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11 July 2023
Ohio Resident Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Kaylor Brown was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Brown, age 31 of Warren, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. Judge Horan ordered that Brown serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Judge Horan also ordered that Brown’s 60-month federal prison sentence be served consecutively to the federal prison sentence he was serving at the time he committed the crime for which he was sentenced in this case.
Brown was convicted in this case for conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine between January 2020 and January 2021. He committed this cocaine trafficking crime from a federal prison. He was in federal prison as a result of a 70-month sentence that was imposed in 2018 in the Eastern District of Michigan for a prior cocaine trafficking crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Farrell Police Department, the Mercer Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the federal Bureau of Prisons led the investigation that resulted in the conviction and sentence in this case.
Ohio Financial Planner Pleads Guilty to Promoting Illegal Charitable Contribution Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A financial planner from the Cleveland-area pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rao Garuda, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Associated Concepts Agency, Inc. (“ACA”), engaged in a scheme -- known as the Advanced Legacy Plan or the Ultimate Tax Plan -- to assist high-income individuals in unlawfully reducing their taxes using a plan organized, marketed and sold by a coconspirator, Individual A. ACA’s former Chief Operating Officer previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States on Sept. 26, 2022.
To accomplish the scheme, Garuda, Individual A, and other coconspirators instructed clients to (a) transfer assets to an LLC in exchange for 100% ownership interest in the LLC, (b) assign the 100% ownership interest to a charity controlled by co-conspirators, and (c) claim a charitable contribution tax deduction for the purported donation. Garuda and others marketed the scheme as a way for clients to receive the tax deduction without relinquishing control over the LLC or its assets. After executing the scheme, clients could access the assets inside the LLCs through tax-free loans. Garuda marketed the scheme despite being warned by several attorneys over the years that the scheme was illegal, such as one attorney describing the scheme as “clearly fraudulent.”
Garuda, Individual A, and others also assisted clients in claiming charitable contribution tax deductions after the close of the tax year by backdating documents to make it look as if clients executed the scheme in a prior year. To do so, Garuda and others directed clients to use preexisting LLCs (sometimes referred to as “Shelf LLCs”) that Individual A had created and formed at the end of the prior year and backdate documents to make it appear as if the clients owned and assigned ownership interests in the Shelf LLCs in the prior year.
For his role in the scheme, Garuda caused or intended to cause a tax loss of more than $2.7 million, which he agreed to pay back as restitution to the United States.
After the Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Individual A in 2018 to stop Individual A from organizing, marketing, and selling the scheme, Garuda, Individual A, and other coconspirators sought to obstruct the case by providing clients with false, backdated documents to turn over to the government in response to civil subpoenas.
Garuda is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and three years in prison for the false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler of the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Michael Boteler and Trial Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Andrew Ascencio of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Morrison of the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Money Mule Sentenced for Laundering $2,886,578Read the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Concord man was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised release, $10,822 restitution, and $100,000 forfeiture for one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft. On April 11, 2023, Derrick Donahue Davis pled guilty to the charges pursuant to a plea agreement.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Davis, 51, came to the attention of law enforcement when one of his bank accounts received a $120,000 wire that was sent to his account by a victim of a scam who was acting under the belief the funds were being used towards closing on a home purchase. Davis withdrew that money immediately and transferred it to a number of other individuals and the victim lost the home and thousands of dollars. Investigation ultimately revealed that Davis laundered over two and a half million dollars over three years for an individual he had met online and whom he believed was a female but was actually a Nigerian male engaged in numerous scams. In addition, Davis received 43 debit cards in other people’s names and sent images of those cards to the Nigerian. Davis continued to launder the money even after explicitly being informed by law enforcement that the money he was moving was from criminal activity.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-141.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2022, law enforcement officers observed a firearm in plain view during a routine traffic stop on Lyndale Avenue North at Lowry Avenue. Law enforcement subsequently recovered another firearm, cocaine, and fentanyl pills from the vehicle. John Lee Jones, 39, a passenger in the vehicle, admitted to officers that the drugs and weapons were his and that he acquired them during a “lick” a few days prior.
Jones was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Violent
Offender Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha H. Bates prosecuted the case.
Man to Appear Today in Federal Court After Being Arrested for Trafficking 25 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Narquin Antonio Sanchez-Unbes, 23, will appear before Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone for an initial appearance in federal court today at 4:00pm for trafficking approximately 25 pounds of alleged crystal methamphetamine to New Hampshire from Massachusetts, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
According to the charging documents, Sanchez-Unbes delivered 25 pounds of crystal methamphetamine to law enforcement on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Rochester. Sanchez-Unbes took an Uber from Massachusetts to traffic the package containing 25 pounds of alleged crystal methamphetamine in exchange for $58,000 in U.S. currency, of which $3000 was a delivery fee.
Sanchez was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charging statute has a penalty of not more than 20 years of imprisonment.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man Admits Fleeing from St. Louis Police with Gun, DrugsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS– A man from St. Louis, Missouri who fled from police with drugs and a gun pleaded guilty Tuesday to three federal felonies.
Anthony B. Jones, 29, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On July 18, 2021, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in O’Fallon Park spotted Jones, who was wearing a mask and appeared to be carrying a gun. The officers made a U-turn, at which point Jones ran across the road and hid behind a car before running away. Police found a .223-caliber, CBC Industries AR-style pistol with a brass catcher and a large-capacity magazine in the car. Jones had left the car door open, his plea agreement says.
Jones then dropped a messenger-style bag that contained a baggie of fentanyl and 46 capsules containing fentanyl. Police ultimately had to use a Taser to take Jones into custody, his plea says.
On October 8, 2021, St. Louis police saw Jones accelerate and run a red light in the College Hill neighborhood. Jones, who was in a gray Pontiac Grand Prix, refused to stop and instead accelerated to a high speed after police activated their lights and siren. Officers used a spike strip to deflate Jones’ rear tires, but he drove another three miles before bailing out of the car on College Avenue and running into the backyard of a home.
Officers found Jones crouching in a small stairwell at the back of the house. He was holding a pistol with a large-capacity magazine raised in the direction from which he expected the police to approach, but dropped it when several officers simultaneously converged on the area, his plea agreement says. He also had a satchel containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Jones told officers that he ran the red light because he saw the police and was concerned that the Grand Prix had been stolen.
At his sentencing in October, both prosecutors and Jones’ lawyer have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison. The gun charge carries a mandatory minimum term of five years consecutive to any other sentence.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Man Accused of Fatal Hit and Run in St. Louis Charged with Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS– A man accused of a fatal hit and run in St. Louis appeared in court Monday after being arrested on a federal gun charge.
Martez D. Lindsey, 31, was indicted June 14 on one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says police found the gun in April while investigating a November 22, 2022 hit and run and while conducting a court-approved search of his home. It also says “Lindsey continued joyriding through downtown St. Louis in a reckless manner” after the November incident.
Lindsey pleaded not guilty to the charge in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Monday.
Lindsey is currently facing charges in St. Louis Circuit Court of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Macon Man Sentenced to Prison for Brandishing a Firearm at Walmart CustomersRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident with a lengthy criminal history who carried a gun into a Macon Walmart and waved it aggressively at customers was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison.
Selma Oliver-Smith, 45, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III on July 10. Oliver-Smith was convicted on April 11 of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day trial that began on April 10.
“We are thankful that no shots were fired, and no one was hurt when Selma Oliver-Smith—a convicted felon—brandished a firearm inside a Macon store, terrifying customers and employees,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The penalty is steep for convicted felons who illegally carry guns.”
“When offenders such as this use firearms to threaten individuals, ATF takes this very seriously,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF remains on the frontline of preventing violent crime along with our law enforcement partners and will continue to pursue those who violate the law.”
“Selma Oliver-Smith’s arrest, conviction and sentencing shows that the justice system will not tolerate dangerous career criminals using a firearm to menace innocent shoppers in a busy Walmart,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call from the Walmart on Harrison Road in Macon on Aug. 17, 2021, about a man aggressively waving a gun at people who approached him inside the store. Because of Oliver-Smith’s criminal record, he was known to officers, and he was located thereafter at a nearby motel. Oliver-Smith was found inside his hotel room, where officers found two firearms hidden inside the toilet bowl tank. One of the firearms, a Jennings Firearms Bryco .380, looked identical to the one in the photo provided by Walmart. Oliver-Smith has a lengthy criminal history to include convictions for burglary, theft by taking and second-degree criminal damage. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean S. Deitrick and Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government.
Lynnwood, Washington, man sentenced to 30 months in prison for tech support of dark web drug dealingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 39-year-old Lynnwood, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jonathan E. Williams handled the technology side of the darknet drug dealing operation while co-defendants Linus Lee and Joyce Oldrich were involved in packaging and mailing packets of LSD and MDMA. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that "MDMA, in the court's experience, is specifically marketed to young people," -- the drugs could end up in the hands of vulnerable people.
“Mr. Williams used his computer skills to make dangerous drugs available to anyone with a computer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He may have physically kept his hands off the drugs but, using his computer keyboard, he enriched himself while putting others at risk.”
According to records filed in the case, the three defendants in this case were indicted in July 2022, following an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service of dark web drug dealing. Working on the dark web, investigators placed online orders for drugs. Based on the packages they received, investigators first identified 70-year-old Joyce Oldrich of Marysville, Washington as the person who had mailed the drugs. Tracking Oldrich, investigators identified 51-year-old Linus Lee of Shoreline, Washington. When law enforcement served a search warrant on Lee’s home, they seized more than 5,000 tabs of LSD, and more than four kilos of MDMA. Some of the drugs were already in parcels ready for mailing.
Information on Lee’s and Oldrich’s cell phones led investigators to Williams. In various encrypted messages, Lee and Williams discussed the market price for their drugs. When Williams’ residence was searched, law enforcement found no drugs, but linked $21,000 in cash to his drug selling activity. On Williams’ phone, they found evidence of his role managing the drug business on the dark web.
Both Lee and Williams have now been sentenced to 30 months in prison with three years of supervised release to follow. Oldrich was sentenced to a time served sentence, with three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.
Loudonville Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesus Baez, age 32, of Loudonville, New York, was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for his role in a Capital Region cocaine distribution conspiracy. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Postal Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward made the announcement.
Baez previously pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. As part of his plea, Baez admitted that between June 2021 and December 2021, in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, he and three others engaged in a conspiracy to ship cocaine from Puerto Rico and distribute it in the Capital Region. The cocaine was shipped via U.S. mail in one-kilogram bricks, and transported to a stash house maintained by Baez on Fifth Avenue in Troy, where it was processed for distribution, along with other drugs.
Judge Sharpe also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, to begin once Baez is released from prison.
