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11 September 2023
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 Cairl Glenn Hayes, Jr., age 48, of Hulbert, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
During the plea hearing, Hayes, Jr. admitted to having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and to possessing a firearm and ammunition despite knowing he was prohibited from doing so.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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. Hayes, Jr. will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lorenz represented the United States.
Canadian Man Accused of Sleight-of-Hand Theft in Missouri, Illinois, ElsewhereRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Canada has been indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and accused of stealing more than $64,000 in cash from Walmart stores across the country using sleight-of-hand.
Mohsen Akbari, 37, was indicted August 16 on one count of wire fraud and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. He was arrested on September 5 and pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.
The indictment says Akbari entered the United States on March 1, 2023 from South Korea on a visitor visa. Akbari then traveled across the country, entered various retail stores and used sleight-of-hand to steal cash, the indictment says. After making a small purchase, Akbari would claim that he and his family collect Unites States currency, typically $100 bills, the indictment says. Akbari would ask the cashier to show him the bills in the cash register so he could examine them, and then surreptitiously place some of the bills into his sleeve or pocket, the indictment says.
The indictment accuses Akbari of stealing about $33,700 from 30 different Walmart stores in nine states from March 23 to June 8, 2023. The indictment says Akbari then stole a total of $2,420 from a Walmart in St. Peters, Missouri on June 12, 2023, $6,900 from a Granite City, Ill. store on June 13, $420 from an O’Fallon, Missouri store on June 14 and $900 from a store in Warrenton, Missouri the same day. He stole $580 from a Walmart in Eureka, Missouri and $5,100 from an Arnold, Missouri Walmart on June 15, the indictment says. From June 20 to July 18, Akbari stole $13,992 from seven different Walmart stores in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and Maryland.
Akbari would deposit the money in a United States bank account he opened and then wire funds to his bank accounts in Canada, the indictment says.
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 wire fraud charge carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The interstate transportation of stolen property charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Eureka Police Department and the Arnold Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Cabell County Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Firearm PurchaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Haskell Cornell, 44, of Barboursville, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2022, Cornell purchased a Century CAHG2797-N 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm, also known as a “Micro Draco,” with a high-capacity magazine from a Huntington business. Cornell admitted that he falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the true purchaser of the firearm. Cornell knew he was buying the firearm for two individuals who sent him to the business and provided him with the money for the purchase. Cornell further admitted that the two individuals provided him with controlled substances in exchange for purchasing the firearms.
Cornell bought additional firearms for the two individuals, who sent him into the same Huntington business and provided the money for each purchase. Cornell bought a Ruger-5.7, 5.7x28mm semi-automatic pistol on September 18, 2021, a Glock G21 Gen4 semi-automatic pistol on November 27, 2021, and a Glock G19X 9mm semi-automatic pistol om December 10, 2021, all for the two individuals. Cornell falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 for these purchases that he was the true buyer of the firearms when he knew he was buying them for someone else.
Cornell is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds 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 Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-60.
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10 September 2023
California Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Victor Alfonso Leon-Pacheco, age 33, of Bakersfield, California, of Conspiracy to Distribute (fentanyl), Conspiracy to Distribute (methamphetamine), and Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Trafficking Crime, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on September 7, 2023. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier presided over the trial.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Leon-Pacheco was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. Since 2016, Leon-Pacheco was in custody in Oklahoma. He obtained a contraband cell phone and used the phone to operate a drug trafficking organization across the United States. Leon-Pacheco arranged for family and friends in California to send packages of drugs to various places, including western South Dakota, through the US Postal Service. Those people also received money wire transfers and cash on behalf of the defendant. The methamphetamine and fentanyl were then further distributed by people in the area. Law enforcement was able to introduce an undercover agent, who communicated with the defendant by an encrypted application over the course of several months. The defendant sent approximately 6,000 fentanyl pills and 10 pounds of methamphetamine to law enforcement. During a search of his cell by Oklahoma officials, the contraband phone was located. A co-conspirator, Eduardo Acosta, has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months custody.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
9 September 2023
Omaha Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Alberto Mejia, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 90 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Mejia will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Mejia to pay restitution in the amount of $6,000.
On May 17, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mejia’s Omaha residence in relation to an ongoing assault investigation. The search warrant allowed for the seizure of digital devices from the residence and searching of the digital devices for evidence related to child pornography. During execution of the search warrant, several digital devices were seized from the residence, including Mejia’s cell phone.
On Mejia’s cell phone, law enforcement located numerous videos and images of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department.
8 September 2023
YouTuber and Auto Key Card Manufacturer Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Transferring Unregistered Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (43, Orange Park) to five years and eight months in federal prison and Matthew Raymond Hoover (39, Wisconsin) to five years in federal prison for conspiring to transfer and transferring unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Ervin additionally was sentenced for structuring cash withdrawals from his bank account consisting of proceeds of the sale of the devices. The court also ordered Ervin to forfeit $68,000, representing the amount of funds involved in the structuring offense. Ervin and Hoover were found guilty by a federal jury on April 21, 2023.
According to court documents, in January 2021, Ervin’s bank contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report that employees believed that Ervin was trafficking in machinegun conversion devices. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ervin was running an online business selling machinegun conversion devices, known as lightning links, etched into metal cards, which he referred to as Auto Key Cards. Ervin described the Auto Key Card as a “pen holder,” a “novelty,” and a “political sculpture.”
In February 2021, federal agents from ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) surveilled Ervin and observed him dropping off dozens of packages at an Orange Park post office, each of which was determined to contain unregistered machinegun conversion devices. A lightning link can be dropped into an otherwise legal AR-15 type firearm and convert it into a fully automatic machinegun.
ATF examined the Auto Key Cards, and a firearms enforcement officer was able to remove the pieces of a lightning link from an Auto Key Card using a common Dremel rotary tool in about 40 minutes. When the firearms enforcement officer placed the two pieces of the lightning link into an AR-15 type firearm, it converted the semi-automatic firearm to be fully automatic – that is, a machinegun.
Hoover operated a YouTube channel called CRS Firearms on which he advertised Auto Key Cards. Hoover stated that his viewers could cut a lightning link out of the Auto Key Card, “drop it in your receiver, scratch your full auto itch, throw it away when you’re done” and “no one’s the wiser.”
Hoover’s videos advertising the Auto Key Card led to a substantial increase in Ervin’s sales. Ervin sold more than 2,000 Auto Key Cards in only a few months. Multiple purchasers of the Auto Key Card testified at trial that they had learned about it from Hoover’s videos and purchased the Auto Key Card intending to use it to convert their AR-15 type weapons into machineguns. Ervin compensated Hoover for his advertisements by sending cash through the mail and, on one occasion, a Louis Vuitton purse.
