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Thursday 1 June 2023
Navajo Man Charged with Assault, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Tyrell Willie was ordered detained after he appeared at a preliminary and detention hearing before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and the use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Willie, 37, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 28, 2023, in Shiprock, Willie allegedly drove to the home of a woman he had met on Facebook approximately two weeks before. When he arrived, the woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, came out of the residence and sat in the passenger side of Willie’s truck. After a short discussion, Willie allegedly became upset for an unknown reason, got out of his truck, walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and tried to throw Jane Doe out of the truck. Doe threatened to scream if Willie did not let her go, which he did not, so Doe screamed. Doe’s son, identified as John Doe in court records, came out of the residence, grabbed Willie, and threw him to the ground. Jane Doe got out of the truck and Willie got back up, got back into the truck, then drove away, hitting Jane Doe’s and her neighbor’s fence in the process.
Jane Doe believed that she observed Willie circling the block twice before he left. About thirty minutes later, John Doe thought he heard the truck approaching, so he went outside. While he was outside, Jane Doe saw Willie’s truck pull up slowly with the lights off. Jane Doe heard gunshots and John Doe yelled. When Jane Doe walked outside, John Doe was holding his midsection. Almost immediately, Jane Doe was able to flag down two marked police officers from the Navajo Police Department and told them what had happened. The officers had been responding to multiple calls reporting a truck driving erratically and causing property damage in the area, had heard the gunshots and had seen Willie’s truck drive by them. One officer pursued Willie while the second transported John Doe to the hospital.
The pursuing officers located Willie’s truck stalled on the road and initiated a high-risk stop. Willie stepped out of the truck holding a shotgun. After being given commands to drop the gun, Willie slid the shotgun under the truck. The shotgun was loaded with four shells.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Willie faces a minimum of ten years in prison.
FBI Farmington Agency investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.
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23-119
Mountain View Resident Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Prison for Enticing Children to Engage in Production of PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Christopher Raymond Campbell was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for possessing, and enticing children to engage in the production of, child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.
Campbell, 37, of Mountain View, pleaded guilty to the charges on January 17, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Campbell admitted that, between March of 2021 and March of 2022, he corresponded with multiple minors through social media platforms using his iPhone and other electronic devices. Campbell admitted he often used aliases and screennames to dupe his victims into taking sexually explicit photos of themselves and sending the images to him. For example, Campbell admitted he presented himself as a young female, and then talked to victims he knew to be young girls; by pretending to be a girl, he would gain the trust of his victims and persuade them to send him pornographic photographs and videos of themselves. Similarly, Campbell acknowledged he sometimes pretended to be other individuals to make his victims think they were talking to multiple different people; Campbell then pressured the minors into creating sexually explicit images of themselves.
Campbell acknowledged in his plea agreement that he sometimes used a recording function on his phone to take and save live video of his communications with the minor females. He also admitted he gave his victims instructions on how to take the photos, including coaching them while they masturbated or, in the case of one victim (who was 9 years old), instructing her to insert various objects into her vagina despite the pain it caused her. Campbell admitted he enticed one minor to send him at least 10 videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that another minor victim (estimated to be between 10 and 14 years old) sent him videos including one showing her breasts and pubic region.
On August 25, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Campbell, charging him with one count each of coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b); and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). Campbell pleaded guilty to the possession charge and the coercion and enticement of a minor charge. Judge Chhabria dismissed the receipt of child pornography charge at sentencing.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria also ordered Campbell to serve 60 months of supervised release—to begin after his prison term. Judge Chhabria ordered Campbell to begin serving his prison term on July 28, 2023.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Yeh is prosecuting the case with assistance from Lakisha Holliman and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.
Motel Manager Pleads Guilty to Coercing Labor and Sex Acts by Female VictimRead the Press Release
A hotel manager in Georgia pleaded guilty today to trafficking with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or forced labor.
According to court documents, Shreesh Tiwari, 70, an Indian national and legal U.S. permanent resident, began managing the Budgetel Motel in Cartersville, Georgia, in 2020. Tiwari hired the victim to work as a house cleaner at the motel. Tiwari knew that, prior to arriving at the Budgetel, the victim had experienced homelessness, struggled with a heroin addiction and lost custody of her young child. Tiwari promised the victim that he would help her regain custody of her child by providing her with pay, an apartment, and an attorney.
Instead of following through with his promises, Tiwari monitored the victim’s interactions with motel guests and employees and forbade her from speaking to them. Tiwari also made numerous sexual overtures to the victim. When Tiwari became angry at the victim, he threatened to evict her from the room he offered her at the Budgetel, knowing that she would become homeless as a result. Tiwari also threatened to report the victim’s drug use to law enforcement or child welfare agencies whenever he was angry at her. Eventually, Tiwari began to regularly “evict” the victim from her motel room, and even locked her out of her room at night without warning. Tiwari later required the victim to perform oral sex on him to stay at the motel. If she did not, Tiwari removed her from the property, causing her to be homeless.
“Human trafficking is an abhorrent crime in which traffickers specifically identify and target the most vulnerable members of our society, often using fraudulent promises to offer hope to someone in need,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This conviction demonstrates that the Justice Department is committed to prosecuting motel operators and other landlords who misuse and abuse their position of power over tenants to compel them to engage in commercial sex acts.”
“Victims of sex trafficking crimes are some of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities and they are targeted by traffickers as a result,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We refuse to tolerate human trafficking of any kind and this conviction reinforces our commitment to protecting all victims of crime in our community – regardless of their status.”
“Prosecuting human traffickers and rescuing human trafficking victims is a top priority of this office and the Department of Homeland Security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta Field Office. “This guilty plea highlights that commitment and serves as a warning to other predators that law enforcement is determined to find, arrest and punish those involved in this heinous crime.”
Sentencing is set for Sept. 6. Tiwari faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea agreement, Tiwari agreed to pay slightly over $40,000 in mandatory restitution to the victims of offense. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Acting Special Agent in Charge Pickard made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Dalton Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Annalise Peters for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Kate Hill of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Mexican National Living in Sacramento Indicted on Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Luis Enrique Vasquez-Lopez, 45, a Mexican national living in Sacramento, charging him with distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from December 2022 to April 2023, Vasquez-Lopez sold a confidential source at least 40 grams of fentanyl on four occasions. During the investigation, agents identified two privately owned rural properties that Vasquez-Lopez was utilizing to store his drugs. On May 22, 2023, Vasquez-Lopez was arrested and found to be in possession of a kilogram of fentanyl, heroin, and a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Vasquez-Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Raul Martinez-Perez, age 48, of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Martinez-Perez was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in June 1999. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after June 1999 and was found in the United States in Adams County, Pennsylvania after being arrested on state felony charges.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Miovas, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Based on his prior criminal history, Martinez-Perez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Marion County Woman Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Nishera Remon Johnson (42, Silver Springs Shores) to 16 years and 8 months years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute narcotics (including methamphetamine and cocaine) and possessing a firearm as an armed career criminal. Johnson had been indicted on September 2, 2020. She was previously found guilty by a federal jury on June 29, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on November 26, 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement officers searched a vehicle belonging to Johnson and found nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. During the execution of a search warrant of a co-conspirator’s cellphone, agents found evidence of a marijuana grow operation at Johnson’s residence. When that home was searched pursuant to a search warrant on December 16, 2019, agents located numerous firearms and ammunition and nearly half a kilogram of powder cocaine. Agents also located the marijuana grow operation in a shed behind the home. Johnson had been living at the home together with her co-conspirator and her minor child.
As a convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. Furthermore, Johnson’s extensive criminal record—including multiple convictions for the sale and distribution of cocaine—qualified her for a sentencing enhancement as an Armed Career Criminal on the firearm offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
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.
Marathon County Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking & Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Lawrence E. Lavergne, 41, Wausau, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 9 years in federal prison for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 8 years of supervised release. Lavergne pleaded guilty to these charges on February 14, 2023.
On February 21, 2022, Lavergne sold 24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a hotel room in Rothschild.