Baez’s three co-defendants have also pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. They are:
- Jan Lopez-Colon, age 28, of Troy;
- Ilvin Batista-Figueroa, 31, of Albany; and
- Sam Calderon, 20, of Troy.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Capital Region Task Force, led by the USPIS and including the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schenectady Police Department, as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Local Doctor and Son Sentenced for Illegally Accumulating and Selling Scarce N95 Respirator MasksRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 11, 2023
SAN DIEGO – University City Dermatologist Mona Zohdi Mofid was sentenced in federal court today to two years’ probation after pleading guilty in April to misdemeanor hoarding of N95 respirator masks that had been designated scarce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her son, Adam Zohdi Mofid, who previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor accumulation of N95 respirator masks to sell for price-gouging prices was also sentenced to two years’ probation, including 60 days of home confinement. Additionally, Adam Mofid was fined $1.2 million dollars, and Dr. Mona Mofid was fined $100,000. Both were ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
Throughout 2020 and into early 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the demand for N95 respirator masks to explode far beyond their supply. In response, on March 25, 2020, N95 respirator masks and other personal protective equipment items were designated as scarce pursuant to the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), which authorizes the president to do so during times of national emergency. This triggered the DPA’s criminal anti-hoarding and anti-price-gouging provisions found at Sections 4512-4513 of Title 50 of the United States Code.
According to Dr. Mona Mofid’s plea agreement, from May 2020 to January 2021, she willfully purchased over 375,000 N95 respirator masks from medical supply companies despite knowing that doing so was unlawful at the time. Adam Mofid admitted in his plea agreement that during the same time period his company, Clinical Supplies USA, generated approximately $15,760,000 of gross income, mostly through the sale of N95 masks that were sold for, on average, 300 percent to 400 percent of their purchase price. For instance, on June 10, 2020, Clinical Supplies USA sold an individual 20 3M Model 8200 N95 masks for $16.99 per mask and 20 3M Model 8210Plus N95 masks for $17.99 per mask. Adam Mofid further admitted that he knew such sales in excess of prevailing market prices were illegal during that period of time.
“While many in our community, especially healthcare providers, responded valiantly to COVID-19, some people took advantage of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman. “These defendants are paying the price for selling medical supplies at inflated prices during a national crisis.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the FBI for their excellent work on this case
“As the severity of the pandemic became apparent in our community and so many others, Mona and Adam Mofid sought to take advantage of the world-wide crisis, and gain an unfair advantage, by stockpiling these vital products and selling them for price-gouging prices to facilitate their greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “In particular, Dr. Mofid’s hoarding of such sought-after medical products transgressed her oath as a physician to do no harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold price gaugers accountable and bring them to justice.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr530-DDL
Mona Zohdi Mofid Age: 51 La Jolla, CA
Case Number 23cr550-DDL
Adam Zohdi Mofid Age: 21 St. Louis, MO
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Defense Production Act – Title 50, U.S.C., Sections 4512-4513
Maximum penalty: One year in prison and fine of greatest of $100,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigations
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Licking County man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor boys he met through church youth groupRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Licking County man was sentenced in federal court here today to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors and soliciting child pornography from dozens of other minor boys through the mobile application Snapchat.
Matthew I Reif, 27, of Newark, Ohio, victimized at least 52 minor boys, some of whom he had access to through his role in a local youth church group. The exploitation of these minor males took place both in the community and online between October 2020 and July 2022.
“Reif exploited his victims’ vulnerabilities through their religion, their financial limitations and their youth for his own perverted fantasies,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “For the well-being of those children whom he has already harmed, and to prevent the mental, psychological or physical damage to any additional children, Reif must be kept away from society for a significant period of time.”
According to court documents, Reif offered gifts and money to minor boys and, in exchange, requested the minors engage in sex acts with him or for him. Reif used text messaging and Snapchat to communicate with his victims, some of whom he only had access to online and had not met in person. The defendant would pose as a female named “Nicole” via Snapchat to obtain child sexual abuse material from the minor males. Twelve of the identified victims in this case indicated they sent photos or videos to Reif on Snapchat when they were between 14 and 17 years old, believing Reif to be a female.
The defendant also contacted minor males he knew from the community, posing as himself and garnering their trust through his position in a Heath, Ohio, church. Reif would then screen record any pornographic content he received from the minors via Snapchat. In addition, Reif was trusted with some of the victims on overnight stays, during which he surreptitiously recorded the victims with a hidden camera that he placed in different bathrooms. Reif saved the images and videos he created and obtained and then organized the content by the name of the male minor depicted.
Reif pleaded guilty in December 2022 to sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Level III Sex Offender Arrested on Child Pornography Charges for a 5th TimeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A level III sex offender has been ordered detained in federal custody following his 5th arrest on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Patrick M. O’Donnell, 60, convicted in Rhode Island state court on child pornography charges four times between 2007 and 2020, was most recently released from Rhode Island state prison on June 1, 2023. According to charging documents, O’Donnell allegedly downloaded and accessed child pornography and child erotica on cellphones he was prohibited from possessing as a condition of his probation. He was living at a homeless shelter in Cranston at the time.
During a sex-offender compliance check conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cranston Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, O’Donnell was found to be in possession of two cellphones. A live digital preview allegedly revealed child pornography on one of the devices and child erotica on both.
O’Donnell was charged in federal court with allegedly knowingly possessing child pornography, which carries a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence if a defendant has previously been convicted of a child pornography offense. The defendants’ sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Lee’s Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $340,000Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing more than $340,000 by continuing to collect his grandmother’s veteran survivor benefits following her death almost 30 years ago.
Jeffrey L. Tyler, 67, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a federal information that charges him with one count of the theft of government property.
By pleading guilty today, Tyler admitted that he spent $340,934 in veteran survivor benefits from his grandmother’s bank account on his own personal expenses. Tyler’s grandmother received veteran survivor benefits based on her husband’s military service. She died on Nov. 26, 1993, but the benefits continued to be deposited into her bank account. The account received $1,110 per month, a total of $13,320 per year.
Tyler was also on his grandmother’s bank account. The bank records show that the money was spent on personal expenses for Tyler, including hundreds of signed checks by Tyler for such items as water and electric bills. The total amount of benefits converted by Tyler was approximately $338,316. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Tyler must pay $340,934 in restitution to the government.
Under federal statutes, Tyler is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations Division.
Lee County Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm on Campus of Local SchoolRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Wyatt Olen Henderson (64, Cape Coral) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Henderson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on May 12, 2023, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office encountered Henderson on the campus of a Lee County school openly carrying a loaded firearm holstered to his hip. Henderson, a convicted felon who had previously served time in federal prison, was an employee of the school at the time. As a convicted felon, Henderson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Trellae Nellum-Toney, 29, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Nellum-Toney in St. Albans. Nellum-Toney admitted that he got out of his vehicle and threw a Raven Arms, model P-25, .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a baggie of suspected heroin onto the ground. Officers recovered the firearm and controlled substance.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Nellum-Toney knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree robbery in Kanawha County Circuit Court on August 26, 2014.
Nellum-Toney further admitted to possessing two firearms found by officers following a January 24, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle he was driving in the Scott Depot area of Putnam County. Officers found a Taurus, model 709 Slim, 9mm semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat and a Savage, model Stevens 320, 20-gauge shotgun in the vehicle’s trunk. Nellum-Toney admitted that he now knows the 9mm pistol was reported stolen from a St. Albans residence on September 26, 2021.
Nellum-Toney is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-34.
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Justice Department Announces Settlement with J.R. Simplot to Improve Hazardous Waste Management and Reduce Emissions at Idaho FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with J.R. Simplot Company involving Simplot’s Don Plant manufacturing facility located near Pocatello, Idaho.
The settlement resolves allegations primarily under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at the facility, including that Simplot failed to properly identify and manage certain waste streams as hazardous wastes. The settlement requires Simplot to implement process modifications designed to enable greater recovery and reuse of phosphate, a valuable resource. The settlement also requires Simplot to ensure that financial resources will be available when the time comes for environmentally sound closure of the facility. Simplot will also pay a civil penalty of $1.5 million.
“After our 2020 settlement with Simplot’s phosphoric acid and fertilizer plant in Wyoming, we are pleased to reach this settlement with Simplot’s other major phosphoric acid and fertilizer operation at the Don Plant in Pocatello, Idaho,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This proposed consent decree will comprehensively address the waste management, air emissions and reporting issues EPA identified with respect to the Don Plant’s operations.”
“This is an important settlement which reduces the environmental impacts from one of the leading fertilizer manufacturers,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement advances EPA’s goals by creating environmentally beneficial waste management practices and ensures that the U.S. taxpayer will not be responsible for future costs associated with closure of this facility. Additionally, this settlement ensures that any future expansion of Simplot’s operations will be conducted according to strict requirements to minimize impacts to surrounding communities, including the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.”
Simplot’s Don Plant facility manufactures phosphate products for agriculture and industry, including phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizer, through processes that generate large quantities of acidic wastewater and a solid material called phosphogypsum. The phosphogypsum is deposited in a large pile known as a gypstack, and acidic wastewater is discharged to the gypstack. The gypstack, which has a capacity to hold several billion gallons of acidic wastewater, was fully lined in 2017 in accordance with a previous consent orders Simplot entered into with the State of Idaho and the United States.
The settlement also resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that relate to fluoride emissions from the facility, and of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) that relate to reporting and notification requirements for hazardous substances and toxic chemicals.
Under the settlement, Simplot agrees to implement specific waste management measures it has valued at nearly $150 million. Significantly, these measures include extensive new efforts to recover and reuse the phosphate content within these wastes and avoid their disposal in the gypstack. Simplot will implement requirements that ensure gypstack stability and containment that will protect the environment even should climate change result in more severe weather events. The settlement also includes a detailed plan setting the terms for the future closure and long-term care of the gypstack. The settlement requires Simplot to immediately secure and maintain approximately $108 million in dedicated financing to ensure that funding will be available when the facility is eventually closed.
Simplot also agrees to cease operation of the facility’s cooling towers no later than June 27, 2026, and replace them with one or more newly constructed cooling ponds, which will significantly reduce fluoride emissions to the air. Additionally, Simplot agrees to submit revised Toxic Release Inventory forms for the years 2004-2013 that include estimates of certain metal compounds manufactured, processed or otherwise used at the facility.
In addition to paying the $1.5 million civil penalty, Simplot is providing $200,000 in funding for environmental mitigation work that will be administered by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in conjunction with the City of Pocatello and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The mitigation work will address habitat degradation on the Portneuf River that has resulted in part from excess phosphorus releases, especially from the facility’s formerly unlined gypstack.
“This settlement will bring important benefits to Idaho and the communities that have been affected by the Don Plant’s operations,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “We are grateful that our state partner, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, helped formulate and will oversee work that Simplot will fund to mitigate the impacts of its phosphate operations on water quality and the environment along the Portneuf River, working in cooperation with both the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the City of Pocatello.”
