeting the statutory requirements for exercising special Tribal criminal jurisdiction. Each Tribe that completes a questionnaire will be assigned a federal liaison, who will work alongside the Alaska Technical Assistance Provider to assist the Tribe in addressing unmet requirements and further building their criminal justice system capacity.
Under Track Three, an Alaska Tribe may seek Attorney General designation as a Participating Pilot Program Tribe by completing the same questionnaire used for Track Two. Department staff who review the questionnaire will either recommend Attorney General designation or invite the Tribe to participate (or continue to participate) in readiness activities under Track Two.
This framework will permit any Tribe in Alaska to take part in the Pilot Program, without requiring any commitment to ultimately seek Attorney General designation. Importantly, it provides a mechanism for Alaska Tribes to receive federal guidance and technical assistance to develop their criminal justice capacity.
Alaska Tribes interested in participating in the pilot program may contact the Department by email at [email protected].
More information about the Justice Department’s work in American Indian and Alaska Native communities is available at www.justice.gov/tribal.
Jefferson County Chiropractor Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison, Ordered to Repay $16 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a chiropractor from Jefferson County, Missouri to four years in prison and ordered her to repay $16.4 million lost to disability fraud, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Friday.
Vivian Carbone-Hobbs, now 61, of Fenton, was convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration, 10 counts of health care fraud and two counts of theft of money from the United States.
Carbone-Hobbs and her husband, Thomas G. Hobbs, are co-owners of Power-Med Inc., a chiropractic clinic in Arnold, Missouri. The couple, some of their employees and others conspired with each other and others to fraudulently obtain disability payments for patients. In exchange for upfront fees of thousands of dollars, Carbone-Hobbs, Hobbs and others would coach patients on how to pretend to be unable to work and unable to lift objects, sit, stand and walk. Patients had to pay hundreds of dollars for annual appointments to keep qualifying for disability payments.
Carbone-Hobbs was also billing insurance companies for services that were not provided.
Hobbs, 65, pleaded guilty in January to a conspiracy charge and admitted conspiring to commit the crimes of health care fraud, making false statements, theft of government funds and Social Security fraud. He was sentenced in September to four years in prison and ordered to repay $4.3 million.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry, Diane Klocke and Gwendolyn Carroll are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who suspects fraud involving the Disability Insurance Benefit Program is asked to contact the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Oct. 19 was:
Jacci Christen Heinemann, 32, of Livingston, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Heinemann faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Heinemann was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-115.
Edward Anthony Torres, 27, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Torres faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Torres was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-52.
Appearing on Oct. 17 was:
Sayra Longfox, 25, of Lodge Grass, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Longfox faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Longfox was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-102.
Appearing for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on Oct. 16 was:
Eric Stephen Hadnott, 44, of Billings, on charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hadnott faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Hadnott was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-146.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 18 was:
David Scott Retzer, 41, of Livingston, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Retzer faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Retzer was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-115.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Imperial Valley Doctor Sentenced for Years-Long Use of Unapproved Cosmetic DrugsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 20, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Tien Tan Vo, a doctor practicing in Imperial Valley, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for crimes related to his years-long use of foreign unapproved and misbranded cosmetic drugs. According to his plea and court records, Vo injected as many as 178 patients with unapproved drugs that had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico.
Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard sentenced Vo to three years of probation and ordered him to pay a $201,534 fine and forfeit the $100,767 in proceeds he made from his use of unlawful cosmetic drugs. A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, to finalize an order for restitution to potential victims.
In August, Vo pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts: receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and being an accessory after the fact to Flor Cham, who smuggled the unapproved drugs into the United States from Mexico. Cham is charged in case number 23-cr-01926-JLS.
In his plea agreement, Vo admitted that none of the injectable botulinum toxin or lip fillers used by his clinics between November 2016 and October 2020 were approved for use in the United States. This specifically included a botulinum toxin product called “Xeomeen” and an injectable lip filler called Probcel—both products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to court papers, Vo used these unapproved drugs on approximately 178 patients over about four years. Many were never told that they received unapproved drugs as part of their treatment.
