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15 June 2023
St. Francis to Pay the United States $36.5 Million to Settle Allegations Under the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- St. Francis Physician Services, Inc., St. Francis Hospital, and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Inc., (collectively, “St. Francis”), owner and operator of the St. Francis healthcare system, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization in Greenville, South Carolina, has agreed to pay $36.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, the Federal Stark Law, and the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) by making payments to orthopedic surgeons that were tied to the volume or value of referrals.
The settlement resolves allegations that St. Francis caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and to TRICARE as a result of an unlawful contractual payment structure between St. Francis and Piedmont Orthopedic Associates (“POA”), whereby POA’s compensation was tied to the volume or value of the practice’s referrals to St. Francis. Specifically, it is alleged that St. Francis’s bonus payments to POA physicians violated both the Stark Law and the AKS.
“Medical providers should base health care decisions on what is best for the patient, and not on financial incentives and related schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful the relator brought these allegations forward. Relators are critical to identifying fraud and protecting the integrity of our Medicare system.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by a relator under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, the relator will receive approximately $10.2 million of the settlement amount. The whistleblower in this case was represented by Bill Nettles and Fran Trapp of the Law Offices of Bill Nettles, and Bryan Vroon of the Law Offices of Bryan A. Vroon, LLC.
The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States of America, et al., ex rel. Lee v. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Inc., Case No. 6:18-cv-01932-DCC (D.S.C.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Springfield Man Sentenced for Heroin, Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Roderick L. Stewart, also known as “Memphis,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, June 14, to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 8, 2022, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl. Stewart admitted that he participated in the conspiracy that distributed more than a kilogram of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl from March 27, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019, although he was incarcerated on unrelated cases for several months during that time.
Co-defendant Derrick E. Dailey, 37, of Springfield, supplied Stewart and others with heroin and fentanyl for distribution. Court documents refer to a $10,000 drug debt that Stewart owed to Daily, which would represent approximately 100 grams of heroin or fentanyl.
Stewart admitted that he sold $100 worth of fentanyl to a law enforcement confidential source on Nov. 5, 2019. According to court documents, there is evidence Dailey sold much larger quantities of fentanyl, sometimes by falsely claiming it was heroin, to others.
When law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Stewart during a traffic stop, he fled from law enforcement. During the pursuit, which reached speeds over 90 miles per hour, Stewart drove on the wrong side of the road and turned off his headlights. He eventually crashed into two parked cars. He ran from officers but was apprehended.
Stewart has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and forgery. Stewart also was arrested in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in October 2013 for murder with a firearm, felonious assault with a firearm, and kidnapping with a firearm. Stewart and an accomplice shot a victim 14 times in an alleyway in Cleveland, Ohio, killing him. His accomplice bragged to friends that he and Stewart lured the victim to an alleyway, where Stewart shot the victim in the back and the accomplice shot him in the head. Stewart pleaded guilty to an amended charge of involuntary manslaughter during the middle of a court trial and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He was on parole supervision for that offense when he committed the offense in this federal case.
Dailey was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2022, to 34 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Antwanae L. Morgan,32, of Springfield, was sentenced on May 10, 2023, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Three additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Heroin, Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than four kilograms of heroin and/or fentanyl.
Marquise D. Martin, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, June 14, to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 3, 2022, Martin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl. Martin admitted that he participated in the conspiracy that distributed more than four kilograms of fentanyl from Sept. 23, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019.
On Aug. 29, 2019, Martin sold .693 grams of fentanyl to a law enforcement confidential informant during a controlled transaction. Although Martin routinely claimed to be selling heroin, the drug in this case actually was fentanyl. Following a traffic stop in Springfield on May 11, 2019, Martin fled from officers on foot and discarded 7.1 grams of fentanyl in a convenience store bathroom.
According to court documents, Martin received approximately one ounce (28.5 grams) of fentanyl from co-defendant Jerry D. Bedell, 32, of Springfield, every other day for two to three months. Bedell is responsible for distributing at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl.
Martin has an apparent gang affiliation, according to court documents. Martin grew up in a neighborhood where the “Rollin’ 60s Crips” were present but denied association with them. However, a sentencing memorandum filed by the government refers to a review of his public Facebook page that revealed numerous posts indicative of Crips gang membership or affiliation.
Martin is among 10 defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case and the first defendant to be sentenced. Bedell pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2022, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, as well as to illegally possessing a firearm, and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Southfield, MI Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Deyon Robinson pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Robinson, age 22 of Southfield, Michigan, pled guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman. Stickman ordered sentencing to occur on October 4, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.
In support of the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, on April 26, 2021, Robinson got caught possessing with intent to distribute 150 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin and 70 grams of crack. He got caught as a result of a Pennsylvania State Police investigation and traffic stop in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Robinson also possessed a loaded Glock pistol and over $2,400 in cash at that time.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Sioux Falls Man Charged with Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man for two counts of Possession of Child Pornography and Transportation of Child Pornography.
Jeffrey Michael Dicus, age 38, was indicted in June of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 9, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about between April 12, 2013, and February 8, 2023, and also between February 16, 2018, and February 8, 2023, Dicus knowingly possessed and attempted to possess material which contained images of child pornography that had been shipped and transported using an electronic device, and had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce.
The Indictment also alleges that on or about between January 5, 2017, and February 8, 2023, Dicus knowingly transported child pornography into his Dropbox account.
The charges are merely accusations and Dicus is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigation and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting 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.
Dicus was remanded back to the custody of the State pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Second Man Sentenced in Series of Armed Robberies and Conspiracy to Commit Additional Robberies of Mid-South Retail StoresRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, a federal judge sentenced the second of two men involved in a series of robberies of mid-South Walmart and Kroger stores beginning Christmas Eve 2021. Randy Readus, 36, of Memphis was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his role in multiple business robberies and conspiracy to commit robberies in the Memphis and surrounding areas, said Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. also ordered Readus to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution of more than $34,000 upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Readus’s co-defendant, Memphis resident Julius Black, 32, was sentenced on May 18, 2023, to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to these and other robbery charges. Judge Fowlkes also ordered that Black serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, between December 2020 and January 2021, Readus and Black committed multiple business robberies in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. On the morning of December 24, 2020, Readus drove Black from Memphis to Marion, Arkansas. Black entered Walmart, robbed the Money Center at gunpoint, then fled with a large amount of cash in a vehicle driven by Readus, who was waiting outside.
Readus and Black went on to conduct similar robberies of the following businesses:
- December 26, 2020: Walmart, 512 Industrial Park Drive, Trumann, Arkansas.
- December 31, 2020: Kroger, at 6660 Poplar Avenue. Readus drove Black to the Kroger, and Black jumped the customer service desk, forced his way into the finance room, and forcibly stole money.
- January 6, 2021: Walmart, 950 Mackie Drive, Holly Springs, Mississippi.
- January 8, 2021: Kroger, 9025 Highway 64, Memphis, Tennessee.
- January 8, 2021: Kroger, Highway 70, Arlington, Tennessee. The pair attempted to rob the store but got away without any money.
- January 12, 2021: Walmart, New Albany, Mississippi. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force apprehended Readus and Black after the robbery, disabling the vehicle before the two could flee the scene.
After a six-day jury trial in February 2023, Readus was convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
Seattle Man Admits Buying 630,000 Counterfeit Pills on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Seattle, Washington on Thursday admitted buying 630,000 counterfeit Xanax and other pills on the dark web.
Maximillian Gregory Verbowski, 28, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark to one count each of conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs, selling counterfeit drugs and using a fictitious name on mail to commit a crime.
Verbowski admitted using cryptocurrency and cash from October 2019 to August 30, 2021 to buy bulk quantities of counterfeit generic alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug, and other prescription pills and resell them. Verbowski’s source bought drug ingredients from China and used a pill press and stamps to mimic the pill markings used by manufacturers licensed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The supplier then shipped the pills to post office boxes Verbowski opened using aliases.
The transactions were conducted using the dark web.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, the counterfeit drugs charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the mail charge carries a maximum 20-year term. All are also subject to a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Salt River Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl Overdose Death of Her BabyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz.– Sarah Caitlin Burnette, 23, of the Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced on June 12, 2023, by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 180 months in prison. Burnette previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.
On February 27, 2021, Burnette’s 18-month-old baby boy died of acute fentanyl toxicity after ingesting the drug. On October 19, 2021, Burnette was charged with murder and child abuse for the fentanyl overdose death of her son, and exposing another child to the same risk of death by fentanyl overdose.
The Salt River Police Department and FBI jointly conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer E. LaGrange and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alane Breland, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. SAUSA Breland is also the Chief Prosecutor for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00867-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-093_Burnette# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Russian National Charged with Conspiring to Commit Lockbit Ransomware Attacks Against U.S. and Foreign BusinessesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Justice Department today announced charges against a Russian national for his involvement in deploying numerous LockBit ransomware and other cyberattacks against victim computer systems in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov, 20, (АСТАМИРОВ, Руслан Магомедовичь), of Chechen Republic, Russia, is charged by complaint unsealed today in Newark federal court with conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to intentionally damage protected computers and to transmit ransom demands. Astamirov was arrested on the complaint in Arizona and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in the District of Arizona.
