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Wednesday 23 August 2023
Penfield Man Pleads Guilty to Perjury for Lying Under Oath in George Moses InvestigationRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Francis Cardinell, 77, of Penfield, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to perjury by materially inconsistent statements, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that George Moses, former chairman of the board of the Rochester Housing Authority, was convicted and sentenced to serve 78 months in prison for defrauding three organizations, including the Rochester Housing Charities. In April 2019, Cardinell, owner of Akwasasne Construction, a general contracting firm in Rochester, was interviewed as a witness in connection with the investigation. When asked about a $63,000 contract for boiler work to be performed by his company at the Rochester Housing Charities, Cardinell advised that he paid a cumulative amount of more than $20,000 in cash to Moses as kickbacks related to this contract. Cardinell also stated that he gave Moses $14,000 in cash out of a payment of $28,000; $7,500 in cash out of a payment of approximately $18,000; and another $3,500 in cash out of an $8,000 payment he received, for a total of approximately $25,000 in kickbacks. However, during the federal trial of George Moses, while under oath on the witness stand, Cardinell testified on cross-examination that he had lied about the kickback scheme and that he never made payments to Gorge Moses in exchange for contracts for his company.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christina D. Scaringi, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2023, before Judge Wolford.
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Passenger vessel operator convicted of operating illegal charter cruise businessRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 66-year-old Seabrook man has pleaded guilty to a violation of captain of the port order in connection with his illegal charter cruise business, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gordon Johnson admitted to operating the MV SPANISH PRINCESS without complying with an order of the highest ranking U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officer in the Houston-Galveston area. Johnson made false statements to authorities claiming he did have paying passengers on his ship. He also instructed passengers, one of whom was a police officer, to inform USCG personnel they were not paying passengers.
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is firmly committed to partnering with law enforcement agencies to identify and stop those who pose a hazard to the boating public,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Jeanfreau, CGIS Gulf Region. “Ensuring mariners are fully qualified to safely operate passenger vessels is of upmost importance to the USCG.”
As part of his plea, Johnson also admitted he engaged in another scheme in which he took money from a couple for a trip that never occurred. The couple paid him $20,000 to transport them on the MV SPANISH PRINCESS to Roatan, Honduras, where they were going to live. The trip did not happen, and Johnson only returned $1,000 of their money.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 1. At that time, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He could also be ordered to forfeit the MV SPANISH PRINCESS.
Previously released on bond, Johnson was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The CGIS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman prosecuted the case.
Owners of Military Contracting Companies Sentenced for Bid Rigging in TexasRead the Press Release
Two military contractors were sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division, for their roles in a bid-rigging scheme involving the maintenance and repair of military tactical vehicles in Texas. The multi-year scheme secured more than $17 million in taxpayer dollars.
Aaron Stephens, of Queen City, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $50,000. According to a plea agreement filed on Jan. 12, Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged bids on certain government contracts from May 2013 to January 2018 to give the false impression of competition and secure government payments. The conspirators submitted coordinated, higher-priced and non-competitive bids to ensure a designated company won each contract. Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged six different contracts for work performed for the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. The projects included heavy military equipment work like refurbishing armor kits for military trucks and turrets for Humvees.
John “Mark” Leveritt, of Heath, Texas, was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $300,000. According to a plea agreement filed on July 13, 2022, Leveritt engaged in the same conspiracy from May 2013 to April 2018 involving seven bids.
“Today’s sentences demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the military contracting process,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will hold accountable those who enrich themselves at the expense of our armed forces and ultimately the public.”
“Servicing heavy military vehicles and equipment are critical to the functioning of the U.S. military and its mission, so anticompetitive practices such as those used by the defendants in this case harm the military, taxpayers, and legitimate businesses alike,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “The Eastern District of Texas will vigorously prosecute those who compromise the integrity of the procurement process for greed and personal gain.”
“This sentencing should stand as a deterrent to those who would engage in fraud and corruption for personal gain and is a testament to the thorough and professional effort of our investigative partnerships with the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Curran of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “We will diligently continue our efforts to pursue those engaged in criminal activity that impacts the integrity of the U.S. Government and the U.S. Army.”
“Today’s sentences are the result of the tireless work and dedication of multiple agencies to hold these individuals accountable for conspiring to defraud the United States government,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “The public can rest assured that we remain committed to aggressively pursuing anyone that uses government programs for their own personal gain.”
The division’s Washington Criminal II section, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Dallas Fraud Resident Agency, and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case
Trial Attorneys Jillian Rogowski, Daniel Loveland, and Aidan McCarthy of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Office prosecuted the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to construction or infrastructure, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 152 Months for Possession of Methamphetamine and FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Eric K. Rose, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rose to a total of 152 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
On January 26, 2022, Rose was staying at the Towne Place Suites Marriott in Omaha. Omaha police narcotics detectives, knowing he was staying there, served a search warrant on his room. Inside the room, officers located two ounces of methamphetamine, a drug ledger with “Rose” written on it, 15 live 9mm bullets, $3,000 cash, baggies, and a digital scale with methamphetamine residue. The officers also searched an SUV in the parking lot and located a Smith & Wesson SD40 handgun, a loaded magazine for the gun, and $635 cash. Rose admitted the methamphetamine and gun were his and he confessed to dealing methamphetamine. In particular, he asked his wife to bring the gun to the hotel because his methamphetamine supplier was looking to collect a drug debt.
The $3,635 constitutes drug proceeds or was used to facilitate Rose’s drug trafficking and that has been forfeited to the United States.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
New Rochelle Man Charged with Bronx ShootingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Steven A. Nigrelli, the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging TYRIEK SKYFIELD with firing two shots at a victim on a residential street in the Bronx, injuring the victim. SKYFIELD will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Tyriek Skyfield fired two bullets at another individual on a residential street in the Bronx. One of those bullets struck the victim, injuring him. Thanks to the swift action of our law enforcement partners, Skyfield is now being held accountable for his alleged violent actions.”
NYSP Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said: “This case sends a clear message that senseless acts of gun violence will not be tolerated, and justice will prevail. Working together with all levels of law enforcement, we can and are making a difference in the fight to end gun violence in our communities. I commend our New York State Police investigators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the NYPD for their swift and diligent work on this case.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
On Saturday, July 22, 2023, shortly before 10:00 p.m., SKYFIELD fired two gunshots at another individual (“Victim-1”) in the vicinity of Needham Avenue in the Bronx.
Surveillance video captured SKYFIELD brandishing a handgun at Victim-1 seconds before firing one of the shots. A still image from the surveillance footage is below:
One of the gunshots struck Victim-1 in the foot.
After firing the shots at Victim-1, SKYFIELD fled the scene on foot and was picked up outside a nearby building by a white BMX X6 SUV a few minutes later.
SKYFIELD later traveled to a club in Queens as a passenger in the same car. Video surveillance footage from the club showed SKYFIELD presenting proof of identification and entering the club:
The club’s identification records, in combination with video surveillance footage, indicated that the individual seen entering the club in the above still images was SKYFIELD.
After canvassing the scene of the shooting, NYPD officers recovered a shell casing from one of the gunshots in a nearby yard.
SKYFIELD was not permitted to possess ammunition because of prior felony convictions, one of which was a conviction for an armed robbery.
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SKYFIELD, 31, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYSP and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Skyfield ComplaintNew Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Donald Snowden was convicted of trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Snowden, age 32 of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, between May 2021 and October 2022, and to distributing fentanyl, on August 31, 2022. Snowden pled guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing to occur on January 17, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation resulting in the convictions in this case.
Nageezi Man Sentenced to 17 and a Half Years in Prison for Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Evan Haceesa was sentenced to 17 years six months in prison. Haceesa, 29, of Nageezi, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to second-degree murder on March 22, 2023.
According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2022, following a familial argument, Haceesa attacked a defenseless Jane Doe, who was his girlfriend of ten years and the mother of his two children. Haceesa attacked her at his father’s residence in Nageezi on the Navajo Nation. Haceesa continuously punched Jane Doe in the face until she lost consciousness and then kicked her lifeless body several times. After the initial attack, which lasted approximately 10-15 minutes, Haceesa retrieved a wheel barrel and placed Jane Doe’s body in it before he went inside to sleep. An officer from the Navajo Police Department responding to a report of domestic violence arrived on scene later that night and found Jane Doe unclothed and unresponsive, still in the wheel barrel.
Jane Doe was airlifted to the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico, where she immediately underwent surgery and had to be connected to a ventilator to assist breathing. Jane Doe’s injuries included, among other things, significant blood and air in her abdomen, a perforated small intestine, bleeding in and around the small intestine, a bilateral nose fracture, and partially collapsed lungs. Though it initially appeared that Jane Doe might eventually recover, her condition worsened over the course of a week, and after two additional surgeries she succumbed to her injuries on Sept. 8, 2022.
