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21 July 2023
San Francisco Felon Pleads Guilty to Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
Rondell Cramer, 45, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty Thursday to unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2022, while driving in Fairfield, Cramer was pulled over for driving a vehicle without a license plate. The officer arrested Cramer for two outstanding felony warrants. A search of his vehicle resulted in the discovery of a Glock 9 mm caliber firearm, as well as a bill of sale for another firearm and stolen merchandise, much of which still had antitheft tags on them. Cramer is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of six felony offenses, including a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. A search of Cramer’s phones revealed multiple conversations showing that Cramer was buying firearms in Arizona under an alias, and then selling them in California. Follow-on investigation by the ATF confirmed that Cramer had been trafficking firearms since at least August 2020.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Cramer is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Oct. 12, 2023. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Rock Hill Man with Pending Attempted Murder Charge Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing GunRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — William Allen Austin, 50, of Rock Hill, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 1, 2022, Austin drove to Pineville, NC, to stab his ex-girlfriend while she was at a new job orientation. Surveillance footage captured Austin driving into and fleeing from the facility, and witnesses identified him. The victim of the attack had an emergency protective order against Austin because of repeated threatening and harassing conduct from Austin, including slashing her car tires, following her to a hotel, sending threatening messages, and throwing a brick through her house window.
Austin was subsequently arrested by the York County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service on March 3, 2022, for attempted murder related to the March 1 stabbing. At the time of his arrest, Austin possessed a 9mm Taurus pistol, which was loaded. Federal law prohibits Austin from possessing firearms or ammunition due to numerous prior felony drug convictions.
After Austin was released on bond out of Mecklenburg County, evidence showed that on April 4, 2022, Austin set fire to the victim’s residence in Rock Hill, SC. Surveillance footage showed Austin parking on a street behind the victim’s residence and walking towards her house, before running back to his vehicle. Within minutes of Austin leaving the scene, smoke was visible on surveillance video. York County Fire Department responded to the victim’s home, which was severely damaged and deemed uninhabitable.
United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Austin to 188 months in prison to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The 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 York County Sheriff’s Office, the York County Fire Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
Real Estate Developer Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Paying $500,000 Cash Bribe to Corrupt L.A. Politician and OfficialRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A real estate developer was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for paying a $500,000 cash bribe to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar and his special assistant in exchange for their help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of the developer’s downtown Los Angeles development project.
Dae Yong Lee, a.k.a. “David Lee,” 58, of Bel Air, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay a $750,000 fine, the maximum permitted by law.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Walter highlighted why significant sentences are important for deterrence in white collar crimes, saying such defendants “don’t think they will get caught, don’t think they will get charged, and don’t think they will face significant terms of imprisonment.” Judge Walter further said that Lee “readily accepted and exploited” Huizar’s corrupt offer and showed a “lack of remorse and arrogance” in recorded telephone conversations when discussing his crimes. Lee’s “only regret is that he got caught,” the judge said.
Judge Walter also sentenced 940 Hill LLC, a Lee-controlled, Los Angeles-based company, to five years of probation and ordered it to pay the statutory maximum fine of $1.5 million, as well as the cost of prosecuting the case, along with requiring it to enact variance compliance measures to prevent future criminal activity.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in June 2022, a federal jury found each Lee and 940 Hill LLC guilty of one count of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of falsification of records in federal investigations.
Lee, a commercial real estate developer, was the majority owner and managing member of 940 Hill LLC and was planning to build a mixed-use development located at 940 South Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles, which was in Huizar’s council district. The development was to include 14,000 square feet of commercial space and more than 200 residential units.
In August 2016, after a labor organization filed an appeal that prevented the 940 Hill project from progressing through the city’s approval process, Lee called Justin Jangwoo Kim, a Huizar fundraiser, to request Huizar’s help in resolving the appeal. At the time, Huizar chaired the city’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, a body that oversaw many of the city’s most significant commercial and residential projects.
In September 2016, George Esparza, then Huizar’s special assistant, informed Kim that Huizar would not help the 940 Hill project for free and would require a financial benefit. In 2017, after several months of bribe negotiations, Lee agreed to provide $500,000 in cash to Huizar and Esparza. Lee then made three payments of cash through Kim over a series of months, including in a paper bag, which Esparza then transferred to a liquor box to show to Huizar.
Two years after paying the bribe, 940 Hill LLC was served with a federal grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for records relating to Huizar, and, in response, Lee and 940 Hill LLC obstructed justice by making false entries in the company’s accounting records and then submitting false state and federal tax returns, which categorized the $500,000 bribe as a legitimate business expenditure for resolving the labor organization appeal.
“Despite enjoying a life of privilege and abundance, Lee wanted more,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “But instead of earning it, he wanted a guaranteed shortcut to circumvent the city process and silence community opponents threatening to thwart his attempts to expand his substantial real estate empire.”
Kim pleaded guilty in June 2020 to a federal bribery offense. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Both men, who are cooperating with the investigation, testified against Lee at trial and are scheduled to be sentenced in October.
Huizar pleaded guilty on January 20 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of tax evasion. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15. Huizar has agreed to seek a sentence of no less than nine years in prison, and prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 13 years in prison.
In May, Judge Walter sentenced real estate development company Shen Zhen New World I LLC to five years of probation and the statutory maximum financial penalty of $4 million for its conduct in Huizar’s pay-to-play scheme, including providing more than $1 million in benefits to Huizar – among them, luxury trips to Las Vegas and a sham loan to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Huizar – in exchange for approval to build a 77-story skyscraper.
Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan is scheduled for a re-trial on March 12, 2024, on federal charges alleging he conspired to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and that he agreed to accept, while he was deputy mayor, more than $100,000 for official acts to benefit a project by a Chinese real estate developer. Chan also is charged with lying to federal investigators in this public corruption case.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Cassie D. Palmer of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted these defendants.
Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Purcell Man Sentenced to Serve 210 Months in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse in Chickasaw Indian CountryRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, MICHAEL CHARLES FIXICO, 45, of Purcell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 210 months in federal prison for sexual abuse, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 15, 2022, a 13-count Third Superseding Indictment was filed charging Fixico with multiple counts of sexual contact and abuse. On March 3, 2023, Fixico pleaded guilty to Count 7, sexual abuse. He was charged in federal court because he is an Indian and the crimes occurred within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation.
At a sentencing hearing on July 17, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge David L. Russell sentenced Fixico to serve 210 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the offense, to afford deterrence to the criminal conduct, as well as the need to protect the public from further crimes by Fixico. Fixico will be required to register as a sex offender and was also placed on supervised release for the remainder of his natural life, under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
This case is the result of investigations by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the City of Purcell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Peoria, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Terrance T. Dotson, 50, of the 1600 block of South Livingston Street, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, to 48 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that in August 2022 a Peoria County Sheriff’s Deputy saw an SUV driven by Dotson veer off the road and strike a mailbox. An officer pulled Dotson over and, while approaching the SUV during the traffic stop, saw Dotson reach into the backseat area where another person was seated. An officer then shined his flashlight on the backseat and saw a handgun laying next to the passenger. Officers removed Dotson and others from the SUV and he was placed in the backseat of a police car. Officers later opened the door to talk to Dotson and saw him kicking at something on the floor that was then determined to be an ammunition magazine loaded with the same type of ammunition found in the gun in the SUV.
A complaint was filed against Dotson in August 2022, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment in September 2022. A superseding indictment followed in February 2023. Dotson pleaded guilty in March 2023. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since the complaint was filed.
The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a possible $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; and the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Dotson 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.
Peoria, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Denzel L. Jordan, 29, of the 1200 block of North University Street, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, to 40 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the government presented evidence that in October 2022 Jordan, a felon, was stopped by Peoria Police after committing a traffic violation. When officers learned that Jordan’s license was suspended, they ordered him to exit his car but Jordan refused, causing police to forcibly remove him. During the resulting scuffle, an officer located a loaded handgun tucked into the back of Jordan’s waistband. The semiautomatic pistol had a live round in the chamber and 16 rounds of ammunition in the attached magazine. The backpack Jordan was wearing was found to contain two additional magazines, each fully loaded with 15 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The backpack also contained 56 additional rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jordan in October 2022. He entered a guilty plea in March 2023. Jordan has remained in the custody of the United States Marshal Service while his case has been pending.
The statutory penalties for a possession of a firearm as a felon are up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a possible $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release. Jordan has forfeited the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol and the ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Jordan 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.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ryan D. Terry, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Terry received a sentence of 37 months’ imprisonment with a three-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Terry was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
A cooperating individual (“CI”) met with Terry and co-defendant Jeffrey Dailey (“Dailey”) for the purpose of buying 5 pounds of marijuana. Terry brought a tub containing pound quantities of marijuana in vacuum-sealed packages. Terry showed the CI two types, stating he had 20 pounds of one and 35 of the other. Terry and Dailey indicated they could obtain anything the CI wanted, and that the product was being transported directly from California. The CI agreed to buy all 20 pounds of one variety, take 5 pounds of the other variety, and obtain the remainder if the CI’s customer liked the 5 pounds. Terry and Dailey agreed to transport the marijuana to another location once they retrieved some additional bundles of the product from Terry’s home.