EPA previously required through judicial and administrative settlements at 14 phosphate fertilizer facilities across the U.S. extensive injunctive relief, requiring the companies to establish financial assurance and bring their operations into compliance with RCRA.
A consent decree formalizing the settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for Idaho and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. For a copy of the consent decree, visit www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Justice Department Announces Settlement with J.R. Simplot to Improve Hazardous Waste Management and Reduce Emissions at Idaho FacilityRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with J.R. Simplot Company involving Simplot’s Don Plant manufacturing facility located near Pocatello, Idaho.
The settlement resolves allegations primarily under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at the facility, including that Simplot failed to properly identify and manage certain waste streams as hazardous wastes. The settlement requires Simplot to implement process modifications designed to enable greater recovery and reuse of phosphate, a valuable resource. The settlement also requires Simplot to ensure that financial resources will be available when the time comes for environmentally sound closure of the facility. Simplot will also pay a civil penalty of $1.5 million.
“After our 2020 settlement with Simplot’s phosphoric acid and fertilizer plant in Wyoming, we are pleased to reach this settlement with Simplot’s other major phosphoric acid and fertilizer operation at the Don Plant in Pocatello, Idaho,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This proposed consent decree will comprehensively address the waste management, air emissions and reporting issues EPA identified with respect to the Don Plant’s operations.”
Simplot’s Don Plant facility manufactures phosphate products for agriculture and industry, including phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizer, through processes that generate large quantities of acidic wastewater and a solid material called phosphogypsum. The phosphogypsum is deposited in a large pile known as a gypstack, and acidic wastewater is discharged to the gypstack. The gypstack, which has a capacity to hold several billion gallons of acidic wastewater, was fully lined in 2017 in accordance with a previous consent orders Simplot entered into with the State of Idaho and the United States.
The settlement also resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that relate to fluoride emissions from the facility, and of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) that relate to reporting and notification requirements for hazardous substances and toxic chemicals.
“This is an important settlement which reduces the environmental impacts from one of the leading fertilizer manufacturers,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement advances EPA’s goals by creating environmentally beneficial waste management practices and ensures that the U.S. taxpayer will not be responsible for future costs associated with closure of this facility. Additionally, this settlement ensures that any future expansion of Simplot’s operations will be conducted according to strict requirements to minimize impacts to surrounding communities, including the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.”
Under the settlement, Simplot agrees to implement specific waste management measures it has valued at nearly $150 million. Significantly, these measures include extensive new efforts to recover and reuse the phosphate content within these wastes and avoid their disposal in the gypstack. Simplot will implement requirements that ensure gypstack stability and containment that will protect the environment even should climate change result in more severe weather events. The settlement also includes a detailed plan setting the terms for the future closure and long-term care of the gypstack. The settlement requires Simplot to immediately secure and maintain approximately $108 million in dedicated financing to ensure that funding will be available when the facility is eventually closed.
Simplot also agrees to cease operation of the facility’s cooling towers no later than June 27, 2026, and replace them with one or more newly constructed cooling ponds, which will significantly reduce fluoride emissions to the air. Additionally, Simplot agrees to submit revised Toxic Release Inventory forms for the years 2004-2013 that include estimates of certain metal compounds manufactured, processed or otherwise used at the facility.
In addition to paying the $1.5 million civil penalty, Simplot is providing $200,000 in funding for environmental mitigation work that will be administered by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in conjunction with the City of Pocatello and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The mitigation work will address habitat degradation on the Portneuf River that has resulted in part from excess phosphorus releases, especially from the facility’s formerly unlined gypstack.
“This settlement will bring important benefits to Idaho and the communities that have been affected by the Don Plant’s operations,” said Josh Hurwit, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho. “We are grateful that our state partner, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, helped formulate and will oversee work that Simplot will fund to mitigate the impacts of its phosphate operations on water quality and the environment along the Portneuf River, working in cooperation with both the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the City of Pocatello.”
EPA previously required through judicial and administrative settlements at 14 phosphate fertilizer facilities across the U.S. extensive injunctive relief, requiring the companies to establish financial assurance and bring their operations into compliance with RCRA.
A consent decree formalizing the settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for Idaho and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.
For a copy of the consent decree, visit www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of All Charges for Repeated Acts of Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Johnson, 29, of Washington, D.C., was convicted today of multiple counts of first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, multiple counts of first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, second degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, attempted first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and assault. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a 5-day trial in Superior Court in the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 6, 2023.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on multiple occasions between November 2019 and September 2021, Johnson sexually abused a child who was nine and ten years old at the time of the assaults. Johnson subjected the child to sexual acts and repeatedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him. Johnson, who is an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, resided in the home with the victim and took advantage of occasions when he was left in a position of supervision and care over her.
Johnson faces the potential of life imprisonment without the opportunity of release. If he were to be released, Johnson would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Reshawn Johnson, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, Victim/Witness Coordinators Donna Proctor, Nikiya Burnette, Katina Adams-Washington, and Tonya Jones, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Kathleen Houck, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Hitchcock resident gets over 22 years for multiple charges to include enticing minor via FacebookRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 55-year-old Hitchcock resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for sexual exploitation of child, receipt and possession of child pornography and the transfer of obscene material to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Luke Allen Gregory pleaded guilty July 7, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Jeffery V. Brown has now ordered him to serve 270, 120, and 120 months for the production, possession and receipt of child pornography convictions, respectively, as well as another 120 months for the transfer of obscene material. They will run concurrently for a total 270-month-term of imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard through how Gregory had manipulated the minor victim in this case by threatening to kill himself and his daughter when she had tried to end the relationship. He had also sent a photo with a gun to his head.
Gregory will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Gregory manipulated a minor for the purpose of his deviant sexual desire,” said Hamdani. “To make it even worse, that young female was a relative. If he could do that, he is capable of so much more. Thankfully, the sentence imposed today will eliminate that possibility of danger to our kids. Gregory’s actions also serve as a reminder to us as parents to be diligent in monitoring our children’s social media activity.”
Gregory came to the attention of law enforcement in October 2019. Facebook reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone was utilizing their social media platform to entice a minor to produce and distribute files depicting child pornography. The investigation revealed Gregory owned that account. On Oct. 10, 2019, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Gregory’s residence in Hitchcock.
Law enforcement seized his electronic devices to include his cellphone. Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of multiple images of the minor in which her genitals were displayed in a lewd and lascivious manner.
Gregory admitted he had been texting and engaging in sexual conversations with a minor female, whom he knew had just turned 16 years of age and was a relative. Gregory stated that the two of them had exchanged nude images of each other.
The victim also told this to law enforcement. She also stated Gregory had gotten her name tattooed on his right thigh.
Gregory will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston, Pearland Police Department and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children task force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Hebbronville man sentenced for trying to smuggle cocaine past checkpointRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 64-year-old man has been ordered to prison for possession with intent to distribute approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ascencion Garza Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 10.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Garza to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard considered additional argument and discussion regarding Garza’s multiple prior federal drug‑trafficking convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the quantity of drugs involved and that Garza had not been deterred from committing the instant offense by prior sentences.
On Sept. 7, 2022, Garza drove his truck into the primary inspection lane of a Border patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. There, authorities searched his vehicle and discovered 15 bricks of cocaine in concealed compartments within the rear quarter-panels.
The drugs weighed approximately 16 kilograms and have an estimated street value of more than $1.1 million.
Garza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.
Greenbelt Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms Charges, Including Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Donald Fortune, Jr., age 19, of Greenbelt, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges for illegal possession of a machinegun, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The guilty plea 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; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (“PGPD”).
According to his guilty plea, law enforcement began investigating Fortune in April 2022 for suspected firearms and drug trafficking offenses. As part of the investigation, PGPD detectives monitored public posts from Fortune’s social media account where he displayed firearms and advertised drugs for sale. Based on their investigation, including the social media posts, PGPD detectives obtained a search warrant for Fortune’s apartment.
On June 2, 2022, law enforcement was conducting surveillance outside Fortune’s apartment building in preparation for executing the warrant. In the late morning, Fortune was seen exiting the building and approaching a silver Honda Civic. Fortune removed a large bag of blue pills, suspected to be oxycodone, from a Gucci bag that he was wearing. Fortune engaged in a suspected hand-to-hand drug transaction with the driver of the Civic. Fortune then placed the pills back in the Gucci satchel and returned to his apartment.
A short time later, Fortune left the apartment building accompanied by a woman. He was wearing the Gucci satchel across his chest and had his right hand in the satchel as he walked, consistent with having a firearm inside the satchel. Fortune and the woman got into a rideshare and the vehicle drove away. PGPD police conducted a traffic stop a short time later and observed Fortune reach down toward his feet. Officers asked Fortune, who was still wearing the Gucci satchel, to step out of the vehicle and officers observed a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on the floorboard where Fortune had been seated. The gun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 21 rounds in an extended magazine and was equipped with a full auto selector switch on the rear of the handgun slide, making it a machinegun under federal law. A search of the Gucci satchel recovered a large bag containing 232 30mg blue pills, later found to be counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Officers also recovered $790 in cash from Fortune. Fortune was arrested and charged in Prince George’s County. He was held for 12 days before being released on June 14, 2022, pending trial.
Fortune admitted that he continued to sell drugs and possess firearms after his release, including coordinating a drug deal around a court appearance. Fortune switched to using a second social media account in mid-July 2022, believed by investigators to be an effort to evade law enforcement. Investigators began monitoring this account, where Fortune continued to advertise pills for sale and display firearms, despite being on pretrial release. For example, on July 26, 2022, investigators observed a public-facing live video that was streaming from Fortune’s second social media account, which showed Fortune smoking a suspected marijuana cigarette, flashing two prescription bottles, and holding an AR-style pistol. Fortune then turned the camera around to show a table display of at least six firearms, including two AR-style pistols, one handgun with an extended magazine, and one handgun with a suspected full-automatic switch, with cash fanned out in front of the firearms.
As detailed in the plea agreement, that evening, PGPD officers were on patrol in the 6400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in District Heights, Maryland and saw Fortune smoking marijuana on the sidewalk in front of a residence. As the officer was parking his car in the parking lot, he saw Fortune walk behind a pick-up truck and throw an item under the truck, then walk away from the area. Believing Fortuned had discarded a firearm or contraband, the officer got out of his unmarked police cruiser to speak with Fortune, who continued to walk away. As the officer got closer, Fortune began running and was apprehended a short distance away. Another officer arrived and stayed by the location where Fortune had been seen throwing something. A search of the area recovered a privately manufactured 5.56 caliber semi-automatic AR-15 style pistol with no serial number, also known as a “ghost gun.” The gun was loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers searched Fortune and recovered two pill bottles containing 16 real or counterfeit oxycodone pills. The pills were tested and eight were found to contain approximately 5mg of oxycodone each and the rest were found to be counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl.
