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8 June 2023
Armed Harnett County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Dunn man was sentenced today to 212 months in prison for multiple charges, including drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Anthony Puente, 35, previously pled guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Harnett County Sherriff’s Office oversaw multiple controlled purchases from Puente. In addition, an agent with the Dunn Police Department who was patrolling local hotels based on reports of increased narcotics activity in the area, observed Puente’s vehicle in two of the hotel parking lots. The officer approached Puente’s vehicle and, after detecting the odor of marijuana, asked Puente to exit the car. Puente consented to a weapons frisk, which uncovered 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine, five grams of cocaine and two grams of marijuana. After finding the drugs on Puente, the officer conducted a search of the car which yielded a 9mm pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammunition, 16 12-gauge shot gun shells, and additional amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Dunn Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-297-FL and 5:21-CR-189-FL.
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Ada Resident Sentenced for Witness Tampering and Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timmie Lee Runnels, age 33, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for tampering with a witness in a federal case, and 10 years for being a felon in possession of ammunition, to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Ada Police Department, the Coal County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 18, 2022, Timmie Lee Runnels pleaded guilty to one count of Tampering with a Witness and one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
During the plea hearing, Runnels admitted that on January 5, 2021, he was involved in an altercation in Ada, Oklahoma, during which Runnels fired a gun at another vehicle. Officers searched Runnels’ vehicle and located 41 rounds of ammunition. Runnels was a convicted felon at the time of the incident. The defendant also admitted that from April 2021 to September 2021, while in jail awaiting trial, he made telephone calls with the intent to keep a witness from testifying in his case.
“The defendant knowingly interfered with a federal investigation by attempting to prevent his victim from testifying,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold offenders like Mr. Runnels accountable, while ensuring victims are heard and supported.”
“The defendant, a violent felon, used a firearm and was found in possession of ammunition, then attempted to avoid prosecution by intimidating a witness,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This type of behavior cannot—and will not—be tolerated. The twenty-year sentence imposed by the Court ensures that Runnels is off the streets and no longer a threat to the residents of the Eastern District.”
The Honorable Patrick R. Wyrick, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Runnels 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 Zachary W. Parsons represented the United States.
21 Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in Maury & Lewis County Drug Distribution ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – 21 individuals charged with distributing substantial amounts of controlled substances in and around Maury County and Lewis County, Tennessee, have pleaded guilty to federal drug distribution charges, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
An indictment returned in December 2021 charged the following 14 individuals with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, between March 2018 and September 2019:
Julio Esparza, aka Beto, 46; Freddy Quinones, 49; and Jesus Silva, aka Barbas, 41, all of McAllen, Texas; Brandon Dailey, aka Willie Earl, 40; Henry Davis, aka Hank, 43; Vincent Conner, aka Roe, 38; Derrick Nixon, aka Chewy, 55; Shanika Odom, aka Butterball, 32; Terry Strayhorn, aka Goldie Mac, 42; and Samuel Abernathy, 45, all of Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; Brent Burns, aka Smiley, 39; and Tristen Tisby, aka Jolly, 31, both of Columbia, Tenn.; and Tory Hardison, 28; and Carson Lunn, 26, both of Pulaski, Tenn.
In another indictment, the following seven individuals were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and oxycodone, between October 2017 and November 2020:
Michael Sowell, aka Mac Black, 38; Frank Sparkman, aka Chucky, 42; Antonio Sowell, aka Premo, 38; Tanasha Vaughn, aka Nesha, 24, all of Hohenwald, Tenn.; Charles Lowe-Kelley, aka White Chaz, 31, of Columbia, Tenn.; and Darron Weakley, aka Snype Lucas, 37; and Antonio Laster, aka Lil Memphis, 33, both of Nashville, Tenn. Michael Sowell and Antonio Sowell were also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
A third indictment charged Keadrick Duke, aka Kebe, 41, of Columbia, Tenn., with distribution of crack cocaine in November 2018.
Every defendant charged across these three indictments has now pleaded guilty, except for Brandon Dailey, who died while awaiting trial.
Many of these defendants face mandatory minimum prison terms of five, ten, or fifteen years, and up to life in prison when they are sentenced later this year.
This case is the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia Police Department; the Hohenwald Police Department; the Spring Hill Police Department; and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Nani Gilkerson are prosecuting these cases.
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7 June 2023
Wilson Man with Two Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to 19 Years After Armed Robbery of Speedway Gas StationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Antwon Demarco Perry, of Wilson, was sentenced today to 228 months in prison for brandishing a firearm during a robbery. Perry, 37, pled guilty to the charge on March 16, 2023.
“Violent robberies like this often leave victims traumatized for years, even when no shots are fired,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This store clerk was just doing her job when she was held at gunpoint and ordered to hand over the cash in the register. The Wilson Police Department is partnering with our office to get dangerous, repeat felons off the streets to make our communities safer.”
“We value our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Wilson Police Chief Scott Biddle. “The arrest and prosecution of chronic, violent offenders like Mr. Perry are vital to making Wilson a safe place to live and raise a family. This partnership resulted in the conviction and sentencing that will keep Mr. Perry off the streets of Wilson for a long time.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 5, 2019, at around 10:30 p.m., officers with the Wilson Police Department responded to an armed robbery call at the Speedway gas station at 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Wilson. The store clerk told officers that a masked man wearing a gray-camouflage jacket and light blue gloves pointed a firearm at her and demanded money from the register. She handed over money from the register, and the robber fled on foot.
