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18 September 2023
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Homemade FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who was found in possession of a homemade firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Som Boun Cam, age 56, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was convicted of possessing a smooth bore, .410 gauge pistol, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
In a plea agreement, Cam admitted that on April 14, 2022, he was in the Meskwaki Casino hotel when he was involved in a scuffle with another guest and misplaced his backpack. Hotel staff subsequently found the backpack, and when they looked in it, they found methamphetamine and a homemade smooth bore .410 gauge pistol. On April 19, 2022, Cam returned to the hotel to claim his property. Cam admitted he had manufactured the firearm. This was a firearm that was required to be registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, but it was not registered to him. Cam has a 1995 felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and methamphetamine, a 2017 felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, and multiple assault convictions.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cam will remain in custody pending sentencing. Cam faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-00050.
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Exporting business pays to resolve allegations it failed to screen cargoRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – An exporting and logistics business has agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve allegations it insufficiently screened cargo bound for export to Central America, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Interport Company Inc. is registered in Illinois and Florida. It maintains an office in Houston and ships goods and vehicles from Freeport and the Port of Houston.
Exporters such as Interport are required to submit electronic filings containing certain information for each international shipment pursuant to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations. As part of that process, they are required to screen shipments for firearms and ammunition. They must also provide vehicle identification numbers (VIN) for any vehicles in their shipments.
During 2020 and 2021, authorities inspected various shipping containers destined for Central America that Interport had loaded. Those inspections revealed hidden firearms and ammunition contained within customer goods, along with vehicles whose VINs differed from the ones Interport had submitted on electronic forms. As a result, CBP assessed civil penalties for each violation it discovered.
Interport agreed to pay $50,000 to satisfy those penalties without litigation and to enhance its screening of customer shipments in the future. As part of the settlement, Interport must meet on a quarterly basis with CBP representatives at the Port of Houston to discuss additional compliance measures.
CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray and Auditor Matt Prahl handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Connecticut Man Admits $2.19 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Kickbacks from Two French DistilleriesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Connecticut man today admitted orchestrating a $2.19 million scheme to defraud an alcohol company and its owner by causing them to overpay for champagne and cognac and collecting kickbacks based on the inflated prices, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mitchell E. Green, 44, of Westport, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
“Though he was supposed to negotiate the best deal possible for his employer, Green set up secret side deals to inflate what his employer paid so that he could reap millions of dollars in kickbacks. Companies must be able to rely on the integrity of their agents to conduct business. When employees violate that trust and engage in fraud -- like the defendant did here -- this Office and our law enforcement partners are prepared to hold them accountable.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“As Green has discovered, there’s no such thing as easy money,” FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The FBI works tirelessly to ensure that the consequences for this type of fraud far outweigh the initial payout.”
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From June 2017 through February 2020, Green worked for a Hoboken, New Jersey-based liquor company owned by an internationally recognized music artist, producer, and entrepreneur. Green secretly negotiated side agreements with two French distilleries to pay him kickbacks through his company, Q Branch LLC, for each bottle of champagne and cognac that Green’s employer purchased from the distilleries. Green caused his employer to unknowingly pay the cost of his kickbacks by hiding it in the per-bottle price that the distilleries charged for the champagne and cognac. Based on those inflated prices, Green’s employer paid $14.8 million for the champagne and cognac, and Green collected $2.19 million in hidden kickbacks from the French champagne and cognac distilleries.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross profits or twice the gross loss suffered to the victims of his offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024.
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 today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit and Ari B. Fontecchio of the Special Prosecutions Division..
green.information.pdfColombian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A previously removed Colombian national pleaded guilty in federal court in connection to his illegal reentry into the United States after being deported in 2013, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jheisson Rizo Suarez, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of reentry after deportation. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for January 4, 2024. Suarez was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 21, 2023.
On July 9, 2021, the defendant was arrested by the Dover Police Department in connection with a residential burglary in progress. A juvenile female, who was home alone and hiding under a bed, called 911 and whispered that an unknown number of individuals had forced entry into her home. The subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant was illegally in the United States, after having been previously deported on or about January 28, 2013.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Dover Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward.
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Chief Engineer Sentenced to More Than a Year in Prison for Obstruction of Justice and Oil Dumping OffensesRead the Press Release
Chief engineer Denys Korotkiy of the vessel Donald was sentenced on Sept. 15 to serve twelve months and a day in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and failure to maintain an accurate oil record book. U.S. District Court Judge Todd W. Robinson for the Southern District of California sentenced Korotkiy.
Trial evidence showed that oily bilge water – typically containing oil contamination from cleaning and operating a vessel’s machinery – was illegally dumped from the Donald, without being legally recorded, directly into the ocean through the vessel’s sewage tank and not properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Korotkiy made false and fictitious entries in the oil record book claiming oily bilge had been transferred from the engine room bilge wells to the bilge holding tank. He also conspired with others to obstruct the U.S. Coast Guard from inspecting and investigating the mishandling of oily bilge water on the Donald.
Vessel operating company Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH previously pleaded guilty for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water and was ordered to pay a total of $1.25 million, including more than $312,000 to benefit marine and coastal natural resources in or near the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden for the Southern District of California made the announcement.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Canadian Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Christopher Frater, 30, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced on September 14, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Frater to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On July 13, 2022, Omaha Police Department officers working on I-80 in Sarpy County observed a 2021 Nissan Maxima with Virginia license plates commit several traffic violations. As a result, officers pulled over the vehicle driven by Frater. During the traffic stop, the officer learned that the defendant was driving a rental vehicle, one way from Los Angeles, California, to New York.
Frater made inconsistent statements about the purpose and timing of his travel which raised the officer’s suspicions. As a result, a K-9 sniff of the rental vehicle occurred and the K-9 positively alerted to the scent of narcotics in the vehicle.
In the trunk of the car, officers found three Home Depot boxes containing more than 125 pounds of cocaine that was laboratory confirmed as to both weight and substance.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, and the Omaha Police Department.
Bloomington Fugitive Arrested, Extradited on Child Pornography, Enticement, and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington fugitive has been arrested and extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on child pornography, child enticement, and identity theft charges, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between October 2020 through September 2022, Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman, 30, used Snapchat and other messaging apps to solicit sexually explicit material and sex acts from minors, some as young as nine-years-old. Additionally, Sleyman groomed and enticed a minor victim to produce child pornography and engage in sexual activity with Sleyman by providing the minor with drugs and gifts. Once Sleyman became aware of law enforcement’s ongoing investigation, he fled to Abu Dhabi, UAE, on September 6, 2022.
On September 15, 2023, upon his return to the United States, Sleyman was taken into federal custody by the FBI. The indictment charges Sleyman with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and identity theft. He made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jon Huseby and was ordered to remain in custody pending trial.
