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Thursday 3 August 2023
U.S. Navy Sailor Arrested and Charged with EspionageRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 3, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Jinchao Wei, a United States Navy sailor, was arrested yesterday on espionage charges as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the Pacific Fleet. Wei is scheduled to appear in federal court today pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with conspiracy to send national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China.
The indictment, unsealed this morning, alleges that Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, was an active-duty sailor on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex stationed at Naval Base San Diego. In his role as a machinist’s mate, Wei held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination systems. Amphibious assault ships like the Essex resemble small aircraft carriers and allow the U.S. military to project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities.
The crime of espionage under U.S. Code Section 794 has never been charged in this district, and until today had only been charged five times in the last six years across the entire country. The statute is reserved for the most serious circumstances involving the passage of national defense information intended to harm the United States or for the benefit of a foreign power.
The indictment alleges the following:
In February 2022, Wei began communicating with an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China who requested that Wei provide information about the U.S.S. Essex and other Navy ships. Specifically, the Chinese officer tasked Wei with passing him photos, videos, and documents concerning U.S. Navy ships and their systems. The two agreed to hide their communications by deleting records of their conversations and using encrypted methods of communication.
At the request of the intelligence officer, Wei sent photographs and videos of the Essex; disclosed the locations of various Navy ships; and described defensive weapons of the Essex, between March 2022 and the present. In exchange for this information, the intelligence officer paid Wei thousands of dollars over the course of the conspiracy.
The indictment further alleges that in June of 2022, Wei sent the intelligence officer approximately 30 technical and mechanical manuals. These manuals contained export control warnings and detailed the operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships, including power, steering, aircraft and deck elevators, as well as damage and casualty controls. The intelligence officer confirmed with Wei that at least 10 of those manuals were useful to him. For passage of those materials, the indictment alleges that Wei was paid $5,000.
In June 2022, the intelligence officer requested that Wei provide information about the number and training of U.S. Marines during an upcoming international maritime warfare exercise. In response to this request, Wei sent multiple photographs of military equipment to the intelligence officer.
In August 2022, Wei sent an additional 26 technical and mechanical manuals related to the power structure and operation of the Essex and similar ships. The manuals contained warnings that this was technical data subject to export controls and that it was deemed “critical technology” by the U.S. Navy.
The indictment further alleges that in October 2022, Wei sent a technical manual to the intelligence officer describing the layout and location of certain departments, including berthing quarters and weapons systems. Specifically, Wei sent a weapons control systems manual for the Essex and similar ships. This manual contained export-controlled data that could not be exported without a license from the U.S. government. The indictment alleges that Wei knowingly violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by transmitting this manual to the Chinese intelligence officer without obtaining a required license.
The intelligence officer continued to request information in 2023, including information about the overhaul and upgrades to the Essex. Specifically, he requested blueprints, especially those related to modifications to the flight deck. Wei provided information related to the repairs the Essex was undergoing, as well as other mechanical problems with similar vessels.
During the alleged conspiracy, the intelligence officer instructed Wei to gather U.S. military information that was not public and admonished him not to discuss their relationship and to destroy any evidence regarding the nature of their relationship and their activities.
“We have entrusted members of our military with tremendous responsibility and great faith,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Our nation’s safety and security are in their hands. When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country, and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“Petty Officer Wei, who as a service member was trusted with our nation’s secrets, is accused of selling out his country and betraying his oath to the Navy by willingly providing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer for his own financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Brice Miller of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. “NCIS will continue to leverage its unique law enforcement and counterintelligence authorities to aggressively root out those who put our nation’s warfighters at risk. We sincerely thank the FBI and the Department of Justice for their significant assistance to this complex investigation.”
“These arrests show the FBI’s commitment to utilizing all of its law enforcement and U.S. intelligence community resources and capabilities to aggressively combat the People’s Republic of China’s government’s threats against our military and to protect the United States’ most precious assets,” said FBI San Diego Field Office Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “We remain committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling any and all efforts by the PRC to threaten our national security.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parmley and Fred Sheppard from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
View the Indictment
wei_indictment.pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23CR01471-H
Jinchao Wei Age: 22 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 794(c) – Conspiracy to Communicate, Deliver, or Transmit Defense Information to Aid a Foreign Government
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, $250,000 fine
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 794(a) – Communicate, Deliver, or Transmit Defense Information to Aid a Foreign Government
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000
Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c); Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 – Conspiracy to Export Defense Articles Without a License
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine
Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c); Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 – Export of Defense Articles Without a License
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Two U.S. Navy Servicemembers Arrested for Transmitting Military Information to the People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
In two separate cases in the Southern and Central Districts of California, two U.S. Navy servicemembers were arrested for transmitting sensitive military information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“These individuals stand accused of violating the commitments they made to protect the United States and betraying the public trust, to the benefit of the PRC government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to counter threats from China and to deter those who aid them in breaking our laws and threatening our national security.”
“These arrests are a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People’s Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The PRC compromised enlisted personnel to secure sensitive military information that could seriously jeopardize U.S. national security. The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in our determination to combat espionage, and encourage past and present government officials to report any suspicious interactions with suspected foreign intelligence officers.”
United States v. Jinchao Wei, Southern District of California
A U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, aka Patrick Wei, was arrested yesterday on espionage charges as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the Pacific Fleet. He was indicted for conspiracy to send national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China.
The indictment, unsealed this morning, alleges that Wei, was an active-duty sailor on the amphibious assault ship the U.S.S. Essex stationed at Naval Base San Diego. In his role as a machinist’s mate, Wei held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination systems. Amphibious assault ships like the Essex resemble small aircraft carriers and allow the U.S. military to project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities.
According to the indictment, in February 2022, Wei began communicating with an intelligence officer from the PRC who requested that Wei provide information about the U.S.S. Essex and other Navy ships. Specifically, the Chinese intelligence officer tasked Wei with passing him photos, videos and documents concerning U.S. Navy ships and their systems. The two agreed to hide their communications by deleting records of their conversations and using encrypted methods of communication.
At the request of the intelligence officer, between March 2022 and the present, Wei sent photographs and videos of the Essex, disclosed the locations of various Navy ships and described defensive weapons of the Essex. In exchange for this information, the intelligence officer paid Wei thousands of dollars over the course of the conspiracy.
The indictment further alleges that in June 2022, Wei sent the intelligence officer approximately 30 technical and mechanical manuals. These manuals contained export control warnings and detailed the operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships, including power, steering, aircraft and deck elevators, as well as damage and casualty controls. The intelligence officer confirmed with Wei that at least 10 of those manuals were useful to him. For passage of those materials, the indictment alleges that Wei was paid $5,000.
In June 2022, the intelligence officer requested that Wei provide information about the number and training of U.S. Marines during an upcoming international maritime warfare exercise. In response to this request, Wei sent multiple photographs of military equipment to the intelligence officer.
In August 2022, Wei sent an additional 26 technical and mechanical manuals related to the power structure and operation of the Essex and similar ships. The manuals contained warnings that this was technical data subject to export controls and that it was deemed “critical technology” by the U.S. Navy.
The indictment further alleges that in October 2022, Wei sent a technical manual to the intelligence officer describing the layout and location of certain departments, including berthing quarters and weapons systems. Specifically, Wei sent a weapons control systems manual for the Essex and similar ships. This manual contained export-controlled data that could not be exported without a license from the U.S. government. The indictment alleges that Wei knowingly violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by transmitting this manual to the Chinese intelligence officer without obtaining a required license.
The intelligence officer continued to request information in 2023, including information about the overhaul and upgrades to the Essex. Specifically, he requested blueprints, especially those related to modifications to the flight deck. Wei provided information related to the repairs the Essex was undergoing, as well as other mechanical problems with similar vessels.
During the alleged conspiracy, the intelligence officer instructed Wei to gather U.S. military information that was not public and admonished him not to discuss their relationship and to destroy any evidence regarding the nature of their relationship and their activities.
“We have entrusted members of our military with tremendous responsibility and great faith,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “Our nation’s safety and security are in their hands. When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country, and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute.”
U.S. Attorney Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parmley and Fred Sheppard for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Wenheng Zhao, Central District of California
A U.S. Navy servicemember, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, aka Thomas Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, was arrested following an indictment by a federal grand jury, charging him with receiving bribes in exchange for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an individual posing as a maritime economic researcher, but who was actually an intelligence officer from the PRC.
The indictment alleges that Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme and held a U.S. security clearance, received bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for violating his official duties as a U.S. sailor by, among other actions, disclosing non-public sensitive U.S. military information.
Beginning in August 2021 and continuing through at least May 2023, at the Chinese intelligence officer’s direction, Zhao allegedly violated his official duties to protect sensitive military information by surreptitiously recording, and then transmitting to the intelligence officer, U.S. military information, photographs and videos. According to the indictment, the Chinese intelligence officer told Zhao that the intelligence officer was a maritime economic researcher seeking the information for investment decisions.
In exchange for bribes, Zhao allegedly sent the Chinese military officer non-public and controlled operational plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region, which detailed the specific location and timing of Naval force movements, amphibious landings, maritime operations and logistics support.
The indictment further alleges that in exchange for bribes, Zhao also photographed electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan.
The intelligence officer allegedly directed Zhao to conceal their relationship and to destroy evidence of the unlawful and corrupt scheme.
In exchange for the sensitive information Zhao provided – information Zhao accessed as a result of his position within the U.S. Navy – the Chinese intelligence officer paid Zhao approximately $14,866, the indictment alleges.
“By sending this sensitive military information to an intelligence officer employed by a hostile foreign state, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath to protect our country and uphold the Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Unlike the vast majority of U.S. Navy personnel who serve the nation with honor, distinction and courage, Mr. Zhao chose to corruptly sell out his colleagues and his country.”
If convicted, Zhao faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division and NCIS investigated the case. IRS Criminal Investigation provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annamartine Salick, Sarah Gerdes, Christine Ro and Kathrynne Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case. Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section is providing substantial assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wei Indictment Zhao IndictmentTwo Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possessing A Firearm While Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Javier Alejandro Lopez Rivera (36, Orlando) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Judge Mendoza also sentenced co-defendant, Pedro Manuel Tapia Matos (30, Ocala), to five years and three months for conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Lopez Rivera had pleaded guilty on November 8, 2022, and Tapia Matos pleaded guilty on May 4, 2023.