The State Crime Lab analyzed matching light blue gloves recovered during the course of the investigation for DNA, and the results came back as a match for Perry. When investigators approached Perry, he admitted to committing the robbery to repay a drug debt.
This is Perry’s third federal felony conviction. In 2004 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he was convicted of numerous offenses, including armed carjacking and use of a firearm during that crime, and received a 60-month sentence. Then, in 2012, Perry was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina of possessing a firearm as a felon and received a 71-month sentence.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wilson Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-0052-D.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Drug Conspiracy Which Led to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Stefano Saienni, 31, of Wilmington, was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to 90 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced sentence. The government successfully argued at sentencing that Saienni sold fentanyl-laced pills that ultimately led to the overdose death of William H. Ebert, IV. While the Department of Justice typically does not disclose the names of victims, Mr. Ebert’s family wish that he not be forgotten.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2022, the New Castle County Police Department responded to a fatal overdose in Bear, Delaware. After locating and analyzing the victim’s cellular phones, law enforcement located messages between Saienni and the victim coordinating the sale of counterfeit oxycodone pills, which contained fentanyl. Within those messages, Saienni often described the counterfeit pills as “fire” knowing there was fentanyl inside.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentencing, “Illicit drug overdoses continue to destroy families and ravage our communities. Investigating and prosecuting those who sell fentanyl and counterfeit pills is paramount to my office and our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners. We will seek justice against those who profit from illegally selling fentanyl. As importantly, if customers die from using their product, drug dealers will face the prospect of significant prison sentences.”
“The dangers of fake pills cannot be underestimated, as evidenced by Saienni’s sale of them that resulted in an overdose death,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Fake pills are more widely available, more accessible, and deadlier than ever before. Learn more about the dangers of fake pills at www.dea.gov/onepill.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Pierce prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the DEA and the New Castle County Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping those who suffer from substance abuse. If you need help, drug treatment information is available any time through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Referral Routing Service, found online at dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/ or by dialing 1.888.545.2600.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-CR-00054.
Whiteside County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling from Labor OrganizationRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Whiteside County man has been sentenced to a federal prison term for embezzling from a labor organization.
BRENT TOPPERT, 43, of Morrison, Ill., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston to five months in federal prison, to be followed by six months of home detention. Toppert was also fined $5,000.
Toppert was the elected Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 238 of the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America, a labor organization that represents members who provide security at a nuclear plant in Cordova, Ill. Toppert pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year and admitted that from 2013 to 2018 he made several unauthorized withdrawals from SPFPA’s bank account, totaling $55,140.98, which he converted to his personal use.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Love and Vincenza Tomlinson.
“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur,” said District Director Murray. “When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. Brent Toppert embezzled over $55,000 from SPFPA Local 238 that should have been used for its members’ benefit. OLMS is committed to holding accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”
Utah Man Facing Federal Charges After Allegedly Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging an alleged Utah drug dealer for distributing an illicit drug that resulted in the death of another person.
According to a criminal complaint, Shereldon Cly Yanito, a/k/a “Bobby,” 23, of Grand County, Utah, allegedly sold fentanyl to a victim who overdosed and was found dead by responding officers on April 15, 2022, in San Juan County. A post-mortem examination concluded that the victim died as a result of fentanyl intoxication. According to associates of the victim, Yanito sold counterfeit blue “M30” pills containing fentanyl to the victim. Financial research revealed that on April 14, 2022, the night before the victim’s deadly overdose, a $40 financial transaction occurred between the victim’s digital wallet account and Yanito’s digital wallet. In May 2023, Yanito allegedly admitted to an undercover agent via social media that he previously sold “blues” for $40 but had stopped. Following some additional messages regarding powder cocaine, Yanito agreed to meet the undercover agent but was arrested during a traffic stop and transported to Grand County Jail.
Yanito is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Yanito is scheduled for an arraignment on his indictment Thursday June 8, 2022, at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in Room 2B 206 in the U.S District Courtroom located at the state courthouse in St. George, Utah.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Union County Man Convicted of Tax Evasion and Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was convicted of tax evasion and failing to file personal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced today.
Jonathan D. Michael of Springfield, New Jersey was convicted of one count of tax evasion, from 2014 through 2018, and five counts of failing to file tax returns during the same period. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Michael worked as a mechanic by a port-operating company in New Jersey. From 2014 through 2018, Michael earned over $1.4 million from the port-operating company. In February 2014, he submitted a Form W-4, “Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate” to his employer in which he falsely claimed to be completely exempt from federal income tax withholding, which caused the employer to stop withholding federal income taxes from his wages. In November 2016, after the IRS sent Michael a notification that he was not entitled to claim exempt status, Michael wrote the company and claimed that his false W-4 was correct. Despite earning income each year over the threshold that would require him to file individual income tax returns, Michael failed to file such tax returns with the IRS for the years 2014 through 2018.
The maximum penalty for tax evasion is five years of in prison; the maximum penalty for failure to file as charged in Counts Two through Six is one year per count.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Feldman Nikic of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark and by Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recovers Millions in PPP Fraud JudgmentsRead the Press Release
Oxford, Mississippi – U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner announced today that in addition to ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi is conducting a comprehensive civil investigation regarding potential fraud involving the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, that has resulted in over $20 million dollars in judgments to date. Specifically, the investigation is using the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 to target fraudulent loans obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Civil Division’s lawyers have obtained more than 150 False Claims Act judgments to date (more than any other district in the country) and obtained millions of dollars in those judgments. In addition to allowing the government to recover treble damages or triple the amount of the PPP loan, the False Claims Act also allows the United States to recover up to $27,018 in penalties for each PPP loan, bank processing fees, and a $402 court filing fee.