“The public faith in the FDA approval process relies on medical providers adhering to those rules,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “By side-stepping the safety and approval protocols of the FDA, Dr. Vo compromised care and put profits before patients. But thanks to the hard work of the agencies and our federal restitution process, those ill-gained profits will be recovered in this case.”
“Today’s sentencing serves as our promise to use every tool to investigate and hold accountable those who deliberately smuggle and administer products that pose a significant public health threat,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work together to prosecute those individuals who deceive and threaten our communities.”
“The FDA’s requirements help ensure that patients receive safe and effective medical treatments. Evading the FDA process and distributing unapproved drugs to U.S. consumers will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who traffic in unapproved drugs.”
A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Allison H. Goddard.
Potential victims related to this case may provide or request information by emailing [email protected]. Individuals may submit written statements including information about potential losses or requests for refunds that may be included as part of the restitution ordered on December 7, 2023.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1700-AHG
Tien Tan Vo Age: 47 El Centro, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Accessory After the Fact to Entry of Goods by Means of False Statement – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 542 and 3
Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $100,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss
Receipt in Interstate Commerce of Misbranded Drugs and Delivery for Pay or Otherwise – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 331(c) and 333(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $1,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General
Houston man sentenced for manipulating and trafficking 13-year-oldRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 28-year-old Houston resident will now spend more than two decades in prison following his conviction for sex trafficking a 7th grader, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juwan James Davis pleaded guilty March 2.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Davis to serve 25 years in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including how Davis tried to manipulate and control the minor victim four years later by contacting her from jail and attempting to get her to drop the charges. Davis was further ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. Davis will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Tragically, the young victim in this case died just a few months ago at the tender age of 18. Five years ago, when she was only 13, she should have been participating in what normal middle schoolers do - soccer games, school plays and pep rallies,” said Hamdani. “Instead, Juwan James Davis sold her body for sex; something a 7th grader should never have to endure. This sentence not only sends a message to others who prey on young children, but also gives this young victim’s family a sense of justice. It is just a shame she was not able to be in court to see it for herself.”
The investigation began in February 2018 after authorities suspected Davis had trafficked a minor for sex. The victim was a 13-year-old girl.
She told authorities she met Davis on Snapchat and that he wanted her to have sex for money. Davis posted ads of her wearing lingerie on Backpage to advertise her for commercial sex.
The victim told investigators Davis drove her to the hotels and would wait down the street until she finished engaging in commercial sex with the customers. Once finished, the victim would contact Davis who would pick her up and take the money.
The victim also reported Davis supplied her with drugs and had her branded by taking her to get a tattoo with his initials.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Davis’ phone and found communications between him and the victim in which they discuss her engaging in commercial sex and the amounts to charge for these acts. The phone contained several pictures of the victim, some of which were used in the Backpage ads. There were also pictures of the 7th grader with a tattoo of Davis’ initials on her buttocks.
Tragically, the minor victim passed away earlier this year at the age of 18.
Davis will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Kim Leo prosecuted the case.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, HSI, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Honduran National Living in Bridgeport Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Robers Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging NELSON ROMERO-MARTINEZ, 45, a citizen of Honduras last residing in Bridgeport, with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
The indictment was returned on October 18, 2023, and Romero-Martinez was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on January 25, 2007, Romero-Martinez was convicted in Connecticut state court of second-degree assault. He received a five-year prison sentence and was removed to Honduras in approximately January 2010. Romero-Martinez subsequently tried to reenter the U.S. at least three more times and was deported to Honduras each time. He successfully and unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, on August 5, 2023, was arrested by Bridgeport Police in connection with an alleged stabbing incident.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Romero-Martinez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to over 33 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to serve a total of 400 months in federal prison and pay a $10,000 fine for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Jarvin Maurice Summerall, 38, was sentenced on October 19, 2023, in U.S. District Court.
According to court documents, from October 2021 through December 2021, Summerall conspired with others, including his sister, Tara Shametrice Summerall, to distribute methamphetamine. The investigation involved multiple controlled purchases and seizures that revealed the scope of the operation, which not only involved over four kilograms of methamphetamine, but seven pounds of marijuana, Lortabs, Percocets, heroin and cocaine being distributed in the Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Mississippi area.
