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13 September 2023
Court Approves City of Holyoke Settlement Addressing Pollution in Connecticut RiverRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A consent decree requiring the City of Holyoke to reduce future sewage discharges into the Connecticut River from sewer collection and stormwater systems has been approved in U.S. District Court.
The consent decree was the result of an enforcement action brought by the Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
As stated in the consent decree, Holyoke discharges pollutants from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Connecticut River in violation of its federal and state wastewater discharge permits. In full cooperation with federal and state environmental agencies, the City has taken steps in recent years to address these discharges, including finalizing a CSO long term control plan and eliminating the Jackson Street CSO. The consent decree requires the City to undertake further sewer separation work that will eliminate or reduce additional CSO discharges.
Holyoke will also conduct sampling of its storm sewer discharges, work to remove illicit connections, and take other actions to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. The consent decree also includes a $50,000 penalty for past permit violations as a result of CSO discharges.
In 2019, at the request of the Department of Justice and the Massachusetts Attorney General, the court entered a partial consent decree whereby Holyoke agreed to develop a long-term plan for reducing sewer discharges. The consent decree approved by the court on Aug. 31, 2023 represents the parties’ final plan for Holyoke to reduce sewer discharges and supersedes the prior decree.
“Protecting our precious waterways from dangerous pollutants is a vital part of the Department’s work. This consent decree will better ensure that Holyoke residents and every single community that enjoys the Connecticut River is safer,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We commend Holyoke for their ongoing cooperation in developing this improvement plan and for their commitment to protecting the future of the Connecticut River moving forward.”
“The U.S. EPA is very pleased that the work called for under this settlement will achieve a cleaner and healthier environment for people living in and downstream from Holyoke. This work is especially important because Holyoke includes historically disadvantaged communities. It’s a significant priority for EPA to help ensure that all our citizens are able to enjoy a clean and healthy environment,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash.
“We are grateful to our federal partners for working with us to reach this settlement that will improve the water quality of the Connecticut River, and thus the overall health of Holyoke residents,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “My office is committed to creating healthier, safer communities across Massachusetts by fighting environmental injustices like contaminated water and we appreciate the City of Holyoke’s parallel commitment to these important efforts.”
Holyoke owns and operates a sewer collection system that services approximately 70% of the City, two-thirds of which carries both sewage and stormwater. Most of the time, the combined system transports all wastewater to the facility for treatment. However, during periods of heavy rain the wastewater volume can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or the treatment facility and the excess wastewater will discharge to the Connecticut River without treatment. CSO discharges contain raw sewage and are a major water pollution concern.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; EPA Regional Administrator Cash; Attorney General Campbell; and MassDEP Acting Commissioner Gary Moran made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit; Assistant Attorney General I. Andrew Goldberg of Campbell’s Environmental Protection Division; Tonia Bandrowicz of EPA; and Henry Friedman of the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Department of Justice handled the matter.
Coercion of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity Leads to 10 Year Federal Prison Sentence for New Orleans ManRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of Kentrell Knighten, 39, of New Orleans, for coercion of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Knighten to 121 months (10 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release.
On September 13, 2022, the friend of a 15-year-old female high school student (“minor victim”) observed Knighten texting the minor victim. Knighten was the boyfriend of the minor victim’s mother. According to the friend, in those text messages the defendant discussed the fact that he was inquiring how much he would have to pay her to have sex with one or more of his friends from another city in Louisiana.
The minor victim’s friend told the school counselor what she had observed, and law enforcement was contacted. Law enforcement agents were able to seize and search the minor victim’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant and interviewed the minor victim. Specific text messages were found in the phone in which Knighten asked the minor victim how much she would charge to have sex with his friends in graphic terms. These messages occurred in September 2022. In the text messages, the minor victim expressed fear of being alone with other adults. The defendant assured her that he would be in the room and that she would get paid between $75-100. Knighten admitted to law enforcement agents that he texted with the victim and that he discussed the minor victim engaging in sexual acts with other adult men for money.
"We urge parents to be keenly aware of who they allow around their children and into their homes,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Child exploitation touches every corner of our community. This office will be vigilant in protecting our youth and prosecute all who try to disrupt the American family through criminal activity. We look forward to this defendant serving a lengthy prison sentence and an even longer period of court supervision once released.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker.
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Clinton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On September 6, 2023, a Clinton man was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on the evening of November 24, 2021, Clinton Police stopped a truck for an equipment violation. David Jon Kinkaid, 41, was the driver. A drug-detecting police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics in the truck. A search of the truck revealed that Kinkaid had more than 2,000 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a loaded, .45 caliber pistol. Kinkaid had the pistol to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds. Following his imprisonment, Kinkaid will serve five years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Clinton Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Latrel Jackson (26, Chicago, Illinois), aka “Kobe,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Jackson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His co-defendant, Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh,” pleaded guilty to the same charges last week. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2023.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, Jackson and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a Fort Myers residence from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”
Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in Fort Myers but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.
On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the home near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the residence with a gunshot wound of the head. The next day, Jackson and D.S. returned to Chicago via bus, while possessing the firearms used to commit the murder.
During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space of his bedroom. Expert testing and examination of the firearms confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with the assistance of the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
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.
Cherokee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Devin Nakedhead, age 30, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
According to investigators, on January 27, 2023, law enforcement officers conducting a traffic stop discovered Nakedhead in possession of a .22 caliber Rohm model RG Derringer pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition. Rohm, a convicted felon, admitted at the plea hearing that he knew at the time of the traffic stop that he was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm or ammunition, but did so anyway.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States.
Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Gerell Michael Hart-Smith, a/k/a “Rell,” 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in the Spring of 2020, agents with Lancaster County Drug Task Force and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were assisting Charlotte-Mecklenburg authorities by looking for Hart-Smith on outstanding state armed robbery warrants when they received information that he was staying with his girlfriend in her Lancaster, SC, apartment.
On the morning of March 20, 2020, agents went to the Lancaster apartment and knocked on the door, announcing that they were police and there to arrest Hart-Smith. The girlfriend confirmed that Hart-Smith was inside, as were her children. After approximately 13 minutes, Hart-Smith came out and was placed under arrest on the outstanding state warrants.
The girlfriend told authorities that Hart-Smith had a gun inside the apartment, which she turned over to them. She later admitted that he had been staying at the apartment with her for the past month and kept the gun inside the apartment. DNA analysis linked the loaded gun to Hart-Smith.
Federal law prohibits Hart-Smith from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his October 2019 North Carolina conviction for larceny of a motor vehicle.
Hart-Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. He also faces up to 3 years of court-ordered supervision following his prison term.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Hart-Smith after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Charlotte, Lancaster County Drug Task Force, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Azale Mitchell, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to stealing firearms from two Kanawha County businesses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 9, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Dunbar business and stole a Diamondback Firearms DB15 5.56 caliber rifle and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 .22-caliber rifle. On November 10, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Charleston business and stole a Custom Arms & Accessories LD-15 5.56 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 5.56 caliber rifle.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Co-defendant Keara Kilpatrick, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts on July 12, 2023. Kilpatrick drove Mitchell to and from the two businesses for each break-in and theft. On November 11, 2022, Kilpatrick was driving on Washington Street in Charleston when law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of her vehicle. Kilpatrick fled before crashing her vehicle in a hotel parking lot. Officers recovered three of the four stolen firearms from Kilpatrick's vehicle. Kilpatrick awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Brian Parsons 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-28.
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Charges filed in multi-million dollar fraud and money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Five individuals have been taken into custody for their roles in a $13 million fraud and money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The final man charged - William Warren Stredney, 65 - has now surrendered to federal authorities. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. today.
