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Friday 9 June 2023
Omaha Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a Minor and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Rolando E. Midder, 43, was found guilty on June 9, 2023, following a four-day jury trial in federal court for Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Producing Child Pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert Rossiter scheduled Midder’s sentencing for September 1, 2023, at 2p.m. Midder faces up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of fifteen years.
The evidence at trial showed that Midder began living with a minor female in February of 2022. Midder advertised the minor girl as being available for commercial sex acts, communicated with individuals who expressed interest in the postings, and coordinated days, times, and locations for the commercial sex acts to occur. These advertisements continued until Midder’s arrest on June 27, 2022. After being recovered by law enforcement, the minor female was observed to be extremely malnourished and had numerous bruises, burns, and scars on her. She expressed fear that Midder would kill her if he learned she had spoken with law enforcement. Upon Midder’s arrest, a search warrant for his phone was obtained. Law enforcement located videos he had filmed, showing himself forcing the minor to engage in a sex act with him.
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 FBI Omaha’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Oglala Man Indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse and KidnappingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted an Oglala, South Dakota, man for three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping.
Drace Dreaming Bear, age 21, was indicted in March of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on June 7, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each charge is life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count of conviction. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Dreaming Bear kidnapping, confining, and sexually abusing a female at Oglala between December 3 and 4, 2022.
The charges are merely accusations and Dreaming Bear is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.
Dreaming Bear was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been set for August 15, 2023.
New York City Transit Worker and New York State Court Officer Plead Guilty to Covid-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Arthur Cornwall, a signal maintainer with the New York City Transit Authority, and Sean Williams, a New York State Court Officer, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with their receipt of approximately $770,000 in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke. When sentenced, Cornwall and Williams each face up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution totaling more than $770,000 and a fine of up to $1.5 million.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty pleas.
“The abuse of disaster relief programs is a serious crime, and it is reprehensible that two civil servants would blatantly steal from these programs for small businesses and families struggling during the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants are being held accountable. This case should serve as a reminder that while the worst days of the pandemic are in the past, law enforcement has a long memory for those who defrauded those relief programs.”
Inspector in Charge of the New York Division Daniel B. Brubaker said: “The government response to the COVID-19 Pandemic was unprecedented in its scope to help those who desperately needed government assistance in an extraordinary time in our nation’s history. These civil servants schemed and defrauded the public, in violation of their sworn oaths, by stealing money that should have gone to support our communities and not to fund their lifestyles. Postal Inspectors and our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to vigorously investigating and pursuing such offenders in order to maintain the integrity of and public confidence in disaster relief programs. Today’s guilty pleas are the result of this commitment.”
As set forth in court filings, between May 2020 and July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cornwall and Williams fraudulently applied for, and received, at least six PPP and EIDLP loans, totaling approximately $770,000, on behalf of purported corporate entities they controlled. As part of the scheme designed to mislead the SBA and a financial institution disbursing the funds, the supporting documentation submitted by the defendants contained false information, including the identity of the individual applying for the loan, the number of employees, revenue, payroll costs, and the intended use of the loan proceeds. Instead of using the funds for disaster relief, Cornwall and Williams diverted them for their personal use, including the discharge of personal credit card debt and the purchase of cryptocurrency.
Congress created the PPP and EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the allocation of funds for the issuance of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses to receive unsecured loans on favorable terms, which they were required to use for specified expenses, including payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP provided for forgiveness of the loan if the recipient businesses spent the proceeds on these specified expenses within a limited time period and used a certain percentage for payroll costs.
Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. Under the program, EIDLP recipients were eligible to receive advances of up to $10,000 for small businesses within three days of applying for an EIDL (EIDL Advance). The amount of an EIDL Advance was determined based on the number of employees working for the applicant. The EIDL Advance did not have to be repaid.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ARTHUR CORNWALL
Age: 42
West Babylon, New YorkSEAN WILLIAMS
Age: 41
Valley Stream, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-238 (JMA)
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Transporting AliensRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Francisco Vidals-Escamilla, age 34, of Garfield, New Jersey, was sentenced today to time served (approximately 221 days in jail) for unlawfully transporting aliens, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
As part of his earlier guilty plea, Vidals-Escamilla admitted that, on or about October 31, 2022, someone offered to pay Vidals-Escamilla $1,100 to pick up four people and bring them to New York City. Vidals-Escamilla drove to a location in or near Churubusco, New York, within about 2.5 miles of the United States-Canadian border. When Vidals-Escamilla arrived, four people were waiting by the side of the road near a wooded area. All four were citizens of Mexico and had unlawfully entered the United States. The people entered Vidals-Escamilla’s car and he drove away. Border Patrol agents stopped Vidals-Escamilla’s car and arrested him a few minutes later.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 1-year term of supervised release.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe prosecuted the case.
New York Woman Sentenced on Stolen Cell Phones ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Keyla Mateo of New York was sentenced to four years probation by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy on her conviction of conspiracy to transport stolen iPhones.
According to court documents, from May through July of 2018, Mateo and three co-conspirators stole and later transported iPhones from St. Thomas to Bronx, NY, where the phones were sold. As part of the conspiracy, one of Mateo’s co-conspirators contacted cell phone carriers, including Sprint and AT&T, impersonating legitimate customers by adding cell phones to the legitimate customers’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. Mateo’s co-conspirators also arranged for the iPhones to be mailed to another member of the conspiracy to a post office box located in St. Thomas. Mateo would then arrange for the stolen iPhones to be ship from St. Thomas to her address in New York. After arriving in New York, the stolen iPhone were sold by Mateo. The criminal scheme involved a total of 59 stolen cell phones valued at approximately $1,000.00 each. All defendants pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and Mateo’s co-conspirators are awaiting trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Postal Service investigated this case and Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye prosecuted the case.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Nika Daniel Alexander, age 20, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charge arose from investigations by the Muskogee Police Department, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 21, 2021, Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. During the plea hearing, Alexander admitted that he participated in a robbery, during which he beat the victim, held a shotgun to his head, and took his wallet, necklace, and cell phone.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearing in Oklahoma City. Alexander will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Multiple Defendants Indicted on Federal Racketeering, Narcotics and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – Fifty-eight defendants have been charged with violating federal racketeering, narcotics, and firearm laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The 30-count Indictment, returned on May 30, 2023, and unsealed today, charged the first 22 listed defendants with conspiring to participate in a criminal enterprise as members and associates of an Erie, Pennsylvania neighborhood street gang known as “4-Nation” under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The Indictment named the following individuals as having conspired to participate in this criminal organization:
Davante Qualee Jones, 29
Dajean Dupree Williams, 28
Javar Beason, Jr., 26
Darian Allen Beasley, 31
John Ferrell Cooley, Jr., 27
Von Darnell McCallum, Jr., 26
Jaquon Lashawn Manning, 22
Marius Lavon Russell, 31
Jermaine Antwon Phillips, Jr., 27
Rayshawn Markel Woodard, 23
Michael Jarod Manning, 32
Dajour Raekwon Woodard, 24
Chikuyo Asania Bayete, 25
Raheem Tyre Farmer, 28
Kalen Allen Gambill, 36
Damon Deandre Grady, 25
Eric Martin Jells, Jr., 25
Levanta Davon Keim, 25
Tayvon Marquise Lindsey, 27
Dorrell Antwun McLaurin, 24
Tymeir Mekhi Sadique Oglesby, 24
Lamont Devail Warren, Jr., 25According to information presented in the Indictment, these individuals engaged in organized criminal activity as part of their membership and association with the 4-Nation gang which included drug distribution and acts of violence within the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. According to the Indictment, one of the principal activities of the gang involves the sale and distribution of marijuana, prescription hydrocodone, cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and fentanyl pills within the gang’s geographic territory. 4-Nation members would obtain drugs from sources of supply primarily in California, Arizona, and Mexico and disseminate these drugs for redistribution by other gang members and associates. 4-Nation gang members possessed firearms and guarded their territory to prevent encroachment by rival gang members or drug dealers through assaults and shootings. The Indictment details more than 150,000 fentanyl pills, over 100 pounds of methamphetamine, and multiple kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue powder trafficked by the gang into Erie, Pennsylvania.
The RICO conspiracy statute carries a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000.