Upon his release from prison, Haceesa will be subject to 5 years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.
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Murray Man Charged with Possessing Molotov CocktailRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – On August 8, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Murray, Kentucky man with possessing a Molotov cocktail, a destructive device.
United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on September 10, 2022, in Calloway County, Kentucky, Jack Thomas Epperson, 20, possessed a Molotov cocktail, a destructive device that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Epperson made his initial court appearance on August 21, 2023, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Epperson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF Paducah Satellite Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, Murray Police Department, and Murray State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
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Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Fraudulent PPP Loan Application and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to a total of 85 months in prison for committing wire fraud in connection with a false PPP loan application and conspiring to distribute fentanyl while on federal pretrial release conditions.
According to court documents, in April 2021, Kentarius Williams, 31, submitted a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) requesting a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan in the amount of $20,833. In his PPP loan application, Williams falsely claimed that he was the sole proprietor of a nonexistent “cleaning service” business in need of relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams submitted a fake tax schedule purporting to show more than $100,000 in business income and monthly payroll expenses in excess of $8,000. In submitting the fraudulent application to the SBA, Williams caused a wire communication to travel from the SBA’s computer servers in Virginia to a bank’s computer servers in Oregon, in violation of the federal wire fraud statute.
Additionally, Williams admitted that from at least September 2022 through February 2023, he conspired with other people to distribute fentanyl. On several occasions, narcotics agents used confidential informants to conduct controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Williams. Those transactions—including sales of fentanyl that Williams made while he was on pretrial release conditions in his federal wire fraud case—were videotaped. Agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s apartment in Mobile in February 2023, seizing fentanyl and oxycodone pills, among other things. Agents also searched Williams’s cell phone, which contained numerous text and Instagram messages in which he discussed his sales of fentanyl and other drugs. For example, in January 2023, Williams wrote that he “got rich off” sales of fentanyl pills, which he said he could obtain for “dirt cheap.”
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Williams to serve 14 months in prison for the wire fraud, and 71 months in prison for the fentanyl distribution conspiracy, ordering the prison terms to run consecutively to one another. In addition to the 85-month total prison term, Judge Moorer ordered Williams to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Williams to pay $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, SBA Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Mobile Police Department investigated the wire fraud case. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the drug case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasee Heisterhagen and Lydia Lucius prosecuted the wire fraud case on behalf of the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the drug case on behalf of the United States.Mobile Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Eddie Rembert, 52, admitted that from at least September 2022 through February 2023, he conspired with other people to distribute fentanyl. On several occasions, narcotics agents used confidential informants to conduct controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Rembert. Those transactions were videotaped. Agents executed a search warrant at the apartment of one of Rembert’s coconspirators in Mobile in February 2023, seizing fentanyl and oxycodone pills, among other things. Agents also searched the coconspirator’s cell phone, which contained numerous text messages from Rembert in which he discussed his sales of fentanyl pills.
In addition to the 41-month prison term, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Rembert to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Rembert to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Miami Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Charge Following Traffic Stop in JamestownRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Elina Martinez, 65, of Miami, FL, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
On December 7, 2022, a Jamestown Police Officer conducted a traffic stop after observing Martinez’s vehicle, bearing a Missouri license plate, committing a number of traffic violations. Martinez, who produced a Florida driver’s license and car rental paperwork to the officer, gave consent for the officer to search the car. Officers opened the hood of the car and observed an “aftermarket” car battery that appeared to be too large for the car and tampered with due to the presence of an unknown adhesive. Officers cut into the battery and found a plastic bag containing a large quantity of blue pills. The defendant was detained, and the car was towed for a more extensive search. Officers later searched the car battery and the car and discovered a plastic bag containing approximately 9 lbs. 13 oz. of blue pills bearing the markings “m” and “30.” The pills contained 4,389 grams of fentanyl.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Chautauqua County Sheriff Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jose Emmanuel Hernandez-Gomez, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for trafficking methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hernandez-Gomez to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 8, 2021, a York County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle containing 27 pounds of methamphetamine. As part of the investigation, it was determined that the methamphetamine was to be delivered to an address in Omaha. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department assisted in transporting the vehicle to Omaha, where an undercover officer then went to the address to deliver the methamphetamine. Hernandez-Gomez came out of the residence and gave the undercover officer $6,000 and took possession of the methamphetamine. Hernandez-Gomez was then immediately arrested.
This case was investigated by the York County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and the Omaha Police Department.
Members of Charlotte-Based Auto Theft Ring Are Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court today, charging five individuals with stealing dozens of high-end vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships located across the United States, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
The indictment charges Dewanne Lamar White, 43, of Sumter, South Carolina, Garyka Vaughn Bost, 24, of Denver, North Carolina, Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields, 27, of Charlotte, Hosea Fernandez Hampton, Jr., 25, of Charlotte, and Reginald Eugene Hill, 23, of Charlotte, with conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, and interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. White, Fields, and Hampton are also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
According to allegations in the indictment, from 2021 to 2023, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to steal luxury vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona. The indictment alleges that the co-conspirators transported the stolen vehicles back to Charlotte and sold them locally at prices well below market value. The indictment further alleges that, to maximize profits, the co-conspirators stole luxury vehicles made by Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and other manufacturers.
According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants executed the thefts in a number of ways. In some instances, the co-conspirators visited dealerships posing as customers interested in purchasing the vehicles. After pretending to test drive or inspect the vehicles, the co-conspirators would allegedly swap the vehicles’ key fobs with similar ones, and later use the stolen key fobs to steal the vehicles. Other times, the indictment alleges that the co-conspirators employed methods like “smash and grab” thefts, where they would break into dealerships and locate keys to the high-end models, or break open lockboxes containing keys to luxury vehicles, and then drive the vehicles off the lot. The indictment alleges that Bost, Fields, and Hill often served as drivers in the conspiracy, and White and Hampton frequently paid them and other drivers for their work in the scheme. The indictment further alleges that on several occasions the defendants and their co-conspirators stole multiple vehicles simultaneously, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
According to allegations in the indictment, once the stolen vehicles were taken off the dealership lots, the defendants avoided law enforcement detection by removing the GPS navigation and tracking systems from the stolen vehicles, attaching fictitious dealer tags or stolen license plates on the vehicles, and replacing the vehicles’ authentic Vehicle Identification Numbers, among other things.
In announcing the federal indictment, U.S. Attorney King said, “We will not tolerate brazen theft schemes that cost businesses and consumers millions of dollars. I want to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for their incredible work with this ongoing investigation that has led to today’s charges.”
“Stopping schemes like this is critical as it not only protects businesses, but also it helps protect our economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “We worked closely with a number of our law enforcement partners to shut down this multimillion-dollar operation and bring the perpetrators to justice and I am happy with the success of the operation.”
“No matter how complicated an interstate theft ring may seem, the FBI is poised to uncover, dissect, and dismantle the scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. “We are committed to working with our partners to ensure justice is served.”
The charge of conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI, FBI, and CMPD for their investigation of the case
and recognized the contributions of the York County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office and many other state and local law enforcement partners that contributed to the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Marion County Man Convicted of Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas - A Jefferson, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Corey Johnson, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.
According to information presented in court, Johnson engaged in trafficking at least three victims between March 2020 and September 2020 in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York, and California. Johnson transported the victims and arranged transportation for the victims between various hotels and motels to perform commercial sex acts. Johnson recruited the victims by social media and threatened to harm them if they did not perform commercial sex acts for commercial sex customers. Johnson obtained customers by purchasing and posting advertisements on various internet websites.
Under federal statutes, Johnson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Robert Austin Wells, with assistance from Trial Attorney Julie Pfluger of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
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Madison Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Robbing Two Madison BusinessesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Scott C. Tolliver, 43, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for two counts of robbery. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Tolliver pleaded guilty to these charges on May 23, 2023.
On April 15, 2022, at around 5:25 pm, Tolliver robbed the McDonald’s Restaurant on Regent Street in Madison. During the robbery, Tolliver approached the cash register wearing all black, sunglasses, and a medical-style facemask, pointed a black handgun at the employee, and demanded all of the money in the register. After receiving cash from the employee, Tolliver fled the restaurant on a bicycle.
Later that same night, at around 8:53 pm, Tolliver robbed the Walgreens on East Campus Mall in Madison. During that robbery, Tolliver approached the cash register wearing a black ski mask and dark clothing, showed the employee a black handgun in his waistband, and told her to give him all of the money and to not run. After receiving the cash from the register, Tolliver fled the store on the same bicycle.
Madison Police Department officers were able to identify Tolliver as the robber of both businesses after reviewing surveillance video from McDonald’s, Walgreens, and city street cameras. Officers were able to track Tolliver leaving both businesses and riding his bicycle back to his apartment in Madison. When officers searched Tolliver’s apartment, they located the bicycle and clothing consistent with those worn by the robber.