In March 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ervin’s home and recovered Auto Key Cards containing etchings for more than 1,500 lightning links. In total, the evidence showed that the conspiracy involved at least 6,600 individual lightning links.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and David B. Mesrobian. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
“Investigating this case required dedication and tenacity on behalf of ATF’s Jacksonville Field Office and our partner agencies on this matter—the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard, whose agency led the investigation. “Our work was necessary to prove the true nature of the Auto Key Cards being sold by Ervin and Hoover and disrupt their audacious scheme to circumvent federal firearms laws.”
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.
Anyone in possession of an Auto Key Card should contact his or her nearest ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS and make arrangements to surrender the device to ATF so that it can be destroyed.
Wilmington Blood Gang Member Sentenced to Eight Years for Gang Related ShootingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On June 7, 2023, Quajohn Anthony Crews, age 21, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on October 12, 2022, members of the Wilmington Police Department responded to two almost simultaneous ShotSpotter notifications in a community known by law enforcement to be associated with Gangster Disciple street gang activity. Upon arrival, officers located 12 spent shell casings and several residences that were damaged by gunfire. One of the residences that suffered damage was occupied by a woman and her children at the time of the shooting and officers located a projectile on the floor of an upstairs bedroom. Law enforcement was able to identify a red four door Ford sedan as a suspect vehicle involved in the shooting.
The next day, on October 13, 2022, members of the Mobile Field Force, a joint task force comprised of officers with the Wilmington Police Department and deputies with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, located the suspect vehicle traveling near the Hillcrest public housing community and determined it was reported stolen on October 1, 2022. Officers got behind the vehicle and attempted to initiate a stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. While officers were in pursuit of the vehicle, they observed a handgun being thrown from the passenger side of the vehicle. After the vehicle stopped, Crews jumped out of the back passenger window and fled on foot, but he was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest. Officers went to the area where the handgun was thrown from the vehicle and located a black Ruger semiautomatic handgun that had been reported stolen.
Following his arrest, Crews was brought to the Wilmington Police Department and interviewed by detectives. During his interview, Crews admitted to being a Blood street gang member and acknowledged there was an ongoing dispute between members of the Blood and Gangster Disciple gangs. He also admitted to traveling to the Creekwood housing community with others on October 12, 2022, and participating in the shooting to “send a message” and retaliate for another shooting that he believed to have been carried out by a Gangster Disciple. Crews also admitted to possessing the Ruger pistol that was thrown from the vehicle and admitted to firing the pistol on October 12, 2022.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department Gun Crimes Task Force, the Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt represents the government. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
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-00009-FL-001.
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Wheeling businessman charged with wire fraudRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey James Morris, age 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was charged today with wire fraud.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Morris is charged with fraudulently inducing an individual to provide him with funds to renovate the Scottish Rite Cathedral, a building located at the corner of Fourteenth and Byron Streets in East Wheeling. It is alleged that Morris, who is the managing member and majority owner of Roxby Development, LLC, caused an investor to provide him with $350,000 to rehabilitate the Cathedral but instead used the funds for other purposes. It is further alleged that Morris misrepresented work performed upon the Cathedral, the status of the historic tax credits, and the amount of rental income from a purported tenant.
The principal purpose of Roxby Development, LLC, was to acquire and develop real estate in the region, to include the Cathedral, the McClure House Hotel, and the Mount Carmel Monastery. The Roxby companies received a total of $6.9 million dollars from approximately twenty investors between October 2019 until July 2022.
“Jeffrey Morris made misrepresentations to people in Wheeling, West Virginia, and throughout the country in order to fund a fraudulent scheme,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “His arrest today brings an end to a ruse in which innocent investors were tricked into providing him with millions of dollars.”
According to Ihlenfeld, additional charges will be filed at a later date. Today’s charge and arrest were necessitated by Morris’s plan to travel outside of the United States next week. Morris appeared in federal court this afternoon where he surrendered his passport and then was released under terms and conditions imposed by the court.
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-CI.
Morris is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
West Virginia man sentenced for federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jessie Ross Duke, age 36, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for theft from a federal firearms licensee.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Duke broke into a licensed firearms dealer in Fairmont, stealing multiple long guns and handguns. Of the 13 firearms stolen, six were recovered nearby shortly after the burglary. Duke had previously stolen firearms from a licensed dealer in South Carolina and committed several other break-ins and robberies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Two Separate Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Dion Rashaan Foxworth, age 42, of Washington, D.C., to 51 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for wire fraud related to an investment fraud scheme and bank fraud related to a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan. Judge Chuang also ordered Foxworth to pay restitution of $882,908.66.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from November 2016 through at least August 2020, Foxworth solicited and received at least $863,901 from investors to invest in foreign currency exchange (“FOREX”). Foxworth admitted that instead of investing the funds in FOREX, as represented to investors, Foxworth converted the funds to his personal use, including credit card expenses, travel expenses, and rent. Foxworth caused losses to at least 25 investors totaling at least $832,408.66.
In addition, Foxworth admitting that he fraudulently obtained a PPP loan, which was part of the assistance authorized to assist small businesses with job retention and other expensed during the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 19, 2021, Foxworth applied for a PPP loan for his company, inflating the company’s average monthly payroll and providing a false 2019 Form 1040 Schedule C showing profits and losses for the business. In fact, Foxworth did not file a tax return for the company in 2019. As a result of his false statements, Foxworth obtained a PPP loan of $50,000. Instead of using the funds for permissible expenses, such as payroll costs and operational expenses, Foxworth used the PPP funds for daily living and travel expenses while he was abroad in South.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Morgan, Jr., and Coreen Mao, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Walnut Grove Man Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Walnut Grove man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Roger Devonta Stokes, 40, pled guilty on September 7, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
According to court documents, tribal and federal investigators conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Stokes in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. In June of 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Stokes in a two-count indictment involving the possession and distribution of methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Stokes entered a plea of guilty to count two of the indictment, which charged possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. As stated in Court, Stokes admitted his role in the offense.
Stokes will be sentenced on December 12, 2023, and faces a penalty of not less than five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska Celebrates Funding Awarded for Legal Services, Improved Court Responses to Domestic, Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska is proud to announce that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $400,000 to an Alaska organization 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 $400,000 under the Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) to H.O.P.E. – Helping Ourselves Prevent Emergencies, a victim support and advocacy organization in Craig, Alaska. ELSI, which operates under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program, supports developing new legal services programs.
“The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska, especially in our rural Alaska communities where women and girls are experiencing violence at a high rate,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The announcement of ELSI funding for H.O.P.E. is another step in our efforts to support survivors and families impacted by violence in all corners of our state.”
“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," said 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.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Washington celebrates funding awarded for legal services and improved court responses for domestic and sexual violenceRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1.3 million to two programs in Western Washington 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 $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the YMCA of Clark County, Washington. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $591,457 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to the Coalition for ending Gender Based Violence. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
“Both of these programs provide crucial services in Western Washington to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The YMCA of Clark County is a leader in Southwest Washington on programs and services for survivors. In the Seattle area, the Coalition Ending Gender Based Violence has a number of projects and tools to assist survivors with housing, metal health and access to justice. These grants are highly competitive, and it speaks to the quality of these programs that they have been chosen for DOJ funding.”