The Indictment named all 58 charged individuals at Count Two as part of an overlapping drug distribution conspiracy including:
Antwon Donnell Arrington, 48
Jamonte Capriese Hollingsworth, 34
Stewart Lee Phillips, 46
Tyler Quinn Magee, 30
Chikuyo Isani Bayete, 28
Dajuwon Brown Faulkner, 20
Demari Naquan Euell, 24
Cordell Jamal Gregory, 30
Jadarious Devon Samuel Lofton, 22
Shikeal Marquese Page, 29
Antoun Depree Moore, Jr., 25
Stephen William Carter, 31
Rhashan Dunston, 28
Dazerion Jaquial Hinton, 24
Devon Devontae Blue, 21
Javarie Barnett, 24
Damond Wilson Carr, 31
Saint Martin Ellman, 26
William Todd Stephens, 32
Wessam Ali Abood, 30
Alexis Marie Althof, 28
Samantha Lynn Ermekeil, 26
David Leroy Hall, 47
Travis Blake Longley, 29
Tasha Nicole Pacley, 34
Anthony James Stufflebeam, 36
Kevin John Berdis, 28
Mackenzie Alaska Fike-Bliscik, 24
Joseph Michael Lazar, 59
Bethany Nicole Mallette, 27
Immanuel Rashad Smith, 28
Jaelyn Rachelle Kuczynski, 33
Gary A. Warren, III, 32
Henry Daniel Barker, 34
Jamond Carnell McDonald, 20
Dazjona Marique Goodwine, 31According to the Indictment, these individuals conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances, including large quantities of fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base, from at least August 2023 through the date of the Indictment, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The statute calls for a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment.
Dajour Woodard is charged at Count Three with attempted possession with intent to distribute four hundred (400) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about August 9, 2021. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Damond Carr is charged at Count Four with possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and at Count Five with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both occurring on or about October 15, 2021. The statute at Count Four calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years incarceration. The statute at Count Five calls for a maximum sentence of twenty years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning and Michael Manning are charged at Count Six with possession with intent to distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl analogue, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about February 11, 2022. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Dajean Williams is charged at Count Seven with possession with intent to distribute four hundred (400) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, one hundred (100) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl analogue, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, and at Count Eight with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both occurring on or about April 20, 2022. The statute at Count Seven calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration. The statute at Count Eight calls for a maximum sentence of twenty years of incarceration.
Javar Beason, Jr. is charged at Count Nine with interstate and foreign travel in aid of business enterprise involving narcotics or controlled substances from on or about June 26, 2022 and continuing to on or about June 28, 2022. The statute calls for a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Jamonte Hollingsworth is charged at Count Ten with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about September 6, 2022. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Kalen Gambill is charged at Count Eleven with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on or about September 7, 2022. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Javar Beason, Jr. is charged at Count Twelve with conducting a monetary transaction, affecting interstate commerce, in criminally derived property with a value greater than $10,000, which property was derived from specified unlawful activity on or about October 12, 2022. The statute calls for a maximum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Tasha Pacley is charged at Count Thirteen with possession of firearms by a convicted felon on or about October 13, 2022. The statute calls for a maximum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Javar Beason, Jr, Antwon Arrington, Jadarius Lofton, and Mackenzie Fike-Bliscik are charged at Count Fifteen with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about November 29, 2022. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Antwon Arrington is charged at Count Sixteen with maintaining a drug-involved premise from no later than in and around December 2022 through on or about January 14, 2022. The statute at Count Sixteen calls for a maximum sentence of twenty years of incarceration.
Antwon Arrington is also charged at Count Seventeen with possession with intent to distribute four hundred (400) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture containing a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, and at Count Eighteen with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both occurring on or about January 14, 2023. The statute at Count Seventeen calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration. The statute at Count Eighteen calls for a maximum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Javar Beason, Jr. is charged at Count Nineteen with possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, at Count Twenty with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and at Count Twenty-One with using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, all occurring on or about January 14, 2023. The statute at Count Nineteen calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration. The statute at Count Twenty calls for a maximum sentence of ten years of incarceration. The statute at Count Twenty-One calls for a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years of incarceration.
Darian Beasley is charged at Count Twenty-Two with possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, and at Count Twenty-Three with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both occurring on or about January 14, 2023. The statute at Count Twenty-Two calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration. The statute at Count Twenty-Three calls for a maximum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning is charged at Count Twenty-Four with possession with intent to distribute four hundred (400) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about January 31, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning and Joseph Lazar are charged at Count Twenty-Five with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on or about February 2, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning, Dajuwan Faulkner, and Samantha Ermekeil are charged at Count Twenty-Six with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on or about February 22, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning, Jaelyn Kuczynski, and Gary Warren are charged at Count Twenty-Seven with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on or about March 2, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
Jaquon Manning and Henry Barker are charged at Count Twenty-Eight with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on or about March 10, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
John Cooley, Jr. and Dazjona Goodwine are charged at Count Twenty-Nine with attempted possession with intent to distribute four hundred (400) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about March 13, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
Stewart Phillips is charged at Count Thirty with possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on or about March 15, 2023. The statute calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration.
“We are committed to disrupting the violence and destruction that gangs such as these inflict upon our communities,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Troy S. Rivetti. “The unified efforts of each of the agencies involved in this investigation is to be commended. This work and the continued efforts of the EAGLE Safe Streets Task Force is dedicated to restoring Erie residents’ rights to feel safe in their own neighborhoods.
“This gang brought violence and despair to our neighborhoods and pedaled drugs onto the streets, exploiting the young and vulnerable,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “This investigation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI’s EAGLE Safe Streets Task Force and the community will see the impact immediately. I commend the work done by the investigative team and restate the commitment of the FBI and our partners to aggressively pursue those that bring harm to our communities.”
“Today’s announcement deals a major blow to a drug trafficking gang whose activities have inflicted irreparable harm and pain throughout our communities,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Results like these are only achieved through partnerships and information sharing. There is no doubt that the Erie and its surrounding areas are safer today due to the outstanding teamwork of the dedicated law enforcement professionals who investigated and prosecuted this case. HSI will continue to prioritize investigations that prevent illicit and highly addictive opioids from being distributed in our neighborhoods.”
“The Pennsylvania State Police is proud of the hard work by our investigators that has resulted in getting dangerous narcotics and drug dealers off our streets. We’re thankful for the cooperation with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, and our communities are much safer for it.”
“Today, the Erie Police and its many local, state and federal partners continue working together on removing violent criminals and drug dealers,” said Daniel P. Spizarny, Sr., Chief of Police, City of Erie Police Department. “We are committed to making Erie a safer community with welcoming and vibrant
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Erie Resident Agency Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, United States Customs and Border Patrol, Erie Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Millcreek Police Department, Oil City Police Department, Franklin Police Department, and Erie School District Police Department, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; Pennsylvania State Police Vice and Drug Law Units; Erie County Detectives; and Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021. The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States. The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Burau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, and other participating agencies.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 151 months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Cameron Moore, 52 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Moore was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Moore sold methamphetamine throughout 2022. Additionally, in October 2022, investigators intercepted two packages intended for delivery to him through the United States Postal Service. One package contained approximately 3.6 kilograms of methamphetamine while the other package contained approximately 2.7 kilograms of marijuana.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement Unit and the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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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Midway Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE –A Midway, Arkansas, man was sentenced on June 7, 2023, to 240 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing for the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on September 8, 2022, investigators with the State of Arkansas 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force assisted Arkansas Department of Community Corrections Parole Officers with a search of the residence of Bobby Joe Amescua Gray, II, age 34, in Midway, Arkansas. Upon the arrival of investigators, Gray attempted to flee out of the rear of the residence but was quicky apprehended. Gray’s vehicle was searched, resulting in the discovery of 4.467 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine, a firearm, packaging and scales associated with methamphetamine sales and over $5,000 in United States Currency derived from methamphetamine sales.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The State of Arkansas 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case for the United States.
Today’s announcement is part of the Western District of Arkansas’ Operation Home on Ice, which is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov , WDAR Case No. 3:22 CR 30013-001.
Members of “Robles Park” Racketeering Enterprise Sentenced for Attempted Murder, Series of Shootings, Drug Trafficking, and Committing Millions in FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Keaujay Hornsby, a/k/a “Plug,” (26, Tampa) to 16 years and 9 months in federal prison and Kareem Spann, a/k/a “Reem,” (27, Tampa) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for criminal conduct committed by, and on behalf of, the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) group known as the “Robles Park Enterprise.” These crimes included a series of shootings, attempted murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and identity theft. Spann had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023, and Hornsby had pleaded guilty on July 1, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in the early morning of July 19, 2020, Hornsby and other members of the Enterprise congregated outside the Truth Lounge club in Tampa, Florida. The streets and sidewalks were flooded with people, including rival gang members in the parking lot outside the club. Spann was driving while Hornsby occupied the front passenger seat, with a loaded gun resting on his lap. Spann drove a black Infinity through the crowd, while Hornsby engaged in a verbal altercation with rival gang members. Suddenly, Hornsby and the rival gang members ignited a mass shooting in which Hornsby pulled out his gun and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the crowd. Panic ensued, with surveillance video capturing the immediate chaos as the crowd scattered for safety. Law enforcement later recovered dozens of ammunition casings. The shooting resulted in the injury of at least eight people, including minors, some of whom were shot in the jaw, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, foot, arms, and legs.
