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14 September 2023
Maryland and Virginia Men Facing Federal Charges for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $550,000 in COVID-19 Cares Act Unemployment Insurance Benefits Using the Personal Information of Identity Theft VictimsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Michael Cooley, Jr., a/k/a “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” age 24, and Isiah Lewis, a/k/a “Zay,” age 33, both of Maryland; and “Alonzo Brown, age 26, of Virginia, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, relating to the submission of fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, enacted to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The superseding indictment was filed July 19, 2023, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants.
Lewis is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt at 2:30 p.m. Cooley and Brown are expected to have their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Georgia this afternoon as well.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”); and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included expanded eligibility for UI benefits and increased UI benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (“PUA”), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (“LWAP”).
According to the superseding indictment from at least June 2020 through March 2021, the defendants used the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims, such as name, date of birth, and social security number, to file online UI applications in Maryland and California, using anonymous email addresses to obscure their identities and avoid detection. Cooley, Lewis, Brown and others allegedly caused debit cards bearing the names of identity theft victims and loaded with UI benefits from fraudulent UI claims to be mailed to addresses in Maryland and elsewhere. The defendants then used the benefits to obtain money and engage in point-of-sale transactions. Cooley, Lewis and Brown obtained more than $550,000 through the fraud scheme.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by superseding indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Maryland MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including MurderRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, of Adelphi, Maryland, yesterday to 28 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (“WLS”) clique of the MS-13 gang, which operated primarily in Adelphi, Maryland. Torres was the clique’s leader or “First Word.” Judge Xinis also ordered that Torres pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 4’s estate.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in Maryland and throughout the United States. MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region, and are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rivals. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 members earn promotions and improved standing within the gang for participating in attacks on rival gang members, often at the direction of MS-13 leadership.
On August 8, 2020, Torres and other WLS members, including Franklyn Sanchez, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where they agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez was armed with a revolver and Torres handed a second revolver to another MS-13 member, instructing that person to shoot first when Victim 4 arrived. Sanchez and the other WLS member each fired multiple shots at Victim 4, who fell to the ground. Sanchez then pistol-whipped Victim 4 and stabbed him with a knife. Torres then stabbed Victim 4 with a screwdriver. Torres and other WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez noticed he was bleeding and was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, Torres called other WLS members, including co-defendant Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, and ordered them to bring shovels to dig a hole and bury Victim 4’s body, which law enforcement later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
On June 5, 2020, Torres conspired with other MS-13 members to kidnap and kill a female member of the rival 18th Street gang. Torres and Rivas Rodriguez ordered subordinate members of the gang to gather at a house with firearms in preparation for the murder, while another MS-13 associate was at a separate location with Victim 5. The group of MS-13 subordinates gathered with guns and were preparing to follow their orders when police arrived on scene and interrupted the plan.
Torres also directed the collection of extortion payments, or “rents,” from at least two extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury by members of WLS. Finally, Torres participated in money laundering by transferring gang funds obtained through its extortion activities to MS-13 members and associates in El Salvador. For example, Torres accepted a delivery of rent payments that had just been collected from three brothels by a WLS member, with the intent to use the funds to promote MS-13’s illegal activities, including extortion.
Co-defendants Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Delinquente,” age 26; Hernan Yanes-Rivera, a/k/a “Recio,” age 22, both of Adelphi, Maryland; and Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, a/k/a “Terrible,” age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland were sentenced to 28 years, 22 years, and 16 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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 is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron and Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri commended the FBI, HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Marshalltown Woman and Des Moines Man sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On April 14, 2023, a Marshalltown woman, Elizabeth Andrade, 31, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, and on July 10, 2023, a Des Moines man, Adam Michael Browning, 38, was sentenced to 180 months in prison, for their respective roles in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Both were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Browning also plead guilty to carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
As early as July 2021, through April 2022, Andrade conspired with Browning to distribute methamphetamine in the Des Moines, Iowa, area. As part of that conspiracy, Andrade acted as a broker or middleman and introduced Browning to methamphetamine sources in Marshalltown, Des Moines, and Mexico. Andrade sent drug proceeds via wire transfer to Browning’s sources in Mexico. Browning sold methamphetamine to several customers and throughout the conspiracy he possessed several firearms. Their conspiracy involved over 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
Following their prison terms, Andrade and Browning each must complete five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) the Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF), Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task Force Des Moines Resident Office; Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; and the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Marion County Man Arrested for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Matthew Allen Gahan (24, Summerfield) on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Gahan faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented in court, on or about September 13, 2023, Gahan was in possession of multiple videos portraying the sexual abuse of young boys. Gahan also used the dark web to distribute and receive child sex abuse materials.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Manager of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution Ring Indicted on Racketeering and Related Charges Along with Two of the Organization’s EnforcersRead the Press Release
A 31-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn adding three defendants, Yuan Yuan Chen, also known as “Xiao Pang,” Yichu Chen and Johnnie Kim, as well as 10 additional assaults in-aid-of racketeering to the pending charges against co-defendants Rong Rong Xu, also known as “Eleanor,” Siyang Chen, Siyu Chen, also known as “Ban Ban,” Carlos Cury, also known as “Red,” Bo Jiang, Meizhen Song, also known as “Die Die,” and Jilong Yu. The charges relate to the defendants’ alleged participation in a Queens-based criminal organization that engaged in sex trafficking, beatings, and robberies of dozens of women across the United States. The three newly indicted defendants were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Yuan Yuan Chen (“Yuan Yuan”) is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, interstate prostitution conspiracy, and assault in-aid-of racketeering, among other crimes, and Yichu Chen (“Yichu”) and Johnnie Kim are variously charged with Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. The superseding indictment also adds charges against Cury, Xu, Siyang Chen, and Jiang.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the superseding indictment and arrests.
“As alleged, the defendants preyed on vulnerable women for sex trafficking, brutally assaulting them to enforce loyalty to the criminal enterprise. Human beings are not property and deserve to be free from violence and coerced sexual activity,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This case is another example of our Office’s longstanding commitment to bringing to justice sex trafficking organizations that exploit and seek to dehumanize victims for financial gain.”
Mr. Peace praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. This investigation was aided by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, as well as the Oklahoma City and Manchester field offices of United States Homeland Security Investigations and United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement. In addition, local police departments across the United States have provided invaluable assistance, including the Beaverton (Oregon) Police Department, Michigan State Police, Missouri Highway Patrol, Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) Police Department, Omaha (Nebraska) Police Department, Overland Park (Kansas) Police Department, Portland (Oregon) Police Department, Southfield (Michigan) Police Department, and Troy (Michigan) Police Department.
“These defendants allegedly engaged in the heinous crime of forced labor and chose to brutally exploit their fellow human beings for profit,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to pursue justice on behalf of victims of human trafficking and prosecuting perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The crimes outlined in today’s indictment are among the most heinous we confront,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners share an unwavering commitment to protect survivors of sex trafficking, and to ensure that anyone seeking to profit through the abuse and exploitation of others is brought to justice. I thank and commend for their sustained dedication everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this important case.”
As set forth in court filings, between April 2019 and September 2021, the defendants allegedly participated in or performed work on behalf of an organization that ran a nationwide prostitution business, trafficked women and directed and carried out violent attacks on women throughout the United States to protect its turf and deter commercial sex workers from working for rival organizations or independently. In carrying out these attacks, several defendants’ zip-tied the victims’ hands, stuffed or covered their mouths to silence them, and then viciously beat them with hammers, wrenches, baseball bats, rolling pins and other blunt objects, leaving the victims bloody, terrified, and, in many cases, seriously injured.