Fortune and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Fortune will be sentenced to between seven years and 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for November 3, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI’s Cross Border Task Force and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Rosenthal, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Security Engineer for International Technology Company Arrested for Defrauding Decentralized Cryptocurrency ExchangeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Chad Plantz, the Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Tyler Hatcher, the Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging SHAKEEB AHMED with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his attack on a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange (the “Crypto Exchange”). AHMED was arrested this morning in New York, New York, and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This is the second case we are announcing this week to shed light on fraud in the cryptocurrency and digital asset ecosystem. As alleged in the indictment, Shakeeb Ahmed, who was a senior security engineer at an international technology company, used his expertise to defraud the exchange and its users and steal approximately $9 million in cryptocurrency. We also allege that he then laundered the stolen funds through a series of complex transfers on the blockchain where he swapped cryptocurrencies, hopped across different crypto blockchains, and used overseas crypto exchanges. But none of those actions covered the defendant’s tracks or fooled law enforcement, and they certainly didn’t stop my Office or our law enforcement partners from following the money.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz said: “Financial crime strikes at the core of our national and economic banking security. With an attack of this magnitude, it’s crucial we ensure continued consumer confidence in our financial system. Ruthless and reckless attempts aimed to sabotage legitimate commerce for greed must be stopped. It’s cases like these that demonstrate HSI’s commitment and ability to work with a coalition of the willing to dismantle these complicated and technical fraud schemes and identify those responsible regardless of where they operate.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher said: “As alleged, Mr. Ahmed used his skills as a computer security engineer to steal millions of dollars. He then allegedly tried to hide the stolen funds, but his skills were no match for IRS Criminal Investigation's Cyber Crimes Unit. We, along with our partners at HSI and the Department of Justice, are at the forefront of cyber investigations and will track these fraudsters anywhere they try to hide and hold them accountable.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
The Crypto Exchange was incorporated overseas and operates on the Solana blockchain. At all relevant times, the Crypto Exchange allowed users to exchange different kinds of cryptocurrencies and paid fees to users who deposited cryptocurrency to provide liquidity on the Crypto Exchange.
In July 2022, AHMED carried out an attack on the Crypto Exchange by exploiting a vulnerability in one of the Crypto Exchange’s smart contracts and inserting fake pricing data to fraudulently cause that smart contract to generate approximately $9 million dollars’ worth of inflated fees that AHMED did not legitimately earn, which fees AHMED was able to withdraw from the Crypto Exchange in the form of cryptocurrency. This conduct defrauded the Crypto Exchange and its users, whose cryptocurrency AHMED had fraudulently obtained. Additional details regarding the attack, including AHMED’s use of cryptocurrency “flash loans” to further defraud the Crypto Exchange, are described in the Indictment publicly filed today.
After he stole the fees he never legitimately earned, AHMED had communications with the Crypto Exchange in which he decided to return all of the stolen funds except for $1.5 million if the Crypto Exchange agreed not to refer the attack to law enforcement.
At the time of the attack, AHMED was a senior security engineer for an international technology company whose resume reflected skills in, among other things, reverse engineering smart contracts and blockchain audits, which are some of the specialized skills AHMED used to execute the attack.
AHMED laundered the millions in fees that he stole from the Crypto Exchange to conceal their source and ownership, including through (i) conducting token-swap transactions, (ii) “bridging” fraud proceeds from the Solana blockchain over to the Ethereum blockchain, (iii) exchanging fraud proceeds into Monero, an anonymized and particularly difficult cryptocurrency to trace, and (iv) using overseas cryptocurrency exchanges.
After the attack, AHMED searched online for information about the attack, his own criminal liability, criminal defense attorneys with expertise in similar cases, law enforcement’s ability to successfully investigate the attack, and fleeing the United States to avoid criminal charges. For example, approximately two days after the attack, AHMED conducted an internet search for the term “defi hack,” read several news articles about the hack of the Crypto Exchange, and visited several pages on the Crypto Exchange’s website. As another example, AHMED conducted internet searches or visited websites related to the charges in the indictment, including by searching for the term “wire fraud” and for the term “evidence laundering.” Finally, AHMED also conducted internet searches or visited websites related to his ability to flee the United States, avoid extradition, and keep his stolen cryptocurrency: he searched for the terms “can I cross border with crypto,” “how to stop federal government from seizing assets,” and “buying citizenship”; and he visited a website titled “16 Countries Where Your Investments Can Buy Citizenship . . .”
* * *
AHMED, 34, of New York, New York, is charged with wire fraud and money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of HSI and IRS-CI. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit and Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Ahmed IndictmentFormer Private Prisoner Transport Officer Sentenced to Nine Years for Sexually Assaulting Pretrial DetaineeRead the Press Release
A former private prisoner transport officer was sentenced in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to nine years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for violating a female pretrial detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her.
According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offense, Rogeric Hankins, 37, worked as a private prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation. As a private prisoner transport officer, Hankins performed the government function of picking up individuals who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transporting those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants. On March 31, 2020, Hankins picked up the victim, a female pretrial detainee, from a jail in Olympia, Washington, to transport her to a jail in St. Paul, Minnesota.
On April 3, 2020, before arriving in Minnesota, Hankins stopped the transport van at a rest stop in Joplin, Missouri. Hankins brought the victim into the rest stop to use the bathroom. After the victim used the women’s bathroom, Hankins led her into the men’s bathroom, and told her to go into the stall furthest from the door. Once inside the stall, Hankins began to try to pull the victim’s shirt up. The victim resisted and told Hankins to stop. In response, Hankins told the victim to be quiet and made her perform a sexual act on him. Hankins then bent the victim over a toilet seat and raped her.
“The defendant sexually abused and violently assaulted a woman in his custody, exploiting his authority and depriving this survivor of her constitutional right to bodily integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence sends a clear message that the Justice Department is committed to protecting victims of sexual violence carried out at the hands of any and all law enforcement officials. The privatization of positions in law enforcement does not change the fact that these individuals can and must be held accountable when they violate our federal civil rights laws.”
“This former prisoner transport officer sexually assaulted a detainee who was in his custody while transporting her through Missouri,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Today he is being held accountable for abusing his position of trust and authority. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all citizens, including those in custody.”
“Hankins abused his power and sexually assaulted the victim while she was extremely vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “Today's sentencing sends a clear message that those who abuse their position of power to sexually assault the very people they are sworn to protect will be held accountable. The FBI is committed to protecting the Constitutional rights of all citizens and pursuing justice on behalf of the victims in cases like this.”
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Laura Gilson and former Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted this case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Former Maui Jim Employee Must Serve Time and Pay Restitution for Mail and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Bradford, Illinois, woman, Erica Lynn Hornof, 36, of the 300 block of Enterprise Drive, was sentenced on July 10, 2023, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by three years supervised release, after pleading guilty to three counts of mail fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Hornof must also pay $125,472.48 in restitution to Maui Jim.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that Hornof was a long-term employee of Maui Jim. While employed as a lead Frame Repair Trainer, Hornof stole Maui Jim parts from the repair area to make sunglasses, packaged them with a cleaning cloth and warranty card, used her personal FedEx account to create shipping labels, and then shipped them through the Maui Jim mailroom. She sold the sunglasses to two buyers who then sold the sunglasses on websites. The evidence established that over the 16-month period that Hornof was selling the sunglasses, she received $104,860 from the two buyers. In a later statement to Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents, Hornof said that the individuals did not know that the sunglasses were stolen. Judge Shadid found that she was responsible for selling approximately 2,996 pairs of sunglasses, each valued at $250, for an intended loss of $749,000 to Maui Jim.
Hornof was indicted in August 2022 and released on a personal recognizance bond with conditions of pre-trial supervision. She entered a guilty plea to all six counts in March 2023. Judge Shadid ordered Hornof to report to the designated prison by 2:00 pm on September 19, 2023.
The statutory penalties for each of the mail and wire fraud counts are up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office – Peoria Resident Agency, investigated the case. Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the prosecution.
Former EMT sent to prison for robbery and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 30-year-old Houston resident has been sent to prison for a series of armed robberies he committed while brandishing a firearm in September 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Xavier McCoy-Taylor pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence Aug. 29, 2022.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now handed McCoy-Taylor a 34-month-term of imprisonment for the robbery as well as another 84 months for each of the firearms charges which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 198-month sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described McCoy-Taylor’s criminal history as well as his former employment as a firefighter. In imposing the sentence, the court noted how McCoy-Taylor was a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” in that he had a loving family
and went to work every day at a job where he was entrusted to help the most vulnerable people in the community. Judge Hanks commented that at that same time, he held innocent victims at gunpoint for no apparent reason other than enjoying it. He added that McCoy-Taylor should not be able to walk the streets of Houston for a very long time.
"This defendant was an EMT (emergency medical technician) and had every opportunity to be a productive member of society,” said Hamdani. “Instead of serving the public, he decided to endanger it, pointing a gun at pregnant store clerk and then pointing it at a Texas State Trooper. As a result, he will spend the next years taking care of his jail cell instead of his patients.”
McCoy-Taylor had previously been employed as an EMT at the Westlake Fire Department. At the time of his arrest, he was employed as a patient care assistant at Memorial Herman Hospital.
On Sept. 25, 2020, McCoy-Taylor robbed a CVS on Beechnut Street in Houston. During the robbery, he held the pregnant clerk at gunpoint. As McCoy-Taylor exited the building with his gun still in hand, a Texas state trooper in the parking lot approached and yelled at him to stop. McCoy-Taylor then pointed his firearm at him.
The trooper pulled the trigger on his firearm in self-defense, but the gun malfunctioned. McCoy-Taylor then ran down the street, but fell to the ground and dropped his gun.
McCoy-Taylor had also brandished a firearm while robbing the gas station attendant at the Murphy USA gas station in Katy earlier that month.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety; Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Katy and Houston conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Cooper prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Escape from Halfway House in Addition to 15-Year State Sentence for Killing a Person After EscapeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Dallas Jones, 32, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to an additional 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2015, Jones was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of illegally possessing a firearm.
On July 25, 2018, Jones was transferred to the Volunteers of America (“VOA”) in Indianapolis Indiana, to complete his sentence. The Bureau of Prisons contracts with residential reentry centers, also known as halfway houses, to aid inmates who are nearing release as they transition back into the community. Inmates serving a portion of their sentence at a residential reentry center are only authorized to leave through sign-out procedures for approved activities.
Jones was to remain in, and abide by the rules of, the facility until his projected release date of May 26, 2019. On April 12, 2019, Jones was transported to Eskenazi Hospital for medical treatment. Jones removed his GPS monitor and left the hospital in the early hours of April 13, 2019.