Six days later, on Saturday, July 25, 2020, and in retaliation for the Truth Lounge shooting, three rival gang members ambushed Hornsby and Spann as they exited the International Plaza in Tampa. On that afternoon, three individuals surrounded the defendants and opened fire. Hornsby took Spann’s gun and returned fire. In total, seven vehicles were struck by gunfire, including two occupied by bystanders. Law enforcement later determined that at least 25 bullets had been fired from three different firearms.
Two days later, on July 27, 2020, while driving east on Columbus Drive, Hornsby and Spann spotted a rival gang member who was driving south on Rome Street. They followed that individual and waited to get close to him before Hornsby lowered his window, and opened fire on a residential street, unleashing dozens of shots at his target.
In addition to acts of violence, the Robles Park Enterprise also trafficked in cocaine, marijuana, and firearms.
Finally, members of the Robles Park Enterprise, including Hornsby and Spann, worked with one another to unlawfully obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of other persons. They used this PII to submit false applications via interstate wire communications and claim unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled. In total, the defendants submitted over 200 fraudulent claims, in 20 different states, with an intended loss of approximately $2.8 million dollars. For many of those claims, a bank card was issued from the state in which the claim was filed, loaded with Unemployment Insurance funds from financial institutions and sent to the Middle District of Florida. The defendants later used these cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida.
On June 10, 2022, a third member of this conspiracy, Tywon Spann was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Department of Labor, with substantial assistance from the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and former Assistant United States attorney Natalie H. Adams.
Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for trafficking four minors in Philadelphia.
According to court documents, from at least February 2016 to 2017, Andre Felts, 35, of Philadelphia, led a prostitution ring and trafficked at least four minors ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old. Felts kept a significant portion of the money paid to the minor victims and he and others, at his direction, posted advertisements on the internet for commercial sex with the minors, provided transportation to and from sexual encounters, and identified locations for commercial sex acts to occur. His co-defendants, Ryan Keel and Kevin Francis, allowed Felts to use their homes for commercial sex encounters with the minors in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. On one occasion, Felts assaulted a minor victim.
Felts was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
On May 31, Keel was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. On July 27, 2022, Kevin Francis was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. All three defendants were ordered to jointly pay $235,000 in restitution to the victims as part of their sentences.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Gwendelynn Bills and Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Lastowski and Priya De Souza for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Las Vegas Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas tax preparer was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II to three years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for fraudulently preparing and filing over $1.2 million false income tax returns.
Maria Magdalena Mendoza (52) pleaded guilty in February 2023, to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns.
According to court documents, beginning around 2013, Mendoza ran her own tax preparation business under the names “Taxes & More” and “Taxs y Mas.” She used false or inflated deductions and credits on tax returns filed on behalf of her clients. Additionally, she used her clients’ personal identifying information to falsely obtain a larger refund on her own tax returns. In total, Mendoza prepared more than 700 tax returns that claimed more than $3 million in refunds from the IRS. She caused more than $1.2 million in tax loss. Furthermore, Mendoza inflated her clients’ refund requests without their knowledge and stole the excess amount of those refunds. Through this scheme, Mendoza diverted over $500,000 of her clients’ tax refund payments into her own accounts from 2013 to 2017. In March of 2023, while on pretrial release, Mendoza was arrested while in possession of a stolen passport, drivers licenses, and credit cards in the name of other individuals, along with forged copies of checks.
“The defendant prepared hundreds of false income tax returns and brazenly defrauded the IRS of more than $1.2 million,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Tax preparers who use false deductions to inflate tax refunds and defraud their clients will be investigated. We will hold unscrupulous tax return preparers accountable.”
“Ms. Mendoza not only cheated the IRS but she victimized her clients in a pattern that extends years before indictment, all the way up to the eve of sentencing,” said Albert Childress, Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation. “Through this scheme, she diverted over $500,000 of her clients’ tax refund payments to herself. The defendant further harmed her clients by causing them to be audited by the IRS. Return preparers who seek to profit through false tax return schemes will be caught and held accountable.”
“Taxpayers expect that tax preparers will prepare their tax returns in accordance with the law. It is unacceptable for tax preparers to break this confidence by submitting fraudulent returns in their clients’ names,” stated Inspector General J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “TIGTA is committed to bringing to justice any tax preparers who betray their clients’ trust for their personal gain.”
The IRS CI and TIGTA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Schmale prosecuted the case.
If you have information about an individual or a business you suspect of tax fraud, you can submit a report to the IRS at: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/how-do-you-report-suspected-tax-fraud-activity.
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Justice Department Announces Improvements to Conditions in Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has joined with Erie County, New York, to request that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York terminate the consent decree regarding the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility. The county successfully achieved substantial compliance with the decree and maintained compliance for more than 18 months, as required by the decree. If the U.S. District Court grants the parties’ joint motion, it will end federal compliance monitoring and return oversight of the facilities back to the county.
“Under the consent decree, Erie County made fundamental improvements to conditions in the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Although the Erie County facilities continue to face the same challenges as other jails in caring and treating for people with serious medical and mental health issues, more than a decade of hard work has significantly improved how care and treatment is provided inside these facilities. The Civil Rights Division will continue to prioritize addressing and improving conditions inside jails and prisons across the country.”
The department brought this case under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which prohibits a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. Specifically, the department found systemic deficiencies related to suicide prevention, medical care and mental health care which resulted in preventable death of incarcerated individuals. The facilities also had fundamentally inadequate policies and practices related to the use of force and the protection of incarcerated individuals from violence and sexual misconduct. These problems were exacerbated by a flawed housing classification system.
Since the District Court entered the consent decree in August 2011, the county has made substantial progress in the facilities’ medical and mental health programs, protection of incarcerated individuals from harm, and environmental health and safety. For example:
- The county has established a Medical Review Committee that oversees the implementation of medical policies and procedures, performs quarterly quality management reviews of the sick call process and analyzes medical data to ensure access to quality care.
- The county has developed a Stabilization Treatment Unit designed for the therapeutic benefit of individuals with serious mental illness. In addition, the county has implemented provisions of the consent decree requiring constant observation and frequent assessments by mental health professionals for individuals requiring a crisis level of care, who may be at risk of suicide. This program is overseen by a constant observation treatment team, which reviews the cases of all individuals in the program as well as those recently discharged.
- The county implemented a detox program administered by a nurse practitioner with specialized training on the management of this high-risk population. The detox program recently added a Medication-Assisted Treatment program, which addresses potentially life-threatening risks for individuals experiencing opiate withdrawal.
- The county appointed a senior-level staff person to serve as the sexual abuse prevention coordinator and supervise improvements in policies, staff training and education of incarcerated individuals.
- The county improved its staff training on use of force, and all uses of force are now reported to the New York State Commission of Correction. These reports are then reviewed by an independent auditor to ensure they are consistent with accepted correctional practices.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Individuals who believe their civil rights may have been violated may file a complaint at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on June 6 was:
Jaylin John Ridesatthedoor, 19, of Browning, on charges of attempted kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ridesatthedoor faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Ridesatthedoor was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-38.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indictment Charges Connecticut, Kansas, and California Men with Operating Gun Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
An investigation into an organization that trafficked numerous firearms into Connecticut has resulted in federal charges against residents of Connecticut, Kansas, and California.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
On May 31, 2023, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 19-count indictment charging the following men with engaging in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, and additional offenses:
LUIS PEREZ, 44, of Waterbury, Connecticut
ALGELLY DIAZ, 40, of Hartford, Connecticut
BRIAN BAKER, 46, of Scott City, Kansas
RAMON PICHARDO, 33, of Elkhart, Kansas
FERNANDO SOTO, JR., 51, of Diamond Bar, CaliforniaU.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, a joint investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring firearms that were purchased by co-conspirators in Kansas and shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location that Diaz maintained in Hartford. Perez coordinated the purchase of the firearms through Baker in Kansas and Soto in California. Perez then obtained the firearms from Diaz and sold them to others throughout Connecticut. Perez, Diaz, Baker, and Soto are all convicted felons who cannot not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Baker used straw purchasers, including Pichardo, to purchase firearms from licensed gun dealers in Kansas. In May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms from Perez.