To date, law enforcement has identified several minor victims, and is actively attempting to confirm the identity of many others. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Ibrahim Sleyman, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Elk River Police Department, and the Pleasant Hill, Missouri Police Department, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, the Ministries of Justice and Interior of the United Arab Emirates, UAE Interpol, Abu Dhabi Airport Police and Abu Dhabi International Airport – Airport Security provided significant support and assistance in Sleyman’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Billings man admits obstructing justice by witness retaliationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Billings man accused of harassing and threatening witnesses in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, in an ongoing federal investigation admitted to obstruction charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jesse Ray Blackman, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness as charged in a superseding indictment. Blackman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Jan. 31, 2024. Blackman was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in October 2022, Blackman maintained an ongoing campaign of harassment against his ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, and her boyfriend, identified as John Doe, in Browning. Using the Messenger feature of Facebook, Blackman sent messages from multiple Facebook accounts to Jane Doe, threatening to harm both her and John Doe. Blackman also called Jane Doe’s place of employment multiple times a day and threatened her. In December 2022, Jane Doe obtained a restraining order against Blackman from the Blackfeet Tribal Court. The order enjoined the parties from having verbal and physical contact, but the threats continued. In March 2023, an FBI agent interviewed Blackman about his conduct. Blackman admitted to using Facebook to send messages to Jane Doe and that the messages could be viewed as threats. The agent advised Blackman that Jane Doe and John Doe were witnesses in an ongoing federal investigation, and that threats against them as witnesses could be criminal. The agents advised Blackman to cease all contact with them. Blackman contacted both Jane Doe and John Doe in April with the intent to retaliate against them for information they gave to law enforcement relating to the threats. In a phone call to Jane Doe on April 4, Blackman said, “I can’t believe what you did to me! You’re going to pay for it bitch!”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, with assistance from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation.
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Attorney Pleads Guilty to Operating $18.8 Million Ponzi Scheme and to Money Laundering, Obstruction of Justice, and Perjury ChargesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that ROBERT WISNICKI pled guilty today to participating in a $18.8 million Ponzi scheme designed to lure investors to purchase real estate through his New York-based law firms, Wisnicki & Associates LLP and Wisnicki Neuhauser LLP (the “Wisnicki Firms”). WISNICKI also pled guilty to a separate conspiracy to commit money laundering using his law firm trust accounts to conceal the proceeds of healthcare fraud, during which WISNICKI obstructed justice and committed perjury while testifying before a grand jury.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he has now admitted, Robert Wisnicki committed a wide array of criminal acts as part of multiple schemes designed to line his own pockets and cover his tracks. As a practicing attorney, Wisnicki knew better, but he flouted the law anyway, even going so far as to obstruct justice and commit perjury while testifying before a grand jury. Wisnicki now potentially faces years in prison and will pay millions in forfeiture and restitution to atone for his crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Illegal activity involving the investment industry, especially Ponzi schemes, has unfortunately brought financial ruin to many Americans. While Wisnicki’s actions are unacceptable, they are even more egregious considering his position of trust as an attorney. The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to pursue and prosecute individuals who offer victims false promises and take advantage for their own personal benefit.”
If you believe you are a victim of these crimes, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI and reference this case.
According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
The Ponzi Scheme
The Wisnicki Firms specialized in real estate transactional work — namely, assisting clients with purchasing and selling property. In or about 2007, WISNICKI began a real estate investment business using the Wisnicki Firms. Existing clients of the Wisnicki Firms (“Investor Clients”) asked WISNICKI to identify potential real estate investment opportunities for them. The Investor Clients then either transferred funds to WISNICKI or asked him to retain their funds that were already held in the Wisnicki Firms’ Interest Only Lawyers Accounts (“IOLA”) accounts. WISNICKI then identified real estate investment opportunities for the Investor Clients, and the Wisnicki Firms represented the Investor Clients in the resulting investment transactions.
The Investor Clients began suffering losses in the investments that WISNICKI had arranged. Rather than notify the Investor Clients of their losses, WISNICKI used funds from the Wisnicki Firms’ clients who did not participate in the real estate investments, which were held in trust in the Firms’ IOLA accounts, and transferred those funds to the Investor Clients to mask their losses. WISNICKI falsely represented to these other clients that their funds were still held in the Wisnicki Firms’ IOLA accounts, when in fact he had transferred those funds to his Investor Clients.
WISNICKI also used funds from new Investor Clients to cover up losses suffered by prior Investor Clients. WISNICKI falsely told the new Investor Clients that their funds would be invested in real estate, when in fact he used those funds to repay his prior Investor Clients.
WISNICKI continued the above-described fraud through at least in or about 2022. WISNICKI owes approximately $18.8 million to certain Investor Clients, which includes approximately $6.3 million to members of his family and approximately $12.5 million to non-family members. He is also owed approximately $6.7 million by various former clients.
The Money Laundering, Obstruction, and Perjury Scheme
New York and New Jersey no-fault insurance laws require a driver’s automobile insurance company to pay automobile insurance claims automatically for certain types of motor vehicle accidents, provided that the claim is legitimate and is below a particular monetary threshold (the “No-Fault Laws”). Pursuant to these requirements, insurance companies will often pay medical service providers directly for the treatment they provide to automobile accident victims without the need to bill the victims themselves. This process resolves automobile claims without apportioning blame or fault for the accident, thereby avoiding protracted disputes and the costs associated with an extended investigation of the accident.
Beginning in or about 2014, a criminal organization (the “Gulkarov Conspiracy” or the “Gulkarov Conspirators”) began a scheme to exploit the No-Fault Laws. As part of the scheme, the Gulkarov Conspirators fraudulently owned and controlled more than a dozen medical professional corporations – including medical, acupuncture, and chiropractic practices – by paying licensed medical professionals to use their licenses to incorporate the professional corporations (collectively, the “Gulkarov Clinics”). The Gulkarov Conspirators further defrauded automobile insurance companies by billing insurance companies for unnecessary, harmful, and excessive medical treatments and lying under oath to insurance company representatives.
The Gulkarov Conspirators laundered the proceeds of the healthcare fraud through, among other ways, the Wisnicki Firms. In or about 2016 and 2017, one of the Gulkarov Conspirators (“CC-1”), using checks, transferred funds from the Gulkarov Clinics to the Wisnicki Firms. WISNICKI deposited the checks into one of his IOLA accounts, despite the fact that the Wisnicki Firms did not represent the Gulkarov Clinics and had no attorney-client relationship with the Gulkarov Conspirators. The Gulkarov Conspirators then arranged for the Wisnicki Firms to use the healthcare fraud proceeds to pay for real estate on behalf of the leaders of the Gulkarov Conspiracy.
In or about April 2021, the Wisnicki Firms were served with a subpoena from a grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York (the “Subpoena”). Among other things, the Subpoena required the Wisnicki Firms to produce documentation concerning the checks from the Gulkarov Clinics. WISNICKI then communicated with CC-1 and learned that the proceeds of the checks were the proceeds of unlawful activity.
WISNICKI, CC-1, and a second member of the Gulkarov Conspiracy (“CC-2”) agreed to respond to the Subpoena by submitting fabricated documents to the grand jury, lying in communications with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and committing perjury before the grand jury.
WISNICKI, CC-1, and CC-2 further agreed to re-launder the proceeds of the checks from the Gulkarov Clinics in response to the Subpoena. At the direction of CC-1, WISNICKI wrote checks, drawn on his IOLA, purporting to return the monies that had been previously paid to his firm. The checks were made payable to physicians who purported to be owners of the Gulkarov Clinics and to family members of the Gulkarov Conspirators (together, the “Payees”). WISNICKI wrote the checks under the false pretense that the Payees were clients of the Wisnicki Firms who had previously paid money to the Wisnicki Firms for legal services. WISNICKI and others agreed that the checks to the Payees would be deposited, and the funds would then be withdrawn and returned to the Wisnicki Firms. WISNICKI delivered the checks to CC-1 for this purpose.