Co-defendant Tara Summerall entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 39 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and acting Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, and surrounding areas. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Harrisburg Man Convicted for Role in Straw Purchasing Firearms for FelonsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Johnny Quinones, age 37, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted on October 18, 2023, of straw purchasing a gun, possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and conspiracy, after a bench trial before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Quinones conspired with three other individuals to purchase firearms for felons and persons under indictment. Quinones was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions.
On August 11, 2020, Harrisburg Police responded to a shooting victim in the City of Harrisburg where a victim was shot in the head. They eventually focused on Johnny Quinones, a felon. The investigation ultimately revealed that Taashaun Mansfield was buying guns for felons. Mansfield bought seven guns in a two-month period, and each time he lied on the forms about who was going to receive the guns. All of guns ended up in the possession of people prohibited by law from possessing the guns.
The following coconspirators pleaded guilty to weapons offenses and were sentenced:
- Taashaun Mansfield was sentenced to 37 months in prison;
- Michael Windham was sentenced to 46 months in prison; and
- Antonio Godbolt was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Richard Euliss are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Harris County man sentenced for trafficking meth in Jefferson CountyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Seabrook man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking drugs in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Justin Hall McSpadden, 45, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 20, 2023.
According to information presented in court, on October 1, 2021, McSpadden sold four ounces of methamphetamine for $1,200.00 to an individual at the Petro Truck Stop located at 5405 Walden Road in Beaumont. Later that same day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on McSpadden on Cardinal Drive in Beaumont. During the traffic stop, law enforcement located an additional two ounces of methamphetamine inside a toolbox in the vehicle and a handgun on the driver’s side floorboard. McSpadden was indicted and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Anderson.
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Grand Jury - October 2023Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 4 unsealed Indictments charging 4 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Paul J. Gray, age 48, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about July 20, 2023, and continuing to on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Raul Enrique Imperial Ochoa, age 24, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about September 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jason M. Viera Penalbert, age 37, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Viera Penalbert with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about May 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about May 18, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life , and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Viera Penalbert with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about May 18, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 20 year’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than three years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Spenser Ware, age 35, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on or about October 11, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment.
Four Gang Members Sentenced in the Murder of 10-year old Makiyah WilsonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Four members of the Wellington Park Crew were sentenced today for the murder of 10-year old Makiyah Wilson, an innocent bystander gunned down on July 16, 2018, in the courtyard of a Washington, D.C. apartment complex. The shooting also left multiple people wounded.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Qujuan Thomas, 24, was sentenced to 68 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.
Darrise Jeffers, 23, was sentenced to 35 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. Mr. Jeffers was found guilty under an aiding and abetting theory and was not identified as an actual shooter in this case.
Quentin Michals, 25, was sentenced to 40 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Mr. Michals was found guilty under an aiding and abetting theory and was not identified as an actual shooter in this case.
Gregory Taylor, 27, was sentenced to 65 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.
Two other defendants - Isaiah Murchison and Marquell Cobbs - were sentenced on October 6, 2023 to 60 years and 72 month in prison, respectively.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 16, 2018, defendants Isaiah Murchison, Gregory Taylor, Qujuan Thomas, and two other individuals drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately. Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded. Defendants Quentin Michals and Darrise Jeffers assisted the shooters by obtaining the weapons and vehicle used in the shooting. Despite having witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Branch, especially Detective Konstantinos (Gus) Giannakoulias, who investigated the case, and members of the prosecution team, including Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, IT Specialist Charlie Bruce, IT Project Manager Deon Williams, Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, USAO Criminal Investigator Neil D’Cunha, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Melissa Jackson, along with former AUSA John Timmer, who investigated the case. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
Forty-One Charged with Illegal Trafficking, Possession, and Use of Firearms, Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy Offenses as a Result of Summer Violent Crime Reduction Effort “Operation Big Easy” in New OrleansRead the Press Release
Federal and local law-enforcement officials announced today that 41 individuals were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, drug-distribution, conspiracy, and other offenses following a three-month violent crime reduction initiative in New Orleans this summer.