It is further alleged that between August 2020 and May 2023, Pichardo purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas. To date, six of these firearms have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, Michigan, and California. A firearm purchased by Pichardo in July 2022 was recovered on August 27, 2022, in San Bernardino, California, at the scene of the homicide of a juvenile.
Perez, Diaz, Baker, and Pichardo were arrested on federal criminal complaints on May 19, 2023. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California. A search of Perez’s Waterbury residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash. A search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of Pichardo’s residence revealed six firearms. In addition, a court-authorized search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.
The charge of engaging in a firearms trafficking conspiracy carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. The indictment also charges Perez, Baker, and Diaz with multiple counts of firearms trafficking, an offense that also carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. In addition, Perez, Baker, and Soto are charged with unlawfully mailing firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.
The indictment also charges Perez with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and quantities of heroin and fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
In addition, Diaz is charged with unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Perez, Diaz, and Pichardo appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges against them. Perez and Diaz are detained, and Pichardo is released on a $25,000 bond.
Soto, who was arrested on June 5 and currently released on a $60,000 bond, and Baker, who is detained, are scheduled to be arraigned in Connecticut on June 16.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Waterbury Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, and the Chino (Calif.) Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Hampton Roads Robbers SentencedRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, and a Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for their roles in a serial armed robbery crew.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kareem Ross, 34 and Roshaun Griffin, 36, were members of a five-man armed robbery crew that were apprehended on March 18 after a high-speed pursuit through Virginia Beach following an attempted robbery of a Tiger Mart gas station. A pursuing Virginia Beach police cruiser’s dash camera captured the men throwing several loaded weapons from their car. Only after spike strips were deployed multiple times did the car finally come to a stop. All men were apprehended, and police recovered ski masks and gloves from inside their vehicle. The clothing and shoes each of them were wearing matched what could be seen in video surveillance from six prior armed robberies. Ross wore a NASA sweatshirt at the first two of six robberies. He was arrested wearing that same NASA sweatshirt.
The rental vehicle they were arrested in was traced back to the Norfolk Airport from where it was rented. One of the co-conspirators Marvin Lockhart, 32, was caught on the airport video wearing purple shoes was caught later that night on surveillance committing an armed robbery of the Jr. Market in Norfolk wearing purple shoes. One of the co-conspirators, Harold Spencer, 32, who shot at a fleeing customer during the second of six-armed robberies, took a “selfie” on his cell phone wearing a ski mask worn in all six robberies—a ski mask, which was recovered after the high-speed pursuit and later was shown to contain his DNA. His cell phone also contained photographs of his co-conspirator holding a handgun with a drum magazine, multiple Glock firearms consistent with those thrown from the fleeing vehicle, pictures of large sums of cash, and lottery tickets. Griffin participated in one of the earlier robberies and locked the door so the victims could not escape.
The armed robbery crew stole cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Investigators from the Virginia Lottery received alerts from convenience stores where attempts were made by Spencer and Ross, to cash the stolen tickets. Investigators pulled the surveillance video from those attempts and identified both men. Additionally, through a shoe impression expert from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, investigators were able to connect the shoes Spencer was arrested in with a lift of an impression made at the Arrowhead Food Mart he had robbed on March 5. Those shoes could be seen at all six armed robberies Spencer had committed.
Several months before to this conduct, one of the co-conspirators Jon Morgan, 32, had completed a prior prison sentence for armed robbery.
Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 2, 2023. Morgan faces up to 125 months in prison when is sentenced on a date yet to be set. Marvin Lockhart, Jr., 32, of Virginia Beach faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 16 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on a date yet to be set. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Paul W. Neudigate, Chief of Police, Virginia Beach Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe DePadilla and John F. Butler are prosecuting 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 No. 2:20-cr-106. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-106.
Greenbrier County Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Charles Baker, 35, of Smoot, was sentenced today to one year and one month in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for sexual battery in Cleveland County, North Carolina, Superior Court on July 19, 2021. The conviction involved sexually inappropriate behavior with a 13-year-old relative. Baker was aware of SORNA’s registration requirements. Within two years of his conviction, Baker failed to comply with those requirements in three different states.
Baker failed to update his registration in North Carolina before moving to Virginia in August 2021. Baker also failed to update his registration in Virginia before moving from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, in August 2022. Baker resided and worked in West Virginia from August 2022 until November 29, 2022, and failed to register as a sex offender in West Virginia in violation of the requirements of SORNA.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-226.
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Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Identity FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Loganville, Georgia, woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a bank fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents, Brianna Mills, 28, conspired with Stanley Desirade, Terrell Hale, and others to transfer, possess, and use wrongfully obtained identifying information— namely, names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses—to make fraudulent withdrawals. From December 2015 to March 2016, Mills was a bank teller at Capital One Bank. Mills used her position as a bank teller to steal customer account information. Mills passed that information to her then-boyfriend, Desirade, who used that information to create fraudulent driver’s licenses. Those licenses were, in turn, used to fraudulently withdraw money from the customers’ accounts at Capital One Bank. The conspiracy attempted to steal almost $1.7 million and successfully defrauded banks of at least $650,000.
Mills is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Mills is the second defendant in this case to plead guilty. Terrell Hale pled guilty on April 14, 2023 and will be sentenced on July 21, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Matthew Stohler, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hood is prosecuting 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 No. 1:23-cr-40.
Four Indicted for St. Petersburg Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Eric L. Lemon (44, New Port Richey), Eric Lekent Lemon, Jr. (20, St. Petersburg), Dominic Giannantonio (46, St. Petersburg), and Tryon Metteria Byrd IV (43, St. Petersburg) with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. If convicted on all counts, Lemon and Giannantonio face mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. If convicted on all counts, Lemon, Jr., and Byrd face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
According to the indictment and statements made by prosecutors in open court, the defendants were operating a drug trafficking ring in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they would sell narcotics out of various residential homes. During the course of the investigation, the defendants sold methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine to undercover agents.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
Four Harrisburg Men Indicted for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Devonte Betts, 29; Rodney McMillian, 41; Lamarr Waters, 34; and Tyreese Nealy, 23 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted in a seventeen-count indictment on June 7, 2023, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that beginning on August 3, 2022, and continuing through May 10, 2023, the four men conspired to distribute and did distribute a significant amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The indictment also alleges that Betts, Waters and McMillian trafficked firearms, selling at least seven firearms between October 20, 2022, and February 18, 2023. On the morning of June 8, 2023, in a joint operation among federal, state, and local authorities, each of the defendants were taken into custody based on arrest warrants that had been issued. Authorities also executed numerous search warrants during the operation, and seized eight additional firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 420 fentanyl pills, cocaine, several pounds of marijuana and materials used to process and traffic narcotics.
The four men were arraigned in federal court and their detention was ordered pending further hearings that will take place on June 12, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police and the Harrisburg Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas, Jr. 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.
This case was also brought in part as 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.
The aggregate maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Former soldier sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of young children on military bases including Joint Base Lewis-McChordRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 40-year-old former soldier was sentenced Thursday, June 8, 2023, to thirty years in prison for raping two young children, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Lewis Patrick Thompson was arrested in July 2020 and pleaded guilty in October 2022. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan ordered Thompson to be on lifetime supervised release following the prison term.
According to records filed in the case, the sexual assaults on the young children occurred on military bases overseas and in the U.S. The assaults occurred when Thompson was serving as a caregiver for the children.
The children disclosed the abuse to trusted adults when they were 11 years old. Both the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the FBI moved quickly to investigate the matter. Thompson has been incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington since the arrest.
At a future hearing, Judge Bryan will determine the amount of restitution Thompson must pay to the victims for the counseling and care they require due to the abuse.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton.
Five-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Wallet GunRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident with multiple violent felony convictions pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a wallet gun, a type of firearm that can be easily concealed and must be registered under federal law.
Johnny Carl Sandefur, Jr., 52, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on June 8. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for is scheduled for Sept. 6. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Violent criminal felons caught in possession of any firearm—especially highly concealable weapons like a wallet gun—will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are working to bring repeat violent offenders to justice.”
“This case demonstrates the strong collaboration that exists between law enforcement at the local, state and federal level, as we work to hold dangerous felons accountable and make the communities we serve safer,” said Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERTF) Sr. Inspector Chris Wright.
“The law-abiding citizens of this community are safer because of this guilty plea which will ensure the incarceration of a dangerous criminal and contribute to the restoration of order and peace to this area,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
According to documents and other evidence admitted into court, the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) attempted to execute an arrest warrant for a person wanted for aggravated assault on a peace officer on Nov. 3, 2022, on Skipperton Rd. in Macon. SERFTF agents located the wanted person and Sandefur, who both fled. Sandefur was taken into custody in possession of a .22 magnum derringer wallet gun, two knives and methamphetamine. The wallet gun was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. Sandefur had active warrants in Bibb County and Houston County, Georgia, at the time of this incident. In addition, he has multiple prior felony convictions including aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, terroristic threats and theft by receiving. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Five Defendants Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth in Texas CountyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD CITY, Mo. – Five defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Texas County, Mo., and for illegally possessing firearms.