Thereafter, on or about April 19, 2021, WISNICKI submitted to the grand jury over a dozen fabricated retainer agreements. The same day, WISNICKI falsely stated to the U.S. Attorney’s Office that the funds paid to the Wisnicki Firms “were originally supposed to be used for a [sic] retainer fees, which is why the agreements were originally prepared,” but that the clients ultimately “instead asked us to hold the funds to be used for future investments.” WISNICKI further represented that the Wisnicki Firms decided to return the retainer fees after receiving the Subpoena.
On or about July 6, 2021, WISNICKI was called to appear before the grand jury as custodian of records for the Wisnicki Firms. WISNICKI falsely testified to the grand jury, among other things, that payments to the Wisnicki Firms had been made for the purpose of opening a “lending platform” that was never completed, and that WISNICKI had not spoken to anyone outside of the Wisnicki Firms about the Subpoena.
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ROBERT WISNICKI, 44, of Forest Hills, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, WISNICKI agreed to pay forfeiture of $19,010,548.06 and restitution of $18,800,000.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Timothy Capozzi, and Ryan Allison are in charge of the prosecution.
Alleged High-Ranking Member of Sinaloa Cartel Arraigned on Federal Charges Following Extradition from Mexico to the U.S.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO – OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ, 33, of Culiacan, Mexico, was arraigned in federal court in Chicago today after his extradition last week from Mexico to the United States. Guzman Lopez was arrested in Mexico earlier this year pursuant to a U.S. request for his provisional arrest with a view toward extradition.
Guzman Lopez, also known as "El Raton" and "Raton Nuevo," is charged in the Northern District of Illinois with five-counts in a nine-count superseding indictment alleging that from 2008 to 2021, he engaged in a drug trafficking Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE), along with additional drug, money laundering, and firearm offenses. Guzman Lopez is charged with conspiring to distribute narcotics from Mexico and elsewhere for importation into the U.S. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment today before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in Chicago. He waived his right to a detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained without bond.
The charges stem from a decades-long collaboration between the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of California, as well as their law enforcement partners. Guzman Lopez is one of the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as "El Chapo," who was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York for his role as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Following Guzman Loera’s arrest in January 2016 and his subsequent extradition to the United States, Guzman Lopez and his three brothers and co-defendants - IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ, collectively known as “the Chapitos” - allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos subsequently amassed greater control over the Sinaloa Cartel by allegedly threatening and causing violence, the indictment alleges.
Under the terms of the U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty, the United States had up to 60 days to present a fully supported request, one in compliance with the terms of the treaty. The United States submitted that request in February 2023. A Mexican court reviewed the U.S. request and last month favorably recommended his extradition. The Foreign Ministry reviewed the decision and similarly concluded that Guzman Lopez should be extradited to the United States. The three co-defendants remain at large.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Luis Quesada, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Katrina W. Berger, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations, and Anne Milgram, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine and Erika Csicsila of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
The Justice Department thanks the Government of Mexico, including the Mexican Foreign Ministry and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, for the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez. Earlier today, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland spoke by phone with Mexico’s Attorney General, Alejandro Gertz Manero, to personally express his gratitude.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guzman Lopez et al indictment
17 September 2023
Yankton Woman Sentenced for Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, and SubterfugeRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Yankton, South Dakota, woman convicted of Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, and Subterfuge. The sentencing took place on September 11, 2023.
Lisa Merrigan, age 55, was sentenced to two years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Merrigan was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. She pleaded guilty on July 5, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between June 19, 2021, and September 11, 2021. Merrigan, worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in Chamberlain, South Dakota, during that time period. Merrigan tampered with a vial of fentanyl citrate for injection properly stored within the hospital, by removing the fentanyl citrate for injection from the vial and replacing the majority of it with saline solution. Merrigan then returned the tampered vial to storage, knowing that the diluted fentanyl citrate for injection could be dispensed to surgical patients at the hospital. Fentanyl citrate is a Schedule II controlled substance that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use to relieve severe pain during and after surgery. The fentanyl in the tampered vial was so diluted that had the vial been dispensed to a surgical patient, the pain management would have been minimal or unsuccessful.
This case was investigated by the FDA, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Wounded Knee Man Found Guilty of MurderRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Spencer High Hawk, age 27, of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, of Aiding and Abetting Second Degree Murder, following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on September 8, 2023.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
High Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2022.
Evidence at trial established that High Hawk beat another man to death near Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in June of 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for December 1, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Watertown Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Watertown, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 28, 2023.
William Dean Locke, age 35, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Locke was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 5, 2023.
The conviction stems from Locke failing to register as a sex offender as required by state law between December 30, 2021, and October 19, 2022. Locke had previously been convicted of a sex offense in state court which requires him to register for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Locke was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Todd County Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Todd County, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child. The sentencing took place on September 12, 2023.
Kevin Sharkey, age 46, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sharkey was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. He pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between March 1, 2017, and August 31, 2017, in Todd County, wherein Sharkey engaged in a sexual contact with a child who had not attained the age of 12 years.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Sharkey was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on September 12, 2023.
Albert Guerue, age 43, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Guerue was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on April 7, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Guerue was consuming alcoholic beverages at the residence of the victim, an adult woman. Guerue became angry and threatened to kill the victim. Guerue then assaulted the victim by punching her with his fists, kicking her legs with shod feet, and striking her with a metal bar. The victim suffered lacerations to her head and face that required medical attention.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Guerue was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Brandishing a Firearm During a Federal Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on September 11, 2023.
Samuel Oreoluwa Roberts, 24, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Roberts was indicted for Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence as well as Brandishing a Firearm During a Federal Crime of Violence by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 3, 2023.
Roberts robbed the Get-n-Go gas station and convenience store on March 29, 2022, using a pistol to demand money from the store employees. Roberts stole $245 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert, who also serves as a prosecutor with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
Roberts was ordered to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to the Bureau of Prisons.
North Dakota Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mandan, North Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on September 11, 2023.
Sarah Jahner Clifford, age 45, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Clifford was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. She pleaded guilty on December 8, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in January of 2021 and continuing until July of 2022. Clifford was involved in an extensive conspiracy with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Clifford received significant quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Denver, Colorado. Clifford and others would transport the methamphetamine back to South Dakota where it was sold by Clifford and those working for her.
As part of the conspiracy Clifford possessed various firearms, including a Stevens Arms shogun and a Raven Arms pistol. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed the shotgun has a barrel length of 14 inches and is not registered to Clifford in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. Further, Clifford is a felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trains Drug Enforcement Task Force, and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges 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.
Clifford was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Nebraska Woman Sentenced for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Winnebago, Nebraska, woman convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on August 28, 2023.
Trista Whitewater, age 33, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Whitewater was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. She pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on June 8, 2023, when Whitewater, who was booked at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Yankton Sioux Correctional Facility in Wagner for several tribal charges, assaulted a Lead Correctional Officer. After causing a disruption in her pod, Whitewater threatened to hit the Lead Correctional Officer and then fought with the Lead Correctional Officer and other correctional officers, including swinging her fists and scratching the officers, resulting in scratches on the Lead Correctional Officer’s face and her glasses being broken.