“Astamirov is the third defendant charged by this office in the LockBit global ransomware campaign, and the second defendant to be apprehended,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “The LockBit conspirators and any other ransomware perpetrators cannot hide behind imagined online anonymity. We will continue to work tirelessly with all our law enforcement partners to identify ransomware perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
“This Lockbit-related arrest, the second in six months, underscores the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to hold ransomware actors accountable,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said. “In securing the arrest of a second Russian national affiliated with the LockBit ransomware, the department has once again demonstrated the long arm of the law. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt cybercrime, and while cybercriminals may continue to run, they ultimately cannot hide.”
“These cyber criminals hide in a virtual world but cause very real harm when they seize control of computer systems, putting companies and customers in an unimaginable bind,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Either pay the ransoms or lose control of your entire information technology infrastructure. It is too high a price for anyone to be forced to pay. Astamirov's arrest, along with the others charged in this case, is a simple but devastating illustration of how we are following through on our promise - we are bringing these hackers to justice."
According to documents filed in this case:
The LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020. LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as tens of millions of dollars in actual ransom payments made in the form of bitcoin.
In furtherance of his LockBit-related activities, Astamirov owned, controlled, and used a variety of email addresses, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and other online provider accounts that allowed him and his co-conspirators to deploy LockBit ransomware and to communicate with their victims. Additionally, in at least one circumstance, law enforcement was able to trace a portion of a victim’s ransom payment to a virtual currency address in Astamirov’s control.
This announcement follows LockBit-related charges in two other cases from the District of New Jersey. In November 2022, the department announced criminal charges against Mikhail Vasiliev, and Canadian national, who is currently in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States. In May 2023, the department announced the indictment of Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, aka Wazawaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselcin, aka Uhodiransomwar, for his alleged participation in separate conspiracies to deploy LockBit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware variants against victims in the United States and abroad.
The charge of conspiring to intentionally damage protected computers and to transmit ransom demands is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. Both charges are also punishable by a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
The FBI Newark Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Task Force is investigating the case. The FBI Phoenix Division, the Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and the international partners from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Eurojust, National Police Agency of Japan, France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command (Cyber Crime Investigation Unit / C3N), National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, Landeskriminalamt Schleswig-Holstein and the Bundeskriminalamt of Germany, and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden also provided valuable assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Vinay S. Limbachia, and David E. Malagold of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark and DOJ Trial Attorneys Jessica C. Peck and Jorge Gonzalez of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
astamirov.complaint.pdfRussian National Arrested and Charged with Conspiring to Commit LockBit Ransomware Attacks Against U.S. and Foreign BusinessesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced charges against a Russian national for his involvement in deploying numerous LockBit ransomware and other cyberattacks against victim computer systems in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov (АСТАМИРОВ, Руслан Магомедовичь), 20, of Chechen Republic, will make his initial appearance later today.
“This LockBit-related arrest, the second in six months, underscores the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to hold ransomware actors accountable,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “In securing the arrest of a second Russian national affiliated with the LockBit ransomware, the Department has once again demonstrated the long arm of the law. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt cybercrime, and while cybercriminals may continue to run, they ultimately cannot hide.”
According to a criminal complaint obtained in the District of New Jersey, from at least as early as August 2020 to March 2023, Astamirov allegedly participated in a conspiracy with other members of the LockBit ransomware campaign to commit wire fraud and to intentionally damage protected computers and make ransom demands through the use and deployment of ransomware. Specifically, Astamirov directly executed at least five attacks against victim computer systems in the United States and abroad.
“Astamirov is the third defendant charged by this office in the LockBit global ransomware campaign, and the second defendant to be apprehended,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The LockBit conspirators and any other ransomware perpetrators cannot hide behind imagined online anonymity. We will continue to work tirelessly with all our law enforcement partners to identify ransomware perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
According to the criminal complaint, the LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020. LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as tens of millions of dollars in actual ransom payments made in the form of bitcoin.
In furtherance of his LockBit-related activities, Astamirov owned, controlled, and used a variety of email addresses, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and other online provider accounts that allowed him and his co-conspirators to deploy LockBit ransomware and to communicate with their victims. Additionally, in at least one circumstance, law enforcement was able to trace a portion of a victim’s ransom payment to a virtual currency address in Astamirov’s control.
“The FBI is committed to pursuing ransomware actors like Astamirov, who have exploited vulnerable cyber ecosystems and harmed victims,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “We, in collaboration with our federal and international partners, are fully committed to the permanent dismantlement of these types of ransomware campaigns that intentionally target people and our private sector partners. We will continue to leverage every resource to prevent this type of malicious, criminal activity.”
Astamirov is charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to intentionally damage protected computers and to transmit ransom demands. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the first charge and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the second charge. Both charges are also punishable by a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
This announcement follows LockBit-related charges in two other cases from the District of New Jersey. In November 2022, the department announced criminal charges against Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual Russian and Canadian national, who is currently in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States. In May 2023, the department announced the indictment of Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, aka Wazawaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselcin, aka Uhodiransomwar, for his alleged participation in separate conspiracies to deploy LockBit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware variants against victims in the United States and abroad.
The FBI Newark Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Task Force is investigating the case. The Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and the international partners from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Eurojust, National Police Agency of Japan, France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command (Cyber Crime Investigation Unit / C3N), National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, Landeskriminalamt Schleswig-Holstein and the Bundeskriminalamt of Germany, and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden also provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Jessica C. Peck and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Vinay Limbachia, and David E. Malagold for the District of New Jersey’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
Victims of LockBit ransomware should contact their local FBI field office and visit StopRansomware.gov for further information.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Richland County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Shondel Antwan Crim, 48, of Columbia, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Richland County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the home of a shooting victim. The victim stated that she and Crim had stopped dating. She saw him at a gas station, and they talked, and he tried to rekindle the relationship. She declined and left the gas station. Crim followed her and fired into her car at least 2 times striking her car. An arrest warrant was issued for Crim.
A week later, the police see Crim at another gas station and arrest him. They found a 9mm Glock pistol in a holster inside his waistband. A search warrant was issued for his house where they found 9mm ammunition along with a small amount of crack cocaine.
Crim was taken to police headquarters where he admitted that the gun found on him was the one, he had during the shooting. Crim was prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon convictions for possession of crack, possession of a stolen car, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute in proximity of a school, possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine 2nd offense, and burglary 2nd offense.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Crim to 96 months (8 years) imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Readout from Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Meeting with Mille Lacs Band of OjibweRead the Press Release
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Minnesota today and met with Tribal leaders and members of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The trip focused on areas – public safety, justice administration, reentry and victims’ services – where the Justice Department provides substantial grant funding to support Tribal self-governance. Associate Attorney General Gupta held government-to-government meetings with the Tribe’s leadership, heard about the Tribe’s work to respond to challenges and reinforced the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting Indian Country. She was joined throughout the trip by Director Tracy Toulou of the Justice Department’s Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ).
The Associate Attorney General’s trip to the Mille Lacs Band is the first in a series of meetings with Tribal governments on Tribal land in the coming months and is part of the Justice Department’s continued efforts to strengthen ties to Indian Country and elevate the voices and concerns of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Associate Attorney General Gupta opened the visit by remarking on the Supreme Court’s decision to reject constitutional challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act, a landmark statute that protects Indian children and families and safeguards Tribal self-governance. As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement following the decision, the Justice Department vigorously defended the Act before the Court and will continue to do everything in its power to protect Tribal communities and affirm Tribal sovereignty.
Meetings with Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Chief Executive and Tribal Leadership
Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin of the Mille Lacs Band welcomed the Associate Attorney General and convened a meeting with a number of the Band’s executive, legislative and judicial leaders. During the meeting, the Associate Attorney General learned more about the operations of the Band’s government, day-to-day challenges and exercise of sovereignty over their Homelands. Chief Executive Benjamin is the Midwest representative on the Attorney General’s Tribal Nations Leadership Council.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta (center) and Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin (center right) with members of Tribal Leadership. Associate Attorney General Gupta (right) and Chief Executive Benjamin (left)Tour of Reservation and Government Programming
Later in the afternoon, Associate Attorney General Gupta joined a tour of the reservation, which included visits to Tribal Courts and the Band’s Police Department and Government Center. She also visited the Band’s aanjibimaadizing, a center dedicated to “changing lives” by providing social services to youth and adults. She ended her visit at the Band’s Health and Human Services Department.