According to court documents, Lopez Rivera and Tapia Matos were the subjects of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led investigation for the purchase of fentanyl. From March 24, 2022, through April 6, 2022, the DEA used a confidential source (CS) to conduct undercover buys of ounce quantities of fentanyl from Lopez Rivera and Tapia Matos. Over the course of multiple ensuing transactions, the CS, purchased 60.4 grams of fentanyl. On one such occasion, however, the CS purchased a firearm from Lopez Rivera, in conjunction with fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
Texas Man Who Threatened Elections Official, County Attorney Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Texas man who suggested a “mass shooting of poll workers” and threatened two Maricopa County officials and their children was sentenced yesterday to three and a half years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Frederick Francis Goltz, 52, pleaded guilty in April to interstate threatening communications. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered three years of supervised release following the defendant’s prison term.
“Election workers perform a duty sacred to the body politic. Setting aside their personal political leanings, they help voters of all political persuasions cast their ballots – a ritual vital to the functioning of American democracy. County attorneys perform a similarly vital role in responding to legal challenges in court. Threats against either are unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This particular defendant repeatedly advocated violence against not only these men, but against their children as well. The Justice Department will not stand by as bad actors threaten members of law enforcement or election officials.”
"Our Democracy demands equal access and unencumbered participation. I am in awe of the dedicated workers and public servants that fulfill their duties to ensure that all of our voices can be heard above the noise created by repugnant threats intended to incite fear and physical harm,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “This noise has no functional place in our society, and the FBI will continue to protect the American people from threats of violence and find justice for victims."
According to court documents, Mr. Goltz threatened several individuals in Arizona – including a Maricopa County Attorney’s Office lawyer and a Maricopa County elections official – on the far-right-wing social media platforms Patriots.win and Gab.com.
In plea papers, Mr. Goltz admitted that on Nov. 21, 2022, he posted the lawyer’s name, purported home address, and purported telephone number on social media along with the sardonic comment, “It would be a shame if someone got to [sic] this children. There are some crazies out there. This kind of info shouldn’t be readily available on the internet.” On the same date, in response to another post referring to other Maricopa County officials, Mr. Goltz said, “Someone needs to get these people AND their children. The children are the most important message to send.”
Just two days later, according to court records, Mr. Goltz responded to a post about the elections official with the comment, “He’s got a WIFE that is a lawyer, too. We need to find out her name and where she works. I don’t think he has kids, but I’m not 100% on that.” When another user commented that kids should be “off limits,” Mr. Goltz responded by saying, “NOTHING is off limits. It’s people like you that are supposedly with us, who don’t have the stomach to do what it takes to get our country back.”
An FBI investigation into Mr. Goltz’s other social media activity revealed a long history of threatening statements against a variety of targets, including government officials, law enforcement officers, and others:
For example, according to court records, on Nov. 13, 2022, Mr. Goltz advocated for "a mass shooting of poll workers and election officials” in precincts he believed had “suspect” results.
A few weeks later, he said he was “willing to take lives” in order to protect against what he called a “tyrannical government.”
According to court records, Mr. Goltz repeatedly emphasized that “children are not off limits,” and said that going after children is important because “it sends a message… people will pay the price for ‘sins of the father.’ Dead children burn into the memories of people.” He also discussed the potential use of concealed firearms.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office lawyer testified that he, his wife, and his four children were assigned round-the-clock protection and issued body armor in response to the threat.
The elections official, in a statement read aloud by the prosecutor, said the case went far beyond the two men Mr. Goltz specifically targeted online:
“While I am the person directly threatened in this case, the impact of such threats is felt by a much larger community: the thousands of committed election workers who operate our democratic processes,” the elections official, identified as S.R., said in his victim impact statement. “When threats are made against any election workers, the impact reverberates through the whole community. It creates an atmosphere of fear and apprehension. If those who step forward to serve their community – typically an older demographic – are concerned about intimidation or threats, it could discourage them from participating in future election cycles. This potential chilling effect not only threatens the robust functioning of our electoral processes, but it also strikes at the heart of our democracy itself.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag prosecuted the case with the assistance of National Security Division Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe and Criminal Division Attorney Robert Heberle.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Possession of a Handgun as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Cedric L. Hudson, Jr., age 37, of Syracuse, was sentenced yesterday to serve 96 months (8 years) in federal prison for his possession of a firearm as a prior convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
On October 17, 2022, New York State Police stopped a vehicle driven by Hudson in the Town of Dewitt for traffic violations. The registration of his car was expired, and Hudson advised he had no driver’s license. When informed that the vehicle would be towed, Hudson told New York State Troopers that there was a handgun and ammunition in the passenger compartment. A .45 caliber Hi Point pistol and a loaded ammunition magazine were recovered from the interior of the vehicle. When interviewed, Hudson said he intended to sell the handgun.
Records checks revealed that Hudson was previously convicted of several prior felonies in New York State and North Carolina and was the subject of an active arrest warrant for absconding from parole in North Carolina. While detained awaiting sentencing on the instant federal firearm charge, Hudson was arrested and charged with bringing drugs into the Oneida County Jail. He is presumed innocent on both his North Carolina Parole absconding violation and his pending Oneida County charge of Promoting Prison Contraband in the Second Degree (misdemeanor) unless or until proven guilty.
The New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit (NYSP-Community Stabilization), Troop D Uniform Patrol (NYSP-Troop D), and the FBI Syracuse Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Superseding Indictment Alleges 3 More New Haven Gang Members Committed Murder and Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging an additional three alleged members and associates of the “Exit 8” street gang in New Haven with conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder, as well as related offenses. The grand jury previously returned an indictment charging six alleged members and associates of Exit 8 with related offenses.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
The superseding indictment charges
JAEDYN RIVERA, also known as “Jae Honcho,” 22
TYJON PRESTON, also known as “TJ,” 21
SAMUEL DOUGLAS, also known as “Blamm,” 25
QUAYMAR SUGGS, 19
KIVEON HYMAN, also known as “Tiny, ” 25
DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 24
DEVIN SUGGS, also known as “JB,” 19
NYZAIRE BARNES, also known as “Melo,” 19
ANTWAN HILL, also known as “Bandz,” 19Devin Suggs, Barnes, and Hill were arrested today. They appeared in New Haven federal court and were ordered detained. Rivera, Preston, Douglas, Quaymar Suggs, Hyman, and Allick were charged in an indictment that was returned on March 22, 2023, and are detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, including murders and attempted murders, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The superseding indictment alleges that members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
Among the violent acts committed by the Exit 8 gang, the superseding indictment alleges that:
- On June 16, 2018, Douglas and Hyman shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang, and shot another individual in the vicinity;
- On January 24, 2019, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On July 14, 2020, Preston and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On September 26, 2020, Hill, Preston, and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On April 27, 2021, Preston, Devin Suggs, and others shot and attempted to kill an individual;
- On May 3, 2021, Rivera shot and attempted to kill two members and associates of a rival gang;
- On May 10, 2021, Rivera and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On May 14, 2021, Rivera and Devin Suggs shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On May 17, 2021, Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members;
- On May 19, 2021, Hill, Preston and others conspired to kill rival gang members, including a rival gang member who was shot and killed on that date by Quaymar Suggs and others;
- On May 20, 2021, Rivera, Preston, and others shot and attempted to kill rival gang members, and Rivera, Devin Suggs, and others shot and attempted to kill two other individuals;
- On June 30, 2021, Preston shot and attempted to kill an individual;
- On July 5, 2021, Hill, Preston, and others shot and killed an individual;
- On August 29, 2021, Exit 8 members and associates shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On March 16, 2022, Devin Suggs and others shot at and attempted to kill rival gang members;
- On April 12, 2022, Hill, Barnes, and others shot at and attempted to kill rival gang members;
- On September 16, 2022, Allick and others shot and killed an individual.
- On January 20, 2023, Devin Suggs and others stole a black BMW from Scarsdale, New York. Devin Suggs and Barnes then shot and attempted to kill an individual.
The superseding indictment charges each defendant with racketeering conspiracy. If convicted of this charge, Quaymar Suggs, Preston, and Allick face a maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years, and Rivera, Douglas, Hyman, Devin Suggs, Barnes, and Hill face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The superseding indictment also charges Rivera and Preston with attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; Rivera with VCAR assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; Rivera with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and Douglas with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and 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 each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office on the Fourth Anniversary of the El Paso ShootingRead the Press Release
"Four years after the tragedy in El Paso, our community continues to heal. As we reflect on the memories of those we lost to such an unforgiveable act of hate, our thoughts remain with all of the victims, their families and the community members whose lives have changed forever." - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas
Stapleton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of Drugs and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Lynn Duran, 38, of Stapleton, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 12 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and for being a felon in possession of firearms. After his release from prison, Duran will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Duran pleaded guilty to both offenses on March 30, 2023.
On September 13, 2021, a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, Nebraska, attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Duran. Duran did not stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued that continued into Logan County. During the pursuit, Duran tossed a duffel bag out the window of his vehicle. Police recovered the duffel bag a short time later and found it contained about four ounces of methamphetamine.
Duran continued driving toward his home in rural Logan County. He was eventually stopped a couple hundred yards away from his driveway. Police obtained a search warrant for his home. Among other things, they located a safe which contained items with THC (the major psychoactive component found in marijuana), ammunition, and a pipe bomb. In a second safe in the home, police located several firearms. One of the firearms was a Mini-14 rifle with a folding stock. In the garage, police located approximately five pounds of marijuana packaged for sale from marijuana dispensaries in the states of Washington and California. Duran had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of the CODE Task Force. The CODE Drug Task Force is made up of law enforcement agencies from several counties in west-central and southwest Nebraska, and they focus on investigating cases involving the distribution of controlled substances.