“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.”
You can learn more about each of these Washington State Organizations here: https://ywcaclarkcounty.org/ and here https://endgv.org/.
coalition_grant.pdf ymca_clark_co_grant.pdf###
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 the District of Vermont Celebrates Funding Awarded to Combat Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – 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 Vermont is proud to announce that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,350,000 to Vermont organizations that provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
OVW awarded $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Inc. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
OVW awarded $600,000 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Inc. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commented: “Domestic violence is destructive to families and communities and cannot be tolerated. The OVW grants announced today serve to bolster important non-prosecutorial tools to combat domestic violence in Vermont. In addition, this office, working with our partners in law enforcement, will continue to use federal statutes to hold domestic abusers accountable.”
“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. Attorney’s Office Hosts Event for United Against Hate InitiativeRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska is partnering with Federal, State and local law enforcement to deliver a series of community events designed to educate the public about hate crimes, hate incidents and discrimination.
The first outreach event was held in Anchorage on Sept. 7, 2023. It focused on building relationships with organizations and local leaders who interact with the LGBTQ2SIA+ community in Alaska. The events are part of the U.S. Justice Department’s “United Against Hate” initiative.
United Against Hate is a nationwide initiative focused on convening local forums that connect community groups to Federal, State and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and communities; and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate. The program was launched in September 2022.
“The United Against Hate initiative serves as an avenue to protect our communities, share methods for reporting, encourage reporting of hateful acts, and educate community leaders and members on laws surrounding hate crimes and discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We were honored to share the stage with leaders and first responders yesterday as we discussed this important topic. The conversations had at the recent event are a crucial step in combatting acts of hate in the LGBTQ2SIA+ community and continuing to build important relationships between law enforcement and communities in Alaska.”
Yesterday’s event featured a joint presentation from Federal, State and local law enforcement officials and prosecutors. An official from the U.S. Justice Department’s Community Relations Service was in attendance as well. The presentation included information regarding the differences between hate crimes and hate incidents, anti-discrimination laws and the importance of reporting acts of hate to law enforcement. Participants were invited to share views on how law enforcement can best support LGBTQ2SIA+ community members who experience a hate crime or incident.
The event also included a panel of Federal, State and local law enforcement personnel. Participants in the panel included:
- U.S. Attorney Tucker
- Supervisory Special Agent Andy Smith, FBI Anchorage White Collar Squad Supervisor
- Jenna Gruenstein, Alaska Department of Law, Chief Assistant Attorney General
- Captain Tony Wegrzyn, Alaska State Troopers
- Deputy Chief Sean Case, Anchorage Police Department
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will host additional events as part of the United Against Hate initiative, and future events will focus on communicating with different communities across Alaska. These events will encourage further collaboration, support hate crime prevention efforts and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and incidents.
If you are interested in holding an event for a specific community in Alaska, send an email to [email protected].
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Funding Awarded for Legal Services and Improved Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – 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 Western District of Michigan is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1.783 million to statewide and local agencies in the district 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 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $1.183 million under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program, which includes $583,000 to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and $600,000 to the Child and Family Services of Northwest Michigan. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
“I am pleased to announce that these two organizations in the Western District of Michigan have been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Protecting the victims of gender-based violence and discrimination is a critical part of our mission. This funding will help our statewide and local partners and the justice system continue to support 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.”
Following are several cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District concerning gender-based discrimination Muskegon Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Stalking His Ex-Wife And Possessing Firearms and U.S. Attorney Announced Justice Department Settlement In Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Michigan Landlord.
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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 District of South Carolina Celebrates Funding Awarded for Legal Services and Improved Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- 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 South Carolina is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,500,000 to South Carolina 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 $750,000 to the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) and $750,000 to the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN) under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
“These grants reflect our commitment to making South Carolina a more difficult place for violent actors to operate and a safer place for survivors,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We are grateful to SCCADVASA and SCVAN for their tireless work in helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault find both justice and safety.”
“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.”
These grants are just one way the U.S. Department of Justice partners with community organizations to support and protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Earlier this week, representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in the 2023 POWER Act Conference hosted by the United States District Court and SCCADVASA. The conference provided attorneys, victim service professionals, and law enforcement officers with an overview of South Carolina’s civil protective orders and how they can trigger federal firearms prohibitions. A team of federal and state experts led a roundtable discussion on ways to improve collaboration between civil attorneys and criminal justice professionals to help protect victims from threats of gun violence.
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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 Announces $600,000 in Federal Funding Awarded to Mecklenburg CountyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that $600,000 in federal grants has been allocated to Mecklenburg County by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), to expand access to legal services and enhance processes impacting the safety of victims and their families.
“I am pleased to announce that the Western District of North Carolina has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Federal grants are a vital resource for organizations with programs that support the Justice Department’s mission to improve access to legal services and enhance the safety of victims, survivors, and their families.”
The OVW grant was allocated under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program, authorized in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The grant was awarded by the JFF Program to Mecklenburg County Community Support Services, to fund a project related to supervised visitation and safe custody exchange services, provide legal representation and legal assistance services for victims of domestic violence, and expand legal services, including language access, to underserved communities and communities with limited English proficiency.
“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.”
Created in 1995, OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending 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.
Two Men Sentenced for $7.6 Million COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man and a Bealeton man were sentenced today to a combined 6 years in prison for engaging in a joint scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Administration of over $7 million in COVID relief funds.
According to court documents, from approximately April 2020 to March 2021, Bennie Earl Magee, 55, falsified payroll records, created fake IRS business tax returns, and submitted to lenders and the SBA falsified revenue reports of multiple companies to obtain over $7 million in PPP and EIDL loans for himself and others. Michael Gilcher, 46, obtained $1.4 million of the total, but wrote checks back to Magee’s company, Bull Run Capital, totaling approximately $620,000. Magee also involved another individual in the scheme and proposed the fraud to yet others. Magee used over $5 million of the PPP fraud proceeds to invest in crypto currency, to purchase vehicles, and to pay other personal and business expenses.
“PPP and EIDL loans were created to assist those financially effected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Magee and Mr. Glicher not only lied to the IRS and stole millions of taxpayer funds, but frivolously spent it on items such as vehicles and cryptocurrency,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “EDVA will continue to work with the SIGPR and other law enforcement partners to prosecute those who take advantage of all of us.”
Magee was sentenced to 5 years and Gilcher was sentenced to 1 year in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.
“This prosecution and investigation resulted in the sentencing of two individuals responsible for defrauding the taxpayers of millions of dollars by abusing federal programs designed to bring relief to struggling small businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic,” said Brian Miller, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. “SIGPR is glad to have played a significant role teaming with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office to hold these individuals accountable.”