Associate Attorney General Gupta (right) speaking with Associate Justice Brenda Moose, of the Mille Lacs Band Central Court of Jurisdiction (left). Associate Attorney General Gupta (left) touring the Mille Lacs Band Tribal Police Department with Chief of Police James West (right). Assembly Speaker and Secretary-Treasurer Sheldon Boyd (left) briefing Associate Attorney General Gupta (right) on the Band’s implementation of Justice Department-supported grant programming.Justice Department Resources to Address the Unique Needs of Indian Country
Throughout the visit, the Associate Attorney General and Tribal leadership discussed the Justice Department’s grant programs and how they assist the Band’s self-government initiatives. Through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the Justice Department has provided the Band resources to construct new courtrooms, recruit and retain police officers, revise the Band’s statutes and provide shelter and services for victims of domestic violence. The Justice Department has also designated a Band attorney as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to enable the Band to more effectively prosecute serious crimes.
OTJ, among other duties, serves as a primary point of contact for Tribal governments and organizations regarding policies and programs and issues relating to public safety and justice in Indian country. In line with a whole-of-department approach, the department recently announced the hiring of 44 additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff to serve Native communities nationwide. In Minnesota alone, five new department personnel will be added to address issues arising within Indian Country.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on June 9, 2023.
Harland Bernard Johnson, 74, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Johnson was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Johnson was indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2022.
The conviction stems from Johnson receiving child pornography between January of 2018 and February of 2021, at Rapid City.
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.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Johnson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Christian Lorenzo Witt, age 30, was indicted in May of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on June 9, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Witt, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly being in possession of a Glock GmbH pistol in Rapid City in March of 2023.
The charge is merely an accusation and Witt is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The investigation is being conducted by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Witt was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Raymond Contreras, age 28, was indicted in May of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on June 9, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Contreras, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly being in possession of a Sporting Arms Manufacturing shotgun in Rapid City in March of 2023.
The charge is merely an accusation and Contreras is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Contreras was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Providence Resident Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man admitted to a federal judge on Tuesday that he possessed nearly 449 grams of methamphetamine and 64 grams of fentanyl that was intended for distribution, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to information presented to the court, John Walker, 51, was detained by a member of the DEA Drug Task Force on March 3, 2022, moments after he left his Providence residence- a location where, as he acknowledged to a federal judge, he had just sold an individual a small amount of methamphetamine.
According to information presented to the court, at the time of his arrest, Walker was found to be in possession of approximately 59 grams of methamphetamine and $5,902 in cash. Walker told agents that he had additional narcotics inside an apartment that he described as a “drug den,” and provided them with a door code to enter the residence and directions as to where the drugs would be found.
Inside the apartment, DEA personnel located and seized approximately 449 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 64 grams of fentanyl.
Walker pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and G. Michael Seaman.
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Previously Convicted Felon Arrested for Distributing Fentanyl Pills and Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man was arrested today for allegedly trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and unlawfully possessing ammunition.
Shawn Hart, 45, was charged with one count distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Worcester this afternoon.
According to the charging documents, in August 2022, Hart was identified as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances on the North Shore. On Sept. 15, 2022, Hart allegedly distributed approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills, containing 68 grams of fentanyl, during a controlled purchase in North Billerica. Additionally, on June 1, 2023, Hart allegedly distributed approximately 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl and well as a 9mm privately manufactured firearm (commonly known as a “ghost gun”) containing 19 rounds of ammunition during a controlled purchase at his home in Methuen.
It is further alleged that three additional firearms, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills and suspected narcotics in various forms and quantities were seized from Hart’s residence this morning following his arrest.
Hart is prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous state felony convictions, including: possession with intent to distribute a class a controlled substance in December 2003; armed robbery in June 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; masked armed robbery, breaking and entering a vehicle at night and larceny in August 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; and assault and battery on a correctional institution guard in September 2004, for which he was sentenced to six months in prison.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of unlawful possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 63 Months for Attempting to Provide a Prohibited Object to a Federal Inmate and Attempting to Obtain a Prohibited Object by a Federal InmateRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Omari Patton was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for attempting to provide a prohibited object to a federal inmate and attempting to obtain a prohibited object by a federal inmate, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Patton, age 44 of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge William S. Stickman. Patton was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Patton was convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in February 2023. As established at trial, Patton operated a scheme to distribute K2 paper into and inside federal prisons. The K2 paper was saturated with powerful Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substances. He was serving a federal prison sentence at the time for prior large-scale heroin and cocaine trafficking convictions. He recruited his son into the scheme, resulting in his son’s conviction as well.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Pigeon Forge Man Sentenced to 50 Years Imprisonment for Child Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 15, 2023, Roger Glenn Boland, 68, currently of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was sentenced to 600 months imprisonment by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Boland agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of production of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e); and one count of distribution of CSAM in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252A(a)(2). Following his incarceration, Boland will be on a lifetime of supervised release, he also will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, after receiving a tip that a 13-year-old child was in imminent danger of sexual abuse, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes against Children Unit (KPD-ICAC) executed a search warrant at the home where the child victim was residing. The child victim, Boland’s granddaughter, has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, and is wheelchair bound. Boland admitted the victim was the result of an incestual relationship between Boland and his daughter, co-defendant Felina Shockley. Authorities searched Boland’s cellphone and located CSAM of the victim produced by Boland and Shockley. Boland admitted to distributing the CSAM images to other men with whom he was in ongoing communications. Shockley has pled guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and HSI Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud made the announcement. Both express gratitude to the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (KPD-ICAC) Unit for their collaboration in this investigation.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by KPD-ICAC and HSI.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Pierre Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Sylvan Larrabee, age 31, was sentenced to 17 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Larrabee was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between December 9, 2022, and January 3, 2023, wherein Larrabee, who is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a federal conviction for Sexual Contact with a Minor, did knowingly fail to register and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Larrabee was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Results in Sentence of More than 8 Years for North Louisiana ManRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case dubbed “Operation Pick Your Battles” has resulted in a conviction and sentence for Clifton Williams, 48, of Many, Louisiana. Williams was sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to a total of 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Williams pleaded guilty November 2, 2022, to possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to evidence presented to the court, on or about February 10, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Williams’ home in Many, Louisiana. Williams was present at the residence at the time of the search when officers found methamphetamine, a scale, a box of sandwich bags, and a loaded Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine. Williams was subsequently arrested. At the time of his arrest, Williams was serving time on federal supervised release for his conviction from 2011 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in United States District Court in the Western District of Louisiana. As a convicted felon, Williams knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The narcotics seized were sent to the crime lab for testing and confirmed to be methamphetamine. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined the firearm and determined it to be operable.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ATF, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime Charges for Bias-Motivated Attacks in BoiseRead the Press Release
An Oregon man pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Boise, Idaho, today to two federal hate crimes.
According to court records, on Oct. 8, 2022, while at the Boise Public Library Main Branch in downtown Boise, Matthew Alan Lehigh, 31, approached a transgender library employee, called her a slur, punched her and threatened to stab her. A member of the library’s security staff intervened, and Lehigh fled into the parking lot. When the security guard attempted to speak to Lehigh in the parking lot, Lehigh got into a car and suddenly accelerated it toward the guard, intending to collide with him. The guard narrowly escaped being struck by jumping behind a concrete barricade at the last moment, and Lehigh fled the scene.
Four days later, while sitting in his car in a public parking lot elsewhere in Boise, Lehigh saw two women walking together towards another vehicle. Assuming that the women identified as lesbian, Lehigh began shouting threats and slurs at them, then suddenly accelerated his car toward the women, intending to collide with them. The women jumped out of the path of Lehigh’s oncoming car, which struck the other vehicle at significant speed.
The superseding information to which Lehigh pled guilty charges him with one felony violation of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act for the vehicular assault on the library security guard, and a second felony violation of Act for the vehicular assault on the two women.
As part of his plea agreement, Lehigh also admitted that he was responsible for three other instances of anti-LGBTQI+ vandalism and violence that occurred in Boise during early October 2022. Specifically, he admitted to setting fire to a rainbow-striped “pride” flag attached to a residential property in North Boise, breaking several windows at a commercial building jointly occupied by an LGBTQI+ community organization and an LGBTQI+-affirming religious congregation, and punching a grocery store customer after calling him an anti-LGBTQI+ slur.
“This defendant targeted strangers for terrifying attacks for no reason other than his perceptions of their sexual orientation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one should live in fear of hate-fueled violence because of who they are. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit heinous acts of hate, and we are committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, including those in the LGBTQI+ community.”
“Everyone, no matter who they are, should be free from senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “I am grateful to the Boise Police Department and the FBI for thoroughly and efficiently investigating this case. And I hope the victims are able to take solace in the fact that the defendant is being held accountable for his hateful and violent acts.”
“Hate crimes such as this are an attack on a deeply personal part of someone’s identity, and they have a devastating impact on families and communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate violence against the LGBTQI+ community. We will continue to investigate civil rights violations and do everything we can to keep our communities safe and free from fear.”
Lehigh faces between 37 and 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The agreement also requires that Lehigh pay restitution to all victims and that he remains continuously under the care of a clinical psychiatrist upon his release from prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Boise Police Department and the Boise Resident Agency of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Hurwit and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gibson made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Horwitz for the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
If members of the public have information concerning hate crimes or wish to report a similar crime, they should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (208) 344-7843 or the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (208) 334-1211.
Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime Charges for Bias-Motivated Attacks in BoiseRead the Press Release
BOISE – An Oregon man pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Boise, Idaho, today to two federal hate crimes.
According to court records, on Oct. 8, 2022, while at the Boise Public Library Main Branch in downtown Boise, Matthew Alan Lehigh, 31, approached a transgender library employee, called her a slur, punched her, and threatened to stab her. A member of the library’s security staff intervened, and Lehigh fled into the parking lot. When the security guard attempted to speak to Lehigh in the parking lot, Lehigh got into a car and suddenly accelerated it toward the guard, intending to collide with him. The guard narrowly escaped being struck by jumping behind a concrete barricade at the last moment, and Lehigh fled the scene.
Four days later, while sitting in his car in a public parking lot elsewhere in Boise, Lehigh saw two women walking together towards another vehicle. Assuming that the women identified as lesbian, Lehigh began shouting threats and slurs at them, then suddenly accelerated his car toward the women, intending to collide with them. The women jumped out of the path of Lehigh’s oncoming car, which struck the other vehicle at significant speed.
The superseding information to which Lehigh pled guilty charges him with one felony violation of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act for the vehicular assault on the library security guard, and a second felony violation of Act for the vehicular assault on the two women.
As part of his plea agreement, Lehigh also admitted that he was responsible for three other instances of anti-LGBT vandalism and violence that occurred in Boise during early October 2022. Specifically, he admitted to setting fire to a rainbow-striped “pride” flag attached to a residential property in North Boise, breaking several windows at a commercial building jointly occupied by an LGBTQI+ community organization and an LGBTQI+-affirming religious congregation, and punching a grocery store customer after calling him an anti-LGBTQI+ slur.
“This defendant targeted strangers for terrifying attacks for no reason other than his perceptions of their sexual orientation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one should live in fear of hate-fueled violence because of who they are. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit heinous acts of hate, and we are committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, including those in the LGBTQI+ community.”
“Everyone, no matter who they are, should be free from senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “I am grateful to the Boise Police Department and the FBI for thoroughly and efficiently investigating this case. And I hope the victims are able to take solace in the fact that the defendant is being held accountable for his hateful and violent acts.”
“We will not tolerate violence fueled by hatred,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to guarantee that everyone, regardless of identity, sexual orientation, faith or disability, feels secure and protected in our communities.” Lehigh to faces between 37 and 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The agreement also requires that Lehigh pay restitution to all victims and that he remains continuously under the care of a clinical psychiatrist upon his release from prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Boise Police Department and the Boise Resident Agency of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Hurwit and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gibson made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Horwitz for the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
If members of the public have information concerning hate crimes or wish to report a similar crime, they should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (208) 344-7843 or the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (208) 334-1211.
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Oregon Man Indicted for Role in the Torture, Mutilation, and Murder of MonkeysRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—On June 14, 2023, a federal indictment was unsealed charging a Prineville, Oregon man with administering an online animal abuse group and illegally possessing firearms as a dismissed military officer.
David Christopher Noble, 48, has been charged with conspiring to engage in animal crushing and creating and distributing animal crush videos, creating animal crush videos, and illegally possessing a firearm as a dishonorably discharged person.
According to court documents, from an unknown date but no later than January 19, 2022, and continuing until February 2, 2023, Noble is alleged to have knowingly conspired with others to view, encourage, and fund animal crush videos as part of an online group using an encrypted chat application. As a group administrator, Noble paid for the creation of and celebrated videos depicting the torture, sexually-sadistic mutilation, and murder of adult and juvenile monkeys. Noble further managed the group’s membership and repeatedly changed the group’s name to evade detection by law enforcement.
In 2006, Noble, a former United States Air Force Officer, was dismissed from the Air Force and ordered to serve six months in military custody following a court martial for fraud and an unprofessional relationship. Despite these offenses, Noble is alleged to have illegally possessed multiple firearms, including a Colt M4 carbine assault rifle.
In January 2023, Noble relocated from Prineville to Henderson, Nevada after a federal search warrant was executed on his Prineville residence. On June 13, 2023, he was arrested in Henderson. On June 14, 2023, Noble made his first appearance in federal court in Las Vegas and was ordered detained pending his transfer to the District of Oregon.
Creating animal crush videos is punishable by up to seven years in federal prison and three years’ supervised released. Illegally possessing a firearm as a dishonorably discharged person is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren and Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nine Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Major Artworks and Sports MemorabiliaRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Dombek, age 53, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 47, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Alfred Atsus, age 47, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage, and interstate transportation of stolen property. All four men were also charged with substantive counts of theft of major artwork and the concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage. Dombek was further charged with a substantive count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Five other individuals were charged by felony informations for the same conspiracy. They are Thomas Trotta, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Frank Tassiello, age 50, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Daryl Rinker, age 50, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Dawn Trotta, age 51, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Ralph Parry, age 45, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment and informations charge the nine with conspiring over a period of 20 years to break into multiple museums and other institutions to steal priceless works of art, sports memorabilia, and other objects. Those objects include the following:
- A Christy Mathewson jersey and two contracts signed by Mathewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania;
- “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania;
- Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques awarded to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey;
- Six (6) championship belts, including four awarded to Carmen Basilio and two awarded to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Canastota, New York;
- The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy awarded to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum, Fargo, North Dakota;
- The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey;
- Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth over $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York;
- Five (5) trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, New York;
- Eleven (11) trophies, including 4 awarded to Art Wall, Jr. stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania;
- Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000 stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;
- An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, Pennsylvania,
- “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, and two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor, Ringwood, New Jersey;
- $400,000 worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
- Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin, New Jersey;
- An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;
- Various jewelry, and other items from multiple antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
The indictment and informations further allege that after stealing the above-described items, the conspirators transported the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melted the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators sold the raw metal to other individuals in the New York City area for hundreds or thousands of dollars, but significantly less than the stolen items would be worth at fair market value.
The indictment and informations further allege that Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, valued at approximately $500,000, to avoid the recovery of the painting by investigators for use as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Wyoming Regional Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milford Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey), the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office (New York). Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the conspiracy count is five years imprisonment, and for each of the other offenses is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New Orleans Resident Sentenced to 21 Months Imprisonment After Pleading Guilty to International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – KIDUS AWLACHEW, age 33, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 13, 2023 by United States District Judge Jay Zainey to 21 months in prison, one (1) year of supervised release, including an order to stay away from the minor victim, the minor victim’s mother, and members of their family and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to international parental kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1204, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 15, 2023, at 10:00 am.
According to court documents, AWLACHEW and Person 1, an adult female, began dating in about 2018. Soon thereafter, Person 1 and her daughter, Minor Victim, moved into AWLACHEW’S residence. Between 2018 and January 2022, AWLACHEW often voluntarily acted in a parental capacity toward Minor Victim .
In about December 2021, AWLACHEW told Person 1 that he wanted to take Minor Victim to Ethiopia to experience a different culture for about one month. Based on those representations, Person 1 agreed. In fact, AWLACHEW intended to keep Minor Victim in Ethiopia for more than one month.
Thereafter, AWLACHEW purchased tickets for he and Minor Victim to travel to Ethiopia on January 14, 2022, and to return on February 21, 2022. AWLACHEW and Minor Victim did not return on February 21. On numerous occasions, Person 1 inquired why AWLACHEW had not returned with Minor Victim and demanded that he do so. AWLACHEW either ignored the inquiries or provided a false justification for not returning. Moreover, AWLACHEW usually did not allow Person 1 to correspond directly with Minor Victim.
Law enforcement authorities recovered Minor Victim from AWLACHEW’S custody in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and took AWLACHEW into custody, on July 20, 2022. United States law enforcement authorities arranged for Minor Victim to be returned to New Orleans and reunited with her mother. AWLACHEW was returned to the United States on August 24, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of State, and Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Evans also expressed appreciation for the cooperation provided by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit ,was in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violation of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DEVON CLAIBORNE, age 24, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023 before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to a one count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
CLAIBORNE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
Northport, New York Man Indicted for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that on June 12, 2023, a federal indictment was unsealed charging Charles T. Lawrence (49), a Northpoint, New York resident with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956 and 1957.
According to filed court documents, between January 2022 and March 2023, Lawrence engaged in a scheme to defraud individuals with false and fraudulent promises and representations regarding their investment of funds. Instead of using these individuals’ funds as represented, Lawrence is alleged to have used the money to pay personal expenses and repay prior victims. If convicted of these offenses, Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, fines up to $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, and up to three years of supervised release.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart will prosecute this case.
Separately, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced, on May 11, 2023, that it filed a civil lawsuit against Lawrence, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The SEC alleges that Lawrence violated securities laws by defrauding investors. The case is United States Securities and Exchange Commission v. Lawrence, et al., Case No. 23-CV-550.
The public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mission Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 13, 2023.
Dylan Blue Bird, age 30, was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blue Bird was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He was found guilty after a jury trial on March 16, 2023.