“The dozens of charges and arrests announced today represent what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand to take violent criminals and trigger-pullers off our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “When we harness the Justice Department’s resources and technology — especially crime-gun intelligence from ATF’s NIBIN network — we are able to identify and arrest the culprits of gun violence and safeguard our communities. Across the country, our towns and cities are safer because of the dedication and bravery of federal agents and their state and local partners, and the 21st-century crime-solving tools DOJ is able to provide.”
“For months, incredibly brave ATF agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners have been investigating violent criminals who have terrorized New Orleans,” said Director Steve Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The results are now clear: dozens of arrests; scores of seized firearms, including guns previously used in crimes; recoveries of stolen guns and guns with obliterated serial numbers; and the seizure of deadly machine gun conversion devices. All done better than ever using crime gun intelligence to catch the worst of the worst. ATF commits to continue using and sharing its intelligence with our courageous partners around the country to further drive down violent crime."
“Many thanks to all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable efforts, unrelenting vigilance, and selfless contributions to the Operation Big Easy Initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “When we work together and share information, good results occur. To our community, rest assured that we will continue to combat violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. Every resource and every force multiplier we possess, will be used to accomplish that goal.”
Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the ATF New Orleans Division, Special Agent in Charge Bradley L. Byerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Division, and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as other narcotics and violence-prevention efforts.
Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. The charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort this past summer, led by ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners, to clamp down on illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, as well as the associated distribution of drugs, in New Orleans.
Overall, this operation resulted in approximately 71 crime-related firearms being permanently removed from New Orleans’ streets. The seized weapons included a significant number of stolen firearms and others with obliterated serial numbers. NIBIN data connected a number of the firearms to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that took place in the New Orleans area and Gulf Coast region in 2022 and 2023. And six of the weapons are machinegun-conversion devices or “switches,” which enable a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode.
Some of these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas while nearby citizens engaged in their day-to-day errands or recreational activities. During this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized over two kilograms of fentanyl/heroin mix, over one-half kilogram of cocaine and cocaine base, and over one-half kilogram of methamphetamine.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- Michael Lott, 49, Dianta Tropez, 29, Vernell Woodard, 40, Quindele Addison, 47, Sheena Rudolph, 40, and Coris Addison, 23, were charged on Sept. 22 in a superseding indictment.
- Quindele Addison, Woodard, Rudolph and Tropez were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tropez, Woodard and Quindele Addison were further charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
- Lott, Tropez and Woodard were charged with conspiracy and robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States.
- Lott, Tropez and Woodard with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon.
- Lott, Tropez and Quindele Addison were charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions.
- Quindele Addison was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Quindele Addison and Woodard are charged, jointly, with maintaining a drug involved premises.
- Rashad Montague, 32, was charged Oct. 10 via complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Dawud Barnes, 22, was indicted Oct. 6 for possession and transfer of a machinegun.
- Vin Davis, 43, and William Grace, 45, were indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Anthony Doyl, 40, and Carlos Guillen, 43, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Devin Hilliard, 47, and Stering Pipkins, 39, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of cocaine, and Hilliard was additionally charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Joshua Hogan, 35, was indicted Sept. 29 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Dayshawn Brown, 39, was indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Michael Lewis, 36, was indicted Oct. 6 for distribution of fentanyl/heroin/cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Troy Locke, 34, was indicted Sept. 8 for unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Junior Alexander Moncada-Vargas, 34, was indicted Sept. 29 for possession and transfer a machinegun and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unauthorized alien.
- Luis Morales, 33, Tyrone Whittington, 38, and Daniel Beck, 43, were indicted Oct. 5. Morales, Whittington, and Beck were charged with distribution of methamphetamine. Morales was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction. Whittington was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Tommy Nash, 50 and Loreall Gorden, 38, were indicted Sept. 22 for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of fentanyl.
- Rodney Offray, 49, was indicted Sept. 22 for distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
- Jamar Holmes, 34, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and sale of a stolen firearm.
- Kennan Alexis, age 47, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Dameron Carmon, 45, were charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Daniel Smith, 55, were charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in Orleans Criminal District Court, according to court documents:
- Johnny Milton, 42, drug trafficking.
- Brandon Adiar, 49, drug trafficking.
- Kenneth Tyler, 46, drug trafficking.