Yuan Yuan engaged in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and managed the Organization’s interstate prostitution business. She, along with her co-defendants, sought to keep women working for the Organization through force, fraud or coercion. For example, Yuan Yuan required women to provide passports, or copies of passports, to the Organization and then would later remind them of such information when warning them not to cross the “boss.” The Organization also sought to protect their business’s territory through violence, and Yuan Yuan played a pivotal role in devising a scheme to circulate video recordings of assaults among large groups or sex workers to deter them from working independently or for rivals. Yuan Yuan personally recruited sex workers for the Organization, took commissions from each of their jobs, identified rival businesses for purposes of planning targeted assaults of their employees, and kept the Organization’s own employees engaged in sex work by instilling fear in them.
As alleged, Yichu Chen and Johnnie Kim were enforcers employed by the Organization to carry out attacks on commercial sex workers. Yichu and Kim directly participated in the violent assaults of two victims on September 15, 2020 and April 21, 2021, respectively. A co-conspirator in a contemporaneous electronic communication described Yichu’s beating of the restrained victim on September 15, 2020 as “super severe.” As for Kim, he, along with co-defendant Cury, stomped all over the body of a victim on April 22, 2021 and kicked her hard and repeatedly to the point that she lost consciousness.
The superseding indictment also charges 10 additional assaults-in-aid-of-racketeering and adds defendants to previously charged counts. WeChat messages reveal the planning of assaults by the defendants on behalf of the Organization, and describe details of the violence that occurred during the assaults. In some cases, videos of the attacks were circulated between the defendants to demonstrate to more senior members of the Organization that the beatings were sufficiently severe. Some videos depict victims struggling while they are bound, bleeding and being beaten with hammers, baseball bats and rolling pins, among other weapons.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Yuan Yuan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment. Yichu and Kim each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment on Hobbs Act robbery charges.
Two defendants charged in the original indictment, Raymond Jiarun Yan, also known as “Raymond Yan” and “Mike,” and Zerong Tang, pleaded guilty earlier this month and are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the office’s Organized Crime and Gangs and Civil Rights Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti, Kayla C. Bensing, Sophia M. Suarez and Genny Ngai are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Anna November.
The FBI’s New York Joint Asian Criminal Enterprise Task Force believes this enterprise may be responsible for the assaults of even more commercial sex workers throughout the country. If you are a victim or have information to provide, there are several ways to contact the FBI: send a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. They have people ready to work with you in your native language, regardless of your immigration status. Please select English when prompted and ask the operator for a translator by stating your language of choice. Online tips may be submitted in any language. In an emergency, always call 911 for the police.
The Defendants:
RONG RONG XU (also known as “Eleanor”)
Age: 31
Queens, New YorkSIYANG CHEN
Age: 34
Queens, New YorkSIYU CHEN (also known as “Ban Ban”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkYUAN YUAN CHEN (also known as “Xiao Pang”)
Age: 30
Queens, New YorkYICHU CHEN
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkCARLOS CURY
Age: 43
Queens, New YorkBO JIANG
Age: 28
Queens, New YorkJOHNNIE KIM
Age: 53
Queens, New YorkMEIZHEN SONG (also known as “Die Die”)
Age: 25
Dallas, TexasJILONG YU
Age: 25
Dallas, TexasMan Sentenced for Extorting and Threatening Children into Performing Sex Acts on CameraRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for extorting and threatening multiple minors into performing sexual acts on camera.
According to court documents, Caleb D. Jordan, 22, of Mount Juliet, met three minors online through a video gaming platform. Jordan told the minors, who were between 11 and 14 years old, that people were coming to “get them” and threatened to kill or sexually assault their parents unless the minors created videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity. Jordan instructed them to perform and record specific sex acts and used these minors to create nearly 400 sexually explicit videos, some of which depict the minor victims crying or in visible distress. Jordan then attempted to sell the videos over an encrypted internet chatting application. Electronic devices seized from Jordan’s home also contained more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
HSI Nashville investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by HSI offices in Phoenix and Fort Myers, Florida.
Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maine Man Indicted for Threatening to “Shoot up” the Portsmouth High SchoolRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Kyle Hendrickson, 25, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Concord for threatening the Portsmouth High School on SnapChat, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Hendrickson was charged with one count of interstate threatening communications and one count of possessing a firearm in a school zone. He was previously arrested on a criminal complaint.
According to the charging documents, Hendrickson posted a video to his SnapChat account on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in which he brandished a handgun while in a vehicle outside of the Portsmouth High School. The video includes a text overlay that reads “imma shoot up the school.” School surveillance footage placed Hendrickson’s vehicle outside the high school at the time of the video. Law enforcement recovered an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, camouflage body armor, a handgun holster, a red-dot sight, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Hendrickson’s vehicle. A handgun that resembles the one used in the SnapChat video was also recovered near a motel where Hendrickson had stayed on April 12, 2023.
Each charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, and the Portsmouth Police Department led the investigation. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Somersworth Police Department, the Portland (Maine) Police Department, and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mt. Juliet Man Sentenced for Extorting and Threatening Children into Performing Sex Acts on CameraRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Mt. Juliet man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for extorting and threatening multiple minors into performing sexual acts on camera. That term of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
According to court documents, Caleb D. Jordan, 22, of Mt. Juliet, met three minors online through a video gaming platform. Jordan told the minors, who were between 11 and 14 years old, that people were coming to “get them” and threatened to kill or sexually assault their parents unless the minors created videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity. Jordan instructed them to perform and record specific sex acts and used these minors to create nearly 400 sexually explicit videos, some of which depict the minor victims crying or in visible distress. Jordan then attempted to sell the videos over an encrypted internet chatting application. Electronic devices seized from Jordan’s home also contained more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
HSI Nashville investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by HSI offices in Phoenix, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 28 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.
According to court documents, from at least August 2018 through July 2021, Brayan Alexander Torres, aka Spooky, 29, of Adelphi, was the “First Word” or leader of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS), an MS-13 clique operating primarily in Adelphi. MS-13 is an international criminal organization composed primarily of individuals from El Salvador or their descendants, with members operating throughout the United States. MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 members earn promotions and improved standing within the gang for participating in attacks on rival gang members, often at the direction of MS-13 leadership.
On Aug. 8, 2020, Torres and other WLS members, including Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, 26, of Adelphi, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where they agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez was armed with a revolver and Torres handed a second revolver to another MS-13 member, instructing that person to shoot first when Victim 4 arrived. Sanchez and the other WLS member each fired multiple shots at Victim 4. When Victim 4 fell to the ground, Sanchez pistol-whipped him and stabbed him with a knife. Then Torres stabbed Victim 4 with a screwdriver. Torres and other WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez noticed he was bleeding and was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, Torres called other WLS members, including Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and ordered them to bring shovels to dig a hole and bury Victim 4’s body, which law enforcement later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
On June 5, 2020, Torres conspired with other MS-13 members to kidnap and kill a female member of the rival 18th Street gang. Torres and Rivas Rodriguez ordered subordinate members of the gang to gather at a house with firearms in preparation for the murder, while another MS-13 associate was at a separate location the intended victim, identified as Victim 5. The group of MS-13 subordinates gathered with guns as Torres and Rodriguez had directed, and were preparing for murder when police arrived and interrupted the plan.
Torres also directed the collection of extortion payments, or “rents,” from at least two victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that victims made payments because WLS members had threatened to kill or injure them by flashing guns or baseball bats.
Torres participated in money laundering by transferring gang funds obtained through its extortion activities to MS-13 members and associates in El Salvador. Torres also accepted a delivery of rent payments that a WLS member had collected from three brothels, with the intent to use the funds to promote MS-13’s illegal activities, including extortion.
Previously, Sanchez; Hernan Yanes-Rivera, 22, of Adelphi; and Rivas Rodriguez were sentenced to 28 years, 22 years, and 16 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, and Prince George’s County Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Montgomery County Police Department.
Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Man Charged with Interstate Transport of Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMPSORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joseph John Waldron, age 64, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to a criminal Information charging Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information charges Waldron with transporting goods valued above $5,000 across state lines between August and December 2021. The stolen items included a Kabota Backhoe valued at approximately $70,000, a Kubota Excavator valued at approximately $40,757, a John Deere Tractor valued at approximately $26,397, among other items.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Ludlow Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Ludlow man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover agent and others online.
Robert Avrett, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. In March 2023, Avrett pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Avrett was identified as the owner of a Kik messenger account that shared numerous videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to an undercover law enforcement agent. The CSAM Avrett distributed depicted the sexual exploitation of minor victims as young as approximately three-years-old. During search of Avrett’s residence on Nov. 21, 2022, Avrett admitted that he was the operator of the Kik messenger account and that he used the account to share and receive CSAM.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office 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.
Lehigh Acres Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm During Drug TransactionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mar’tavious Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Brown faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on August 19, 2022, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in Fort Myers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. Morgan.
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.
Las Vegas Resident Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 21 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for recording himself sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Mohamed Muhina (28) pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of sexual exploitation of children. Muhina will be required to register as a sex offender, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents, in 2017, Muhina began communicating with a 14-year-old girl on Facebook messenger. Shortly thereafter, he drove to the victim’s residence and pulled her into the backseat of his car where he sexual assaulted her despite her pleas to stop. Between September 2017 and January 2018, Muhina sexually assaulted the victim two more times. Then, in February 2018, the victim was walking to school when Muhina grabbed her by her hair and jacket and he forced her into his car. He drove to his apartment and sexually assaulted the victim. A forensic examination of Muhina’s cell phones revealed several images and videos showing him engaged in sex acts with young girls, including the victim.
“The defendant is a predator who actively sought out one of our most vulnerable, a 14-year-old child, and repeatedly committed sexual assaults, ignoring the victim’s cries and pleas to stop,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “This case is another example of our office’s commitment to bringing to justice those who sexually exploit children in our communities. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and hold accountable those who exploit children. Today’s sentence will protect children from future crimes by the defendant.”
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort put forth to ensure this defendant was brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI. “Knowing that the defendant will serve the next 21 years in federal prison, ensures there is one less predator victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community. This sentencing is a success in the fight against those who exploit the vulnerable and illustrates our dedication to bring these criminals to justice.”
The FBI and North Las Vegas Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Sokolich prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
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Laboratory Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Healthcare Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Terry Wilks Jr., age 41, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks. The Court further sentenced Wilks to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $5,017,861.03 and forfeit $447,249.52. Laboratory Sales Representative, Leslie McHugh, age 38, of Palmetto, Florida, was previously sentenced by Chief Judge Dick to 12 months and one day in federal prison for her involvement in the scheme. The Court further sentenced McHugh to serve two years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.
According to court documents and admissions made as part of both Wilks’s and McHugh’s guilty pleas, Wilks was an owner and the CEO of Acadian Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC, a clinical laboratory based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. McHugh worked as a sales representative for Acadian. In late 2016, McHugh was excluded from participation in the Medicare program. However, despite her exclusion, McHugh continued to refer doctors’ orders and specimens for testing by Acadian, in exchange for kickbacks paid by Wilks. These referrals caused the submission of claims by Acadian to Medicare and TRICARE. During the period that McHugh was excluded, Wilks made cash and wire payments, totaling over $69,000, to McHugh in exchange for referrals. As a result of those referrals, Acadian submitted over $500,000 in claims to Medicare and TRICARE and was reimbursed over $127,000. In addition to McHugh, Wilks admitted to paying another sales representative of Acadian over $2.3 million in kickbacks for his referrals to the lab from January 2016 through December 2018, which resulted in over $40 million billed to Medicare and Louisiana Medicaid. In turn, Medicare and Louisiana Medicaid reimbursed Acadian over $4.8 million.
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG, Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, FBI, and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana. Trial Attorneys Samantha E. Stagias and Justin M. Woodard of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig of the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Kissimmee Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carlos Ferrer (46, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ferrer faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, Ferrer, co-conspirator Maria Del Carmen Montes, and others conspired to create and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, the conspirators created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and IRS Form W-2s in the names of companies for which the borrowers had never worked. The bogus income documents falsely indicated that borrowers had worked at these companies, including companies formed and controlled by Ferrer, for a certain period and earned income that they had not. These fictitious paystubs and W-2s were submitted to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions.
To further deceive the mortgage lenders, Ferrer filled in the false employment and employment and income on Verifications of Employment (VOE) sent by the financial institutions. Ferrer then falsely certified and emailed VOEs sent by the financial institution in the names of borrowers that he knew did not work for his companies and lied to the financial institutions during verbal VOE verifications. Based on Ferrer’s misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Jamaican National Convicted Under Federal Kingpin Statute for Orchestrating Large-Scale, Nationwide Cocaine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – After deliberating for five hours, a jury found Racoco Williams guilty of six counts, including violating the federal “Kingpin” statute for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as additional narcotics, conspiracy, and money laundering offenses, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Williams, 41, was convicted on September 8, 2023, following a three-week trial before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The evidence at trial established that Williams managed, supervised, and organized more than a dozen individuals in a large-scale drug trafficking enterprise that operated for approximately five years in multiple states. Williams obtained substantial quantities of cocaine near the Southwest border, in Phoenix, Arizona, and in other locations in western states, and then arranged for the cocaine to be transported to various cities in the eastern United States, including Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, and Pittsburgh. As part of the enterprise, Williams took steps to hide his involvement in the cross-country transportation of drugs and cash proceeds. Proof at trial showed that Williams used a series of young women, often facing difficult financial circumstances, to transport the cocaine through checked luggage on domestic airline flights. These women also transported the proceeds of Williams’s cocaine trafficking back to Phoenix via secret compartments in suitcases. Williams controlled members of the organization through threats of violence, including threatening to kill one young woman and her entire family if she cooperated with law enforcement.
During the conspiracy, Williams was associated with multiple seizures involving kilogram-quantities of cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry. For example, a search in 2012 resulted in the seizure of $337,000 in cash concealed in secret compartments in eight suitcases. Later, in 2014, Williams was arrested in Arizona, and a search of two suitcases in his vehicle uncovered approximately $160,000 in cash. In April 2017, law enforcement found a suitcase in a residence connected to Williams containing six kilograms of cocaine and $78,500 in cash. Less than a month later, in May 2017, a search of Williams’s car and hotel room revealed approximately $120,000 in cash and valuable jewelry. And about three months later in August 2017, a search of another hotel room in Williams’s name resulted in the seizure of 17 kilograms of cocaine, approximately $192,000 in cash, and $150,000 in jewelry. Even while he was incarcerated following the August 2017 seizure, trial evidence showed that Williams continued to orchestrate shipments of cocaine from Phoenix to the Pittsburgh area, including five kilograms of cocaine that he arranged to have concealed in a BMW sports utility vehicle loaded on a car carrier traveling from Arizona to Pittsburgh. In reaching its verdict, the jury specifically determined that Williams was responsible for trafficking 150 kilograms or more of cocaine.
“For over five years, Racoco Williams stayed in the shadows and used a series of young women to move hundreds of kilograms of cocaine across the country for distribution in communities throughout the East Coast, including in the Pittsburgh area,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “This successful prosecution demonstrates our commitment to shining a light on those who seek to profit from the large-scale distribution of narcotics and sends a message that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend our law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this important and complex case.”
“The partnership between HSI Philadelphia’s Pittsburgh office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Police continues to demonstrate the excellence in law enforcement that can be achieved through cooperation, information sharing, and side-by-side investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “The agents, officers and prosecutors involved in this case have effectively brought down a criminal syndicate while freeing vulnerable young women from a life of criminality and violence. Well done to all involved.”