Stapleton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of Drugs and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Lynn Duran, 38, of Stapleton, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 12 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and for being a felon in possession of firearms. After his release from prison, Duran will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Duran pleaded guilty to both offenses on March 30, 2023.
On September 13, 2021, a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, Nebraska, attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Duran. Duran did not stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued that continued into Logan County. During the pursuit, Duran tossed a duffel bag out the window of his vehicle. Police recovered the duffel bag a short time later and found it contained about four ounces of methamphetamine.
Duran continued driving toward his home in rural Logan County. He was eventually stopped a couple hundred yards away from his driveway. Police obtained a search warrant for his home. Among other things, they located a safe which contained items with THC (the major psychoactive component found in marijuana), ammunition, and a pipe bomb. In a second safe in the home, police located several firearms. One of the firearms was a Mini-14 rifle with a folding stock. In the garage, police located approximately five pounds of marijuana packaged for sale from marijuana dispensaries in the states of Washington and California. Duran had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of the CODE Task Force. The CODE Drug Task Force is made up of law enforcement agencies from several counties in west-central and southwest Nebraska, and they focus on investigating cases involving the distribution of controlled substances.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 71 Months for Making Rape Threats to Five WomenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri who repeatedly harassed and threatened to rape five women to 71 months in prison.
After his release from prison, Robert D. Merkle, 54, will be on supervised release for three years, during which he will be barred from using or possessing electronic devices and accessing the internet without permission.
“Robert Merkle has terrorized innocent women for years,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “This lengthy prison sentence and the term of supervised release will prevent him from harassing women for nearly nine years, and hopefully deter him from engaging in similar behavior ever again.”
At his guilty plea in March, Merkle admitted harassing women in the St. Louis area and across the country for months, while he was on parole for similar crimes with different victims. Merkle met several of the women on dating sites and worked with another woman. He used email, multiple cell phones and a service that can send texts anonymously to threaten the women.
Merkle contacted a St. Louis County woman who he’d met on a dating site more than seven years earlier, sending a series of text messages in which he said he’d made a copy of her house key and was planning on breaking into her home two days later and raping her. She then contacted the Town and Country police.
In a letter to Judge Clark, one of Merkle’s earlier victims wrote, “He has a deeply rooted problem, where he seemingly gets a thrill out of tormenting women online and via text.” She said dealing with Merkle has been “crippling” at times.
Another wrote that Merkle’s “actions have shown to be more aggressive and inherently dangerous over time.”
Yet another said Merkle called for two years at random times day and night, threatening her and her daughter when the girl was as young as five years old.
Judge Clark called Merkle “a danger to society” and his conduct “tremendously troubling.”
Merkle pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court to the five felony counts he was facing: two counts of interstate communication of threats and three counts of cyberstalking.
He still faces a pending felony charge of harassment in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
Merkle was charged with harassment in 2017 and 2018 in Jefferson County Circuit Court and St. Louis Circuit Court, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. He was living in a halfway house in St. Louis at the time he committed his new, federal crimes.
The FBI, the Town and Country Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Gulfport Police Department in Mississippi investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
Resources and information for stalking victims is available at the Office for Victims of Crime via this link: https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/pubs/helpseries/HelpBrochure_Stalking.html.
South Carolina Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A South Carolina woman was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Georgina Gonzalez, formerly of Miami, worked as a tax return preparer since at least 2013. For the 2016 and 2017 tax filing seasons, Gonzalez temporarily relocated to South Carolina to prepare returns and manage multiple locations of a tax preparation business located in Columbia. At these offices, Gonzalez conspired with others to inflate client refunds by preparing returns that falsely claimed, among other things, business losses, household help income, and American Opportunity and education tax credits. Gonzalez and her co-conspirators charged clients up to $999 to prepare each return. In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $420,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis ordered Gonzalez to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $423,917 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ashley Stein, Francesca Bartolomey, and Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.
Six Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty to Torturing and Abusing Two Black MenRead the Press Release
Two federal criminal informations were unsealed today charging six former Mississippi law enforcement officers with a total of 16 felonies stemming from the torture and physical abuse of three Rankin County residents in two separate unrelated incidents. Those 16 felonies include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.
In federal court this morning, six defendants, five former members of the Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Office (RSCO) – Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, 52, Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, 28, Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, 46, Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, Deputy Daniel Opdyke, 27 – and one former member of the Richland, Mississippi, Police Department – Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield, 31 – pleaded guilty to all charges against them.
The defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, without a warrant or any exigent circumstances, they kicked in the door and entered a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo. During the incident, Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men.
At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw and exited out of his neck.
As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it, including: planting a gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, spent shell casings, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story. Three of the defendants admitted in court that they were members of “The Goon Squad,” a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it.
Additionally, during their court appearances this morning, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges arise out of an incident on Dec. 4, 2022, in which Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene.
“The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who abuse the public trust that is essential to public safety.”
“No human being should ever be subjected to the kind of torturous, traumatizing and horrific acts of violence that were carried out by these law enforcement officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The physical and emotional impact of their crimes resulted from a calculated, deliberate, and egregious course of conduct that required a significant response from authorities. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officers who violate the public trust by abusing the power given to them by virtue of their position.”
“These former law enforcement officers have committed heinous and wanton acts of violence disgracing the badge which so many others have worn with pride and honor,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “They violated their oaths and have become the criminals they were sworn to protect us from.”
“Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime. The actions of these deputies and the officer significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating those who misuse their authority, violate the color of law, or inject biases in the execution of their duties.”
“Without a relationship of trust between law enforcement officers and those they swear to serve and protect,” said Mississippi State Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Our fight for justice and against crime is doomed to fail. This brutal attack caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims, it severed that vital trust with the people. This abuse of power will not be tolerated. The Attorney General’s Office is committed to delivering justice for these victims and all Mississippians, and we are grateful for this strong partnership we have with our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Field Office. Working together, it is my hope that we can help these victims heal and restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”
The defendants face state charges arising out of the same incident, including home invasion, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.
Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the federal matter are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a deputy with the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.
Six Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty to Torturing and Abusing Two Black MenRead the Press Release
Two federal criminal informations were unsealed today charging six former Mississippi law enforcement officers with a total of 16 felonies stemming from the torture and physical abuse of three Rankin County residents in two separate unrelated incidents. Those 16 felonies include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.
In federal court this morning, six defendants, five former members of the Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) – Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, 52, Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, 28, Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, 46, Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, Deputy Daniel Opdyke, 27 – and one former member of the Richland, Mississippi, Police Department – Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield, 31 – pleaded guilty to all charges against them.
The defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, without a warrant or any exigent circumstances, they kicked in the door and entered a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo. During the incident, Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men.
At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw and exited out of his neck.
As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it, including: planting a gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, spent shell casings, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story. Three of the defendants admitted in court that they were members of “The Goon Squad,” a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it.
Additionally, during their court appearances this morning, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges arise out of an incident on Dec. 4, 2022, in which Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene.
“The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who abuse the public trust that is essential to public safety.”
“No human being should ever be subjected to the kind of torturous, traumatizing and horrific acts of violence that were carried out by these law enforcement officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The physical and emotional impact of their crimes resulted from a calculated, deliberate, and egregious course of conduct that required a significant response from authorities. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officers who violate the public trust by abusing the power given to them by virtue of their position.”
“These former law enforcement officers have committed heinous and wanton acts of violence disgracing the badge which so many others have worn with pride and honor,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “They violated their oaths and have become the criminals they were sworn to protect us from.”
“Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime. The actions of these deputies and the officer significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating those who misuse their authority, violate the color of law, or inject biases in the execution of their duties.”
“Without a relationship of trust between law enforcement officers and those they swear to serve and protect,” said Mississippi State Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Our fight for justice and against crime is doomed to fail. This brutal attack caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims, it severed that vital trust with the people. This abuse of power will not be tolerated. The Attorney General’s Office is committed to delivering justice for these victims and all Mississippians, and we are grateful for this strong partnership we have with our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Field Office. Working together, it is my hope that we can help these victims heal and restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”
The defendants face state charges arising out of the same incident, including home invasion, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.
Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the federal matter are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a deputy with the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.
McAlpin et al. Information Dedmon et al. InformationSix Inmates Plead Guilty to Possessing Weapons at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Six inmates each pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, in separate incidents.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the following inmates each admitted to possessing a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” at FCI Beckley on the following dates:
- Rico Salguero, 40, on December 9, 2022;
- Lawrence Anderson, 27, on December 10, 2022;
- Jamal Brooks, 26, on January 7, 2023;
- Denardo Graham, 32, February 12, 2023;
- Jarvis Burl, 26, on February 22, 2023; and
- John Durant, 34, on April 10, 2023.
Salguero, Brooks, Burl and Durant are scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023. Anderson and Graham are scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-cr-105 (Salguero), 5:23-cr-106 (Anderson), 5:23-cr-103 (Brooks), 5:23-cr-107 (Graham), 5:23-cr-101 (Burl), and 5:23-cr-102 (Durant).
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Sisseton Man Convicted of Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man, who was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on July 31, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Larry Levi Finley III, age 26, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Finley was indicted for Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact on May 4, 2023.
According to court documents, between approximately July and October of 2021, Finley engaged in abusive sexual contact with a minor victim. The victim was over 12 years but younger than 16, and she was unable to consent to the sexual contact. The abuse took place within the tribal lands of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Finley was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Rochester Man Indicted for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Heath Gauthier, 46, of Rochester, New Hampshire, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography on August 2, 2023. Gauthier will appear in federal court in Concord at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Gauthier was indicted on February 15, 2023, on charges of wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his alleged fraudulent applications for more than $1 million in CARES Act loans. Gauthier was arrested on February 16, 2023, and investigators executed a search warrant on his residence and person. The search warrant authorized the search of his electronic devices. Subsequently, investigators located one or more computer disks and other material that contained one or more images of child sexual abuse material.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. If a defendant has a qualifying prior conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years and at least 10 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
IRS Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Social Security Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 31, 2023.
Juan Crawford, 33, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also ordered to forfeit his possession and interest in a firearm and the accompanying ammunition.
Crawford was indicted for Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on April 14, 2023.