- Brandon Jackson, 33, drug trafficking.
- Calvin Smith, 44, drug trafficking.
- Cordero Johnson, 35, drug trafficking.
- Ernest Cloud, 29, drug trafficking.
- LC Nixon, 33, drug trafficking.
- Cierra Craig, 34, drug trafficking.
- Ormond King, 31, drug trafficking.
- Zed Jones, age 32, illegal possession of a firearm
ATF investigated the cases, with assistance from the DEA, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, with additional thanks to the New Orleans Emergency Management Service and Crime Stoppers, GNO. This operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
- Michael Lott, 49, Dianta Tropez, 29, Vernell Woodard, 40, Quindele Addison, 47, Sheena Rudolph, 40, and Coris Addison, 23, were charged on Sept. 22 in a superseding indictment.
Forty-One Charged with Illegal Trafficking, Possession, and Use of Firearms, Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy Offenses as a Result of Summer Violent Crime Reduction Effort “Operation Big Easy” in New OrleansRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans joined federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to announce that 41 individuals were charged with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a three-month, summertime violent-crime-reduction initiative in New Orleans. Operation Big Easy was a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) enforcement initiative of collected firearm casings for the time period of August 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 that produced data points of high-density shootings and homicides in seven areas of New Orleans related to individuals engaged in criminal activity. The vast majority of these individuals were charged in United States District Court, while the rest were charged in state court. They were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests made during the last two weeks.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Special Agent in Charge Bradley L. Byerly and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as other narcotics and violence-prevention efforts.
Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. They detail a lengthy ATF- led investigation, that focused on reducing firearms-related crime in several areas of New Orleans. These areas were selected after studying gun-crime violence data and then identifying illegal firearms sellers in an effort to disrupt their trafficking. Overall, this operation resulted in the seizure and permanent removal of approximately 71 firearms and from New Orleans’ streets. The firearms seized or purchased firearms included stolen firearms, firearms with obliterated serial numbers, “switches,” already-loaded firearms, assault rifles, and firearms previously used to commit violent crimes. NIBIN data showed that a number of those firearms were connected to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that occurred in the New Orleans and Gulf Coast areas in 2022 and 2023. Of the purchased firearms, six contained machinegun conversion devices or “switches”—a device that enables a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode.
Some of these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas in close proximity to law-abiding citizens engaged in their daily errands or recreational activities. During this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized over 2 kilograms of fentanyl/heroin mix, over one-half kilogram of cocaine and cocaine base, and over one-half kilogram of methamphetamine. Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. In all cases, however, these charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort over the summer. This effort was led by ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and designed to reduce both illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, and the distribution of drugs in New Orleans.
“The dozens of charges and arrests announced today represent what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand to take violent criminals and trigger-pullers off our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “When we harness the Justice Department’s resources and technology — especially crime-gun intelligence from ATF’s NIBIN network — we are able to identify and arrest the culprits of gun violence and safeguard our communities. Across the country, our towns and cities are safer because of the dedication and bravery of federal agents and their state and local partners, and the 21st century crime-solving tools DOJ is able to provide.”
“For months, incredibly brave ATF agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners have been investigating violent criminals who have terrorized New Orleans,” said ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. “The results are now clear: dozens of arrests; scores of seized firearms, including guns previously used in crimes; recoveries of stolen guns and guns with obliterated serial numbers; and the seizure of deadly machine gun conversion devices. All done better than ever using crime gun intelligence to catch the worst of the worst. ATF commits to continue using and sharing its intelligence with our courageous partners around the country to further drive down violent crime."
”Many thanks to all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable efforts, unrelenting vigilance, and selfless contributions to the Operation Big Easy Initiative,” said United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. “When we work together and share information, good results occur. “To our community, rest assured that we will continue to combat violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. Every resource and every force multiplier we possess, will be used to accomplish that goal.”
“This investigative initiative is an excellent example of the ATF-led Crime Gun Unit, working together with federal, state and local partners through the US Attorney’s Office, making impact in reducing, preventing, and solving violent gun in our community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Holding those accountable who further violent gun crime makes our communities safer.”