The law provides for a mandatory life sentence. On September 13, the jury also found that approximately $400,000 in cash, $200,000 worth of jewelry, and the BMW sports utility vehicle should be forfeited to the government.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Karen Gal-Or represented the United States at trial. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police led the investigation that resulted in the prosecution of Williams. Those agencies received valuable investigative assistance from numerous other law enforcement entities in Pennsylvania and Arizona, including: the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Allegheny County Police, the Swissvale Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona), and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona).
Henderson County Methamphetamine Distributor Is Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Brandon Lee Nalley, 48, of Hendersonville, N.C., to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between July 2021 and December 2021, federal, state, and local law enforcement conducting an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking networks in western North Carolina identified Nalley as a supplier of methamphetamine in Henderson County. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement utilized a confidential source to arrange multiple controlled buys of methamphetamine from Nalley. On December 22, 2021, deputies with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of Nalley’s vehicle. Over the course of the stop, the deputies found a duffel bag inside the vehicle that contained methamphetamine, a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, and an additional magazine loaded with seven rounds of hollow point ammunition.
On April 26, 2023, Nalley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and thanked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff's Office, the Waynesville Police Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, the Canton Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Maggie Valley Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their investigative efforts.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Head of Drug Trafficking Organization Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The head of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs in the Charlotte area was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Laricco Eugene Sherrill, Sr., 45, of Charlotte, will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Alicia Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
In addition to Sherrill, Sr., six other members of the drug trafficking organization (DTO) have been sentenced as follows:
- Jakieran Harris, 27, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Laricco Eugene Sherrill, Jr., 24, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
- Marquez Maxwell, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Quentin Nathaniel Stowe, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Brian Clinton, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Sadarian Armstrong, 42, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and court proceedings, beginning as early as January 2020 through August 17, 2021, Sherrill, Sr. was the leader of the DTO that distributed large quantities of narcotics in Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas. Court records show that the DTO used several residences in Charlotte, commonly referred to as “trap houses,” as bases of operation from which they sold the drugs. Young children were regularly present in these trap houses while DTO members sold drugs. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants and seized from DTO members and the trap houses fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana, drug paraphernalia, digital scales, several firearms and ammunition, and over $63,650 in drug proceeds.
As the leader of the DTO, Sherrill, Sr. purchased large quantities of methamphetamine and other narcotics from multiple supply sources. He stored the drugs in several residences, or stash houses, in the area, and used a network of local distributors, including the six co-conspirators, to sell the drugs. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement arranged multiple controlled drug buys with Sherrill, Sr. and co-conspirators working for him. Before the investigation leading to this case, Sherrill, Sr. had previously served a federal prison sentence for trafficking drugs while armed in the Western District of North Carolina.
On April 11, 2023, Sherrill, Sr. pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
“As head honcho of a drug trafficking organization, Sherrill, Sr. sold drugs, unfazed by the havoc he was wreaking in the lives of those who bought his poison,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Drug trafficking and the violence linked to the drug trade are a blight that threatens the stability and safety of our communities. Thanks to the joint efforts of my Office and our law enforcement partners, Sherrill, Sr. will now spend nearly two decades behind bars.”
“Disrupting violent drug trafficking organizations has an enormous impact on the safety of our cities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jones. “In the process of breaking up these drug trafficking networks, we’re recovering firearms, bringing dangerous individuals to justice, and making our neighborhoods safer.”
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King credited the ATF and CMPD’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Robert Hunter Biden with Three Felonies Related to His Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Robert Hunter Biden (Hunter Biden) with three felony firearm offenses.
According to the indictment, Hunter Biden purchased a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer on Oct. 12, 2018. When purchasing a firearm, a prospective purchaser must fill out a Firearm Transaction Record, ATF Form 4473, and certify that all of his or her answers on the form are true and correct. As alleged in count one of the indictment, Hunter Biden knowingly made a false written statement on the Form 4473, intended and likely to deceive the dealer he purchased the firearm from, when he certified that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance. In fact, he knew that statement was false, according to the indictment. In count two of the indictment, Hunter Biden is alleged to have knowingly made a false statement and representation to a federally licensed firearms dealer with respect to information the dealer is required to keep under federal law. Count three of the indictment alleges that during an 11-day period between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm while knowing he was an unlawful user of or addicted to any stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance, in violation of federal law.
Hunter Biden is charged with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Special Counsel David C. Weiss made the announcement.
Court documents and information for this case is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 23-cr-00061-MN.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gary Man Sentenced to 130 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Bobby Wright, 41 years old, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Wright was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Wright sold fentanyl on two separate occasions in September and October 2021. At the time of the sale, Wright was on federal supervised release for his 2019 felony conviction for distributing heroin and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school. Wright was also previously convicted in 2009 for felony dealing in cocaine in Lake County, Indiana.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and DEA North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Eamonn P. Sheehan.
Gang Members Admit Racketeering Charge and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted their roles in a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tyheim Terry, aka “Ty,” aka “Rollin’ Ty,” 25, and Amir Edmonds, aka “G Baby,” 22, each pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to a superseding indictment that charged them with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. Terry also pleaded guilty to carjacking and to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking. Edmonds also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Terry and Edmonds were members of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere.
On Feb. 21, 2021, Terry worked with others, including members of the gang, to attempt to carjack a victim. On April 5, 2021, Terry worked with other members of the gang to shoot another victim. On April 11, 2021, Terry brandished a firearm and carjacked a third victim. Edmonds admitted to working with at least one other member of the enterprise to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 7, 2020, Edmonds possessed with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of that drug offense.
Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the racketeering conspiracy. Terry faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the carjacking, and a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years, and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any sentence imposed for the carjacking, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms offense. Edmonds faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million on the controlled substance offense, and a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years, and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any sentence imposed for the controlled substance offense, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms offense. Sentencing for Edmond is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2024, and for Edmonds, Jan.16, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, with the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division.
terryedmonds.sindictment.pdfFulton County Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Running Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy in Capital RegionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dion Underwood, age 46, of Johnstown, New York, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, for running a narcotics distribution conspiracy in the Capital Region. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarantino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Underwood previously pled guilty and admitted that between January and December 2021, he supervised members of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin in the Capital Region, including Albany, Schenectady, and Montgomery Counties. As part of his plea and today’s sentence, Underwood also agreed to forfeit $39,403 seized by federal agents as proceeds of the conspiracy.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.
Fourth Defendant Pleads Guilty in $7 Million COVID-19 Testing FraudRead the Press Release
An Irving man pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent insurance claims for COVID-19 testing, resulting in a more than $7 million loss to insurers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Terrance Barnard, 40, was indicted in December. He pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft and Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity Theft before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez.
According to plea papers, Mr. Barnard admitted that he and his coconspirators accessed private patient information – including names, dates of birth, and insurance subscriber numbers – through various clinics where Barnard worked as a contract lab technician. Mr. Barnard admitted that on some occasions, he took photographs of patient information and stored the images on “burner” phones, and on other occasions, he and a coconspirator accessed the clinics’ confidential electronic medical records to obtain large amounts of patient information at once.
They then used the patient information to submit claims to insurance providers – including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care – for COVID-19 testing that was never performed. (The patients had not requested COVID-19 testing, nor were they aware their information was being used to submit claims.)
Mr. Barnard admitted that the “labs” at which the coconspirators claimed the testing occurred, including TC Diagnostics, ME Diagnostics, and PHR Diagnostics, were, in fact, shell entities that never operated as labs. Collectively, these three entities submitted approximately $30 million in claims and were paid more than $7 million in reimbursements for fake testing.