Authorities arrested Edward Seung Ok, 56, Soran Lim, 55, Anthony Seung Ok, 55, and Wes Moon Ok, 52, in California Sept. 8. All are currently in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
A federal grand jury returned the eight-count indictment Aug. 31. It alleges Edward Seung Ok and Anthony Seung Ok, both of Rolling Hills Estates, California; Lim, Villa Park, California; and Wes Moon Ok, Los Angeles, California, committed one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Stredney, Peoria, Arizona, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy involved a scheme to defraud clients of Bluebell International LLC and Bluebell National LLC which included a Houston-based energy company. Edward Ok and the others falsely claimed they had the ability to provide billions of dollars in loans because they were connected to high net worth international family offices, according to the allegations.
They allegedly charged their clients large upfront fees to apply for the loans knowing they had no intention of providing them. The indictment alleges they diverted the monies for their own personal use.
Edward Ok, Soran Lim, Anthony Ok and Wes Ok then allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to launder the fraudulent proceeds for the purchase of expensive real estate and luxury items. On the date of the arrests, authorities also seized over $1.2 million from a bank account, high-end items alleged to have been purchased with the fraudulent proceeds to include two multi-million dollar homes and a condominium as well as multiple vehicles such as two McLarens, a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW.
The indictment also alleges Edward Ok committed the offense while incarcerated in prison with the assistance of the others.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, while convictions of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering have 20-year possible terms of imprisonment.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case. AUSA Brandon Fyffe is handling forfeiture matters.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison Related to Threats Against a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced on Friday, September 8, 2023 to over six years in federal prison for threatening a federal official and committing interstate communications with intent to injure.
According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, John Edward Miller, 42, was identified through a law enforcement investigation surrounding a threat received by a federal official through their personal Facebook account on November 19, 2020. The message was threatening and harassing in nature and also included threatening and/or harassing information regarding other federal officials. The same day, Miller shot a flare gun at the Northern District of Iowa United States Courthouse in Cedar Rapids, causing a fire on the barriers in front of the building. Following Miller’s arrest, Miller admitted to sending the threatening messages through Facebook and to firing the flare gun at the federal courthouse.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Miller will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller was also ordered to pay restitution pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3663A.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Carlsbad Man Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child PornRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Joseph Crutcher was sentenced to 70 years in prison and ordered pay $50,000 in restitution. Crutcher, 59, of Carlsbad, pled guilty on Feb. 27 to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2022, a Task Force Officer (TFO) was monitoring a fetish website that is known to be used to meet, discuss and trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when they were contacted by a private user. The user offered and provided the TFO with several images of a minor performing sexually explicit conduct.
On Nov. 9, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the user of the account as Rachel Crutcher and obtained a search warrant for Crutcher’s residence in Carlsbad. During the execution of the search warrant, agents spoke to Crutcher and his wife Rachel. Joseph admitted he was the one who had taken the pictures of him sexually abusing the children and claimed Rachel was unaware of his conduct. Rachel initially denied knowledge or involvement, but during a later interview she admitted she had been involved.
Through diligent investigation, agents determined that both Joseph and Rachel had sexually abused three minor children they had access to from the time they were infants with the intent of producing CSAM and that Joseph, posing as Rachel, was the individual who sent the images to the TFO. The investigation also revealed that Joseph had recruited other men to sexually abuse one of the children.
Upon his release from prison, Crutcher will be subject to lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
On Feb. 27, 2023, Rachel Crutcher pled guilty to production of child pornography and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Upon her release from prison, Rachel must register as a sex offender.
Roswell Resident Agency and Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Matilda M. Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Camden County Man Admits Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud and Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted participating in schemes to negotiate fraudulent checks with forged signatures and to use credit cards without authorization, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Emmanuel Yirenkyi, 29, of Pine Hill, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of access device fraud conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Yirenkyi conspired with Misty Sarfo-Adu, Eugene Koranteng, and others to commit bank fraud by obtaining blank checks containing the names and account information of unsuspecting customers of a credit card company. They made the checks payable to members of the conspiracy, forged the customers’ signatures on the checks, and negotiated the checks at financial institutions. In a separate scheme, Yirenkyi and Sarfo-Adu also conspired to use credit cards without the account holders’ knowledge or authorization. Yirenkyi admitted that the fraud schemes caused a loss to the credit card company of more than $150,000.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2024.
Sarfo-Adu previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler to his participation in the same conspiracies and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 28, 2023.
Koranteng remains charged by complaint. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint against Koranteng are merely accusations, and Koranteng is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Moorestown Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
yirenkyi.information.pdfCalifornia man sentenced to prison after receiving child pornography while living in MissoulaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — Bobby Manuel Argo, 23 of California, was sentenced today after receiving child pornography of a minor girl he befriended while living in Missoula, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy sentenced the defendant to 6 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography in May 2023.
“Protecting minors from predators like Bobby Argo is of paramount importance. We are committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners at the federal and local level to prevent Montana’s children from being victimized and to hold accountable those who seek to prey on them. I want to thank the agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Missoula Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hargrove, for investigating this case and bringing Argo to justice.” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that between 2021 and early 2022, Argo was living in Missoula and befriended Jane Doe 1, a girl who was under the age of 18. Jane Doe 1 confided in Argo that someone online was coercing her to send sexually explicit images of herself. Argo offered to help Jane Doe 1 and asked her to get him in touch with her extortioner. Instead of helping, Argo messaged the perpetrator separately and offered to assist him in further extorting Jane Doe 1 for explicit images of herself and others. In January 2022, law enforcement identified the perpetrator and, during a search of his social media account, learned he had been communicating with Argo about Jane Doe 1 and sharing explicit images of her with Argo. Law enforcement executed search warrants of Argo’s social media account, his residence in California and his cell phone and found child pornography in his possession, including a video of Jane Doe 1 engaged in sexually explicit content that he had received through the internet while he was still in Missoula.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Missoula Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Burbank Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Firearms and Methamphetamine Out of His DTLA Hookah Lounge BusinessRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Burbank man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for running an illegal firearms business out of a downtown Los Angeles hookah lounge he owned – which included the sale of so-called “ghost guns” – and for possessing with intending to distribute methamphetamine.
Hovik Dagesian, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, from October 2020 to January 2021, Dagesian illegally sold 11 firearms – including firearms not bearing serial numbers, weapons that are commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” The firearms Dagesian illegally sold included a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15-type rifle with no serial number, and a 9mm handgun. Dagesian also admitted to selling methamphetamine to a buyer on October 30, 2020. The illegal firearm and drug sales took place at Dagesian’s hookah business in downtown Los Angeles.
In total, Dagesian sold $34,250 worth of firearms and methamphetamine to a buyer.
In January 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dagesian’s business. During the search, law enforcement seized 163.3 grams (5.8 ounces) of methamphetamine, a digital scale, approximately 215 rounds of ammunition, and many firearms he was willing to sell, including a sawed-off shotgun.
Dagesian has never been licensed as a dealer, manufacturer or importer of firearms.
United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a January 8, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Dagesian will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the drug distribution count. The illegal firearms dealing count carries a penalty of up to five years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Bronx Gang Member Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Double Murder and Shooting of 16-Year-OldRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that KAI JOHNSON was sentenced today to 40 years in prison in connection with his participation in the murders of Price Tunstall and Malik Tunstall in the vicinity of the James Monroe Houses in the Bronx on August 31, 2021, and a non-fatal shooting of a 16-year-old in the vicinity of the James Monroe Houses in the Bronx on April 4, 2021. On January 20, 2023, JOHNSON pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In broad daylight, Kai Johnson callously murdered two brothers — Price Tunstall and Malik Tunstall — in the courtyard of the James Monroe Houses. He committed these murders just a few months after shooting and injuring a 16-year-old in the same neighborhood. Today’s lengthy sentence sends an important message to gang members who commit violent crimes that they will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
As alleged in the Indictment and based on statements made in open court:
KAI JOHNSON is a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Stevenson Commons Crew.” In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Stevenson Commons Crew committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence against rival gangs, including murder and assault; conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and discharging them.