On June 12, 2019, after absconding from the VOA, Jones was dealing drugs and participating in an illegal dice game on Dearborn Street. He got into a physical altercation that quickly escalated to a gun battle. During the shooting, Jones killed one person, and injured two others who were caught in the crossfire. Jones was arrested by Deputy United States Marshals the next day.
In February 2023, Jones was convicted in Marion County Superior Court of Voluntary Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon. Jones was sentenced to serve 15 years in the custody of the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Jones will serve his 27-month federal prison sentence in addition to the 15-year sentence imposed by the state court.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Dan McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, made the announcement.
U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kate Olivier, who prosecuted this case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Charleston Man of Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Samuel Pierre Joseph, 40, of Charleston, today of one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Joseph was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for possession of marijuana, fourth offense, in the Second Judicial District Court for the Parish of Bienville, Louisiana, on April 14, 2015.
Evidence at trial proved that on December 27, 2021, law enforcement officers encountered Joseph as he left his room at the Knights Inn on MacCorkle Avenue in Charleston. Joseph dropped a black duffel bag he was carrying and attempted to flee. Officers apprehended Joseph and found approximately 267 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and two firearms, a Smith & Wesson Model Bodyguard .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Ruger model LC9s 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in the duffel bag. Officers also found $1,355 on Joseph’s person.
On March 17, 2022, Joseph was a passenger of a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in a Dudley Avenue parking lot in Parkersburg. During the traffic stop, officers found approximately 152 grams of methamphetamine and 12.9 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin on Joseph’s person. Officers arrested Joseph and took him to the Parkersburg Police Department. While at the police department, Joseph attempted to dispose of a business card from a Charleston storage unit rental facility that included the number of a storage unit that Joseph rented at the facility. Officers recovered the card and obtained a search warrant for the rented storage unit. Officers found approximately 896.8 grams of methamphetamine and 83.6 grams of fentanyl in the rented storage unit when they executed the search warrant.
“I commend the law enforcement agencies that investigated this case as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy Wolfe and Troy Adams,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I credit the work of the entire trial team for securing guilty verdicts against the defendant on all five counts.”
Joseph is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Parkersburg Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-93.
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Father and Son Indicted in Miami for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and FirearmsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Ahmed Subni Wadi (Ahmed Wadi), 49, and his son Ramzi Ahmed Wadi (Ramzi Wadi), 21, both from Miami, Florida, have been indicted in federal court with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and dealing firearms without a license.
According to the indictment and underlying criminal complaint affidavit, in November 2022, Ahmed Wadi sold a firearm with an obliterated serial number and multiple grams of oxycodone to someone in the parking lot of a mall. During the sale, an individual serving as Ahmed Wadi’s bodyguard told the purchaser that he was armed and there for Ahmed Wadi’s protection.
The charging documents also allege that on April 7, Ahmed Wadi sold two semi-automatic firearms and multiple grams of oxycodone laced with fentanyl to someone at the business where both defendants work. Ahmed Wadi also offered to sell the person a machine gun and silencer. It is alleged that later that month, Ramzi Wadi completed that transaction on his father’s behalf – selling the person a machine gun, silencer, and multiple grams of oxycodone laced with fentanyl. It is alleged that Ramzi Wadi was carrying a firearm during this sale, says the indictment.
On June 6, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendants’ business and residence. According to statements made in court, law enforcement officers recovered over 30 firearms, suspected cocaine, marijuana, and pill bottles containing suspected oxycodone laced with fentanyl.
If convicted of all charges, defendants face up to 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Interim Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), made the announcement.
ATF Miami Field Office and FDLE investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan Diaz Espinosa is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20286.
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Dover-Area Drug Trafficking Organization Charged by Federal Indictment Following State’s Largest Fentanyl SeizureRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment last week charging three Dover residents and one Middletown resident with conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with various other drug and gun crimes. The amount of fentanyl seized from this organization represents the largest known fentanyl seizure in Delaware history.
According to the superseding indictment, Dwayne Fountain, 51, William Warren, 47, Martin Fountain, 47, and Durell Patton, 44, conspired to distribute drugs from January through May 2023. With respect to Dwayne Fountain, the conspiracy involved more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and more than five hundred grams of methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also alleges that all four defendants possessed various drugs with intent to distribute. Finally, the superseding indictment charges Dwayne Fountain and Durell Patton with possessing guns on May 17, 2023, despite past criminal convictions which prohibit them from doing so.
According to documents filed in court, this case was the result of a long-term investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Delaware State Police, and Dover Police Department. Search warrants executed in the case led to the seizure of over 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 10 kilograms of powder cocaine, over a kilogram of crack cocaine, about 280 grams of methamphetamine, and 300 grams of xylazine, commonly referred to as “tranq,” an additive commonly mixed with fentanyl.
“The threat to public health and safety found in these cases is something that requires policing organizations to share information and resources, in order to protect the vulnerable,” noted Dover Police Chief Thomas A. Johnson, Jr. “It bears repeating that the amount of illicit drugs seized in this operation was enough to potentially kill close to 400,000 people, or, stated another way, roughly 4 in 10 Delawareans. It was great to be a part of such an effective collaboration between Local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies.”
If convicted, Dwayne Fountain faces a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. William Warren faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of forty years in prison. Martin Fountain and Durell Patton face a maximum of twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge for DEA’s Philadelphia Division, and Thomas A. Johnson, Jr., Chief, Dover Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer K. Welsh and Samuel Frey are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 23-46 and 23-49 (CFC).
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Intimate Partner Violence and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Brown, 33, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term for strangling his ex-girlfriend and then trying to dissuade her from participating in the pending criminal investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Brown pleaded guilty, on March 3, 2023, to one count of aggravated assault, and one count of obstructing justice.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 19, 2022, Brown and his on-again, off-again intimate partner got into an argument about whether they had been cheating on each other. During the argument, the defendant strangled his partner with sufficient force that she “blacked out.” Brown’s actions caused the defendant to lose her vision and become unconscious, creating a grave risk of death. A week later, despite being held in custody, Brown contacted his partner from the D.C. Jail to try and persuade her not to come to court or participate in the criminal investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Garcia Clarke, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Robert Platt, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Lee, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in NW D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Anderson, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a violent drug trafficking organization, involving 16 other defendants, whose members are charged in a drug distribution conspiracy involving fentanyl, cocaine base, other illegal drugs, illegal firearms. Anderson pleaded guilty, on November 29, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl; using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense; and possession of contraband in prison.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Emily Odom, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge SAC Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, in the Spring of 2020, MPD, FBI, ATF, and DEA began conducting an investigation into a drug trafficking operation, centered around a multi-unit apartment building, located in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest, Washington, D.C. The investigation revealed that between May 2020 and late-September 2020, at 1319 5th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. members of the conspiracy, including the defendant, distributed narcotics on a near daily basis, primarily in the foyer outside of certain apartments, as well as in the courtyard adjacent to the building’s front entrance. During the conspiracy, the defendant sold Fentanyl for approximately $80/gram and had numerous repeat customers. It is estimated the group distributed multiple kilograms of Fentanyl in the relevant time period.
“This case is another example of the multi-agency efforts underway to rid our district of dangerous drug trafficking crews and the violence they bring,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The strategy works. In the six months after these arrests, no violent crimes were reported in the territory the defendants previously occupied, and calls for sounds of gunshots dramatically decreased (by 94%). Nearly two years later, calls for the sounds of gunshots were still down 57%. We are going to prioritize these kinds of investigations, so those thinking of joining similar crews should think hard about whether they want to sacrifice their freedom.”
“The success of Operation Lincoln Westmoreland was a result of strong collaboration between the FBI and our federal and local partners,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Odom. “Together we arrested over a dozen subjects; recovered numerous weapons, including seven ghost guns; and seized fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and promethazine, leaving Shaw safer for everyone who lives and works in the neighborhood.”
On August 5, 2020, Anderson and another co-conspirator purchased a 2017 Infiniti Q60 for $32,690 in cash. Anderson provided the car dealership with trash bags full of small denomination bills for the purchase. On August 12, 2020, Anderson was driving that car with co-conspirator Michael Robinson in the vehicle. The Infiniti was involved in a traffic crash with an MPD vehicle. Anderson fled the scene but was apprehended a short time later. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a Glock 30, Gen4 .45 caliber firearm, loaded with 11 rounds in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber; a digital scale; approximately 100 empty Ziplock bags; $3,567.99 in U.S. Currency; and suspected cocaine base, Fentanyl, and marijuana. Anderson admitted that he possessed the narcotics on August 12, 2020, with the intent to redistribute them to others as part of the conspiracy. He also admitted that his role in the conspiracy included the distribution and the possession with the intent to distribute at least 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl.
On or about August 25, 2021, the Defendant, while an inmate being held without bond in this case in the custody of the United States Marshal at the Central Detention Facility (CDF) located at 1901 D Street, S.E., Washington, D.C., possessed on his person a five-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point on one end and wrapped in cloth on the other end that was designed or intended to be used as a weapon. In September 2021, while also incarcerated in this case in the custody of the United States Marshal at the CDF, the Defendant possessed an operating cellular telephone to access, and communicate through, Instagram, a social media platform.
Other members of the conspiracy who have pleaded guilty to drug and/or gun offenses and have been sentenced include:
NAME
SENTENCE
Isaiah Anderson
120 months in prison; 36 months SR
Tyree Marshall
84 months in prison; 36 months SR
Daeshawn Brown
51 months in prison; 36 months SR
Taquan Canarte
53 months in prison; 36 months SR
Shahn Giles
60 months in prison; 36 months SR
Xavier Harris
110 months in prison; 60 months SR
Jovanta Little
42 months in prison; 36 months SR
Mikeal Matthews
94 months in prison; 60 months SR
Kevon Maynor
63 months in prison; 48 months SR
Michael Robinson
96 months in prison; 36 months SR
Jaden Smith
46 months in prison; 36 months SR
Takisha Ganeous
96 months in prison; 48 months SR
Maurice Glasgow
Pleaded guilty; Awaiting sentencing
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Linden, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge Forget, and Interim Chief Benedict, commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, the agents from FBI and DEA, and the agents and DNA lab personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney George Eliopoulos and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher, with the office’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Child at Gunpoint in 2005Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquette E. Johnson, 42, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to first degree sexual abuse while armed and first degree child sexual abuse while armed, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, on or about November 28, 2005, at approximately 8:30 a.m., within the District of Columbia, Johnson abducted a 12-year-old female child, at gunpoint, as she walked to school. He drove up to the victim, pointed a semiautomatic pistol or imitation pistol at her, and told her to get in the minivan or he would kill her. Once the child complied, the defendant drove her to an alley behind the 1300 block of Morris Road, SE, where he forced her to get in the back seat and sexually assaulted her. When the defendant finished raping her, he drove the victim back to the location where he had picked her up and told her something to the effect of, “See, I told you, you wouldn’t miss school.” The child promptly reported what had occurred to a teacher and an MPD officer stationed at the school.