This case was investigated by the BIA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
Whitewater was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
16 September 2023
District Man Pleads Guilty to 2021 Homicide of 30-Year-Old WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christian Monge, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on September 13, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old Brittanie Clark, mother of three children, on August 31, 2021, in the Fort Totten neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
As part of his plea, Monge admitted that his girlfriend accused Ms. Clark of inquiring about the defendant in a romantic way. Mr. Monge’s girlfriend assaulted Ms. Clark in front of bystanders, including several children. After the assault ended between the two women, Mr. Monge stabbed Ms. Clark 13 times in front of two children, including Ms. Clark’s young daughter. Mr. Monge will be sentenced on November 20, 2023, by Judge Robert Okun.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
15 September 2023
White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
A White Earth man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in June 2022, the White Earth Police Department received information that Redfeather Sturdevant, 44, was selling drugs from his house. On June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence. At his residence, law enforcement seized approximately 167 grams of methamphetamine, 210 fentanyl pills, and a loaded handgun. Law enforcement also found approximately $1,268 in cash drug proceeds at the defendant’s residence.
On April 13, 2023, Sturdevant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the White Earth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M Endicott prosecuted the case.
Western Union Remission Fund Distributes Approximately $40M to Victims in the United States and AbroadRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that the Western Union Remission Fund began a distribution of approximately $40 million in funds forfeited to the United States from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to approximately 25,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims stand to recover the full amount of their losses.
This is the first distribution in the second phase of the Western Union Remission distributions. The first phase of distributions paid more than $365 million to over 148,000 victims, all of whom received full compensation for their losses. The Justice Department anticipates authorizing more distributions for victims in the coming months.
The second phase of the Western Union Remission was opened in March 2022 to provide victims who had not filed petitions in the first phase of distributions an opportunity to file for remission. The Justice Department continues to accept petitions for remission from those victimized by the scheme.
“The latest distribution of the Western Union Remission Fund compensated thousands more victims harmed by predatory schemes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Victim assistance is a primary goal of the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program, and this latest distribution is a testament to the impact asset forfeiture can have in compensating and making victims whole.”
“Today’s distribution of $39.6 million to thousands of victims to compensate them for their losses demonstrates our commitment to hold all responsible parties accountable and to ensure justice for the victims who were financially harmed,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We thank our law enforcement partners who continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the victims.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is committed to protecting victims of fraud and will continue to investigate those perpetrating such schemes,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the USPIS Philadelphia Division. “This $39 million disbursement to 25,000 victims brings the total disbursed to over $404 million to over 174,000 victims in the Western Union Remission process. We would like to thank our partners in this extraordinary effort especially the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.”
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission.
In this scheme, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams. Three specific scams directed towards seniors include the grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in need of immediate money to avoid personal harm, lottery, or sweepstakes scams; where the fraudster would tell the victim that they had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees such as taxes to claim the prize; and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose. In each of these scams, the fraudsters convinced their victims to send money through Western Union.
Certain owners, operators, or employees of Western Union agent locations were complicit in the schemes. Western Union aided and abetted the fraud scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA and the court granted the motion to dismiss the information.
The Justice Department, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the USPIS Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Office in the Western Union remission. The victim compensation payments in the Western Union case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Southern District of Florida. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.
More information about the Western Union Remission Fund and its compensation to victims is available at www.WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com. Further questions may be directed to the Western Union Remission Administrator by phone at (855) 786-1048 or by email at [email protected].
Washington Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – VINCENT PETERS, age 33, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to Counts 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9 of the indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), relative to his participation in a Bogalusa mass shooting on May 16, 2020. He also pled guilty to several drug distribution charges and another firearm charge stemming from a subsequent investigation by the Bogalusa Police Department and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. In Counts 3, 5, and 8, he was charged with distribution of heroin and fentanyl and with possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). In Count 9, he was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
According to court documents, on May 16, 2020, an “Unauthorized Assembly” (During Phase I of the COVID-19 Pandemic Re-Opening) occurred, resulting in several hundred people, assembling in a “Celebration of Life,” honoring a recent Bogalusa murder victim. During the celebration, an altercation between rival factions resulted in the shooting of thirteen (13) people. Four (4) victims were paralyzed due to their shooting injuries.
During a follow-up investigation, law enforcement learned that PETERS sold illegal narcotics and made several controlled purchased of illegal drugs from him. A subsequent warrant-based search of his residence also revealed additional drugs and a firearm.
Based on his guilty plea, PETERS will face the following sentences as to each count:
Count 1: Violation: Possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1);
Statutory Sentence: 0-10 yrs., up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release.
Count 3: Violation: Distribution of heroin, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C);
Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release.
Count 5: Violation: Distribution of heroin, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C);
Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years supervised release.
Count 8: Violation: Possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C);
Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release.
Count 9: Violation: Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c);
Statutory Sentence: 5 years-life, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release. Any sentence imposed in connection with this count must be served consecutive to any other sentence.
PETERS faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each charged count. PETER’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 3, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Bogalusa Police Department, and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
United Against Hate: Identifying and Reporting Acts of HateRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office will host a public outreach program about federal hate crimes from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Laramie County Library, Cottonwood Room, on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The event is free to the public and will include a presentation and open discussion about federal hate crimes and unlawful discrimination.
United Against Hate is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate by educating the public about federal hate crimes and anti-discrimination statutes. The program encourages the reporting of hate crimes, hate incidents and unlawful discrimination to law enforcement and the Department of Justice.
“We believe that people deserve to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, how they worship, or what they believe,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Vassallo. “That is why our office, and all of the Justice Department, encourages the public to report acts of hate to law enforcement for investigation.”
Any act of hate can be reported to the United States Attorney’s Office in Wyoming by emailing [email protected]. Hate crimes can be reported to local law enforcement, and to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or online at https://tips.fbi.gov. Additional information on reporting hate crimes can be found at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/report-a-hate-crime. This information is available in two dozen languages. Discrimination can be reported by emailing [email protected] or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
U.S. Postal Carrier and Husband Plead Guilty for Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A U.S. Postal Carrier and her husband appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to federal charges for conspiring to commit an extensive mail theft scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kiara Padgett, 29, of Waxhaw, N.C., and her spouse, Dominique Dunlap, 28, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Dunlap also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of stolen mail.
Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents, other court filings, and today’s court proceedings, Padgett was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier with a postal route in West Charlotte. From August 2021 to November 2022, Padgett used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals. Court documents show that Padgett sold the stolen checks using Dunlap as her intermediary to other individuals, including to Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr. The total face value of the checks stolen by Padgett was over $8.8 million.
According to court documents, Dunlap negotiated with Hager, Jr. about the sale of stolen checks over text messages, and sent Hager, Jr. photographs of stacks of stolen mail and of stolen checks of victim companies on Padgett’s postal route.
In March 2023, Hager, Jr. pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Court documents filed with the court show that, between August 2021 and November 2022, Hager, Jr. and other individuals obtained stolen checks from Padgett through Dunlap. Hager, Jr. and his co-conspirators deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts they controlled, and then made cash withdrawals before the financial institutions detected the fraud. Over the course of the scheme, Hager, Jr. and his co-conspirators deposited more than $66,000 in stolen checks and money orders. Hager, Jr. also posted online for sale more than 400 stolen checks totaling over $7.3 million. The checks posted by Hager, Jr. were stolen from Padgett’s postal route in West Charlotte. At the time Hager, Jr. committed this fraud, he was on probation with the state of North Carolina for an unrelated offense.