On August 31, 2021, JOHNSON murdered Malik Tunstall and Price Tunstall in the vicinity of 805 Taylor Avenue in the Bronx, New York.
On April 4, 2021, JOHNSON shot at rival gang members in the vicinity of 877 Taylor Avenue in the Bronx, New York, which resulted in a 16-year-old being grazed in the head with a bullet.
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In addition to his prison term, JOHNSON, 28, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Department of Investigation, and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Emily A. Johnson, and Justin V. Rodriguez are in charge of the prosecution.
Boston Doctor Indicted for Exposing Himself to Minor Sitting Next to Him on FlightRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself within the view of a 14-year-old female seated next to him onboard a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022.
Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was indicted on one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Mohanty was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 10, 2023 and was released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, at the time of his arrest Mohanty was an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston. It is alleged that, on May 27, 2022, Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight enroute from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion. Mohanty was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby.
About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing up and down. Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight.
After arriving in Boston, the minor informed members of her family about the incident and law enforcement was notified.The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. 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 Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
Bayport Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting a Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bayport man has been sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a mail carrier, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2018, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail in St. Paul. As the mail carrier was crossing the street, Kevin Demetri Blocker, 27, driving a Nissan Altima, approached the intersection at speed and had to brake quickly to allow the mail carrier to continue crossing the street. The mail carrier shouted to Blocker that he was required to yield. Blocker parked his vehicle and confronted the mail carrier. Blocker forcibly assaulted the mail carrier by striking him in the face. The mail carrier fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. The mail carrier was taken to the hospital and required 12 stitches to close a wound on the back of his head. Blocker attempted to hide his involvement in the offense by reporting the Nissan Altima stolen and selling it to another individual.
On May 15, 2023, Blocker pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal employee. He was sentenced on September 11, 2023, by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for 2022 Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Uriah Davis was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Davis, 32, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to bank robbery on Feb. 13, 2023.
According to court documents, on the morning of May 2, 2022, Davis entered the Wells Fargo Bank located on Central Ave and made a verbal demand for money to the teller and repeatedly told her to hurry. The teller handed Davis $4,900.00 in United States currency. A large amount of that United States currency was in one hundred-dollar bills due to a previous customer’s transaction. Davis took the currency and left the bank on foot heading west.
Later on May 2, the FBI received a tip through the National Threat Operation Center that led agents to Davis’ location. On May 4, the FBI executed a federal search warrant on a room at the Tewa Lodge motel in Albuquerque, where Davis was found and taken into custody. During a subsequent interview, David admitted to robbing the bank and claimed that he had spent the money on a pistol and fentanyl pills. Davis told agents he had been clean for seven or eight years but had recently started using again.
Upon his release from prison, Davis will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Violent Crimes Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Anderson Hatfield is prosecuting the case.
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Agat Mother Sentenced to 11 Months in Federal Prison for SNAP FraudRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Eugena Palomo Lane, age 39, from Agat, Guam, was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment by the District Court of Guam. Lane was convicted of Wire Fraud and Unauthorized Use, Transfer, Acquisition, Alteration, or Possession of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and 7 U.S.C. § 2024. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $56,271, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. Defendants convicted of SNAP fraud are barred from further participation in the program.
From April 2015 to February 2022, Lane defrauded the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) in order to obtain SNAP benefits to which she was not entitled. DPHSS is responsible for determining eligibility and issuing SNAP benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps. SNAP is a 100% federally funded program that provides financial aid to eligible recipients for use at authorized retail food stores. One factor DPHSS considers in issuing SNAP benefits is the applicant’s household size. Lane falsely reported to Guam DPHSS that her children were part of her household in her SNAP applications when in fact she was living separate and apart from her children. Lane admitted to using the SNAP benefits she received for her own personal gain and not for her children.
As a result of Lane’s deceit, she received $56,271.00 in fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits.
“Federal SNAP funding provides important nutritional benefits to children facing food insecurity,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Unfortunately, many children go hungry in our communities. This prosecution sends a message of deterrence to those who stand in the way of the benefits they deserve.”
This investigation was conducted by Guam DPHSS Investigation & Recovery Office and prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
12 September 2023
Zuni Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Stanton Hannaweeke appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated sexual abuse with children. Hannaweeke, 61, of Zuni and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for September 13, 2023.
According to the criminal complaint, on August 20, 2023, Jane Doe, a minor, told her mother that Hannaweeke had sexually assaulted her the day before. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement officers, Jane Doe reported that Hannaweeke had begun touching her approximately 3 to 4 years prior to the report. Jane Doe’s siblings collaborated her report by confirming that Jane Doe had either told them about prior incidents or they witnessed the incidents themselves.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted on the current charge, Hannaweeke faces up to lifetime imprisonment.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah Announces $600,000 in Awarded Funding for Domestic and Sexual Violence ServicesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $600,000 in the District of Utah to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
• OVW awarded $600,000 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, Inc. in the District of Utah. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins commented:
“I am pleased to announce funding from the Office on Violence Against Women for the non-profit Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, located in Cache County, Utah. These funds will be used to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence and empower survivors.”
“The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system's approach to supporting families affected by violence," stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. "These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don't merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety.”
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OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Louisiana Celebrates Funding Awarded for Legal Services and Improved Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,650,000 to the Middle District of Louisiana to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
“The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system's approach to supporting families affected by violence,” stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. “These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don't merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety”.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Tribal Leaders Join Together to Host Great Lakes Native American ConferenceRead the Press Release
Today kicked off the two-day 2023 Great Lakes Native American Conference focused on Native American issues and strengthening relationships with Tribal communities across the region. The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
“This conference brings together victim support specialists, law enforcement officials, advocates, and others who work on Tribal matters across the Great Lakes Region,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is deeply committed to carrying out our responsibilities to protect Tribal communities and preserve their status as sovereign nations. This conference is one tool to help us advance that mission.”
U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland served as a keynote speaker. In 2021 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and shedding light on the traumas of the past. Assistant Secretary Newland, who has led the Initiative, used his remarks to address this important effort.
"For the first time, the federal government is examining its role in the federal Indian boarding school system and how that contributed to the forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples, resulting in the breakup of families and Tribal Nations and the loss of languages, cultural practices, and relatives," Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said. "The Federal Indian Boarding School system left lasting scars that continue to impact Tribal communities. Today, the federal government is working to help heal these scars as we support Tribes in their efforts to revitalize their economies, languages, and cultural practices and promote public safety and justice so that they can continue to exist as Indigenous Peoples."
Preparation for the conference, which is being held in New Buffalo, Michigan at the Four Winds Casino, was a collaborative effort between various tribes, Tribal advocates, and the various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Some of the topics covered include Sextortion: History, Methods, and Impact on Victims; Indian Boarding Schools; Drugs: Myths, Trends, and Opportunities to Intervene; Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons; and Federal Indian Law changes.
“My office is committed to furthering and strengthening our relationship with our Native American community in the Eastern District of Michigan,” said Dawn N. Ison, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “I welcome the opportunity to collaborate and discuss issues that directly impact our Tribal partners. This conference and its focus on hope and healing helps facilitate not only communication, understanding, and opportunities for law enforcement partners serving Native American communities to further learn ways in which we can best serve Native Americans, it also allows for the type of engagement that helps build trust and legitimacy between the tribes and law enforcement.”
“This conference provides an opportunity to discuss public safety issues with our Tribal partners, such as combatting violence against women and addressing the devastating consequences of drug trafficking and substance use disorder in Indian country,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea of the Western District of Wisconsin.
Pokagon Band Tribal Vice Chair Gary Morseau; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Ogema Larry Romanelli; Dr. Colleen Lane, MD, of Corewell Health; Dan Wicklund, DNPA, RN, of Corewell Health; and Katheryn E. Fort, Director of the Indian Law Clinic at the Michigan State University College of Law also served as speakers at the conference. Attendees of the conference included Tribal members, Tribal law enforcement, Tribal governments, federal government partners, and other victim service providers that work with Indian Country victims.