In addition to the civil judgments the office has obtained, investigations initiated by the Civil Division’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Attorney, Harland Webster, have also uncovered fraud schemes that subsequently resulted in criminal prosecutions. One includes Chris Lick of Starkville, Mississippi, who was sentenced to 78 months for submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application and has a $12,000,000 civil judgment. Another example is Mississippi attorney and SBA employee LaKeith Faulkner, who was sentenced to 62 months and ordered to pay $10,600,000 in restitution for his role in a scheme to obtain fraudulent PPP loans.
In announcing the ongoing investigations, U.S. Attorney Joyner remarked, “We anticipate focusing on PPP fraud for several years to come and are proud to be recovering tax-payer money. We will not allow fraud schemes to remain unchecked in our district and we will use all civil and criminal remedies available to hold accountable those who committed fraud.”
Civil Chief John E. Gough, Jr. stated, “We are uncovering fraud throughout our district. This fraud scheme was rampant, and we would like the public’s help in recovering these ill-gotten funds. If you have a tip regarding potential fraud in our district, please contact us by sending an email to [email protected] .”
The investigations into PPP fraud by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi have been ongoing for approximately 12 months and have expanded to areas all across the District. Recent amendments to federal law have extended the statute of limitations for civil and criminal fraud enforcement actions involving PPP loans from six years to a period of up to ten years.
Two men sentenced for methamphetamine trafficking in West VirginiaRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were sentenced today in separate cases for trafficking methamphetamine in Randolph and Hardy Counties.
William Thomas DeSantis, 32, of Akron, Ohio, will serve 10 years and 4 months in prison for transporting methamphetamine from Ohio to Randolph County, West Virginia. During a traffic stop, officers found nearly 600 grams of methamphetamine in magnetic storage boxes hidden throughout DeSantis’s vehicle. The investigation revealed that DeSantis was a supplier for several people in Elkins, West Virginia, transporting hundreds of grams of methamphetamine to be sold.
In a separate case, Scott Allen Greenwalt, 50, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 8 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations. Investigators used a confidential informant on several occasions to purchase methamphetamine from Greenwalt in Hardy County. Officers executed a search warrant and found nearly 50 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol in Greenwalt’s house.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated the DeSantis case. The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the Greenwalt case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted both cases on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Two Pocatello Police Officers Honored in Justice Department’s Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community PolicingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Two Pocatello Police Department officers—Corporal Demetrius Amos and Patrolman First Class Mackenzie Handel—received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing at a ceremony presided over by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Monday in Washington, D.C. Corporal Amos and Patrolman Handel were two of only nineteen law enforcement officers and deputies from 15 jurisdictions across the country to receive this prestigious honor this year.
The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and Tribal sworn rank-and-file officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded individuals have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations, or innovations in community policing.
Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei and Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad attended the ceremony along with representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
“Every day, law enforcement officers across the country are asked to respond to some of the most difficult, most dangerous, and most traumatic moments that our communities face,” said Attorney General Garland. “Today’s awardees exemplify the very best of the noble profession of policing.”
In May 2022, Officers Demetrius Amos and Mackenzie Handel and their trainees (new hires on just their third day with the Pocatello Police Department) responded to a domestic disturbance in which a man was threatening a woman and a child with a gun. When the officers and trainees arrived, the subject turned his rifle on them. Officer Amos fired twice, and the subject fled to an alley, took cover, and lay in wait to ambush them when they followed. When they did, he fired multiple rounds—gravely injuring Amos and then injuring Officer Handel, who had placed himself in the line of fire to protect his trainees. Handel was able to direct additional responding officers to the subject, who surrendered, and to guide a new hire in providing emergency medical care for Amos and himself. The subject was transported to a local hospital by ambulance; Amos and Handel were evacuated in patrol vehicles. Officer Handel’s selflessness and quick thinking resulted in his own injury but likely saved the lives of officers around him, including Officer Amos. Amos’s encouraging messages to his department through his period of recovery unquestionably improved morale among colleagues who had been affected by the incident.
“Corporal Amos and Patrolman Handel are extremely well-deserving of this honor,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “They responded with bravery and professionalism to protect the community from a cowardly act of violence. The officers that assisted them immediately after the shooting and, indeed, the entire Pocatello Police Department, also have our praise and gratitude. All of their actions during this traumatic event, and in its aftermath, represent the best of law enforcement and are a credit to Idaho.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing is made possible through the Department’s work with national law enforcement stakeholder groups, who play a vital role in the review process. The result is this annual awards program, which allows the Department to highlight a group of officers whose commitment to their communities is obvious through their exceptional efforts.
A list of award winners can be found here. Complete information on the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found here.
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Two Green Bay Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl Disguised as Percocet.Read the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 24 and June 1, 2023, Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Don A.K. James, Jr. (age: 24) and Frederick L. Brewer (age: 34) to 15 years and 12 years in federal prison, respectively, after a jury convicted the Green Bay men of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute, and Distributing Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 and 846.