On September 30, 2022, at approximately 11:30 pm, officers with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services attempted a traffic stop on Blue Bird after observing traffic violations in Todd County. Blue Bird did not stop and led officers on a high-speed pursuit on Highway 18, reaching speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Blue Bird drove in the opposing lane of travel towards an officer engaged in the pursuit, forcing the officer off the roadway. The pursuit came to an end after officers deployed spike strips, disabling Blue Bird’s vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Blue Bird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Providing Material Support to A Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Dearborn resident was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison after having been convicted at trial earlier this year on charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and attending an ISIS training camp.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan, office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 32, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. Musaibli was convicted after a 9-day trial conducted in Detroit in January 2023.
Musaibli, a natural-born U.S. citizen, was convicted on charges of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, and attending an ISIS training camp.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Musaibli, born in Detroit, began looking into ISIS while in Michigan in 2015. He then traveled to Yemen in April 2015 and continued to research ISIS—including downloading ISIS propaganda and an ISIS book on how to get into Syria. From Yemen, he traveled to Syria in the fall of 2015, where he attended an ISIS-run religious training camp before undergoing ISIS military training where he learned to shoot, carry, and otherwise handle an AK-47 assault rifle. Upon graduation from the ISIS military training camp, Musaibli swore allegiance to ISIS and its leader. Musaibli remained with ISIS for over two and a half years. During that time, Musaibli fought for ISIS against the United States and its allies, where he was wounded in battle. Musaibli was eventually apprehended by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018, turned over to the FBI, and flown back to the United States to face terrorism charges.
“This defendant chose to join a brutal, foreign terrorist organization and then to fight against the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “For his betrayal of our nation and his fellow citizens, he is deserving of a long sentence.”
“This case is a reminder of the danger posed by those who travel overseas to join forces with terrorist groups,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The sentence imposed on Mr. Musaibli is a clear reminder to others of the consequences of providing material support to ISIS or any foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security, US Customs and Border Protection, Michigan State Police, and the Hamtramck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Michael Martin of the Eastern District of Michigan with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.Metamora Man Convicted of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Dana Curtin, 49, of the 1100 block of Willow Lake Drive in Metamora, Illinois, was found guilty today of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
Over three days of trial before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence to establish that from March through May 2022, Curtin spoke with an individual he believed to be an adult offering sex with a minor and then traveled to meet the adult and child. Federal law enforcement agents arrested him when he arrived at the meeting location.
Sentencing for Curtin has been scheduled on October 18, 2023, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. At sentencing, Curtin faces statutory penalties of 15 years to life imprisonment, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release, and a possible fine of up to $250,000. He also must register as a sex offender. And the charge carries a mandatory special assessment of $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, unless Curtin is ruled indigent. Curtin is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Hollingshead-Cook and Ronald L. Hanna represented the United States at trial.
The case against Curtin was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Mandeville Man Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JOHN SUTTON (“SUTTON”), a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, was charged on June 13, 2023 with one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the charging document, SUTTON co-owned and operated a company called VetAttend Professional Services, LLC where he purported to provide services to Veterans for home aid and assistance.
According to the bill of information, SUTTON submitted fraudulent affidavits for home aid services provided, knowing that those services were not actually provided. As part of the scheme to defraud, beginning in or about April 2013 and continuing until at least July 2018, SUTTON devised a scheme and artifice to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Affairs). Through his scheme, SUTTON obtained money and property by submitting false affidavits and applications to Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans and their spouses, claiming that VetAttend had provided home services to the veterans when, in fact, it had not. During the scheme to defraud, Veterans Affairs issued funds totaling approximately $6.1 million dollars to over 300 veterans and/or their surviving spouses that SUTTON fraudulently appropriated, without the knowledge of the veterans.
If convicted, SUTTON faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Madison Felon Sentenced to 27 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Anthony Bailey, 33, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 27 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Bailey pleaded guilty to this charge on March 20, 2023.
On February 6, 2022, an officer with the Fitchburg Police Department responded to a noise complaint in a residential neighborhood. When the officer arrived, he saw Bailey involved in a physical fight with his girlfriend in the street. After the two stopped fighting, Bailey admitted to having a loaded Glock gun in his pants. He is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a result of two felony convictions from 2008 and 2010.
In sentencing Bailey, Judge Conley stated the sentence was justified by Bailey’s lack of compliance under pretrial supervision, which included committing a new crime after failing to appear for a hearing in this case. Judge Conley also stated that he could not ignore that to date, Bailey had failed to choose a life path free from crime.
The charge against Bailey was the result of an investigation conducted by Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus handled the prosecution of this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Leader of Money Transmitting Business that Laundered over $1 Million in Fraud Proceeds Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Texas man was sentenced on June 13, 2023 in federal court in Boston for operating an illegal money transmitting business that laundered the proceeds of international investment and romance fraud schemes
Charles Ochi, 28, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ochi was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $141,021 and restitution, which will be determined at a later date. On April 12, 2023, Ochi pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiring to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
In or about 2016, Ochi organized and led a group of money transmitters that laundered over $1 million in proceeds from fraud schemes. Some of these fraud schemes purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were stolen and later victims’ investments were used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. Ochi recruited at least five individuals in Texas and Maryland to join his operation, and directed them to use bank accounts to receive fraud proceeds and then to withdraw and transfer the money to numerous other persons, often by cashier’s check or through electronic transfers. Ochi also engaged in illicit currency exchange business activity, in which he, a co-conspirator, and others exchanged fraud proceeds for Nigerian Naira on the black market.
In total, the scheme laundered over $1,168,000 from at least 123 victims of investment and romance fraud schemes in Massachusetts, California, Florida, and Canada.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Division of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Latin Kings Leader Convicted of the 2017 Murder of Joshua FloresRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JONATHAN GARCIA, a/k/a “Jayo,” was found guilty at trial of the May 2017 murder of Joshua Flores in aid of racketeering. GARCIA shot and killed Flores in front of a playground on a residential street in Queens, New York, while Flores was running away from GARCIA. The verdict followed a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jonathan Garcia gunned down his victim, 23-year-old Joshua Flores, to gain standing within the violent Latin Kings street gang. Then, Garcia bragged about the murder for years as he advanced in the ranks of the Latin Kings and engaged in additional violence and drug trafficking with his fellow gang members. Today, a unanimous jury held Garcia accountable for his brutal killing of Joshua Flores and the devastating impact of his crimes on the community. This Office remains fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out gang violence from the streets of New York City.”
According to court filings and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
GARCIA is a member of a racketeering enterprise known as the Latin Kings and, specifically, the set or “tribe” of the Latin Kings known as the Black Mob, which operates in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms. In December 2019 and April 2021, several members and associates of the Black Mob, including its senior-most leaders, were charged with racketeering offenses, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses.
GARCIA has been a member of the Latin Kings since at least 2012. On May 18, 2017, GARCIA brought a firearm to a meeting with other Latin Kings members with whom he had been arguing and who intended to revoke his membership in the Latin Kings. During the meeting, next to a park in a residential area of Queens, GARCIA began arguing with other gang members. When the argument escalated, one of GARCIA’s associates fired a warning shot into the air, and gang members immediately began running away. GARCIA then took the firearm from his associate and shot at the fleeing gang members, hitting Joshua Flores, who was trying to run away. The bullet went through Flores’s back, into his jaw, and killed him. The murder elevated GARCIA’s status within the Latin Kings, including the Black Mob, with whom GARCIA committed additional crimes in the years after the murder.
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GARCIA, 29, of Queens, New York, was found guilty of (i) conspiracy to commit racketeering, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; (ii) murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory term of life in prison or death; (iii) narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison; and (iv) use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other term of in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hobson, David Robles, and Patrick Moroney, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Sam Dobro, are in charge of the prosecution.
Lake County Man Arrested for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brian David Casey (35, Clermont) on a one-count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Casey faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury had returned the indictment on June 6, 2023.
According to evidence presented in court, on March 20, 2023, Casey, a convicted felon, fired a shotgun during an argument with his neighbor. When federal agents subsequently arrested him for that offense, Casey was found to be in possession of another firearm—a loaded revolver. Casey had previously been convicted of three felonies, including burglary (2008) and two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer (2011). As a convicted felon, Casey is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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 is being investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Jury Convicts Former Toledo City Councilman of ExtortionRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Former Toledo City Councilman Garrick “Gary” Johnson, 61, was found guilty of Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right by a jury after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick. The jury acquitted Mr. Johnson of a similar count related to a different special use permit in the same Superseding Indictment.
According to court documents and testimony, a friend of a FBI source applied for a special use permit to open an internet café on Secor Road in Toledo, Ohio. The source then paid former Councilman Johnson $2,000 in return for his support of the special use permit. The special use permit ultimately failed to garner the required votes in City Council. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to make the prosecution of public corruption a priority,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Public officials who betray the trust of those they serve will be aggressively pursued and held accountable.”