The following is a breakdown of the charges in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- MICHAEL LOTT, age 49, DIANTA TROPEZ, age 29, VERNELL WOODARD, age 40, QUINDELE ADDISON, age 47, SHEENA RUDOLPH, age 40, and CORIS ADDISON, age 23, were charged on September 22, 2023, in a superseding indictment.
QUINDELE ADDISON, WOODARD, RUDOLPH, and TROPEZ were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
TROPEZ, WOODARD, and QUINDELE ADDISON were further charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
LOTT, TROPEZ, and WOODARD were charged with conspiracy and robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States.
LOTT, TROPEZ, and WOODARD were charged with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon.
LOTT, TROPEZ, and QUINDELE ADDISON were charged, individually, with being felons in possession of firearms.
QUINDELE ADDISON was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
QUINDELE ADDISON and WOODARD were charged, jointly, with maintaining a drug involved premises.
- RASHAD MONTAGUE, age 32, was charged October 10, 2023, via complaint, with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- DAWUD BARNES, age 22, was indicted October 6, 2023, for possession and transfer of a machine gun.
- KEVIN DAVIS, age 43, and WILLIAM GRACE, age 45, were indicted October 5, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl.
- ANTHONY DOYLE, age 40, and CARLOS GUILLEN, age 43, were indicted October 12, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl.
- DEVIN HILLIARD, age 47, and STERING PIPKINS, age 39, were indicted October 12, 2023, for violating the federal controlled substances act and the federal gun control acts. HILLIARD was also charged with distribution of cocaine and felon in possession of a firearm. PIPKINS was also charged with distribution of cocaine.
- JOSHUA HOGAN, age 35, was indicted September 29, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl.
- DAYSHAWN BROWN, age 39, was indicted October 12, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- MICHAEL LEWIS, age 36, was indicted October 6, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl/heroin/cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
- TROY LOCKE, age 34, was indicted September 8, 2023, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- JUNIOR ALEXANDER MONCADA-VARGAS, age 34, was indicted September 29, 2023, for possession and transfer of a machine gun and for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- LUIS MORALES, age 33, TYRONE WHITTINGTON, age 38, and DANIEL BECK, age 43, were indicted October 5, 2023, for distribution of methamphetamine. MORALES was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm. WHITTINGTON was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- TOMMY NASH, age 50 and LOREALL GORDEN, age 38, were indicted September 22, 2023, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of fentanyl.
- RODNEY OFFRAY, age 49, was indicted September 22, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
- JAMAR HOLMES, age 34, was indicted October 5, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and sale of a stolen firearm.
- KENNAN ALEXIS, age 47, was indicted October 5, 2023, for distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- DAMERON CARMON, age 45, were charged October 20, 2023, via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- DANIEL SMITH, age 55, were charged October 20, 2023, via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in Orleans Criminal District Court, according to court documents:
- JOHNNY MILTON, age 42, Drug Trafficking.
- BRANDON ADIAR, age 49, Drug Trafficking.
- KENNETH TYLER, age 46, Drug Trafficking.
- BRANDON JACKSON, age 33, Drug Trafficking.
- CALVIN SMITH, age 44, Drug Trafficking.
- CORDERO JOHNSON, age 35, Drug Trafficking.
- ERNEST CLOUD, age 29, Drug Trafficking.
- LC NIXON, age 33, Drug Trafficking.
- CIERRA CRAIG, age 34, Drug Trafficking.
- ORMOND KING, age 31, Drug Trafficking.
- ZED JONES, age 32, Illegal Possession of a Firearm
An indictment or complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictments was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD), the Louisiana State Police (“LSP”), the United States Marshals Service (“USMS”), the City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. Also, many thanks to the New Orleans Emergency Management Service and Crimestoppers, GNO. This Operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. The cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
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Former university professor indicted for theft of grant fundsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Xinjian “Kevin” He, a former West Virginia University professor, has been indicted on two counts of federal program fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mr. He, age 41, was a professor in the University’s engineering department and allegedly embezzled federal grant funding, using the money to purchase clothing, furniture, home goods, and electronics for his personal use. The indictment was returned in November of 2020 but remained sealed because the defendant fled the country and wasn’t arrested until September 26, 2023, when he entered the United States from Canada and was apprehended in New York.