At sentencing, Padgett, Dunlap, and Hager, Jr. face a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine for the bank fraud conspiracy charge. Dunlap also faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the charges of possession of stolen mail. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington Celebrates Funding Awarded for Community Responses to Gender-Based ViolenceRead the Press Release
In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced today nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $3,784,202.00 for the Western District of Washington.
For nearly three decades, VAWA has provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $3,784,202. to Western Washington to support community responses to gender-based violence.
Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman commented: “I am pleased to announce that Western Washington has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women. Prosecution of those who commit violence against women, along with supporting victim services is integral to the work of our office. We are very appreciative of the benefit these grants will have on our community.”
VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promote a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $3,784,202.00 under the STOP Program to Western Washington to enhance the capacity for our community to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable.
“Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers.” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Funding Awarded for Community Responses to Gender-Based ViolenceRead the Press Release
In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”), the Justice Department yesterday announced nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. For nearly three decades, VAWA has provided tools and resources to protect and serve survivors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (“OVW”) has awarded $607,500.00 to local organizations to support community responses to gender-based violence. Specifically, the Northern District of Ohio has received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:
OVW awarded $607,500.00 to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center under Grants for Training and Services to End Violence Against Individuals with Disabilities and Deaf People Program (Disability Grant Program). This grant will support services for individuals who have disabilities or are deaf. Funding will provide specialized training, outreach, and cross-training for various agencies, and will support developing model programs to strengthen organizational capacities in assisting survivors.
“I am pleased to announce that the Northern District of Ohio has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women. This grant will allow the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to collaborate with Cleveland Hearing and Speech in a meaningful way to strengthen partnerships with Deaf Pathways and increase services to deaf victims and survivors of sexual assault,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko.
“Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers.” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw
U.S. Attorney Charges High School Teacher with Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material and Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that KOSTAS FEKKAS, a/k/a “Constantine Fekkas,” a/k/a “C.J. Justice,” was arrested on September 14, 2023, and charged via a criminal Complaint filed in White Plains federal court with possession of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and attempted transfer of obscene material. FEKKAS was presented in White Plains federal court yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy, who ordered that FEKKAS be detained.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Kostas Fekkas’s alleged conduct is despicable. As a teacher, Fekkas was entrusted with the care and well-being of children, who he in turn allegedly sought to victimize. I’m grateful to our diligent law enforcement partners and the dedicated prosecutors of this Office for bringing charges in this important case, and I encourage anyone who believes they may have information regarding Fekkas’s alleged conduct to report this information at 1-866-DHS-2423 or www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “As parents, we entrust our children's safety to the school each day, believing they are in safe hands. The accused stands charged with heinous crimes against an individual he believed to be a child, unaware that it was an undercover agent. It brings me a sense of relief to know this individual has been removed from both the streets and the classroom.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed yesterday:[1]
In December 2022, an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl named “Riley” had a conversation on Kik (a mobile messaging application) with someone with the username “C.J.Justice” (“C.J.”). C.J.’s Kik account was registered to the email address [email protected]. Among other things, C.J. introduced himself as a 30-year-old male from New York who teaches high school physics; sent multiple photographs of himself to Riley that resembled a photograph of FEKKAS that had been posted on a public charter school’s website; repeatedly asked Riley for photographs, including photographs of her “body”; sent a video of someone masturbating and several photographs of an erect penis, including one from inside a classroom, to Riley; described the various kinds of sexual acts he wanted to engage in with Riley; and told Riley that he had sex “with a 10th grader once” and had “been searching ever since” to have sex with a minor again.
In March 2023, law enforcement seized FEKKAS’s cellphone and executed a search warrant to review the data extracted from the cellphone. They discovered that FEKKAS used a mobile application called HideU to hide, among other things, (i) a sexually explicit video in which a young female (“Victim-1”) was rubbing and inserting her fingers into her vagina; (ii) a photograph of the same female with her pink sweatshirt pulled up to expose her breasts; and (iii) a photograph of the same female naked from the head down to her knees. In the video and the photographs, she was wearing a bracelet that spelled out an abbreviated version of her first name. The name on the bracelet matched the name of a Snapchat user who had a chat conversation with “Lysol1834,” the Snapchat account username on FEKKAS’s cellphone. After comparing Snapchat records with passport information, law enforcement confirmed that Victim-1 was a girl who was 12 years old at the time the photographs and sexually explicit video was taken.
Prior to his arrest, FEKKAS was a teacher at a public charter high school located in upper Manhattan, New York. It also appears that FEKKAS previously worked at several other schools in the Bronx and Westchester counties.
There may be more victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact HSI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing-impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
* * *
FEKKAS, 34, of Hartsdale, New York, is charged with attempted transfer of obscene material, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative efforts of HSI and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Ly is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two Guatemalan nationals were sentenced this week in the Western District of Texas for their role in a prolific human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of a migrant.
Armando Gael Galicia, aka Artemio Diego Andres Gonzalez, aka Luis Moreno-Gonzalez, 27, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in federal custody. Jose Diego Tercero-Gonzalez, 23, was sentenced on Sept. 14 to 15 years and eight months in federal custody.
According to court documents, Gael Galicia and Tercero-Gonzalez were responsible for smuggling a young indigenous Guatemalan woman. In May 2021, her body was discovered in a remote area outside of Odessa, Texas. In August 2021, Gael Galicia and Tercero-Gonzalez were arrested near the trailer where the victim was taken and died. Inside the trailer were additional migrants who had entered the country unlawfully.
The case is related to the recent guilty pleas of Felipe Diego Alonzo, Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, Lopez Mateo Mateo, and Juan Gutierrez Castro for their involvement in the Guatemala-based human smuggling conspiracy that led to the young woman’s death.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made the announcement.
This investigation was coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
HSI Midland investigated the case, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, the Odessa and Midland Police Departments, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sheriffs’ Offices. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) provided significant assistance in this matter.
JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Fedock and Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall and Trial Attorney Daria Andryushchenko of the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Harwood for the Western District of Texas provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country resulting in over 250 domestic and international arrests. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by OPDAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.
Toxicology Lab Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Evasion; Lab Officer Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The owner and CEO of a Lexington toxicology lab, Ronald Coburn, 76, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to health care fraud and tax evasion. The compliance officer of the same lab, Erica Baker, 31, pleaded guilty on Friday to a health care fraud conspiracy with Coburn.
According to Coburn’s plea agreement, he owned and operated LabTox, LLC, a laboratory that performed urine drug testing services and billed them to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid. Coburn knew that those health care programs only pay for medically necessary urine drug testing. He also admitted knowing that urine drug testing ordered by courts for use in judicial proceedings was not medically necessary, and thus not payable by Medicare or Kentucky Medicaid. With Coburn’s knowledge and approval, however, Baker recruited a company called Blue Waters Assessment and Testing Services to refer court-ordered urine drug testing to LabTox. Coburn knew this was not medical testing, but caused it to be billed any way to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, resulting in fraudulently obtained payments to LabTox of $1,864,429 between June 2019 and March 2021. In his plea agreement, Coburn has agreed to repay this money to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid.