“This conference highlights what collaboration can do by gathering Tribal nations and units of governments together, to create better communication and strengthen relationship between the participants,” said Ogema Larry Romanelli. “I am thankful to the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for their sponsorship, and the Department of Interior’s involvement. I am honored to participate.”
“On behalf of the Pokagon Tribal Government, we would like to acknowledge the purpose of this conference focused on Native American issues, our collaboration with federal partners, and the role of the U.S. Department of Justice in successfully defending the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act before the Supreme Court,” said Pokagon Tribal Vice Chair Gary Morseau.
The 2023 Great Lakes Native American Conference and events like it, are components of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Return of Significant Collection of Antiquities to CambodiaRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the return of 33 Khmer antiquities to the Kingdom of Cambodia, pursuant to an agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the family of the late George Lindemann. The collection includes statues dating to the 10th and 12th centuries that were originally looted from religious and archeological sites in Cambodia. The antiquities were turned over to Cambodia on September 11, 2023, and a ceremony celebrating their repatriation will be held in Cambodia at a later date. The Lindemann family has voluntarily agreed to return the antiquities.[1]
The antiquities returned to Cambodia include a monumental 10th century statue of Dhrishtadyumna, stolen from Prasat Chen in Koh Ker, the ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom; statues stolen from Prasat Krachap in Koh Ker, including a 10th century sculpture depicting Ardhanarishvara (half-male, half-female deity) and a 10th century Anantashayana Vishnu (reclining Vishnu with Lakshmi); as well as six heads of devas (angels) and asuras (demons) removed from the gates to Angkor Thom in the Angkor Wat complex; and a kneeling figure from Banteay Srei, a 10th century temple in Angkor Wat (photographs below).
Three of the Angkor Thom Heads
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For decades, Cambodia suffered at the hands of unscrupulous art dealers and looters who trafficked cultural treasures to the American art market. This historic agreement sets a framework for the return of cultural patrimony in support of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Cambodia. We thank the Lindemann family for their cooperation and assistance in the repatriation of the antiquities to Cambodia.”
Since 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), has successfully investigated, identified, and repatriated 65 stolen and illegally imported Cambodian antiquities in the possession of individuals and institutions in the United States. In 2019, the art dealer Douglas Latchford was indicted in the Southern District of New York with wire fraud conspiracy and other crimes related to a multi-year scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market. The Indictment was later dismissed due to Latchford’s death.
The history of Koh Ker and the illicit trafficking in Cambodian cultural patrimony is described in prior forfeiture actions filed in the Southern District of New York, including United States v. A Late 12th Century Khmer Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Standing Prajnaparamita, et al., 21 Civ. 9217, and United States v. A Late 12th Century Bayon-Style Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Eight-Armed Avalokiteshvara, 22 Civ. 229. The statue of Dhrishtadyumna was looted from same temple site as the sculpture of Duryodhana, repatriated in 2014, which was the subject of the forfeiture action United States v. A 10th Century Cambodian Sandstone Sculpture, 12 Civ. 2600. Dhrishtadyumna and Duryodana are figures from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Ardhanarishvara and the Anantashayana Vishnu were looted from the same temple site as the Skanda on a Peacock sculpture, repatriated in 2022, which was the subject of the forfeiture action United States v. A 10th Century Cambodian Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Skanda on a Peacock, 21 Civ. 6065.
Anantashayana Vishnu
Dhrishtadyumna from Koh Ker
This announcement supports the Memorandum of Understanding, known as the “U.S.-Cambodia Cultural Property Agreement,” first signed between the U.S. and Cambodia in 2003 and renewed on August 30, 2023.
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Mr. Williams thanked HSI for its outstanding work to facilitate the repatriation and praised its ongoing efforts to find and repatriate stolen and looted cultural property. Mr. Williams also thanked the Kingdom of Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for its assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jessica Feinstein and Shiva Logarajah are in charge of the case.
[1] The agreement between the Government and the Lindemanns should not be construed as a legal or factual determination that the members of the Lindemann family have violated any federal law.
Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Embezzling Funds from Employer and Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling funds from his employer and filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2010 through October 2017, Steven Marquez of Hutto, embezzled more than $700,000 from his employer, an Austin-based property management company, while serving as head of its bank reconciliation team. To conceal the embezzlement, Marquez altered his employer’s corporate bank statement by deleting his transfers and making it appear as if the statements reconciled with company records. Marquez filed a false tax return for 2017 that did not report as income the embezzled funds he took that year.
Marquez was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $188,493 in restitution to the United States and an additional $704,262 in restitution related to his embezzlement.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Suspected Leader of Significant Human Smuggling Organization Extradited to San DiegoRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 12, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan of Tijuana appeared in federal court today following his extradition from Mexico to face charges stemming from his alleged role as the leader of a prolific human-smuggling organization with three of his children.
Mendez-Brahan was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2019 on one count of conspiring to bring unlawful aliens into the United States, transport unlawful aliens within the United States, and conduct financial transactions with the proceeds of specified unlawful activities. Mendez Brahan was also charged with five counts of bringing aliens into the United States for financial gain.
Three of Mendez-Brahan’s children - Christopher Mendez, Wendy Monserrath Mendez, and Nancy Jacqueline Suarez - already admitted their involvement with their father in the human smuggling conspiracy and were sentenced in 2021.
According to the indictment, Mendez-Brahan was the leader of a smuggling organization for almost a decade and was responsible for smuggling hundreds of undocumented migrants into the United States. The Mendez-Brahan organization allegedly operated in an area east of the Tecate Port of Entry and used an ever-changing cadre of spotters, guides, and drivers to facilitate the smuggling organization’s criminal activities. The indictment alleges that Mendez-Brahan charged between $6,000 and $8,000 for each migrant he arranged to be smuggled into the United States.
According to the indictment, Mendez-Brahan used money service businesses such as Western Union and Money Gram to move money from the U.S. to Mexico. Border Patrol investigators tracked financial transactions conducted by Mendez-Brahan’s children in the United States to money service businesses located in Tijuana and ultimately, to Mendez-Brahan himself.
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the United States Border Patrol – San Diego Sector, with support from Joint Task Force Alpha (“JTFA”), to dismantle active transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling along the U.S.–Mexico border in the Southern District of California. JTFA was created to investigate and prosecute precisely these types of international networks alleged to be responsible for dangerous and prolific human smuggling activities that exploit and victimize migrants.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor P. White and David Fawcett. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Mexican Attorney General’s Office to secure the arrest and extradition of Mendez-Brahan.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19cr1570-JLS
Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan Age: 55 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Christopher Mendez Age: 28 Wasco, California
Wendy Monserrath Mendez Age: 24 Wasco, California
Nancy Jacqueline Suarez Age: 31 Madera, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 (all defendants): Conspiracy to Bring in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain, to Transport Certain Aliens, and to Conduct Financial Transactions with Proceeds of Specified Unlawful Activity; and Aiding and Abetting – Title 18, U.S.C., §§ 371 and 2. Maximum penalty: Five years in prison
Counts 2–6 (Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan): Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain; and Aiding and Abetting – Title 8, U.S.C., § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 18, U.S.C., § 2.Minimum Penalty: Three years in prison (per count) and Five years if convicted of three counts
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison
AGENCY
United States Border Patrol San Diego Sector/El Cajon Station Intelligence Team
United States Border Patrol BORTAC – Special Operations Division
Customs and Border Protection – Mexico
Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.