On September 29, 2022, law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Crawford in Rapid City. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located a handgun that had previously been reported stolen in Isabel, South Dakota. Crawford is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Crawford was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Instrumental Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Denise Johnson, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Johnson admitted to her role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around June 2020, Johnson was a native of Philadelphia living in West Virginia when she introduced her friends and acquaintances in the Beckley area to a group of Philadelphia-based firearms traffickers led by Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” From in or around June 2020 to in or around July 2021, Jones and his co-conspirators obtained firearms bought by straw purchasers in the Beckley area that they took back to Philadelphia to sell for profit.
Johnson participated in the conspiracy throughout its duration, helping to organize and recruit straw purchasers who bought the firearms trafficked by Jones’ ring. Jones or an intermediary told the straw purchasers which firearms to buy and provided the money for the purchases. Johnson admitted that she knew the recruited straw purchasers would falsely certify on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were purchasing the firearms for themselves when they knew they were buying them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by Jones and his ring to Philadelphia, over 50 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia. Those have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
Johnson is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is awaiting sentencing and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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Profesor Acusado En Relación Con Violación, Agresión Sexual Y Abuso Sexual De Múltiples Víctimas De El SalvadorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Sur de Nueva York, Iván J. Arvelo, Agente Especial a Cargo de la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional en Nueva York (“HSI”), y Edward A. Caban, Comisionado del Departamento de Policía de Nueva York (“NYPD”), anunciaron que JORGE ALBERTO RAMOS fue arrestado esta mañana y acusado de inducir y transportar a dos víctimas para desplazarse entre estados y participar en actividad sexual ilícita, así como de traficar y albergar a una tercera víctima. La acusación formal, revelada hoy, alega que desde por lo menos y aproximadamente en 2013, hasta aproximadamente el 2023, RAMOS transportó e instigó, incitó, y persuadió a mujeres a viajar con promesas de una vida mejor, incluyendo oportunidades educativas y de otro tipo, desde El Salvador hasta el Bronx, Nueva York, donde él las violó, las agredió sexualmente y las abusó. Se espera que se presente a RAMOS ante el Juez Auxiliar James L. Cott esta tarde. Este caso se le asigna al Juez del Distrito John G. Koeltl.
Damian Williams, Fiscal Federal, mencionó que “según se alega, en el transcurso de una década, Jorge Alberto Ramos participó en un ardid para violar, agredir sexualmente y abusar sexualmente a múltiples víctimas de El Salvador luego de inducirlas a viajar a los Estados Unidos bajo promesas de una vida mejor. Ramos se aprovechó de mujeres vulnerables y las traficó a Nueva York con el fin de explotar sus cuerpos para su propia satisfacción sexual. Agradecemos y reconocemos a las valientes mujeres que reportaron a Ramos.”
El Agente Especial a Cargo Iván J. Arvelo expresó que “esta acusación formal envía un mensaje contundente de que la agencia de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional está comprometida a traer a los depredadores que participan en actos deplorables de violencia sexual, física y psicológica en contra de otros individuos ante la justicia. Según se alega, Jorge Alberto Ramos instigó a varias mujeres a viajar a los Estados Unidos donde las sometió a repetidas violaciones y abuso sexual. La oficina de HSI, Nueva York, junto con nuestros aliados en el Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York, y la Fiscalía Federal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Sur de Nueva York, continuarán a mantener nuestra misión para garantizar que nuestras comunidades sean seguras tanto para los residentes como para los visitantes.”
“Se alega que el señor Ramos se aprovechó de mujeres vulnerables, las trajo a los Estados Unidos con promesa de oportunidades y luego las explotó despiadadamente bajo amenazas de deportación, no una vez, sino tres veces. Me siento muy satisfecho de que el Distrito Sur de Nueva York y los detectives del Grupo de Trabajo Anti-Trata de NYPD y de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional han investigado este caso de manera exitosa,” dijo el Comisionado de NYPD Edward A Caban.
Si cree que fue víctima de violación, agresión sexual, o abuso sexual cometidos por JORGE RAMOS, por favor comuníquese al 866-347-2423 o a [email protected] y mencione este caso.
Según lo que se alega en la acusación formal revelada hoy en el tribunal federal de Manhattan:[1]
En el transcurso de varios años, entre por lo menos o aproximadamente el 2013, hasta aproximadamente el 2023, JORGE ALBERTO RAMOS instigó, incitó y persuadió a mujeres con promesas de una vida mejor, incluyendo oportunidades educativas y de otro tipo, para viajar desde El Salvador hasta el Bronx, Nueva York, donde las violó, las agredió sexualmente, y las abusó sexualmente. RAMOS captó por lo menos a tres mujeres (“Víctima – 1,” “Víctima – 2,” y “Víctima – 3,” y en conjunto, las “Víctimas”) al expresar su preocupación por ellas y sus familias, y al enviarles regalos y dinero. RAMOS coordinó para que cada una de las Víctimas fuese traficada desde El Salvador hasta los Estados Unidos, incluso les pagó a los traficantes (o “coyotes”) para que transportaran a las Víctimas a través de la frontera estadounidense. RAMOS instigó por lo menos a dos de las Víctimas a que viajaran desde El Salvador hasta el Bronx con el fin de que RAMOS las pudiera obligar a participar en actos sexuales ilícitos con él según se los exigiera.
Una vez que se transportó a las Víctimas a Nueva York, RAMOS trajo a cada una de las Víctimas, respectivamente y en diferentes ocasiones, a su residencia en el Bronx (la “Residencia Ramos”). Una vez en la Residencia Ramos, RAMOS violó, agredió sexualmente y abusó sexualmente a las Víctimas. En el 2016, o aproximadamente en esa fecha, RAMOS violó, agredió sexualmente y abusó sexualmente a la Víctima – 1 el primer día que trajo a la Víctima – 1 a la Residencia Ramos, y RAMOS continuó a hacerlo por varias semanas hasta que la Víctima – 1 huyó de RAMOS. En el 2017, o aproximadamente en esa fecha, RAMOS violó, agredió sexualmente y abusó sexualmente a la Víctima – 2 el primer día que trajo a la Víctima – 2 a la Residencia Ramos, y RAMOS continuó a hacerlo por aproximadamente un mes hasta que la Víctima – 2 huyó de RAMOS. Entre el 2013, o aproximadamente en esa fecha, hasta aproximadamente el 2014, RAMOS violó, agredió sexualmente y abusó sexualmente a la Víctima – 3 en por lo menos tres ocasiones después de llevar a la Víctima – 3 a su residencia. Mientras las Víctimas se quedaron en la Residencia Ramos, RAMOS intentó controlarlas al ordenarles a las Víctimas – entre otras cosas, a que se quedaran dentro de la Residencia Ramos, intentando aislar a las Víctimas de otras personas y amenazándolas con reportar a las Víctimas con oficiales de inmigración para que las deportaran de regreso a El Salvador.
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Se acusa a RAMOS, de 43 años, del Bronx, Nueva York, de dos cargos por instigar a viajar con el fin de participar en actividades sexuales ilícitas, cada cargo conlleva una pena máxima de 20 años en prisión; dos cargos por transporte con el fin de participar en actividades sexuales ilícitas, cada cargo conlleva una pena máxima de 10 años en prisión; un cargo de conspiración con el fin de participar en tráfico de personas y un cargo de tráfico de personas, cada uno de estos cargos conlleva una pena máxima de 10 años en prisión; y un cargo por albergar a una persona indocumentada, lo cual conlleva una pena máxima de 5 años en prisión.
Las penas máximas por ley están estipuladas por el Congreso y se ofrecen aquí con fines informativos únicamente, ya que cualquier condena impuesta al acusado sería determinada por un juez.
El Sr. Williams elogió la excelente labor investigativa de HSI y NYPD.
Esta causa está a cargo de la Unidad de Delincuencia Organizada y Violenta de la Fiscalía. Las Fiscales Asistentes Elizabeth A. Espinosa, Emily A. Johnson, y Jane Kim están a cargo del enjuiciamiento.
Los cargos que aparecen en la Acusación Formal son simplemente acusaciones y al acusado se le presume inocente hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad.
[1] Como significa la frase introductoria, la totalidad del texto de la Acusación Formal y la descripción de la Acusación Formal aquí expuesta constituyen únicamente acusaciones, y cada hecho descrito debe tratarse como una alegación.
U.S. v. Ramos IndictmentPolitical Consultant Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Candidate in 2017 New Haven Probate Judge RaceRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VICTOR CUEVAS, 59, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to eight months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to defraud a New Haven Probate Judge candidate in 2017.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cuevas co-operated a Connecticut-based political consulting business called Yellow Dog Strategies (“YDS”). In 2017, YDS was paid $5,750 to collect 1,000 petition signatures from registered Democrats in New Haven in support of a probate judge primary candidate. Cuevas supervised YDS’s collection of voters’ signatures using a team of “Circulators,” each of whom was required by state regulations to sign a Statement of Authenticity before a notary public attesting that they had collected the voters’ petition signatures in person. Rather than collect legitimate voter signatures, Cuevas conspired with others to defraud the candidate by submitting falsified petition forms. Specifically, Cuevas caused signatures of registered voters to be forged on petitions and caused the signature of a purported Circulator to be forged on a Statement of Authenticity.
Cuevas caused the falsified forms to be delivered to the candidate, who, unaware of the forgeries, submitted those petitions to be counted. The New Haven Democratic Registrar of Voters quickly detected forged signatures in the petitions. Upon learning that voter signatures had been forged, the candidate withdrew from the primary.
The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission immediately initiated an investigation into Cuevas’s conduct. When Cuevas learned of that investigation, he and his co-conspirators attempted to conceal their scheme by pressuring the fictitious Circulator, whose signature had been forged, to sign a false affidavit.
Judge Thompson ordered Cuevas to pay $5750 in restitution.
Cuevas, a former Connecticut State Representative, was on federal probation at the time of the offense. In October 2016, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine for conspiring with others to commit bank fraud in connection with his home mortgage loan applications.
On October 25, 2022, Cuevas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Cuevas, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 5.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor Reardon and Jonathan Francis.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission for its assistance in this matter.