Coburn also admitted to receiving income of more than $1.5 million per year from LabTox between 2017 and 2021, and to concealing this income and his ownership of LabTox by placing the business in the name of his partner. Coburn created the false appearance that he did not earn income during this time period, and he did not file any tax returns in his own name. While he caused tax returns to be filed in the name of his partner, he never paid any of the income tax he knew he owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Coburn’s plea agreement obligates him to pay $3,566,645 to the IRS, representing income tax he owed in 2017 through 2021.
According to Erica Baker’s plea agreement, she was LabTox’s director of operations and compliance officer, and participated in a health care fraud conspiracy with Coburn between January 2019 and January 2021. Specifically, at Coburn’s direction, Baker solicited urine drug testing from non-medical substance abuse recovery programs, typically faith-based residential programs or homeless shelters. Baker knew that urine drug testing for clients of these programs was not done for any medical reason, as would be required before Medicare or Kentucky Medicaid would pay for the tests. As part of the scheme, Baker misled sober home directors, and induced the facilities to send in more tests to LabTox by putting facility staff on LabTox’s payroll and compensating them based on the number of urine drug tests sent to the lab. Despite knowing that this testing was not for medical purposes, Baker and Coburn agreed to cause urine drug testing referred by these non-medical sober homes to be billed to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, resulting in fraudulent payments of at least $937,594.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Brian Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Field Office; and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, jointly announced the guilty pleas.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Mattingly-Williams and Paul McCaffrey.
Coburn and Baker are both scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023. Both face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 fine. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Three Twin Cities Men Arrested, Charged with Operating a Machinegun Distribution Ring on SnapchatRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Three Twin Cities men have been arrested and charged after law enforcement disrupted a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darious Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, have been charged in three separate criminal complaints with one count each of unlawful possession of machineguns.
According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement became aware of a Snapchat group called “BLICCS&STICCS3.” Law enforcement suspected the group was used to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities and outlying areas. Law enforcement obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling, promoting, and operating machinegun conversion devices (MCD) that convert a semi-automatic firearm—either a pistol or a rifle—into a fully automatic machinegun. These devices are classified as machineguns and are regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer began monitoring the group. The undercover officer posted a picture of prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Shortly thereafter, a user of the group, later identified as Wesley, reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for what is commonly referred to as a Glock “switch” or a “button.” On or about March 26, 2023, the undercover officer continued conversations with Wesley on Snapchat about potentially purchasing Glock “switches.” Wesley indicated “switches” would cost $700 for two or $900 for three. The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and indicated he would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches. On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000.
On April 4, 2023, a second transaction was arranged through Wesley with a St. Paul meeting location. Wesley and another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group—later confirmed to be Johnson—sold an additional three switches to the undercover officer for $900.
On April 13, 2023, undercover officers met with Wesley in Minneapolis to purchase an unserialized Glock 17 for $700. Following the transaction, the undercover officers asked Wesley to install the switch previously purchased from Wesley onto the Glock 17. Wesley agreed and installed the switch.
That same day, Wesley separately coordinated a meeting during which undercover officers met with Drayton, another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group, to purchase a 3D-printed drop-in MCD for an AR-style rifle for $550. During the transaction, Drayton showed the undercover officers a video on his phone of Drayton shooting a firearm with a drop-in MCD inserted. Drayton commented to the undercover officers that the drop-in made the firearm shoot “way too [expletive] fast.” On May 11, 2023, an undercover officer directly arranged to meet with Drayton at a location in Eagan to purchase two drop-in MCDs for $800. However, when Drayton arrived at the meeting location, he stated that he had only had one MCD and sold it to the undercover officer for $400. On June 9, 2023, undercover officers again met with Drayton and purchased a Glock pistol and a “switch” for $1,300.
According to court documents, between March and June 2023, undercover law enforcement officers conducted approximately six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group.
According to court documents, Johnson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time because he has prior felony convictions and both Wesley and Drayton are subject to court-imposed restrictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms.
Johnson and Drayton made their initial appearances in today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Wesley made his initial appearance on September 14, 2023.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Dakota County Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted three defendants of charges of federal civil rights offenses in connection with the Oct. 22, 2020, invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C.
According to evidence presented at trial, Jonathan Darnel, 41, of Arlington, Virginia; Jean Marshall, 73, of Kingston, Massachusetts; and Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, New Jersey, engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Marshall and Bell traveled to the Washington, D.C. area to meet with Darnel and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by another co-conspirator and broadcast on Facebook.
According to evidence presented at trial, Marshall and Bell were among a group that forcefully entered the clinic and blockaded two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel – who remained outside the clinic – live-streamed their activities on social media. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $350,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Five additional co-conspirators were convicted in August on the same counts. Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Healther Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, were also convicted of felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. One co-defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. Another co-defendant, Paulette Harlow, is awaiting trial on similar charges.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Pittsburgh, Newark, New York City, Boston and Detroit and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York.
Three Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury today convicted three defendants of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with the October 22, 2020, invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C. The defendants – Jonathan Darnel, 41, of Arlington, Va.; Jean Marshall, 73, of Kingston, Mass.; Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, NJ – were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Director David Sundberg, of the FBI Washington Field Office.
The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Marshall and Bell traveled to the Washington, D.C. area to meet with Darnel and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed another co-conspirator and was broadcast on Facebook.
According to the evidence, Marshall, and Bell were among a group that forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel – who remained outside the clinic -- live-streamed their activities on social media. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
Five co-conspirators in the action were convicted in August 2023 on the same counts. Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Va.; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, NY; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Mich.; William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, NY; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., also were convicted of felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. One co-defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh and New York City Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
The Villages Man Charged with Illegally Receiving Misbranded Erectile Dysfunction PillsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Reginald Odell Kincer (77, The Villages) has been charged by information with receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce. If convicted, Kincer faces up to one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to court records, Kincer received more than $1,800 of erectile dysfunction drugs that had been shipped through interstate commerce. These drugs were misbranded because Kincer obtained them without a prescription from a licensed doctor. Kincer had planned to redistribute these drugs to others locally and outside the State of Florida.
An information is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Download Charging DocumentStraw Purchaser Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Purchasing 12 Firearms, One Landing in the Hands of a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Xavier Wilson, 24, of Otterbein, Indiana, has been sentenced to a year and a half in prison for making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents, in February of 2021, ATF agents received a report from the Lafayette Police Department regarding a possible straw purchaser. A straw purchase scheme is when a person not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm falsely states to a federally licensed gun dealer that they are purchasing a firearm for themselves, when they know that the gun is actually intended for someone else, frequently someone who is prohibited from purchasing or possessing the firearm themselves.
The individual, later identified as Xavier Wilson, purchased twelve guns from federally licensed firearms dealers in Marion and Boone Counties within one month. On federal firearms purchase forms, Wilson indicated that he was the actual buyer of the guns and provided an out-of-date address, where he had not lived for two years.
On March 31, 2021, one of the firearms Wilson purchased, a Glock 45 handgun, was recovered by law enforcement officers in Chicago, Illinois, in the hands of a convicted felon. Wilson had purchased that firearm just seven days earlier.