"At a time when many small businesses were trying to keep their doors open and support their employees, these fraudsters chose to lie and steal from small business relief programs to line their own pockets," said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, Chair of the PRAC. "Today's sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Inspector General community and federal prosecutors to bring to justice those who brazenly stole money from taxpayers. We appreciate the partnership with the investigating agents, the FBI, and U.S. Attorney Aber to protect COVID-19 relief funds for the public."
“Today’s sentencings are an example of the continued commitment of the FBI to identify and hold to account those who engaged in COVID relief fraud,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. “Magee and Glicher engaged in a joint scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Administration of over $7 million in COVID relief funds. Even years after COVID relief funds were distributed, the FBI and our partners continue to investigate these schemes which defrauded the government and stole from taxpayers.”
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR); and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
This case was investigated by a SIGPR agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 16 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-86 and 1:23-cr-91.
Two District Men Charged for September 6, 2023, Murder in Southwest Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keshawn Lavender, 22, and Deandre Sams, 27, both of Washington, D.C., were presented in Superior Court yesterday on first degree felony murder while armed charges stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller on September 6, 2023, in the Wharf neighborhood, in Southwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Lavender and Sams were arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe on the charges in Courtroom C-10, D.C. Superior Court, where both entered pleas of not guilty. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendants committed first degree felony murder while armed. The court held the defendants without bond pending a preliminary hearing to be held on September 27, 2023, before Judge Anthony Epstein.
An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Two Brothers Plead Guilty to $7.6M COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Two brothers pleaded guilty yesterday to their participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $7.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, New York, and Sutukh El, aka Curtis Jordan, aka Hugo Hurt, aka Hugo Hermes Hurtington, 41, of Buffalo, New York, conspired to submit eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies they owned or controlled. The defendants submitted three of the applications to Evolve Bank & Trust and five to Lendio, a financial technology company based in Utah. The applications contained false statements about the 2019 payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. To corroborate the applications, Jordan and El submitted IRS forms, which they had never filed with the IRS, as well as fraudulent payroll registers that purported to identify the names, personal information, and salary of the employees identified on the PPP applications. The money was then deposited into an account controlled by El, which the brothers used for their own investments, personal expenses, and home improvements.
Jordan and El pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Jordan also pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York; Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of the Inspector General (FRB-CFPB OIG), Eastern Region; Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Northeast Region; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region made the announcement.
The FDIC OIG, FRB-CFPB OIG, FHFA-OIG, FBI, and SBA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Grace Carducci for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Two Brothers Plead Guilty to COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that two brothers, Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, and Sutukh El a/k/a Curtis Jordan a/k/a Hugo Hurt a/k/a Hugo Hermes Hurtington, 41, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud for their participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. In addition, Jordan pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Jordan and El conspired to submit eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies they owned or controlled. Three of the applications were submitted to Evolve Bank & Trust and the other five were submitted to Lendio, a financial technology company based in Utah. The applications contained false statements about the 2019 payroll expenses of each company, which were used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. To corroborate the applications, Jordan and El submitted IRS forms, which had never been filed with the IRS, as well as fraudulent payroll registers that purported to identify the names, personal information, and salary of the employees identified on the PPP applications.
For example, a PPP loan application was submitted on behalf of 5 Stems Inc to Evolve. The application represented that in 2019, 5 Stems Inc had 194 employees and an average monthly payroll of $242,133.33. In truth, 5 Stems Inc had nine employees in 2019 and paid those employees a total of approximately $57,380 for all of 2019. Evolve approved the application and funded a $605,200 loan. The money was deposited into an account controlled by defendant El. Some of the money was used for the defendants’ own investments, as well as personal expenses and home improvements.
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Grace Carducci for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.
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Thompson Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Thompson, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Pauley admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary. In pleading guilty to a felony Information, Pauley admitted that he purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen. Pauley also admitted to selling many of the stolen remains to others, at least one of whom also knew they had been stolen.
Previously, other individuals were also indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. The indictments allege that from 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allegedly allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor allegedly sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also allegedly purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott allegedly sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, allegedly including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments.
The individuals charged along with Pauley as a result of the investigation are pending trial:
- Cedric Lodge, age 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire;
- Katrina Maclean, age 44, of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Joshua Taylor, age 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania;
- Denise Lodge, age 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire; and
- Mathew Lampi, age 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota.
Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott has been indicted in federal court in the District of Arkansas for her role in the conspiracy and for defrauding the mortuary that employed her.
The United States Attorney’s Office has and will continue to attempt to identify and contact as many of the victims and victims’ families affected by this case as possible. If anyone believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct described above, please contact our Victim and Witness Unit at [email protected] or (717) 614-4249.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Third Defendant Charged in September 6th Murder in Southwest Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Mathis, 36, of Washington, D.C., was presented in Superior Court today on charges of first degree felony murder while armed stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller, on September 6, 2023, in the city's Wharf neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Mathis is the third defendant charged in the case. He was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe and entered a plea of not guilty. The court found probable cause to believe that the defendant committed first degree felony murder while armed. Mathis is being held without bond pending a September 27 preliminary hearing before Judge Anthony Epstein.
An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Passport and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nilda Medina-Veguilla (38, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to making false statements in an application for a United States passport, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government property. Medina faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment. Medina-Veguilla has also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the plea agreement, Medina-Veguilla is a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico. In 2005, she was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation. In 2008, a warrant was issued for her arrest. That same year, Medina-Veguilla left Puerto Rico and moved to the continental United States. There, she assumed the identity of “N.T.D.,” an individual she knew from Puerto Rico. Medina-Veguilla was married and divorced, arrested, employed, and taxed, all in the victim’s name. In February 2021, Medina-Veguilla applied for a U.S. passport using N.T.D.’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and birth certificate. She also applied for and received “SNAP” benefits in N.T.D.’s name. The Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP” – formerly known as “food stamps”) is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that was authorized by congress to provide federal benefits to help low-income families buy food. In total, Medina-Veguilla fraudulently obtained more than $43,000 in SNAP benefits.
Medina-Veguilla’s fraudulent activity was exposed when Consular Affairs discovered the real N.T.D. had been issued a U.S. passport several years before Medina-Veguilla’s application.
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Cocaine OffenseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Redell Williams, III, age 43, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 33 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his earlier guilty plea, Williams admitted that on November 10, 2022, he possessed a total of approximately 531 grams of cocaine and approximately 211 grams of cocaine base at his home in Syracuse, New York with the intent to distribute it. Williams further admitted that in his residence, he “cooked” powder cocaine to manufacture cocaine base, also known as “crack” cocaine, and that $4,587 in cash found at his residence was narcotics proceeds.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of post-release supervision and ordered Williams to forfeit $4,587 as proceeds of the offense.