The evidence presented at trial showed that in January and February 2022, Brewer sold fentanyl pills to an informant working with the Brown County Drug Task Force (“BCDTF”). The potentially lethal pills had been illicitly manufactured to resemble Percocet®, in the form of blue “M30” pills. After BCDTF investigators arrested Brewer, they learned that James—Brewer’s brother—had negotiated with an Arizona-based source to buy thousands of counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl. James flew to Arizona in early January 2022 to buy at least 15,000 pills. While there, he sent a video to a large-scale buyer in the Green Bay area. The video showed that James had at least 19,000 pills to distribute. James flew back to Wisconsin and boasted to the buyer that James now had 30,000 fentanyl pills and was ready to do business. Brewer conspired with and assisted James in the fentanyl-trafficking operation, including when James returned from Arizona with the “load” of pills. When James was arrested, he attempted to swallow a bag of 58 fentanyl pills. After a several-minute struggle, during which BCDTF investigators administered Narcan to protect James against a potential overdose, they caused James to spit out the still-intact bag. James feared that he had swallowed two pills and pleaded for additional medical help. Investigators quickly summoned an ambulance, which transported James to the hospital for medical clearance. James later posted bail and was released, only to be re-arrested in June 2022 when he was found in possession of over 750 fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute.
In sentencing both men, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is equivalent to distributing “poison.” The judge cited recent data from the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) that 6 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2021, the DEA determined that 40% of pills were potentially lethal, but by 2022, the fatal dosage increased to 60% of tested pills.
According to the DEA, fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Tim Funnell prosecuted the cases.
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Two Federal Bureau of Prisons Employees Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in His DeathRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant and a BOP registered nurse yesterday with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The indictment alleges that on Jan. 9, 2021, Lieutenant Shronda Covington, 47, of Chesterfield, Virginia, and Registered Nurse Tonya Farley, 52, of Chesterfield, Virginia, were on duty and working in their official capacities at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia. On that day, they allegedly each willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, resulting in W.W.’s death, even though each knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. Farley is also charged with writing a false report about the incident, and Covington and Farley are each charged with making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
The civil rights charges each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, the false report charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and each false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Russell W. Cunningham of the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Washington Field Office made the announcement.
DOJ OIG investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Federal Bureau of Prisons Employees Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in His DeathRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury indicted a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant and a BOP registered nurse yesterday with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The indictment alleges that on January 9, 2021, Lieutenant Shronda Covington, 47, of Chesterfield, and Registered Nurse Tonya Farley 52, of Chesterfield, were on duty and working in their official capacities at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia. On that day, they allegedly each willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, leading to W.W.’s death, even though each allegedly knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. Farley is also charged with writing a false report about the incident. Covington and Farley are each charged with making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
The civil rights charges each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, the false report charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and each false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
DOJ OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-68..
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Two D.C. Businessmen Found Guilty of Bribing D.C. Tax Official to Erase Millions in Tax LiabilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, a federal jury found Anthony Merritt, 48, of Washington D.C., and Andre De Moya, 54, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud offenses arising from their scheme to bribe former D.C. Tax Official Vincent Slater, so that Slater would erase millions of dollars of their District tax liabilities. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for De Moya on October 17, 2023; and for Merritt on October 23, 2023.
According to the evidence at trial, De Moya paid Slater, a former employee of the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), to fraudulently eliminate tax liabilities of businesses owned by De Moya and others, including Arman Amirshahi and Charles Zhou. Anthony Merritt served as a middleman, whom De Moya and Slater relied upon to communicate with Slater and who facilitated the bribe payments. Merritt also took a cut of the bribe payments. Amirshahi, Zhou, and Slater all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this and related bribery schemes, and are awaiting sentencing.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
The statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years in prison; for bribery, is 15 years in prison; and for wire fraud, is 20 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence based on the guideline range and other factors.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, with substantial assistance by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former paralegal specialist Aisha Keys.
Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Macey and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted the case at trial, and Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Miller and Molly Gaston, and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who investigated the case.
Statement from Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice on the Adoption of the Equal Access to Justice Resolution at the United Nations Crime CommissionRead the Press Release
The Office for Access to Justice today issued the following statement from Director Rachel Rossi following the adoption of the “Equal Access to Justice for All” resolution at the 32nd Session of United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna, Austria:
“The Office for Access to Justice is pleased to have played a role in the recent adoption by consensus of the first UN-CCPCJ resolution on access to justice. This resolution recognizes that when access to justice is limited or restricted in criminal justice systems, the rule of law is undermined. The resolution emphasizes the importance of United Nations Member States taking ‘all necessary steps to provide fair, transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and accountable services that promote access to justice for all;’ notes the importance of cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships; promotes efforts that reduce inequities in justice systems; and requests that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime hold a first-ever convening of experts on enhancing equal access to justice for all. The adoption of this resolution is a significant step forward, as it establishes goals that reflect the same work and mission our Office has undertaken here in the United States.”
Starkville Man Sentenced in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and money laundering.
According to court documents, Terrance Chandler, 44, of Starkville, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance and one count of money laundering. Chandler was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown to 240 months in prison for both counts. He was further sentenced to three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Court records show that Chandler was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of marijuana and methamphetamine from Texas and distributing them throughout the Northern District of Mississippi, the Southern District of Mississippi, and elsewhere. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned over a year. Chandler was indicted along with fourteen other individuals.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who choose to illegally sell dangerous and unlawful drugs in our towns and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that today’s sentence will make other individuals think twice before they choose to seek quick profits from distributing illicit drugs.”