At a hearing today in Clarksburg federal court, a motion by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to detain Mr. He pending trial due to the risk of flight was granted.
The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the WVU Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over today’s proceedings.
Former Phelps County Deputy Indicted on Child Sex, Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former deputy sheriff from Phelps County was indicted Wednesday on charges that accuse him of soliciting and possessing child pornography and is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday.
Justin Bradley Durham, 42, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of sexual exploitation of children, two counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of altering or destroying records. The indictment says that between roughly December 2013 and December 2014, Durham induced and enticed an underage girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct and record it. Durham possessed explicit images of the girl during those same dates, the indictment says, as well as a second girl between about Dec. 9, 2017, and July 2, 2018. The final charges relate to the accusation that Durham deleted files in his Dropbox account and destroyed his iPhone to impede an FBI investigation.
A motion seeking to have Durham held in jail until trial says he offered the first victim money for explicit pictures and later paid her $200 to come to his house, where they engaged in sexual activity. Durham met the second victim when he responded to a call for police assistance, the motion says.
During the investigation, additional women have come forward with allegations about Durham, including allegations involving his demands for sex or sexually explicit images after making traffic stops. Anyone with information about Dunham should call the FBI at 314-589-2500.
“If a victim of police misconduct does not want to report the alleged abuse to the department where the officer works, the victim should contact the FBI directly,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Sworn officers who taint the badge are the exception and not the rule. One of the FBI’s priorities is to root out the few to protect victims and the public’s trust in law enforcement.”
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The sexual exploitation of children charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison. The child pornography charges each carry a penalty of between 5 and 20 years in prison, and the altering or destroying records charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to Jail, Fined for Illegal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A 71-year-old former nurse practitioner, who worked at L5 Medical, a chain of pain clinics with locations in the Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg areas, was sentenced to jailtime and fined this week in federal court.
Debra Shaffer, of New Castle, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to one count of using the DEA Registration number of another while prescribing controlled substances. DEA Registration numbers are unique identifiers issued by medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions.
Shaffer was sentenced to five days in prison, a fine of $5,000, and one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, Shaffer was an important part of a years-long scheme to illegitimately distribute Suboxone by staff providers who lacked the training, experience, and legal authority to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine). The illegal use of DEA Registration numbers facilitated this scheme and was designed to deceive pharmacists and the Government about the true nature of who was writing the prescriptions for controlled substances. For example, Shaffer regularly saw opioid-addicted patients at the Christiansburg clinic and wrote Suboxone prescriptions under the name of doctors who did not see the patients. Some patients continued to receive controlled substance prescriptions even after showing obvious “red flags” of drug abuse, such as failing drug tests, taking unprescribed drugs, or having drug overdoses.
Shaffer also followed the advice of non-medical personnel in the course of prescribing controlled substances. One of those individuals, Charles Wilson Adams, Jr., is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for federal drug charges related to the same clinics. Charges against other individuals remain pending.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Col. Gary Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentence.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
Former Bank VP Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison on Bank Fraud, Arson ChargesRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A former vice president and loan officer for Community First Bank of the Heartland in Mount Vernon who committed bank fraud and multiple arsons was sentenced in federal court in Benton on Thursday to 12 years in prison.
Richard Pigg, 53, previously pleaded guilty in April to six counts of bank fraud and three counts of arson. The defendant currently resides in Texas, but he lived in Mount Vernon, Illinois, at the time of the charged conduct from May 2011 to December 2016.
During his hearing, the sentencing judge described Pigg as a “Jekyll and Hyde” who destroyed people’s lives with his horrific fraud. Pigg had relied on letters of support citing his good works, but the judge told Pigg that this was like a man who robs a bank, gives some of money to a homeless shelter, then burns the homeless shelter down and wants credit for donating to the homeless shelter.
"For more than half a decade, Richard Pigg abused his position of trust to defraud his bank, take advantage of his customers and skim money off of inflated loans,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “When his financial schemes unraveled, he burned the houses to use insurance money in an attempt to cover the loans. For this pattern of fraud and fire that financially ruined his victims, put innocent lives at risk and injured a first responder, Richard Pigg is fully deserving of 12 years in federal prison."