Later that day, Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force officers executed a search warrant at the same hotel room. When officers announced themselves at the door, Lavergne leapt out of the second story hotel room window. He was taken into custody and had over $7,000 in cash on him, including $500 in prerecorded buy money from the drug deal earlier that day. A total of 233 grams of methamphetamine were located in the hotel room along with drug trafficking paraphernalia.
The day after Lavergne’s arrest, a woman contacted law enforcement to report that there were two firearms at her house in Antigo, Wisconsin that she believed belonged to Lavergne. Officers responded and located a Hi-Point 9mm handgun, a Masterpiece Arms 9mm handgun, two loaded magazines, and a container with 9mm ammunition. Lavergne’s DNA was found on both handguns. Lavergne was legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on multiple prior felony convictions. The firearms charge was filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, then transferred to the Western District when the defendant pleaded guilty.
At the time of these events, Lavergne was on state extended supervision in three separate cases, including a case involving drug trafficking and a case involving possessing a firearm as a felon. Lavergne’s supervision has since been revoked in those cases and he has been re-confined in state prison with an anticipated release date of July 16, 2023. Judge Conley ordered that Lavergne’s 9-year federal sentence start today and run concurrently with the remainder of his state sentences.
At sentencing, Judge Conley told Lavergne that nothing seemed to have changed since his last federal sentence (a 2011 federal conviction for distribution of crack cocaine) and his conduct now seemed to be worse given the inclusion of firearms. Judge Conley noted Lavergne had four state felony convictions since his prior federal offense.
The charges against Lavergne were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI's Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Portage County Sheriff's Office, Everest Metro Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson, Corey C. Stephan, and Daniel R. Humble (Eastern District of Wisconsin) prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving a Violent Murder and for Drug Distribution and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced El Salvadoran national Jose Lopez Rivera, age 27, of Elmont, New York, formerly residing in Maryland, to 26 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy involving a violent murder connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13, and for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Chief Deputy, Colonel David Benjamin of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Since at least 2015, Lopez Rivera was a member of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) MS-13 clique.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations, and reputation, including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 31, 2015, while Lopez Rivera and other MS-13 gang members were drinking in Wheaton, Maryland, they went to a coffee shop where they saw Victim 5. Victim 5 was wearing Nike Cortez sneakers, which according to MS-13 rules, were only to be worn by gang members. A MS-13 member had previously warned Victim 5 about wearing those sneakers. As they walked past Victim 5, he spit on one of the gang members who then punched Victim 5 in the mouth. Victim 5 threw a beer at one of the MS-13 gang members and ran. Lopez Rivera and another gang member chased Victim 5 away from the coffee shop and Victim 5 was then stabbed to death. Following the murder, the gang members reported to their leadership that they had killed a rival gang member.
According to his plea agreement, on July 22, 2021, investigators searched an apartment in Elmont, New York, where Lopez Rivera was living at the time and recovered a shotgun, ammunition, and a brick of packed white powder, which tested positive for cocaine. Lopez Rivera admitted that he possessed the cocaine to distribute it and possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug distribution. Further, Lopez Rivera knew that he was in the United States illegally and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in this and related cases.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; ATF; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in these investigations, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Anatoly Smolkin, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Louisville Man Charged with Transporting Minors Across State Lines with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued last week charging Brian Anthony Sauer, 44, of Louisville, Kentucky, with transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court records, during the late hours of May 7, 2023, going into May 8, 2023, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Sauer transported three minor girls who had run away from a residential care facility in Louisville, Kentucky, to Clarksville, Indiana, and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with the girls. Sauer ultimately drove all three girls to a trailer park in the southwest area of Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he left them, on May 10, 2023.
Sauer made his initial appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Sauer remains in federal custody and is scheduled for preliminary and detention hearings in the U.S. Gene Snyder Courthouse on Monday, June 5, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
If convicted, Sauer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and maximum potential penalties of life in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Los Angeles County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Conspiracy with Yuba County ManRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Luis Millan, aka Peter Millan, 37, of Montebello, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in May 2021, Millan conspired with Brent Hooton, 50, of Marysville, to produce an image of a child under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hooton produced the image and then sent it to Millan and other users over the Kik messaging app. Millan received that image, as well as additional pornographic images of the same child victim, from Hooton over the Kik app.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.
Millan is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Millan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison. 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.
On May 30, 2023, Hooton pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Lexington Couple Sentenced for Participating in a Darknet Marketplace Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Benjamin Norman Joseph Flanigan, 27, and Haleigh Breanne Flanigan, 27, of Lexington, were sentenced to federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell. Benjamin Flanigan pled guilty to drug distribution and conspiracy to commit drug distribution and was sentenced to 18 months. Haleigh Flanigan also pled guilty to was conspiracy to commit drug distribution and conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 48 months.
According to both Flanigans’ plea agreements, they admitted to participating in a darknet market drug trafficking organization, operating under the moniker PartyCrew. The darknet is an overlay of the internet that is only accessible through certain software, configurations, or authorization. Access to the darknet is designed to anonymize the user, and it is mostly used for illicit purposes. Marketplaces on the darknet are used to buy and sell illicit goods and services. The PartyCrew darknet marketplace posting advertised the sale of multiple controlled substances in exchange for cryptocurrencies such as Monero and Bitcoin. For their part, the Flanigans fulfilled orders for controlled substances, by packaging and mailing them through the U.S. mail to customers across the United States. Haleigh Flanigan received payment for her services in cryptocurrencies, which she further attempted to conceal through the use of cryptocurrency anonymizing tools.
The prosecution included a third member of the conspiracy, Joshua Cook, who has pled guilty to the same offenses as Haleigh Flanigan and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2023. It also amounted to a total dismantling of the PartyCrew drug trafficking organization.
Benjamin and Haleigh Flanigan pled guilty in February of 2023.
Under federal law, the Defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences; and upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Cincinnati, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Dieruf and Emily Greenfield.
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Leader of Boston Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man responsible for leading a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced yesterday for heroin and fentanyl conspiracy charges and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his organization.
Mujab Mubarak, a/k/a “Big Homie,” a/k/a “Easy,” a/k/a “E,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release. On March 3, 2023, Mubarak pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and one count of use and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. As part of the plea agreement, Mubarak agreed to forfeit $360,000 in cash, two motorcycles, a truck and multiple luxury watches that were purchased with proceeds of the drug trafficking organization. In total, the value of the forfeited property is approximately $523,000.
Mubarak was responsible for a large DTO and employed multiple lower-level co-conspirators as part of his distribution network. Recordings obtained during the course of the investigation captured Mubarak describing the scope and extent of his drug trafficking operation. A cooperating witness made over 20 recorded purchases of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from subordinates of Mubarak. Mubarak also discussed employing the cooperating witness as a distributor and explained the business in detail.
Additionally, Mubarak was captured on a recording discussing a 2017 shooting incident where he targeted a former co-conspirator because he believed the co-conspirator had stolen the DTO’s drug money. Mubarak explained that the co-conspirator was transporting cash through Logan airport on behalf of Mubarak’s DTO and that the co-conspirator claimed that the money was seized by police, which was in fact true. When the co-conspirator failed to provide satisfactory proof of the seizure, Mubarak stated on recording that he located the co-conspirator and shot him. Police and medical records showed that the co-conspirator was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his back.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Boston Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Uriel Fajardo-Albarran (28, Coleman) to 23 years in federal prison. A federal jury previously convicted Fajardo-Albarran of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and three other drug distribution counts on January 6, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, between January 2021 and October 2022, Fajardo-Albarran received large amounts of methamphetamine from sources in Mexico, Texas, and Georgia. He then transported the methamphetamine to the Middle District of Florida, where he used lower-level dealers to distribute multiple kilograms of the substance each week for approximately two years. Fajardo-Albarran had organized the drug distribution network after taking over for another supplier who had been convicted and sentenced to federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Sarah J. Swartzberg.