Richard D. Sims, 61, and his wife, Billie J. Sims, 51, both of Texas County, Mo., Nathan K. Roth, 39, of Mountain Grove, Mo., Cody D. Martin, 29, of Salem, Mo., and Tameica D. Everett, 46, of Yazoo City, Mississippi, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on May 24, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests of all five defendants.
The federal indictment alleges that all five defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Texas County from March 9 to July 11, 2022.
In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment charges Richard and Billie Sims in two counts of distributing methamphetamine and in one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Martin is also charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine. Roth and Everett are each also charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Richard Sims is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of four firearms. Sims, who has prior felony convictions, allegedly was in possession of a Canik 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Colt Army Special .38-caliber revolver, and an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver on July 8, 2022.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the South Central Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Licking, Mo., Police Department, the Dent County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Salem, Mo., Police Department.
Federal Jury Convicts Fentanyl Trafficker Who Stole 7 Kilos from Fayetteville Stash HouseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Hector Perez Valenzuela, age 34, for conspiracy and drug trafficking charges related to his role in the theft of seven kilograms of fentanyl with an estimated value of more than $250,000 from a Fayetteville stash house.
“According to DEA, fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has faced,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to stem the tide of this highly addictive and potentially lethal drug in our communities.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fayetteville Police Department began investigating a large-scale fentanyl trafficking ring with ties to the Sinaloa cartel.
The leaders of the drug trafficking organization were based on the west coast, but they set up apartments in the Fayetteville, North Carolina as hubs for the distribution of kilogram quantities of fentanyl across the United States.
John Ellingson was a courier for the drug trafficking organization. From Fayetteville, he transported dozens of kilograms of fentanyl to several cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, and Baltimore.
In early November, 2019, Ellingson and two co-conspirators—Kittisack Sam Vorana and Hector Perez Valenzuela, the defendant—decided to steal large quantities of drugs that belonged to the drug trafficking organization. They planned to make the theft look like a burglary. They also planned to sell the drugs and divide the profits.
On November 7, 2019, the defendant and Vorana traveled from the west coast to Fayetteville. They broke into the apartment and took 7 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 3,000 fentanyl pills.
They then began driving back to the west coast in a rented Dodge Caravan.
In the early morning hours of November 8, 2019, Vorana and the defendant were stopped for speeding in St. Charles County, Missouri. Vorana and the defendant consented to a search of the vehicle.
During the search, law enforcement discovered a toolbox that contained seven brick-like packages. The packages had been wrapped in electrical tape and covered in grease to help evade detection by drug canines. A key to the toolbox was found in the defendant’s pocket.
Vorana and the defendant were arrested and admitted to the theft of narcotics. They also admitted that they planned to sell the drugs in the Portland, Oregon area. Each kilogram was valued at approximately $38,000.
The packages were tested by a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory and found to contain more than seven kilograms of fentanyl.
On June 8, 2023, the jury convicted Perez Valenzuela of both counts with which he was charged: conspiracy to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute fentanyl (Count One) and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and aiding and abetting (Count Two). At sentencing, he faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.
Vorana and Ellingson have previously pleaded guilty to fentanyl conspiracy charges, and they are awaiting sentencing.
This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Related Cases:
- United States v. John Ellingson: 5:20-CR-397-M-1.
- United States v. Kittisack Sam Vorana: 5:20-CR-12-M-2.
The leaders of the drug trafficking organization are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fayetteville Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Lemmon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Gainer prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00012-M-1.
Federal Firearms Licensee Sentenced on Violation of Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 45 days imprisonment followed by one-year of supervised release and a $400,000 fine on his conviction of violating federal firearm laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Grant Williams, age 61, of Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, between the dates of March 10, 2021 and March 3, 2022; June 28, 2022 and January 13, 2022; March 6, 2020 and April 26, 2022; July 14, 2021 and October 21, 2021; and June 23, 2020 and January 31, 2022, Williams failed to make entry in a record as a federal firearms dealer.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Federal Defendant Receives 19+ Year Sentence for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Lake Charles man has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. for trafficking methamphetamine.
Andrew Simmons, III, 42, was sentenced to 235 months (19 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On August 10, 2021, troopers with the Louisiana State Police and other law enforcement agents with the Anti-Drug Task Force based in Calcasieu Parish, attempted to execute an arrest warrant on Simmons. As he exited his residence and got into his vehicle, law enforcement officers activated their emergency lights, but Simmons fled at a high rate of speed. After a short vehicle and foot pursuit, Simmons was apprehended.
Officers detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside his vehicle and conducted a search of it. Inside the vehicle, officers located a black duffle bag which contained several clear bags containing approximately 4,121 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol. Simmons was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Criminal Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man, Keon Lamont Lee, 32, was sentenced on Friday to 480 months in federal prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.
According to his guilty plea, in February of 2021, Lee illegally provided fentanyl to an individual identified as F.E., who overdosed and died. Lee had obtained two bags of controlled substances from his dealer – one containing cocaine, the other fentanyl. Lee regularly sold cocaine to the victim. Intending to distribute cocaine, Lee instead distributed fentanyl to the victim, who used the drug, overdosed, and died. Text messages from both the victim’s and Lee’s phones confirmed these events, and Lee provided a full confession to law enforcement.
Lee pled guilty during his jury trial, in January 2023.
“This case illustrates the reasons why illicit drug trafficking remains such a threat to our community,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “It demonstrates just how dangerous fentanyl is – potentially lethal in the 2mg range – and highlights the common truth that drug users have no idea what they are buying. Whether by mistake, dangerous mixtures with other drugs, or counterfeit pills, users are often seeking one drug but receiving others, with grave results. Fortunately, this case can also illustrate that those who illegally traffic in these dangerous drugs face prosecution and real consequences for their conduct.”
Under federal law, Lee must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years.
Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
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Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Linked to Fatal Overdose in HillsboroRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A drug trafficker was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a Hillsboro, Oregon man in February 2021.
Gerardo Corrales-Aragon, 30, whose place of residence is unknown, was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2021, a 25-year-old man was found deceased by his parents at their home in Hillsboro after he consumed a counterfeit Oxycodone pill containing fentanyl. In less than three weeks, law enforcement uncovered a four-person drug distribution chain whose illicit actions led to the young man’s death. Investigators identified Corrales-Aragon as the individual responsible for transporting the deadly counterfeit pills from California to Oregon for distribution in and around Portland.
On February 23, 2021, law enforcement arrested Corrales-Aragon as he was leaving a local hotel to deliver fentanyl and methamphetamine in exchange for cash. Investigators found 4,000 fentanyl pills and six pounds of methamphetamine in Corrales-Aragon’s backpack and a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” in his waistband. Corrales-Aragon admitted to selling counterfeit pills to the Hillsboro victim’s drug supplier and possessing a firearm for his own protection while trafficking drugs. By the time of his arrest, Corrales-Aragon had been working with Mexican drug cartels to distribute drugs in the U.S. for more than half his life.
On March 16, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 13-count indictment charging Corrales-Aragon and four others with conspiring with one another to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and other related offenses.
On March 6, 2023, Corrales-Aragon pleaded guilty and agreed to a sentencing enhancement that his fentanyl distribution resulted in the death of the Hillsboro victim.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Hillsboro Police Department with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting 11-Year OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Dwayne L. Curtis, Sr., 61, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to sexually assaulting an 11-year old girl in January of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Curtis, Sr. pleaded guilty to one count of first degree child sexual abuse, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, before the Honorable Michael K. O’Keefe who scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2023.
Curtis admitted that between January 12 and January 14, 2021, he twice engaged the child in a sex act at his home in Northwest Washington, D.C. As part of his guilty plea, the parties agreed that Curtis should be sentenced to 180 months in prison, with half of that time suspended. They also agreed that, upon his release from prison, he will be on supervised probation for five years, and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The sentence is pending the court’s approval.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan; paralegal Garcia Clarke; former paralegal Brenda Williams; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Arrested in Shooting Death of 62-year-old manRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarcus Barnett, 20, of Washington, D.C., was arrested yesterday for second degree murder while armed, stemming from the shooting death of 62-year-old Lasanta Qumar McGill, on June 8, 2023, in the Westminster neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department announced.