At the time of the robberies, Tolliver was on active state supervision for a prior felony conviction. He was also out on bond for a pending felony state case.
At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted Tolliver’s lengthy criminal history including prior convictions involving weapons, domestic violence, child abuse, batteries in prison, and stalking. He said that Tolliver has repeatedly proven to be a danger to the community with instances of violence. Judge Conley noted that the victims in this case suffered emotional distress during the robberies and the long-term impact on them is not fully knowable at this time.
The charges against Tolliver were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson 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.
Justice Department Awards Almost $70 Million in Grant Funding for Support Services for American Indian and Alaska Native Victims of CrimeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the awarding of $69,632,900 through 212 awards in the Department’s Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) program, which provides support to American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the country to enhance services for victims of crime, consistent with the requirements of the Victims of Crime Act.
These awards will fund a wide range of services for crime victims, from counseling and civil legal assistance to emergency housing and Tribal wellness ceremonies. Of these TVSSA awards, almost $22 million will go to 67 Tribal communities in Alaska.
“The Justice Department recognizes that Alaska Native families and communities have endured persistently high levels of violence and that women and girls have borne the brunt of that violence,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We are here today to reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to working across the federal government and with Alaska Native communities to meet these urgent challenges.”
Additionally, earlier today, the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) granted $774,790 in Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program (SASP) awards for Alaska Native communities.
Attorney General Garland traveled to Anchorage and Galena, Alaska, where he met with Alaska Native community leaders from several villages. The Attorney General was joined by Sen. Lisa Murkowski in visiting with village leaders in Galena, and additionally joined by Rep. Mary Peltola at a roundtable in Anchorage with representatives of Native Tribal organizations to discuss public safety issues in Alaskan Native Villages.
The Department grants are especially meant to help Alaska Native communities and remotely located tribes meet the victim service challenges that they face. OVC recently piloted a new approach to make it easier to access grants recognizing some challenges posed by limited human and technological resources. This pilot was implemented in direct response to requests from Alaska Native villages who needed in-person support with grant applications. Grant managers from OVC’s Tribal Division were deployed to Alaska and spent 32 days on the ground meeting with more than two dozen Alaska village grant applicants and helped with such tasks as creating program designs and project budgeting.
The Department has granted hundreds of awards since the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside program was launched five years ago, and they have helped provide services to thousands of crime victims. More than 88,000 victims have received direct services since 2020. These funds are being used to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, arson, burglary, elder abuse, fraud, theft, kidnapping, as well as sex and labor trafficking. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)’s Tribal Division has worked closely with Tribal leaders and Tribal advocates to make sure this program is as responsive as possible to the needs of Tribes.
These awards and the Attorney General’s trip exhibit the continued efforts of the Justice Department to uplift Tribal communities and ensure they have the resources they need to maintain public safety and security.
Justice Department Announces Results of Nationwide COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement ActionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the results of a coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud, which included 718 enforcement actions – including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants – for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud.
“The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This latest action, involving over 300 defendants and over $830 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud, should send a clear message: the COVID-19 public health emergency may have ended, but the Justice Department’s work to identify and prosecute those who stole pandemic relief funds is far from over.”
The announcement was made by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco at a roundtable meeting of senior Justice Department officials, law enforcement partners, and Office of Inspector General (OIG) executives. Deputy Attorney General Monaco also announced the launch of two additional COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces: one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. These two strike forces add to the three strike forces launched in September 2022 in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of Florida, and the District of Maryland.
“The law enforcement actions announced today reflect the Justice Department’s focus – working with our law enforcement partners nationwide – on bringing to justice those who stole from American businesses and families at a time of national emergency,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “The two new Strike Forces launched today will increase our reach as we continue to pursue fraudsters and recover taxpayer funds, no matter how long it takes.”
At the meeting, Michael C. Galdo, Acting Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, detailed the results of the three-month coordinated law enforcement action that took place from May through July 2023, which included criminal, civil, and forfeiture actions. More than 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces, the Justice Department’s Criminal and Civil Divisions, and more than a dozen law enforcement and OIG partners worked together to conduct the sweep.
“I applaud the hard work of our prosecutors around the country,” said Acting Director Galdo. “However, this announcement is not a victory lap. Our mission is not complete. We know from our investigative partners that identifying those who committed pandemic relief fraud and recovering stolen funds is difficult work. But the Justice Department, including our strike forces, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Criminal and Civil Divisions, is committed to using our criminal, civil, and forfeiture tools to hold these fraudsters accountable.”
As part of the effort, 718 law enforcement actions occurred, including criminal charges, civil charges, forfeitures, guilty pleas, and sentencings, with a combined total actual loss of more than $836 million. Criminal charges were filed against 371 defendants, and 119 defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial during the sweep. Over $57 million in court-ordered restitution was imposed. 117 civil matters occurred during the sweep, with over $10.4 million in judgments. Prosecutors worked with law enforcement to secure forfeiture of over $231.4 million.
As part of the announcement, Acting Director Galdo said that 63 of the defendants had alleged connections to violent crime, including violent gang members also accused of using pandemic funds to pay for a murder for hire. Twenty-five defendants have alleged connections to transnational crime networks.
Many of the cases in the enforcement action involve charges related to pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against the two largest pandemic Small Business Administration programs: the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Additional matters involved pandemic healthcare billing fraud, fraud against the Emergency Rental Assistance program, and fraud committed against the IRS Employee Retention Credit program (ERC), a refundable tax credit for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) worked with the California Strike Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey to bring multimillion dollar ERC fraud cases during the enforcement action.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Action cases were prosecuted by the following Justice Department entities: Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Consumer Protection Branch; and by the following U.S. Attorneys’ Offices: Northern District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama, Arizona, Eastern District of California, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia, Southern District of Indiana, Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Western District of Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri, Northern District of Mississippi, Maine, Montana, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Northern District of New York, Northern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Northern District of West Virginia.
The cases were investigated by the following agencies: FBI; U.S. Secret Service; IRS-CI; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Army Criminal Investigations Division; Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the Diplomatic Security Service; and the Offices of Inspectors General from the Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve Board, Social Security Administration, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief, Treasury, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
OCDETF Fusion Center and OCDETF’s International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force provided key support.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Jury finds Mexican duo guilty of importing over 900 pounds of liquid methRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been convicted of importing nearly $1 million worth of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The federa jury deliberated for approximately 10 minutes before returning guilty verdicts against Noe Jesus Martinez-Montelongo, 35, and Fidel Rodriguez-Saldana, 34, following a three-day trial.
On Nov. 28, 2022, Martinez and Saldana attempted to enter the United States at the Columbia Solidarity port of entry in Laredo, driving a tractor-trailer without a load. Authorities referred them to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the tractor.
Law enforcement conducted a scope and discovered a secret compartment in each diesel tank of the tractor. Authorities were able to extract some of the liquid which tested positive for meth.
They ultimately seized a total of 413 kilograms (910 pounds) of liquid meth which filled 22 buckets.
The estimated wholesale value is approximately $1 million.
Martinez and Saldana claimed no knowledge of the liquid at trial, reporting that they were simply supposed to pick up a legitimate load in Laredo. The jury did not believe their claims and found them guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, both Martinez and Saldana face up to life in prison. They will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Makens and Brandon Bowling are prosecuting the case.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy for His Role in Narcotics Ring Operating in Jamestown and BuffaloRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY--U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brian Cessna, 63, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that during the course of the conspiracy, Cessna bought and sold heroin and fentanyl, for profit and his own use. He also assisted co-conspirator Holly Berenguer in selling heroin and fentanyl, for profit and her own use, delivering on her behalf and collecting payments. An individual known as “Joey Cracks” (co-defendant Joseph Zaso) was Berenguer’s source of supply. Cessna utilized his Fairview Avenue residence for drug trafficking purposes, and also allowed Berenguer to utilize the residence to sell drugs.
Holly Berenguer and co-defendants Denver Komenda and Richard Philbrick were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Charges remain pending against co-defendants Joseph Zaso, Brandon Andino, Justin Yuchnitz, and Kylie Lewis.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2024, before Judge Vilardo.
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Indiana Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Kentucky to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – An Indiana man was sentenced yesterday to 6 years and 8 months in prison for traveling to Kentucky to engage in sexual conduct with a minor.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Kentucky Field Division, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Bradley Linderman, 36, was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, for traveling across state lines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, attempted enticement of a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. There is no parole in the federal system.
Linderman used the internet to communicate with an undercover agent he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for the purposes of engaging in sexual conduct. Linderman then traveled from Indiana to Kentucky to meet the undercover agent to engage in sexual conduct.