Agents observed Terry and Dailey retrieve large black duffel bags from Terry’s home and then place them into Dailey’s vehicle before driving away. A marked police cruiser began following Dailey’s car from several blocks away. As the cruiser tried to catch up with Dailey’s vehicle, Dailey pulled over and Terry began walking away on foot. Terry was apprehended nearby, and an officer conducted a traffic stop of Dailey’s vehicle. In the trunk police found approximately 49 pounds of marijuana.
A post-arrest, Mirandized statement by Terry indicated he had been selling marijuana in various quantities over the past 6 or more years, making between $100 per pound to $200 per pound, that he would receive anywhere from 10 pounds to up to 30 pounds per month, but that it varied based on the market conditions. According to Terry, the most he had ever received in a given month was 70 to 90 pounds.
A search of Terry’s Omaha home found several pounds of THC wax, “shatter” and edibles, electronic scales, packaging materials, and $116,500 in United States Currency, later confirmed as narcotics sales proceeds.
A financial investigation into Terry’s activities found that TNT Associates, LLC, the real properties located at 7610 Hartman Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska and 8608 Templeton Drive, Omaha, Nebraska were derived from proceeds of narcotics sales or otherwise used to facilitate the commission of narcotics sales. Each property was forfeited to the United States as part of the plea agreement in the case. Terry was allowed to retain his family home after paying to the United States $41,440, the amount of equity from drug proceeds.
Terry’s co-defendant, Jeffrey Dailey, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing which is scheduled for September 21, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 140 Months for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that William Lewis Gienger, 57, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Gienger received a sentence of 140 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
In February 2021, the DEA was investigating Tomas Lorenzo-Cruz for his role in distributing methamphetamine in the Omaha area. Pursuant to a court order, agents were intercepting Lorenzo-Cruz’s phone calls and messages. On February 21, 2021, a call from someone who identified themselves as “Bill” contacted Lorenzo-Cruz about purchasing some methamphetamine. The caller was eventually identified as Gienger. On the way to deliver 285 grams of pure methamphetamine to Gienger, Lorenzo-Cruz was stopped, and the methamphetamine was seized. After the traffic stop, Lorenzo-Cruz was intercepted calling Gienger and told him that the police just seized the methamphetamine that was to be delivered.
Lorenzo-Cruz was sentenced on May 16, 2023, to 135 months’ imprisonment.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Pedro Adolfo Robles, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for Possessing with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Robles received a sentence of 135 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On January 29, 2020, deputies with the Seward County Sheriff’s Office conducted simultaneous traffic stops on a Ford F150 pickup truck and a tow truck hauling a Cadillac Escalade while both were traveling on I-80 in Seward County. The Escalade was found to be smuggling 27 pounds of methamphetamine. Deputies determined that the Escalade had broken down in Hebron, Nebraska, and was being towed to Omaha, Nebraska. The owner of the Escalade, Gonzalez-Gardea, was a passenger in the F150 pickup truck. The driver of the F150 pickup truck, Rex Kmiecik, and a passenger riding with the tow truck, Pedro Robles, were also arrested. Kmiecik and Robles had driven from Omaha to help get the Escalade towed to Omaha.
Kmiecik was sentenced on September 13, 2021, to 132 months’ imprisonment. Gonzalez-Gardea was sentenced on August 23, 2021, to 135 months’ imprisonment.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Role in Multi-Million Dollar EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jeffrey Stenstrom, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher to 30 months’ imprisonment for Income Tax Evasion and 78 months’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; these terms of incarceration were ordered to be run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Stenstrom will serve a two-year term of supervised release. As part of his sentence Stenstrom was ordered to pay $5,146,816.51 to victim property owners who were clients of Darland Properties, LLC and $1,954,505.10 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Stenstrom also admitted to forfeiture allegations and has forfeited his interest in a 2020 McLaren 600LT Spider, a lake home in Fremont, Nebraska, a home in Queen Creek, Arizona, two commercial properties in Nebraska, nearly $2.2 million in life insurance policy proceeds, approximately $ 74,743.00 in currency, and multiple items of jewelry and luxury watches.
Stenstrom owned and operated Stenstrom Services, Inc. (hereinafter SSI) from 2006 through approximately 2021. SSI described itself as a commercial remodeling and repair business. Brett Cook was the Vice President of Darland Properties, LLC. In that role, Cook was entrusted to negotiate prices for work to be completed on properties managed by Darland Properties and authorize payments to be made from the real estate trust accounts of Darland Properties’ clients. Stenstrom had been in a decades’ long relationship with Cook. Cook is now deceased.
Beginning in approximately 2015, Cook used his position as the Vice President of Darland Properties to direct repair work to SSI. SSI performed no skilled labor, had no employees, and all regular laborers were unskilled. Most of the work SSI performed on behalf of Darland Properties was subcontracted. Cook was the initial point of contact for many of the subcontractors and directed the subcontractors that all work must be run through SSI. Cook and Stenstrom used SSI to fraudulently obtain monies from Darland Properties’ clients by causing SSI to bill for work that was not performed, overbilling for work, and causing SSI’s inflated invoices to be submitted to insurance companies to obtain insurance proceeds to which Darland Properties’ clients were not entitled to.
From 2012 to 2016, Stenstrom derived income from Stenstrom Services. Stenstrom Services generated $752,744 in 2012, $469,140 in 2013, $641,010 in 2014, $731,091 in 2015, and $575,466 in 2016. On May 30, 2018, the IRS assessed $1,725,532.91 related to unpaid income tax owed by Stenstrom. On December 14, 2018, Stenstrom provided a signed Form 433-A to an IRS Revenue Officer. This form omitted numerous assets owned by Stenstrom that were being held in the name of a third party to include a second home in Queen Creek, Arizona valued at approximately $1,000,000, a Ferrari 488 Coupe valued at $200,000 to $300,000, a boat, an ATV, a Jeep, and a home located in Fremont, Nebraska, valued at approximately $450,000. Stenstrom also excluded the transfer of a home in Gilbert, Arizona, to another party for below fair market value.
In 2019, the IRS placed a tax levy on Stenstrom’s accounts. Cook and Stenstrom ceased directing work to SSI and began directing work to Midwest Property Maintenance Solutions (hereinafter MPMS) which was created by Cook and a family member of Cook. Cook, his family member, and Stenstrom used MPMS to fraudulently obtain money from Darland Properties’ clients by billing for work that had previously been completed by SSI, billing for work that was not performed, billing for warranties it did not provide and were previously paid for by Darland Properties’ clients, and overbilling for work that was done.
The proceeds from the wire fraud scheme were deposited into SSI’s, MPMS’s, and Cook’s bank accounts where the fraudulently obtained funds were commingled with legitimate funds. The funds were then transferred to various bank accounts held in Cook’s name, Stenstrom’s name, Cook’s family member’s name, AZ Midwest Properties, LLC, 14334 Industrial Road, LLC, and B & B Real Estate, LLC (a real estate partnership that Cook was a partner in), where they were further commingled with legitimate funds. The proceeds were then used to acquire residential and commercial real estate, luxury vehicles, life insurance policies, jewelry, watches, credit card purchases, and loan payments. Cook, Stenstrom, and Cook’s family member concealed the scheme by laundering the proceeds through various business and personal bank accounts, purchasing and selling the aforementioned assets, and subsequently using those proceeds to acquire additional assets. In total, the scheme resulted in excess of $5,100,000.00 being fraudulently obtained from Darland Properties’ clients for the personal benefits of Cook, his family member, and Stenstrom.
“This case shows that regardless of the tactics used to avoid tax obligations, IRS Criminal Investigation will take all necessary steps to unravel the scheme and bring those who break our tax laws to justice,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge, Thomas F. Murdock. “This joint effort with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the tax system is fair for all citizens.”
FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “In a clear-cut case of greed, Jeffrey Stenstrom and his co-conspirator embezzled more than five million dollars to support their lavish lifestyle. FBI Omaha is dedicated to investigating and holding accountable those, like Stenstrom, who fraudulently enrich themselves at the expense of their hard-working victims.”
“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of a three-year investigation into the criminal activities of Jeff Stenstrom and Brett Cook that involved the collaboration of our office and multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies spanning multiple states in addition to a parallel civil suit initiated by our office’s asset forfeiture unit,” said Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr. “Today’s sentencing is an example of our office’s determination to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute white collar criminals, to divest those criminals of the wrongfully obtained proceeds, and to seek restitution for victims.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Nye County Resident Sentenced to Prison for Distribution and Receipt of More Than 250,000 Images of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Pahrump, Nye County, resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge James C. Mahan to 108 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for distributing and receiving more than 250,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as infants on an online peer-to-peer file sharing network.