On April 14, 2021, ATF agents interviewed Wilson at his actual residence in Lafayette. Wilson admitted that he bought the firearms with the intent to resell them quickly on Discord and Armslist.com to make a profit. Wilson also admitted to providing a false address on ATF form 4473.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
“Illegal gun traffickers flood our streets with firearms and drive the violence plaguing too many of our neighborhoods, and saving lives requires us to stop the flow of crime guns at their source,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “This defendant repeatedly lied to obtain firearms and profited by putting them into the hands of people prohibited from legally purchasing them. Now he will pay for his crimes in federal prison. This prosecution demonstrates that our office will work tirelessly with the ATF to identify illegal gun traffickers and hold them accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, James P. Hanlon. Judge Hanlon also ordered that Wilson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey L. Massa, who prosecuted this case.
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Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez from Mexico to the United StatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo,” from Mexico to the United States:
“Today, as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the United States. This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department’s effort to attack every aspect of the cartel’s operations. The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice. I am grateful to them and to the Department’s prosecutors for their work and their sacrifice. I am also grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for this extradition. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.”
St. Petersburg Men Sentenced for Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Lemar Cowart (27, St. Petersburg) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. Armani Dilworth (28, St. Petersburg) was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months’ imprisonment for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cowart and Dilworth had pleaded guilty in May 2023.
According to court documents, on May 4, 2020, an eyewitness observed a vehicle pull into traffic, which was occupied by Dilworth and Cowart. One or more occupants of that vehicle fired shots into the front of another vehicle. The occupants of the other vehicle retaliated, and a high-speed chase ensued. The car which Dilworth and Cowart occupied ultimately crashed into a gate at Azalea Middle School, and Dilworth and Cowart ran from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found cocaine, two substances that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, alprazolam, oxycodone, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and cannabis. They also found evidence of narcotics distribution inside the vehicle including plastic baggies, two scales, scissors, and a firearm. Both Dilworth and Cowart’s DNA were found on the firearm recovered from the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon, Charlie Connally, and Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
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.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Chaz Ryan Watkins, age 35, of Springfield, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. The Court further sentenced Watkins to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $178,620.00 to victims, including the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”), Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”), Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (“FEMA”).
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between December 2019, and continuing through at least September 2021, Watkins obtained the personal identifying information (“PII”) of inmates incarcerated in Louisiana prisons and of other individuals, including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. Watkins submitted claims for pandemic unemployment assistance (“PUA”) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”) in the names of the inmates, who were ineligible for such benefits, and in the names of other individuals, often without the individual’s knowledge or consent. In these applications, Watkins requested that the PUA benefits be transmitted via direct deposit to his financial accounts or via pre-paid debit cards mailed to addresses under his control. Once the funds were received, Watkins withdrew the funds as cash from ATMs at various financial institutions in the Middle District of Louisiana. Watkins received over $95,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Anyone audacious enough to steal taxpayer money during a state of emergency should expect to wind up in prison. Hopefully the sentence imposed upon Mr. Watkins today will make that clear to other aspiring fraudsters. The Louisiana OIG remains committed to pursuing criminal outcomes for individuals who commit fraud during public emergencies.” Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, and our partners at the US Department of Homeland Security OIG and US Department of Labor OIG for our continued successful partnership.”
This matter was investigated by the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Shiprock Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead 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 Courtney Frank pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Frank, 19, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of Navajo Nation, will remain on conditions of release (including adherence to an alcohol-monitoring bracelet) pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2022, Frank was intoxicated when she drove her car over the center line of Mesa Farm Road in Shiprock and struck another car head-on. The driver of the other vehicle, Jane Doe, died at the scene. In the plea agreement and in court, Frank acknowledged she was fully responsible for the wreck and Jane Doe’s death.
At sentencing Frank faces up to eight years in prison, followed by a term of up to three years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
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Seven Area Men Arrested After Being Charged in a 16 Count Indictment Alleging Mail Theft, Mail Fraud, and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a sixteen-count indictment charging seven men with Mail Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and Wire Fraud.
A joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Highland Heights Police Department, North Royalton Police Department, Brooklyn Heights Police Department, Shaker Heights Police Department, and USPS Office of Inspector General led to the arrests on September 11, 2023, of Nathaniel Sturdivant, 23, Euclid; Marcus Winn, 20, Cleveland; Dashawn Dumas, 24, Cleveland; Mohamed Mohamed, 21, Willoughby Hills; and Jayland Ware, 21, of Shaker Heights. On September 13, 2023, Larry Reynolds, 21, Maple Heights; and Lorenzo Nettles, 20, of Euclid, turned themselves in to the U.S. Marshals.
The seven individuals were indicted for their roles in a check-fraud scheme in which checks were stolen from the U.S. mail and altered or forged, then deposited into various accounts for withdrawal.
These arrests follow guilty pleas by eleven other defendants involved in similar criminal activities throughout the Northern District of Ohio. The United States Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating cases involving theft from postal carriers and the U.S. Mail.
“Offenses like these compromise the integrity of our mail system and harm not only the individuals whose mail is stolen, but the public at large,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the United States Postal Inspection Service and other state and local partners to aggressively prosecute criminals who steal from the U.S. Mail and abuse our community’s banks.”
“These recent arrests should serve notice to would be criminals that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees and customers”, said Inspector In Charge Lesley Allison. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail.”
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo.
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.
Serial Bank Robber from Fall River Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for robbing four separate banks in Massachusetts within a five-day period and attempting to rob a fifth bank.
William Sequeira, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 22, 2023, Sequeira pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery.
Between Sept. 26, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022, Sequeira robbed four separate banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. On Sept. 26, 2022 at approximately 1:52 p.m., Sequeira entered the Stop & Shop on Rodman Street in Fall River. There, he approached the Citizens Bank counter and demanded money stating, “listen, this is what's gonna happen, I have a gun and I'll put it against your forehead.” On Sept. 27, 2022 at approximately 2:35 p.m., Sequeira entered the Santander Bank on located on Berkley Street in Boston and threatened to shoot the employees. Specifically, he ran up to a teller and stated, “give me a $100 bill or I’ll put a bullet in your head.” Sequeira did not present a firearm.
The next day, on Sept. 28, 2022 at approximately 4:01 p.m., Sequeira entered the M&T Bank located on Boylston Street in Boston, approached a teller and stated, “I'm going to put a gun to your head if you don't give me the $100 bills.” On Sept. 30, 2022 at approximately 3:15 p.m., Sequeira entered the TD Bank located on Union Street in Boston. There, he told the teller, “give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “give me all the money before I blow your brains out,” before fleeing on foot with money from the teller.
An investigation by law enforcement led to the identification of Sequeira as the suspect in each of the robberies. As a result, on Oct. 5, 2022, upon being informed that Sequeira was on a train enroute to Boston, law enforcement conducted surveillance in the Back Bay area suspecting that Sequeira was planning another robbery. Sequeira was subsequently spotted entering the Citizens Bank located on Boylston Street in Boston. There, he approached the teller, said “Give me hundreds,” and threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. Sequeira was immediately apprehended.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Sean Williams Indicted for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On September 12, 2023, a federal grand jury in Greeneville returned a three-count indictment against Sean Williams, 51, of Johnson City, Tennessee, for producing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Williams appeared in federal court on September 14, 2023, before the Honorable Cynthia Richardson Wyrick, United States Magistrate Judge, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. The trial has been set for January 23, 2024, before the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Court Judge, in United States District Court, in Greeneville, Tennessee.