Subcontractor Sentenced to Pay Nearly $9 Million in a Criminal Fine and Restitution for Rigging Bids and Defrauding the U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
J&J Korea Inc. (J&J Korea), a company based in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), was sentenced today by a federal judge in Austin, Texas, to pay nearly $9 million dollars in a criminal fine and restitution for rigging bids and committing fraud in connection with subcontract work at U.S. military installations in South Korea.
On May 10, J&J Korea Inc. pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to restrain trade.
“The significant corporate fine and restitution order in this case demonstrates the importance of protecting U.S. taxpayer dollars both at home and abroad,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and our Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will continue to aggressively pursue bid rigging and other collusion that targets the United States, even when criminals execute their schemes overseas.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who conspire to rig bids to eliminate competition and attempt to defraud the government will be caught and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Curran of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “CID will continue to see to it that anyone suspected of contract fraud and corruption is brought to justice.”
“The FBI and its partners vigorously investigate and work to prosecute individuals and entities who conspire to engage in bid rigging,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s dedication and commitment to ensuring that those who defraud the U.S. government and the American people face justice.”
Based on court filings, J&J Korea, along with other co-conspirators, rigged bids and defrauded the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to obtain millions of dollars in repair and maintenance subcontract work at U.S military hospitals in South Korea. The subcontract work related to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) contract that provides for operation and maintenance support services at U.S. military facilities around the world, including military hospitals in South Korea. The USACE contract required the prime contractor to use a competitive bidding process when awarding subcontract work under the contract, but J&J Korea and one of its co-conspirators, another company located in South Korea, agreed to submit rigged bids, thereby ensuring that J&J Korea would win most of the subcontract work in South Korea under the USACE contract.
The scheme, which ran from at least November 2018 to March 2021, caused the DOD to overpay for J&J Korea’s services in the amount of approximately $3.6 million. As part of the sentence, the company will pay a $5 million fine and $3.6 million in restitution. This guilty plea and sentence are the first in an ongoing investigation into bid rigging and related fraud at U.S. military installations in South Korea. In March 2022, two officers of J&J Korea were also indicted by a grand jury in connection with the same conduct.
The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section, CID and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Daniel E. Lipton and Daniel P. Chung of the Antitrust Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Devlin for the Western District of Texas.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation, or with information on other market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive contact should contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force at www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
The Procurement Collusion Strike Force is Department of Justice’s coordinated, joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement and grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. The strike force expanded its footprint with the launch of PCSF: Global, which is designed to deter, detect, investigate and prosecute collusive schemes that target government spending outside of the United States. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Second Defendant Sentenced for Setting Fire to Coffee County Auto Sales BusinessRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that a federal judge sentenced 33-year-old Dezarae Lashay Wiggins, a resident of Brundidge, Alabama, to 60 months in prison for arson. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
According to her plea agreement and other court records, during the early morning hours of January 12, 2021, numerous area fire departments responded to a large fire at an auto sales business in Brundidge. Fire fighters eventually extinguished the fire, but only after the destruction of several buildings and significant damage to additional property, including vehicles, office equipment, and auto parts. Multiple agencies conducted an investigation and determined the cause of the fire to be arson. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed that Wiggins, along with former employee of the car lot, Charles Edward Jones, 48, from Clio, Alabama, started the fire.
Previously, Wiggins and Jones pleaded guilty to arson in federal court. On June 26, 2023, a judge sentenced Jones to 162 months in prison. Wiggins’ sentencing occurred on September 7, 2023. In the coming months, a federal judge will conduct a hearing to determine restitution for the victim of the fire.
“Acts of arson can jeopardize the lives of community members and first responders,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I am grateful for all of those who worked to extinguish the fire caused by the defendants, as well as the investigators that ensured the arsonists were brought to justice.”
“ATF’s Certified Fire Investigators conduct fire scene examinations rendering origin and cause determinations and provide technical analysis of fire scenes to local law enforcement partners and prosecutors," stated Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to hold individuals accountable who commit the violent crime of arson.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pike County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones is prosecuting the case.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Antonio Long Andrews, 29, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at a 2022 jury trial, between August 2017 and December 2018, Long used force and coercion to convince a female to engage in commercial sexual acts for his financial benefit. As part of Long’s pimping operation, he put the victim in motel rooms around the state of California and had them engage in prostitution acts on the street in order to make money from their prostitution activity. Long ran his pimping operation in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, and Orange County.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 28, 2018, as part of his sex trafficking operation, Long repeatedly punched the victim inside his car in the parking lot of a motel. During the attack, the victim tried to exit the car, but an associate of Long kept her inside the car while Long continued to beat her. An eyewitness saw the attack, and the motel’s security camera recorded the victim being dragged under Long’s car. Although the victim was injured and had two black eyes, a week later, Long had continued to engage her in commercial sex acts for his benefit.
During recorded calls from the Sacramento County Jail, Long maintained control over the victim, conveying that she was expected to earn money for him by selling her body to strangers. After Long’s release from the Sacramento County Jail, Long continued his exploitation of the victim from late November 2018 until his arrest on December 5, 2018. At the sentencing hearing, the judge noted that Long saw the victim as property and took advantage of her so he could make money.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department, California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Hitt, Christina McCall and Nirav Desai prosecuted the case.
Rogersville Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Rogersville, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
Jake Ethan Patterson, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Patterson to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
On Dec. 20, 2022, Patterson pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a child.
The investigation began in June 2021, when Canadian law enforcement authorities seized two cell phones belonging to a citizen of Canada. Forensic analysis of the cell phones uncovered Snapchat conversations with Patterson. During those conversations, Patterson shared multiple videos and images of child pornography involving two young children who were approximately three to five years old.
Law enforcement officers interviewed Patterson, who admitted to producing the sexually explicit images of the child victims. Patterson also admitted he had additional child pornography stored on his cell phone.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Repeat Sacramento Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Michael Carlsen, 50, of Sacramento, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Carlsen possessed child pornography in July 2022. At the time he possessed these images, Carlsen was on federal supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Repeat Felon Charged with Armed Robbery of Two BusinessesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was charged today in connection with the armed robberies of two Boston and Brockton businesses in March.
Fernando Bost, 32, of Boston, was charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Sept. 18, 2023 at 12 p.m.
According to the charging documents, on March 29, 2023 at approximately 11:05 p.m., a man allegedly entered RJ Smoke and Convenience Store in Dorchester, held the victim cashier at gunpoint and took cash before fleeing the store. While investigating the robbery, law enforcement learned that a 7-Eleven in Brockton was robbed approximately 40 minutes earlier that same day. Surveillance footage depicts the robber wearing the same unique clothing worn in the RJ Smoke and Convenience store robbery.
A subsequent investigation identified a Kia Sorento captured in the vicinity of both businesses prior to the robberies and leaving after each robbery took place. Records allegedly determined that the vehicle had been rented out to Bost’s girlfriend at the time of the robberies. Law enforcement allegedly learned that Bost’s EBT card had been used at a gas station and a Target the same day of the robberies. Surveillance footage obtained from those locations allegedly show Bost wearing clothing identical to that worn by the robber.
Bost was arrested by state law enforcement during a traffic stop near Springfield. During the stop, a loaded Glock 43x with a high-capacity magazine was allegedly located in Bost’s front sweatshirt pocket.
Bost is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to two previous armed robbery convictions from 2012 and 2017. Additionally, at the time of the alleged conduct, Bost had several pending charges for armed and unarmed robbery as well as three outstanding warrants issued out of three different courts for armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering daytime for felony, receiving stolen property and shoplifting.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 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 Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police Department; the Hamden County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
Regional U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Tribal Leaders Join Together to Host Great Lakes Native American ConferenceRead the Press Release
Conference focused on strengthening partnerships, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland a keynote speaker
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. Today kicked off the two-day 2023 Great Lakes Native American Conference focused on Native American issues and strengthening relationships with Tribal communities across the region. The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
“This conference brings together victim support specialists, law enforcement officials, advocates, and others who work on Tribal matters across the Great Lakes Region,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is deeply committed to carrying out our responsibilities to protect Tribal communities and preserve their status as sovereign nations. This conference is one tool to help us advance that mission.”