Permanent Injunctions and Judgment of over $1 Million in Civil Penalties Entered in Case of Deceptive Marketing of Purported COVID-19 TreatmentsRead the Press Release
Nutritional supplement company Quickwork LLC and one of its managers, Eric Anthony Nepute, have agreed to injunctions and to pay civil penalties to resolve a lawsuit alleging they deceptively marketed vitamin supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic, in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act and the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act. The resolution of this lawsuit follows an order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on July 19, awarding partial summary judgment to the government.
In a complaint filed on April 15, 2021, the government alleged that the defendants made misleading and unsubstantiated advertising claims that their Vitamin D and Zinc supplements could be used to treat or prevent COVID-19, and in fact provide equal or better protection against COVID-19 than the available COVID-19 vaccines. The complaint also alleged that the defendants had mischaracterized the results of scientific studies to support some of their claims.
In an order entered on Nov. 14, 2022, Quickwork agreed to an injunction and a $1 million civil penalty, partially suspended due to an inability to pay. On July 19, the court granted partial summary judgment against Nepute, finding that there was no reasonable basis in the record to support claims that Zinc can treat or prevent COVID-19, or that Vitamin D or Zinc provide equal or better protection against COVID-19 than the available COVID-19 vaccines. In an order entered on Aug. 2, Nepute agreed to an injunction and to pay $80,000 in civil penalties.
The court’s injunctions prohibit the defendants from advertising that their supplements can prevent, cure, mitigate, or treat COVID-19 without competent and reliable scientific evidence to support such claims. The defendants are also banned from misrepresenting the results of COVID-19 research in their advertising. The defendants agreed to pay damages in the event that they make prohibited representations in the future.
“Consumers have a right to receive truthful information when deciding whether to purchase products,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “This is especially important when claims about those products could affect how consumers seek to protect themselves during a pandemic.”
The case was handled by attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Trial Attorneys Benjamin Cornfeld, Brandon Robers, Zachary Cowan, Rachel Baron, and Meredith Reiter, as well as Assistant Directors Lisa Hsiao and Rachael Doud, with support and assistance from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.
Peever Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Assault of Domestic PartnerRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Peever, South Dakota, man, convicted of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on July 10, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Norbit Bellonger IV, age 23, was sentenced to five years in federal prison (the statutory maximum), followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bellonger was indicted for Assault of an Intimate and Dating Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. He pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury on April 11, 2023.
According to court documents, in August of 2022, Bellonger committed an aggravated assault against the victim, who was a dating partner of Bellonger. Bellonger assaulted the victim by striking and strangling her. The victim sustained substantial injuries to her neck and face, among other places, as a result of the assault.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Bellonger was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
Owner of Cleveland Construction Company Sentenced for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Timothy Ray Jenkins, 67, of Woodmere, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker. Jenkins pleaded guilty to counts one through 11 of an indictment that charged him with failure to account for and pay over taxes. Jenkins was also ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release, and to pay both a $1,100 special assessment and $1,174,677.06 in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, Jenkins was the manager and owner of Dan-Ray Construction LLC (DRC), an LLC doing business in and around Cleveland, Ohio that was engaged in the business of construction services, often working as a subcontractor. Jenkins exercised control over DRC’s financial affairs by controlling DRC’s finances, including signing checks and controlling DRC’s bank accounts and overseeing payroll payments. Jenkins was responsible for collecting employment taxes, accounting for employment taxes by filing employment tax returns with the IRS and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for DRC’s employees. Jenkins had another company prepare payroll and employment tax returns for DRC. Jenkins instructed the company to turn over the employment tax returns and other reports and tax filings that the company had prepared to Jenkins. Jenkins represented that he would file the employment tax returns and other tax filings, but he failed to do so. Jenkins withheld employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks but failed to pay over the employment taxes to the IRS.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison.
Operators of large human smuggling operations ordered to federal prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two coordinators have been sentenced for organizing and participating in the smuggling of several hundred people, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Derly Crescencio Medina, 27, McAllen, and Jessica Dinora Pena-Rodriguez, 48, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty May 23 and May 30, respectively.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Medina to serve a term of 108 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Pena-Rodriguez received a 78-month-term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her sentence. In imposing the prison terms, Judge Crane noted that it was clear they were co-leaders and organizers for a long period of time.
Both acted a facilitators for the organization from at least August 2021 to their arrest in February 2023.
The investigation revealed Medina and Pena organized and participated in smuggling several hundred people during that time. The duo controlled the entire breadth of the smuggling operation - from posting smuggling advertisements on social media to coordinating their crossings of the Rio Grande and transportation to stash houses in the McAllen area to arranging transportation around immigration checkpoints deeper into the United States.
The duo also handled large amounts of human smuggling payments. They received tens of thousands of dollars in smuggling fees from smuggled undocumented aliens and wired significant sums to smuggling associates in Mexico.
Pena and Medina also harbored undocumented aliens at their residence awaiting transport further into the United States. Medina even transported aliens himself. In one instance in December 2021, law enforcement arrested him near the Rio Grande transporting seven undocumented aliens in his vehicle. Medina provided a false Mexican identity and avoided prosecution at that time by allowing himself to be wrongly removed to Mexico. He re-entered the United States using his true identity hours later.
The Pena-Medina network included numerous other co-conspirators, including nine others who have also been successfully investigated and prosecuted.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, Hidalgo County Constable’s Office and police departments in Mission and Premont. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III is prosecuting the case.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kimberly Dawn Legg, 49, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Legg admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to December 5, 2022, Legg sold quantities of methamphetamine obtained from a supplier who usually delivered the methamphetamine directly to her Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted to handling the money when selling the methamphetamine to customers while co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg typically weighed out the amounts. Kimberly Dawn Legg further admitted that the supplier usually provided the methamphetamine without requiring full payment, with the understanding that he would be paid from the individual sale proceeds.
On December 4, 2022, the supplier delivered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to Kimberly Dawn Legg’s residence. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence and found the methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted that she and Larry Wayne Legg intended to sell the seized methamphetamine.
Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years in prison on July 6, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg and Larry Wayne Legg are among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
Eighteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-4.
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New Orleans Woman Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JASHA BANKS, a/k/a “Chocolate,” age 39, pleaded guilty on August 2, 2023, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan to a three count indictment charging her with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8) (Count 1); possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) (Count 2); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (Count 3), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As to Count 1, the maximum penalty is up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
As to Count 2, the maximum penalty is up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least 3 years of supervised release.
As to Count 3, the maximum penalty is not less than 5 years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive to all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years of supervised release. As to each count, JASHA BANKS also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
Navajo Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead 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 Byron Yazzie, Jr. was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Yazzie, 22, of Tohatchi, New Mexico, pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor, sexual abuse and aggravated sexual abuse on March 23, 2023.
Yazzie was indicted by a grand jury on June 15, 2022. According to court documents, between August and November of 2020, Yazzie sexually abused three minor victims. Yazzie was nineteen years old at the time.
Yazzie met the first victim, a minor who had attained the age of 12 but had not yet attained the age of sixteen, through Facebook and began a sexual relationship with them sometime in August. On October 20, 2020, Yazzie engaged in a sexual act with a second victim. The victim told Yazzie “no” and they did not want to have sex with him, however Yazzie used his size and weight to threaten the victim. On November 5, 2020, Yazzie engaged in a sexual act with a third victim. Yazzie gave them alcohol, causing them to become intoxicated and incapable of participating in the sexual act.
On November 26, 2020, the second victim disclosed to a family member that Yazzie had assaulted them 2 days prior. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Yazzie admitted to sexually abusing the victim.
Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to supervised release for life and must register as a sex offender.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.
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Navajo Man Charged with 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 today that Kirtie Cohoe made an initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with murder. Cohoe, 46, of Shiprock, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for August 4, 2023.
According to the criminal complaint, Cohoe was staying at the home of a relative in Shiprock, New Mexico. The victim, John Doe, arrived at the home on the morning of July 31 for a cook-out and the trio began drinking. About an hour after John Doe arrived at the home, and while Cohoe’s relative was outside of the home, Cohoe stabbed John Doe multiple times in the torso. When his relative asked Cohoe what happened, Cohoe allegedly responded “I don’t know. He was talking [expletive].” Cohoe then departed the house on foot, allegedly taking the weapon with him.
When officers from the Navajo Police Department arrived at the home, John Doe was found deceased. Cohoe was later located in a wooded area near the home. Cohoe had blood on his shirt and shoes and the weapon was found nearby, next to Cohoe’s wallet.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Cohoe faces up to life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
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Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victor Julio Hotema, age 24, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing child pornography.
On August 22, 2022, Hotema pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly possessing and accessing with the intent to view visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Hotema 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.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve A. Ozark represented the United States.
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.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab 'Resources'.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE GUADALUPE CASTILLO LARA, also known as Jose Castillo, Jose Latta, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jose Ruiz, 41, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to seven months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents, Castillo previously was deported from the U.S. to Mexico in April 2009 following a felony conviction in Texas for assault. He reentered the U.S. shortly thereafter and was encountered by law enforcement in Texas. On July 13, 2009, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for violating the terms of his probation from his assault conviction. He was again removed to Mexico in June 2010.
On November 17, 2018, Castillo was arrested by Stamford Police. On March 6, 2019, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging him with reentry of a removed alien. On March 7, 2019, Castillo was convicted in state court of disorderly conduct related to his November 2018 arrest, and he was released from state custody. He remained at large until March 17, 2023, when he was apprehended in Massachusetts.
On May 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to reentry of a removed alien.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Casey.
Maryland woman guilty of role in international drug operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ana Ercilia Luna, age 38, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty today to a drug conspiracy charge.
According to court documents, Luna would assist drug customers at Top 3 Sources, a business in Hagerstown that was being used to distribute hundreds of grams of illegal substances. Luna also smuggled drug proceeds to the Dominican Republic and deposited proceeds into the Top 3 Sources bank account.