This case was the result of a joint federal, state, and local operation called Operation Angel, aimed at making federal arrests of individuals who preyed upon children in the Owensboro area. The United States Secret Service, the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, the Kentucky State Police, and the Owensboro Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Agree to Pay $1 Million After Pleading Guilty to Selling and Installing Illegal Defeat DevicesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, doing business as “Gorilla Performance,” as well as the companies’ owner Barry Pierce, pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Pocatello, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today. The companies also agreed to implement compliance programs and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls.
GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine. Pierce also faces up to 2 years in federal prison.
“The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.”
“Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.”
“Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Diesel, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.”
According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with its owner Barry Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicles “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired.
GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.”
In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions.
Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted.
Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill on Nov. 8. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to 2 years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables.
The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case.
Stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit: epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines.
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Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Agree to Pay $1 Million After Pleading Guilty to Selling and Installing Illegal Defeat DevicesRead the Press Release
Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, dba Gorilla Performance, as well as the companies’ owner Barry Pierce, pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines. The companies also agreed to implement compliance programs and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls.
GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine.
“Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.”
“Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Diesel, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.”
“The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.”
According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicles “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired.
GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.”
In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, Idaho, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions.
Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted.
Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to two years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables.
The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Crimes Section and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case.
Stopping the manufacture, sale and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines.
Human smugglers receive maximum sentenceRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy involving the transportation of undocumented aliens throughout South Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before returning guilty verdicts Dec. 14, 2022, against Andres Beltran Jr., and Jose Luis Beltran Mondragon, 28, both of Houston, following a three-day trial.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Beltran to serve a total of 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted the sophistication and organization it took to plan and execute the multiple alien transport events.
Mondragon was previously ordered to serve the same sentence.
“These men were hands-off coordinators who thought they could hire others to do their dirty work and not get caught,” said Hamdani. “The swift jury verdict and today’s 10-year prison sentence, the maximum, shows otherwise. This office is committed to prosecuting every part of a human smuggling operation, from the drivers to the ones pulling the strings.”
On several occasions from February through June 2020, Beltran, Mondragon and others transported multiple groups of undocumented aliens from Rio Grande City north toward Laredo for the anticipated final destination of Houston. The Beltran smuggling organization housed the undocumented aliens at a ranch in Rio Grande City until additional members of the organization would then transport the undocumented aliens north.
Both Beltran and Mondragon would drive down from Houston, coordinate with the drivers, scout the area for law enforcement and accompany the transport drivers back north in tandem. The Beltran smuggling organization would typically transport the aliens in the bed of trucks through private ranch roads in an effort to circumvent the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoints.
The jury heard evidence of a rollover accident caused during a transport event which resulted in serious injury to one of the aliens.
Through the course of the investigation, law enforcement apprehended over 100 undocumented aliens attributable to the organization.
At trial, Beltran and Mondragon attempted to convince the jury they just happen to be in the area of the smuggling events each and every time. The jury did not believe the defense claims and found them guilty as charged.
Beltran and Mondragon have both been and will remain in custody pending transfer to U.S. Bureau of Prisons facilities to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP and Starr County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Matthew Phelps prosecuted the case.
Hugo Resident Sentenced for Second Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffrey Lyn Pierce, age 74, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for one count of murder in the second degree in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw County Ambulance Authority.
On May 23, 2022, Pierce was found guilty of murder in the second degree at trial by a federal jury. At trial, the Government presented evidence that Pierce fatally stabbed the victim multiple times during a dispute before calling a friend, who in turn called 911. The victim sustained at least six stab wounds to the chest, neck, and face, and died on the scene despite attempts by paramedics to administer life-saving treatment. The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Bernard M. Jones, II, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Pierce will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Former Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS) Trial Attorney, Attorney Kristen S. Taylor and OCGS Resident Advisor Attorney Charles R. Walsh represented the United States.
Green Bay Woman Sentenced to 8 years’ Imprisonment for Trafficking Fentanyl disguised as Percocet®Read the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 21, 2023, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Marianna KJ Zimmer (age: 20) to a total sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release after Zimmer pled guilty to Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm as a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 922.
According to court filings, in August 2022, while Zimmer was on probation for a prior felony conviction, Wisconsin probation agents arrested Zimmer and learned that from jail she was directing a friend to hide and destroy evidence of Zimmer’s fentanyl trafficking. Probation agents, with assistance from the Brown County Drug Task Force, successfully recovered and seized over 8,400 fake Percocet® pills containing fentanyl, over $38,500 in US currency, and a stolen and loaded .45-caliber pistol. The fentanyl was in the form of blue pills imprinted with “M30” to mimic the legitimate prescription drug Percocet®. Counterfeit “M30” pills are commonly made by Mexican drug cartels and smuggled into the United States.
In sentencing Zimmer, Judge Griesbach stressed that Zimmer’s fentanyl dealing and unlawful firearm possession were serious offenses that presented a danger to the public, warranting significant punishment and a strong deterrent message to others. The judge also stressed that Zimmer’s offense was aggravated because she posted numerous images and videos of herself on Facebook in which she glamorized the life of a drug dealer, posing with large amounts of cash that she made by distributing drugs.
Legitimate Percocet® contains oxycodone and acetaminophen but not fentanyl. Like fentanyl, oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance that can be highly addictive and abused, but fentanyl is more dangerous.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), 60% of the counterfeit “Percocet” pills tested in 2022 had a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, up from 40% in 2021. The following is from a Public Safety Alert posted on the DEA’s website
The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.
. . . .
Last year, the DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on the widespread drug trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills in American communities. These pills are largely made by two Mexican drug cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, to look identical to real prescription medications, including OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®, and they are often deadly. In 2021, the DEA seized more than 20.4 million fake prescription pills. Earlier this year, the DEA conducted a nationwide operational surge to target the trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and, in just over three months, seized 10.2 million fake pills in all 50 states . . .
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.
https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Grand Jury-August 2023Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 18 unsealed Indictments charging 24 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.
* Dalilio Alconini Flores, age 47, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about August 6, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Patrick S. Carey, age 37, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Carey with felon in possession a firearm on or about March 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Carey with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Alfonso Carillo, a/k/a Alfonso Carrillo, age 26, of Tolleson, Arizona, and Ceslo Carillo, a/k/a Celso Carrillo. a/k/a Celso Carillo-Alvarso, a/k/a Celso Alvardo. age 43, of Beryl, Utah, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Alfonso and Celso with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, from on or about January 1, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Alfonso and Celso with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine from on or about January 10, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Laura Carrazco-Barraza, age 59, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ricardo Castillo Suarez, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about June14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Rogelio Escobar Marroquin, age 44, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about July 13, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Raymundo Green-Chavez, age 59, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about July 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christopher Grutel, age 22, and Victor Henderson, age 23, are charged with felon in possession of ammunition on or about March 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Walter William Lopez Ramirez, age 32, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about July 29, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Michael E. Loviscek, age 46, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Loviscek with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) from on or about an unknown date and continuing to on or about April 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Loviscek with possession of a firearm in connection with the drug offense on or about April 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a five year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Valentin Mendoza, Jr., age 43, of San Bernardino, California, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about February 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Gregorio Mina-Falcon, age 35, Jose Luis Garcia-Perez, age 22, Eliuth Montero-Barrera, age 23, and Alexis Rodriguez, age 21, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) from on or about July 1, 2023, and continuing to on or about August 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Bernardo Ozuna-Rosas, age 33, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 13, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Luis Alberto Puentes-Ortiz, age 31, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about July 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* John C. Shores, Jr., age 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Shores with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor beginning on or about August 4, 2023 and continuing to on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and not more than 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Shores with attempted enticement of a minor beginning on or about August 4, 2023 and continuing to on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to a life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five-years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Gerald D. Storovich, age 43, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, is charged in a six-count Indictment. Count I charges Storovich with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 15, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Storovich with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five-years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Storovich with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than four years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Storovich with felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges Storovich with possession of a stolen firearm on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Venetia A. Torres, age 43, and Aaron Torres, age 22, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Venetia and Aaron with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) from on or about May 1, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 9, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Venetia with felon in possession of a firearm on or about June 9, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Tiffany Alice Wolfe, age 40, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about April 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Fruitland Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Anderson Buck was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Buck, 40, of Fruitland, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury on April 28, 2023.
According to court documents, Nov. 17, 2022, Buck and his girlfriend, Jane Doe, were driving around the area of Nenahnezad and were both heavily inebriated. Jane Doe drank to the point of passing out in the passenger seat of Buck’s vehicle. Buck drove to a friend’s house where he left Jane Doe in the car and went inside. While at his friend’s house, Buck consumed more alcohol before deciding to leave an hour later. Outside, Buck tried to wake Jane Doe before he became frustrated and drove away. Bucks’ friend reported that Jane Doe was unconscious and not injured at the time they departed.