David Michael Burak (41) pleaded guilty on February 24, 2023, to distribution or receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were investigating the sharing of child sexual abuse material on a peer-to-peer file sharing network. During the investigation, it was observed that a device was distributing files depicting child sexual abuse material. On July 19, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant on Burak’s residence. Part of the residence was used for a daycare business catering to pre-school age children. Investigators seized multiple digital devices that were later found to contain more than 250,000 files of child sexual abuse material. Forensics also showed that Burak used these devices to receive and make available for download files of child sexual abuse material on the internet.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. United States Attorney Supriya Prasad prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
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Nine South Carolina Department of Corrections Inmates and Six Others Charged in Nearly $5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury has returned a 51-count indictment against nine current or former inmates in the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) and six other individuals who were either friends or relatives of the inmates for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in March 2020 and continuing through December 2020, nine SCDC inmates engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain various COVID-19 unemployment benefits administered through the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) and through Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, Missouri, Arizona, and California.
The indictment further alleges the defendants conspired and coordinated with other inmates and friends and relatives outside of SCDC to submit unemployment claims to SCDEW using the Personal Identification Information (PII) of both inmates in SCDC and individuals outside the prison system.
The incarcerated inmates harvested PII, like social security numbers and dates of birth, from other inmates and used the PII to apply for COVID unemployment benefits in the names of those inmates as well as themselves. Some inmates provided their PII willingly in exchange for a portion of the proceeds derived from the unemployment benefits. Other inmates had no knowledge that unemployment benefits were being applied for on their behalf.
The incarcerated defendants also obtained the PII of unwitting individuals outside of SCDC using various extortion schemes. One of the primary schemes utilized by the defendants was known as “Johning.” Using contraband cellphones within SCDC, inmates posed as younger males or females and lured individuals to send them nude or compromising photos. After obtaining the photos, the inmates contacted the victims posing as law enforcement. The inmates then extorted the victims into sending them money and/or photos of their social security cards and driver’s licenses.
The non-incarcerated defendants received the unemployment benefits in the names of the extortion victims and SCDC inmates in the form of government checks and prepaid Visa debit cards. They then used ATM withdrawals, wire transfers, and mobile banking applications to make the proceeds available to the incarcerated defendants.
In total, the indictment alleges the fraudulent scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $4,996,673.00 to the United States Government.
The specific charges in the indictment are as follows:
- Reginald Raynard White, Jr., an SCDC inmate, faces twenty counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Christopher Ford, an SCDC inmate, faces one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Marvin Lee Trotter, an SCDC inmate, faces two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Dawn Hall, of Kansas City, MO, faces ten counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Benika Kershaw, Chester, SC, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Albert J. Cave, Jr., an SCDC inmate, faces one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Jason Andrew Cash, an SCDC inmate, faces eight counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Stepheno Lemain Alston, an SCDC inmate, faces seven counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- James Griffin, an SCDC inmate, faces five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- John Travis Mace, an SCDC inmate, faces four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Ronald Gene Harvey, an SCDC inmate, faces four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Bridgette Cash, of Landrum, SC, faces one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Latasha Alston, of St. Helena Island, SC, faces eight counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Lori Robinson, of Monroe Township, NJ, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Jessica Howell, of Southport, NC, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Each alleged count of wire fraud and each alleged count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.All charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This investigation remains ongoing.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service; the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General; and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.
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Nevada Woman Sentenced to 5 Years Prison for Hiring Hitman on Dark Web to Kill Her Ex-HusbandRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kristy Lynn Felkins, 38, of Fallon, Nevada, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for a murder for hire plot, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Felkins sent 12 bitcoin (valued at approximately $5,000 at the time) to a dark web hitman website, known as Besa Mafia, to have her ex-husband murdered. From February to May 2016, Felkins regularly communicated with the administrator of the site to pay and arrange for the murder of her ex-husband. Felkins gave the administrator the specific location of her husband in an attempt to have him murdered.
Besa Mafia operated as a “hidden service” on the Tor network, which is an anonymizing internet service that is known informally as the “dark web.” The Besa Mafia website, however, was actually a scam, and Felkins was not refunded the bitcoin she sent to the site, which is no longer in operation.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as part of the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, consisting of agents from HSI, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force targeting all forms of dark web and cryptocurrency criminal activity in the Eastern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Moravia Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Unlawfully Possessing a Short-Barreled RifleRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Duane Hollenbeck, age 54, of Moravia, New York, was sentenced today to serve 41 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Hollenbeck admitted to possessing an unregistered AR-15 style American Tactical rifle. The rifle, which had a barrel length of less than 16 inches, was not registered to the defendant in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also sentenced Hollenbeck to a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after his imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the New York State Police, with assistance from the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking a PreacherRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to the armed carjacking of a preacher who was handing out bottled water to the homeless, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2021, Dwight Keith Eaglehawk, 34, approached the victim in a parking lot near Lake Street in south Minneapolis. The victim, a preacher, was handing out water bottles to homeless individuals. Eaglehawk approached the victim and requested two bottles of water before brandishing a Marlin .22 rifle and demanding the victim’s Dodge Dart. After taking the keys from the victim, Eaglehawk fled in the Dodge Dart.
Eaglehawk pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and David P. Steinkamp are prosecuting the case.
Melrose Man Pleads Guilty to $375,000 Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A bank teller supervisor pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester for his role in defrauding his employer out of $375,000.
Pablo Rocha, 32, of Malden, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16, 2023. Rocha was charged on June 26, 2023.
Between July 2022 and December 2022, Rocha worked as a bank teller supervisor at a federally insured bank in Massachusetts. Rocha used his access to the bank’s vault to steal cash. Rocha then covered his tracks by writing false entries in the bank’s records and by processing fake transactions in the bank’s electronic records system to make it appear that the cash had been shipped to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. In total, Rocha stole approximately $375,000.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty in the First Degree Premeditated Murder of two DC Residents and Charges Involving Four OthersRead the Press Release
Defendants Fired 12 Shots at Six Young Men on a Sunday Afternoon
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, returned guilty verdict on all counts against Jalen Browne, 22, of Upper Marlboro, MD, for the murders of Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley, on July 25, 2021, on Q Street NW, Washington, D.C. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Browne was found guilty of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, shortly after 3:38pm on Sunday, July 25, 2021, the defendant disguised himself and walked around the 100 block of Q Street, NW, eventually lying in wait to shoot young men enjoying the hot summer day. The defendant, using a backpack to catch his shell casings, fired 12 shots in succession at six young men. Narrowly missing three of his targets, the Defendant hit Jovan Hill, Tariq Riley, and another man in the back. First responders found Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley on the ground. Both men were transported to nearby hospitals, but all life-saving efforts failed; both men died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the back.
No witnesses provided information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic, video surveillance, circumstantial, and motive evidence in securing a conviction on all counts.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team, including: Charlie Bruce, Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarity, Lauren Douglas, and Tasha Harris. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Wojcik and Lauren Galloway who prosecuted the case.
Major Southeast Missouri Drug Trafficking Organization IndictedRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Nineteen members of a Charleston, Missouri-based drug trafficking organization accused of being the main supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl to southeast Missouri have been indicted on a felony drug conspiracy charge, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Friday.
Arrests by federal, state and local law enforcement began Thursday, followed by arraignments in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau.
“As someone who grew up in Charleston, I can tell you that this case perfectly illustrates that drugs are not just a big city problem,” U.S. Attorney Fleming said. “Drugs, and the often-violent criminals who sell them, are a plague on otherwise law-abiding communities, big or small. This drug trafficking organization was the main supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl in southeast Missouri, as you can see in the court records. I want to reassure the southeast Missouri community that this case is and will remain a priority for my office.”
All 19 defendants face a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including Demarcus P. Turner and Jadarius A. McCain.
Motions seeking to have Turner, McCain and three other defendants jailed until trial say that Turner and McCain were leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy and also led a Charleston gang, “Just Bout Money,” or JBM. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been seized during the investigation, as well as about 65 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.55 kilograms of cocaine, 653.9 grams of fentanyl, 215 grams of MDMA and 5.85 kilograms of marijuana, the motion says.
The group received drugs in the mail and via couriers who flew or drove to their sources of supply, including Georgia-based co-defendant Damien Davenport, the motion says. Couriers were repeatedly intercepted with dozens of pounds of drugs in suitcases, it says.
The detention motion says JBM members have been linked to shootings in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, including a Feb. 19, 2022 JBM-hosted party where two people were fatally shot and 14 others injured.