Mr. Barnard now faces up to seven years in federal prison. According to the terms of his plea agreement, he has agreed to a $7.29 million forfeiture money judgment and will forfeit a number of items seized during the investigation, including $2.5 million in funds from numerous bank accounts, two residences, six vehicles, and six luxury watches.
Also charged in the scheme are Connie Jo Clampitt, 52, William Paul Gray, 50, and Don Hogg, 37. Clampitt, Hogg and Gray have each pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in November 2023.
The Dallas Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Dallas Office of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit's Fort Worth Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture.
For more information about the Justice Department’s response to wrongdoing connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Four Members of Ski-Ball Gang Charged with Racketeering and Multiple Gang-Related ShootingsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging KAYSHAWN MASSOP, a/k/a “topski.bz,” a/k/a “Bz,” a/k/a “KB,” a/k/a “Kay Ski,” GREG BROWN, a/k/a “ballout.gg,” a/k/a “GG,” CARL HENRY, a/k/a “Big Ski,” a/k/a “Biggs,” and AMARI JACKSON, a/k/a “Justo,” with racketeering conspiracy, firearms offenses, and other crimes related to their membership in the “Ski-Ball Gang,” a street gang based in the Bronx, New York. MASSOP, BROWN, HENRY, and JACKSON are also charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering in connection with their participation in multiple shootings. MASSOP, BROWN, HENRY, and JACKSON are all in custody, and JACKSON was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Keeping our community safe from violent crime is a paramount priority of this Office. As alleged, members of the Ski-Ball Gang engaged in brazen acts of violence across this District, including multiple shootings at rival gang members. Thanks to the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office, the defendants, who include senior members of the gang, now face a slew of federal charges for their crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “As alleged, the defendants conspired to not only attempt to increase their standing within a violent street gang through a series of senseless shootings, but also to engage in both bank and wire fraud. We will not allow gang members to engage in reckless violence that endangers innocent lives. The New York FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force is committed, through collaboration with our law enforcement partners, to ensuring that brazen gang violence has no place in our communities.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: "The defendants stand accused of endangering the streets of New York City with violence and defrauding both taxpayers and small business owners in their unlawful pursuit of wealth and influence. HSI NY is proud to work alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners in preventing these criminals from causing further harm. HSI NY remains steadfast in its mission to apprehend violent gang members and disrupt their criminal enterprises."
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “These gang members allegedly led a criminal enterprise, financially exploiting their victims to fund their gang activities and live a lavish lifestyle. This RICO indictment and investigation uncovered the despicable nature in which these gangs operate, highlighting their ruthless behavior and disrespectful attitude for the communities where they commit their crimes. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will spare no resource to bring these individuals to justice, ensuring they pay for their crimes, while keeping the streets of New York safe from these criminal acts.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Targeting and dismantling gangs, and preventing the crime and violence so often associated with their illegal activities, continue to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD and our law enforcement partners. And we will remain relentless in our efforts to identify and arrest anyone who involves themselves in such senseless acts in our city. I commend and thank everyone involved from USPIS, HSI, FBI, and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for their dedication and effort on this important case.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]
KAYSHAWN MASSOP, GREG BROWN, CARL HENRY, and AMARI JACKSON are members of a racketeering conspiracy known as the Ski-Ball Gang.
On January 31, 2020, HENRY, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of a rival gang member in the Bronx, New York.
On August 23, 2020, HENRY and JACKSON, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of a rival gang member in the Bronx, New York.
On August 27, 2020, BROWN, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of rival gang members in the Bronx, New York.
On August 27, 2020, MASSOP, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated the assault of rival gang members in the Bronx, New York.
On June 25, 2021, MASSOP and BROWN, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of rival gang members in the Bronx, New York.
On January 13, 2022, BROWN, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the Ski-Ball Gang enterprise, participated in and facilitated a gunpoint robbery in Yonkers, New York.
From at least in or about 2019 through at least in or about 2022, MASSOP, BROWN, HENRY, and JACKSON participated in a bank and wire fraud conspiracy, which included the misuses of others’ means of identification.
* * *
A chart containing the names, charges, and minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, HSI, USPIS, and the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Labor for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division and Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Klein, Andrew Chan, Christy Slavik, and Ben Arad are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
DEFENDANT(S)
MIN. AND MAX. PENALTIES
Count One: Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
20 years in prison
Count Two: Attempted Murder, Assault, and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
CARL HENRY
20 years in prison
Count Three: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
CARL HENRY
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count Four: Attempted Murder, Assault, and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
GREG BROWN
20 years in prison
Count Five: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
GREG BROWN
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count Six: Assault and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
20 years in prison
Count Seven: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count Eight: Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
20 years in prison
Count Nine: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count 10: Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
20 years in prison
Count 11: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count 12: Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery
GREG BROWN
20 years in prison
Count 13: Hobbs Act Robbery
GREG BROWN
20 years in prison
Count 14: Possession and Brandishing of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
GREG BROWN
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of seven years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
Count 15: Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
30 years in prison
Count 16: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
20 years in prison
Count 17: Aggravated Identity Theft
KAYSHAWN MASSOP
GREG BROWN
CARL HENRY
AMARI JACKSON
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 144 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Devin J. Weaver, 19 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Weaver was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on January 18, 2023, Weaver, a convicted felon, was riding around Fort Wayne in a vehicle waving a Glock pistol while live-streaming on social media. Weaver discharged the firearm several times outside the vehicle in a populated area. Officers were able to locate and arrest Weaver and recovered the firearm. Weaver has been convicted of firearms related offenses on two prior occasions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Missouri Doctor Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Defrauding Medicare, MedicaidRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a Moberly, Missouri doctor to 22 months in prison for falsely using his father’s name to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medical services.
Justin G. LaMonda was also ordered to repay $537,332.
LaMonda’s crimes originated after the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts suspended his medical license for 30 days in 2017 after he was accused of engaging in sexual activity with his office manager and prescribing her controlled substances “without sufficient examination and outside of the usual course of professional practice,” LaMonda’s plea agreement says.
On Dec. 20, 2018, a Medicare administrative contractor revoked LaMonda’s Medicare Part B privileges after determining that he submitted reimbursement claims for services performed when he was suspended.
LaMonda and his father, who was also a doctor, agreed to bill Medicare for services performed by LaMonda as if they had been performed by his father.
On Sept. 12, 2019, the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit terminated Dr. LaMonda’s provider number. LaMonda and his father then expanded their scheme to include Medicaid claims.
LaMonda instructed his billing personnel to use his father’s unique billing provider number on claims for payment, on referrals to other health care providers and on orders for durable medical equipment, falsely claiming that the father had performed the medical services or ordered additional equipment or treatment, his plea agreement says.
When LaMonda’s father received payments from Medicare and Medicaid for services purportedly performed by him, he would transfer the funds to his son.
LaMonda admitted causing total losses of $537,322 to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid.
LaMonda “flagrantly violated” the revocation of his Medicare and Medicaid billing privileges by fraudulently billing those programs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
“Health care professionals who intentionally submit such blatant fraudulent information can adversely affect individuals who depend on Medicare and Medicaid for access to safe and effective health care services. The laws are meant to ensure both the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” stated Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency collaborates frequently with our law enforcement partners to investigate providers who undermine our federal health care programs and the well-being of patients by submitting fraudulent claims.”
LaMonda, 42, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters. His medical license has been revoked. LaMonda’s father, Dr. Gary LaMonda, died in September 2021.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the case.
Former Midland Teacher, Lacrosse Coach Sentenced to Nine Years for Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MIDLAND, Texas – A Midland man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland today to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud.