About thirty minutes later, Buck arrived at his family’s compound. One of Buck’s relatives exited their residence and observed Buck and Jane Doe in the car. When they got closer, they saw that Jane Doe was slumped over with a bloody face. When Buck’s relative asked hat had happened, Buck replied “she was talking [expletive].” Buck’s relatives called the police, but Buck departed the compound on foot before police and medical personnel arrived.
Buck’s mother later brought him to be interviewed by law enforcement. Buck claimed that he and Jane Doe had gone to an unknown residence where three unknown females had beaten Jane Doe. Subsequent investigation revealed evidence that Jane Doe had been beaten in Buck’s vehicle which was inconsistent with Buck’s version of the events.
Jane Doe was hospitalized in the ICU for several weeks following the incident before she was discharged to a rehabilitation hospital. She suffered a blown-out eye socket, brain bleeding, and other severe injuries in the assault. Jane Doe passed away on April 18, 2023, ten days before Buck entered his guilty plea, after suffering from various maladies including after-effects of the assault.
Upon his release from prison, Buck will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case.
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Four from Peoria Charged with Conspiring to Steal Firearms from Licensed Dealers in Spring Valley, Taylorville, Le Roy, Lincoln, Decatur, and BloomingtonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal criminal complaint filed August 21, 2023, charges four people from Peoria, Illinois, with conspiring to steal firearms from six different locations in central Illinois between August 14, 2023, and August 18, 2023. Terrence Daniels, 23; Dezmond Hardy, 22; Erika Garner, 21; and Shaleik Ward, 19, are each charged with one count of conspiring to steal guns from a federal firearms licensee. All four were arrested on Friday, August 18, 2023, and the complaint and affidavit were unsealed at their court appearances on Monday, August 21, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley in Peoria. At the conclusion of their respective hearings, all four were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.
As alleged in the complaint affidavit, on August 14, 2023, police officers were dispatched to an attempt burglary at Mean Metal, a gun dealer in Spring Valley, Illinois, and discovered that a glass window of the business had been shattered. On August 15, 2023, officers responded to an attempt burglary at Powder Keg Outfitters, a gun dealer in Taylorville, Illinois. As with the first attempt burglary, officers discovered that a glass window on the business had been shattered.
Additional attempt burglaries were reported at Guns and Glory in Le Roy, Ill., Tactical Bunker in Lincoln, Ill., Archers Alley in Decatur, Ill., and Smiley’s Sport Shop in Bloomington, Ill.
If convicted of conspiring to steal firearms, each defendant faces up to five years’ imprisonment. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including agency members of the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force as well as the Spring Valley Police Department, the Taylorville Police Department, and the Peoria Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna.
Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Four Individuals Charged in Major Mail Theft and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Four men are facing multiple federal charges for mail theft, bank fraud, identity theft and money laundering stemming from an apparent scheme involving postal collection boxes in Carbondale.
Isaiah C. Jordan, 29, of Urbana, Illinois, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of theft of a postal key, eight counts of mail theft, thirteen counts of bank fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Demarius L. Flakes, 29, of Blue Island, Illinois, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of mail theft, six counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Arraigned in federal court on Monday, Brian R. Nevils, 24, of South Holland, Illinois, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of mail theft, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Quentin S. Abrams, 24, of Charleston, Illinois, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of mail theft, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Communities rely on the U.S. Postal Service to communicate with loved ones, pay bills and conduct official business,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “To protect the integrity of USPS, criminals who target mail collection boxes to steal checks and commit fraud will face serious consequences.”
“This indictment is a statement that mail theft will not be tolerated,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.”
"This announcement of indictments in our community's mail fraud investigation is a testament to the tireless efforts of our police officers and the close collaboration with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office,” said Carbondale Police Chief Stan Reno. “The alleged actions that have surfaced through this investigation are deeply concerning, as they undermine the trust and safety of our community. I want to assure the public that we will continue to work diligently to protect and serve our community, holding those responsible for these crimes accountable. Together, we will not tolerate criminal activity that threatens the well-being of our citizens."
According to the indictment, the alleged fraud scheme operated from approximately March 26 through at least July 1, 2020. The defendants are accused of stealing and altering more than 100 checks mailed by more than 50 postal customers. The total estimated loss exceeds $400,000.
Jordan, Flakes, Nevils and Abrams are all charged for their alleged involvement in the scheme. According to court documents, the defendants used a stolen master key to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout Carbondale. The conspiracy involved altering the payees and amounts of the stolen checks, depositing the checks into bank accounts of co-conspirators and then transferring the funds into their own accounts or of their associates.
The scheme involved the Bank of Carbondale, First Mid Bank & Trust, Firth Southern Bank, Legence Bank, Regions Bank and Wells Fargo Bank—all of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Jordan, Nevils and Abrams were taken into federal custody, but Flakes is a fugitive wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Anyone with information about his whereabouts are encouraged to contact the Marshals in southern Illinois.
The Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service are jointly investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman is prosecuting the case.
Former bank teller pleads guilty to stealing nearly $90,000 deposited by Georgia convenience storeRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A former Candler County bank teller faces prison time and substantial restitution after pleading guilty to skimming money from a convenience store’s deposits.
Kayla Monroe Evans, 32, of Metter, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Bank Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Evans to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Bank customers count on their financial institutions to operate with honesty and integrity, and Kayla Evans violated that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This plea offers assurance that Evans will be held accountable for her theft.”
As described in the plea agreement and in court, Evans worked as a teller for the Synovus Bank in Metter, where a local convenience store kept its account. An auditor for the store began noticing substantial discrepancies between the amount of cash presented to the bank for deposit compared to the amount credited to the store and worked with the bank to determine the cause.
A subsequent investigation found that from July 2019 through February 2021, Evans personally handled the store’s deposits, frequently skimming large amounts of cash for her personal use from the amount presented and crediting a smaller deposit to the store. In total, Evans stole approximately $87,748 from the convenience store’s deposits. As part of her plea, Evans agrees to pay restitution for the full loss caused by her criminal conduct, and to never seek employment in any financial institution.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing in the case following a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“We are pleased to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing to justice those who commit bank fraud for their own personal gain,” said Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The federal investigation was led by the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The investigation received support from the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office for the Middle Judicial Circuit, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.
Former Post Office Manager Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Mail Theft and Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- James Lancaster, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail theft. A co-conspirator, Jordan McPhearson, of Blue Island, Illinois was sentenced in 2022 to 42 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, James Lancaster was employed as the Manager of Customer Service at the New Augusta Post Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Between May 11, 2020, and June 23, 2021, Lancaster used his position at the Post Office to steal checks from the mail. Lancaster gave the stolen checks to Jordan McPhearson, sometimes receiving cash in exchange. McPhearson fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks, depositing them into an account belonging to someone other than the intended payee. Occasionally, McPhearson provide stolen checks to an additional co-conspirator, Lavaris Yarbrough, who fraudulently negotiated them.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Lancaster stole more than 270 pieces of U.S. mail from the New Augusta Post Office. This mail contained checks from more than 50 different local businesses, including a non-profit dedicated to cancer research. In total, the value of the stolen checks was approximately $1.7 million.
The final defendant, Lavaris Yarbrough will be sentenced in late September.
The United States Postal Service- Office of Inspector General investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge, Tanya Walton Pratt and Judge Sarah Evans Barker. The courts ordered that Lancaster and McPhearson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following their release from federal prison and pay $88,376.12 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
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Former New Jersey Corrections Officer Charged with Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme that Targeted Law Enforcement, Fire Personnel, and Other First RespondersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former New Jersey corrections officer was arrested today for orchestrating two different fraud schemes, including a cryptocurrency scheme that resulted in losses of more than $600,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
John DeSalvo, 47, of Marmora, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and two counts of money laundering related to the two fraud schemes. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court.
“This defendant, a former New Jersey corrections officer, is alleged to have committed two brazen investment fraud schemes in which he falsely promised huge returns to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting investors. In one scheme, DeSalvo is alleged to have targeted law enforcement and first responders to invest in a digital token that he falsely claimed was SEC-approved and listed on cryptocurrency exchanges. In the other, he is alleged to have obtained investments by promising extraordinary rates of return that we allege were too good to be true. Once DeSalvo got his investors’ money, he is alleged to have spent it on himself, paying personal expenses and funding his own investments. This Office is committed to rooting out investment and securities fraud and protecting investors. By today’s charges, we intend to hold this defendant accountable for these alleged fraud schemes and prevent him from potentially victimizing anyone else.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“We allege DeSalvo created and marketed a cryptocurrency to first responders as a ‘crypto pension’ that could supplement their existing pensions,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Our investigation shows instead of actually making the rate of return he boasted about, he allegedly used hard-earned money from firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other public servants as his personal bank account. We are asking anyone who may believe they are a victim of DeSalvo to please reach out to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Blazar Token Fraud
DeSalvo was the creator and promoter of a digital token known as “Blazar Token,” (Blazar) which DeSalvo marketed to police, fire personnel, EMTs, and other first responders as a “crypto pension” that could be used to supplement investors’ existing pension plans. DeSalvo promised investors that Blazar would offer “more stability than any other token” and that the value of Blazar would “continue to rise over time similar to any investment fund, only at a much higher rate of success.”