“Terrance Chandler’s sentence is a victory for law enforcement and the people of Mississippi. Chandler was a major player in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our state,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “His conviction and sentence should send a clear message to other drug traffickers that they will be held accountable for their crimes. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Mississippi Highway Patrol, Starkville Police Department, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Hampton and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA – Earlier today, Senior United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Jaiden Gyvan Petersen, age 24, of Spokane, Washington, to 240 months in federal prison today for two counts of Production of Child Pornography (240 months on each count to be served concurrently). At the conclusion of his prison term, Petersen will spend the rest of his life on federal supervision. Senior Judge Nielsen ordered restitution to the victims of Petersen’s offenses in the amount of $23,400. Petersen had entered a guilty plea to two counts of Production of Child Pornography on December 8, 2022.
This case stemmed from a CyberTip or a notice to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting the online exploitation of children. The FBI received the CyberTip, which originated from Snapchat, indicating child pornography had traveled across Snapchat’s servers from Petersen’s Snapchat account.
Petersen was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted the Snapchat account in question was his. He further admitted he had been receiving and distributing child pornography for years.
Law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant and searched serval of Petersen’s electronic devices. All of these devices were reviewed forensically. During the review, the FBI found at total of over 1,000 child pornography images and 10 child pornography videos. Three images were of a local production victim — i.e., a victim of a separate defendant also prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington — that were traded directly with Petersen. Other illicit images in Petersen’s possession included urination and child bondage.
During the investigation, the FBI also located child pornography images Petersen had produced himself. Specifically, Petersen produced child pornography with a six-year old child to whom he had access when Petersen was himself was 17-years old. Petersen later distributed these images after he became an adult. Because Petersen produced those images when he was 17 years old, the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney is prosecuting the case pertaining to this first victim.
As an adult, Petersen produced additional child pornography of two other children. The children were 13 years and 14 years old respectively when the production occurred. The older child was a person Petersen knew personally, and the younger child was a person Petersen met on Xbox Live. Petersen asked both victims to produce very specific images of child pornography and to send these materials to him, often through Snapchat.
At today’s sentencing, Senior Judge Nielsen noted the seriousness of the misconduct and stated, “Your conduct will have an adverse effect psychologically on the lives of your victims.” Judge Nielsen also told Petersen that the victims he selected were young and vulnerable, “so not only were they victims, but their family members are victimized also as a result” of Petersen’s actions.
“This case unfortunately serves as a stark reminder of the need to educate children, even young teenagers, of the dangers that lurk online,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our office prioritizes these offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm children.”
“For years now, Mr. Petersen has shown a willingness to exploit children.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Not only did he receive and distribute disturbing images, he produced pornographic images with child victims he knew personally. This case demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our partners to protect children from people like Mr. Petersen, who seek to harm and exploit them.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The federal case was investigated by the Spokane Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Alison L. Gregoire, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Hannah Sterns, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, will now take custody of Mr. Petersen to complete the prosecution pertaining to the youngest production victim.
2:20-CR-00146-WFN
Skaneateles Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Marc L. Leonardis, age 50, of Skaneateles, New York, was sentenced today to serve 188 months in prison for receiving child pornography within online groups designed for trading images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As a part of his earlier guilty plea, Leonardis admitted that he surreptitiously took images of a child and posted the images, more than 200 times, to three online trading groups, receiving images depicting the sexual exploitation of children in return. Leonardis also admitted chatting with members of the trading groups, including an undercover FBI agent, about his ongoing sexual abuse of the child whose pictures he shared.
In addition to the 188-month prison sentence, Hon. David N. Hurd sentenced to Leonardis to 15 years supervised release, which will commence upon his release from prison, ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to each of two victims of the pornography he received, and to pay a total of $5,100 in special assessments. Leonardis will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Capital Area and Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Forces, in cooperation the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case.
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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Six indicted in scheme that defrauded pandemic relief programs of more than $3 millionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A wide ranging fraud scheme, led by 29-year-old Paradise Williams, of Phoenix, was detailed today in a 26-count indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Two defendants were arrested Monday in Phoenix, a third was arrested in Houston, and three defendants were arrested in Washington State. Two Seattle defendants are detained at the Federal Detention Center with hearings scheduled Friday and next week.
“The participants in this fraud were relentless in exploiting pandemic relief programs that were intended to assist small businesses and people who were vulnerable to eviction,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “The need for the emergency rental assistance greatly outweighed the funds available, and we know that fraud schemes such as this one stole money that should have gone to those desperately needing help.”
According to the indictment, Paradise Williams was the hub in a wheel of fraud. She created fake documents and told her accomplices how to pose as landlords and tenants claiming to need rental assistance. Because the program would pay for back rent and future payments, the person posing as the fraudulent landlord got payments of tens of thousands of dollars for each fake tenant application. Williams received kickback payments from those who used the scheme for fraud. Williams herself received more than $740,000 in emergency funds by posing as the landlord on at least 21 different applications for rental aid. In fact, neither Williams nor her accomplices owned any rental properties and were not the tenants they impersonated.