The defendant used his position as vice president and a loan officer to defraud more than $600,000 from CFBH to purchase investment properties and to pay personal expenses.
According to court documents, Pigg convinced bank customers to buy rental properties in Centralia, Mount Vernon, Murphysboro and West Frankfort on his behalf through mortgage loans financed at CFBH. Pigg concealed his personal financial interest from CFBH while facilitating the loans.
“As the sentence imposed in this case clearly indicates, the investigation and prosecution of crimes of arson remains a priority for ATF and the United States Attorney. The criminal use of fire, whether to conceal crime, intimidate, or defraud others, places lives and property at great risk and endangers those who selflessly respond, day or night or extinguish the flames,” said Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kansas City Field Division.
As part of the scheme, Pigg assured his victims that he would secure the tenants, collect the rent and maintain the properties.
In addition, without the victims’ consent, the defendant at times increased the amount financed in the mortgage loan by thousands of dollars above the purchase price and redirected the excess loan proceeds to his own accounts and to pay his own debts.
In an attempt to use insurance benefits to pay off bank loans, Pigg burned multiple properties. Some properties Pigg burned more than once, such as a Centralia property that was partially damaged in January 2016 and then destroyed by fire in February 2016.
Pigg also burned a four-unit rental apartment complex in West Frankfort in January 2016 soon after renewing one insurance policy and less than two weeks after taking out a second insurance policy on the property.
Under Truth in Sentencing, Pigg must serve at least 85% of his sentence. Following imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release.
Agents with ATF and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Kevin F. Burke prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Convicted of Stealing Sports Camp Tuition Funds from 303 FamiliesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Boston for stealing tuition and deposits from families in Boston, and across the country, who planned to send children to sports camps in the Boston area in July and August 2019.
Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Fla., was convicted following a six-day jury trial of two counts of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2024. Belhassan was arrested and charged in March 2021.
Beginning in the fall of 2018, Belhassan falsely claimed that he would operate his annual MB Sports Camps at a Boston-area college. Later, Belhassan announced that the camps would occur at a Boston-area university. Based on these representations, Belhassan collected tuition and deposit payments totaling over $380,000 from at least 303 families in Massachusetts and across the United States, as well as advance payments of $191,000 from an online payment company and a commercial finance company. As part of his scheme, Belhassan provided the lender with a fraudulent contract with the college that contained the forged signature of a college administrator.
“Mr. Belhassan preyed upon the trust of families, promising summer fun while plotting his own indulgence. He lured in, deceived and betrayed over 300 families – diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars not to the promised camps, but to personal pursuits like plastic surgery and extravagant vacations at Las Vegas casinos,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Today's verdict is a testament to our office’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that those who exploit trust for personal gain are held accountable.”
“Mehdi Belhassan stole tens of thousands of dollars from hundreds of hard-working families across the country without a second thought, and with today’s conviction, he has been held accountable for lining his own pockets at their expense,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “During these challenging times, financial fraudsters are doing everything they can to cheat people out of their hard-earned money, while the FBI is doing everything we can to make sure they don’t succeed.”
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Shelton Man Guilty of Unlawful Possession of Assault Rifle and Ammunition in WaterburyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found MIGUEL RIVERA, also known as “Macho,” 31, of Shelton, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
A trial before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall began on October 17 and the jury returned its verdict yesterday afternoon.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, in the early morning hours of July 5, 2020, Waterbury Police officers responded to a shots-fired complaint in the area of William Street and Laurel Street in Waterbury. When officers arrived on William Street, Rivera, who was wearing a body armor vest, attempted to flee by climbing over a fence. Rivera was subsequently apprehended, and a search of the area from which he had run revealed a Romarm/Cugir, AK Type Model, 7.62 x 39mm caliber, semi-automatic rifle containing a fully-loaded 30-round magazine. Rivera also possessed one round of ammunition in his pocket.
Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for felony firearm, robbery, and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Rivera faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
It is alleged that on June 21, 2022, while he was released on bond and awaiting trial in this case, Rivera unlawfully possessed a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, and two Kevlar bullet proof vests. He has been detained since July 13, 2022, and additional charges are pending in federal court.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patricia Stolfi Collins through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.