U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn N. Ison, U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Clifford D. Johnson.U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland served as a keynote speaker. In 2021 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and shedding light on the traumas of the past. Assistant Secretary Newland, who has led the Initiative, used his remarks to address this important effort.
"For the first time, the federal government is examining its role in the federal Indian boarding school system and how that contributed to the forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples, resulting in the breakup of families and Tribal Nations and the loss of languages, cultural practices, and relatives," Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said. "The Federal Indian Boarding School system left lasting scars that continue to impact Tribal communities. Today, the federal government is working to help heal these scars as we support Tribes in their efforts to revitalize their economies, languages, and cultural practices and promote public safety and justice so that they can continue to exist as Indigenous Peoples."
Preparation for the conference, which is being held in New Buffalo, Michigan at the Four Winds Casino, was a collaborative effort between various tribes, Tribal advocates, and the various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Some of the topics covered include Sextortion: History, Methods, and Impact on Victims; Indian Boarding Schools; Drugs: Myths, Trends, and Opportunities to Intervene; Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons; and Federal Indian Law changes.
“My office is committed to furthering and strengthening our relationship with our Native American community in the Eastern District of Michigan,” said Dawn N. Ison, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate and discuss issues that directly impact our Tribal partners. This conference and its focus on hope and healing helps facilitate not only communication, understanding, and opportunities for law enforcement partners serving Native American communities to further learn ways in which we can best serve Native Americans, it also allows for the type of engagement that helps build trust and legitimacy between the tribes and law enforcement.”
“This conference provides an opportunity to discuss public safety issues with our Tribal partners, such as combatting violence against women and addressing the devastating consequences of drug trafficking and substance use disorder in Indian country,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea of the Western District of Wisconsin.
Pokagon Band Tribal Vice Chair Gary Morseau; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Ogema Larry Romanelli; Dr. Colleen Lane, MD, of Corewell Health; Dan Wicklund, DNPA, RN, of Corewell Health; and Katheryn E. Fort, Director of the Indian Law Clinic at the Michigan State University College of Law also served as speakers at the conference. Attendees of the conference included Tribal members, Tribal law enforcement, Tribal governments, federal government partners, and other victim service providers that work with Indian Country victims.
“This conference highlights what collaboration can do by gathering Tribal nations and units of governments together, to create better communication and strengthen relationship between the participants,” said Ogema Larry Romanelli. “I am thankful to the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for their sponsorship, and the Department of Interior’s involvement. I am honored to participate.”
“On behalf of the Pokagon Tribal Government, we would like to acknowledge the purpose of this conference focused on Native American issues, our collaboration with federal partners, and the role of the U.S. Department of Justice in successfully defending the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act before the Supreme Court,” said Pokagon Tribal Vice Chair Gary Morseau.
U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland speaking at the 2023 Great Lakes Native American Conference in New Buffalo, Michigan.The 2023 Great Lakes Native American Conference and events like it, are components of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
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Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Glock SwitchRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Stephen Simmons, 41, of Nitro, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered machinegun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 3, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Simmons’ 32nd Street residence in Nitro. Officers seized two Glock switches, two drop-in auto sears, six firearm silencers, and more than 40 firearms including a Ruger, model 10/22, .22-caliber rifle that was reported stolen in Boone County.
Glock switches, drop-in auto sears, and firearm silencers are all machineguns as defined by federal law. Glock switches are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machineguns. Drop-in auto sears are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic AR-type firearms into fully automatic machineguns, Firearm silencers are designed to silence, muffle or diminish the report of a portable firearm.
Simmons admitted that he possessed a Glock switch and further admitted that he did not register the Glock switch in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
The Court also found that Simmons was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and as a result was prohibited from possessing firearms on January 3, 2023.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Troy D. Adams and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-21.
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Prior Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearms, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced on Aug. 30, 2023, to over four years in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon and for violating his supervised release.
According to court documents, Miguel Myers, aka “Roxwell James Guiting,” 37, was pulled over for a traffic stop by local law enforcement officers in January 2021. Officers discovered Myers was wearing body armor and in possession of a “sawed-down rifle” and revolver, both loaded. He was also sitting on ammunition and had a backpack and duffle bag with multiple types of ammunition inside. Myers was a three-time convicted felon at the time of the traffic stop. He was also on supervised release for a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The defendant pleaded guilty to one charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in July 2022. He also admitted to violating his supervised release. Myers’ was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for possessing the firearm as a convicted felon, and an additional six months in federal prison for the violations of his supervised release.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Beausang and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Doyle prosecuted the case.
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Portsmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Michael Drake, 22, and others were dealing drugs out of a residence located in Portsmouth. Over a period of three weeks in January and February, law enforcement observed at least 10 different individuals, including Drake, conduct over 500 suspected narcotics transactions. On February 23, law enforcement observed Drake with a firearm, despite being a convicted felon. He and two others, Samuel Swinney, 37, and Keith Johnson, Jr., 35, were arrested and charged.
Swinney pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine and Johnson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in December.
Drake is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2024. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cheney is 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-83.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr., 29, of San Bernadino, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and Keith Royal Goode-Harper, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. Each admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2023, Gonzalez delivered approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine to an individual in Bluefield, West Virginia, in exchange for a box that he believed contained $400,000. Gonzalez admitted that a co-conspirator in California provided the controlled substances in boxes and a bag that Gonzalez transported in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gonzalez further admitted he knew the boxes and bag contained a controlled substance but believed it was only cocaine.
Gonzalez communicated by cell phone with the co-conspirator, who directed him to a parking lot in Bluefield. There, Gonzalez gave the bag to another individual and loaded the boxes into the individual’s vehicle. Gonzalez admitted that the individual gave him a box that he believed contained the cash, and that he intended to deliver the money to the co-conspirator upon his return to California.
Gonzalez was driving away from the transaction in his semi-truck when law enforcement pulled him over. Gonzalez notified his co-conspirator by phone during the traffic stop. Officers seized his cell phone and a loaded 9mm pistol that Gonzalez also had in the truck’s cab.
Gonzalez admitted that he previously delivered boxes containing a controlled substance in approximately January 2023 from California to the individual in Bluefield at the direction of the co-conspirator. Gonzalez admitted he received cash for that transaction that he took back to California and gave to the co-conspirator.
On January 25, 2023, Goode-Harper obtained 7 ounces of methamphetamine from a co-defendant at the co-defendant’s residence in Charleston. Goode-Harper admitted that he arranged the purchase with the co-defendant in advance over a series of cell phone calls. Goode-Harper further admitted that he had asked to purchase 10 ounces of methamphetamine for a customer, but that the co-defendant told him that he only had 7 ounces of methamphetamine available.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Goode-Harper is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Gonzalez and Goode-Harper are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Twenty-one of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-32 (Gonzalez) and 2:23-cr-135 (Goode-Harper).
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Ocala Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud Relating to COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Passion Lajodia Jackson (30, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $20,132, representing the proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
On April 2, 2021, Jackson electronically submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to the Small Business Administration. Her application included false statements. Jackson also provided a fictitious Internal Revenue Service document in support of her application. Based on the false information she provided, Jackson fraudulently received a PPP loan of $20,132 on April 6, 2021. The loan was electronically wired to her bank account. Within 30 days of receiving the loan, Jackson withdrew the funds in cash.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
New York Man Admits Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, Resisting ArrestRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and resisting his arrest with a deadly or dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Miguel Nuñez, 50, of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of possessing 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute and one count of resisting and impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 24, 2021, Nuñez and Jesus Higuera-Parra, 28, of Ontario, California, drove from New York City to Elizabeth, New Jersey, for the purposes of distributing fentanyl. When they arrived to meet the drug purchaser, they were approached by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Nunez, the driver of the vehicle, put his car in reverse and attempted to elude the law enforcement personnel, which resulted in a collision with a DEA car.