Korean National Sentenced to 2 Years and 9 months in Prison for “Bust Out” Bank Fraud Scheme in Sacramento Area and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hee Soung Oh, 47, a Korean national residing in Southern California, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison for bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between January 2017 and September 2017, Oh participated in a nationwide check kiting “bust out” scheme in order to obtain cash from banks. The scheme’s participants obtained a real Republic of Korea passport that was altered to bear a new photograph and name, which they used to open bank accounts with a small amount of cash. The accounts were dormant until a time the participants believed the bank would allow the account holder to deposit a check and make withdrawals before the check actually cleared. At that time, the participants wrote checks from a different bank account with non-sufficient funds, deposited those checks into the dormant account, and then withdrew cash from the dormant account before the checks cleared. The participants would access funds by purchasing a money order and then depositing the money order into yet another bank account associated with the scheme.
The bust-out scheme resulted in an actual loss of $273,800 to the banks, and a total intended loss of $466,318 based on additional, unsuccessful bust-out attempts.
This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey B. Hemesath prosecuted the case.
Korean nationals Jong Eun Lee, 48, and Kyung Min Kong, 55, were previously sentenced: Lee to 22 months in prison and Kong to seven years and nine months in prison. Charges are pending against Ki Jang and Bon Soke Hong, who were indicted on Oct. 21, 2021. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
KC Man Sentenced to 30 Years for $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Joshua A. Brown, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, May 31, to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Brown to forfeit to the government $31,108, which represents his proceeds from illegal drug trafficking.
On June 27, 2022, Brown pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. According to court documents, Brown was responsible for the distribution of nearly 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
Brown has also been charged with the murder of a victim identified in court documents as “T.D.” in the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, and that case is currently pending. The body of the victim, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, was discovered on March 12, 2019.
Brown was arrested on March 26, 2019, after he paid $5,000 to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant through an intermediate, who was a confidential law enforcement source. Kansas City, Mo., police officers then arrested Brown in the parking lot of the apartment building where he received the methamphetamine.
Brown, who was driving a stolen Volkswagen Jetta, had a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband when he was taken into custody. A .45-caliber shell casing recovered at the scene where T. D.’s body was found had been fired through the Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported as stolen.
Officers searched the Jetta and found a red backpack that contained an Iver Johnson Arms .32-caliber revolver, an Arminus Titan Tiger.38-caliber revolver, and an Iver Johnson Arms .45-caliber revolver, all of which had been reported as stolen. The backpack also contained a blue Nike bag with approximately 735.7 grams of pure methamphetamine and 23.7 grams of marijuana.
Brown told investigators he purchased whole kilograms of methamphetamine every few days. Brown admitted he sold methamphetamine by the ounce and made $150 profit on each ounce sold. Brown also told investigators he acquired the stolen firearms through trades for methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Brown was under a criminal justice sentence for possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and unlawful use of a weapon in the Circuit Court of Platte County, Mo., and possession of drug contraband in prison in the District Court of Ellsworth County, Kan., when he committed this federal offense.
Brown has nine prior felony convictions for possession of stolen property, aggravated battery, criminal use of weapons, distribution of certain hallucinogens, possession of drug contraband in prison, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and unlawful use of a weapon. Brown also has been convicted of 20 misdemeanor and/or ordinance offenses.
Brown is the final defendant among 18 defendants who have been sentenced in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRIS BAO NGUYEN (“NGUYEN”), age 30, of Marrero, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 30, 2023 for receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to documents filed in federal court, the case against NGUYEN resulted from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) CyberTip report to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”). Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents along with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and LBI executed a federal search warrant at NGUYEN’s home in Marrero. HSI’s investigation determined NGUYEN received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
United States District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced NGUYEN to 5 years imprisonment, 15 years supervised release, registratio0n as a sex offender, and $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Jacksonville Brothers Plead Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joshua Thomas Brown (28, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent children. At sentencing, Brown faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Joshua Brown’s brother, Jonathan William Brown (25, Jacksonville), pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to downloading and receiving photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. His sentencing hearing is set for June 26, 2023. Jonathan Brown faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, up to 20 years, in prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Both men have been detained since their arrests.
According to court documents, in January 2022, an electronic service provider (ESP) documented several incidents involving uploads of child sexual abuse material from a particular online account with the username “Jonathan Brown” and other identifiers traceable to the same name. These uploads had occurred from July 2021 through and December 23, 2021. These ESP reports were forwarded to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for investigation. This investigation revealed that at least one contraband file had been uploaded to the internet from Jonathan Brown’s residence in Jacksonville.
On July 8, 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), together with officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, executed a federal search warrant at Jonathan Brown’s residence, who was at the residence. During the execution of this warrant, agents seized several electronic devices, including computers, cellular telephones, and storage media. During an interview with law enforcement, Jonathan Brown stated that he used his desktop computer to download child sexual abuse materials, had started engaging in this conduct “a long time ago,” and since then has been in a cycle of seeking such materials on the internet, downloading it, and then deleting it. Forensic analysis of Brown’s electronic devices revealed hundreds of files of child sexual abuse materials, including a photo depicting a prepubescent child being sexually abused that Jonathan Brown downloaded from the internet on March 21, 2022.
Jonathan Brown’s brother, Joshua Brown, lived at the same residence and was present during the search on July 8, 2022. During an interview with law enforcement, Joshua Brown admitted that a particular cellular telephone that was seized belonged to him and was used only by him. Forensic analysis of this phone revealed that it contained hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material, including a photo depicting a prepubescent child being sexually abused. In total, Joshua Brown knowingly possessed more than 2,100 videos and more than 600 photos depicting children being sexually abused that were recovered from three cellular phones, a gaming computer, an external hard disk drive, and an online file-sharing account.
These cases were investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and D. Rodney Brown.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Murder of a U.S. Postal Service EmployeeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Tony Cushingberry, 24, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on April 27, 2020, at approximately 3:57 p.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers were called to North Denny Street in Indianapolis in reference to a person shot. Officers arrived at the scene and located a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, later identified as Angela Summers, shot and laying on the front porch of the residence. Ms. Summers was working as a letter carrier and was delivering mail on her route at the time she was shot.
Cushingberry was sitting on his porch when he watched Summers walk past his house and proceed to the next residence. Cushingberry aggressively approached Summers on the neighbor’s porch and demanded his mail several times. Cushingberry continued to pursue Summers while displaying a handgun, eventually pulling it from the right side of his waistband and shooting Summers in the chest from several feet away.
Cushingberry immediately fled the scene and stashed the gun in the detached garage of a nearby residence. On April 27, 2020, United States Postal Inspectors and IMPD Officers searched Cushingberry’ s home and located a safe that contained multiple boxes of ammunition, including the same caliber and brand of fired cartridge casing matching the Glock he used.
Summers was transported to Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 5:31pm that evening.
“Angela Summers was a beloved family member and public servant, and she should be alive today. She was taken from those who cared for her by the defendant’s evil decision to gun her down while she was simply doing her job,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our communities should not have to live in fear of every conflict leading to gun violence. No term of imprisonment will bring Angela back, but the sentence imposed today demonstrates that those who kill will face judgment and accountability. I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, IMPD, and our federal prosecutors for their efforts to seek justice in this case.”
“The safety and security of Postal Service employees and customers is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service. This tragic death is a tremendous example of how local and federal partners joined together to investigate and bring to justice Tony Cushingberry, who senselessly took the life of our colleague. This sentence should serve as a warning to others who commit violent acts against Postal Service employees that Postal Inspectors will aggressively investigate and seek to have those individuals sentenced to the maximum extent possible” said Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins.
“Angela Summers did not deserve to be killed for doing her job,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “My condolences go out to her family, friends, and colleagues, and I hope that this sentence at least provides a measure of closure for them.”
United States Postal Inspection Service, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Cushingberry be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jayson W. McGrath and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
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Illinois Man Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Levar Tyms, 20 years old, of Country Club Hills, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Tyms was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release
According to documents in the case, on March 9, 2022, law enforcement attempted to stop a stolen vehicle driven by Tyms in Gary, Indiana. Tyms fled from officers at a high rate of speed and crashed the vehicle. From the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. The firearm also contained a conversion device known as a “Glock Switch” which converted the semi-automatic firearm to a fully automatic weapon. The machinegun was not registered to Tyms in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer record, making his possession of it illegal.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel L. Mathur and Kevin F. Wolff.