McCain pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday. Turner is currently in state custody facing one felony count of second-degree murder and 15 counts of first-degree assault related to a July 2022 shooting in Sikeston, the motions say.
“The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force are dedicated and committed to removing illicit drugs from our communities,” said Roger L. Phillips, director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. “The JBM drug trafficking organization has devastated our communities for years by flooding them with pounds and pounds of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. In addition to the harmful effects these drugs cause to their users, violence is often associated with these drug sales. This investigation has led to indictments not only in Missouri, but in multiple other states. We are proud of the efforts put forth by all the participating agencies, stand committed to protecting our citizens, and will continue to combat drugs being sold in our communities.”
"Drug trafficking organizations like this one are spider webs of illegal activity with connections across the country," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in Eastern Missouri. "DEA takes particular interest in dismantling and destroying them – from street level dealers and up the chain. It takes the combined efforts of multiple DEA offices and our federal, state and local partners to do this, but the effort is worth it to ensure these illegal drug operations cannot harm communities any longer."
“In addition to Missouri, members of this drug trafficking organization were also arrested in Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The success of this case is a prime example of the effective partnerships between the local, state, and federal levels. Local and state agencies have the eyes and ears on the ground to develop information which often leads to an initial investigation. While at the federal level, we expand investigations nationwide or worldwide when needed to dismantle an entire enterprise.”
“The organized drug distribution ring, known as the JBM or Just Bout Money gang, has been a cause of concern for the safety and well-being of the good citizens in Charleston,” said Mississippi County Sheriff Britton H. Ferrell. “The collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies in this operation demonstrates a commitment to dismantling such networks that endanger lives and contribute to harming our community.”
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Department of Public Safety, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Madison County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ryan Berte, age 33, of Eaton, New York, was sentenced today to serve 60 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office, Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
As part of his earlier guilty plea, Berte admitted that from at least February 24, 2021, through March 10, 2021, while employed as a mail carrier in Madison County, New York, he downloaded images and videos of child pornography which he also made available to third parties using a peer-to-peer file sharing program installed on his laptop. Berte also admitted that, on September 22, 2021, during a search of his home, he possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on the same laptop.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also sentenced Berte to 15 years of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Berte will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, USPIS, and the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), Troop D Oneida. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Fentanyl Resulting in Death and Serious InjuriesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Russell L. Rucks, Sr., 52, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 26 years’ imprisonment, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in the death of one person and serious bodily injuries to two others, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Rucks will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Rucks will also forfeit $5,084.00 in cash to the United States of America, and he was ordered to pay $9,700.00 in restitution to the mother of victim who died.
On July 24, 2021, a Lincoln woman called 911 after her fiancé collapsed after returning home from a trip to a gas station. Lincoln Fire and Rescue, (LFR), arrived and performed lifesaving measures, including administering two doses of Narcan. After the second dose of Narcan, the victim began to regain consciousness and was transported to a Lincoln hospital. The victim later told investigators he had been purchasing small amounts of cocaine about every seven to 10 days from Russell Rucks, Sr. for about a year. Just before his overdose, he said he met with Rucks and bought $20 worth of what he believed to be cocaine. He snorted the cocaine and suffered an overdose. Phone records for the victim and Rucks confirmed the victim had been communicating about drug transactions. A medical expert reviewed first responder and hospital records for the victim and found he faced a substantial risk of death had he not been given Narcan.
On July 27, 2021, two Lincoln men overdosed at a residence in Lincoln. Both were found unconscious. Both were given Narcan and were hospitalized. One of the victims died on August 19, 2021, but the other victim eventually recovered. The surviving victim told investigators he pooled money with the victim who died, and they bought what they believed to be cocaine from Rucks. The surviving victim said he and the victim who died both used the “cocaine” which led to their overdoses. Investigators found phone messages between the surviving victim and Rucks on the day of the overdoses in which the surviving victim arranged to meet with Rucks. Several items of drug paraphernalia, all containing drug residue, were seized from the residence where the two victims were found, and lab testing showed these items all contained cocaine and fentanyl. A medical expert reviewed the first responder and hospital records for both victims determined that one victim died due to ingesting cocaine laced with fentanyl and the other was seriously injured due to ingesting those substances.
On August 11, 2021, Rucks was arrested and found in possession of a small amount of cocaine. On the same day, his son, Russell Rucks, Jr., was also arrested and was found in possession of $1,634 in cash. A search warrant was executed at their Lincoln residence which resulted in the finding of 6.8 pounds of cocaine, a scale, and $3,950 in currency. Rucks, Sr. waived his Miranda rights and told investigators he had been selling what he believed to be cocaine in the months prior to his arrest.
Russell Rucks, Jr., faces similar charges and is awaiting trial currently scheduled to begin in October of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (Lincoln Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and UNL Police Department) and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Leader of “Genesis II Church of Health and Healing,” Who Sold Toxic Bleach as Fake “Miracle” Cure for COVID-19 and Other Serious Diseases, Guilty of Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami has found Mark Grenon, 65, and his three sons, Jonathan Grenon, 38, Jordan Grenon, 29, and Joseph Grenon, 36, guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug. Jonathan and Jordan Grenon were also found guilty of contempt of court.
The Grenons, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution (“MMS”). MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper. The Grenons claimed that ingesting MMS could treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19. The FDA, however, had not approved MMS for treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use. Rather, in prior official warning statements, the FDA had strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. See https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products. In fact, FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS.
Before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and leukemia, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use. The Grenons sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (“Genesis”), an entity they created to avoid government regulation of MMS and shield themselves from prosecution. Genesis’ own websites describe Genesis as a “non-religious church,” and defendant Mark Grenon, the co-founder of Genesis, has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis “has nothing to do with religion,” and that he founded Genesis to “legalize the use of MMS” and avoid “going [ ] to jail.” The Genesis websites further stated that MMS could be acquired only through a “donation” to Genesis, but the donation amounts for MMS orders were set at specific dollar amounts, and were mandatory, such that the donation amounts were effectively just sales prices. The Grenons received more than $1 million from selling MMS.
The federal jury also found defendants Jonathan and Jordan Grenon guilty of criminal contempt of court. The United States previously filed a civil case against the defendants and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. See United States v. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, et al., Case No. 20-21601-CV-WILLIAMS. In that civil case, the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS. The Grenons willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS. The Grenons also threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case, and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco.”
During trial, the jury saw photos and video of a dirty rundown shed in Jonathan Grenon’s backyard in Bradenton, Florida, where the defendants were manufacturing their MMS. These photos showed dozens of blue chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and other items used in the manufacture and distribution of MMS. The blue chemical drums of sodium chlorite powder—the primary active ingredient in MMS—had warning labels advising the product was toxic, flammable, and highly dangerous to consume.
Sentencing has been scheduled for October 6. At sentencing, the defendants face up to 5 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Assistant Commissioner Justine Green of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations announced the conviction.
FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and John Shipley of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting it.
U.S. Attorney Lapointe commends and thanks the government of Colombia for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Lapointe also extends his gratitude to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogota, Colombia for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mark Grenon to the United States.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20242.
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Leader of International Drug-Trafficking Organization Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
A leader of an international drug-trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today to life in prison for conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, between 2003 and April 2016, Gerardo Gonzalez-Valencia, aka Lalo, 45, was a leader of Los Cuinis, a DTO responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from South America, Mexico, and elsewhere into the United States. Los Cuinis is closely aligned with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which is based in the State of Jalisco in Mexico. Together, Los Cuinis and CJNG form one of the largest, most dangerous, and most prolific drug cartels in Mexico. They are responsible for trafficking significant quantities of illegal drugs into the United States and employing extreme violence to further that objective.
“Gonzalez-Valencia’s prosecution marks another step in the Justice Department’s pursuit of the top leadership of drug-trafficking organizations like Los Cuinis and the CJNG,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The significant sentence imposed today also reflects the magnitude of harm these drug-trafficking organizations wreak on our communities. The Criminal Division will continue to hold accountable those like Gonzalez-Valencia, who profit from importing large quantities of dangerous substances into the United States and who support the extraordinary violence committed in furtherance of that objective.”
Gonzalez-Valencia personally invested in and coordinated multi-ton shipments of cocaine for importation into the United States. Some of these shipments were interdicted by law enforcement, including the seizure of approximately 280 kilograms of cocaine from a semi-submersible interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine concealed in frozen shark carcasses destined for the United States and seized by Mexican law enforcement. Gonzalez-Valencia also directed the murders of rival drug traffickers and used and supplied weapons in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to the leaders of drug cartels that DEA will stop at nothing to dismantle the criminal networks that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Under Gonzalez-Valencia’s leadership, Los Cuinis – a cartel closely aligned with the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel – shipped massive quantities of cocaine into the United States and killed rivals that threatened the cartels’ trafficking organizations. The men and women of DEA are working relentlessly to hold all drug traffickers accountable that seek to profit from the Jalisco Cartel’s violent and deadly drug trafficking network.”