The narcotics offense to which Nunez pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of $5 million. The resisting and impeding offense to which Nunez pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2023.
Higuera-Parra previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Benjamin Levin of the National Security Unit.
nunez.information.pdfNew Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 that KEILEN HAWKINS, age 25, pled guilty to a one-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). HAWKINS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing in this case is set for December 20, 2023.
On February 12, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force investigated complaints made in the NOPD 5th District about ongoing illegal narcotics distribution in the area. As officers conducted surveillance, they observed what was believed to be a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction. While officers continued their investigation, HAWKINS arrived on the scene. Officers detained HAWKINS for safety purposes while they conducted their investigation. Eventually, HAWKINS advised that he was in possession of a firearm. Officers recovered a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, bearing serial number BVCS826, from HAWKINS’s waistband. Officers learned that HAWKINS had prior felony convictions punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year, which made his firearm possession illegal under federal law. Namely, HAWKINS had been convicted most recently on August 18, 2022, in the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Case Number 552-193 “J,” for being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of LA-R.S. 14:95.1 and LA-R.S. 14:69.1.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Missouri Man Accused of Recording Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Brookfield, in Linn County, Missouri, has been accused in an indictment in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of recording himself having sexual contact with a minor.
Russell Alan Pirkey, 52, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child and a charge of accessing with intent to view child pornography.
The indictment accuses Pirkey of coercing a minor into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of video recording it between April 1 and April 8 of 2023. It also says Pirkey accessed child pornography between Jan. 1, 2023 and April 8, 2023.
A motion seeking to have Pirkey held in jail until trial says he used his cell phone to record himself having sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl. Pirkey was being held in jail on pending charges in Linn County Circuit Court.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The sexual exploitation of children charge carries a potential penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The access with intent to view charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and the same fine.
The FBI, the Brookfield Police Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexican National Sentenced to 14 Years for Meth Conspiracy, Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally reentering the United States.
Miguel Esquivel-Alvarez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 24, 2023, Esquivel-Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
Esquivel-Alvarez admitted that on July 31, 2020, he and others sold approximately 921.6 grams of pure methamphetamine at a gas station in the 1600 block of 14th Street in Kansas City, Mo., for $14,000. He and others also sold approximately 453.7 grams of methamphetamine at a parking lot in Independence, Mo., as well as a Ruger AR-556 rifle, for a total of $7,100.
Additionally, Esquivel-Alvarez and others transported approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from a residence in Kansas City, Kansas, on Oct. 1, 2020. He was arrested following a car stop along Interstate-70 in Independence.
Esquivel-Alvarez had been deported and removed from the United States on Oct. 16, 2013, and was in the country illegally.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 27 Months for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jesus Dalather Corona, 33, a citizen of Mexico found in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 27 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Corona pleaded guilty to this charge on June 5, 2023.
On December 19, 2022, a staff member at an employment facility in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin was helping an employee find his jacket and grabbed a jacket from a shelf above a common area coat rack and felt a handgun. A temporary employee, later identified as Corona, immediately walked over to the staff member and said, “That’s my stuff. Don’t touch it.” Corona took the coat, folded it up, placed it back on the shelf, and walked away.
The staff member notified a security guard because the employment facility prohibited people from bringing firearms into the building. The security guard searched the jacket and found a loaded Taurus 9 mm pistol inside one of the jacket’s pockets.
The security guard called the Fort Atkinson Police Department. Law enforcement officers responded and took custody of the firearm, as well as 14 rounds of 9 mm ball ammunition. In addition, officers watched surveillance video that showed Corona wore the jacket when he entered the building, put the coat on the shelf, and confront the staff member when she grabbed Corona’s jacket.
Officers then asked to speak with Corona, who ultimately admitted that he had a felony conviction and purchased the firearm from a friend. Following the defendant’s admission, officers arrested Corona for illegally possessing the firearm.
In sentencing Corona, Judge Conley noted that Corona posed a danger to the community when he reentered the United States after being previously deported and armed himself with a firearm.
The charge against Corona was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fort Atkinson Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
Man Involved in Shooting at Wilmington Funeral Home Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Charles Gilbert Green, age 29, pled guilty today to two counts of distribution of cocaine base (crack) and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2021 members of the Brunswick County Vice and Narcotics Unit received information that a man that went by “CJ” was distributing narcotics in Leland. Law enforcement was able to identify “CJ” as Charles Gilbert Green. On June 2, 2021, and on September 23, 2021, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct controlled purchases of cocaine base (crack) from the defendant.
On April 2, 2022, at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers with the Wilmington Police Department were dispatched to the area of 6th Street and Red Cross Street after receiving a ShotSpotter alert and multiple 911 calls about shots fired. Upon arrival, officers located one person suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and he was immediately transported to the hospital where he received treatment and recovered from his injuries. During their investigation, officers located six fired shell casings in front of the John H. Shaw’s Son Funeral Home on Red Cross Street, where people were gathered for a funeral. Five fired shell casings were also found on the southeast corner of Red Cross and North 6th Street. Officers were able to locate security camera footage which showed Green firing multiple shots from the southeast corner of Red Cross Street towards a group of individuals standing near the funeral home where the shell casings were found. Green then got into a white Ford Flex and fled the scene. Based on their review of the video footage, officers determined the shell casings found in front of the funeral home were fired in self-defense.
At the time of the shooting, Green was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior felony convictions include a conviction for common law robbery in 2018 and a conviction for possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana in 2014.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. Sentencing will occur before Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II later this year. The FBI’s Coastal Carolina Safe Street’s Gang Task Force is leading the investigation, and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-cr-00014-M.
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Maine Man Arrested for Racially-Motivated Death Threats Against Black NeighborRead the Press Release
A Maine man was arrested today on federal charges for sending a threatening voicemail to a neighbor.
According to the indictment, Charles Allen Barnes, 47, of Lewiston, allegedly used an interstate communications service to transmit a voice message in which he used racial slurs and stated that he was outside a neighbor’s residence and would kill any Black person who emerged. Barnes also allegedly chose the neighbor as the object of the offense because of the neighbor’s race.
Barnes is charged with one count of violating the federal interstate threats statute. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division made the announcement.
The FBI Boston Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila W. Sawyer for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
barnes_indictment_september_12.pdfMacon Resident Pleads Guilty to $3.5+ Million Tax Filing SchemeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia woman admitted she falsified tax documents and received more than $331,758 in refunds, including creating a fake business claiming hundreds of non-existent employees, in an attempt to commit a tax fraud scheme totaling more than $3.5 million.
Lonnise Janelle Andrews, 43, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return, one count of false claim for a tax credit and one count of false claim for a refund before U.S. District Marc T. Treadwell on Sept. 11. Andrews faces a maximum sentence of thirteen years in prison and a maximum of $600,000 in fines. In addition, Andrews agreed to pay $331,758 restitution to the IRS. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2024. Andrews is not eligible for parole.
“Those engaged in tax refund schemes and fraud are breaking federal law and will be held accountable for these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will seek justice on behalf of taxpayers.”
“Lonnise Andrews took responsibility today for fraudulently obtaining tax refunds and Employee Retention Credits when she pled guilty to these crimes,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal special agents will continue investigating, on behalf of honest taxpayers, those who engage in breaking tax laws.”
According to court documents, Andrews falsified IRS tax forms for herself, her father and a fake business, including reporting incomes, losses and withholdings she knew not to be true. On her own Form 1040 filed for tax year 2019, Andrews used a tax preparation website to generate fake Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-R; as a result, the IRS issued her a $165,245 refund check she was not entitled to, and she cashed.