“Investigating matters of Public Corruption is one of the highest priorities of the FBI,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Upholding public trust, especially as an elected official, is paramount. The FBI will continue to protect the American Public by ensuring the people who are elected to serve are virtuous in their conduct.”
No sentencing date has been set.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jody King and Gene Crawford.
Jury Convicts Belleville Man of Attempted Sex Crimes Against a MinorRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a U.S. District courtroom Tuesday, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against a Belleville man accused of two attempted sex crimes against a minor, after he tried to meet with an alleged 15-year-old girl in Collinsville.
The jury found Gerald S. Sewell, 59, guilty of one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Sewell’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2023.
“As technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, internet safety is critical for healthy development in children of all ages,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Fortunately, the FBI is working aggressively to remove online predators looking for children to abuse, and I’m grateful for their partnership.”
"There is an inherent risk to children anywhere the opportunity exists to communicate online. That’s why the FBI continues to be proactive in our efforts to protect them, casting a wide net over the various online applications and internet platforms where children are vulnerable," said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. "Investigations like these demonstrate the outstanding work achieved in a collaborative environment with our law enforcement partners."
Sewell was one of 14 defendants charged in June 2020 as the result of an FBI-led operation involving multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies that targeted online predators.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Sewell initiated a conversation online with an FBI agent posing as a 15-year-old girl. Using sexually-explicit language, he made plans to meet with the purported girl for sex at a house in Collinsville. Sewell was arrested at the scene once he arrived.
In an interview with law enforcement, Sewell stated he was living at a friend’s house in Missouri and therefore had crossed over state lines to engage in the criminal sexual activity.
The operation was led by the FBI Springfield Field Office with assistance from the FBI St. Louis Field Office, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Belleville Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Swansea Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Alton jail, the Monroe County jail, and the St. Clair County jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Reppert and Zoe Gross are prosecuting the case.Jury Convicts Alabama Man of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On June 14, 2023, a federal jury convicted Curtis Navelle Harrison, 45, of Monroeville, Alabama, of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and less than 40 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”).
According to Court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 23, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Louis Booker, Jr. from a residence in Moss Point, Mississippi. Three days later, on July 26, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Booker, Harrison, another adult male, and a minor child fled from the residence. When the individuals were apprehended, officers located a $10.00 bill from the prior buy on Harrison’s person. Approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, firearms, and fentanyl were also recovered from the residence.
Subsequent investigation resulted in the discovery of text messages and social media messages between Harrison and Booker, which demonstrated that they were involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Harrison is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023. He faces a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Booker previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is awaiting sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lauren Dick prosecuted the case with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaines Cleveland.
Indiana Man Charged in Federal Court with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a man from Lebanon, Indiana, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
Evan Frederick Light, age 20, was indicted on May 2, 2023. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 12, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each charge is up to 20 years in custody, and/or a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in 2021 and continuing until May of 2023, Light conspired and agreed with others to defraud and to obtain money and property from others by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. After obtaining funds through fraud, Light and others engaged in transactions with virtual currencies and electronic payments. These transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraud proceeds.
The charges are merely accusations and Light is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Light was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings and trial. A trial date has been set for August 15, 2023.
Husband and Wife Charged in Connection with the Murder of the Wife’s Ex-HusbandRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Steven A. Nigrelli, the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today the arrest of NICHOLAS ORSINI and JAMIE ORSINI, who were each charged in a Complaint with one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy, each related to the 2020 murder of JAMIE ORSINI’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. The ORSINIs will be presented in federal court later today.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “A little over three years ago, Nicholas and Jamie Orsini allegedly plotted to and did kill Jamie’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. Their alleged scheme was sophisticated — it involved burner phones, stealing and dumping Kraft’s car, and, ultimately, disposing of Kraft’s body. In doing so, the Orsinis denied Kraft’s family — including Kraft’s children with Jamie — the dignity of having a proper burial. This complaint shows that no matter how well you cover up your heinous act, law enforcement will not relent until they have uncovered your crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The charges today allege that the defendants planned, practiced, and carried out a heinous series of actions in an attempt to get away with murdering Steven Kraft. This complaint today demonstrates our continued commitment to the community – the FBI will ensure those involved in such horrendous violence are held responsible in the criminal justice system.”
NYSP Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said: “I commend our State Police members and our partners with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts to find justice for the grieving loved ones of Mr. Kraft. These two murderous individuals allegedly deliberately took the life of another person and will now be held accountable for their actions. State Police and our partners will continue to work together to keep our communities safe and make sure those who commit senseless, violent acts are placed behind bars.”
According to the allegations made in the Complaint:[1]
In 2020, JAMIE ORSINI and NICHOLAS ORSINI planned to, and did, murder Steven Kraft — who was JAMIE ORSINI’s ex-husband and the father of two children with her — take and get rid of Kraft’s car, and dispose of Kraft’s body, covering their tracks.
During the days leading up to April 28, 2020, the ORSINIs began preparing to murder Steven Kraft at their home in Beacon, New York, and to cover up that murder. Among other things, they purchased a 10x100 foot paint tarp, duct tape, a Tyvek suit and boots, and a “burner phone,” all paid for in cash. They also drove from their home in Beacon, New York, to a location in the City of Newburgh, New York, in what would be a “dry run” for how they ultimately got rid of Kraft’s car. On April 28, 2020, the ORSINIs carjacked and murdered Kraft. That afternoon, Kraft picked up his children from the ORSINIs’ home in Beacon. The ORSINIs followed Kraft and activated their burner phone before returning home. Kraft brought his children back to the ORSINIs’ at approximately 7:00 p.m.; he was never seen again. After falsely telling a co-worker that he was not coming to work because his wife’s car broke down, NICHOLAS ORSINI drove Kraft’s car along the same circuitous route the pair travelled in their dry run the day before from their home in Beacon to the same location in Newburgh.
After leaving Kraft’s car on the street, NICHOLAS ORSINI walked over a mile to a gas station. He used the burner phone to call a taxi to take him home and then threw out the burner phone.
In the days after the murder and carjacking, the ORSINIs continued to cover up their crimes. Among other things, they bought a new burner phone (changing the number on it at least once), drove repeatedly to and from Amsterdam, New York — where NICHOLAS ORSINI had family — which is more than 120 miles north of Beacon, staying for no more than a few hours before returning to Beacon, and purchased equipment that can be used to chop up and burn a body.
In particular, on April 29, 2020, NICHOLAS ORSINI — who, like JAMIE ORSINI, left his own phone at home in Beacon — purchased a new burner phone and then drove approximately two-and-a-half hours to Amsterdam either by himself or with JAMIE ORSINI, stayed for less than three hours, and then drove back to Beacon. The next day, on April 30, 2020, NICHOLAS ORSINI used his phone to search for “How to view your location history in google maps.” On May 1, 2020, the ORSINIs again drove to and from Amsterdam, again leaving their personal phones behind but using their burner phone. Later that day, the ORSINIs changed the phone number of their burner phone in an apparent attempt to hide their tracks.
The next day, NICHOLAS ORSINI used his phone to search for “Orange County News” (the City of Newburgh is in Orange County) and “Montgomery County News” (Amsterdam is in Montgomery County). At about the same time that he was conducting those searches, NICHOLAS ORSINI texted his mother: “Who did u tell I was coming up.” He then went to a Home Depot and a Walmart before using Google to search for “is galvanized steel fireproof.” Not long thereafter, NICHOLAS ORSINI returned to the Home Depot and purchased two 31-gallon galvanized steel round trash cans, a coarse stainless-steel rod, an angle grinder with grinding wheel, five metal disks, three 32-ounce bottles of odorless charcoal grates, an axe, and a flame lighter. The next morning, he returned to the Home Depot to purchase 16 bundles of firewood.
* * *
NICHOLAS ORSINI, 35, and JAIME ORSINI, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, are each charged with one count of carjacking resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison or death, and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the NYSP and the FBI for their outstanding work on the investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Michael D. Maimin are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Jamie and Nicholas Orsini ComplaintHaskell County Drug Dealer Sentenced for Role in Extensive Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that CALVIN JAMES WOODMORE age 34, of Haskell County, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Haskell and Pittsburg Counties. Calvin Woodmore was sentenced to 324 months in prison for Drug Conspiracy and 240 months in prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy and Laundering Monetary Instruments. The sentences will run concurrently. Woodmore was also sentenced to 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentences.
The charges arose from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, the United States Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Haskell County Sheriff’s Office, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the McAlester Police Department, the Stigler Police Department, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
On April 7, 2022, Calvin Woodmore and his co-defendant, Early Woodmore, were convicted by a federal jury at trial. Early Woodmore’s sentencing is pending. From early 2018 until their arrest by law enforcement in 2020, the Woodmores led a methamphetamine trafficking organization in which they arranged to have large quantities of methamphetamine shipped to addresses in Haskell County and Pittsburg County. Once the packages of methamphetamine arrived, they would break them down into smaller quantities for distribution into communities in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“Calvin Woodmore’s sentence is a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating drug trafficking and money laundering," said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations and bring the criminals who run them to justice.”