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.
Holly, Michigan Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison After Threatening Bar Patrons with an AR-15-Style RifleRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Holly, Michigan man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a weapon after he pointed an AR-15-style rifle at patrons inside the Holly Inn Bar in March 2022, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Joshua Allgeyer, 40, was sentenced by United States District Judge George Caram Steeh after having previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a Springfield Armory Saint AR-15-style rifle. Witnesses told investigators that after Allgeyer left the Holly Inn Bar following a verbal fight inside, he returned with the rifle and pointed it through a side window at patrons inside, causing them to run for cover and fear for their lives. Allgeyer then fled the scene and hid inside his local residence, refusing to exit once officers arrived to arrest him. After a barricade was set up and the SWAT team was called in, Allgeyer eventually exited the residence. Inside, law enforcement recovered the rifle, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and seven rifle magazines. Allgeyer had prior convictions for armed robbery and home invasion and had previously served 14 years in prison for these crimes.
“This individual posed a great danger to members of our community who were just trying to enjoy an evening at a local bar when he pointed an assault rifle at them. We work continuously to keep dangerous felons off the streets and away from deadly firearms,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Allgeyer’s reckless disregard for human life has real consequences. The use of an illegal firearm to intimidate people by a previous repeat offender in our community is reprehensible,” said, ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir “The women and men of the ATF are steadfast in their commitment to hold violent felons accountable for criminal misconduct involving illegal firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Detroit Field Office of the ATF and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin Casey and Diane Princ.
Harrisburg Man Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Princeton Flagg-Garrett, age 32, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by federal grand jury with committing bank fraud while on federal pretrial release for similar offenses.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in 2022, Flagg-Garrett pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. While he was on pretrial release in that case, Flagg-Garrett is alleged to have obtained employment at Penn State Hershey Medical Center through Allied Universal Security Services by submitting an application that used a false social security number and which omitted Flagg-Garrett’s prior criminal convictions. The indictment alleges that while working at Penn State Hershey, Flagg-Garrett stole more than two dozen checks in the aggregate amount of $167,934.68, which he fraudulently altered to be made payable to himself and third parties who are alleged to have negotiated or attempted to negotiate the checks at banks and credit unions in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.
The case was investigated by the Derry Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Secret Service -Harrisburg. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is imprisonment for up to 30 years, up to five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Because Flagg-Garrett is alleged to have committed the offenses while under pretrial supervision, he may be subject to additional consecutive penalties if he is convicted. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Hamden Man Admits Mailing Numerous Threatening LettersRead the Press Release
GARRETT SANTILLO, 43, of Hamden, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to mailing numerous threatening letters to individuals in Connecticut and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Santillo mailed more than 100 letters containing threatening and hateful statements, including threats of violence, to journalists, judges and other public officials and individuals in Connecticut and elsewhere, including a Justice of the United States Supreme Court and a United States Supreme Court Justice Nominee. Several letters mailed by Santillo contained this or similar language: “If you don’t obey what this letter says, you along with others including [name redacted] and people in Washington DC and everywhere and you. You all will be killed!!”
Santillo pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications to a United States Judge, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. He has been released on a $100,000 bond since his arrest on July 6, 2022.
Santillo has been federally prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced for mailing threatening letters three prior times, and he completed his most recent term of federal supervision in August 2021.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Hamden, Milford, Ridgefield, and New Haven Police Departments. The investigation has also been assisted by the offices of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney, the New Haven State’s Attorney and the Litchfield State’s Attorney.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Greensboro Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms Dealing as a Result of New Legislation Aimed at Building Safer CommunitiesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Guilford County man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a license after a lengthy investigation revealed an extensive illegal firearms business, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston.
According to court records, GREGORY VINCE RACHAL, age 58, of Greensboro, was contacted in September 2020 by law enforcement after sales records revealed that RACHAL had purchased a large number of firearms on multiple occasions that were the same make and model. At the time of the purchases, RACHAL did not have a license to deal firearms, and the sales records mirrored the behavior of a firearms dealer. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) visited RACHAL to inquire about the sales and RACHAL voluntarily admitted to selling firearms without a license. RACHAL said he was not sure that he needed a license and agreed to no longer sell firearms. In the days immediately after the interview, RACHAL continued to obtain additional similar firearms, prompting a federal investigation. In November 2020, local ATF agents received multiple reports that firearms purchased by RACHAL were recovered by law enforcement agencies across multiple states. In total, twenty-seven of RACHAL’s firearms were recovered in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
In September 2021, a confidential source revealed to law enforcement that RACHAL owned and operated a tactical supply store located besides his business, POPS Electric, wherein he sold ammunition, tactical gear, and firearms parts, and that he was manufacturing privately-made firearms (PMFs), also known as “ghost guns.”.
In an additional interview with ATF agents in December 2021, RACHAL again admitted that he had continued to sell firearms despite warnings from federal agents. RACHAL also informed the agents that he had maintained a log of all of his firearms transactions which he provided to law enforcement. According to his records, RACHAL had acquired over 200 sterilized firearms between March 2020 and January 2021. His records further detailed that he sold approximately fourteen of those after the initial warning from investigators in September 2020.
In July of 2022, a confidential source (CS) revealed to law enforcement that RACHAL had PMFs for sale at his tactical shop. The CS then made a series of controlled purchases of PMFs at this location that were audio and visually recorded by law enforcement.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
“This case is just one example of how our law enforcement agencies work hard each day to keep Americans safe. By tracing and confiscating illegal firearms and removing unlicensed dealers from our communities, the threat that these weapons will fall into the hands of those prohibited from possessing them is substantially decreased,” said U. S. Attorney Sandra Hairston.
On October 31, 2022, RACHAL and one co-defendant were charged in a sealed Indictment. RACHAL was charged with one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license on March 1, 2023.
RACHAL was sentenced today to a 60 month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, RACHAL was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay a $5,000 fine and a special assessment of $100.00.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greensboro Police Department, and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré.
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Garner Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth and Heroin ChargesRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and heroin pled guilty June 1, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Brook Paulsen, 40, from Garner, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
At the plea hearing, Paulsen admitted that during the course of the conspiracy, October 2020 through December 2021, she and others participated in the distribution of more than 2.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and over one pound of heroin. Paulsen and a co-defendant admitted they would receive packages of drugs through FedEx and DHL from a source in Mexico to addresses in Minnesota and Iowa for further distribution in Iowa. Other evidence presented showed that on April 28, 2021, she and a co-defendant distributed methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Paulsen was taken into custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Paulsen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Rochester Minnesota Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Founding Member of New York’s Largest Latin Kings Set Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DIEGO MATEO, a/k/a “Casa,” was sentenced to 27 years in prison in connection with his participation in the Black Mob set of the Latin Kings and their distribution of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. MATEO pled guilty on February 23, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For two decades, Mateo ran the largest and most violent set of the Latin Kings in the New York area. He recruited hundreds of young men into his gang and used them to run a massive drug operation that committed countless acts of violence. Today’s sentencing — along with the other significant sentences that have been imposed in this case — proves that gang life is not glamorous and will lead to years in prison.”
According to public filings and statements made in court:
The Black Mob is a New York-based set, or “tribe,” of the nationwide Latin Kings gang. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.
MATEO was the highest-ranking member of the Black Mob. He founded the gang in 2002 and then grew the Black Mob into the largest Latin Kings set in the New York area with a power base built on massive amounts of drug trafficking and a reputation for violence. Prior to the instant prosecution, the Black Mob had approximately 300 members. The fear and power wielded by the Black Mob amplified MATEO’s own personal reputation, making him, at one point, the highest-ranking Latin King in the entire East Coast. As the leader of the Black Mob, MATEO oversaw the Black Mob’s operations and also ordered and participated in acts of violence and narcotics trafficking. This violence included multiple arsons and a November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral that was ordered by MATEO. Three of the deceased’s family members were shot.