DEA investigated the case, with assistance from Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
Suspended Indianapolis Police Sergeant Sentenced to 1 Year in Federal Prison for Using Excessive Force During ArrestRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Suspended Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant, Eric Huxley, 44, has been sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force.
According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2021, Huxley, was on patrol in downtown Indianapolis when another officer requested his assistance in confronting a disorderly person on Monument Circle. After officers placed the victim, identified as J.V., under arrest for disorderly conduct, Huxley assisted other officers with conducting an inventory of J.V.’s property.
When officers began to remove J.V.’s belt, he became confrontational with the officers. The primary arresting officer used a department-approved takedown maneuver to bring J.V., who had already been handcuffed, to the ground. The arresting officer held J.V. down with one hand while a second officer restrained his legs. This reasonable and appropriate use of force effectively overcame J.V.’s resistance and rendered him physically unable to move.
Despite knowing that J.V. had been effectively restrained and posed no further danger to officers or the public, Huxley then intentionally raised his right foot and drove it down onto J.V.’s head and face.
“This sentence holds a former police officer accountable for abusing his authority when he violently assaulted a homeless man who posed no threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws.”
“In addition to the trauma inflicted on victims, police officers who break the law and use excessive force damage the community’s trust in the law enforcement profession,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Officers put themselves at risk every day doing a difficult and sometimes dangerous job to uphold the law and protect their communities. Those who instead commit crimes must be identified and prosecuted. This sentence demonstrates that the FBI, Department of Justice, and our U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to seeking accountability for those who violate people’s civil rights under the color of law.”
“Every day, law enforcement officers in this country face dangerous situations which require the application of reasonable force to protect themselves and others. Unfortunately, some officers fail to adhere to the applicable standards of law and policy, inflicting harm instead of preventing it,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all citizens, and I commend the work of the Special Agents and prosecutors who helped ensure the defendant was held accountable for his illegal conduct.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson ordered that Huxley be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following his release from federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
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Suspended Indianapolis Police Sergeant Sentenced for Using Excessive Force During ArrestRead the Press Release
A suspended Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, with six months of home detention and 18 months of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force.
According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2021, Eric Huxley, 44, was on patrol in downtown Indianapolis when another officer requested his assistance in confronting a disorderly person on Monument Circle. After officers placed the victim, identified as J.V., under arrest for disorderly conduct, Huxley assisted other officers with conducting an inventory of J.V.’s property.
When officers began to remove J.V.’s belt, he became confrontational with the officers. The primary arresting officer used a department-approved takedown maneuver to bring J.V., who had already been handcuffed, to the ground. The arresting officer held J.V. down with one hand while a second officer restrained his legs. This reasonable and appropriate use of force effectively overcame J.V.’s resistance and rendered him physically unable to move.
Despite knowing that J.V. had been effectively restrained and posed no further danger to officers or the public, Huxley then intentionally raised his right foot and drove it down onto J.V.’s head and face.
“This sentence holds a former police officer accountable for abusing his authority when he violently assaulted a homeless man who posed no threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws.”
“In addition to the trauma inflicted on victims, police officers who break the law and use excessive force damage the community’s trust in the law enforcement profession,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Officers put themselves at risk every day doing a difficult and sometimes dangerous job to uphold the law and protect their communities. Those who instead commit crimes must be identified and prosecuted. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the FBI, Justice Department and our U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to seeking accountability for those who violate people’s civil rights under the color of law.”
“Every day, law enforcement officers in this country face dangerous situations which require the application of reasonable force to protect themselves and others. Unfortunately, some officers fail to adhere to the applicable standards of law and policy, inflicting harm instead of preventing it,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all citizens and I commend the work of the Special Agents and prosecutors who helped ensure the defendant was held accountable for his illegal conduct.”
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Seattle Barrel cleaning company and its owner sentenced for ten-year water pollution schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A barrel cleaning and reconditioning operation, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, and its owner, Louie Sanft, 55, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy, making false statements, and 33 Clean Water Act violations, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sanft was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The company was sentenced to be on five years of probation.
U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, who presided over the three-week trial, said, “These discharges were not done by accident or mistake… they were done with disregard for the consequences… An enormous amount of caustic waste – an estimated 26,000 gallons of caustic water -- into our system with no idea of what harm it could have done. You had no justifiable reason to engage in this deceitful and dangerous activity.”
“These defendants sent dangerous caustic chemicals into our sewer system once a week for years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This risked environmental harm to Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River, damaged critical sewer infrastructure, and could have seriously injured utility workers. At many points Mr. Sanft and his company could have reformed their ways – the refusal to do so results in these sentences today.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution has a very high pH level. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel has operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from discharging wastewater over a certain level of corrosivity (a pH exceeding 12) to the sewer system. Wastewater above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company, but the pollution did not stop. Beginning in 2016, Louie Sanft represented to King County in written monthly certifications that the company had become a “zero discharge” facility and was not discharging any industrial wastewater to the sewer.
In fact, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place.
Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed a search warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system.
Seattle Public Utilities says the sewer lines downstream from Seattle Barrel are prematurely damaged and will need early repair. These discharges put utility workers at risk, as such caustic chemicals can cause blindness, skin necrosis, bone damage, and even death.
Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted after a three-week trial of conspiracy, 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer, four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications, and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA.
Asking the court to impose a five-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson wrote, “Louis Sanft affirmatively chose to pollute and engaged in a campaign of deceit to cover it up, despite regulators efforts to help him comply… Louis Sanft simply stonewalled, or lied and continued his illegal practices… Sanft… lied to federal agents…tried to mislead the U.S. Attorney’s Office and EPA …and finally, Louis Sanft lied to the jury at trial.”
As part of the sentence for the company, Judge Jones is requiring the company to certify every quarter that it has complied with all federal, state, and local requirements including compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
"For nearly a decade, the defendants dumped caustic industrial waste into the Seattle sewer system and then conspired to conceal their illegal activities by submitting false monthly reports and lying to investigators," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Carr of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for Washington. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the seriousness of these crimes and sends a clear message that businesses will be held criminally responsible if they fail to manage industrial wastes in accordance with laws designed to protect the health of our communities, national infrastructure, and the environment.”
According to Seattle Barrel, the company stopped using caustic solution after EPA executed the search warrant in 2019.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the King County Industrial Waste Program and the Seattle Public Utilities, Drainage and Wastewater Source Control Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Thomas Woods, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Salt Lake City Man Indicted for Carjacking After Allegedly Attacking a Woman with a Child in the VehicleRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Salt Lake City man after he allegedly attempted to violently take a woman’s vehicle with her daughter in the backseat.
According to court documents, Zachery Cover, 32, of Salt Lake City, attempted to steal a black BMW in the area of 1000 West 200 North in Salt Lake City on August 30, 2023.