Mr. Barnett was arraigned today in Superior Court in the District of Columbia, where he entered a not guilty plea. The court found probable cause that the defendant committed the murder and held him without bond pending a preliminary hearing on June 20, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Raffinan.
An arrest on a complaint 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.
In announcing the arrest, 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.
District Man Arraigned on Two Counts of Second Degree Sexual Abuse of a Patient or ClientRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dyrell Muhammad, also known as Dyrell Gamble, 56, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on two counts of second degree sexual abuse arising from events that occurred in August 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On May 25, 2023, Muhammad was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on two counts of second degree sexual abuse of a patient or client. He faces a maximum of five years on each count if convicted of the charges.
According to the government’s evidence, in August 2021, Muhammad was working at RAP, Inc., a residential substance use and mental health treatment program located in Washington, D.C. On or about August 4, 2021, Muhammad approached a program client in an elevator. He grasped the client’s hand and placed her hand on his penis through his clothing. Muhammad then exposed his penis and placed the client’s hand on his naked, exposed penis. The indictment also charges that Muhammad sexually abused a second client, on or about August 9, 2021. On August 25, 2022, Muhammad was arrested in connection with this case and was subsequently released pending trial.
In August 2001, Muhammad was convicted of first degree murder while armed and associated firearms charges for a murder he committed in October 1998. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment totaling 35 years to life. In October 2020, after serving 22 years of that sentence, Muhammad was released by a Superior Court judge, pursuant to the COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, and placed on five years’ supervised probation.
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.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins; Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke, ReShawn Johnson, Cynthia Muhammad, and Michelle Wicker; and Special Agent Sean Ricardi. Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Lee, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Sourbeer, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
Dominican National Sentenced to Eight Months for Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Kelvin Bautista Valdez, 35, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to eight months of imprisonment by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy, on his conviction of Illegal Reentry into the United States of a Removed Alien.
According to court documents, on November 30, 2022, while conducting training operations in Brewers Bay, Customs and Border Patrol Officers observed a vessel that they recognized from a previous smuggling operation involving undocumented migrants. Officers later discovered Valdez among a group of undocumented migrants gathered at the shoreline awaiting transport to Puerto Rico. A record check revealed that Valdez had previously entered the United States and was removed on two prior occasions. When interviewed, Valdez stated that he paid smugglers $26,000.00 cash for his transport to the United States.
The case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Natasha L. Baker.
Commercial Real Estate Investor Natin Paul Indicted on Eight Counts in AustinRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Austin returned an indictment Tuesday, June 6, 2023, charging Natin Paul, aka Nate Paul, with making false statements for the purpose of influencing the actions of financial institutions on applications for loans.
The indictment, unsealed during his initial appearance in Austin today, charges Paul with eight violations of Section 1014 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which prohibits knowingly making a false statement or report for the purpose of influencing the action of a financial institution on an application for a loan. According to the indictment, the lenders were based in Ireland, New York, Connecticut and Texas. The alleged violations occurred between March 2017 and April 2018.
The defendant made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $1,000,000. The magistrate judge ordered the defendant released on bond.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr., of the FBI San Antonio Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Almonte and Alan Buie are prosecuting the case.
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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Columbia, KC Man Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Insurance Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who formerly lived in Columbia, Mo., has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $1.1 million insurance fraud conspiracy that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents, as well as to his role in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief benefits.
Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., on Thursday, June 8, to the charges contained in two separate federal indictments. In the first indictment, Lawhorn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In the second indictment, Lawhorn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Lawhorn is among 17 defendants who have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme that defrauded six insurance companies from June 2017 to July 2020. Conspirators submitted false claims that they had suffered bodily injuries and that they would be personally liable for any medical bills related to insurance claims. Conspirators, some of whom were involved in multiple incidents, received thousands of dollars, and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars, based on these false claims. However, none of the conspirators made any payments to medical providers and instead used the funds for their personal expenses.
Lawhorn was directly involved in two incidents in which he received separate payments of $1,500 and $17,350 from insurance companies. In several other incidents, Lawhorn sent emails to insurance companies, made telephone calls to insurance companies, directed others what to tell insurance companies, reviewed insurance policies prior to incidents, witnessed release agreements, and assumed the identity of parties to the incidents or people related to parties to these incidents in communication with insurance companies.
By pleading guilty today, Lawhorn admitted to his involvement in nine automobile accidents in June and December 2017, in May and August 2018, and in January, February, August, October and December 2019 as part of the insurance fraud scheme that resulted in a total loss to his victims of $1,148,198. Most of the accidents were in Columbia and Kansas City, Mo., with one accident in St. Louis, Mo.
FBI agents seized Lawhorn’s iPhone and Apple Mac laptop when he was arrested in the insurance fraud case. A detective with the Boone County Cyber Crimes Task Force found evidence of additional fraud after searching those devices, which led to Lawhorn being indicted in the second case.
By pleading guilty in the second federal indictment today, Lawhorn admitted that he fraudulently obtained three $10,000 COVID-19 economic relief loans for non-existent businesses in his name and in the names of two other individuals as part of a fraud conspiracy. He also applied online for loans in the names of five more individuals, but those applications were rejected.
Under the CARES Act, the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) provided loan assistance, including $10,000 in advances for small businesses. EIDL proceeds could be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills associated with small businesses that could have been paid had the pandemic not occurred. A business applying for EIDL relief was eligible for an advance of $1,000 per employee up to 10 employees that did not have to be repaid.
Under federal statutes, Lawhorn is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the three conspiracy charges, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. They were investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Columbia Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Theft of Firearms from Retail StoreRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Christopher Cunningham, 34, of Columbia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on March 6, 2022, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Cunningham and a co-conspirator broke into a retail store on Garner’s Ferry Road and stole two shotguns and two rifles by forcefully opening a display case in the sporting goods section. The City of Columbia Police Department responded, viewed the surveillance video of the incident, and collected fingerprints from the display case. Cunningham was identified from the surveillance footage, and further investigation confirmed the fingerprints collected from the display case belonged to Cunningham. Cunningham had prior convictions for burglary, grand larceny, malicious injury to personal property, and multiple shopliftings.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Cunningham to 57 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
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Clay County Softball Coach Pleads Guilty to Producing and Attempting to Produce Sexually Explicit Images and Videos of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Andrew Lynn Overheul (43, Orange Park) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. Overheul faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, on September 17, 2022, the parent of a 12-year-old child (MV1) contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to report a complaint MV1 had made about finding a cellular phone recording her changing clothes and using the shower in the bathroom at her softball coach’s house. CCSO responded that same night and interviewed the parent and MV1. The parent and MV1 said that they were at Overheul’s home in Orange Park, Florida on September 17, 2022, for a softball team family party, as Overheul was the child’s softball coach. The children decided to have an impromptu group sleepover at Overheul’s home. Overheul told MV1 that she could take a shower in the master bathroom shower, as another girl was showering in the other bathroom at that time. MV1 spotted a phone on the bathroom countertop propped up between two boxes, with the camera facing the shower. Upon closer inspection, MV1 discovered the phone was actively recording, and immediately grabbed the phone and stopped the recording. MV1 reviewed the video and discovered that it depicted her, so she deleted the video, placed the phone back on the counter, and called her parents to pick her up from Overheul’s residence. MV1’s parent sent a text message to Overheul at 8:17 p.m. indicating they were on their way to pick MV1 up and would tell Overheul about it when they got there. At 8:44 p.m., Overheul responded by text message, “Hey we talked with the girls. No one is addmitting [sic] to playing a joke. The others that were in that bathroom said they saw my phone charging but no other phones.”
After interviewing the parents and MV1, CCSO detectives responded to Overheul’s residence in the early morning hours of September 18, 2022, and interviewed Overheul, during which he acknowledged he was the only person that used or had access and control of his cellphone. He further acknowledged that his cellphone was in the bathroom and claimed he had placed it there to charge.
Agents obtained a federal search warrant for Overheul’s cellphone and a forensic review of the device found two photos of several minor females on the softball team wearing swimsuits and sitting on the floor in Overheul’s living room, dated September 17, 2022, with a time stamp of 5:36 p.m. Forensics also showed that, at 7:38 p.m., a search for “canon remote app” was conducted on the cellphone, and then the Canon Camera Connect app was installed a few seconds later. This app allows a camera to record remotely with live view imaging of the camera from a smartphone. Forensics also revealed a search in the evening of September 17, 2022, in the Google Play Store on Overheul’s cellphone for two applications, which were downloaded, and can be used to delete information from a person’s phone.