In December 2019, 17 members and associates of the Black Mob were charged with racketeering offenses, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses. In April 2021, seven additional members and associates of the gang were charged, including MATEO. The defendants in this case have included the entire senior leadership of the gang and its most violent members. In addition to today’s sentencing of MATEO, the sentences of the Black Mob leadership have included CARMELO VELEZ (228 months in prison), CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ (210 months in prison), ANGEL LOPEZ (240 months in prison), LUIS SEPULVEDA (180 months in prison), EMMANUEL BONAFE (216 months in prison), MARK WOODS (228 months in prison), WILLIAM GONZALEZ (204 months in prison), ALBERTO BORGES (204 months in prison), RICARDO RICUARTE (168 months in prison), JUAN HERNANDEZ (192 months in prison), RAUL CUELLO (168 months in prison), and PAUL CUELLO (168 months in prison).
MATEO pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics. In connection with his guilty plea, MATEO further stipulated to his involvement in multiple acts of violence: the November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral and a 2016 arson of a commercial wedding venue in Connecticut.
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In addition to the prison term, MATEO, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hobson, David Robles, Elinor Tarlow, and Patrick Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.
Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of over $150,000 in Official FundsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to a Bill of Information charging her with Federal Program Theft.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. Miller’s scheme began on or about July 1, 2018, and continued through in or about September 2022. In all, Miller embezzled, stole, and converted to her personal use more than $150,000 in official funds.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Former USDA animal inspector sentenced for accepting bribesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 69-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison for accepting bribes from Mexican cattle brokers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Roberto Adams pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered he serve a total of 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The sentenced was enhanced because he accepted more than one bribe payment while in a position of public trust for a total amount of over $40,000. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Adams did not understand the gravity of the crime he committed and the significance of the harm he did or could have caused by allowing diseased cattle into the country. He was also ordered to immediately pay $40,000 in fines.
“It is critical that we do not allow corruption to infect positions of public trust, including inspectors at the port of entry,” said Hamdani. “They are supposed to ensure the safety and integrity of the agricultural products passing into the United States. Adams put that system at risk. We hope this sentence serves as deterrent to others thinking of violating their obligations.”
At the time of his plea, Adams admitted he accepted over $40,000 in bribe payments from Mexican cattle brokers while acting in his official position as a USDA employee. In return, he allowed cattle to enter the United States without proper quarantine or inspection.
Adams was a employed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lead animal health technician for 10 years. In that role, he was responsible for inspecting and quarantining or excluding tick-infested or diseased cattle. He was only one of two technicians the USDA employed in Laredo and exercised high level decision-making authority.
The FBI and USDA - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.
Former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer Sentenced to 36 Months’ Imprisonment for Willfully Retaining Top Secret National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Robert L. Birchum (55, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing and retaining classified documents relating to the national defense of the United States. The court also ordered Birchum to pay a fine of $25,000.
Birchum pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing and retaining classified documents relating to the national defense of the United States on February. 21, 2023. According to the plea agreement, Birchum previously served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. During his 29-year career, Birchum served in various positions in intelligence, including those requiring him to work with classified intelligence information for the Joint Special Operations Command, the Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. While on active duty, Birchum entered into several agreements with the United States regarding the protection and proper handling of classified information.
In 2017, however, law enforcement officers discovered that Birchum knowingly removed more than 300 classified files or documents, including more than 30 items marked Top Secret, from authorized locations. Birchum kept these classified materials in his home, his overseas officer’s quarters, and a storage pod in his driveway. None of these locations were authorized for storage of classified national defense information. In particular, the criminal information charges that Birchum possessed two documents on a thumb drive found in his home that contained information relating to the National Security Agency’s capabilities and methods of collection and targets’ vulnerabilities. Both of these documents were classified as Top Secret/SCI, and their unauthorized release could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States.
“The unauthorized removal of highly sensitive documents by the defendant in this case posed great risk to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners who work diligently to keep our nation safe every day.”
“A goal of the FBI’s Counterintelligence program is to protect the secrets of the US Intelligence community. This sentencing illustrates the bureau’s commitment and perseverance in pursuing those individuals who knowingly jeopardize our nation’s security,” said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherie L. Krigsman of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former Oklahoma Jail Sergeant Sentenced for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, Johnnie K. Drewery, 29, a former sergeant with the Grady County Jail in Chickasha, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 48 months of probation, 30 days of weekend incarceration, and 104 hours of community service for using excessive force against an inmate, and thereby violating the inmate’s constitutional civil rights, announced Robert J. Troester, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On January 19, 2022, Drewery pleaded guilty to a felony civil rights violation. According to court documents and admissions Drewery made during the plea hearing, on July 11, 2020, Drewery, along with other officers, transported an inmate, D.H., into a holding cell at the Grady County Jail. As the cell door was closing, D.H. spit on Drewery. Drewery then screamed for the cell door to be reopened. When the cell door was unlocked, Drewery rushed into the cell and, in retaliation for being spit on, struck and repeatedly kneed D.H. D.H. suffered a fractured rib as a result of this assault.
“Former Sergeant Drewery violated the public trust and the laws he was sworn to uphold when he assaulted a man entrusted to his care,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Being a correctional officer did not make him above the law. My office remains committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all Oklahomans – including those who are incarcerated.”
“Mr. Drewery’s retaliatory actions toward an inmate in his care not only violated the victim’s civil rights, but also compromised the public’s trust toward the law enforcement community,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The sentence handed down today illustrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry for the Western of District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to court records for further information.
Former KC Bank Manager Indicted for Facilitating Covid Fraud Scheme, Unemployment Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former bank branch manager in Kansas City, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for accepting Kansas City Chiefs playoffs tickets and a new Chevrolet Tahoe in exchange for facilitating a $12.4 million Covid fraud scheme by a Jefferson City, Mo., business owner, as well as a separate fraud scheme to receive unemployment benefits.
Anthony Omar Brockman, 48, who currently resides in Bennington, Nebraska, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 30. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following Brockman’s arrest.
Brockman was the branch manager of the Truman Hospital location of US Bank in Kansas City, Mo., until the COVID-19 pandemic caused the bank branch to close. Brockman was reassigned to US Bank’s Paycheck Protection Program project from April 12 through July 19, 2020. Brockman was then returned to his role as on-site manager at the Truman Hospital bank branch until May 22, 2021.
On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
The indictment alleges that Brockman assisted and facilitated fraudulent PPP loan applications for Tod Ray Keilholz, the owner of TRK Construction, LLC, TRK Valpo, LLC, TL Builders, LLC, and Project Design, LLC, in Jefferson City. Keilholz has been charged in a separate indictment for his role in a more than $27.1 million bank fraud scheme that included more than $12.4 million in PPP loans for his businesses.
According to that separate indictment, Keilholz received a total of $12,430,932 in PPP loans for his four businesses. In each of those loan applications, the indictment says, Keilholz failed to disclose his ownership in the other three businesses, and made materially false and fraudulent claims in the loan applications and supporting documentation. Keilholz allegedly inflated the income of those businesses and claimed payrolls for employees who did not exist or no longer worked for him.
Brockman is charged with two counts of receiving gifts in exchange for assisting Keilholz in procuring those loans. On Nov. 4, 2020, Keilholz allegedly used PPP loan proceeds to pay for a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe that he gave to Brockman. On Jan. 18, 2021, Keilholz allegedly used PPP loan proceeds to purchase tickets to the Jan. 24, 2021, AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. These gifts, the indictment says, were intended to influence and reward Brockman in connection with Keilholz’s applications for PPP loans and Keilholz’s applications for the forgiveness of PPP loans.
The indictment also charges Brockman with one count of money laundering. Brockman allegedly signed an affidavit gifting the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe to Rich Girl, Rich Boy Prep, Inc., a charity of which his wife was the Chief Executive Officer. On May 25, 2021, Brockman transferred the title to the Tahoe to Rich Girl, Rich Boy Prep but continued to drive the Tahoe until he sold it in July 2022.