According to the allegations in the complaint, dispatch received a 911 call at 9:14 a.m. from the victim who stated she had been driving with her 7-year-old daughter when she stopped due to a tire problem. The victim left the vehicle running with the driver’s door open while she checked the tire pressure. A man, later identified as Cover, jumped in the vehicle, and shut the door. In an attempt to stop Cover from leaving with her daughter, who was in the backseat, the victim reached through the open driver’s door window and pleaded with Cover not to take the car because her daughter was inside. Cover told the victim to take her daughter and get out. The victim pulled Cover from the vehicle and a physical altercation ensued. The victim was struck several times by Cover. At one point, Cover displayed a firearm and pointed it at the victim and her child. A second struggle occurred, and the victim knocked the gun away, broke free, drove off and called 911. A responding officer took Cover into custody. The recovered firearm was a facsimile .22 caliber Walther style BB gun.
Cover is charged with carjacking. Cover had his initial court appearance on the indictment, September 7, 2023 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. A two day trial is scheduled for November 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by a Salt Lake City Police Officer with the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda for the District of Utah 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Porterville Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Cordaryl Deshean Ford, 37, of Porterville, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, in May 2020, Cordaryl Deshean Ford conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in and around the Kemper County area. Ford and his co-conspirators were charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ford entered a plea of guilty to his charge on the first day of trial in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Kemper County Sheriff’s Office, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Madison Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Carla Clark prosecuted the case.
This case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Neshoba and Kemper County areas. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Naim Taylor, age 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months of imprisonment on charges related to fentanyl trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Taylor was the manager of a drug trafficking organization that brought fentanyl from Philadelphia to Williamsport and other areas in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Taylor previously entered a guilty plea in which he admitted to being responsible for trafficking at least 74 grams of fentanyl, the equivalent of nearly 3,000 individual doses. Taylor’s sentence was enhanced because of his possession of a firearm in connection with these activities.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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NuDay Charity Pleads Guilty in Connection with the Illegal Export of Goods to SyriaRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A New Hampshire charity pleaded guilty today in federal court to export offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
NuDay, a/k/a NuDay Syria, pleaded guilty to three counts of Failure to File Export Information. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 28, 2023.
NuDay was founded by Nadia Alawa as a non-profit charity in 2013 and is headquartered in Windham, New Hampshire. Alawa served as NuDay’s President. Between 2018 and 2021, NuDay made over 100 shipments to Syria, a country that was subject to sanctions and export restrictions. NuDay had the items shipped to Mersin, Turkey, where another company would transship them into Syria. U.S. Department of Commerce regulations require exporters, such as NuDay, to report true and accurate information about the items being exported, including the shipment’s description, end user, and monetary value. However, NuDay falsely reported that the end destination of the shipments was Turkey and not Syria, and artificially deflated the value of the goods to be below the $2,500 reporting threshold. For example, on May 5th, 2019, NuDay falsely reported that their shipment was intended for Turkey and that the value of the container was less than $2,500. NuDay now admits that this container was actually intended for Syria and claims its true value was $8.3 million.
For an organizational defendant, the charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years of probation and a fine of $10,000 per count. 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. As a condition of the plea, Nadia Alawa and her family members will have no further involvement with NuDay.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations division, and Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing a Man During a Visit to Washington DCRead the Press Release
Incident Occurred in January 2023
WASHINGTON – Cynthia Battle, 54, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to stabbing a man to death on January 16, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Battle pleaded in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023, Cynthia Battle and two friends drove from their homes in North Carolina to visit a friend in Washington DC. The following day, the decedent, Raymond Johnson, joined them all at the friend’s house. At approximately 11:45 pm on January 16, 2023, Battle, Johnson, and a witness walked together down Minnesota Ave. Southeast, to purchase crack cocaine. While outside on the street, and in the midst of this drug transaction, Battle was captured on surveillance camera lunging towards Johnson. Battle, Johnson, and the witness then quickly separated, walking in opposite directions. Minutes later, a 911 caller found Johnson further down the street. Johnson was laying face down and unconscious, bleeding from a single stab wound to his chest.
The sole eyewitness to the stabbing immediately drove back to North Carolina, leaving Battle behind. Battle caught her own ride back to North Carolina the next day, after which she absconded. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) worked with members of the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office to locate and interview the witness within days of the stabbing. The witness initially claimed not to have seen anything, but later admitted to seeing a flash of silver in Battle’s hand as Battle struck Johnson in the chest. Law enforcement from these two jurisdictions also worked together to search Battle’s home, where they found the clothing she wore on the night of the murder. Battle was arrested in March 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the cooperation from the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office, and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Lauren Douglas. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Nebraska Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert A. Lange has sentenced a Hastings, Nebraska, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 5, 2023.
Joaquin Cervantes, 39, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, follow by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Cervantes was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023.
The conviction stems from Cervantes, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly being in possession of a Remington semi-automatic rifle in Rapid City, South Dakota, in March of 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Cervantes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Extorting Massachusetts Victims He Met via Online Dating WebsiteRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to making extortionate threats toward victims in Massachusetts.
Brandon D. Kane, 27, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to making extortionate threats in interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2024. Kane was arrested and charged in April 2023.
Kane used an online dating website to meet victims locally in Eastern Massachusetts. During such meetings, Kane made unauthorized videos of his victims engaging in illicit drug use or sexual activity with him. Kane then threatened to release the videos to the victims’ families and employers unless his victims paid him.
The charge of making extortionate threats in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Soto and Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 42 Months’ Imprisonment for Covid-Relief and Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Reynard Lewis, age 30, formerly of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani to 42 months of imprisonment, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Lewis and his coconspirators used stolen identities to create forged identification documents and credit and debit cards. The conspirators used those forged items and stolen identities to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise. The conspirators also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans issued under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including by submitted false federal tax documentation. The conspirators allegedly received over $100,000 in pandemic stimulus funds.
The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.
Lewis previously was charged in a criminal complaint and arrested on September 16, 2022. He has remained in detention since his arrest. Lewis’s alleged coconspirator, Robert Brownstein, age 51, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was previously charged in a criminal information with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Pottsville Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
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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Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Crystal Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yerigardy Tejeda-Zoquier, age 23, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tejeda-Zoquier admitted to possessing between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of highly pure crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Luzerne County and Carbon County areas in 2021. Investigators purchased crystal methamphetamine from Tejeda-Zoquier on multiple occasions between January and March 2021 in both Luzerne and Carbon Counties, and then seized additional crystal methamphetamine from two vehicles utilized by Tejeda-Zoquier.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.
Under federal law, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lowell Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A leader of a Lowell-based gang, One Family Clique (OFC), pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with fellow OFC gang members to traffic wholesale quantities of cocaine, and to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through casinos in Canada.
Virak Prum, a/k/a “Polo,” a/k/a “Capo,” a/k/a “Lips,” 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2023.