“This sentence reflects a win for the citizens of Eastern Oklahoma who value safe and drug-free communities,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Woodmore, who spent his days distributing methamphetamine and engaging in acts of violence, will now spend his nights in jail while the men and women of the DEA and it’s Oklahoma law enforcement partners continue their efforts to keep our streets drug free.”
“This office is dedicated to disrupting the destruction and violence inflicted by Woodmore and those like him,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Criminal organizations that distribute illegal drugs within our communities will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and sentencing hearing in Muskogee. Woodmore will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
Georgia Man Is Sentenced to 30 Years for Traveling to North Carolina to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Stephen William Wargo, 30, formerly of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for traveling to Western North Carolina in order to engage in illicit sex acts with a minor, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Wargo to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $13,200.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in September 2021, Wargo began communicating with a 10-year-old minor female via the Discord social media messaging application. Wargo had extensive conversations with the minor victim and at times made inappropriate romantic overtures. Court records show that the minor victim’s parent discovered the communications and turned over the minor’s cell phone to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. A detective took over the minor victim’s Discord account and continued to communicate with Wargo. During this period, the messages from Wargo became increasingly sexual and the two discussed Wargo traveling from Georgia to North Carolina to meet the minor victim. On October 16, 2021, Wargo did in fact travel from Georgia to Henderson County, with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child. He was arrested upon arriving at the predetermined meeting location.
On February 27, 2023, Wargo pleaded guilty to crossing state lines with intent to engage in a sexual act with a person less than 12 years of age.
"Every child has the right to a childhood free from sexual abuse and trauma. Identifying and prosecuting predators like Wargo is at the forefront of our efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and keep our most precious resource, our children, safe from those who wish to cause them harm,” said U.S. Attorney King.
“Protecting the children in our communities remains a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “This sentence is a testament that HSI remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population.”
“There is nothing more precious than our children. I am proud of the extraordinary efforts put forth by the men and women of the Sheriff’s office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove this dangerous criminal from society. We will continue to work collaboratively to hold those accountable that choose to prey on the most vulnerable,” said Sheriff Griffin.
U.S. Attorney King credited HSI and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Fresno Man Arrested in Fullerton After Alleged Carjacking and High-Speed Police Pursuit Charged in Federal Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Fresno man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he carjacked a motorist in Fullerton and threw her out of the car before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit in which he hit a police car, then fled on foot before officers apprehended him, the Justice Department announced today.
Deshawn Ricks, 33, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and is charged in a federal criminal complaint with carjacking.
Ricks is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon at United States District Court in Santa Ana.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on the afternoon of June 14, Fullerton Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a carjacking that occurred in a parking structure in downtown Fullerton. The victim told officers she was sitting in her parked 2022 Mazda CX-5 SUV with the vehicle turned off when Ricks approached her, opened her car’s door and ordered her out of the SUV.
When the victim refused, Ricks allegedly placed one of his hands on her lower back and brandished a metal object – which the victim described as a “shank” – in his other hand. Ricks allegedly threatened to stab the victim, then pulled her out of the vehicle by her hair and body.
Ricks then got into the vehicle and while he attempted to get it to start – the SUV had a “push to start” feature – the victim reached into the vehicle, grabbed her purse and then walked away to get help, the affidavit alleges. Ricks allegedly then drove the car within five feet of the victim and left the area.
Approximately 10 minutes after being notified of the carjacking, Fullerton Police officers located Ricks driving the victim’s stolen SUV, according to the affidavit. Despite officers’ attempt to make a traffic stop, Ricks allegedly led police on a high-speed pursuit in Fullerton in which he ran red lights, drove into oncoming traffic, and hit a marked police vehicle. Later during the chase, when Ricks lost control of the speeding Mazda that then was struck by a police vehicle, he exited the SUV and fled on foot before officers apprehended him, the affidavit states.
After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, officers allegedly found a pointed, serrated metal stake type object – approximately 12 inches long – near the front driver’s seat.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ricks would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force (OCVCTF), which is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Brea Police Department, and the Fullerton Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell, Kevin Butler, and Jena MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Fredericksburg Family Sentenced for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud, Mail Theft, and Bank Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution for conspiring to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits (UI) and his role in his sister’s mail theft and bank fraud scheme.
According to court documents, from in or about May 2020 through in or about January 2022, Eric Wilhoit, II, 29, conspired with Odyssey Wilhoit, 23, Jeremiah Wilhoit, 26, Dejhaun Wilhoit, 26, and others to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. Eric Wilhoit, Odyssey Wilhoit, and Dejahun Wilhoit are family members. They conspired to apply for pandemic unemployment benefits in their own names and in the names of others, many of whom were identity theft victims. Eric Wilhoit admitted that he instructed his co-conspirators on how to make the claims. The group then used VPNs and false or anonymized email addresses in an attempt to hide the fraud.
Additionally, each member of the conspiracy recruited others to use their physical addresses to receive the prepaid debit cards that contained the unemployment benefits. Eric Wilhoit and his co-conspirators made significant cash withdrawals from the prepaid debit cards, bought luxury goods, and at least one firearm with the benefits. Specifically, Eric Wilhoit purchased a diamond ring, while his sister Odyssey Wilhoit purchased a Chanel purse, Louboutin shoes, along with many other items. The loss associated with the unemployment fraud scheme impacting the Virginia Unemployment Commission was over $1.7 million.
While attempting to flee his arrest, Eric Wilhoit led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, resulting in him crashing his car with his minor children in the backseat.
Separately, Odyssey Wilhoit ran her own mail theft and bank fraud scheme in which she conspired with Eric Wilhoit, Jeremiah Wilhoit, Dejhaun Wilhoit, and others, including Jaleai Morrison, 23, of Temple, Georgia. According to court documents, Morrison obtained a master U.S. Postal key and would steal checks from a U.S. Postal collection box, one of which was located in Arlington, and provide the checks or personal information from the checks to Odyssey Wilhoit. Odyssey Wilhoit used the information to create counterfeit checks, which she would then deposit into bank accounts and later withdraw or transfer to cash applications once the funds cleared. After her conspiracy with Morrison ended, Odyssey Wilhoit obtained the U.S. Postal key and continued to steal mail from the U.S. Postal collection boxes. Her bank fraud scheme continued through at least July 2022. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered hundreds of stolen checks, which when altered totaled over $850,000.
On January 25, 2023, Jaleia Morrison was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, and three years of supervised release for her role in the mail theft and bank fraud scheme. On April 26, 2023, Odyssey Wilhoit was sentenced to 75 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. On May 3, 2023, both Dejhaun and Jeremiah Wilhoit were sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment and to three years and five years of supervised release respectively. Odyssey Wilhoit, Dejhaun Wilhoit, and Jeremiah Wilhoit were also ordered to pay restitution and consented to the forfeiture of certain assets.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police provided significant assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Shartar and Christopher Hood prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-cr-191 and 1:22-cr-177.
Fraud Alert: Scammers Claiming to be with Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)Read the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – The Office of Justice Programs’ Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has received multiple reports that individuals claiming to represent OVC, or other Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies, are calling members of the public as part of imposter scams, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. These scams are usually intended to convince victims to send money to the fraudsters who use official agency names to make their communications sound serious and legitimate.
According to OVC’s website, some examples of scams include scammers falsely representing themselves as OVC Director Kristina Rose and attempting to obtain personal information or money. OVC states it will never contact individuals this way.
Other scammers may represent themselves as representatives of law enforcement agencies, such as INTERPOL, the FBI, or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and claim the person to whom they are speaking has supported a terrorist network. Law enforcement will never contact a person demanding payment of a fine when the person has not been convicted of a crime following a trial or a guilty plea.
Additionally, after fraudulently obtaining money from someone through a scam like the ones described above, a scammer may contact a person a second time and tell the person that he or she is eligible for victim compensation or restitution from OVC. Such calls are also fraudulent. OVC states that it never offers victim compensation or restitution in this manner, and it does not demand money from individuals or threaten legal action—civil or criminal—if individuals do not make payments to OVC.
“Criminals will use any lie or trick they can invent to take advantage of the most vulnerable in society,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I strongly encourage the public to remain vigilant and to never provide personal identifiable information — such as a social security number or bank account information — without verifying the identity and the legitimacy of the other individual.”
If a person receives what could be a scam phone call, email, or message from a someone claiming to be affiliated with a government agency, the recipient should not respond directly. Rather, he or she should access the agency’s website to find the agency’s legitimate contact information (email or telephone) and attempt to contact the agency to verify the information received.
The public can view the Federal Trade Commission's How to Spot, Stop, & Report Government Imposter Scams infographic for information on avoiding and responding to these scams.
Additionally, citizens may report scams to the Federal Trade Commission online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ or by calling 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357). Fraud can also be reported to the FBI for law enforcement action at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud.
Four Men Indicted in Connection with Violent Kidnapping and Ransom PlotRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Four men have been indicted for allegedly abducting a suspected drug dealer in Chicago and holding him for ransom.