According to court documents, William Logsdon, 55, used the trust he had built with community members during his time as a lacrosse coach and teacher in the Midland area, and even the trust he had established with members of his own family, to convince them to “invest” in a Ponzi scheme. Logsdon conducted the scheme in concert with his mother-in-law, Jamie Thompson, a former geologist in the oil and gas industry who had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Together, Thompson and Logsdon told their victims that the money they were “investing” was being used to purchase royalty interests for various oil, gas and mineral projects located in Texas and New Mexico. The royalty interests were allegedly being purchased through various entities, including an entity called the National Royalty Group, or NRG. In actuality, the National Royalty Group did not exist, and rather than purchasing royalty interests, Thompson and Logsdon used the money to primarily pay for personal expenses, as well as to advance the Ponzi scheme by providing some “distributions” back to earlier “investors.”
Between them, Logsdon and Thompson defrauded more than 20 victims out of more than $2.1 million, with Logsdon being responsible for a subset of those victims and losses. Both Logsdon and Thompson have been ordered to jointly-and-severally pay restitution to their victims according to their responsibility.
“The individuals that perpetrated this scheme demonstrated extreme greed and disregard for their victims, many of whom were friends, colleagues and even family members,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “In doing so, they harmed the lives and livelihoods of those they claimed to care about. I want to thank the Midland Police Department for tirelessly working to secure these convictions and helping the victims to secure a measure of justice.”
The Midland Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.
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Former Licensed Registered Nurse Sentenced to 15 Months for Product TamperingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dawn Drum, 54, Janesville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 15 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and fined $30,000 due and payable immediately. On May 8, 2023, Drum pleaded guilty to one count of product tampering while employed as a Registered Nurse at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Janesville in November 2021.
Drum tampered with vials of fentanyl by withdrawing the drug from the vials and replacing it with saline and then resealing the vial stopper with what appeared to be superglue. Drum then put the tampered vials back into the Pyxis machine, an automated medication dispensing system, so that the tampered fentanyl vials would be available for use with other patients at the hospital. An audit of the Pyxis transactions in Drum’s name revealed that she had an excessive pattern of fentanyl overrides and wastes when compared to other employees in 2021. When confronted by hospital management in November 2021 with this discrepancy, and asked to take a drug test, Drum refused and instead resigned from her position at the hospital.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Drum expressed remorse for her actions and noted that her illegal conduct was driven by her addiction to opioids. She indicated that the harm she caused to her patients by her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life.
In imposing sentence, Judge Conley told Drum that he understood that she acted out of character because of her addiction. However, he also noted that her decision to steal fentanyl, and then tamper with the vials and return them to the medication dispenser for use with patients, was the reason he was sentencing her to prison. Judge Conley explained to Drum that her actions harmed others and she needed to face the consequences for those actions.
Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, with the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office, emphasized the dangers caused by this type of crime, “Health care professionals who tamper with medications from patients not only harm patients but also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.”
The charges against Drum were the result of an investigation conducted by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber handled the prosecution of the case.
Florida Man Sentenced in Maryland to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Nationwide Scheme that Defrauded Elderly Victims of More Than $2.5 MillionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Eghosasere Avboraye-Igbinedion a/k/a “Ego” and “Ghost,” age 28, of Miramar, Florida, to 66 months in federal prison and one year of home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud, in connection with a scheme in which he and his co-conspirators defrauded more than 85 elderly victims of more than $2.5 million. Judge Bennett also ordered Avboraye-Iginedion to pay restitution in the amount of $1,695,600. Avboraye-Igbinedion was convicted by a federal jury on June 15, 2023, after a six-day trial.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from January 2018 through November 2019, Avboraye-Ibginedion was part of a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by persuading them to send thousands of dollars in cash to members of the conspiracy, falsely stating that the money would be used to help the victims’ relatives pay legal or other expenses for crimes and other incidents that had not actually occurred. Conspirators targeted elderly victims throughout the United States, calling and posing as a police officer, lawyer, or other individual, falsely telling the victim that a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild, had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime, and needed money—often tens of thousands of dollars—for bail, legal fees, and other expenses.
Witnesses testified that during the telephone calls, the conspirators directed victims to send cash to particular addresses via an overnight delivery service. The conspirators even posed as the victims’ relatives to further induce them to send the cash. Once the victims did send money, the conspirators called the victims asking for more cash, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims. To prevent the victims from sharing the information with anyone, the conspirators told the victims that a “gag order” had been placed on the case requiring secrecy, or that the situation was embarrassing for the grandchild and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it.
The evidence proved that Avboraye-Ibginedion’s part in the scheme was to retrieve packages of cash sent by elderly victims and deliver the packages to a co-defendant, Medard Ulysse. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators traveled from Florida to Maryland and other states and identified residential locations where the cash should be sent, typically locations that were either vacant or for sale, so that no one would be at those locations at the time of the deliveries. Once the packages were delivered, Avboraye-Ibginedion and others retrieved the packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators also relayed directions to other participants in the scheme about where and when to retrieve packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion then delivered the packages to Ulysse or to other conspirators.
Co-defendant Medard Ulysse, age 38, most recently of Miami, Florida, was sentenced earlier this year to nine years in federal prison, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to multiple fraud schemes, including the elder fraud “grandparent” scam. Judge Bennett also ordered Ulysse to pay restitution totaling $2,485,512, of which $1,866,745 is for the elder fraud scam.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Canadian Sûreté du Québec for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Christine Goo, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help seniors, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/elder-justice-initiative.
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Florida Man Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.5 Million in Unemployment Benefits and EIDL LoansRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man admitted that he illegally obtained more than $1.5 million in government benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Michael Blanc, 34, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on to an information charging him with wire fraud.
“This defendant admitted taking advantage of government programs that were specifically designed to provide needed financial assistance to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Combatting pandemic fraud in all of its forms is a top priority for this office and our law enforcement partners. Together, we will continue to root out those who have exploited the suffering of others to line their own pockets, and bring them to justice.”
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It expanded states’ ability to provide assistance to many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. The CARES Act also enabled the Small Business Association (SBA) to offer funding through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blanc and others applied for unemployment insurance benefits in others’ names without their knowledge or consent and provided false information to induce state workforce agencies to approve those applications. He and others applied for EIDLs in others’ names without their knowledge or consent and provided false information in the applications to induce the SBA to approve the loan applications. Blanc and others obtained more than $1.5 million through their fraudulent scheme.
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 to Blanc or twice the gross loss suffered by the victims. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, in New York, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge is Scott Moffit, Cybercrime Investigations Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the FBI, Miami Division, and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development for their assistance.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
blanc.information.pdfFelon Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Quintan Kimbrough, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kimbrough to 90 months in the Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Kimbrough will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On June 10, 2022, Omaha police officers observed a silver Pontiac turn right on North 24th Street without coming to a complete stop at the stop sign. The vehicle was then observed driving in excess of the posted speed limit on North 24th Street before turning left on Ogden Street without signaling the turn. A traffic stop was made as the vehicle pulled into the driveway of a private residence where Kimbrough was contacted as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.
Officers detected signs of impairment and a DUI investigation was completed. Eventually, Kimbrough was placed under arrest for DUI 4th Offense. Kimbrough's vehicle was searched, and officers located a Ruger .45 ACP handgun, fully loaded with a 15-round magazine in a brown leather handbag on the driver's seat of the vehicle.
Kimbrough was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, specifically: robbery (2008) in Douglas County District Court, Nebraska; being a felon in possession of a firearm, in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska (2010); and possession with the intent to distribute (2015) in Douglas County District Court, Nebraska, on two occasions.
Kimbrough was sentenced to 180 days in jail and his license suspended for 15 years for the state DUI conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Omaha Police Department.