This case is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with the assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Investigative Operations Division.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni and Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department thanks Uruguayan authorities for their assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez-Valencia.
Las Vegas Man Convicted of Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute After Traffic Stop on I-80Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Patrick Lewis McKinney, 42, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced McKinney to 78 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
On August 3, 2022, law enforcement had a sign out indicating a checkpoint was ahead on I-80 in Dawson County, Nebraska. Jeno Paulucci was the driver and McKinney was the passenger of a vehicle approaching that sign. Paulucci exited the highway and parked on the wrong side of the road. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop and smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Paulucci did not have a driver’s license, registration, or insurance. Law enforcement subsequently searched the vehicle and located 63 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl pills, kief, and ecstasy pills. Law enforcement also located various dangerous weapons to include two machetes, multiple bladed weapons, a baton taser, and a firearm.
Jeno Paulucci has also pleaded guilty in this case. He will be sentenced on August 15, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Lansing Man Convicted of Threatening Federal Judge, Sheriff, and Court ClerkRead the Press Release
DETROIT –Kevin William Cassaday, 41, of Lansing, Michigan, was convicted by a federal jury last week of sending threats to public officials, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division, and United States Marshal Owen Cypher.
Cassaday was convicted after a four-day jury trial before United States District Judge Laurie J. Michelson. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a verdict of guilty on all counts.
At trial, the evidence showed that Cassaday threatened a federal district court judge’s chamber, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth, and the Court of Claims clerk’s office. Cassady’s threatening communications to these public officials included: “I am going to get my guns and we are going to have a party,” “You want me to kill, I will start with you and your family,” and “I want the clerk dead!” At trial, the individuals that received Cassady’s threats explained that they were the most direct and persistent threats that they had ever received during their government service.
“Public officials should be free to serve their communities without worrying about threats to their lives. This offender’s threats to harm a member of the judiciary, an elected law enforcement official, and at least one other public employee caused undue concern for these employees. The jury has rightfully sent the message that threats to those serving the public will not be tolerated.” stated U. S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
“This verdict sends a clear message that threats of violence against a public official will not be tolerated,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Mr. Cassaday intended to intimidate and create fear in victims whose jobs are integral to our justice system. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to aggressively investigating those who threaten members of our community with violence.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Bringing over 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine into State for SaleRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joshua R. Wittenberg, 40, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 84 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Wittenberg pleaded guilty to the charge on April 11, 2023.
On November 7, 2023, law enforcement officers received a tip that Wittenberg was bringing a large amount of methamphetamine into La Crosse from Minnesota. Officers set up surveillance outside of Wittenberg’s apartment. Once Wittenberg arrived, a canine officer alerted to his truck. Officers then searched the truck and found over two pounds of methamphetamine.
Wittenberg was arrested and, when interviewed, he admitted that he had brought the methamphetamine to La Crosse to sell it. At the time of this offense, Wittenberg was on supervision for a prior drug conviction.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted Wittenberg’s crime was very serious and that the quantity of methamphetamine involved in this case harms the community by breeding violence and causing other collateral damage. Judge Peterson also noted that Wittenberg’s criminal history showed a pattern of drug dealing, with this most recent offense presenting an escalation in amount.
The charge against Wittenberg was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor prosecuted this case.
Jury Finds Oahu Man Guilty of Sending E-Mail Threats to Bomb BuildingsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – After a jury trial before United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi, a federal jury today found Oahu resident and former Utah resident Brian Melvin Brandenburg (age 64) guilty of seven counts of sending e-mail threats to bomb buildings in the State of Utah and across the United States. Judge Kobayashi ordered the defendant’s continued detention in custody pending his sentencing, before her on November 9, 2023.
At trial, the evidence as to Counts 1 and 2 showed that on May 4, 2022, while in Hawaii, the defendant sent an e-mail to, among other people, persons identified as Victim 1 and 2 in the indictment, State of Utah Court employees who were within the Courthouse, threating to bomb the 3rd District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. Both employees were involved with the defendant’s then pending divorce case. According to the evidence presented at trial as to Count 3 – 7, on May 4 and 6, 2022, the defendant sent more e-mails to various recipients in Utah threatening to bomb the Utah State Capitol; Mayor’s Office in the Salt Lake City, Utah; every Ivy League School; the United States Courthouse in San Diego; and Hall Labs and the University of Utah Center for Medical Innovation both in Utah. According to the evidence presented at trial, the defendant told the FBI that he “wanted to get their attention.”
Count 1 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment and Counts 2 – 7 carry a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for each count. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Provo Police Department, and the University of Utah Police department conducted the investigation that resulted in this conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys KeAupuni Akina and Darren W.K. Ching prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Armed Fort Myers Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Manuel Alfredo Dickerson Copland (29, Fort Myers) guilty of possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of MDMA, possession of oxycodone, and attempted possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Copland faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Copland had been charged in a superseding indictment on January 25, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Copland was stopped in his vehicle on December 30, 2021, by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team. Detectives found nearly 1,500 fentanyl pills, MDMA, oxycodone, and three firearms in Copland’s truck. Forensic evidence linked Copland to the drugs and firearms in the vehicle. During the subsequent investigation, information was obtained that revealed Copland was associated with mail packages that were believed to contain drugs that were being shipped to him in the Fort Myers area. As a result, the investigation identified a package containing approximately four pounds of methamphetamine that had been sent through the mail from California. The package was seized by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The intercepted package containing methamphetamine was linked to Copland through further investigation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark R. Morgan and Patrick L. Darcey.
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.
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 July 18 was:
Jonathan Ray Gonsalez, 39, of Box Elder, on charges of sexual abuse, coercion and enticement and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gonsalez faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Gonsalez was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-65.
Joshua Raymond Suave, 34, of Great Falls, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and false statement during a firearms transaction. If convicted of the most serious crime, Suave faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Suave was detained pending further proceedings. The Great Falls Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 22-110.
Robert Ray Thoroughman, 61, of Fort Shaw, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Thoroughman faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Thoroughman was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-57.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 18 was:
Eric Fredrick Welch Jr., 22, of Billings, on charges of theft from a federal firearm licensee and possession of stolen firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Welch faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Welch was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-84.
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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Information Technology Consultant Sentenced to 21 Months for Stealing Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from Small BusinessRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Derek Gleeson, an Information Technology (“IT”) Consultant, was sentenced in federal court today to 21 months in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a family-owned small business based in New Jersey.
In November 2022, Gleeson, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge, admitting that he charged the small business for IT hardware, software, and services that he never supplied. Gleeson also admitted that he ginned up or altered invoices in an effort to substantiate the fake charges he submitted to the company. According to the plea agreement, when the company grew suspicious and confronted Gleeson about the charges, he installed pirated software on the company’s servers, all to make it appear that he had purchased and installed legitimate software, when in fact he had not. The fraudulent scheme lasted for four years and resulted in over $600,000 in losses. Gleeson lived in Carlsbad, California at the time of the fraud.
"For years, this defendant took advantage of a position of trust that gave him full access to a small business’s IT system,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Fortunately, he has been held accountable for the significant impact his crime had on this business and its owners.” Grossman praised the excellent work of the prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on this case.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 20cr3246-DMS
Derek Gleeson Age: 51 Round Rock, TX
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
FBI
Hospital Employee Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Using Patient Information to Steal Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 21, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Matthew George Lombardo was sentenced in federal court to 36 months in prison for using his position as a clerk at a local hospital to steal patient identifying information and pass the information on to others in an attempt to steal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
Lombardo pleaded guilty in September 2022. According to the government’s sentencing memo, in August of 2020 Lombardo worked at a hospital as a Patient Service Representative where he had access to patient admission sheets, which included patient identifying information. Lombardo used that position to access that confidential patient information and provide it to a co-defendant for use in submitting PUA claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Text messages between Lombardo and his co-defendants show they were looking for the most vulnerable victims. For example, on August 15, 2020, Lombardo texted a co-defendant “if you need social security numbers or anything I can pull that shit up at work.” The government’s sentencing memo further describes how Lombardo and his co-defendants deliberately took advantage of people in their most vulnerable state. For example, on August 22, 2020, Lombardo texted his co-defendant the name, date of birth, social security number, and address of a patient and wrote, “this guy died a few hours ago, how many names do we need?” The co-defendant texted back: “find me one who is still alive . . . someone 55 or younger who is on their way out.”
In imposing a 36-month sentence U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo noted that Lombardo was stealing public assistance benefits intended to help people during a national emergency and said she found the text messages deliberately targeting hospital patients to be “callous.”
"During a national healthcare emergency, Mr. Lombardo stole the identities of hospital patients to defraud the government of funds intended for people in crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to pursuing such frauds and will hold the perpetrators accountable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies who diligently pursued this case.