On November 18, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at Overheul’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices. Agents discovered hundreds of photos and videos of minors that appeared to have been taken surreptitiously without their consent.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chinese Woman Convicted of Setting Fire to a Montgomery Church and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Yesterday, a federal jury in Montgomery convicted 29-year-old Xiaoqin Yan, a Chinese national, of arson and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during the early morning hours of September 30, 2021, the Montgomery Fire Department (MFD) responded to a fire reported inside First Baptist Church Montgomery. The MFD was able to extinguish the blaze, but only after the church sustained significant damage.
Surveillance videos taken from inside the church the day before the fire showed a woman carrying duffel bags and a plastic bag into the church during its Wednesday night service. Just after 2:00 a.m. on September 30, video showed the same individual removing silver containers from one of her bags and igniting multiple fires around the building. Investigators identified the vehicle driven by the suspect and obtained a tag number linking the vehicle to Yan. Law enforcement also learned that, on multiple occasions before the fire, church employees encountered someone matching Yan’s description on the church’s campus. During one encounter, a staff member escorted her off of church property due to her odd behavior. Investigators ultimately identified Yan as the same person encountered by the staff and in the surveillance videos.
During Yan’s arrest at a residence in Montgomery on October 4, 2021, agents found duffel bags identical to the ones seen in the church surveillance videos, as well as clothing matching the type worn by the suspect, gas containers, starter logs, and lighters. Officers also found a handgun. At the time of the arson and her arrest, Yan was in the United States illegally due to overstaying her non-immigrant visa and, therefore, could not lawfully possess a firearm.
Following the June 7, 2023, verdict, Yan faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for Yan in the coming months.
The Montgomery Fire/Rescue Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Chelsea Phillips and Brandon W. Bates are prosecuting the case.
Brooklyn Center Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Insurance Fraud After Staging a Politically Motivated Arson AttackRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Brooklyn Center man was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $3,850 in restitution and an $18,381 fine for filing fraudulent insurance claims for a staged arson, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 23, 2020, Denis Vladmirovich Molla, 30, falsely reported to law enforcement that someone had lit his camper on fire and that three unknown males were near his home when he heard an explosion. Molla also reported that his garage door was vandalized with spray painted graffiti stating, “Biden 2020,” “BLM,” and an Antifa symbol, and that his camper was targeted because it had a Trump 2020 flag displayed on it. In reality, Molla started his own property on fire and spray painted the graffiti on his own garage.
According to court documents, Molla submitted multiple insurance claims seeking coverage for the damage to his garage, camper, vehicles, and residence caused by the fire. When Molla’s insurance company denied some of those claims, Molla submitted a written complaint to the insurance company claiming that it was defrauding him and threatened to report the company to the Department of Commerce and to the Attorney General. Molla also created and allowed others to create two GoFundMe accounts to benefit Molla and his family. In total, Molla submitted more than $300,000 in fraudulent insurance claims, and he received approximately $61,000 from his insurance company. Molla also received more than $17,000 from individual donors via GoFundMe.
Molla pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022, to one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge David S. Doty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz prosecuted the case.
Belligerent Passenger Charged with Interfering with Flight CrewRead the Press Release
A Houston man who menaced a flight crew was charged with a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Marcus Huff, 45, was indicted on April 25 for interference with a flight crew. He was arrested in Houston on Wednesday and made his initial appearance there on Thursday. He will return to the Northern District of Texas for his eventual arraignment.
According to court documents, Mr. Huff’s actions forced a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Houston to divert to Dallas Love Field.
Mr. Huff allegedly threw a drink at one flight attendant, yelled profanities at the entire flight crew, and refused to remain seated during the flight.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Huff is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Houston Field Offices conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is prosecuting the case.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 23, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 20, 2021, Jones sold a substance containing methamphetamine to a confidential informant near South Kanawha Street in Beckley. Jones admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on two other occasions in Raleigh County.
On February 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ Beckley residence and found quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin as well as three firearms and $6,445. Jones admitted that intended to distribute the controlled substances.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-64.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Angelo Johnson, 27, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Johnson sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, while aided and abetted by another, at a Ewart Avenue residence in Beckley. Johnson admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling a quantity of methamphetamine to the confidential informant in Daniels on October 31, 2022.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million 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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit (BRCDVCU).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for the Robbery and Murder of a Drug DealerRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced George Fields, a/k/a “Chin,” age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a weapon during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to their plea agreements, on September 29, 2020, Fields and co-defendants Joseph Williams and Deron Johnson conspired to rob a 16-year-old of drugs and drug proceeds. Specifically, at approximately 4:24 a.m., Johnson and the victim pulled into the parking lot of a hotel in the 6500 block of Frankford Avenue in Baltimore, where Williams had been staying for several months, selling drugs under a fictitious name. Johnson was working as a “hack” driver and gave the victim a ride to the hotel on the ruse that the victim would be selling drugs to Fields and Williams.
As detailed in the plea agreements, Fields and Williams approached Johnson’s van and Fields held out money as though he was ready to make a purchase. Fields and Williams then began robbing the victim while Johnson walked to the rear of the van and smoked. Fields admitted that he pinned the victim down in the front passenger seat of the van and went through his pockets. The victim struggled, flailing his arms and legs. Williams admitted that he then pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot into the victim’s chest at close range. The victim stumbled away from the van and collapsed on the ground. Johnson, Fields, and Williams then got into the van and drove away. A hotel surveillance camera captured the entire incident. The victim died later that day after being taken to the hospital. No drugs, money, or cell phone were recovered from the victim’s personal effects.
Later that morning, the conspirators returned to the hotel in Johnson’s van, while police were still processing the scene. Fields, Williams, and Johnson entered the hotel together. Police recognized the van from the hotel surveillance footage and towed the van and detained Johnson. A search warrant was executed on the van and law enforcement recovered a single bullet from the front row carpet. On October 1, 2020, Johnson’s phone was searched and was found to contain evidence of the plan to rob the victim, including text messages between Johnson and Williams, a record of phone calls between Johnson and the victim, a photograph of Johnson with Fields and Williams, and Fields’ contact information was in Johnson’s contacts.
Joseph Williams, a/k/a “Blue,” age 33, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery conspiracy. Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for Williams on July 7, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
On May 24, 2023, co-defendant Deron Johnson, a/k/a “DJ,” age 52, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to committing the robbery. Johnson and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Johnson will be sentenced to at between 15 and 20 years in federal prison. Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for Johnson on September 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Oldham, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis felon has been sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as an armed career criminal, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on October 30, 2022, the Brooklyn Center Police Department located a vehicle that had previously been used to flee from law enforcement. Three people were inside the vehicle, including Kevin Ronnell Lynch, 55, who was seated alone in the backseat. During a pat down search of the driver, the officers observed Lynch moving around inside the vehicle. The officers removed Lynch from the vehicle and recovered a loaded firearm from his jacket. The recovered firearm was a Ruger model EC9 semiautomatic pistol. At the time of his arrest, Lynch was on pretrial release for two other firearm-related offenses. Since 1986, Lynch has at least 14 felony convictions, including for aggravated robbery, assault, domestic violence, and terroristic threats.
On February 2, 2023, Lynch pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. Lynch was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.
Thursday 8 June 2023
York County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jayson Haley, age 33, of York County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with child pornography offenses.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Haley with producing, attempting to produce, and possessing child pornography, in York County in October 2022, and April 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby.
The total maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is up to 70 years’ imprisonment, a term of up to lifetime 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Wynde Collins Sentenced to 121 Months for Expansive Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 8, 2023, Wynde Collins, 56, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 121 months by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Following a 12-day jury trial, which concluded on October 20, 2022, Collins was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, six counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344 and 2, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1956(h). Following her imprisonment, Collins will be on supervised release for three years. Collins was ordered to pay $855,374.21 in restitution to the victims’ financial institutions in this case and was further ordered to forfeit $100,000 of the fraud proceeds she personally obtained.
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, investigators uncovered evidence of a fraudulent loan scheme during an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization. From June 2014 through December 2019, Collins directed the scheme to defraud financial institutions by falsifying employment, income, and collateral information on auto loan and mortgage loan applications with credit unions and banks. Once the financial institutions funded the loans, Collins directed others, including co-conspirators to launder the loan proceeds. In total, over two million in fraudulent loans were funded.
Co-defendant Alvin Johnson, an automobile broker who conspired with Collins, entered into a plea agreement with the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2023.
“Collins’ fraud scheme caused financial hardship to individuals and exploited the loan practices of credit unions, all while the defendant enriched herself,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Francis M. Hamilton III. “It is critical that such fraudsters be stopped, and our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target criminal fraudulent activity.”