Federal Jury Finds Evansville Man Guilty of Dealing Heroin and Fentanyl Resulting in the Overdose of a 28-Year-Old Kentucky WomanRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- A federal jury has found Johntavis Matlock, 31, of Evansville, Indiana, guilty of distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. The jury found Matlock not guilty of distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on December 11, 2020, Kentucky law enforcement officers responded to the overdose of 28-year-old, Lindsey Wiley in her Kentucky residence.
On February 28, 2021, EMS and local law enforcement responded to another overdose at the same residence. This time, they found Wiley deceased. The cause of death was determined to be an overdose caused by fentanyl intoxication.
An examination of Wiley’s cell phone revealed that Wiley frequently purchased controlled substances from the defendant, Johntavis Matlock. From June of 2020 through February of 2021, Matlock coordinated with Wiley to sell her both heroin and fentanyl out of his home in Evansville, Indiana.
On the day of Wiley’s first overdose, at 7:05pm, Wiley texted Matlock that she was at Matlock’s residence to pick up drugs. At 10:27pm, Wiley texted “I overdosed and died, had an ambulance called and everything, be careful with that s**t,” to which Matlock responded “Damn please don’t over do it. I don’t wanna have that on my conscience. I’ve lost to many people to this stuff. Wtf were you thinking.” Following the first overdose on December 11, Matlock continued supplying Wiley with substances.
“The tragic death in this case highlights the tremendous danger posed by trafficking of fentanyl and other opioids. The defendant continued to seek profits pushing these poisons with utter disregard for human life—even after Ms. Wiley had already overdosed once,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Substance use disorder is a devastating disease that international drug cartels and local dealers greedily exploit. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors, the DEA, EPD, ISP, and local Sheriff’s Offices, no more families will lose a loved one because of this defendant while he is serving his sentence in federal prison.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Indiana State Police, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force investigated this case. U.S. District Court Judge, Matthew P. Brookman presided over the trial and will sentence Matlock at a later date. Matlock faces 20 years to life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Kristian Mukoski and Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. 6 out of 10 illegal fentanyl tablets sold on U.S. streets now contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
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Elkhart Man Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Christopher C. Myers, 42 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to receipt of child sexual abuse material and transferring obscene material to a minor, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Myers was sentenced to 90 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4296.89 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, Myers used social media account to chat with a minor. During online chats in September 2021, Myers requested the minor send him child sexual abuse material of themself, which they did. Myers also sent the minor videos of himself performing sex acts on himself.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Salinas, California Police Department and the Fairfax County (VA) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Dominican Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Manny Bautista-Arias, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2023. Bautista-Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023.
Bautista-Arias was removed from the United States in September 2017 after being convicted of possession of a controlled drug with intent to sell in New Hampshire. Sometime after his removal, Bautista-Arias unlawfully returned to the United States. In November 2018, Bautista-Arias was removed from the United States again following an illegal reentry conviction in the Northern District of Georgia.
Bautista-Arias unlawfully reentered the United States for a second time and in November 2022, he was arrested in Quincy for trafficking cocaine, possession to distribute methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act. He was subsequently transferred into the custody of immigration authorities in June 2023.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to 35 Years for 2017 Murder and Participation in a Criminal Street GangRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Saquan Williams, 22, Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, participation in a criminal street gang, and other charges for his role in a 2017 brazen shooting into a courtyard in the Potomac Gardens area of Southeast Washington. A jury found Williams guilty on July 18, 2022.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and October 2017, the defendant and others were members of a criminal street gang operating in the area of Wellington Park, within Washington, D.C. Williams, and others, were involved in a number of “beefs” with individuals from other areas of the city, many of which started as the result of petty feuds among local rival rap groups.
On Sept. 10, 2017, at approximately 6 p.m., as victim Carl Hardy was standing outside in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood, Williams and three others circled the neighborhood three times looking for individuals to target. On the fourth trip around the block, the vehicle stopped, and the driver paused to allow Williams and two other men to exit the vehicle armed with multiple weapons, to include an assault rifle. Williams and the two other shooters opened fire on the crowded courtyard, firing over 30 rounds and striking Mr. Hardy. The group then fled the scene.
Mr. Hardy, 24, was transported to the hospital where doctors operated multiple times in their efforts to save him. Ultimately, on Oct. 1, 2017, Mr. Hardy succumbed to his injuries. Shortly after Mr. Hardy’s death, an arrest warrant was obtained for Williams charging him with the murder. A second shooter, Quincy Garvin, also was arrested and convicted at trial. Garvin’s sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2023.
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 assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Daniel Lenerz, and Sharon Donovan; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Lead Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Meridith McGarrity; Former Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas who prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jeremy Isaih Perdue, 36, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, on May 19, 2021, CMPD officers saw Perdue selling drugs in a parking lot in Charlotte. CMPD officers approached Perdue. After a brief struggle, Perdue was detained. During the struggle, the officers observed a firearm tucked in Perdue’s waistband. The officers removed the firearm, which was a semiautomatic pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition. In addition to the firearm, law enforcement also seized from Perdue and his vehicle methamphetamine, cocaine, and more than $1,100 in cash. Perdue has prior felony convictions and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Purdue pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Kenneth D. Bell, who ordered Perdue to serve three years of supervised released following completion of his prison term.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, 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.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Sherron Gary (40, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Gary faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to a life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on April 9, 2023, Gary possessed a Walther Creed 9mm semiautomatic pistol, 12 rounds of Blazer 9mm ammunition, 1 round of Starline 9mm ammunition, and 1 round of Sig 9mm ammunition. Gary has multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and armed burglary of a dwelling, trafficking of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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.
Clay County White Supremacist Gang Member and Keystone Heights Woman Indicted on Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Danny Ray Boree (38, Keystone Heights) and Angela Denee Lynch (47, Keystone Heights) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Boree has also been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Boree and Lynch each face a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison for each of the drug offenses. Boree faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Boree and Lynch that the United States intends to forfeit a Raven Arms pistol traceable to the firearm offense. Boree was arrested on September 8, 2023, and ordered detained. Lynch was arrested on September 11, 2023.
According to the indictment and court proceedings, Boree is a member of The Unforgiven, a violent white supremacy gang. From an unknown date, but at least through June 2023, Boree and Lynch conspired to possess and distribute methamphetamine. On June 8, 2023, Boree and Lynch possessed with the intent to distribute over 5 grams of methamphetamine and Boree also possessed a firearm. At the time of the drug offenses, Boree had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of 10 felonies, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2007, 2019). As a convicted felon, Boree is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Boree had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections in January 2023 for his last firearm conviction.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.
Citrus Springs Man Sentenced to Thirty Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dustin Shane Sandiford (31, Citrus Springs) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child sex abuse material. Sandiford had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021.
According to court documents and testimony, agents seized a cellphone from Sandiford on December 2, 2020. The phone contained a cloud storage application tied to accounts Sandiford used to hoard more than 17,000 images and videos of child sex abuse. Further investigation revealed that Sandiford had enlisted another Citrus County resident to create child sex abuse images of an underaged relative and then send the images to Sandiford. This material was also found on one of Sandiford’s cloud storage accounts.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Canton Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canton man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a minor who had been reported missing.
Keion Rowell, 24, was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of sex trafficking of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2023. Rowell was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022.
“Justice was delivered today. Mr. Rowell preyed on a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, grooming her and then trafficking her and pocketing the money. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society. This prosecution should send an unmistakable message that this office and our law enforcement partners are dedicating all the resources needed to make sure predators like Mr. Rowell will face the full weight of the law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking causes immeasurable physical and long-term emotional suffering, and this office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for the brave survivors.”
“Keion Rowell forced a 15-year-old child into sexual servitude, for his own greed and financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force can’t erase the harm he’s done, we’ve made him answer for it. We thank the jury for bringing justice for his victim and ensuring Mr. Rowell can’t claim anymore.”