The four alleged kidnappers conspired in May 2018 to kidnap the suspected dealer, rob him of drugs and cash, and hold him for ransom, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The kidnappers, brandishing firearms, entered the suspected drug dealer’s residence and used restraints to bind him and others inside the home, the indictment states. One of the kidnappers allegedly burned a victim’s arm with a hot object. The kidnappers then searched the residence for drugs and cash and forced the suspected dealer to place calls to obtain ransom money, the indictment states.
Charged in the indictment with conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, and firearm offenses are CALVERT WILLIAMS, 34, of Chicago, DERRIUS BURNS, 30, of Bellwood, Ill., AHZAMI XHAMILTON, 27, of Chicago, and CHRISTOPHER GREGORY, 35, of Chicago. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
All four defendants are currently detained in law enforcement custody. Burns, Gregory, and Xhamilton pleaded not guilty at their arraignments this week in federal court. Williams will be arraigned at a later date.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, and Beth E. Palmer.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Former Union President Admits Filing False Report to Hide Embezzlement; Agrees to Repay Union $36,000Read the Press Release
SAN DIEGO - Felix Luciano, the former President of Local 2805 chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees and former Department of Homeland Security officer, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting he filed a false report to conceal his embezzlement of thousands of dollars in union dues.
Local 2805 is a labor union which represents Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Additionally, Luciano agreed to pay a $10,000 fine and repay Local 2805 $36,000 as money that he embezzled.
According to court records, Luciano was president of Local 2805. From January of 2016 to December of 2018, Luciano used some of Local 2805’s money for a variety of personal expenses, including shopping, travel reimbursements, groceries, dining, dry cleaning, and paying for non-union accounts. He did this by writing checks from Local 2805’s checking account and using Local 2805’s debit and credit cards to directly pay personal expenses. As a result of Luciano’s actions, he caused a total loss of $36,000 to Local 2805.
As Local 2805’s president, Luciano was required to file an annual Form LM-3 financial report with the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. A Form LM-3 is a report containing information about the organization over the prior year, including assets, liabilities, and disbursements to officers. A Form LM-3 is sworn under penalty of perjury. In the LM-3 report he filed in 2018, Luciano underreported the amount of money that he received from Local 2805 and Local 2805’s cash balance. In doing so, Luciano attempted to hide his embezzlement from the Department of Labor, his fellow union officers, as well as the union membership whose dues were the source of the embezzled funds.
“When workers, who are the backbone of our community, devote their hard-earned money to labor unions, they rightly expect the officers to be honest stewards of their dues,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Felix Luciano abused the trust of the ICE government employees represented by Local 2805 by using the union’s money for his own personal benefit and enrichment, and then filed a false financial report that concealed the misappropriation of those funds.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigation agencies for their work on this case.
“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur. When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. Felix Luciano embezzled over $36,000 from AFGE Local 2805 that should have been used for its members’ benefit,” said Ed Oquendo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS is committed to hold accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”
Carroll Harris, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division stated, “This investigation was an excellent example of a partnership between federal law enforcement agencies, working together in the pursuit of justice. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all the law enforcement agencies involved.”
Luciano is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.
DEFENDANT Case No. 22CR2201-JO
Felix Luciano Age: 61 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
False Statement, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in custody; a fine of $250,000
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards
Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
United States Postal Inspection Service
Former Missouri Construction Company Owner Sentenced to 18 Months, Fined $100,000 for Minority Business Enterprise Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a former construction company owner to 18 months in prison and a $100,000 fine for committing fraud to qualify for tax abatements designed to encourage minority-owned businesses in St. Louis.
Brian Kowert Sr. “engaged in an elaborate ‘pass through’ fraud scheme where he used an elderly Black contractor solely to pass company checks through to the non-minority subcontractors who Kowert hired to do the actual work and supply the actual materials on the project,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Kowert also knew what he was doing was wrong, as he committed a similar Minority Business Enterprise fraud 17 years ago, Goldsmith wrote.
Kowert was co-owner and chief operating officer of Clayton, Missouri-based HBD Construction Inc. at the time, and was acting as the project manager for the renovation and redevelopment of a building for Greater Goods LLC on Chouteau Avenue in St. Louis. Kowert and Charles Kirkwood, the owner of Midwestern Construction, a company that was a Minority Business Enterprise, agreed to falsely list Kirkwood’s company as providing materials and performing work on the project. Kirkwood’s participation allowed the project to satisfy St. Louis requirements for 25% participation by MBEs to qualify for a 10-year tax abatement.
The MBE participation requirements seek to address historical social and economic disadvantages experienced by minority group members and to reduce minority-based barriers to and foster participation by minority-owned businesses in city contract opportunities.
Kowert issued duplicate subcontracts to Kirkwood’s company for work that was performed and materials that were supplied by two other non-MBE companies. Kowert also issued a duplicate HBD purchase order to Kirkwood’s company for materials provided by a third non-MBE company. Kowert submitted a false chart of projected costs for the redevelopment project to the St. Louis Development Corporation, the city agency charged with reviewing, approving and recommending tax abatements. The chart falsely listed Kirkwood’s MBE company as providing labor and materials valued at approximately $198,000 on the Greater Goods redevelopment project and concealed the involvement of the three non-MBE companies.
Beginning on August 4, 2020, Kowert caused 14 HBD checks worth a total of about $220,000 to be issued to Kirkwood’s company for the work performed and materials provided by the three non-MBE companies. Kirkwood deposited those checks into his company bank account and then issued checks to the three non-MBE companies, at Kowert’s direction.
Kirkwood was paid approximately $2,000 by Kowert for his role in the criminal scheme.
Kowert and HBD then caused a false application for tax abatement on behalf of the Greater Goods redevelopment project to be submitted to the St. Louis Development Corporation. The application falsely represented that Kirkwood’s MBE company had performed about $224,361 in project costs, comprising about 6 ½ % of the required 25% MBE participation in the project.
Greater Goods and its employees had no knowledge of Kowert’s scheme. His actions cost the company, which donates a significant share of its sales revenues to charities, a tax abatement of approximately $400,000 over ten years. As a result, the company was not able to carry out various projects and meet certain charitable goals, Goldsmith wrote in the memo.
The scheme also had consequences for the MBE program.
“Mr. Kowert’s actions have harmed SLDC, undermined the City of St. Louis’ MBE Program, and caused substantial injury to the duly certified and struggling minority-owned firms in the St. Louis region,” Neal Richardson, president and CEO of SLDC, wrote in a letter to Judge Autrey.
Kowert pleaded guilty in January to two counts of wire fraud.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Foreign National Sentenced for Trafficking Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Bulgarian national was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to traffic images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Plamen Georgiev Velinov, 49, of Sofia, helped manage and administer the Newstar Enterprise, an internet-based business that profited from the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling,” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Beginning in around 2006 and continuing until 2019, Velinov assisted the enterprise by selecting children to be featured on the Newstar Websites, editing images and videos on those websites, communicating with customers, setting prices for videos, activating new websites, and creating advertising banners. While chatting with a co-conspirator, Velinov described one child as “nuclear sexy.” Financial records show that U.S.-based co-conspirators transferred more than $400,000 to Velinov’s Bulgarian bank account in connection with the conspiracy.
The Newstar Enterprise, which was founded around 2005, built and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To generate content for the Newstar Websites, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited, and recruited males and females under the age of 18, many of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. The Newstar Enterprise used the child victims to produce more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos – including images and videos depicting children as young as six years old in sexual and provocative poses and wearing revealing underwear, clothing and costumes – that were distributed and sold through the Newstar Websites. Many of the child victims were recruited from Ukraine, Moldova, and other nations in Eastern Europe and were particularly vulnerable due to their age and socio-economic status.
Images were freely available to the public to preview on the Newstar Websites, but Newstar offered a paid subscription for greater access and more content. Newstar subscribers and customers were from more than 100 different countries. The sale of Newstar content generated more than $9.4 million during the conspiracy. To process, receive, and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise leaders fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company.
To date, seven members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. The chart below shows the status of each case:
Name
Charge(s)
Status
Tatiana Power
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 12.5 years in prison
Kenneth Power
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
Pavel Rohel
Conspiracy to produce child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Charges pending
Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to five years and three months in prison
Anthony Lee Kendall
Conspiracy to commit money laundering; promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
Mary Lou
Bjorkman
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 1.5 years in prison
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge John Condon of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI Tampa Field Office and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) investigated the cases, with substantial assistance provided by the HSI Fort Lauderdale Field Office and HSI Attaché offices in Athens, Greece, the Hague, and Vienna, Austria, as well as by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sofia, Bulgaria. This investigation also benefited from substantial assistance and cooperation from foreign law enforcement, including from the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office; the National Investigative Service of Bulgaria; the Dutch National Police, International Legal Assistance Center, North Holland Unit; and the Regional Police Directorate for Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with securing foreign evidence and with Velinov’s extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided capacity building assistance and mentoring.
Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.