If convicted, Williams faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison as to each count of the indictment. Williams also faces a maximum of a life term of supervision and $250,000 fine as to each count of the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigation, and First Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Lynn Gomez and Emily Swecker will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Rochester Man Who Led Police on High Speed Chase Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jaden Z. Campbell, 19, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to carjacking and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that in the early morning hours of July 11, 2022, Campbell approached an individual (Victim 1) as Victim 1 walked towards an apartment building near Resolute Street and North Clinton Avenue. Carrying a firearm, Campbell told Victim 1, “give me everything or I’m gonna pop you.” Victim 1 gave Campbell several items, including the keys to his 2006 Infiniti G35. While continuing to point his gun, Campbell forced Victim 1 to start the Infiniti. Campbell then drive away by himself. Once the police located the stolen car, Campbell refused to pull over, instead, leading officers on a chase for approximately 25 minutes through Monroe County. Campbell at times reached speeds of approximately 85 MPH, ultimately crashing the car in a ditch near Quaker Road in Scottsville, NY. During the chase, Campbell also tossed a 9mm pistol from the Infiniti on Cranbrook Drive in Irondequoit, NY.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for Assaulting an OfficerRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond Brock, 30, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of assaulting a federal officer, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that on May 2, 2022, Brock was taken into custody by members of the United States Marshals Service Task Force at his Forrester Street residence. After being taken into custody, Brock was uncooperative and refused to walk under his own power. A Task Force Officer tried speaking with Brock about the circumstances of the incident and arrest, during which he was physically resistant and said he was going to spit in the face of the officer. Brock did so, and his spit, which contained blood, struck the officer in the face and went into his mouth.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service Task Force, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to over 44 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead 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 Matthew Lee Dale Taylor was sentenced to over 44 years in prison. Taylor, 32, of Hobbs, pled guilty in federal court on July 19, 2023, to transportation of child pornography, possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, and being a registered sex offender committing a felony sex offense involving a minor.
According to court records, on December 6, 2021, the FBI received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Taylor had uploaded 51 videos containing child pornography to a Dropbox account on July 14, 2021. In his plea, Taylor acknowledged that he knew the videos included children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Through diligent investigation, agents also learned that Taylor repeatedly sexually abused a minor he had access to when the minor was between the ages of five and eight years old.
Taylor was previously convicted of possession of a visual medium of sexual exploitation of children in 2017 and was required to register as a sex offender.
Upon his release from prison, Taylor will be subject to lifetime supervised release.
The Roswell Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to AlabamaRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Fairfield and Birmingham, Alabama, from Sept. 14-15.
On Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke gave the keynote address at the Honors Convocation at Miles College, a Historically Black College in Fairfield that was founded 125 years ago with roots in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. In her remarks, she highlighted the college’s esteemed alumni, lauded the accomplishments of the students and detailed the Justice Department’s work to protect civil rights. Read her full remarks here.
In the afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Clarke, along with U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, traveled to Birmingham to participate in a community meeting hosted by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Omicron Lambda Chapter. During the meeting, she discussed the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, protect voting rights and ensure law enforcement accountability .
Assistant Attorney General Clarke also met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama’s staff. She thanked the office’s leadership and staff for their service and continued commitment to protecting civil rights.
On Friday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke delivered remarks at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the horrific bombing that killed four Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley. In her remarks, she reflected on the tragic bombing, the history of hate in society and the Justice Department’s continued efforts to hold those who commit unlawful acts of race-based violence accountable. Read her full remarks here.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke concluded the trip at Ramsay IB High School, a predominantly Black public school known for its exceptional and high-performing student body. There, she met the principal, Dr. Carolyn Russell-Walker, as well as school leadership. She spoke with students about pursuing careers in public service and encouraged them to continue to achieve excellence in education.
RGV brothers sent to prison after trafficking meth and cocaine via USPSRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old Monte Alto man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jesus Manuel Castillo Jr. pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Castillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jesus Manuel was involved in transporting multiple packages of narcotics over the course of several months.
In June 2020, law enforcement identified two USPS packages that Castillo shipped with a destination for San Antonio. Each contained half a kilogram of meth.
The investigation revealed Castillo would package, sell and transport the narcotics along with his brother Agustin Castillo. In November 2020, law enforcement caught Jesus Castillo in the act transporting a USPS package destined to Florida containing half a kilogram of cocaine.
Agustin Castillo, 38, Monte Alto, had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
Previously released on bond, Jesus Castillo was taken into custody following the hearing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assisatnt U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Quantico, Virginia Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for 2019 Murder in Upper NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Collin Potter, 30, of Quantico, Va., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for fatally stabbing Vongell Lugo, of Washington, D.C., in Lugo’s apartment in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On February 3, 2023, Potter pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., after meeting at a bar, Potter and Lugo were alone together in Lugo’s apartment on Wisconsin Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. The defendant, unprovoked, attacked Lugo after grabbing one of Lugo’s kitchen knives. He stabbed and cut Lugo 42 times in the head, neck, and torso. Lugo yelled for help and his cries woke two of his neighbors, both of whom called 911 around 4:14 a.m. Potter then attempted to clean the knife in the kitchen sink. Around 4:20 a.m., the defendant, an active duty Navy sailor, pulled Lugo’s naked body out into the hallway. MPD officers discovered Lugo’s body and the defendant, who was standing naked, uninjured, and covered in Lugo’s blood. They arrested Potter and he has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke, Christian Natiello, and Peter V. Roman, and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Preparing fraudulent joint income tax returns results in prison for tax servicerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following his conviction for willfully preparing a false joint 2017 individual income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Fabrice Mahinga pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Mahinga to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Mahninga had a notable criminal history. In handing down the sentence, the court remarked on the seriousness of Mahinga’s criminal conduct, particularly given his status as a refugee in the United States.
As part of his plea, Mahinga admitted that from 2016 to 2018, he operated Kennedy Tax Service located in Houston. He admitted he often claimed fake Schedule C items, education and fuel tax credits on the returns he prepared.
In 2019, he assisted with the preparation of a tax return that should have resulted in a tax owed of $42. Mahinga added to the return a false Schedule C and false credits that resulted in a false claim for an income tax refund of $4,257 from the IRS. A copy of the return reflected a false income tax refund of a lesser refund - $3,259 - when the refund claimed on the return filed with the IRS was $4,257.
Mahinga took responsibility of $270,612 of loss to the IRS and agreed to pay $182,212 in restitution.
Mahinga was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles J. Escher and AUSA Christian T. Latham prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Daryl Williams was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Williams, age 24 of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Williams pled guilty last year to (1) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 6, 2018; and (2) to possession of another firearm in furtherance of another drug trafficking crime on May 29, 2018. Williams was on bond for the May 6 crime when he committed the May 29 crime. Williams possessed the firearms to further his fentanyl and heroin trafficking.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Greentree Police Department, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Physical Therapist Convicted for Paying Health Care KickbacksRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Florida woman yesterday for paying kickbacks in exchange for Medicare patient referrals.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nelly Anderson, 58, of Bay Harbor Islands, was the owner of Dial 4 Care, a business that provided home health services to Medicare beneficiaries. She hired multiple marketers and paid them kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals. Anderson then caused the submission of claims to Medicare for home health services that were procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks.
The jury convicted Anderson of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, and two counts of paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and 10 years in prison for each of the kickback offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Massey and Charles Strauss of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture aspects of the case. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Queenan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section assisted with the investigation.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.