Beginning in late 2021, DeSalvo used social media platforms to fraudulently solicit investments in Blazar through a series of misrepresentations including that: Blazar was in the process of becoming, or was already, a securitized token approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission; and Blazar could be purchased through payroll deductions and ACH transactions. DeSalvo additionally falsely told investors that Blazar had been approved for inclusion on several well-known cryptocurrency exchanges and guaranteed investors rates of return of more than 20 percent with “ZERO risk.”
In total, DeSalvo raised more than $620,000 from more than 200 investors in Blazar. After receiving investor funds, DeSalvo frequently used the funds for various illicit purposes unrelated to Blazar including personal expenses, day-trading in various volatile cryptocurrencies, and payments to prior investors in the manner of a Ponzi scheme.
In May 2022, DeSalvo sold off more than 41 billion of his own Blazar tokens, which caused the price of the token to drop precipitously. The value of Blazar never recovered, causing most investors to lose their entire investments.
The Brokerage-1 Fraud
Between January 2021 and May 2021, DeSalvo managed and solicited investment in an investment group through Brokerage-1, an online trading platform. DeSalvo marketed the investment group largely through social media posts in which DeSalvo falsely touted his success as an investor. DeSalvo claimed to potential investors, “I have been averaging close to 1200 % over the last 2 years. I am in the top 1,000th percent in the world. That’s the truth, the return rates I have been averaging are so high that I have people throwing money at me to invest.”
In total, DeSalvo solicited approximately $100,000 in investments from approximately 20 individuals for the investment group. After receiving the funds, DeSalvo engaged in trading activities for a brief period of time before transferring all the funds out of the investment group’s account at Brokerage-1 and into personal accounts held by DeSalvo at Brokerage-1 and Coinbase. DeSalvo then used the funds for various non-investment purposes such as credit card payments, personal trading in volatile cryptocurrencies, and payments to a contractor who performed work on DeSalvo’s personal residence.
After draining the investment group’s account, DeSalvo advised the investment group investors that their funds had been lost due to poor market conditions and provided the investors with false trading records purporting to show the trading activity that DeSalvo engaged in on behalf of the investment group.
The counts of wire fraud carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The counts of securities fraud carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million. The counts of money laundering carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a civil complaint against DeSalvo today based on the same conduct.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI - Newark Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, and detectives from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Cyber Crimes Bureau, under the direction of Acting Director Derek Nececkas, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Torntore, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
desalvo.complaint.pdfFormer Indiana High School Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Kentucky to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – A former Evansville, Indiana high school teacher was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for traveling to Kentucky to engage in sexual conduct with a minor.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Kentucky Field Division, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Cody Sean McCormick, 28, was sentenced to 10 years, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for traveling across state lines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, attempted enticement of a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCormick used the internet to communicate with an undercover agent he believed to be a 14-year-old girl for the purposes of engaging in sexual contact. McCormick traveled from Evansville, Indiana to Owensboro, Kentucky to meet the undercover agent engage in sexual conduct.
This case was the result of a joint federal, state, and local operation called Operation Angel, aimed at making federal arrests of individuals who preyed upon children in the Owensboro area. The United States Secret Service, the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, the Kentucky State Police, and the Owensboro Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Former Federal Employee Sentenced for Leading $3.5 M Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Concord, California, woman was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for her leading role in a conspiracy to defraud at least five states of more than $3.5 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits.
“Huffman organized a massive VEC fraud conspiracy and abused her position as a federal employee to steal funds meant for those struggling with employment security and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “To add insult to injury, when her time came to be held accountable at her initial sentencing hearing, she fled from the law. I am grateful today for the efforts of our law enforcement and prosecutorial team in ensuring Huffman and her co-defendants face the consequences of their selfish actions.”
“While employed with the federal government, Heather Ann Huffman led a criminal conspiracy to steal more than $2 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, betraying the public trust and depriving benefits to those who desperately needed assistance during an unprecedented time of financial hardship,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “As the primary law enforcement agency charged with investigating fraud against the UI program, DOL-OIG is committed to working relentlessly to protect the integrity of these vital benefits from those seeking to unlawfully enrich themselves at the expense of American workers affected by the pandemic. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – OIG, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Virginia Employment Commission, for their strong partnership and collaboration in this investigation.”
According to court documents, from April 2020 through at least March 2021, Heather Huffman, 52, lead and organized several others, including family members and close friends, in a conspiracy to defraud at least five state workforce agencies, including the Virginia Employment Commission, the Washington State Employment Security Department, and the California Employment Development Department, of more than $3.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Huffman’s conspiracy specifically targeted benefits that had been expanded to offset the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain these benefits, Huffman and others filed false and misleading applications in the names of identity theft victims, witting co-conspirators, and inmates of state and federal prisons. Among other information, Huffman and her conspirators included in these applications materially false wage and employment histories and false contact information, such as physical and mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, that did not, in fact, belong to the purported applicants.
To further their conspiracy, Huffman and others obtained and shared among themselves the personal identifying information (PII) of others, created and maintained email accounts purportedly belonging to those individuals, and falsified and forged various documents—including state and federal wage and tax forms—to substantiate the information they had included in the false benefit applications. Conspirators also identified nominee addresses in each of the targeted states at which they falsely claimed the purported applicants lived and worked. Conspirators then directed the targeted states to send benefit payments to prepaid debit cards mailed to various addresses in Virginia, including Huffman’s former residential addresses. As the conspiracy progressed, Huffman also opened a P.O. Box in the name of a fictitious non-profit, “Heather’s Homeless Services,” to which she thereafter directed the targeted states to mail the prepaid debit cards. Huffman, who was then employed as a registered nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond, used her work computer to research available benefits, file and access claims, and falsify documents in furtherance of the conspiracy.
In total, Huffman and her conspirators submitted more than 220 applications in the names of more than 120 individuals to at least five different states through which they sought to receive more than $3.5 million and actually obtained more than $2 million.
Huffman’s sentencing was originally scheduled for November 29, 2022, but she failed to appear that day without notice or explanation. Prior to her disappearance, Huffman took measures to flee prosecution and conceal her whereabouts, including depleting her bank accounts, selling her vehicle, and turning her phone off. Through means unknown, Huffman obtained the PII of a real person, assumed that person’s identity, and procured counterfeit government identification and credit cards in the name of her false alias. Following Huffman’s disappearance, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) opened a fugitive investigation. This extensive, months-long investigation uncovered evidence that the defendant, under a false identity, was living and working as a registered nurse in Kansas. On March 4, 2023, approximately 95 days after Huffman’s flight from prosecution, she was apprehended by the USMS in Kansas at an Extended Stay hotel.
Huffman is the last of the defendants to be sentenced in this case. See the table below for additional information on the sentences imposed in this case.
Name
Age
Residence
Convictions
Total Sentence
Heather A. Huffman
54
Concord, California
Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
216 months
Sheldon L. Huffman
31
Richmond, Virginia
Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
60 months
Dorothea Rosado
54
Kennesaw, Georgia
Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
36 months
Anthowan Daniels
35
Richmond, Virginia
Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
42 months
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Kim. R. Lampkins, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. imposed the sentence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the USMS for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin G. Cooke, Kashan Pathan, and Mike C. Moore prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-8.
Former FBI Contractor Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a former FBI contractor with sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly contacted roughly a dozen minor boys over Discord and Snapchat. He allegedly groomed the minors by telling them he worked for a U.S. intelligence agency before repeatedly threatening suicide if the minors did not continue to communicate with him. Janes allegedly enticed one victim, a 13-year-old boy whom he met through the first-person shooter game Valorant, to strip and masturbate over a live video Discord call by threatening to kill himself and by paying him money over CashApp. He allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over Discord through flattery and repeated begging.
Janes allegedly received child sexual abuse material from these two minors, as well as two separate minor victims, and attempted to meet up with a minor. He also allegedly purchased hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse material from Telegram.
Janes is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Arlington County Chief of Police, Charles “Andy” Penn, made the announcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McKenzie Hightower is prosecuting the case.
Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Janes are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the child exploitation and human trafficking task force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-140.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former FBI Contractor Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a former FBI contractor with sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly contacted roughly a dozen minor boys over Discord and Snapchat. He allegedly groomed the minors by telling them he worked for a U.S. intelligence agency before repeatedly threatening suicide if the minors did not continue to communicate with him. Janes allegedly enticed one victim, a 13-year-old boy whom he met through the first-person shooter game Valorant, to strip and masturbate over a live video Discord call by threatening to kill himself and by paying him money over CashApp. He allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over Discord through flattery and repeated begging. Janes allegedly received child sexual abuse material from these two minors, as well as two separate minor victims, and attempted to meet up with a minor. He also allegedly purchased hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse material from Telegram.
Janes is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Arlington County Chief of Police Charles “Andy” Penn made the announcement.
The FBI and Arlington County Police are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section is prosecuting the case.
Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Janes are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Connecticut Residents Charged with Operating Websites to Illegally Sell Misbranded and Unapproved DrugsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging RYAN FIELDS, 49, and LISA MAHAN, 53, of Port Neches, Texas, formerly of Glastonbury, Connecticut, with offenses for illegally selling misbranded and unapproved prescription drugs.
The indictment was returned on August 8, 2023, and unsealed after Fields and Mahan were arrested this morning in Port Neches, Texas. They are scheduled to appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
As alleged in the indictment, from September 2021 to June 2023, Fields and Mahan operated two websites, pinnedaminos.com and projectaminos.com, as well as a private Facebook group called Pinned Aminos, through which they illegally sold and distributed to customers throughout the U.S. misbranded prescription drugs. They did not require customers to provide a valid prescription, and some of the drugs they sold and distributed were unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human consumption. The drugs they sold also included drugs they illegally imported from foreign manufacturers.
The indictment further alleges that, to avoid detection and mislead the FDA, the pinnedaminos.com website had a disclaimer that falsely stated that the products for sale were “intended for laboratory and research use only,” and “not intended for human ingestion.” In addition, the labeling on the drugs sold and delivered to customers falsely stated that the drugs were “research compounds” and/or “not for human consumption.” Contrary to these representations, Fields and Mahan knew and intended that the drugs they sold were for human use, and through emails and posts on the Pinned Aminos Facebook group, they provided customers with information on the health benefits of the drugs they sold and directions on dosage.
The indictment alleges that Fields and Mahan unlawfully shipped over 10,000 parcels to customers throughout the country and collected more than $1.4 million from customers. Fields and Mahan used the proceeds to pay themselves, purchase cars, and purchase a residence in Texas.
The indictment charges Fields and Mahan with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded or unapproved drugs into interstate commerce and to smuggle goods into the United States, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas for their assistance in this matter.
Former Army Reservist Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On August 15, 2023, former United States Army reservist DERRICK BRANCH pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. BRANCH stole $15,469.30 from the United States Department of the Army by claiming reimbursement for the performance of military funeral honors ceremonies that never happened.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 authorizes military funeral honors for active-duty soldiers, retirees, and veterans. At a family’s request, eligible persons can receive military funeral honors, including the folding and presenting of the United States flag and the playing of “Taps.”
By pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, BRANCH faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. BRANCH has agreed to pay restitution to the United States Army in the amount of $15,469.30.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Flower Mound Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 8+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A fentanyl trafficker responsible for distributing thousands of pills across north Texas was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Stephen Paul Brinson, aka “Steve-O,” 18, was charged in March and pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl). He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 100 months in prison.
In plea papers, Mr. Brinson admitted he dealt fentanyl-laced pills out of a home in Flower Mound.
He used an Instagram account to facilitate the sale of the round blue pills, which were imprinted “M/30” to resemble legitimate 30mg oxycodone pills.
According to court documents, Mr. Brinson acted as the source of supply for fentanyl to Donovan Jude Andrews, the Carrollton dealer who allegedly capitalized on the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano to advertise his pill business. (Mr. Andrews is allegedly tied to at least one juvenile fentanyl overdose – that of a 14-year-old girl who paid her dealer through CashApp; Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano, along with their supplier, Jason Villanueva, are allegedly tied to more than ten others.)
During a search of Mr. Brinson’s residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 1,800 fentanyl pills along with cocaine, marijuana, and two firearms.
In plea papers, he admitted that at the time of the search, he was armed and en route to deliver an M/30 pill to a customer in Flower Mound.
Mr. Brinson was the second defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdoses to enter a guilty plea. Magaly Cano, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this month. To date, a total of nine defendants have been charged, five of whom have pleaded guilty. (All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.
Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Florida Couple Indicted for Multiple Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a 39-count indictment charging Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) and Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee), with dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and causing an FLL to maintain false information in its official records. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.
According to evidence and documents presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 89 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. During that same period, Rodriguez purchased approximately 40 firearms. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson and Rodriguez each falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that they were the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, they were purchasing the firearms for other individuals. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in the Bahamas and Canada.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Five Amazon Marketplace Sellers and Four Amazon Marketplace Companies Sentenced for Price FixingRead the Press Release
Five individuals and four companies have been sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to fix the prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs sold on the Amazon marketplace. This investigation has resulted in a total of six individual guilty pleas and four corporate guilty pleas.
Victor Btesh, of New York, was sentenced to 18 months in prison incarceration followed by two years of supervised release and a fine of $38,000. Btesh’s three companies – Michelle’s DVD Funhouse, MJR Prime and Prime Brooklyn – were sentenced to $156,520, $125,688 and $61,844 in criminal fines, respectively, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Additionally, Emmanuel Hourizadeh, Raymond Nouvahian, Morris Sutton, Bruce Fish and Fish’s company, BDF Enterprises Inc., were all sentenced on July 21, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Hourizadeh and Nouvahian, both of New York, were each sentenced to one month in prison, seven months of home confinement, a criminal fine of $55,000 each and two years of supervised release. Sutton, of New Jersey, was sentenced to one month in prison, five months of home confinement, a $20,000 criminal fine and two years of supervised release. Fish, of Minnesota, was sentenced to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, a $48,750 criminal fine and two years of supervised released. BDF Enterprises was sentenced to a $234,000 criminal fine.
“Americans are becoming increasingly reliant on online marketplaces, making it more important as ever to protect them from being cheated on the internet,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These sentences reflect the division’s commitment to seeking punishment for criminal antitrust violations wherever they may occur.”
“Conspiring to fix prices in online marketplaces is a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “These convictions and sentences demonstrate our office’s commitment to prosecuting price-fixing conspiracies and to protecting consumers in the Eastern District of Tennessee from paying inflated prices in online marketplaces.”
“Activities related to price fixing and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition, ultimately harming the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The sentencings in this case represent a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.”
According to court documents, the defendants agreed with co-conspirators to raise and maintain the prices of DVDs and Blu-Rays sold through Amazon marketplace storefronts, resulting in those products being sold at collusive and noncompetitive prices. Hourizadeh, Nouvahian and Sutton pleaded guilty to price fixing on Jan. 7, 2022. Btesh and all three corporate entities pleaded guilty to price fixing on Feb. 9, after having been indicted on March 16, 2022. Lastly, Fish and BDF Enterprises pleaded guilty to price fixing on Feb. 10, after having been indicted on March 16, 2022.
Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that enables third-party vendors to sell new or used products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. Amazon Marketplace is owned and operated by Amazon.com Inc.
The FBI New York Field Office and the USPS-OIG Contract Fraud Investigations Division investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Robert M. Jacobs, Kevin C. Culum, Elizabeth K. Noonan-Pomada and Nickolas R. Foran of the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Roach Jr. for the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Federal Search Warrants ExecutedRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area:
- 8500 block of Warren Drive, Des Moines,
- 1800 block of Logan Avenue, Des Moines,
- 1200 block of 11th Street, Des Moines,
- 6300 block of SW 12th Street, Des Moines,
- 3300 block of Sylvania Drive, West Des Moines,
- 5700 block of Allison Avenue, Des Moines,
- 900 block of 8th Street SW, Altoona,
- 600 block of Walker Street, Des Moines,
- 7400 block of SW 12th Street, Des Moines,
- 7000 block of Bloomfield Road, Des Moines,
The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from the Des Moines Police Department Vice and Narcotics Control Unit, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR), Iowa State Patrol SWAT, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force East division, United States Marshals Service, West Des Moines Police Department, Johnston Police Department, Pleasant Hill Police Department, Altoona Police Department, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Farrell, PA Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Khiry Whiteside was sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Whiteside, age 32 of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon ordered Whiteside to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Whiteside pled guilty earlier this year to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in 2020 and 2021 in Mercer County. He stipulated to being responsible for the distribution of 100 grams of cocaine, 25 grams of heroin, and 15 grams of fentanyl. Whiteside was previously convicted in Pennsylvania state court, in 2010 and 2017, of committing cocaine trafficking crimes.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction and sentence in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
El Salvadoran Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jorge Miranda-Funes, of El Salvador, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for failure to register as a sex offender and illegal reentry after a felony conviction. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Miranda-Funes to 18 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Miranda-Funes will serve 5 years of supervised release and face deportation.