The indictment charges Brockman with five counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to receive $11,040 in unemployment benefits from March 27, 2020, to Nov. 4, 2021, while he was employed by US Bank.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau-Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Former Engineer Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Semiconductor Trade SecretRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. man was sentenced today in Boston federal court for possessing the stolen prototype design of a microchip, known as the HMC1022A, which was owned and developed by his former employer, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a semiconductor company headquartered in Wilmington, Mass. This chip is used in both aerospace and defense applications.
Haoyang Yu, 45, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, during which he may not work in the microchip industry. Yu was also ordered to pay a fine of $55,000 and restitution to be determined at a later date. In May 2022, following a month-long trial, a federal jury convicted Yu of possessing ADI’s stolen trade secret. The jury acquitted Yu of alleging possession of other stolen trade secrets, wire fraud, immigration fraud, and the illegal export of controlled technology.
“This prosecution demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the semiconductor market, as this technology plays a critical role in both our country’s industrial policy and geopolitical strategy. Mr. Yu stole intellectual property from his employer, plain and simple, and used that pilfered information to line his own pocket. I commend the work of the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service in their dedicated work to the investigation and prosecution of this matter,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“Yu was convicted by a federal jury of stealing trade secret associated with the design for a semiconductor utilized in defense and aerospace industries. As a result of an intensive investigation, Yu is facing federal prison for his crime,” said Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI works tirelessly with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure the security of sensitive U.S. strategic technologies and will continue to disrupt and dismantle any attempts to obtain them for financial gain.”“Today, Mr. Yu learned his fate for possessing a stolen semiconductor trade secret for his own financial gain. Thankfully, his actions did not destroy his former employer’s business,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While we all welcome fair competition, the FBI will not tolerate stealing and cheating. It’s illegal, unethical, and unfair, and this type of criminal conduct hurts American businesses, jobs, and consumers.”
Between 2014 and 2017, Yu worked at ADI, where he designed microchips used by the communications, defense, and aerospace industries. Through his employment, Yu had access to various kinds of ADI intellectual property, including present and future microchip designs, schematics, layouts, modeling files, customer lists, and ordering histories.
While employed at ADI, Yu used this information to start his own microchip business, Tricon MMIC, LLC. Forensic analysis later showed that Yu’s personal, at-home computer held exact, bit-for-bit copies of hundreds of ADI intellectual property files. Trial evidence showed that Yu had accessed these files on ADI’s secure servers, copied them, changed their filenames – often to those of cartoon characters, and then saved them on his personal electronic accounts and devices.
Trial evidence showed that all of the chips Yu’s business sold were built with ADI’s stolen intellectual property. In particular, Yu used the stolen HMC1022A design to manufacture two knock-off versions of ADI’s chip. Yu then began selling his versions of the HMC1022A to ADI’s customers and others even before ADI went to market with its own completed design. In all, before his arrest, Yu manufactured about 10,000 chips built with stolen ADI property and grossed about $235,000. ADI cooperated fully in the government’s investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Rashel Assouri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office; HSI Acting SAC Krol; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; and Michael Wiest, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Lexington and Hingham Police Departments provided assistance with the investigation. Valuable assistance in the case was provided by the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck, Jason A. Casey and John A. Capin of Levy’s National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Credit Union Assistant Branch Manager in Tulare Arrested for Stealing over $60,000 from Members’ Accounts to Spend on TikTokRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Esther Andrade Olson, 48, of Hanford, was arrested today on the charge that she embezzled over $60,000 from multiple members’ accounts at a Tulare-based credit union where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Olson began working at the credit union in 2005 and was promoted to assistant branch manager in 2019. In July and August 2022, Olson made several unauthorized withdrawals from four members’ accounts, including seven withdrawals totaling $35,000 from one member. When questioned by credit union officials, Olson abruptly resigned from her position. Court documents indicate that Olson was using some of the embezzled funds to promote herself on TikTok.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chan Hee Chu and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Olson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Chief Financial Officer of San Francisco Seafood Company Indicted in Alleged $2+ Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury has indicted Antonietta Nguyen charging her with five counts of wire fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to embezzle millions of dollars from her former employer, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
According to the indictment filed May 31, 2023, and unsealed earlier today, Nguyen, 55, of Brisbane, is alleged to have stolen approximately $2.7 million from ABS Seafood, a private seafood wholesaler and importer based in San Francisco. Nguyen, a minority shareholder in the company, served as its Chief Financial Officer. In that role, Nguyen allegedly used corporate funds to pay for personal expenses that she charged to credit cards, including her own personal credit cards and a corporate card issued on behalf of the company. The indictment describes some of the illegal purchases Nguyen allegedly made; they include luxury items from such brands as Louis Vuitton, Hermes Las Vegas and Paris, Goyard, Chanel, and Neiman Marcus. In addition, the indictment alleges Nguyen used company funds to pay her state property taxes, college tuition fees for a relative, and personal travel expenses. Further, to conceal her actions, Nguyen also allegedly falsified the company’s accounting records.
The indictment charges Nguyen with five counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for each count of wire fraud. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.Nguyen was arrested this morning at her home in Brisbane and made her initial federal court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. Magistrate Judge Kim ordered Nguyen released on a $250,000 bond. Nguyen’s next federal court appearance is scheduled for July 21, 2023, for a status hearing before the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sailaja M. Paidipaty is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Megan Pagaduan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
dkt._1_-_indictment.pdfForeign National Charged for $1.8M Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Central District of California charging a California businessman for allegedly soliciting investments under false pretenses and using investors’ funds to support his own lavish lifestyle.
According to court documents, Amadou Kane Diallo, 44, a Senegalese national and resident of Laguna Niguel, was the CEO of two California-based companies: Virtual Advisors LLC and Liquide Inc. Diallo allegedly solicited investments in his companies from at least 11 individuals for purported business opportunities in technology, health care, real estate, home ownership, and service to the African diaspora. Diallo allegedly made various false representations, including that investor funds would be spent to further investors’ interests, or not be spent at all, and instead used as “skin in the game” to attract institutional investors. Diallo is also alleged to have lied to potential investors, claiming that he had raised hundreds of millions of dollars for another investment firm and its real estate investment fund when, in fact, he had never raised any such funds.
Diallo allegedly caused at least 11 victim-investors to pay him, Virtual Advisors, and Liquide, more than $1.8 million. Contrary to his representations to investors, Diallo allegedly used their money to fund his own extravagant lifestyle, including making rent payments on his home; paying for luxury vehicles; buying clothes and fancy dinners; joining fitness clubs and spas; and hosting lavish events for foreign government officials.
Diallo is charged with 19 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering counts.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Luis M. Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney William E. Schurmann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Adams for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim of Mr. Diallo’s conduct, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected].
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Randall Taylor, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville made the announcement.
Taylor admitted that he was involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” between 2019 and 2020. Taylor and his co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at health and fitness centers, daycares, and parks. Taylor and other members of the conspiracy stole debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks, and photo identifications in these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, and they used these stolen items to commit bank fraud by recruiting women to impersonate the smash-and-grab victims and cash checks in drive-through bank lanes. The recruited check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in drugs. Taylor admitted that the loss amount from the conspiracy that was foreseeable to him is between $40,000 and $95,000.
The charges to which Taylor pled guilty carry a minimum term of 2 years in prison and a maximum term of 30 years, a fine of up to $1.25 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years. Taylor will be sentenced on October 2, 2023. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Taylor was one of nine men charged in a 13-count indictment for their roles in the scheme. Keyshawn Arnold, age 25, of Schenectady, New York; Gary Grier, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale; Joshua Mallory, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale; Robert Natson, age 36, of Fort Lauderdale; Terrell McDonald, age 32, of Troy, New York; Tyrone Parker, Jr., age 22, of Fort Lauderdale; and Tyrone Parker, age 40, of Fort Lauderdale, previously pled guilty.
The ninth co-defendant is Cedric Lynch a/k/a “City,” a/k/a “C,” age 37, of Orlando, Florida. He is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and is scheduled to stand trial in federal court in Albany on July 10, 2023. The charges in the indictment as to Lynch are merely accusations, who is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff's Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff's Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie, Michael F. Perry, and Paul Tuck are prosecuting the case.