Luna faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; The Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard, the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Read more about the initial indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/34-indicted-expansive-drug-trafficking-operation
Maryland Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $2 Million in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – The owner of a New Jersey-based scrap metal company admitted illegally obtaining more than $2 million through a multi-year scheme that victimized more than 10 businesses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Creed White, 64, of Freeland, Maryland, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn on Aug. 2, 2023, to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 2010 through September 2020, White used his Camden-based business, American Scrap LLC, to victimize at least 13 businesses. White fraudulently purported to engage in the business of shipping scrap metal. He obtained payments from certain victims for shipments of scrap metal that he never shipped and obtained scrap metal from certain victims and then failed to pay those victims for the materials he obtained. White’s scheme defrauded the victim companies of more than $2.1 million.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profits or gross loss suffered by the victims of his offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.
white.information.pdfMarion Man Sentenced to Two Life Sentences Plus Ten Years in Federal Prison for 2021 Palm Sunday Kidnapping, Carjacking, and MurderRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dominique Devonah Brand, 30, of Marion, was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences plus ten years in federal prison after being convicted of Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Carjacking Resulting in Death, and Using or Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in a Manner Constituting Murder.
Brand was convicted following a multi-day bench trial in September 2022. Evidence presented by the Government showed that on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Brand entered Mary Ann Elvington’s home in Nichols, South Carolina. While inside the house, he fired a 12-gauge shotgun into the hallway floor at close range. Mr. Brand’s DNA was later found on multiple items inside Ms. Elvington’s home, including the spent, 12-gauge shotgun shell he fired, a pizza slice he apparently ate from while there, a water bottle he drank from, and a jewelry box he touched. Across the street from Ms. Elvington’s home, investigators found Mr. Brand’s blood and touch DNA inside a stolen church van that was stuck in the mud.
At about 6:11 p.m. that Sunday, Brand forced Ms. Elvington to drive him from her house to Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and back into South Carolina. During this trip, Mr. Brand sat behind Ms. Elvington with the shotgun. Ms. Elvington’s cell site location information showed her car was initially headed back toward her home in Nichols. But in Lake View, South Carolina, surveillance video from the Lake View Police Department captured Brand directing Ms. Elvington into the back seat of her car, moving a gun to the front seat, getting in the driver’s seat, and making a U-turn, heading away from Ms. Elvington’s home. The surveillance video showed Brand was alone with Ms. Elvington—carrying a gun—shortly before she was murdered. After leaving Lake View, Brand drove Ms. Elvington to a remote crossroads in Marion County and walked her behind the abandoned Zion Grocery store. He held the shotgun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger, executing her.
Brand then drove Ms. Elvington’s car to Marion, where he hid it behind an abandoned club. Investigators found Brand’s blood on a wooden block sitting in the driver’s seat and on a fuse puller on the ground outside the car. Ms. Elvington’s body was located the following evening, March 29, 2021. After learning he was a suspect, Brand turned himself in to authorities on March 31, 2021.
“Dominique Brand’s crimes were senseless, tragic, and irreversible,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “His conviction and life sentence reflect the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to working with our local, state, and federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable. We hope Ms. Elvington’s loved ones can find healing in knowing that justice has been served.”
“This sentence brings a measure of accountability to a violent criminal who showed no regard for the sanctity of life,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “No sentence can fully heal the wounds of the victim’s loved ones, but it is our hope that those affected by this senseless act can begin healing knowing that justice prevailed.”
“The truly horrific nature of this case demonstrates how important developing our solid partnerships with other state and federal agencies is in solving crimes and holding those who commit them responsible to account for their actions,” said 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
“Horry County Police Department is grateful for the local, state, and federal partnerships that made this investigation and arrest possible,” said Horry County Police Department Deputy Chief Brandon Strickland. “Through working together on a case that spanned across multiple jurisdictions, we were able to bring Brand to justice, and hopefully provide some small measure of closure for Ms. Elvington’s loved ones.”
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace said “[t]he kidnapping and subsequent murder of Mary Ann Elvington rocked not only our community, but my department. When you work where you live it is difficult to avoid cases in which you personally know the families you serve. We pray that today's sentencing will bring much needed closure to the Elvington family and open the door for healing for all of us. "
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the trial and imposed two concurrent life sentences on the carjacking and kidnapping convictions, plus ten years consecutive for using a firearm during the commission of these offenses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with significant assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Horry County Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, Lake View Police Department, and Nichols Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Kathleen Stoughton prosecuted the case along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson, who also serves as the Deputy Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit.
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Man Sentenced for String of Crimes Including Child Exploitation, Video Voyeurism, Attempted Sexual Abuse, and BurglaryRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma man was sentenced today to 14 years and eight months in prison for cyberstalking, video voyeurism, burglary, attempted burglary, attempted sexual abuse, and coercing and enticing a minor.
According to court documents, Tyler James Stephens, 25, of Checotah and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, committed a string of crimes between May 2020 and May 2021. Stephens roamed Checotah, looking through the windows of residences, and sometimes taking photographs or videos of female victims in various states of undress within their homes. He broke into or attempted to break into the homes of some female victims of whom he had taken surreptitious images. Stephens also broke into a residence and attempted to sexually assault the resident while her minor child was in the room. In two instances, Stephens accessed a social media account belonging to someone else and used it to solicit nude or private images of minors, including by sending an obscene picture to one of the minors. Stephens also threatened to publicly post a photo of one of the minors and “ruin her life” if she did not comply with his requests.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Checotah Police Department and Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maine Woman Faces Prison After Trading Use of Her Avon Residence to Traffickers for DrugsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Franklin County woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to using and maintaining a drug premises, possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute, and aiding and abetting.
According to court records, between March 2020 and July 2020, Brandice Dotolo, 40, allowed her Avon residence to be used for the use and distribution of heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” in exchange for drugs. Law enforcement seized approximately 85 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and 40 grams of crack during the execution of a search warrant at the residence.
Dotolo faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $500,000, and supervised release for at least three years and up to life. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Leader of Savannah-area drug trafficking conspiracy sentenced to decades in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed kilos of cocaine and large amounts of other illegal drugs throughout the coastal Georgia area has been sentenced to more than 25 years in federal prison, concluding prosecution of Operation Deadlier Catch.
Joseph Bulloch, a/k/a “Lil Joe,” 34, of Savannah, was sentenced to 310 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and Quantities of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearms by a Convicted Felon; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Bulloch to serve five of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners in Operation Deadlier Catch did outstanding work in identifying and shutting down this large-scale drug trafficking network, removing a threat of illegal drugs and its attendant violence from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We will continue to coordinate our efforts to protect our neighborhoods from dangerous drugs.”
Operation Deadlier Catch, as described in court documents and the December 2020 indictment in USA v. Bulloch et al., infiltrated the drug trafficking network to trace the source of supply and points of distribution in the greater Savannah area. The operation, led by investigators from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Savannah Police Department, culminated in a series of searches in which agents seized more than 24 kilograms of cocaine, more than 180 pounds of marijuana, 3 kilograms of heroin, and more than a dozen firearms – many of them illegally possessed by previously convicted felons.
The indictment named 29 defendants on 27 felony counts, and with the exception of one defendant who remains a fugitive, all of the defendants pled guilty to felony charges and have been sentenced, most of them to substantial prison terms. In addition to Bulloch, key figures sentenced in the operation include:
- Ildelfonso Sanchez-Inzunza, 32, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by deportation after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. The investigation identified Sanchez-Inzunza as a representative of the California-based source of supply for the drug traffickers. Agents who searched Sanchez-Inzunza’s Savannah residence found large quantities of drugs including more than 16 kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of heroin, along with nearly $200,000 in cash.
- Kashif Collins, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 36, of Savannah, sentenced to 220 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine; and, two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Collins managed “stash houses” and coordinated deliveries to lower-level drug dealers.
- Jontae Keel, a/k/a “Blyha,” 31, of Savannah, sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Kilograms of More of Marijuana. Keel’s mother, Joann Keel Robinson, a/k/a “Ma Dukes,” 55, of Savannah, and three brothers, Javontae Parrish, 32, Joseph Parrish III, 31, and Jashavious Keel, 29, all of Savannah, also were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges in the conspiracy.
One defendant, Jarnard Williams, 32, of Savannah, remains a fugitive. He is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana. He is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, one of the leaders of this extensive drug distribution network will spend significant time behind bars,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Bulloch and his co-defendants were a plague in the community with their drugs, guns, and violence and the FBI is committed to removing every single one of these predators from our streets.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, said “This career criminal can no longer distribute dangerous drugs as he now faces serious time for both his drug crimes and violent criminal conduct.”
“This investigation is a prime example of what happens when law enforcement agencies pool their resources together to achieve a common goal of protecting communities from the many perils of illegal and dangerous drugs,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Protecting the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service, and I commend the hard work by all of our partners to bring these individuals to justice.”
“Combating narcotics in our community continues to be our core mission. The sentencing of Mr. Bulloch and his co-defendants, along with the dismantlement of his distribution network, signifies our relentless pursuit to eradicate the presence of this poison and violent crime throughout our community,” said Michael G. Sarhatt, Director of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team. “Today is the result of a strong working relationship between Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Savannah Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s office. It is our promise to continue our commitment to keeping our streets safe and clean.”
“Thanks to extensive and trusting partnerships, a dangerous criminal will now be behind bars for decades,” said Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther. “Our department is committed to continued focus on partnerships and relationships to help yield similar outcomes into the future.”
Operation Deadlier Catch was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies investigating the case included the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Savannah Police Department. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II.
Lake Placid, Florida Man Sentenced for Participating in Business Email Compromise Scheme Spanning Four StatesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of Timothy Scott Marable for wire fraud. On August 1, 2023, a judge sentenced Marable, a 51-year-old from Lake Placid, Florida, to 12 months in prison.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, from November 2019 through August 2020, Marable served as a money mule in a business email compromise scheme that preyed on at least four businesses in four different states, including Alabama, Idaho, Ohio, and Texas. Participants in a business email compromise scheme gain unauthorized access to a business email account through various means, such as hacking the account or obtaining login information through social engineering. Participants then use the compromised email account to send emails to other businesses posing as legitimate account holders. Oftentimes, the scheme participants attempt to steal money from email recipients by fraudulently representing that the legitimate account holder has changed banking information and instructing the recipient to make future payments to a new bank account. The new bank account frequently belongs to a scheme participant who receives payment obtained by fraud and then transfers the proceeds to others involved in the scheme.