Miranda-Funes was required to register as a sex offender as a result of a 2022 conviction for Attempted Child Abuse in Douglas County, Nebraska. After serving his sentence in that case, Miranda-Funes was removed from the United States to El Salvador. The investigation determined that a few months after his removal, Miranda-Funes returned to the United States illegally and resided in Omaha for approximately two months without updating his sex offender registration address.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service and the Department of Homeland Security.
Effingham County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A U.S District judge sentenced an Effingham County man to 188 months in prison after he admitted guilt to two federal drug charges.
Tyler R. Schumacher, 37, of Altamont, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.
“This hefty prison sentence is a nod to the efforts of law enforcement officers working to disband drug distribution rings in southeastern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I applaud the collaboration between departments to apprehend this criminal.”
According to court documents, Schumacher conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Effingham County from 2019 until June 2022. On Feb. 22, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Schumacher’s Effingham County residence and seized methamphetamine, cocaine, money bands, an assortment of plastic bags and more than $5,000 in cash.
Following his prison sentence, Schumacher will serve five years of supervised release. In addition, he was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $200 in special assessments.
The investigation was conducted by the Effingham County Sheriff's Department, the Effingham City Police Department, and the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force. Assistance was also provided by the Effingham County State’s Attorney’s Office.
District Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Carjacking and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Gregory, 31, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm that occurred in March of 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to the government’s evidence in the Superior Court case, on March 4, 2019, at approximately 8:40 p.m., the defendant and a second suspect pointed firearms at and ran towards the victim, who had just parked his BMW in the 100 block of Wilmington Place, SE. The defendant and second suspect forced the victim out of his car at gunpoint and ordered the victim to the ground. Gregory stood over the victim as the victim lay on the ground, and kept his firearm pointed at the victim while the second suspect searched the victim. Then, Gregory entered the victim’s vehicle and opened the trunk so that the second suspect could search through the contents of the trunk. Having taken the victim’s keys, ID card, and money, Gregory and the second suspect then told the victim that they were taking the victim’s vehicle and that the victim needed to leave. The victim fled and Gregory and the second suspect then stole the victim’s vehicle. Officers subsequently located the victim’s vehicle in Capitol Heights, MD and returned the vehicle to the victim.
Gregory was also sentenced today to 42 months by U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich for his role in a bribery scheme. The sentences will run consecutively.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith and Special Agent in Charge Kailimai commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kukowski who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Announces More than $2.3 Million in Federal Funding for Spokane County and the Spokane Police Department to Improve the Functioning of the Criminal Justice System, Combat Juvenile Delinquency, and Assist Victims of Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced three Department of Justice grants awarded in the Eastern District of Washington. One grant was awarded to Spokane County and allocates $500,000 to improve the criminal justice system, prevent and combat juvenile delinquency, and assist victims of crime. Spokane City, to include the Police Department, received two grant awards. One for the Spokane Police Department for $1,317,000 and a second to the city for $500,000. Both grants were issued with the intended goal to improve the criminal justice system.
Funding for these grants were awarded through the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program. Pursuant to this program, $229,551,000 had been allocated nationally as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was passed in 2023.
Plans for this grant funding include: (1) acquiring additional aircraft by the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU), which is a regional aviation unit dedicated to assisting and improving public safety; (2) improving technology to augment staff, improve outcomes for crime victims, replace antiquated technologies, and increase officer safety; and (3) increasing resources for supporting treatment to effectively address domestic violence.
In announcing these awards, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “It is critical that we work together – with our federal, state, and local partners to keep our communities safe and strong. The citizens of Spokane County deserve nothing less.” She continued, “These latest grant awards demonstrate the federal government’s continued commitment to ensuring the justice system is keeping up with technological advances, while maintaining the overall goal of decreasing crime and supporting those who fall victim to it. Right here in Eastern Washington, these funds fall in line with my Office’s Safe Home Safe Community Initiative, which focuses on curbing gun violence by removing firearms unlawfully possessed by individuals with a track record of violent crime and domestic violence – these efforts protect victims, law enforcement, and the entire community.”
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov/.
Department of Justice Announces More than $1 Million in Federal Funding for the Washington State Department of Commerce to Address Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced a Department of Justice grant award for the Washington State Department of Commerce. The grant allocates $1,012,474 to address sexual assault. This grant was awarded on August 22, 2023.
Funding for the $1,012,474 grant was awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, Fiscal Year 2023 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program. The Sexual Assault Services Formula Program (SAS Formula Program) was created by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), 34 U.S.C. § 12511. The SAS Formula Program directs grant dollars to states and territories to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers (including governmental rape crisis centers not in territories and tribal governmental programs) and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault, regardless of age. Funds provided through the SAS Formula Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state and territorial levels. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations, such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual assault intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other social support systems.
In announcing this award, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “It is critical that we work together – with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners – to address sexual assault in Washington State.” She continued, “This latest grant award demonstrates the federal government’s continued commitment to combatting sexual violence, which disproportionately impacts women and vulnerable populations. I have witnessed the hurt and trauma that sexual assault victims and their families and loved ones endure. This award will fund critical services to assist sexual assault survivors, and support my office’s mission to protect victims of crime, amplify their voices, and to seek justice on behalf of all citizens in Eastern Washington.”
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov. Information regarding the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence against Women is available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw.
D.C. Jail Corrections Officer and Inmate Sentenced to Prison Terms for BriberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A corrections officer and an inmate were sentenced this week on bribery charges in a scheme that smuggled narcotics into the District of Columbia Central Detention Facility, better known as the D.C. Jail.
Andre Gregory, 31, of Washington, D.C., who was incarcerated at the time of the bribery offense, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Former Corrections Officer Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced August 21, 2023, to 18 months in prison. The two defendants were charged along with Keywaune McLeod, 28, of Washington, D.C., who is awaiting sentencing. All three defendants pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
“Corrections officers are critical to the safe and orderly operation of our prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Through this bribery and smuggling scheme, in exchange for cash, Beverly Williams betrayed her duty and undermined security and the whole function of the D.C. Jail by bringing drugs to the inmates inside. Inmate Andre Gregory and co-defendant Keywaune McLeod conspired with Williams to pull this off – and all of them profited from her corruption. Our Office will do everything in our power to eliminate corruption in our prison system, and anywhere in government, and to ensure that crimes like this don’t pay.”
“Corrections officers are responsible for cultivating a safe and orderly environment for the inmates they guard,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “By conspiring with Gregory and McLeod to smuggle drugs into the D.C. Jail in return for cash, Williams abused her position of power and risked the safety and integrity of the city's correctional facility. The FBI thanks the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services for their partnership throughout this investigation and reaffirms our commitment to holding public servants accountable to the oaths they take and the people they serve.”
According to the government’s evidence, Williams admitted that while working as a Correctional Officer at the D.C. jail in 2022, she accepted bribe payments of $6,400 to smuggle packages containing narcotics into the facility. Williams received packages of drugs and cigarettes from Keywaune McLeod, Gregory’s cousin, and secreted them into the jail by concealing them on her body. Once inside, Williams transferred the drugs to inmate Gregory, in secure areas where they could not be seen on surveillance cameras. Gregory then distributed the drugs for a profit. McLeod, who accepted and managed the proceeds, used CashApp to make bribe payments to Williams for the drug smuggling. Gregory used jail-issued phones and electronic tablets to communicate with McLeod, using coded language in an attempt to avoid detection of their conspiracy.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered 36 months of supervised release for each defendant.
Separately, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert D. Okun, today, sentenced Andre Gregory to 96 months in prison for an armed carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentenced will run consecutively.
The District Court case against Williams, Gregory, and McLeod was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Ahmed Baset with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Controller Defrauds Law Firm Out of $1.5 Million by Inflating SalaryRead the Press Release
A law firm controller pleaded guilty Tuesday to inflating her payroll amount by $1.48 million over the course of just three years, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christiane Kathleen Irwin, 44, was indicted in March 2022. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Toliver.
According to court documents, Ms. Irwin, who worked for a law firm and was responsible for submitting payroll each week, falsely inflated her salary, which was set at approximately $140,000 annually.
In accordance with her fraudulent payroll submission, the firm’s payroll vendor transferred her purported pay from the firm’s bank account into her bank account every two weeks.
Over the course of three years, from 2019 to 2021, Ms. Irwin took home $1.48 million in fraudulently obtained funds.
She now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing date is slated for Jan. 3, 2024. Irwin has agreed that the loss amount to the firm for restitution is over $1.48 million.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nashonme Johnson and Jenna Rudoff are prosecuting the case with the help of Financial Auditor Sheila Powell.