Father and Son Tobacco Company Owners Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Evade Federal Excise Taxes on Dominican CigarsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two tobacco company owners from the Dominican Republic have been sentenced to prison for their participation in a fraudulent scheme to avoid the payment of millions of dollars in excise taxes on imported tobacco products.
Remberto Antormachy Estrella Jimenez, 38, and Remberto Andres Estrella Gomez, 64, both of Santiago, were the managing members of Dominican Tobacco Products, LLC—a Florida company that imported tobacco products, including large cigars and cigarillos, from the Dominican Republic through Miami. Dominican Tobacco Products, LLC was authorized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to import tobacco products.
Previously, Estrella Jimenez admitted that he partnered with his co-defendant father, Estrella Gomez, and a California tobacco distributor named Akrum Alrahib to fraudulently lower their costs by underreporting the Federal Tobacco Excise Tax that was due and owing on cigars their companies manufactured and imported into the United States. Over the course of several years, the conspirators consistently evaded taxes by concealing the price Alrahib actually paid for the cigars.
Alrahib sent Estrella Jimenez and Estrella Gomez’s companies over $5.6 million in exchange for Dominican cigars, according to the indictment.
Estrella Jimenez and Estrella Gomez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Estrella Jimenez was sentenced today to a term of imprisonment of eight months. His father, Estrella Gomez, was previously sentenced to a 14-month prison term. In addition to a term of imprisonment, both Estrella Jimenez and Estrella Gomez were ordered to serve an additional term of supervised release and jointly paid more than $1.98 million in restitution. The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola in Miami.
Alrahib, Estrella Jimenez’s co-conspirator, was charged in a separate case (19-cr-20165). He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years in prison, and was ordered to pay $7,207,970.66 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith in Fort Lauderdale.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Administrator Carrie May for Field Operations, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, made the announcement.
TTB, IRS-CI, and HSI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne prosecuted it.
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-20006.
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Farnhamville, Iowa, Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Marcus Urelius, 36, from Farnhamville, Iowa, was sentenced May 15, 2023, to 63 months in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
At the hearing, evidence established that between April 2021, and January 2022, Urelius used an Internet-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) network known as “Freenet” to knowingly receive visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Urelius was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 63 months’ imprisonment. He was also fined a total of $20,000 and, given his substantial net worth, ordered to pay $9,500 for the costs of his court-appointed counsel. Urelius was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims. Urelius must also serve a 5-year term of supervised released following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3017. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Fair Haven Residents Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on May 31, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against John Muzzy, 32, of Fair Haven, Vermont, and Rebecca Ross, 39, also of Fair Haven, Vermont. The indictment charges Muzzy with three counts of distribution, and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base, and one count of being a user of unlawful controlled substances in possession of a firearm. Ross is charged in one count of distribution of cocaine base. Muzzy will be arraigned on the indictment on June 2, 2023, and Ross will be arraigned on June 5, 2023. Both hearings will be before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
According to court records and proceedings, in September 2022, a confidential source (CS) told the Vermont Drug Task Force (VDTF) that they could buy cocaine base from Muzzy. Thereafter, on September 23, 2022 and October 27, 2022, the CS purchased cocaine base from Muzzy. The CS negotiated with Muzzy a third time to buy cocaine base, on May 3, 2023. When the CS went to Muzzy’s residence to make the purchase, the CS purchased the drugs from Ross instead of Muzzy, who told the CS that “I’m the businesswoman” when the CS said that they wanted to deal with Muzzy.
On May 19, 2023, VDTF executed a search warrant at the residence where Muzzy and Ross lived in Fair Haven. During the search, approximately 20 firearms and a quantity of cocaine base was seized. Muzzy was located at the property in a vehicle in which cocaine base and two firearms were found. Muzzy admitted to being a drug user and said that the cocaine base and firearms found in the vehicle were his. Ross was also arrested during execution of the search. She admitted to distributing drugs for money.U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fair Haven, Vermont Police Department in the investigation of Muzzy and Ross.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the prosecution of Muzzy and Ross. Muzzy is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth and Ross is represented by Karen R. Shingler, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .
Eight Arrested in Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Eight residents of Michigan and California were charged for their alleged roles in a $6 million fraud scheme targeting multiple pandemic relief programs, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Irene Lidlow of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the Central Region of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Deangelo Jackson-Portwood, 40, of Livonia; Anton Greenwood, 37, of Detroit; Adartha Tillman, 39, of Eastpointe; Timothy Boyle, 55, of Los Angeles County, California; Tyrone Boyle, 55, of Los Angeles County, California; Christopher Lindsay, 36, of Detroit; Taurean Davis, 41, of Detroit; and Maurice Brown-Portwood, 33, of Van Buren Township, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, the defendants caused fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications, and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to be submitted for numerous individuals and business entities. Those applications are alleged to have misrepresented applicant information, including the identity of the applicant and eligibility for relief. Many of the applications were submitted in the names of identity theft victims. According to court records, the defendants received over $6 million in fraudulently obtained funds as a result of the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Ison stated: “Today’s indictment alleges a massive scheme to defraud taxpayers across a number of pandemic relief programs. The conduct as alleged is brazen and targeted programs designed to help our nation through an unprecedented public health crisis. My Office is fully committed to prosecuting all of those who lined their pockets at the expense of the public.”
"An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations," said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"The defendants arrested today include the leaders of this criminal conspiracy that targeted relief programs during the pandemic," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue this investigation until those who participated in this scheme are brought to justice."
“Providing false information to fraudulently gain access to pandemic relief funds is a theft of taxpayer funds,” said SBA OIG’s Central Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The defendants face up to twenty years in prison based on the wire fraud conspiracy charge and a consecutive two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Alyse Wu
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 70 Months for Attempted Drug Sale at Arizona Mills MallRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Steve Lugo Leon, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Leon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl.
Leon’s co-defendant, Rafael Ivan Valenzuela Chairez, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on the same day by Judge Snow to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Chairez pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.
During the investigation, DEA agents determined that, on September 15, 2021, Leon arranged to sell fentanyl pills and methamphetamine at the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, Arizona. Gila River Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the mall parking lot, but Leon, the driver of a Ford F-150, attempted to flee the scene. He collided with a third-party vehicle, causing it to turn on its side. Chairez, the front-seat passenger, attempted to flee on foot and was apprehended by officers. Leon continued to drive until he crashed the truck into a light pole. Agents located 12.83 kilograms of methamphetamine and 946 grams of fentanyl pills in the truck bed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from the Gila River Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00362-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-081_LEON# # #
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.Dominican Republic National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joel Leovaldo Dominguez, age 35, of Dominican Republic, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Dominguez was previously removed from the United States on September 19, 2018, through Alexandria, Louisiana, and it is alleged that he reentered the United States without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that on May 17, 2023, Dominguez was encountered in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe is prosecuting the case.
Based on his prior criminal history, Dominguez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found
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Dominican Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jonathan Alcequiez-Sanchez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Woodlock to one year and one day in prison, followed by a period of one year supervised release. Alcequiez-Sanchez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Jan. 31, 2023, Alcequiez-Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Alcequiez-Sanchez was deported from the United States on Sept. 18, 2018, after being arrested in the Bronx, N.Y. for unlawful entry. Sometime after his September 2018 removal, Alcequiez-Sanchez illegally reentered the United States.On or about Dec. 27, 2021, Alcequiez-Sanchez was convicted in Lawrence District Court of drug distribution and weapons charges for which he was sentenced to serve jail time at the Essex County House of Corrections. Alcequiez-Sanchez was taken into federal custody upon his release on Nov. 15, 2022.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Defendant Charged in Connection with Narcotics Manufacturing and Distribution CenterRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the filing of a Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging JUAN EFREN PAULINO with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of narcotics. PAULINO was arrested last night in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Today, PAULINO was presented before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker and detained.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Last night’s seizure not only removed substantial quantities of deadly narcotics from the streets, but it also hit drug dealers in their pockets and potentially saved the lives of countless New Yorkers suffering from addiction. Thanks to the work of our law enforcement officers, another alleged narcotics trafficker’s operation has been disrupted.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “This pill mill was a ticking time bomb for New Yorkers. With the amount of fentanyl seized, potentially countless lethal doses were taken off the streets. This multi-million-dollar seizure was in a prime location for distribution as the operation was being pumped out of the basement of an apartment building near major thoroughfares. I applaud the hard work and resolve of the agents and officers who worked on this investigation.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
On or about May 31, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search of the basement of a residential building located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. During the course of that search, they encountered PAULINO and large quantities of illegal narcotics as well as manufacturing and distribution equipment used to press illegal narcotics into pill form. In particular, law enforcement officers encountered three commercial-grade pill presses, one commercial mixer, approximately 200,000 pills, and blocks, baggies, and buckets of powder. The following is a photograph of the various substances seized:
Although lab testing is pending for the pills and powders discovered during the search, preliminary spectrometry tests reveal that the powders have tested positive for, among other things, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
In post-arrest statements, PAULINO stated that he was in the basement of the building to obtain a sample of cocaine to give to someone. Additionally, a preliminary review of PAULINO’s cellphone, seized upon his arrest, reveals numerous photographs of what appear to be narcotics, including many of the same types of narcotics found during the search.