DNA obtained from the physical evidence in the investigation matched the DNA profile of the defendant, who is a convicted offender. Additional DNA testing determined it was at least 87 quadrillion times more likely if the evidence originated from the defendant and the victim, than if from the victim and an unknown, unrelated individual. The defendant was a stranger to the victim and her family.
The Honorable Judge Maribeth Raffinan scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 29, 2023. Under the plea agreement, if accepted by the Court, Johnson faces a sentence of 23-27 years in prison, followed by at least five years of supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
This case was investigated by detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit, Youth Investigations Division, and detectives and officers from the Seventh District. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Robert Platt, with support from Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.
This case was brought as part of the Cold Case Initiative launched in February 2018, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, to reinvestigate previously unsolved cases of sexual assault as well as sexual assault-related homicides. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works on this initiative in partnership with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and local law enforcement partners in the DMV area to achieve its mission.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Former State Contractor to Steal $550,000 in Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit resident pleaded guilty today to engaging in an extensive unemployment fraud conspiracy with a former State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency contract employee, whereby they stole over $550,000 in public funds, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; Devin Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office; and Julia Dale, Director of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
William Haynes, 26, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. Haynes admitted to engaging in a criminal conspiracy with Autumn Mims, a former contract Unemployment Insurance Examiner for the State of Michigan. Mims’s duties included reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.
Mims previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and is currently awaiting sentencing before Judge Goldsmith.
According to court records, shortly after Mims began working with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency in August 2020, she began using her insider access to fraudulently process claims in the names of third parties without their knowledge or authorization. As part of the scheme, Haynes (1) altered direct deposit information for third-party unemployment insurance assistance; (2) accessed third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information without authorization; (3) completed false and fraudulent certifications for third-party unemployment insurance assistance benefits; (4) opened unauthorized bank accounts in the names of third parties; (5) provided stolen personal identifying information to his co-conspirator, Mims; (6) conducted cash withdrawals of unemployment insurance assistance issued in the names of third parties; (7) conducted financial transactions utilizing unemployment insurance assistance funds issued in the names of third parties; and (8) received non-cash benefits from his involvement in the conspiracy, including rent payments made by his co-conspirator Mims.
According to court records, as a result of the conspiracy, over $550,000 in fraudulent unemployment assistance payments were made by the State of Michigan. Haynes has agreed to be held accountable for $448,614 in restitution.
Sentencing is set for November 28, 2023, before Judge Goldsmith. Haynes faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
“We are committed to prosecuting those who engage in schemes to steal public funds,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice, whether they are insiders who abuse their positions of trust or outsiders who enable that abuse.”
"William Haynes conspired with former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency Examiner Autumn Mims to defraud the state of Michigan. Haynes worked with Mims to certify Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) unemployment insurance (UI) claims he knew were fraudulent. The proceeds from the fraudulent claims were deposited into bank accounts that Haynes and Mims controlled. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to protect the integrity of the UI system," stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Haynes used his co-defendant’s official position at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency to steal money from people who were struggling through pandemic-related economic challenges,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will continue working alongside our state and federal partners to investigate this type of scheme and bring to justice those who defraud the unemployment system.”
“Add William Haynes to the growing list of fraudsters that UIA’s investigators have identified as brazenly violating the trust Michiganders put in an unemployment system that is their lifeline when they lost work,” said Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. “That Mr. Haynes found a willing accomplice within the UIA to help carry out his devious scheme is also appalling. Today’s guilty plea should put bad actors on notice that the UIA won’t tolerate the theft of public funds. Our nearly 50 convictions so far prove they won’t get away with defrauding taxpayers.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Columbus Armed Robber Sentenced to 21+ Years for Violent Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus man who committed seven violent armed robberies with his stepbrother in 2021, holdingstore employees at gunpointand firing shots at people, was sentenced to serve 259 months in prison today.
Janerio Jones, 27, was sentenced to serve 259 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release today by U.S. District Judge Clay Land after he pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on Dec. 20, 2022. Co-defendant Quentin Anderson, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 14. Anderson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit an offense on Feb. 24. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Janerio Jones and Quentin Anderson embarked on a violent robbery spree that caused mayhem in the Columbus community and inflicted lasting harm on their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office will do everything in our power to hold dangerous offenders accountable and support local, state and federal law enforcement in their efforts to curb violent crime.”
“No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” said Rich Bilson, Special Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Columbus office. “Thanks to the assistance from our local law enforcement partners, Jones and Anderson will spend a long time behind bars where they won’t be able to wreak havoc on any more innocent civilians."
“In the span of a few days, the defendants charted a path of violent armed robberies at multiple businesses across Columbus,” said Columbus Police Department Deputy Chief Lance Deaton. “Thanks to the collaborative effort with our state and federal partners, these individuals were arrested before they could terrorize another business and its employees. These sentencings send a clear message that violent crime will not be tolerated in our community.”
According to court documents, Jones and Anderson together robbed seven businesses in Columbus between Jan. 18, 2021, and Feb. 22, 2021. On the afternoon of Jan. 18, the defendants robbed both the Little Caesars on Buena Vista Road and the Dollar General on Crystal Drive within an hour and a half of each other. At Little Caesars, the entire cash register was removed from the store and the store employees took cover at the back of the store once they realized the robbers had a gun. At Dollar General, the robbers attempted to take the cash register, failed and fled on foot. Four days later, on Jan. 22, the defendants held up the Forrest Road Package on Forrest Road. One of the robbers pointed a gun in the face of a store employee while the other attempted to rob an employee at the back of the store. The cash register tray was taken. The following day, on Jan. 23, the owner of Jerry’s Food Mart on St. Mary’s Road was robbed at gunpoint by Jones and Anderson. The robbers took the owner’s wallet, store merchandise and cash. On Jan. 27, the owner of the Super C Food Mart on Decatur Street was robbed at gunpoint. The owner refused to give the robbers cash, and Jones fired a round at the cashier, which struck the protective glass barrier. As they exited the building, Jones fired another round at the owner which penetrated the glass barrier, narrowly missing him. The store owner fired his own gun at the assailants. On the evening of Feb. 4, the defendants and another individual robbed the Quality Inn on Macon Road. Jones pointed his handgun at the property owner’s head and stole money out of the hotel safe; the men fled on foot. On Feb. 22 at approximately 8:53 p.m., the defendants robbed the Marco’s Pizza on University Avenue. Jones fired his gun into the air when they entered the restaurant and demanded money. The robbers fled with stolen cash. Several Marco’s Pizza employees quit their jobs after the violent incident. Anderson was taken into custody on April 14, 2021, at a residence in Stockbridge, Georgia. Jones was taken into custody on Aug. 11, 2021, at a motel in Forest Park, Georgia.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Columbus Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams prosecuted the case for the Government.
Co-Defendants Admit to Violent Carjackings, Get Federal Prison SentencesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced two co-defendants to federal prison after the pair admitted to participating in a string of violent carjackings in the Metro East. Both men each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking, and one count of use of a dangerous weapon to commit a crime of violence.
Jamariante N. Burgess, 21, of East St. Louis, Illinois, received a 192-month sentence, and Armon R. Simpson, 19, of St. Louis, Missouri, received a 208-month sentence. At the time of the crimes, Simpson was 17. He was certified by the Court to be treated as an adult in the case.
“In a one-month span, the co-defendants wreaked serious havoc on numerous victims in the Metro East area,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The pair has proven they have no respect for the law, and their federal prison sentences reflect the severity of the violence and terror they caused.”
“The co-defendants showed a total disregard for other people – their safety and welfare – as they terrorized their community on numerous occasions,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP refuses to let people get away with this behavior and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Illinois to bring violent criminals to justice.”
According to court documents and official proceedings, the co-defendants engaged in a string of violent carjackings around the East St. Louis and St. Louis area during the summer of 2021. Beginning in July, the co-defendants pointed firearms at and carjacked a victim at the Roosevelt Homes public housing complex in East St. Louis.
On Aug. 5, 2021, Burgess and Simpson displayed firearms and carjacked a man in the St. Louis Soulard neighborhood. After being unable to drive the car, Burgess and Simpson exchanged gunfire with a citizen who tried to stop the carjacking. Undeterred, the pair then went to downtown St. Louis, robbed three victims of their belongings at gunpoint, and forcibly took their vehicle.
Burgess and Simpson fled with the stolen vehicle to the John DeShields Apartments in East St. Louis. Simpson erroneously identified an innocent pedestrian as a member of an opposing gang and both Simpson and Burgess shot at the victim, who sustained injuries. Police in both Illinois and Missouri worked quickly to identify the suspects and arrested Burgess and Simpson later that morning. Officers recovered three firearms and some of the robbery victims’ belongings.
Law enforcement officers with the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Louis County Police Department conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandria Burns prosecuted the case.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Ethan Porter, age 33, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Porter admitted that, in June 2022, he possessed a Taurus pistol while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of three felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Porter remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Porter faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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 being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 23-6.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Cape Coral Man on Federal Supervised Release Carrying Tactical Swords, Nunchucks, and Loaded Firearm Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Basilio Amaury Bron, Jr. (43, Cape Coral) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Bron faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2022, at around 5:00 p.m., Bron was driving carelessly and more than 100 miles per hour northbound on Interstate 75 near the Laurel Road exit. A deputy from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office stopped Bron’s vehicle for speeding. The deputy conducted a background check which revealed that Bron was a convicted felon on federal supervised release. During the traffic stop, the odor of marijuana emanated from Bron’s vehicle, and two 20-inch tactical swords were visible near the driver’s seat and the driver’s door. Bron also admitted to having a firearm in the vehicle. The deputy located a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, inside the vehicle’s center console and a bag containing 4 grams of marijuana. The deputy also recovered a pair of nunchucks from the driver’s seat pocket. Bron later admitted to ATF agents that he had possessed the firearm, handled it multiple times, and sold marijuana.
In 2016, Bron was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A Chee and Michael Kenneth.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Meth by MailRead the Press Release
A California man, who conspired to distribute methamphetamine by mail pled guilty June 28, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. James Dean Sterner, age 65, from Tustin, California, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, which contained 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Sterner admitted that from August 2019 to October 2019 he conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around Sioux City, Iowa after receiving the meth via the mail from California. In October 2019, law enforcement found a package mailed to a resident in Sioux City from Sterner containing approximately 319 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sterner remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sterner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons and Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt, and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4088. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California Doctor and Medical Practice Agree to Pay $11.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Skin Biopsies, Spine Surgeries, and Urine Drug TestingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lags Spine & Sportscare Medical Centers Inc. (Lags Medical) and Francis P. Lagattuta M.D., the owner and medical director of Lags Medical, have agreed to pay $11,388,887 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting millions of dollars of false claims to Medicare, Medi-Cal, and the Oregon Medicaid program for medically unnecessary skin biopsies, spinal cord stimulation surgeries, and urine drug testing, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.