According to evidence presented at trial, on or about Jan. 18, 2021, Rowell met the 15-year-old victim, who had recently run away from home. Almost immediately, Rowell created and posted numerous online commercial sex advertisements that contained photos of the victim, including nude photos, and told her that she would have to engage in prostitution. Rowell then communicated with sex buyers and sent the victim to meet with those men to have sex in exchange for money he kept. On Jan. 28, 2021, approximately 10 days after the victim had been reported missing, law enforcement participated in an undercover operation to rescue her. When she was recovered, the victim had Rowell’s phone which contained photos of the victim, photos of Rowell and information about his personal bank accounts, links to online advertisements for commercial sex and communications with sex buyers.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five 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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office; the Boston and Belmont Police Departments; and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Tochka are prosecuting the case.
Cogan Station Man Indicted on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James Michael Barr, age 68, of Cogan Station, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on federal tax charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Barr, as the owner of Barr Construction, failed to withhold payroll taxes from his employees from 2017 through 2020, and failed to pay these taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Marquis Terrell Bryant (32, Brevard County) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Bryant had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.
According to court documents, between November 30, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Bryant sold drugs on six different occasions to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. In total, Bryant was responsible for distributing 111.23 grams of fentanyl and 276.3 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Box Elder man sentenced to prison for assaulting and strangling partner on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — Alex George Deserly, 43, of Box Elder, was sentenced today after admitting to an assault charge for strangling a woman on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris sentenced Deserly to 30 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate partner in April 2023.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 25, 2022, medical personnel and law enforcement responded to the victim’s home for a report of a domestic assault. Deserly had left the home prior to the police arriving. The victim told law enforcement that she had confronted Deserly over messages she had seen and asked him how long he had been using methamphetamine. Deserly grabbed the victim, shoved her into a wall and strangled her. The victim tried to escape, but Deserly continued to assault and strangle her until he eventually stopped. The victim was treated for injuries.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rocky Boy’s Police Department.
Boston Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in connection with distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills, to a cooperating source.
Luis Sonier Bautista Moreta, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Bautista pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Bautista’s relative negotiated two sales of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Bautista handled the sales transactions, which took place on Oct. 22, 2021, in Attleboro and on Nov. 1, 2021, in Dorchester. Both times, Bautista entered the car of a cooperating source acting on behalf of the undercover officer and delivered fentanyl. The first transaction involved one kilogram of fentanyl and 6,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl; the second transaction involved an additional kilogram of fentanyl. Bautista’s relative arranged for Bautista to sell 1,000 more pills to the undercover officer on Nov. 5, 2021, but Bautista left before completing the deal. On Nov. 10, 2021, a search of Bautista’s residence resulted in the seizure of 1,000 pills containing fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Arrest and Arraignment in 10-Year Old Cold CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Samuel Sampson Peaks, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2013 cold case involving an armed sexual assault of a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim, who was a stranger to him, at the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 6:00 a.m. He followed her and eventually brandished a handgun and forced her to perform a sexual act. After the assault was over, the victim immediately called police, who responded and recovered evidence. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. In 2020, the defendant was arrested for an unrelated crime in Prince George’s County, Maryland, at which time his DNA was collected and entered into CODIS, ultimately matching the DNA profile obtained from the evidence in the armed sexual assault case.
On March 10, 2022, a District of Columbia Superior Court Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Peaks in the cold case with one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances. On February 17, 2023, the defendant was sentenced to a period of incarceration after conviction in the Prince George’s County case. Peaks was brought to D.C. and arraigned on the sexual assault indictment on September 14, 2023.
If convicted of the D.C. sexual assault, Peaks faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a possible fine of up to $125,000, no less than five years of supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for life.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Antrim Man Indicted for Faking Disability to Get Veterans Benefits for Almost 20 YearsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An Antrim man was indicted in connection to fraudulently receiving veteran disability benefits, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Christopher Stultz, 49, was indicted on one count of making False Statements to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Stultz will appear in federal court in Concord at a later date.
According to the charging documents, between January 2003 and December 2022, Stultz falsely represented to the Department of Veterans Affairs that he was unable to use both his feet, thus obtaining veteran disability benefits that he was not entitled to for almost two decades.
The charge of False Statements provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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13 September 2023
Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nathan L. Rogers, 39, of East Aurora, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to attempted receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2019, at Darien Lake Park in Genesee County, NY, Rogers, a church youth pastor, set up iPhones in his camper to surreptitiously record, for the purposes of his own sexual gratification, nude images of a minor victim. Shortly after setting up the phones, Rogers invited the minor victim to change out of her bathing suit in his camper. She agreed and, as she changed, the iPhones recorded nude images. After changing, the minor victim noticed the phones recording her. She seized the iPhones, attempted to delete the videos, and then reported the incident to authorities. Responding law enforcement officers detained and questioned Rogers. Subsequently, nude images of the minor victim were located on the phones.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of William A. Sheron, Jr.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2023, before Judge Skretny.
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West Virginia man sentenced for methamphetamine and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hugh Kendall Shumaker, age 64, of Augusta, West Virginia, was sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shumaker, also known as “Kenny,” was identified during an investigation as a source of crystal methamphetamine for other distributors in Hampshire County and elsewhere. Officers conducted a search of his home and found methamphetamine, 31 firearms, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided
Wayland Woman Sentenced for Role in Physical Therapy Clinic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wayland woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a scheme to defraud multiple insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients.
Anna Barenboym, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of probation with one month of home confinement. Barenboym was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $648,852. In March 2022, Barenboym pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barenboym was indicted in February 2021 along with co-defendants Gyulnara Bayryshova, Slava Pride and Raya Bagardi.
Barenboym was a licensed physical therapist employed at Brighton Physical Therapy (BPT), a physical therapy clinic owned by Bayryshova. Pride and Bagardi were also employed at BPT as licensed physical therapist assistants. From October 2018 through June 2020, Barenboym and her co-defendants conspired to cause an insurance company to reimburse them for physical therapy services that were not actually provided and/or were not medically necessary and, in some cases, were provided by individuals not licensed to provide the services. Specifically, Barenboym and her co-defendants falsely billed for services purportedly rendered to patients injured in automobile accidents when the services were not actually provided. BPT paid patients for referrals, referred patients to attorneys to assist with patients’ insurance settlements and accepted kickbacks from those attorneys in return.
On July 12, 2023, Pride was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 19, 2023, Bagardi was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first year to be spent in home confinement and was also ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 26, 2023, Bayryshova was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of supervised release. Bayryshova was also ordered to pay restitution of $7,383,756 and forfeiture of $7,834.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Washington Man Sentenced for Bringing Box of Molotov Cocktails to Protest March in Summer 2020Read the Press Release
A Washington man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building in downtown Seattle in September 2020.
According to court documents, Justin Christopher Moore, 35, of Renton, made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild building on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020. Ultimately, the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle. Police smelled gasoline and grew concerned about the intentions of protestors. The box containing the 12 gasoline devices was found in the parking lot next to the SPOG building. Using video from that day and from other protests, as well as information from the electronic devices of other co-conspirators, Moore was confirmed as the person seen carrying the box of destructive devices.
In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence. They seized clothing that is consistent with the images of what Moore was wearing when he carried the Molotov cocktails. From the basement storage area, they also recovered numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices. Law enforcement recovered a notebook in which Moore had made entries related to the manufacturing of destructive devices and the ingredients necessary.
In asking for a 41-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington noted that carrying and leaving the box of explosive bottles was inherently dangerous. “Moore’s offense was extremely dangerous and created a substantial risk of injury to numerous bystanders…. Moore carried the box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a crowd of over 1,000 people who were participating in the protest march. All of them were in harm’s way if one of the devices had exploded.”
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.