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PAULINO, 52, of New York, New York, is charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and in Count Two with narcotics distribution. Both Count One and Count Two carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the El Dorado Task Force, which is comprised of law enforcement officers from the DEA, HSI, and the New York City Police Department, in connection with this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maggie Lynaugh is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
u.s._v._paulino_complaint.pdfDealer of Fake Oxycodone Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Cedar Park man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin last Friday to 20 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl causing death.
According to court documents, Jean Claude Meama-Kajue, 29, sold counterfeit Oxycodone containing fentanyl to a male subject in December 2020, coordinating the transaction over a social media app. Emergency Medical Service personnel found the victim unresponsive in his vehicle on Dec. 13, 2020. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity. Investigators discovered records from a mobile banking app established a pattern of cash transactions between the two men, including a transaction the morning of the victim’s death.
As part of the investigation, an undercover officer made four separate Oxycodone controlled-buys from Meama-Kajue between February and April 2021. Laboratory analyses determined the tablets purchased in the investigation contained fentanyl.
“Fentanyl continues to be a considerable threat to our communities, ending the lives of our neighbors, friends and loved ones who, in many cases, aren’t even aware they’re taking the drug” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Thank you to our law enforcement partners for their work on this investigation, and I assure you we will continue to seek justice for fentanyl victims as long as this persists.”
“Jean Claude Meama-Kajue’s greed ended an unsuspecting victim’s life and took them away from their family and loved ones,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the DEA Houston Division. “We hope this hefty sentence sends a strong message to anyone treating human lives as dollar bills. We will come after anyone supplying poison to innocent lives and bring them to justice. While we know this prison sentence doesn’t bring the victim back to their family, we hope it provides some closure.”
The DEA and Pflugerville Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Marshall prosecuted the case.
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D.C. Man Pleads Guilty Assaulting a Member of Congress and Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer stemming from an incident on February 9, 2023, in the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 15, 2023.
According to Hamlin’s admissions in court, he willfully assaulted a member of the House of Representatives, causing personal injury. Hamlin also admitted that he assaulted a detective and a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department that same day.
The charge of assault on a member of Congress carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The charge of assault on a law enforcement officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of six months in prison. The court will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors. Because the defendant pleaded to all the counts charged in the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement, both the defendant and the government retain the right to make legal arguments at the time of sentencing.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider.
Culpeper Woman Pleads Guilty to Dark Web Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Culpeper, Virginia woman, who went online in an attempt to hire a hitman using bitcoin, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court.
Annie Nicole Ritenour, 27, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire.
According to court documents, in 2021 Ritenour accessed a website on the dark web whose advertisements boasted the ability to “kill any person you want as long as it is not a president or very important person that is guarded by the military.”
On June 26, 2021, Ritenour set-up an account with the website and placed an “order” for murder-for-hire services. The order was titled, “shoot and get away.” With her order, Ritenour included a picture of the intended victim, his workplace address, and his work hours. She also included the following instructions:
I am just looking for a simple quick job. The address of the person will be best place to make the target, as it is his workplace. He works 6am to 3 pm Monday through Friday….
Ritenour also included a description of the victim’s vehicle and license plate number. After placing the order, Ritenour made three separate payments via Bitcoin to the website’s “escrow account” totaling $3,200. She was arrested before the balance of payment could be made.
At sentencing, Ritenour faces 36 to 87 months in prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Consumer Alert - COVID-19 Test Medicare ScamsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NH – United States Attorney Jane E. Young and New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announce that New Hampshire is seeing a rise in complaints from Medicare beneficiaries receiving COVID-19 tests they did not request, a signal someone may be using, and could continue to use their Medicare information fraudulently to bill the federal government, potentially impacting a recipient’s Medicare coverage or benefits.
“Stealing taxpayer-funded resources from our vulnerable neighbors will not be tolerated in the Granite State. We are actively working with our law enforcement partners to detect and disrupt this type of fraud,” said Attorney General Formella. “Signs of this illegal activity should be immediately reported, as experts warn Medicare information can be as valuable to bad actors as credit card or social security numbers.”
“Unfortunately, the pandemic provided fraudsters with many opportunities to take advantage of medical needs and services to benefit themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This new and emerging scam is directed at stealing from U.S. taxpayers, by charging Medicare for unwanted and unnecessary COVID-19 test kits. Please protect yourselves- do not ever give personal or medical information to obtain free pandemic related products, including test kits, vaccines, and other services. Medicare will not call you and offer COVID-19 related products.”
If you or a loved one are receiving unsolicited COVID-19 test kits or requests for your Medicare information, you are urged to report it to the U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (www.oig.gov/fraud/report-fraud) or call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).
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Colchester Man Indicted on Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Joshua Wells, 34, of Colchester, Vermont was indicted for an offense under the Hobbs Act for obstructing commerce by robbery. Wells made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Burlington on May 31, 2023. United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle scheduled a detention hearing for June 7, 2023.
According to court records, on January 17, 2023, the South Burlington Police Department (SBPD) received a call reporting an armed robbery at the Jolley gas station located at 977 Shelburne Road in South Burlington, Vermont. Multiple SBPD officers responded to the scene and determined that a white male, who was wearing all black clothing and a black mask, flashed a gun at the store clerk, stole money and a carton of cigarettes, and fled on foot. Two days later on January 19, 2023, investigators searched Wells’ hotel room and vehicle and found the gun used in the robbery, which turned out to be a BB gun, and the distinctive black mask that Wells wore to the Jolley.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office notes that the indictment is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Wells faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Any sentence in the case will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Burlington Police Department, the Colchester Police Department, the University of Vermont Police Services, and the New England State Police Intelligence Network for their work in the investigation.Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig represents the government. Wells is represented by Evan Barquist, Esq. and Mary Nerino, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .
Clayton Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Troy Michael Goforth, age 49, of Clayton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea on May 31, 2023, to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
On September 21, 2022, Goforth led officers on a high-speed pursuit, during which Goforth was observed tossing a green duffel bag out of the car before jumping out of the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Upon apprehending and arresting Goforth, officers discovered a loaded 9mm pistol tucked into Goforth’s waist band. During a subsequent search of the nearby ditch, officers recovered the green duffel bag which contained syringes, baggies, digital scales, and over 500 grams of methamphetamine.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by members of Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. At the close of sentencing, Goforth was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Chesapeake Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 36 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jonathan Wilson, 35, was identified as the result of parallel investigations by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Chesapeake Police Department. In early 2022, HSI identified Wilson after Belgian authorities reported he was distributing CSAM to a citizen in Belgium. Chesapeake Police found Wilson after Kik, a social media platform, reported he was uploading CSAM to his account. HSI and Chesapeake Police joined forces and executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence in Chesapeake. Wilson was found to have been sexually abusing and filming the abuse of a toddler over a period of two years, from when the child was two years old to when she was four years old. Wilson was immediately arrested by Chesapeake Police and later by HSI.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C.; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit 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. 2:22-cr-45.