Skin Biopsies
The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2016 to 2021, Lagattuta and Lags Medical performed medically unnecessary skin biopsies to test patients for small fiber neuropathy. As part of the settlement, Lagattuta and Lags Medical acknowledged that Lagattuta created what he named an “Artificial Intelligence Team” of non-provider staff who were required to order at least 150 skin biopsies per week for patients without the consent of the patients’ treating providers at Lags Medical. Each biopsy order stated that the patient had identical symptoms of small fiber neuropathy, yet those symptoms were generally inconsistent with those patients’ actual symptoms. Lagattuta and Lags Medical also acknowledged as part of this settlement that, if a patient refused a skin biopsy, Lags Medical told the patient that they would reduce their opioid medication and instructed the patient’s provider to immediately taper the patient’s medication.
Spinal Cord Stimulation Surgeries
The settlement also resolves allegations that, from 2018 to 2021, Lagattuta and Lags Medical performed medically unnecessary surgeries to implant spinal cord stimulators, which is an invasive surgery of last resort for the treatment of chronic pain. Lagattuta paid a psychiatrist to state to Medicare and Medicaid insurers that the psychiatrist had performed a necessary psychological evaluation on each patient prior to receiving the surgery and that the patient did not have any preexisting psychological or active substance abuse disorders that would adversely affect their response to the surgery. But Lagattuta and Lags Medical knew that the psychiatrist did not perform in-person psychological evaluations of any patients and ignored indications that many patients suffered from psychological or substance use disorders before receiving spinal cord stimulation surgery.
Urine Drug Testing
Finally, the settlement resolves allegations that, from 2017 to 2021, Lagattuta and Lags Medical performed medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing, which identifies the concentration of specific medications, illicit substances, and metabolites in urine samples. Blanket orders of urine drug testing—identical orders for all patients without regard to each patient’s individualized medical necessity for the test—are not covered by Medicare. Lagattuta and Lags Medical acknowledged that they made identical orders of urine drug tests for all patients to be tested every four months and ordered the maximum number of drug panels for each patient, using Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Code G0483. Lags Medical’s CEO stated to Lagattuta that performing urine drug tests on all their patients “[s]hould be a big money maker” and called it “Operation GO483!” When a new consultant for Lags Medical told Lagattuta that it was “medically unnecessary but also wasteful” to order the maximum number of drug panels for each patient, Lagattuta directed a Lags Medical executive not to contact the consultant “because she might report us. For anything.”
The United States alleges that Lagattuta’s and Lags Medical’s conduct relating to these three procedures violated the False Claims Act.
The settlement amount of $11,388,887 is based on Lagattuta’s and Lags Medical’s ability to pay and includes proceeds from Lagattuta’s sale of a remotely operated underwater vehicle. As part of the settlement. Lagattuta has also agreed to a voluntary exclusion from federal health care programs for five years.
“Dr. Lagattuta and Lags Medical engaged in a brazen scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of millions of dollars by inflicting unnecessary and painful procedures on patients whom they were supposed to be relieving of pain,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will use all of the tools at our disposal to stop fraud against federal health care programs and prevent patient harm.”
“Thousands of Medi-Cal patients trusted Dr. Lagattuta to take away their pain,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Instead he exploited their trust by carrying out arrays of unnecessary tests and billing for them over the objections of the doctors he employed. Billing for services that providers know are unnecessary undermines the quality of care that patients receive, and increases the costs to the Medi-Cal program. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this effort to hold Dr. Lagattuta to account. My office remains committed to pursuing justice against those who seek to abuse the Medi-Cal system for their own benefit.”
“Health care providers, including physicians, who perform medically unnecessary procedures to boost profits undermine the public’s trust in the health care system and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the health of patients and the integrity of federal health care programs serving them.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Steven Capeder, Lags Medical’s former operations director and marketing director. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States and California ex rel. Steven Capeder v. Francis P. Lagattuta, M.D., Lagz Corporation, Spine & Pain Treatment Medical Center of Santa Barbara, Inc., and LAGS Spine & Sportscare Medical Centers, Inc., No. 2:18-cv-2928 KJM KJN (E.D. Cal.). As part of the settlement announced today, Capeder will receive approximately $2.1 million.
The investigation was conducted with the California Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
lagattuta_agreement_fully_executed_final.pdfBullitt County Man Arrested and Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued today charging a Bullitt County man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Colonel Marcus Laytham, Chief of the Mt. Washington Police Department, made the announcement.
According to the complaint, James Nott, 40, of Mt. Washington, Kentucky, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 11, 2023, Nott possessed an AK-47 rifle, a .38 special, Charter Arms, revolver, and ammunition. Nott was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On November 11, 2011, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Nott was convicted of possession of an unregistered destructive device and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of marijuana.
The felon in possession of a firearm offense charged in today’s complaint, arose from a federal search warrant executed at Nott’s residence today, in connection with a search for firearms and trafficked human remains.
Nott made his initial appearance today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Nott remains in federal custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing on July 12, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
If convicted, Nott faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 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 FBI and the Mt. Washington Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl are prosecuting the case.
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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Belleville Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Exploiting Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a Belleville man to spend 15 years in federal prison after he pled guilty to four counts of production, distribution, and transportation of child sexual abuse material.
Zachary R. Dennert, 21, will serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
“The defendant targeted young boys on social media, gained their trust by pretending to be a young girl and exploited his victims for sexual images,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “His sentence reflects the severity of his manipulative behavior, and I applaud the investigative agencies for their work in bringing this offender to justice.”
According to court documents, Dennert created social media profiles on several platforms purporting to be a teenage female in 2020. Using the profiles, he contacted numerous male minors and requested explicit images. Dennert received images from victims ranging in age from 11 to 15-years-old. Investigators recovered more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material from Dennert’s account.
Task force members with the U.S. Secret Service and the O’Fallon Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance from Saint Clair County State’s Attorney Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandria Burns prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Armed Drug Trafficker Receives 135 Months for Distributing Drugs and Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Marlon Porter, 51, of Wilmington, was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in prison for armed trafficking of cocaine base (crack), cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. On March 13, 2023, Porter pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl; possession of a quantity of crack cocaine, cocaine and fentanyl; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“Our men and women continue to work tirelessly day in and day out to protect the City of Wilmington,” said Wilmington Police Chief Donnie Williams. “I am extremely grateful for their continued dedication to ensuring that justice is delivered. I appreciate the partnership with the various agencies who assisted with this case to bring it to a close. We will continue to patrol the streets to remove violent offenders and send them to prison where they belong.” said Wilmington Police Chief Donnie Williams.
“ATF and our law enforcement partners focus on those individuals who pose the biggest threat to our communities,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Our collaborative efforts continue to disrupt drug trafficking networks, recover firearms from illegal possessors, apprehend violent offenders, and better public safety in our neighborhoods.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on June 26, 2019, a Wilmington Police Officer and a New Hanover County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to multiple gun shots in the area of Gores Row and Orange Streets in Wilmington. They observed Marlon Porter running across the street. Porter did not initially respond to commands to stop and ran around a corner. Porter then came back into their sight and surrendered. After searching the area, law enforcement found a stolen 9mm handgun cocked and ready to fire. Law enforcement also observed Porter’s brother, George Porter, reaching into a car in the area. Law enforcement searched the car and found a loaded .380 handgun under the front seat. In addition, numerous shell casings were recovered by law enforcement near the area in which Porter had been observed running from. On July 16, 2019, law enforcement made a controlled purchase from Porter at a Glenn Street address used by Porter as a stash house.
On September 23, 2019, Wilmington Police Officers responded to a welfare check in a hotel parking lot on Eastwood Road. Officers saw Marlon Porter and another man asleep in a BMW. As they approached Porter, he threw two ounces of cocaine across the car. A search of the car uncovered crack, fentanyl, multiple wax baggies, digital scales, almost $4,000 and a loaded .357 revolver. Officers discovered that Porter was associated with a room at the hotel. Inside the hotel room, officers found six grams of fentanyl, crack and items used to make crack.
On December 13, 2019, New Hanover County Narcotics detectives received information that Porter was selling drugs from the Baymont Inn in Wilmington. Following this, detectives arrested an individual in possession of heroin in the area of South 15th street. The individual had a room key for the Baymont Inn. Law enforcement went to the room and stopped a female leaving the room with five bindles of fentanyl. Upon entry of the room, they found Porter on the bed, and a search of the room found a .45 caliber handgun, three grams of fentanyl, digital scales and almost $2,000. Law enforcement searched Porter’s jeep which was parked in front of the room and found a small amount of fentanyl and a stolen 9mm handgun and digital scales.
Porter has prior North Carolina State convictions for Possession of a controlled substance within 300 feet of a School (1994), Selling Cocaine (2012) Attempted Common Law Robbery and Assault Inflicting Bodily Injury (2012).
This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00029-M-1.
Anthon, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Brett Sauser, 38, from Anthon, Iowa, was sentenced on June 29, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City to 126 months’ imprisonment. Sauser pled guilty on February 10, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within a protected location. Sauser resided within 1000 feet of Memorial Park and Anthon Elementary School in Anthon, Iowa and obtained his drugs from the Dark Web.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2019 through August 2022, Sauser participated in a conspiracy involving the distribution of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine as well as possession of more than 20 grams each of fentanyl; ketamine; and MDMA. Sauser obtained the controlled substances through the Dark Web and would receive the drugs through the U.S. Postal Service. In August of 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sauser’s residence after Sauser accepted covert delivery of a package containing a quarter-pound of methamphetamine. The evidence seized included 3 separate baggies of methamphetamine, approximately 3.5 grams each, plus small amounts of MDMA, heroin, ketamine, LSD, marijuana, three bags of mushroom roots (for manufacture of psilocybin mushrooms) and various drug use and distribution paraphernalia.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sauser was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment and must serve an 8-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sauser remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4065. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
10 July 2023
Worcester Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced on July 7, 2023 in federal court in Worcester for distributing and possessing child pornography.
Kenneth Gianatasio, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 12 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. On March 14, 2023, Gianatasio pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
In August 2019, Gianatasio initiated a conversation with an undercover agent on Kik Messenger. During the conversation, Gianatasio requested to meet the agent in order to engage in sexual activity with the agent’s fictitious underage daughter. During subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Gianatasio admitted that he used Kik as well as other applications to distribute, receive, and possess images and videos of child pornography as well as engage others in conversations about meeting to perform sexual acts on children. Gianatasio also stated that he kept his child pornography in secret applications in his devices for five years. A search of Gianatasio’s iPhone and iPad were found to contain videos and images of child pornography, including thousands of thumbnails in applications on his iPhone.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Worcester Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Kaitlin J. Brown of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.White Earth Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ponsford man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon and distributing fentanyl on the White Earth Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in January 2022, law enforcement received information that Francis Edward Durant, 52, was selling controlled substances from his residence on the White Earth Reservation. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Durant’s residence and recovered quantities of fentanyl, a loaded Smith & Wesson .45 caliber handgun, $9,612 in cash, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. Because Durant has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time.