Marable admitted in his plea agreement that he communicated with an individual through an online instant messaging platform. That person directed Marable to receive substantial deposits into his bank accounts through wire transfers, open new bank accounts, and distribute the deposited funds by writing checks and wiring the funds to offshore bank accounts. At least two fraudulent wire transfers received by Marable were sent by a company based in Montgomery, Alabama. Marable continued with this fraud despite multiple warnings that he was participating in a scheme and the closure of bank accounts due to fraudulent activity. During the sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered Marable to pay restitution in the amount of $2,701,746.50, representing the loss amount attributable to Marable.
FBI offices in Alabama and Idaho investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen K. Moulton and Michelle R. Turner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the case, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
Kansas Man Convicted for Sex Trafficking in OklahomaRead the Press Release
TULSA Okla. – A Wichita, Kansas, man was convicted on nine criminal charges for conducting a sex trafficking operation that spanned four states.
A federal jury deliberated approximately 2 hours before convicting Byron Cordell Thomas, 36, for sex trafficking; transporting an individual for prostitution; witness tampering by corrupt persuasion; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“The victims in this case were beaten, isolated, and trafficked across state lines for prostitution. They suffered threats and intimidation from Thomas, even throughout the investigation, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their lengthy and solid investigation of this case, and the victims for their brave testimony that made this conviction possible.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to ensure human traffickers face justice for their heinous crimes,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas’ Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division. “This verdict is proof of our commitment to protect victims from further harm.”
Thomas targeted young females suffering financial difficulties who had little to no support. He advertised himself as a “street advisor” and promised to help women make money as part of his team, or “stable,” but kept the money for himself. Thomas would isolate women, transport them under false pretenses to another state, and refuse to provide return transportation until the women earned a set amount of money through prostitution.
Thomas, who carried a gun, was physically violent with some of the women but primarily achieved control by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, including varying degrees of emotional, physiological, and financial control.
Thomas maintained hotel rooms in Tulsa; Oklahoma City; Dallas, Texas; Bossier City, Louisana; and Wichita, Kansas, for harboring the victims and conducting his trafficking and prostitution operation. One victim told officers that Thomas and another victim picked her up in Topeka, Kansas and drove her to Tulsa where she was forced into prostitution and not allowed to leave.
Thomas used and taught the victims to use cell phones and social media to promote themselves, communicate with clients, and conduct business. Investigators located messages and pictures used in various online prostitution ads over several states.
Further, Thomas used deception and took steps to insulate himself in an attempt to conceal the prostitution from law enforcement and avoid prosecution. He would make his main prostitute, referred to as a “bottom,” train new prostitutes on how to act with clients, screen for law enforcement, and make money. He pressured women to get tattoos, referred to as “branding,” with his street name of “B$.” One of his “bottoms had the tattoo on her neck.
He would also instruct the women engaged in prostitution to give false information to law enforcement. Later he intimidated and threatened the victims to influence, delay, and prevent testimony in criminal proceedings. Thomas and others he recruited have harassed victims and pressured them to change their statements.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from Kansas and Texas law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation.
Thomas faces up to 35 years in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Shakema Onias prosecuted the case.
To report suspected human trafficking to Federal law enforcement call 1-866-347-2423.
KC Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Machine Gun Used in Fatal Shooting of KC FiremanRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm used in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Kansas City, Mo., firefighter.
Ja’Von L. Taylor, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to seven years in federal prison without parole.
On March 8, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a machine gun. Taylor has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest.
Taylor admitted he was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber handgun, which had been converted to a machine gun. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Taylor has prior felony convictions for robbery and distributing marijuana.
According to court documents, Independence police officers were dispatched to Liquor Land, 11100 E. U.S. 40 Highway in Independence, on a reported shooting of an off-duty Kansas City, Mo., firefighter on Oct. 6, 2022. Officers found Anthony Santi on the floor of the business directly inside the front doors. Santi was transported to CenterPoint Medical Center. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful, and Santi died as a result of the injuries sustained from the gunshot.
According to court documents, Taylor and Santi were involved in an altercation in the store’s parking lot after Taylor was refused service and refused to leave the store. Santi, who was delivering novelty items for the business to sell, told Taylor to leave and escorted him out of the store. When they reached Taylor’s car, Taylor pulled a Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine from under the front seat. Taylor and Santi wrestled over the handgun until Santi was able to put Taylor in a headlock. Taylor’s girlfriend retrieved the handgun and fired one shot at Santi, striking him in the back. Santi then let go of Taylor and walked into the business, where he collapsed. Taylor and his girlfriend got into their vehicle and fled from the scene.
While law enforcement officers were on the scene, the girlfriend returned with her mother and was taken into custody. Taylor was located at the Quik Trip across the street and taken into custody. Officers searched Taylor’s vehicle and found the Glock machine gun, a broken extended magazine, and a 15-round magazine. Taylor told investigators that he bought the gun from a guy off the street a few months ago for $500.
At the time of this offense, Taylor was on probation on the suspended execution of an eight-year sentence for robbery in the first degree.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Defendant Threatened Bank Tellers with Bomb
WASHINGTON - A Superior Court jury, today, found Mark Stubblefield, 65, of Washington, D.C., guilty on all counts for robbing and threatening to blow up a branch of the Truist Bank, located at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stubblefield was found guilty of one count of robbery while armed and one count of felony threats. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 17, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, shortly after 2:35 p.m., on October 20, 2022, the defendant disguised himself and walked into the Truist Bank, located at 1369 Connecticut Avenue, NW. He threatened to blow up the bank tellers, putting them in fear for their lives, and demanded a large amount of cash. Around two minutes later, he left the bank with $10,000 in cash. He walked south on Connecticut Avenue, before getting on a Metrobus and donning a D.C. Department of Transportation uniform. The defendant evaded police and escaped that day.
The government presented surveillance footage from nearby business and the Metrobus. The Metrobus surveillance clearly captured the defendant’s face, which the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department used to find witnesses who identified the bank robber. The government also presented DNA evidence linking the defendant to the crime.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team. They thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Laboratory for providing valuable assistance. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Special Agent Sean Ricardi, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce, and Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Antoinette Sakamsa, with valuable assistance from AUSAs Paul Courtney and Jessica Ans.
Finally, they recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case.
Johnstown Couple Pleads Guilty to Tax Violations, Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, PA – Two residents of Northern Cambria, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal tax, anti-fraud, and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
On August 2, 2023, Sarah Stiles, age 38, and David Bachik, age 52, both of Northern Cambria, PA pleaded guilty to two counts each before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
According to the criminal Information, Stiles served as Vice President of Life Changing Support Services (LCSS), a business located in Northern Cambria that provides housing to individuals with intellectual disabilities. As Vice President, Stiles was personally responsible for the withholding and payment of employment taxes related to LCSS employees. In connection with the guilty plea, in the quarter ending in December of calendar year 2019, Stiles, did willfully fail to truthfully account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of LCSS employees in the amount of $21,284.89. Additionally, according to information presented to the Court, Stiles admitted to willfully failing to account for and pay over a total of $2,063,544 in employment taxes between March 2013 and December 2019.
Further, on or about August 2, 2019, and continuing until February 26, 2020, Stiles and Bachik, knowingly and willfully did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree with one another to commit wire fraud. According to the criminal Information, in and around 2019, Stiles was removed as a signature authority from LCSS bank accounts, but remained in her role as Vice President of LCSS. Stiles and Bachik believed that Stiles was being unfairly compensated as compared to other LCSS officers/employees. Thus, it was the object of the conspiracy for Stiles and Bachik to embezzle and steal LCSS monies for themselves. Accordingly, Stiles and Bachik devised a scheme by which Stiles would direct payments from LCSS to a fake company controlled by Bachik, and Bachik would disburse the stolen money to Stiles and himself. To that end, in 2019, Stiles and Bachik agreed to form “Stonewall Business Management” a fictitious company to be used to receive payments from LCSS. Stiles deceived LCSS into believing that LCSS was a legitimate business that offered worker’s compensation and general liability insurance. From on or about July 3, 2019 to on or about February 28, 2020, Stiles deceived LCSS into issuing twelve cashier’s checks totaling $56,308.10 to Stonewall Business Management, which Bachik deposited into bank accounts held in the name of Stonewall Business Management.
Additionally, on or about August 14, 2019, Bachik, did knowingly conduct and attempt to conduct a financial transaction affecting interstate commerce which involved the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, knowing that the property involved represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity and knowing that said financial transaction was designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of specified unlawful activity. That is, Bachik withdrew from one Stonewall Business Management bank account $9,000 in LCSS funds that had been provided to Stonewall Business Management as a result of the fraud scheme.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecutions of Stiles and Bachik.
Jamaica Plain Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Jamaica Plain man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a May 2022 robbery of a TD Bank in Cambridge.
Jalonni Shabazz, a/k/a “Jalonni Tucker,” 41, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Shabazz was charged by criminal complaint in July 2022 and was subsequently indicted in October 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16, 2023.
On May 2, 2022, at approximately 12:49 p.m., a suspect wearing a royal blue baseball hat, gray short-sleeved T-shirt, a camouflage pattern garment around his neck, and medical mask entered the TD Bank on Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. The suspect handed the teller a note that read, “All of the Money - No Dye packs - or alarms,” and then told the teller, “This is a robbery honey.” The teller complied with the suspect’s demands and gave cash to the suspect. The man then fled on foot after taking $2,200 cash from the teller.
During a search of the area surrounding the bank, investigators located a royal blue baseball hat consistent with that worn by the suspect during the robbery. DNA obtained from the hat belonged to Shabazz. In addition, analysis of the bank’s surveillance footage and the defendant’s Facebook account identified Shabazz’s features – including his tattoo, hair and an article of clothing – to be consistent with that of the robbery suspect.