In August 2018, law enforcement began investigating OFC in response to a dramatic spike in shootings and gang violence in Lowell. OFC is an alliance between several gangs in and around Lowell with ties to gangs in California and other states. In 2018 and 2019, at least 12 incidents of gunfire in the Lowell area are alleged to be attributable to gang-motivated hostilities between OCF and its rivals.
Since at least 2019, Prum and his co-conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to receive shipments of illegal narcotics, and, in return, to ship cash proceeds to the sources of supply. Members of the conspiracy maintained stash houses in Lowell, which also served as venues for gang meetings and other events furthering the gang’s illegal activities. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized or purchased approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.4 kilograms of cocaine, 2.1 kilograms of MDMA, 513 grams of heroin, and 169 grams of Fentanyl; $177,591 in cash; and seven firearms.
In May 2021, Prum led a money laundering operation in which he and his co-conspirators provided “protection” to a shipment from Europe that purportedly contained 8 million Euros in drug proceeds from black tar heroin sales. Specifically, Prum and his co-conspirators helped pack a shipment of money into a truck and escorted it from New York to New Hampshire.
Prum was charged with 14 others in June 2021. He is the final defendant in custody to plead guilty in the case. One defendant remains a fugitive.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to twenty years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to twenty years in prison, supervised release for up to three years up to life and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered property. 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Greg Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA-San Jose Task Force as well as the Long Beach (Calif.) and Santa Clara (Calif.), Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Fred Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Identity Theft Conspiracy That Stole Nearly 50 Vehicles Sentenced to 8.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for orchestrating schemes to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards.
Alvin Rivera, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 102 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $389,141 in restitution to victims. In March 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of wire fraud; three counts of aggravated identity theft; and three counts of false representation of a Social Security number in his District of Massachusetts case; he also pleaded guilty to a similar scheme originating in the District of New Jersey that was transferred to the District of Massachusetts for resolution.
Between October 2017 and September 2020, Rivera was the leader of a conspiracy in Massachusetts that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to obtain credit and goods. Under Rivera’s direction, and with stolen identity information that he provided, co-conspirators visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the co-conspirators provided stolen biographical information from real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. The co-conspirators used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States.
Between October 2017 and February 2018, Rivera also personally used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for credit and fraudulently purchase vehicles in a similar scheme in New Jersey.Together, the co-conspirators fraudulently purchased at least 47 vehicles from dealerships in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey – obtaining over $2 million in cars and other merchandise using the stolen identities.
Following Rivera’s arrest, the investigation revealed that in 2020, Rivera also allegedly led a conspiracy that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for and obtain over $450,000 in Economy Injury Disaster Loans, a form of pandemic relief, from the Small Business Administration. It is alleged that Rivera’s co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts to receive those funds, laundered the funds and shared a portion of the profits with co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic. Multiple individuals have been arrested, charged, and pleaded guilty with respect to that conspiracy, and Rivera’s sentencing also took that conduct into account.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; and the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The District of Massachusetts investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
The District of New Jersey investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Drug Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Robert Jackson, age 45, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to life imprisonment for the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jackson was found guilty of multiple federal crimes on February 8, 2022, following a six-day jury trial before Judge Mannion. Jackson was specifically found guilty for his sale of fentanyl on July 25, 2020, which resulted in the death of a 58-year-old Monroe County man. Jackson was also found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
During the trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney, a Forensic Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Coyer, a Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that fentanyl caused the death of the Monroe County man. Additional testimony was provided by officers and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the FBI – Scranton Office who testified that Jackson sold fentanyl to the victim in the evening of July 25, 2020, resulting in his death on July 28, 2020.
The life sentence imposed by Judge Mannion was mandated pursuant to federal law for defendants found guilty of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, after having previously been convicted of a felony drug offense. Jackson’s criminal history involved multiple felony drug offenses, which also rendered him a career offender under federal law.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Robert O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Justice Department Secures Settlement Protecting Employment Rights of ServicemembersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has resolved a complaint filed against the City of Chicago on behalf of U.S. Army Reservist Derrick Strong. The department’s lawsuit alleged that the city violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) when it failed to offer Strong the opportunity to take an examination upon his return from military service that would have made him eligible for a promotion. After the lawsuit was filed, Strong was given the promotional exam, which he passed, and promoted to the rank of Fire Engineer. The settlement will award him retroactive seniority and back pay.
“Federal law safeguards the civilian employment rights of our nation’s servicemembers and requires that they have the promotional opportunities they would have earned had their employment not been interrupted by military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers must ensure that servicemembers have a fair opportunity to seek promotion, including by offering make-up examinations missed due to military service, and this settlement will ensure that this continues to happen.”
Strong began his employment in August 2009 as a Firefighter/EMT. He served on active duty from September 2016 through June 2017. Immediately upon returning from his deployment, Strong made multiple requests to take the Fire Engineer promotional examination that he missed while on active duty. Although the city did not begin making Fire Engineer promotions until almost a year after Strong returned, the city denied him the opportunity to take the exam. Initially, the city asserted that because it offered Strong an opportunity to take the Fire Engineer promotional examination at his military post while on active duty, his failure to take the promotional exam was of his own doing.
In April 2022, shortly after Strong’s successful performance on the make-up Fire Engineer examination that was ultimately given to him, the city promoted him to the rank of Fire Engineer. The city also changed its policy to allow servicemembers to take make-up promotional examinations upon their return from military service. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the city also agreed to retroactively adjust Strong’s Fire Engineer appointment date to June 2018, the date that he would have been promoted had the city properly administered the examination upon his return from military service and to pay Strong for his lost wages in the amount of $52,000.
The Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter to the Justice Department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
Trial Attorneys Alicia D. Johnson, Vendarryl Jenkins and Catherine Sellers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section (ELS) litigated this case.
ELS continues to work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/laws-we-enforce and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the DOL’s website at www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra.
Justice Department Awards Funding for Legal Services and Improved Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded more than $1.3 million to two programs in the state to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
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 awards to New Jersey are:
- OVW awarded $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to 180 Turning Lives Around Inc. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
- OVW awarded $599,512 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to the Essex County Family Justice Center Inc. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“There is an urgent need to fund programs for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, so I am pleased to announce that two programs in the District of New Jersey have been awarded funding from the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women. These funds will help survivors who are struggling with the emotional and physical toll of violence to navigate the complex and often overwhelming legal system. The programs this money will help fund will provide needed legal support to ensure justice and safety for 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,” OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo said. “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.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has an unyielding commitment to combat sexual misconduct. As part of the Justice Department’s initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office routinely conducts community outreach throughout New Jersey to help identify and encourage reporting of sexual misconduct. This outreach ultimately led to a landmark lawsuit and $4.5 million monetary settlement against a landlord who the United States alleged demanded sex acts from dozens of tenants under the threat of eviction or other negative consequences. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office brought an investigation that revealed that the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women failed to protection inmates from sexual abuse by staff. This lawsuit resulted in a consent decree that required the New Jersey Department of Corrections to implement reforms to ensure incarcerated women are protected from sexual abuse.