“The DEA and its partners will continue to pursue justice for the citizens of San Diego,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-CR-2154-CAB
Matthew George Lombardo Age: 54 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison
Counts 2 and 3: Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A
Maximum penalty: 2 years in prison
Count 4: Using Confidential Health Information for Personal Gain – Title 42, U.S.C., Section 1320d-6
Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Postal Inspection Service
United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General
California Employment Development Department Investigation Division
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Healdton Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Victim of More Than One Million DollarsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amber Nicole Pickelsimer, age 44, of Healdton, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to an Information charging her with one count of Wire Fraud.
The Information alleged that between February 2019 and August 2020, Pickelsimer, for the purpose of executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud, caused to be transmitted, by means of wire communication in interstate commerce, a message through Facebook Messenger from a fictitious Facebook account to the victim’s Facebook account.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation revealed that Pickelsimer created two fictitious Facebook accounts and used those accounts to extort the victim, demanding that the victim deliver large quantities of cash to a drop site. Pickelsimer eventually defrauded the victim of over $1,000,000.00. Because Pickelsimer operated in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and Facebook maintains its servers outside of the state of Oklahoma, Pickelsimer’s Facebook messages qualified as federal wire fraud.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pickelsimer posted a personal recognizance bond at the conclusion of the plea hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.
Grand jury indicts two central Ohio men for bank robbery, gun crime in connection with I-70 shootoutRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury here has returned a two-count indictment charging two central Ohio men with aiding and abetting bank robbery and aiding abetting the use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
Aden Abdullahi Jama, 20, of Reynoldsburg and Fazsal M. Darod, 23, of Columbus allegedly committed the crimes on July 6th, robbing a Fifth Third bank in Hilliard. Columbus Police and other law enforcement officers encountered them on I-70 near downtown Columbus after the robbery. A shootout followed during which a Columbus Police officer was severely injured and a third person in the car with Darod and Jama was killed.
The United States Marshals’ Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team arrested Darod in the early morning hours of July 7 outside his Columbus residence. U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigation agents arrested Jama at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on July 8 and is transporting him back to Ohio. Jama and Darod have been in custody since their arrests.
Aiding and abetting a bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a potential penalty of at least five years and up to life in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the United States Marshals in Columbus and Chicago; ICE and HSI Chicago; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; the Whitehall, Minerva Parka and Upper Arlington police departments; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the indictment returned yesterday. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Former University of Arizona Student Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jonathan Edward Mayer, 22, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced on June 30, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 84 months in prison. Mayer previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and three counts of Possession of Unregistered Firearms, specifically pertaining to a privately manufactured firearm, or “ghost gun,” machine gun conversion devices, and a silencer.
Mayer was attending the University of Arizona in October of 2021 when agents executed a search warrant on his apartment. Underneath his bed, agents found a bag of marijuana and a “ghost gun” with an automatic conversion switch that rendered it a machine gun. Agents also discovered $20,000 in U.S. currency, individually wrapped cocaine, a small bulk quantity of cocaine, six firearms, high-capacity magazines, a silencer, 10 grams of mushrooms, 15 grams of amphetamines, approximately one gram of LSD, and a gold money counter. Several firearms were seized, including a Glock pistol loaded with a 30-round magazine found in a backpack that Mayer carried around campus. Mayer admitted to mailing marijuana, mushrooms, and machine gun conversion devices through the United States Postal Service to various locations in the United States.
“Schools and guns are a dangerous combination,” said United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino. “The defendant got caught up with the wrong people from out-of-state, and his actions created a public safety risk here in Tucson.”
“The conviction and sentencing of Mayer is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to combat narcotics and firearms trafficking. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking organizations to keep USPS customers and employees safe,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Phoenix Division.”
“I commend the outstanding work conducted by law enforcement in this investigation, which saved lives,” said DEA Phoenix Division Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “DEA and our partners are dedicated to public safety and will continue to stand strong, protecting the communities we serve.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—Phoenix Division, the multi-agency Tucson Strike Force, the United States Postal Inspectors Service (USPIS)—Phoenix Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case in partnership with the Spokane, Washington Field Offices of the DEA and USPIS, local and regional law enforcement partners in Eastern Washington, and the University of Arizona Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution with assistance from Richard R. Barker and Stephanie Van Marter, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
CASE NUMBER: 21-CR-3187-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-111_Mayer# # #
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.Former South Florida Pharmacy CEO Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Patrick Smith, 71, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the former CEO of Patient Care America (PCA), a compounding pharmacy located in Broward County, pled guilty today to one count of lying to federal agents who were investigating PCA for various health care fraud offenses.
According to court records, Smith admitted that in March of 2020 he voluntarily met with DCIS agents who were investigating PCA on allegations of health care fraud and payment of illegal kickbacks. During that interview, Smith lied to agents about his role in hiring the marketing groups who were paid by PCA to recruit Tricare patients. Smith claimed that he played no role in vetting the marketing groups, when in fact documents and witness testimony establish that he frequently met with the marketing groups and decided which to hire and on what terms. PCA paid over $40 million in kickbacks to the marketers. To date, a dozen of PCA’s marketers have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years for their roles in the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southern Field Office, made the announcement.
Patrick Smith faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The Court has not set a date for sentencing yet.
DCIS investigated the case, with assistance from the Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigation, and FBI Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Juenger is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20532.
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Former Journalist Pleads Guilty to Transportation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A former journalist pleaded guilty today to transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, while visiting South Carolina in February 2020, James Gordon Meek, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, used an online messaging platform on his iPhone to send and receive images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to discuss his sexual interest in children. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12, including an infant being raped. Meek brought the iPhone containing the child sexual abuse material back with him when he returned to Virginia.
Meek is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating the case. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department.
Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Journalist Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse Material ChargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington man pleaded guilty today to transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, while visiting South Carolina in February 2020, James Gordon Meek, 53, used an online messaging platform on his iPhone to send and receive images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to discuss his sexual interest in children. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12, including an infant being raped. Meek brought the iPhone containing the child sexual abuse material back with him when he returned to Virginia. Additionally, Meek possessed multiple electronic devices containing images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Meek is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for each charge. 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; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr, Assistant Attorney General. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Kramer are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-65.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of an InmateRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Fiona Eyana Palmer (39, Wesley Chapel) to 15 months in federal prison for sexual abuse of an inmate. A federal jury had found Palmer guilty on April 11, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Palmer was employed as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correction Complex when she engaged in sexual acts with an inmate at the prison between January 2018 and March 2019. In two recorded phone calls between Palmer and the inmate, Palmer discussed the sexual acts and offered to send money to one of the inmate’s relatives. Palmer also directed the inmate to lie to federal investigators if asked about the sexual relationship.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.
Florida Attorney Charged in Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale returned a 34-count indictment, unsealed today, charging an attorney with conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail and wire fraud conspiracy, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and other crimes arising out of his promotion of an illegal tax shelter scheme involving false charitable contribution tax deductions.
According to the indictment, Michael L. Meyer of Davie, Florida, organized and sold an illegal tax shelter called the Ultimate Tax Plan to assist high-income individuals in reducing their taxes. Meyer allegedly marketed the scheme as a way for clients to claim charitable contribution tax deductions without giving up control over the assets they purportedly donated to charity and advised that clients could still access their donated assets for their own personal use through tax-free loans and execute an “exit strategy” to buy back their donations at a significantly discounted rate. The indictment further alleges that, to execute the scheme, Meyer prepared the boilerplate transaction documents, prepared appraisals of the purported donations, assisted clients in filing false tax returns, and controlled the charities that received the purported donations. For several clients, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly created backdated transaction documents to make it appear that a client had made a charitable contribution in a prior year and, in turn, assisted clients to falsely claim charitable tax deductions for the prior year.
The indictment further alleges that Meyer represented clients in audits with the IRS, during three of which Meyer allegedly provided false documents to the IRS.
In April 2018, the United States filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Relief against Meyer seeking to enjoin him from, among others, continuing to promote the Ultimate Tax Plan. The United States allegedly issued civil subpoenas to witnesses requesting records related to the Ultimate Tax Plan. In response to the civil subpoenas, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly prepared backdated documents and directed clients to submit those backdated documents in response to the subpoenas. Meyer also allegedly provided backdated documents in response to document requests from the United States. In April 2019, a federal district court entered a permanent injunction against Meyer. The indictment alleges that Meyer violated the terms of his permanent injunction through various means, including filing tax returns, assisting clients in taking charitable tax deductions, and providing advice on charitable tax deductions.
Since 2013, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly earned more than $10 million from selling the Ultimate Tax Plan. Meyer allegedly used that income to purchase a multi-million-dollar estate and a luxury vehicle collection that included Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Mercedes Benzes, a Bentley, and a Ferrari.