At the time of the robbery, Shabazz was on supervised release following a 2017 federal conviction for two bank robberies for which he was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Massachusetts State Police Interim Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr.; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving the Hack and Theft of Billions in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A married couple from New York City pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracies arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, and Heather Morgan, 33, were arrested in February 2022, after the government seized approximately 95,000 of those stolen Bitcoin from cryptocurrency wallets in the defendants’ control. At the time of the seizure, the recovered funds were valued at approximately $3.6 billion. Since their arrests, the government has seized another approximately $475 million tied to the hack.
The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein used a number of advanced hacking tools and techniques to gain access to Bitfinex’s network. Once inside their systems, Lichtenstein was able to fraudulently authorize more than 2,000 transactions in which 119,754 bitcoin was transferred from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by going back into Bitfinex’s network and deleting access credentials and other log files that may have given him away to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds.
As part of their pleas, Lichtenstein and Morgan admitted that Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds, which obfuscates the trail of the transaction history by breaking up the fund flow; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency, including anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrency (AEC), in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services, such as Bitcoin Fog, Helix, and ChipMixer; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize their banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins, which Morgan then concealed by burying them.
Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process at the conclusion of the case, pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property.
The investigation was led by IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Unit, FBI-Chicago, FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit (VAU), and HSI-New York. The Ansbach Police Department in Germany provided assistance during this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick provided valuable assistance. Significant assistance was also provided by Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, HSI-Philadelphia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks.
High-Ranking Honduran Drug Cartel Member Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national pleaded guilty today to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, from approximately 2008 through June 2014, Mario Urbina, 41, conspired to import cocaine into the United States. Urbina was a lieutenant in the Los Valles international drug trafficking organization based in Honduras, which is a major transit country for South American cocaine. Urbina was personally responsible for coordinating the trafficking of ton quantities of cocaine and the collection of millions of dollars in cocaine proceeds. The Los Valles cartel maintained an arsenal of firearms to protect and further their operation and relied on violence, including kidnapping and murder, as a means of intimidation.
Urbina is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the Virginia State Police, FBI Sacramento Field Office, the Sacramento OCDETF Strike Force, DEA and FBI Tegucigalpa Country Offices, and the Honduran National Police for their significant assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
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.
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. 1:14-cr-135.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rogelio Lopez-Lopez, a/k/a Hugo Gilardo Sales-Gomez, age 37, a Guatemalan citizen who was living in Chenango County, New York, was sentenced to serve 7-months in prison for unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being deported, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Brophy, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Buffalo Field Office.
As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he returned to the United States after being previously deported in 2006 and without making application to lawfully reenter. He came to the attention of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement-Removal Operations after being arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for an assault charge. Following his conviction in Chenango County for Assault in the Third Degree, Lopez-Lopez was sentenced to serve 179 days in the Chenango County Jail. At the conclusion of that sentence, ICE-ERO arrested the defendant for the instant federal offense.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted the case.
Greensburg Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting an 11-Year-Old Girl via Kik and SnapchatRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Matthew Hostetler, 26, of Greensburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, on January 16, 2020, a Winnebago County, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department investigation uncovered Matthew Hostetler’s involvement in a Kik Messenger group chat created for individuals interested in child sexual abuse material. Hostetler hid behind the username “WARRIORHEART1997” and sent graphic sexual abuse videos and images of a then 11-year-old girl he referred to as “Lola.”
On April 16, 2021, FBI agents and Greensburg Police Department Officers executed a search warrant at Hostetler’s Indiana home and seized his cell phone. Many of the images Hostetler traded over Kik were coerced from the minor via Snapchat. Hostetler bragged to other members of the group chat that “it took two months to get to this point with her (Lola), you gotta be patient and kind and sweet,” and “she’s in love with me. She literally jumps to do what I ask.”
“Lola” told investigators that she met Hostetler on the internet. She told him that she was 13 years old and lived with her grandparents in Oklahoma. Hostetler instructed her not to tell her Grandparents she was talking to him, or she would get in trouble. “Lola” stated that Hostetler routinely threated her if she did not send him sexually explicit images and videos. Further, Hostetler coached the 11-year-old on where to touch herself during the videos.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Mike McNealy of the Greensburg Police Department made the announcement.
“It has long been the case that many pedophiles like this defendant use online platforms such as Kik and Snapchat to prey on children, and even preteens,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “These criminals use lies, manipulation, and threats to sexually exploit children with utter disregard for the lasting trauma they inflict. I urge parents and guardians to talk to the children in their lives about what they’re doing online and make sure they have trusted adults they can turn to for help. I commend the FBI, the Winnebago County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Department, and the Greensburg Police Department for their work to seek justice for this victim and protect other children from this online predator.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, and Greensburg Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Hostetler be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 30 years following his release from prison. Hostetler must also register as a sex offender where he lives, works, and goes to school.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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
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Gary Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Lamont Coleman, 41 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after a jury found him guilty of conspiring to distribute heroin, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing with intent to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Coleman was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Coleman ran a heroin trafficking operation out of an apartment building that he owned in Gary, Indiana. He also owned the house next door, with both properties sharing a common courtyard. During the execution of a search warrants, law enforcement located three loaded firearms, heroin, cocaine, and approximately $19,000 in cash from his residences. Coleman’s sentence was enhanced for his career offender status based on prior felony convictions for manufacturing/delivery of cocaine and aggravated battery.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay, and former Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Molly Kelley.
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.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Jacqualon M. Royal, 27 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to trafficking in firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Royal was sentenced to 90 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between April 30, 2021, and May 22, 2022, Royal, who was a convicted felon, willfully engaged in the unlawful sale of firearms. Records show that Royal possessed and sold at least 40 firearms during this period of time. One of the firearms Royal sold had been used in the attempted murder of two people and another firearm he sold was recovered from a drug trafficker.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Former Youth and High School Football Coach Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced former youth and high school football coach, Moshe Michael Imel, age 53, of Owings, Maryland, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for two counts of production of child pornography involving two minor victims. Imel also pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual abuse of minors in three cases in the Circuit Court for Calvert County and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Calvert County Sheriff Ricky Cox; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to his plea agreement, between July 2018 and November 2020, Imel was an assistant football coach at a Calvert County High School. In March 2021, law enforcement interviewed two victims who reported that beginning when Imel coached the individuals in a youth football program and continuing through high school, Imel groomed and then sexually abused the victims. Specifically, Imel admitted that he directed each victim to expose and touch himself in a sexual way and ultimately engaged in sexual contact with the victims on numerous occasions. Imel also created sexually explicit videos of the victims documenting his abuse.
A search warrant was executed at Imel’s home and confirmed that the basement—including the action figures lining the walls, the computer setup, the cameras, sex toys and other paraphernalia—was as the victims had described it to law enforcement. A review of fourteen electronic devices seized at Imel’s residence revealed that they all contained child pornography or evidence of Imel’s sexual contact with minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case and recognized Calvert County Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca N. Cordero, who is prosecuting Imel’s case in the Circuit Court for Calvert County.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former NBA Player Terrence Williams Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Defrauding the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit PlanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TERRENCE WILLIAMS was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni to 10 years in prison for leading a sprawling scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association’s (“NBA”) health and welfare benefit plan out of more than $5 million. WILLIAMS previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Williams led a wide-ranging scheme to steal millions of dollars from the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. Williams recruited medical professionals and others to expand his criminal conspiracy and maximize his ill-gotten gains. Williams not only lined his pockets through fraud and deceit, but he also stole the identities of others and threatened a witness to further his criminal endeavors. For his brazen criminal acts, Williams now faces years in prison.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
The NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan is a health care plan providing benefits to eligible active and former players of the NBA and their family members. From at least 2017 through at least 2021, TERRENCE WILLIAMS and more than a dozen others engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the Plan by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement of medical and dental services that were not actually rendered. Over the course of the scheme, the defendants submitted and caused to be submitted to the Plan false claims totaling at least approximately $5 million.
WILLIAMS orchestrated the scheme to defraud the Plan. WILLIAMS recruited other Plan participants to defraud the Plan by offering to provide them with false invoices to support their fraudulent claims. WILLIAMS’s co-defendants, including a dentist in California and doctors in California and Washington State, provided WILLIAMS with fraudulent invoices that WILLIAMS sent to other co-conspirators. WILLIAMS also recruited non-medical professionals to copy invoices made by medical offices, which WILLIAMS provided to co-conspirators, and which were used to defraud the Plan. WILLIAMS conspired with others to submit fraudulent claims to the Plan in exchange for kickback payments to WILLIAMS of at least $300,000.
To verify that certain services were medically necessary, the Plan sometimes requires participants to provide a letter of medical necessity from medical providers, establishing that necessity of the provided services. WILLIAMS fraudulently created and transferred letters of medical necessity for three co-conspirators.
WILLIAMS also impersonated others in furtherance of the scheme. WILLIAMS pretended to be employees of the Plan’s administrative manager. In one instance, WILLIAMS created an email account designed to appear to be an email account used by the Plan’s administrative manager. WILLIAMS used that account to attempt to frighten a co-defendant so that the co-defendant would re-engage with WILLIAMS and would pay kickbacks to WILLIAMS.
On other occasions, WILLIAMS used another email account he created to threaten another co-defendant — a doctor who created fraudulent invoices for WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS used this email account to pretend to be employees of the Plan’s administrative manager and demand that this co-defendant pay WILLIAMS a “fine” or the “employees” would tell the authorities about the submission of fraudulent invoices. Through these threats and deception, WILLIAMS obtained approximately $346,000 from this particular co-defendant.
In or about April 2022, after WILLIAMS was charged and arrested in this case and while on pretrial release, WILLIAMS texted threats to a witness, including that the witness was “talking way to[o] f[---]ing much,” to “shut the f[--]k up,” and “me spitting in your face is exactly what you’ll see.” Following a motion by the Government on May 6, 2022, as a result of this obstructive conduct, Judge Caproni remanded WILLIAMS.
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In addition to his prison term, WILLIAMS, 36, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $653,672.55 and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,500,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.