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.
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Justice Department Awards $58.8 Million in Grants to Provide Legal Services and Improve Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today $58,860,034 in Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grants to provide legal services and to improve effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. OVW awarded the funds under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program, Justice for Families (JFF) Program, Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative.
The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders and address issues such as child custody, immigration, housing and employment, that are essential for survivor safety. Moreover, there is a significant overlap between domestic violence and family law, particularly in cases involving children; survivors often need legal counsel to navigate complex issues like child custody, visitation and child support. The legal system is inherently complicated, and for survivors who are simultaneously managing the emotional and physical toll of abuse, navigating it can be overwhelming. Despite this acute demand, many communities still lack adequate resources, underscoring the urgency for more comprehensive legal support to ensure both justice and safety for survivors.
“Access to legal assistance is a lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Survivors must be able to access services and support that provide a pathway to safety and justice. The Justice Department funding announced today will expand access to legal representation and make it easier for thousands of survivors to navigate the justice system every year.”
"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."
Specifically, OVW awarded a total of $39,638,367 to 55 grantees under the LAV Program, which addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. ELSI, which operates under the LAV Program, awarded $3,199,306 through eight grants to support the development of new legal services programs. In addition, OVW’s JFF Program awarded $15,272,361 to 25 projects that aim to improve the capacity of communities and courts in responding to families impacted by violence. Moreover, $750,000 was awarded under the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative to recognize well-established specialized courts and enable them to guide newly-established specialized courts and court-based programs that wish to significantly improve their responses to domestic violence cases and ensure victim safety and offender accountability.
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Created in 1995, OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending 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.
justice_for_families_program_awards.pdf legal_assistance_for_victims_grant_program_awards.pdf legal_assistance_for_victims_grant_program_expanding_legal_services_initiative_awards.pdf domestic_violence_mentor_court_technical_assistance_initiative_awards.pdfJustice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States.
The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes. The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents, and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil.
The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
HSI Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil.
According to court documents, on April 19, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States.
The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes.
The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil.
The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Jamaican National Charged with Debt Relief ScamRead the Press Release
Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, 36, of Jamaica, appeared in U.S. federal court today and was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sally Luttrell of the Treasury Department, Office of Inspector General.
On Dec. 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Savariau with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Savariau conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies. The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public. Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U.S. government. Through their false representations, Savariau and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the United States to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees to Savariau and her co-conspirators via Western Union, Money Gram, PayPal and other payment mechanisms.
Savariau arrived in the D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica. At today’s initial appearance, the Honorable Zia M. Faruqui ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for Sept. 20.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Justice Department's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
savariau_indictment_september_8th.pdfJamaican National Charged with Debt Relief ScamRead the Press Release
Defendant Extradited from Jamaica to Answer Eight-Count Indictment
WASHINGTON – Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, 36, of Jamaica, appeared in U.S. federal court today and was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information, sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Sally Luttrell Assistant Inspector General for Investigations U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General
On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Savariau with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Savariau conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies. The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public. Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U.S. government. Through their false representations, Savariau and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the United States to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees to Savariau and her co-conspirators via Western Union, Money Gram, PayPal, and other payment mechanisms.
Savariau arrived in the D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica. At today’s initial appearance, the Honorable Zia M. Faruqui ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for September 20, 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.
Individual Indicted and Arrested for Child Exploitation and Drug Trafficking Charges; Another Charged with Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF), along with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) arrested Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández, 26, from San Sebastián, PR, and Melanie Cruz Clivilles, 31, from Aguadilla, PR, for charges related to the death of 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C.
According to court documents, Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández attempted to induce, entice, and coerce a minor, that is, a 13-year-old female G.L.C.C., to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. Pérez Hernández is also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine to a minor.
Melanie Cruz Clivilles, mother of G.L.C.C., is charged with lying to a federal law enforcement agent. The allegations are that Cruz Clivilles made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation by falsely stating to a Task Force Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations that she first met Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández at the hospital on August 4, 2023, where he arrived with defendant’s deceased daughter G.L.C.C. The statement and representation was false because, as she then and there knew, because she had met Pérez Hernández at the latest in July of 2023, and had been with him during a meeting on August 3, 2023.
If convicted, Pérez Hernández faces a statutory minimum sentence of between15 and 30 years in prison for production of child pornography; and up to 40 years in prison for the drug trafficking charges. Defendant Cruz Clivilles is facing up to five years in prison for making false statements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. The investigation continues.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illinois Family Members Plead Guilty to Kidnapping, Forced Labor and Conspiracy for Coercing Two Minors and a Third Victim in Years-Long Forced Labor SchemeRead the Press Release
Lorenza Domingo-Castaneda, 34, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty today in the Central District of Illinois to three counts of forced labor and two counts of conspiracy to commit forced labor. On Aug. 18, co-defendant Catarina Domingo-Juan, 37, also pleaded guilty to three counts of forced labor and two counts of conspiracy to commit forced labor. A third co-defendant, Domingo Francisco-Juan, 43, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 30 to forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
According to court documents, the defendants, who are siblings, conspired to bring two minor victims from Guatemala to the United States to work in their homes between December 2015 and March 2021. The defendants compelled the victims to provide domestic services within the homes and to work outside the homes at local hotels and factories. The defendants used false promises of a better life and an education to gain the permission of the victims’ mothers for their minor daughters to travel to the United States to live with the defendants. Domingo-Castaneda and Domingo-Juan also compelled a third victim to work in their homes and outside their homes at local businesses. The defendants isolated the victims in their homes, restricted their communications with their family in Guatemala and subjected them to physical, verbal and psychological abuse, among other coercive means.
“Human trafficking — particularly compelling the labor and services of unaccompanied minors — cannot be tolerated.” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Traffickers deftly use the promise of America to lure adults and children into the United States from thousands of miles away, only to then turn around and reveal their promises were false as part of a coercive scheme to compel their labor. The Justice Department remains steadfast in identifying and prosecuting human traffickers who exploit vulnerable victims for their own financial benefit.”
“Human trafficking is a scourge that affects not only far-flung locales but our local communities as well,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “Traffickers prey on vulnerable victims – including children – bringing them to the United States and entangling them in forced labor schemes. The Central District of Illinois is committed to prosecuting these crimes and further asks community members who are aware of any signs of such exploitation to pass that information on to law enforcement.”
“Labor traffickers only care about one thing — money,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago. “Those subjected to domestic servitude are robbed of their dignity and freedom. Thankfully, these victims were rescued thanks to the efforts of law enforcement. Apprehending labor and human traffickers who take advantage of our most vulnerable and rescuing those exploited will always be a top priority for HSI.”
In accordance with the plea agreements, the defendants face penalties of 20 years up to life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any penalty after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI with the assistance of the Champaign Police Department, Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service and Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres for the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.