Meyer made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes of the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Meyer faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, twenty years in prison for mail and wire fraud conspiracy, three years in prison for each false return count, three years for each count of endeavoring to impede the internal revenue laws, and twenty years each for obstructing and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Michael Boteler and Trial Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Andrew Ascencio of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
First Tribal Community Response Plan Adopted in the District of OregonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—In a first for the District of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council has unanimously adopted a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Tribal Community Response Plan (TCRP).
“When someone goes missing from a Tribal community, it is an urgent and time-sensitive situation. A community response plan ensures that all available resources—government, law enforcement, and community members—are quickly deployed in support of a full and thorough investigation,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We thank the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs for their leadership in addressing this important issue.”
A TCRP is a guide for how Tribal law enforcement and community members will respond when someone goes missing from a Tribal community. TCRPs are tailored to the needs, resources, and culture of individual Tribal communities. The Warm Springs TCRP was created in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon as part of the U.S. Department of Justice national MMIP initiative. The District of Oregon is one of six pilot program districts working to develop community response plans in accordance with this initiative.
The Warm Springs TCRP establishes four different sets of guidelines relevant to MMIP: law enforcement, victim services, public and media communications, and community outreach. The overall goal of the TCRP is to recognize the critical need for an immediate and consistent response to missing persons reports from the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, establish a formal process for responding to and investigating these reports, and outline the actions that will be taken by Tribal authorities.
In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The working group includes at least one representative from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.
If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please email [email protected] or call (503) 727-1000.
Federal Contractor Agrees to Pay $7 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Foresee Results, Inc. and Verint Americas, Inc. (collectively, Foresee) have agreed to pay $7,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by falsely representing to the United States that they used the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to measure customer satisfaction.
In 2011, the Federal Consulting Group (FCG), which is part of the United States Department of the Interior, awarded Foresee a five-year contract for website assessment and improvement services, through which Foresee agreed to measure the public’s satisfaction with certain government websites and make recommendations regarding how to improve satisfaction. In awarding the contract to Foresee, the FCG understood that Foresee would be applying the trusted methodology of the ACSI to provide federal agencies with an ACSI measurement. The settlement announced today resolves the government’s allegations that Foresee did not use the ACSI methodology, but instead used a different methodology to measure the public’s satisfaction with certain government websites.
“The False Claims Act is an important tool to deter and hold accountable those who misuse public funds,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Federal contractors must deal honestly with federal agencies, and this settlement demonstrates that our office will diligently investigate and hold accountable those companies that fail to uphold their end of the bargain.”
“Government contractors are expected to adhere to the requirements of their contracts and not cut corners in order to increase profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Ryan, Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. General Services Administration. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, GSA-OIG, and DOI-OIG worked diligently to investigate these allegations, which resulted in a substantial settlement for the U.S. Government,” said Katie Balestra, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Interior. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who commit fraud.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by CFI Group USA, LLC and American Customer Satisfaction Index, LLC (collectively, Relators). Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, Relators will receive $1,540,000.00 as part of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. CFI Group USA, LLC, et al. v. Verint Americas, Inc., Case No. 19-12557 (E.D. Mich.).
The resolution was the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. General Services Administration, and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior. The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Postulka from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Fairfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William Josiah Scrivner, 37, of Fairfield, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Scrivner as the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle in the parking lot of the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield. The officers arrested Scrivner on an outstanding Solano County arrest warrant. A post-arrest search of his person and vehicle resulted in approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine, $551 on his person, and a digital scale found in his car. A probation search of Scrivner’s residence resulted in the discovery of two firearms, one of which was stolen, firearm parts and ammunition, additional methamphetamine, and two more scales. Scrivner is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has been convicted of several felonies, including two prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine for sale and a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Fairfield Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Dominican Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, and for unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Francisco Alberto Martinez, 52, was sentenced on July 19, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 19, 2023, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine; and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On nine separate occasions between August 2018 and May 2019, Martinez sold fentanyl and cocaine to a cooperating witness. Martinez first unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date. In 2010, he was convicted in federal court in Boston of cocaine conspiracy and sentenced to 66 months in prison. Upon completion of his sentence in 2014, Martinez was deported to the Dominican Republic. Sometime after his removal, Martinez unlawfully reentered the United States and continued to distribute controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Peabody Police Chief Thomas M. Griffin made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk Sheriff’s Office; the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force; and the Peabody, Concord, Reading, Watertown, Braintree, Waltham, Woburn, Salem, Revere, and Beverly Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Estes, Charles Dell’Anno and Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Killing His Childhood FriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jean Paul Kearney, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 20 years in prison for second degree murder while armed, and other charges, in connection with the April 4, 2021, shooting death of Dontra Harris. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan handed down the sentence on July 18, 2023, and also ordered five years of supervised release.
Kearney was convicted by a jury of assault on a police officer while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, obstruction of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device); he pleaded guilty on April 27, 2023 to second degree murder while armed..
According to the Government’s evidence, on April 4, 2021 shortly before 9 p.m., Kearney tailed his childhood friend, Dontra Harris, on a motorcycle. They both pulled over by the side of the road and verbally argued and then went their separate ways. Kearney, who lived nearby, went back home to switch out his motorcycle for his mother’s vehicle. He then drove to the victim’s apartment building and waited for 15 minutes for the victim to return home. When the victim attempted to enter his building, Kearney ambushed him, and shot him several times in the back. When law enforcement and paramedics arrived on scene, they located the victim near the front of the building and pronounced him dead. On May 13, 2021, when the Gun Recovery Unit executed a residential search warrant in connection with the homicide investigation, Kearney fired multiple times at the officers with an AK-47 assault rifle. Several days later, upon learning that the police had collected his cellphone during the warrant execution, Kearney provided his family member with instructions over the phone on how to remotely erase the contents of his phone.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Kearney on May 13, 2021. He has been in custody since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), commended the work of the MPD officers and detective who investigated the case. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Debra Forte, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Advocates Karina Hernandez and Paola Molina, Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Erin DeRiso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Delaware County Cherokee Citizen Convicted of MurderRead the Press Release
TULSA Okla. – A federal jury convicted James William Buzzard, 50, a Cherokee citizen and Delaware county resident of first-degree murder in Indian Country; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm; and discharge of a firearm during the commission of a federal crime of violence. The crime occurred within the Cherokee Nation reservation.
“Today the jury convicted the last of three defendants for a brutal murder in rural Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This case follows a prolonged and meticulous investigation by our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Violent crime within the Northern District of Oklahoma will be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 1, 2019, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting near Jay, Okla. Deputies discovered Jerry Tapp deceased in his front yard. It appeared that Tapp sustained multiple gunshot wounds and that a second victim had a gunshot wound to her arm. According to court testimony, the surviving victim told investigators that she heard a noise outside the home early that morning. When she turned on the light and opened the door, she heard gunfire and felt a sudden pain in her wrist. The victim noticed a four-door car before she shut and locked the front door, crawled to another room, and called 911. While investigating the crime, OSBI agents located and seized multiple shell casings.
Dakota Buzzard, son of James Buzzard, was located by deputies from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office driving a white 4-door Altima matching the surviving victim’s description. OSBI agents later found four spent shell casings inside the vehicle. Dakota provided the location of the rifle used, as well as additional bullets. During the investigation, the shell casings found at the scene of the crime were identified as having been fired by the same rifle.
On Aug. 6, 2019, investigators obtained Facebook records of Cody Buzzard, another son of James Buzzard. The day prior to the shooting, Cody made Facebook inquiries about getting a vehicle and firearm. He indicated that he “had business to tend to,” and he was going to “take care of a problem.”
During an interview with authorities, Dakota Buzzard stated that he, Cody, and James Buzzard drove toward Tapp’s residence, parked up the road from the home, and waited for him to return from work. James Buzzard allegedly told his sons to retrieve the rifle from the trunk of the car. Dakota stated that once Tapp drove by they followed him to his home where Tapp was shot and killed. Prosecutors proved the Buzzards aided and abetted one another to shoot and kill Tapp and then shoot his girlfriend.
The two brothers in this case, both Cherokee citizens from Grove, entered earlier pleas. Cody Dwayne Buzzard, 29, pled guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country; and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Dakota Chase Buzzard, 22, pled to conspiracy to carry, use, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Reagan Reininger, Eric Johnston, and Elizabeth Dick prosecuted the case.
Defendants Charged in Joint Federal, State, and Local Investigation of Firearms Trafficking and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Eleven defendants are facing federal criminal charges as part of a joint federal, state, and local law enforcement investigation. These charges result from a year-long investigation into violent acts, shootings, the possession and use of firearms, including the use of automatic switches, which qualify as machine guns under federal law, firearm straw purchasing, firearm trafficking, and distribution of fentanyl within the Des Moines area by members and associates of the criminal street gang OMB (Only My Brothers), a subset of the C-Block criminal street gang. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered shell casings at various shootings and generated investigative leads. Ninety-two guns were involved, with 73 of the involved guns seized.
“Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will continue to work side by side to aggressively investigate crimes of violence and conduct that promotes and sustains this violence, including the trafficking of fentanyl, firearms trafficking, and straw purchasing,” stated United States Attorney Richard Westphal. “Our thanks to the dedicated local, state and federal law enforcement agents and officers whose tireless dedication to the protection of this community is exemplified by this investigation. To individuals and groups that use violent crime, firearms and drug trafficking as a means to any end, please stop or face similar consequences.”
Eleven defendants are charged in five criminal indictments with federal drug and firearm related offenses:
• Armani Eugene Gates, 19, also known as “OMB74” and “74,” of Des Moines,
• Majok Majok, 18, also known as “Jok” and “Magok Magok,” of Des Moines,
• Trent Douglas Brown, Jr., 19, also known as “TB,” of Des Moines,
• Semaj Johnson, 19, also known as “Maj” and “10mill,” of Des Moines,
• Santiz Cortez Langford, Jr., 19, also known as “Tiz” and “Tizwick,” of Des Moines,
• Dawn Ellease Robinson, 44, also known as “Dawn Ellease Colbert,” of Des Moines,
• Deon Ellease Cooper, 27, of Des Moines,
• Deadrian Maurice Nelson, 18, also known as “Shiesty” and “D,” of Des Moines,
• Johnetta Marie Strode, 36, of Des Moines,
• Avontae Lamar Tucker, 20, also known as “Tae Tae,” of Des Moines, and
• Bakier Esmaeil, 18, of Des Moines.On July 20, 2023, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies executed nine federal search warrants that resulted in the arrest of eleven defendants, two of which were already in federal custody. The search warrants also lead to the seizure of approximately 13,000 suspected fentanyl pills, seven firearms, one machine gun conversion device, and $23,000 in cash.
According to public court documents and information discussed at court hearings, Strode is Nelson’s mother and allegedly conspired to straw purchase a firearm, later found in Nelson’s possession. Robinson is the mother of both Langford and Cooper and allegedly conspired with Langford to straw a purchase a firearm later found in possession of a victim in the January 2023 Starts Right Here double homicide in Des Moines. Cooper, who is Langford’s sister, is also alleged to have purchased firearms at Langford’s direction.
Gates, Majok, and Brown are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to life in prison.
Gates, Cooper, Langford, Robinson, and Strode are charged with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. Cooper and Robinson were charged with individually straw purchasing firearms. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, with Gates facing a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Cooper, Robinson, and Strode are charged with false statement during the purchase of a firearm. These charges carry a maximum sentence of five to 10 years in prison.
Gates, Majok, Johnson, and Langford are charged with firearm trafficking conspiracies. Langford was charged with firearms trafficking. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Johnson and Tucker are charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Gates, Brown, and Majok were charged with distribution of fentanyl. These charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Langford is charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. This charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Tucker is charged with possession with intent to distribution five grams or more of methamphetamine. This charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Tucker is also charged with possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory seven-year consecutive sentence, up to life in prison. Further, Tucker is charged with interference with commerce through robbery. This charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Johnson and Tucker are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This charge carries a mandatory five-year consecutive sentence, up to life in prison.
Majok and Langford are charged with illegal possession of a machinegun. Majok and Langford were also charged with possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. These charges carry a mandatory 30-year consecutive sentence, up to life in prison.
Gates, Esmaeil, Johnson, Majok, Robinson, Langford, Strode, and Tucker are charged with being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. Nelson was charged with being a felon and an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. These charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 to 15 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges were announced by Richard D. Westphal, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa; Bernard Hansen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Kansas City Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Bryan Musgrove, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Dana Wingert, Chief of Police of the Des Moines Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Herrera and Mallory Weiser are prosecuting the case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case, with assistance from the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Clive Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Ames Police Department, Altoona Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), and Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR).
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defendant on the Run for 12 Years Extradited from Spain to Face Child Pornography Charges in Miami Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MIAMI – After skipping bond and remaining on the lam for 12 years, 71-year-old Carlos Blanco has been extradited from Spain to the United States to face federal child pornography possession and distribution charges in the Southern District of Florida. Blanco made his initial appearance in Miami federal court this week after arriving on a flight from Spain, where he was arrested pursuant to a request from the U.S. government.
Federal law enforcement originally arrested Blanco (a citizen of the United States, Honduras, and Cuba) on November 3, 2010, charging him by criminal complaint with possessing and distributing child pornography. He was released on bond following initial hearings before a federal magistrate judge. Following a grand jury’s decision to indict Blanco, the court set a February 24, 2011 hearing, at which Blanco was expected to plead guilty. Blanco failed to appear for the change of plea hearing, and the judge issued an arrest warrant. The court declared Blanco a fugitive on February 25, 2011 -- a designation Blanco held for over 12 years.
In March 2023, Blanco was arrested in Spain pursuant to a request for his provisional arrest made by the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA). Blanco consented to his extradition to the United States. Blanco lived in Spain from July 2022 through the date of his arrest. Before that, he lived in Honduras for 11 years.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the extradition.
U.S. Attorney Lapointe extends his gratitude to FBI Miami’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the government of Spain for making the extradition possible, as well as OIA for its significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition. The U.S. Attorney also extends his gratitude to the Spanish Civil Guard and Interpol for their assistance in capturing this fugitive and in bringing him back to the United States.
FBI Miami investigated the criminal case against Blanco, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Cory O’Neal is prosecuting.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number Case #10-20837-CR-King.
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Daviess County Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Covid Agricultural ProgramRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Jameson, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, a program created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Troy Jennings, 49, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of theft of government funds.
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)—a program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the Farm Service Agency (FSA)—was created to provide financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the program, cattle producers could receive a per-head payment for cattle sold between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020.
In June 2020, Jennings provided false information on his CFAP application regarding the number of cattle he sold. When asked by the FSA to substantiate his numbers, Jennings submitted multiple fraudulent documents and activated a pre-paid phone in an attempt to impersonate another man.
As part of his plea agreement, Jennings will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $114,267, the full amount he received from the CFAP.
Under federal statutes, Jennings is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Davenport Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison Related to PerjuryRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport woman was sentenced today to six months in federal prison for providing false statements during federal grand jury testimony.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, LaRhonda Dawnielle Jenkins, 30, was present at a shooting at the Dam View Inn in Davenport on March 9, 2021, where an individual was shot multiple times. When Jenkins was called to testify at federal grand jury proceedings, Jenkins lied about her knowledge of the identified shooter.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Jenkins will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.Danville, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon as an Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Illinois, man, Alvin Beasley, 38, was sentenced today to 300 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, after being convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon following a jury trial in September 2021.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, the government highlighted evidence that Beasley did not just possess a firearm, he discharged several shots at his pregnant girlfriend’s Danville home during a drive-by shooting while she was inside the residence. Beasley was on parole for a second-degree murder conviction at the time. In addition, the government pointed to jailhouse phone calls made after the shooting where Beasley said he “just snap[s] out for no reason” and wants to “hurt people.” Beasley also explained during another call that he was tired of dealing drugs and “just want[ed] to kill people.”
Judge Bruce found that Beasley qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his prior state convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery, and second-degree murder. That determination raised Beasley’s statutory penalties to fifteen years to life imprisonment.
Judge Bruce further noted that the facts of Beasley’s case were serious and troubling and stated that Beasley attempted to obstruct justice with his testimony at trial. Specifically, after hearing the evidence against him, Beasley took the stand and admitted that he shot at his pregnant girlfriend’s residence, but tried to claim that he did so with a different gun than the one he was charged with possessing. The jury rejected his testimony and found him guilty.
“Gun violence has no place in our communities, said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to protect our communities and ensure those who engage in gun violence are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Danville Police Department, the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office, the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the Illinois State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Freres and William Lynch represented the United States in this prosecution.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Dartis Cobb (35, St. Petersburg) to four years and three months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Cobb had pleaded guilty on March 9, 2023.
According to court documents, on August 13, 2022, deputies with the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office attempted to pull over a vehicle being driven by Cobb. Cobb refused to stop the car and fled from the deputies, leading them on a chase through a neighborhood. Eventually, deputies were able to stop the vehicle on a residential street. They then placed Cobb under arrest for felony fleeing and recovered one round of 9 mm ammunition from Cobb’s front pants pocket.
Deputies also located a bag in the passenger seat. The bag was open, and deputies could see the magazine well of a firearm sticking out of the bag. They could also see the magazine was inside the well. Deputies took the weapon and the magazine containing 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition into evidence. They deputies also concluded that the firearm appeared to be a “ghost gun” with no identifiable or traceable components. This was later confirmed by agents with ATF.
Cobb has previously been convicted of two felonies including robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky is handling the forfeiture.
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.