In addition to Williams the grand jury indicted:
Rayvon Darnell Peterson, 32, of Seattle, Washington
Tia Janee Robinson, 28, of Fife, Washington
Jahari Asad Cunningham, 45, of Houston, Texas
D’arius Akim Jackson, 37, Bonney Lake, Washington
David Jesus Martinez, 32, Pacific, Washington
In addition to the rental assistance fraud, members of the group defrauded or attempted to defraud the unemployment systems in Washington, California, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Between June 2020 and August 2021, Williams and others submitted at least 35 fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) seeking more than $3.7 million from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Two of the loans were funded for a loss of $300,000. Williams assisted her accomplices with forging documents and fake tax statements to defraud the SBA. Williams used multiple common email addresses and a common naming convention for business names as she attempted the fraud.
Williams and others also sought to defraud a different SBA program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April and May 2021, Williams, Jackson, and others submitted at least 13 fraudulent applications to the SBA PPP program seeking approximately $253,000. Nearly $212,000 was paid out.
According to the indictment the money was used for luxury cars, lavish trips, designer clothes, jewelry, and even plastic surgery. Williams used over $90,000 in cash and wire transferred funds, from the proceeds and kickbacks she received, to buy a 2018 Range Rover sport utility vehicle and a 2017 Lexus ES Sedan. Both vehicles were seized in Phoenix on Monday. In June 2021, Williams used funds from the frauds to travel to Miami and while there she rented a Lamborghini.
Wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from SBA-OIG.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Six Defendants Arrested for Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead 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 Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging six defendants — SALIF NDAMA-TRAORE, KYLE EMORDI, KEITH EMORDI, AMADOU TIDIANE BA, MOHAMMED NABI ELIKPLIM AKINOTCHO, and IBRAHIM BOCOUM — with conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme that used spoofing attacks to deceive victims into sending a total of approximately $5.8 million to bank accounts that had been opened using fake and stolen information. All six defendants were arrested and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in the Southern District of Texas. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Sitting behind their computer screens, the defendants and others used email spoofing to insert themselves into legitimate business transactions and deceived victims across the country into sending millions of dollars to fraudulent bank accounts. Thanks to the efforts of this Office and its law enforcement partners, the defendants now face the long arm of justice.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a business email compromise scheme in which they induced the victims to make fraudulent payments totaling more than $5 million. Additionally, in an attempt to conceal their actions, the defendants withdrew their ill-gotten gains in a manner intended to evade federal reporting requirements. As today’s action demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to bringing those who engage in fraudulent activity to justice.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Business email compromise and money laundering schemes, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to the organizations and individuals who fall prey to them. While the network of online criminals targeting unsuspecting victims is growing every day, today’s charges should send a clear message to scammers committing fraud – wherever they are based – that they will be identified and held fully accountable. The NYPD will continue to work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to address this pervasive threat head-on.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
From July 2021 through February 2022, the defendants and others engaged in a fraudulent BEC scheme that involved impersonating legitimate business contacts by email to induce five victims — a hospital, a labor union, a law firm, a real estate closing company, and a logistics company — into remitting payments totaling approximately $5.8 million to fraudulent bank accounts. Each of the fraudulent bank accounts was opened shortly before the diversion of funds, and at least three accounts were opened using a fake driver’s license or stolen social security number. Internet protocol registration information also shows that the defendants logged into several of the fraudulent accounts online.
The funds were immediately moved from the fraudulent accounts to bank accounts held in the defendants’ own names or in the name of a defendant-owned company. The funds were then quickly transferred to additional savings or investment vehicles held in the defendants’ names, withdrawn in cash, or sent to co-defendants through ACH transfers or using a P2P payment service. Withdrawals were usually made in successive increments of less than $10,000 to avoid triggering federal reporting requirements. Some funds were pulled back after hitting the fraudulent accounts, resulting in the recovery of approximately $3.14 million and a total loss of approximately $2.66 million.
* * *
NDAMA-TRAORE, 39, KYLE EMORDI, 26, KEITH EMORDI, 29, and BOCOUM, 32, all of Houston, Texas; AKINOTCHO, 33, of Cypress, Texas; and BA, 35, of Sugar Land, Texas, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California; the FBI Field Offices in Columbia (Hilton Head Resident Agency), Houston, and Sacramento; and the police departments of New York City, the City of Beaufort, and Houston for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Ndama-Traore et al IndictmentSioux City, Iowa Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Antonio Thomas Sioux Baker, 27, of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced June 7, 2023, for assault of an intimate or dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Baker to 3 years imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Baker will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
In March of 2022, Baker assaulted the victim at a gas station on the Winnebago Reservation. The victim, who had been in a dating relationship with Baker, got into a physical altercation with another woman who was at the gas station with Baker. Baker intervened and pushed the victim to the ground. After the victim got up, Baker continued to push the victim who eventually retreated from the altercation with the other woman and with Baker. Baker pursued the victim and struck her in the mouth. The victim lost a tooth and had a large laceration to her lip, requiring stitches. The incident was caught on video by a bystander at the gas station.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Several traffickers sentenced for smuggling meth for cartelRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Four U.S. citizens and one Mexican national have been sent to prison following their convictions for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth associated with the Michoacan drug cartel, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gerardo Martinez, 65, pleaded guilty March 9. Maria Valdez, 30, Rodrigo Sandoval, 31, both of Laredo, pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2022, as did Jose Alfredo Cruz-Salas, 37, of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Karina Garcia, 27, Laredo, pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2022. All admitted to conspiracy to transport a total of approximately 75 kilograms of meth into the United States from Mexico.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Martinez a 240-month term of imprisonment, while Sandoval, Garcia, and Cruz-Salas received 60, 36, and 72 months, respectively. Valdez received 188 months yesterday.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described how defendant Valdez was transporting meth in a vehicle while her five-month-old son was in an improperly-fastened infant car seat. The court admonished Valdez for putting her son at risk in such a way and costing herself the opportunity to watch him grow up.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted that high-purity Mexican meth was a dangerous and disfiguring drug wreaking havoc on the community. Not a U.S. citizen, Cruz-Salas is expected to face removal proceedings upon the completion of his sentence.