Durant pleaded guilty on December 5, 2022, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Durant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott.
West L.A. Man Gets More Than 6 Years in Prison for Illicitly Obtaining Nearly $9 Million in COVID Loans, Some of Which He Used for Las Vegas GamblingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A West Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 79 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $9 million in COVID-19 business loans, some of which he used on gambling excursions to Las Vegas and transferred to his stock trading accounts.
Andrew Marnell, 43, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who scheduled a restitution hearing for August 28.
Marnell pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering.
From March 2020 to July 2020, Marnell schemed to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which Congress designed to aid businesses feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and another SBA loan program called the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL).
Marnell’s bogus loan applications contained numerous false and misleading statements about his shell companies’ business operations and payroll expenses. Marnell, often using aliases, submitted fake and altered documents to obtain the small business loans, including bogus federal tax filings and employee payroll records.
In total, Marnell submitted applications for PPP loans in amounts exceeding $10 million and lenders funded nearly $9 million in loans to his fake companies. In addition, Marnell requested EIDL loans from the SBA in the amount of $320,000, and of that amount, $170,000 was funded.
Once Marnell obtained the illicitly obtained loans, he used the money for gambling, including at a Las Vegas casino and in stock market trades, and for purchasing luxury goods. As part of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Marnell agreed to forfeit his ill-gotten gains, including Rolex watches, multiple laptop computers and tablets, a Range Rover automobile, a Ducati motorcycle, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. The government also seized more than $1.5 million from various Marnell-controlled accounts, including those used to trade in the stock market.
“As soon as the federal government declared a national emergency and took action to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, [Marnell] started scheming to steal relief funds intended to save small businesses from going bankrupt and millions of individuals from losing their jobs,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Marnell] was one of the first people arrested in this district for pandemic-related fraud, and thus he was one of the first out of the proverbial gate to start defrauding programs designed to provide emergency assistance and relief to those impacted by the pandemic, including owners of small businesses.”
The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General; the FBI; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. The California Department of Justice Bureau of Gambling Control provided assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Upland Man Convicted of Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Donald Greuter, Jr., 57, of Upland, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 29, 2023, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 114 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms. After he completes his prison sentence, Greuter will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In December of 2019, Greuter was on parole for a felony drug distribution conviction. As a convicted felon, Greuter was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On January 8, 2020, police and parole officers went to Greuter’s home in Upland to conduct a parole search of his property. At the time, Greuter resided with his significant other, Tricia Easley. While at Greuter’s home, investigators learned that he also owned the property next door, which contained a house. Greuter acknowledged that he owned that property and gave investigators the keys to make entry. Once inside, officers noticed several containers of live ammunition in various calibers. In the same room, officers saw a large combination safe that was locked. Between the safe and the wall, officers found two 12-gauge shotguns inside a gun case.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for both properties and recovered 30 firearms, including eight pistols, eight shotguns, 16 rifles, and several thousand rounds of ammunition. Among the firearms located in the safe was a short shotgun, a defaced rifle, two stolen guns, a 50-caliber rifle, and three semiautomatic rifles with high-capacity magazines. In total, investigators located 32 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
Four of the firearms recovered by investigators were found to have been purchased at a Grand Island pawn shop. Greuter’s significant other, Tricia Easley, said she purchased these firearms at Greuter’s request and transferred the firearms to him. Greuter provided her with the money to pay for the guns and told her to pick them up from the pawn shop. Greuter was present during more than one of these gun purchases. Pawn shop employees, who were familiar with Greuter, observed him handle at least one of the firearms purchased. A special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) examined the guns and ammunition and determined that they were manufactured outside the State of Nebraska. For her part, Easley pleaded guilty to transferring a firearm to a prohibited person and is set to be sentenced on August 2, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Attorney Ritz Launches National Security and Civil Rights UnitRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin Ritz today announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well as threats to national security.
“None of us can afford for federal investigators and prosecutors to take a passive role when it comes to protecting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “We have a responsibility to our communities to be active participants in seeing those rights endure. This new unit mobilizes every tool at our disposal to prosecuting hate-based crimes, civil rights violations, violent extremism, and related crimes. This is a major part of our mission and deserves to always have a clear, formal home in our office.”
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Hartridge was appointed by Ritz to lead the unit as Deputy Criminal Chief. For nearly nine years, Hartridge has represented the United States in the prosecution of violations of federal firearms, controlled substances, and robbery statutes. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hartridge served in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she supervised a team of attorneys and support personnel. As Deputy Criminal Chief, Hartridge will oversee a team of federal prosecutors on cases involving bias-related incidents, official misconduct, domestic terrorism, interstate threats, cybercrime (including exploitation of children), and other related violations of federal law.
That team will expand almost immediately, according to U.S. Attorney Ritz, as he and Hartridge also announced plans to recruit multiple new Assistant United States Attorneys to work on these issues by the end of the summer. The Justice Department recently granted resources to the Western District to hire multiple additional Assistant United States Attorneys, including one to focus specifically on domestic terrorism and violent crime.
“Our first job is to send a strong message to the cities and counties we serve that we take these kinds of cases seriously and that we are focused on holding people accountable when there is a report of a violation of civil rights or threat to national security,” said Hartridge. “That requires us to build a team of passionate, victim-focused prosecutors who understand the responsibility of this work. The team we have in Memphis and Jackson has given us an incredible foundation; I’m excited to work with them and our new hires to grow and sustain the new unit.”
More information on the attorney vacancies, including qualifications and details on the process, can be found on USAJobs.gov. The deadline to apply is July 16, 2023.
The new unit in the Western District of Tennessee prioritizes cases consistent with Attorney General Garland’s May 27, 2021 directive to U.S. Attorneys to combat hate crimes and incidents, address them when they occur, support those victimized by them, and reduce the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society.
Data released in early 2023 shows an increase in hate crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies, rising from more than 8,000 in 2020 to nearly 11,000 the following year.
United States Attorney Ritz recently joined three subcommittees of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) as part of this effort. The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of U.S. Attorneys and to advise the Attorney General. United States Attorney Ritz serves on the Violent and Organized Crime Subcommittee, the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee, and the Civil Rights Subcommittee. As a member of these subcommittees, Ritz works with other U.S. Attorneys and Department leadership to advise on issues in these areas and address their impact across the Western District of Tennessee.
“We’re certainly going to continue to lean on our partnerships across local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these cases wherever we can,” said Ritz. “But community members are also important partners in this fight. Part of our work is going to be talking to people in all 22 of the counties in our District about how domestic terrorism is evolving, what hate crimes look like in 2023, and how they can bring their concerns to our attention.”
To report a hate crime, human trafficking, civil rights violation, or other federal crime, dial 911 for immediate help from local authorities; submit a report to the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov; or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Hurwit Releases Public Service Announcement to Highlight Renewed Focus on Violent Crime in Canyon CountyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the Nampa Police Department, the Caldwell Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, released a public service announcement, available here, about rising violent crime in Canyon County. The PSA highlights the work of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of FBI agents, sheriff deputies, and police officers and works directly with prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office. In the PSA, U.S. Attorney Hurwit also explains that convictions for federal crimes generally mean tougher sentences and no parole.
“Our mission is public safety. This means eliminating violent crime in every single neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “My office always prioritizes prosecuting those who, through their violent acts, show no regard for the safety of others. This mission is critical in Canyon County, and I hope this PSA will encourage community members to work with law enforcement to address this threat to us all.”
“To help ensure safety in Canyon County, we must work together with our law enforcement partners and community members,” said Joe Huff, Nampa Chief of Police. “One of our core values at the Nampa Police Department is teamwork and we practice it every day in many ways to include crime prevention and in solving crimes.”
“Crime knows no borders and we are better together,” said Rex R. Ingram, Caldwell Chief of Police. “We are unified in numbers with a common goal of keeping Idaho a safe place for people to live, work and play.”
“The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office was a founding member of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes and Gang Task Force when it first began back in 2005. In the last 18 years, the Task Force has been a vital tool in our fight against violent criminals, gangs, and transcontinental criminal organizations (TCOs) like the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels in the Treasure Valley,” said Kieran Donahue, Canyon County Sheriff. “To date, this partnership between local and federal law enforcement agencies has led to over 600 indictments and taken hundreds of violent criminals off our streets. But our work is far from over. We must continue to be vigilant in our pursuit of violent criminals, gang members, and TCOs, who in addition to committing violent crimes, distribute unprecedented amounts of dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl to our residents. These people have no place in our community.”
The FBI and Canyon County law enforcement report an increase in gang-related shootings and drive-by shootings in the recent months. Law enforcement is also seeing an increase in possession of firearms by prohibited individuals in Canyon County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made prosecution of crimes involving violent offenders a top priority. From previous years, the office projects an approximate 50% increase in prosecutions of individuals stemming from Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force investigations.
The Task Force focuses on local violent crime and gang activity and is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Idaho Department of Correction.
The following recent federal cases illustrate the Task Force’s work:
- Isaac Bright, 29, of Nampa. Bright was a documented member of Latin Kings gang with an extensive criminal history. On January 29, 2022, a police officer with the Wilder Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Bright. Bright failed to stop, resulting in a high-speed pursuit. Bright was eventually arrested after discharging a firearm at the officer. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and was sentenced on February 14, 2023 to ten years in federal prison.
- Jordan Khan, 27, of Washington. Khan moved to the Treasure Valley in 2021, after being released from Washington state prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and taking a vehicle without permission. He has an extensive criminal history. On January 27, 2022, United States Marshals were searching for a wanted fugitive believed to be at Khan’s residence. During the search, Khan was found in possession of a .40 caliber pistol and trafficking amounts of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced on March 14, 2023, to 98 months in federal prison.
- Steven Thornhill, 41, of Nampa. On January 12, 2022, Thornhill was arrested by officers with the Nampa Police Department. Thornhill had methamphetamine and a firearm in his possession. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced on March 20, 2023, to 80 months in federal prison. Thornhill had an extensive criminal history including prior convictions for unlawfully possessing firearms and burglary. At the time of the instant offense, Thornhill was still on probation for two burglary convictions.
In addition to the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, the Wilder Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service participated in these cases. These cases were prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit expressed his gratitude to all the law enforcement agencies who support the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force and to the individual prosecutors and task force investigators who are achieving justice through their hard work and professionalism.
Anyone with information about violent crime or illegal activity can call (208) 344-7843.
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