In addition to the false Forms 1040 filed for herself and her father, Andrews filed false Forms 941 and Forms 7200, the latter developed by IRS in response to employment tax legislation, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Andrews filed for an entity named Andrews Harris Corbin (AHC), listing her father and a fictitious person named “Greg Corbin” as the organizers of AHC. AHC never filed an income tax return, had not been reported as a Schedule C business on anyone’s tax return and has never filed any documents with the Social Security Administration pertaining to its employees. Andrews signed and filed the false forms in 2020 and attempted to—and at one point successfully did—obtain refunds and credits. She reported AHC had 957 employees and requested a credit via a Form 7200 in the amount of $3,086,325. On April 11, 2020, she filed a quarterly Form 941 reporting AHC paid $1,435,500 in wages, tips and other compensation, and requested a refund in the amount of $25,978.83. AHC had no employees, had not paid any payroll taxes to be eligible for a refund and was not entitled to these credits and refunds. The IRS processed the Form 941 request for refund and sent a check in the amount of $25,978.83 to AHC at a UPS mailbox in Macon that Andrews had her father set up. Surveillance video confirmed her father picked the check up on Dec. 8, 2020. The check was not deposited and was later found in her bedroom during a search.
As part of her plea agreement, Andrews has agreed to pay restitution for the entirety of tax refunds listed in the indictment, totaling $331,758.
The case was investigated by the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Howard and Amy Helmick are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Missoula Woman Sentenced to Prison on Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A 34-year-old Missoula woman was sentenced today for possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl pills, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy sentenced Lindsay Ann Rumph to 70 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in April 2023.
The government alleged in court documents that on February 4, 2023, in Missoula County, a traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle Rumph was driving and a later search of the vehicle, pursuant to a Montana State search warrant, resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, various drug paraphernalia, a firearm, and $279 in U.S. Currency. Rumph was interviewed after the traffic stop and admitted that drugs would be found in both the vehicle and on her person. In March of 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Western Laboratory completed an analysis on the methamphetamine and determined it was more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.
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.
Missoula Man Sentenced to Prison on Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A 36-year-old Missoula man was sentenced today for possessing methamphetamine and over 3,500 fentanyl pills, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy sentenced Joseph Anthony Schrantz to 10 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in April 2023.
“All Montanans know drugs and guns are a deadly combination and the amount of fentanyl Schrantz possessed in this case is staggering and alarming. Today’s sentence should send the message to criminals inclined to illegally possess guns and traffic dangerous drugs that we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice in our continuing efforts to protect our communities.” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that on July 13, 2022, Missoula Police Department officers responded to Downtown Pawn for a report of a male that stole a Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun. Officers reviewed surveillance footage that showed Joseph Schrantz reaching over the counter, taking the firearm, and leaving the store. Later that day, officers recognized Schrantz driving a vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. Schrantz confirmed he had stolen the gun and provided consent for officers to retrieve it from under the center console of the vehicle. Schrantz was also in possession of two small cork-topped glass bottles: one containing 82 round blue pills marked “M30”, the other containing a small amount of methamphetamine. Lab testing reflected the pills were fentanyl and the meth was 100% pure. Law enforcement found another small baggie of meth and more than 100 additional fentanyl pills. In a key-code safe in the rear seat there were two large ziplock bags containing 3,451 fentanyl pills, one large ziplock bag containing 248 grams of 100% pure meth, distribution baggies, and a digital scale with residue. The center console held additional distribution baggies, and, on the floorboard, there was a black wallet with $734 in cash. The vehicle was registered to Schrantz and another female.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Missoula Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration.
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.
Lexington Businessman Sentenced to 10-months for Distributing Misbranded 3M N95 masksRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- Adam Sloan, 44, the Chief Commercial Officer of Old World Timber, a Lexington-based company specializing in antique wood reclamation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Tuesday to 10 months in prison for selling misbranded N95 respirator masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the fall of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sloan, along with Nathan Brown, the CEO of Old World Timber, directed the company to begin importing and selling medical-grade 3M™ N95 respirators (masks). Old World Timber purchased more than 100,000 alleged 3M N95 masks from a company in China, and resold them to customers throughout the United States. In his plea agreement, Sloan acknowledged that by March 2021, information from multiple sources, including 3M’s COVID-19 Fraud and Counterfeit Product Response Team, alerted him to the high probability that the masks he imported from China were counterfeit. Sloan deliberately ignored these concerns and directed his company to continue selling the masks, misleading customers as to their authenticity. Between March 3, 2021 and April 9, 2021, Brown caused Old World Timber to sell 57,460 misbranded masks for a total of $129,353.
Upon Sloan’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. Sloan was also ordered to pay $129,353 in restitution.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office; and James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. 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.
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Leader of International Money Laundering Network Sentenced for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A foreign national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $6 million for conspiracy to commit money laundering after laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of international drug trafficking organizations.
According to court documents, from at least 2014 to 2020, Jianxing Chen, 42, of Belize City, Belize, led and controlled a network of couriers who transported cash generated by the sale of cocaine throughout the United States – including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta – from those locations to New York City. From there, the cash was laundered through a variety of methods until it, or its equivalent value, was remitted to drug trafficking organizations in Latin America, including Mexico. Chen received “contracts” to transport and launder this money through co-conspirators who were prosecuted and convicted based on the same superseding indictment.
Chen coordinated the laundering of multimillion dollar quantities of drug proceeds from Latin American drug trafficking organizations, including organizations based in Mexico, into the hands of Chinese nationals, who subsequently engaged in a sophisticated scheme to covertly launder the drug money into mainland China, largely circumventing the U.S. financial system.
Chen pleaded guilty on May 23. In October 2021, co-defendant, Xizhi Li, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leading the conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars for foreign drug trafficking organizations. Li signed a consent order of forfeiture for $10,000,000 to the United States pursuant to his plea.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema
The DEA Louisville Division and the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Omaha, Atlanta, Newark, Portland (Oregon), Dallas, Mexico City, Merida (Mexico), Guatemala City, Belmopan (Belize), Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Lima, and Canberra. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Interpol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center were partners in the case’s investigation.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Chen from Peru. The United States also thanks Peruvian law enforcement authorities for their assistance and collaboration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Aminoff, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Rachael C. Tucker, and Deputy Chief Mary K. Daly and Chief Stephen Sola of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-334.
Leader of International Money Laundering Network Sentenced for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A foreign national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $6 million for conspiracy to commit money laundering after laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of international drug trafficking organizations.
According to court documents, from at least 2014 to 2020, Jianxing Chen, 42, of Belize City, Belize, led and controlled a network of couriers who transported cash generated by the sale of cocaine throughout the United States – including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta – from those locations to New York City. From there, the cash was laundered through a variety of methods until it, or its equivalent value, was remitted to drug trafficking organizations in Latin America, including Mexico. Chen received “contracts” to transport and launder this money through co-conspirators who were prosecuted and convicted based on the same superseding indictment.
Chen coordinated the laundering of multimillion dollar quantities of drug proceeds from Latin American drug trafficking organizations, including organizations based in Mexico, into the hands of Chinese nationals, who subsequently engaged in a sophisticated scheme to covertly launder the drug money into mainland China, largely circumventing the U.S. financial system.
Chen pleaded guilty on May 23. In October 2021, co-defendant Xizhi Li was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leading the conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars for foreign drug trafficking organizations. Li signed a consent order of forfeiture for $10,000,000 to the United States pursuant to his plea.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA Louisville Division and the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Omaha, Atlanta, Newark, Portland (Oregon), Dallas, Mexico City, Merida (Mexico), Guatemala City, Belmopan (Belize), Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Lima, and Canberra. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Interpol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center were partners in the investigation.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Chen from Peru. The United States also thanks Peruvian law enforcement authorities for their assistance and collaboration.
Deputy Chief Mary K. Daly and Chief Stephen Sola of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Rachael C. Tucker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Aminoff for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.