“Illegal activity involving fraudulent loans has brought financial hardship to banks, credit unions and individual borrowers, “stated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent in Charge, Charlotte Field Office, Donald “Trey” Eakins III. “IRS Criminal investigation is committed to using our accounting skills to help unravel complex fraud and money laundering schemes. We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who attempt to enrich themselves by fraudulent means, and to help put a stop to this and other types of white-collar crime.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the IRS– Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The investigation was led by IRS Special Agent Meredith Louden and DEA Task Force Office Nathan Stinnett.
Assistant United States Attorneys Anne-Marie Svolto and Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
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Woman Who Pointed Gun at Officer During Boyfriend’s Arrest SentencedRead the Press Release
A woman who pointed a loaded gun at an FBI agent during her boyfriend’s arrest was sentenced today to almost six years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Rebekah Jones, 30, was charged via criminal complaint in December 2021 and indicted later that same month. She elected to proceed to trial. In November 2022, a federal jury found her guilty of assaulting a federal officer using a deadly weapon. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 71 months in prison.
“The men and women of the FBI routinely risk their lives undertaking high-stakes operations, knowing each one could end in tragedy. This arrest was no exception. Thankfully, this agent’s deft action protected not only himself and his colleagues, but the defendants he would go on to apprehend,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We are immensely proud of our brothers and sisters in blue, and are dedicated to holding accountable those who would seek to harm them.”
“The defendant knowingly assaulted a federal officer attempting to conduct a lawful arrest. Her actions threatened the safety of not only this officer, but also others who were present. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Randall County’s Sheriff’s Office for assisting us in holding this individual accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge B. Chad Yarbrough. "The defendant's actions are a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day."
At her trial, agents testified that she became combative when they attempted to arrest her boyfriend, Christopher Stephen Brown, who’d been charged with threatening to kill certain members of the Beth-Din, a Jewish rabbinical court.
When Mr. Brown refused to obey agents’ commands to exit his residence, they entered his apartment and grabbed him. Ms. Jones, however, locked arms with Mr. Brown and attempted to pull him inside the bedroom.
She pointed a loaded gun at one of the agents, who immediately grasped it and pointed it in a safe direction. While wrestling with both Mr. Brown and Ms. Jones, the agent was eventually able to free the gun and fling it onto the floor.’’ The pair was subdued without injury.
Shortly before Ms. Jones’ trial, Mr. Brown pleaded guilty to interstate threats, admitting in court documents that he placed threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust, and that he threatened to “execute” several prominent rabbis. He was sentenced in January to two years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in partnership with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Haag and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
Whiteriver Man Will Serve 30 Months for Assault on Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –Eli Myles Mansfield, 35, of Whiteriver, Arizona, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 30 months in prison. Mansfield pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangling.
On August 22, 2022, while on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Mansfield, a member of the White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe, was in a vehicle visiting with his ex-girlfriend and their three children. Mansfield became angry and assaulted his ex-girlfriend multiple times in the presence of the children.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The prosecution was handled by Anthony Church, Assistant United States Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: 22-08122-PCT-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-090_Mansfield# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Ten Charged with Violent Kidnapping of A Minor in the Bronx and Related Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging ADONYS CASTILLO, a/k/a “Candela,” GERARD VALENTINE FRIAS, a/k/a “Monkey,” JADEL ARAUJO, a/k/a “Negro,” a/k/a “Negromoneymaker,” HENRY MARCANO, a/k/a “KC,” JOSHUA TORRES, EDWIN RAMIREZ, RANDY BAUTISTA, JARYLIZ ORTEGA, ELVIO TORIBIO, and CLAUDY BRATINI, a/k/a “Cilantro,” with conspiring to kidnap a minor in the Bronx, New York. The defendants have been charged in the violent abduction of a 16-year-old victim (the “Victim”). The Indictment is assigned to United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
CASTILLO, FRIAS, MARCANO, TORRES, BAUTISTA, ORTEGA, AND TORIBIO were arrested last night and this morning and are expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. ARAUJO, who is currently in federal custody in connection with a separate firearms offense, and BRATINI, who was previously in state custody and has been transferred to federal custody, will also be presented later today. RAMIREZ is a fugitive.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, a 16-year-old child was beaten and kidnapped over the course of 19 hours before he was dumped on a desolate street under an overpass. The charges announced today hold the perpetrators responsible for their reprehensible crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today and statements previously made on the record in this case and related matters:[1]
In the early morning hours of April 26, 2022, the Victim, along with two others, robbed a location where marijuana was sold. The defendants immediately gave chase, including EDWIN RAMIREZ and JOSHUA TORRES, who discharged a firearm as they pursued the Victim and his friends who had just stolen bags of marijuana from the drug-selling location. The defendants were able to capture the Victim. The defendants then held the Victim against his will for approximately 19 hours. During this time, the Victim was severely beaten and transported from one building in the Bronx to another before being dropped off under an overpass. The Victim was found by a bystander the next morning on April 27, 2022, after having been left on the street, hog-tied and drifting in and out of consciousness, the night before. According to a doctor who treated the 16-year-old Victim, the Victim suffered from lacerations to his brain.
All 10 defendants have been charged with conspiracy to kidnap a minor, and RAMIREZ and TORRES have been charged with the use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
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A chart containing the names and ages of the defendants who were charged today, the charges, and the minimum and maximum penalties they face is attached. All of the defendants are residents of the Bronx, New York.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Charges
Minimum and Maximum Penalties
ADONYS CASTILLO
27
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
GERARD VALENTINE FRIAS
28
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
JADEL ARAUJO
23
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
HENRY MARCANO
27
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
JOSHUA TORRES
27
Kidnapping conspiracy; use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
EDWIN RAMIREZ
28
Kidnapping conspiracy; use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
RANDY BAUTISTA
21
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
JARYLIZ ORTEGA
28
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
ELVIO TORIBIO
27
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
CLAUDY BRATINI
27
Kidnapping conspiracy
Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Castillo et al IndictmentSullivan County Woman Arrested for Multimillion-Dollar Money Laundering and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Patrick J. Freaney, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging TETIANA BERRIORS with conspiring to commit money laundering and bank fraud in connection with laundering the proceeds of a series of business email compromise (“BEC”) scams that sought to deceive victims into sending nearly $10 million to bank accounts that she and others opened using fake and stolen identities. The defendant was arrested and will be presented tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Tetiana Berriors exploited the United States financial system to launder millions of dollars of fraud proceeds. In doing so, she helped victimize over 15 different individuals, businesses, government entities, and public institutions. In furtherance of her illegal money laundering enterprise, she lied repeatedly to banks and stole the identities of at least three other innocent victims. Thanks to the efforts of this Office and its law enforcement partners, the defendant will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
USSS Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney said: “Despite the defendant’s alleged efforts to conceal the wide range of criminal activity targeting individuals, businesses, and government alike, such attempts against discovery were no match for this investigation’s expert professional team. Today, I am privileged to recognize the invaluable partnerships that fuel the New York law enforcement community’s essential work to fight fraud, and the Secret Service’s New York Field Office especially thanks the Financial Crimes Task Force of the New York City Police Department for their critical assistance in this case.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
From at least in or about December 2020 through at least in or about October 2022, TETIANA BERRIORS laundered funds on behalf of individuals engaged in a series of frauds, primarily BECs, that targeted individuals, public institutions, government entities, and businesses located across the United States. The victims included, among others, a public research university in Pennsylvania, a housing developer in Texas, and a county-level government in California.
To launder those funds, BERRIORS created over a dozen fraudulent bank accounts, used those accounts to receive funds from victims of the frauds, and rapidly depleted those accounts through cash withdrawals, wire transfers, and cashier’s checks. Typically, the wire transfers and cashier’s checks were made payable to shell companies that BERRIORS or her co-conspirators controlled. In total, BERRIORS opened at least 13 fraudulent bank accounts in the name of at least five shell companies using four different female aliases. Three of those aliases were identities stolen from real individuals.
As a result of the frauds, more than 15 victims were directed to transfer nearly $10 million to bank accounts under the control of BERRIORS and her co-conspirators. Out of those nearly $10 million, BERRIORS and her co-conspirators successfully stole over $3.5 million in victim funds.
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BERRIORS, 49, of Smallwood, New York, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. BERRIORS was also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the USSS. Mr. Williams also recognized the assistance of the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. King is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Berriors IndictmentStatement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Supreme Court Decision in Allen v. MilliganRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Supreme Court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan:
“Today’s decision rejects efforts to further erode fundamental voting rights protections, and preserves the principle that in the United States, all eligible voters must be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote free from discrimination based on their race.
The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow.
Over the past two years, the Justice Department has rededicated its resources to enforcing federal voting rights protections. We will continue to use every authority we have left to defend voting rights. But that is not enough. We urge Congress to act to provide the Department with important authorities it needs to protect the voting rights of every American.”