“Martinez was hiding in plain sight, maintaining a front as a taxi driver while secretly doing the bidding of the Michoacan cartel on the streets of Laredo,” said Hamdani. “My late father was a taxi driver and the actions of Martinez simply offend me. He trafficked in pure meth and recruited multiple drivers. The seized drugs could have ruined countless lives. Today’s sentencings underscore the scope of the threat transnational drug cartels pose and our efforts to combat them.”
The investigation revealed a complex conspiracy which began Feb. 1, 2017, and continued through Sept. 29, 2018. Martinez assisted drug traffickers in Mexico by finding and recruiting drivers willing to transport large quantities of high-purity meth through Laredo and further into the United States.
Martinez maintained a front as an independent taxi driver while working on behalf of the Michoacan cartel. He admitted to coordinating the distribution of meth through Laredo on five separate occasions.
Sandoval, Cruz-Salas, Valdez, and Garcia each previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deliver and transport meth through Laredo while working for Martinez.
All but Karina Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Karina Garcia was permitted to self-surrender at a later date.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Codigo Siete with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, mutlti-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Several charged in coordinated action in business email compromise and money laundering schemesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 11 people in multiple states are now in custody on charges filed in two separate business email compromise prosecutions in the Southern Districts of Texas and New York, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The two-count Texas indictment charges five - Bolaji Okunnu, 29, and Philip Ogbeide Jr., 33, both of Houston; Ayodegi Okunnu, 24, Austin; and Victor Rubio Jr., 26, and Bougar Robert Linares Soto, 41, both of Los Angeles, California. Okunnu and Ogbeide made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in Houston this afternoon.
Six others – all of whom reside in the Houston area – are charged in the New York indictment and also expected to appear today. More information will be available later on this case.
All are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges unsealed today pertain to alleged schemes that caused millions in losses to victims who were deceived into sending money to those charged in the scheme.
The charges stem primarily from business email compromise schemes. Conspirators allegedly posed as legitimate businesses and fraudulently diverted money from victim bank accounts into accounts they controlled. According to the charges, they gained access to business email accounts and spoofed email addresses to deceive victims into believing they were making legitimate payments.
The Texas charges include an alleged scheme that fraudulently diverted payments intended for a vendor that had provided electrical and mechanical services to a township in New Jersey. The charges allege conspirators obtained access to the email account of one of the vendor’s employees. They then used that email account to request payment for services to be sent to a new bank account that did not belong to the vendor, according to the charges.
The New Jersey township was allegedly deceived into wiring $287,236 to a fraudulent bank account Rubio had opened instead of actually paying the vendor. The charges further allege conspirators laundered the funds in a manner designed to conceal the source, ownership and control of the funds by quickly transferring the money from Rubio’s account to other bank accounts they controlled. They then withdrew the fraud proceeds incrementally in cash.
If convicted, those charged in Texas each face up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Thomas Carter are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Repeat Offender Arrested for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly distributing methamphetamine.
Vincent Lambert, 40, has been indicted on three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lambert was arrested today and appeared in federal court in Boston. Lambert was detained pending further proceedings.
According to the charging document, Lambert distributed methamphetamine in Boston on Feb. 15, 2023 and April 4, 2023, as well as in Cambridge on March 2, 2023. It is alleged that the February transaction involved five grams or more of methamphetamine, and that the March and April transactions involved 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to the charging document, Lambert was previously convicted of narcotics offenses in Massachusetts state court.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $8 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman 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.
Rattan Resident Sentenced for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marci Ann Weedon, age 46, of Rattan, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 16, 2022, Weedon pleaded guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. At the plea hearing, Weedon admitted that on November 11, 2020, she approached a woman in the parking lot of a bar in Antlers, Oklahoma, and stabbed her twice in the chest. According to investigators, witnesses reported that Weedon stated she thought the victim was someone else before fleeing the scene on foot. Pushmataha County Sheriff’s deputies responding to the incident apprehended and arrested Weedon a short distance from the crime scene.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because the victim is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Pushmataha County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Weedon 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 Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Raleigh Man Involved in Gas Station Shootout Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Marcus Antonio Williams, 36, of Raleigh was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented in court, during the early morning hours of October 3, 2020, Williams was involved in an altercation with multiple other individuals at a gas station on Trawick Road in Raleigh. Surveillance video from the gas station shows Williams, a multi-time convicted felon, with a gun in his hand. The video appears to show Williams shoot the firearm at an individual. Another man then returned fire. Williams and another individual each received gunshot wounds from the shootout. Weeks later, on November 18, 2020, police served a search warrant at Williams’s residence in Raleigh. Amongst Williams’s personal items, police found a .45 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen from Durham, NC.
“Felons are not permitted to own a gun and those who participate in violent shootings in public areas are particularly dangerous,” said. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “My office will continue to prioritize these cases to get these violent individuals off the street. But this case should also serve as a reminder for gun owners to safely secure their firearms to keep them out of the hands of dangerous felons like Williams. Safe storage of guns is one of the best ways to prevent gun violence in the first place.”
“The Raleigh Police Department is proud to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by providing the necessary evidence to prosecute this case,” commented Chief Estella Patterson. “The sentencing of Mr. Williams ensures that he is no longer free to endanger the lives of innocent community members through willful and violent shootings. It is a top priority of the Raleigh Police Department to make our city the safest in the country, and we will do so by preventing violent offenders, such as Mr. Williams, from ever having the freedom to hold a firearm ever again.”
Williams was named in a single-count indictment on April 7, 2021, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm for the gun found amongst his belongings on November 18, 2020. He pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan . The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon L. Boykin and Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-155-FL.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Former Employer of $4.4 Million in Fake Invoice SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BHASKARRAY BAROT pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud his former employer out of approximately $4.4 million. BAROT pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter on September 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Barot created fraudulent invoices and processed them for payment at the Manhattan-based company where he used to work as a procurement manager. Barot designed the invoices to closely resemble the invoices that the company received from real vendors and other entities owed payment from the company. But the fraudulent invoices differed in a crucial way: they directed payment into Barot’s pocket. Today’s guilty plea emphasizes that this Office will seek justice for companies that fall victim to corporate theft.”
According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:
From at least in or about July 2018, up to and including at least August 2022, BAROT engaged in a scheme to defraud his former employer (the “Company”) of approximately $4.4 million through fake invoices designed to resemble those received from legitimate vendors of the Company. BAROT used his position as a procurement manager at the Company to process the fraudulent invoices for payment. When doing so, he often affixed the fake invoices to email messages that he, in some cases, sent in the names of employees of the Company’s real vendors so that it would appear as though the real vendors were seeking payment on the fake invoices.
The fake invoices, however, stated that payment should be made to entities with names that often differed slightly from those of the real vendor companies. BAROT then incorporated companies and opened bank accounts in the names of some of the entities listed for payment on the fake invoices so that he could collect the payments that the Company made on the fake invoices.
BAROT repeated these fraudulent tactics with more than a dozen fictitious entities and caused payment from the Company on approximately 40 fake invoices, totaling approximately $4.4 million.
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BAROT, 32, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution.
Philadelphia Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA— A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a drug trafficking offense, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Fiordaliza Rodriguez Reyes, age 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 11, 2020, Rodriguez Reyes was arrested by troopers of the Pennsylvania State Police after she was stopped on Interstate 76 and a search of her vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 800 grams of heroin in the trunk. Rodriguez Reyes was transporting the heroin from New York City to Pittsburgh for further distribution.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Rodriguez Reyes to remain on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Rodriguez Reyes.
Oregon Man Convicted of Crimes Against Children OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Julian Muriera, 30 years old, of Hillsboro, Oregon, was found guilty after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Muriera on the single count of the Superseding Indictment for attempting to produce child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery, with assistance of AUSA Brent Ecenbarger.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Dominique Thomas, 31, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Thomas to 90 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Thomas will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
From about July of 2016 to April of 2020, Thomas was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana, in the Omaha area. Thomas was involved in the distribution of the drugs. During the conspiracy, on January 12, 2019, Thomas was stopped in Omaha with about 86 ecstasy pills. Then in August of 2019, officers intercepted THC vials that a co-defendant sent from Stockton, California, to Thomas. During a portion of the conspiracy, Thomas resided at an Omaha residence which served as a drug involved premises that the conspirators used to facilitate the drug trafficking.
Co-defendants Ty-Sean Nunn, George Buck, Willis Parker, Anthony Hill-Gaines, and Jerrell Jackson have all pled guilty to charges related to the conspiracy. They are all pending sentencing. Only co-defendant Terrance Traynham is pending trial. Traynham was previously sentenced to 106 months in federal prison for conduct related to this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography and Online Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release for receiving images of child sexual abuse and inducing a minor to send him sexually explicit images and engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service. David M. Frew, 42, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp on July 18, 2022, to an information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FURRELL JOHNSON, age 33, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to a two-count indictment charging him with Carjacking and violating the Federal Gun Control Act.
Specifically, JOHNSON pleaded guilty to the carjacking of a Honda CRV on October 13, 2022. JOHNSON admitted that he pointed a handgun at the victim while he committed the offense.
On Count 1, the carjacking, JOHNSON faces a maximum of fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. On Count 2, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, he faces a minimum of seven years to a maximum of life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller.
Navajo Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Jameson Begaye was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Begaye, 44, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on August 26, 2022, to voluntary manslaughter.
According to the plea agreement and court records, on March 7, 2021, in Shiprock, New Mexico, Begaye killed K.B. by shooting him in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis as Begaye was trying to forcefully enter the home of K.B.’s daughter, who was also Begaye’s ex-girlfriend. After shooting and killing K.B., Begaye fled the scene. Officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department were unable to locate Begaye that night but spotted his car outside Shiprock the following day. Begaye again fled from officers. During the ensuing high-speed pursuit, which reached speeds of 112 miles per hour, officers saw Begaye throw an object from the window of his car. Begaye also fired multiple gunshots from the car toward the officers. One round struck an officer’s windshield. Begaye eventually stopped and was arrested. When officers searched the roadway near the area police observed something being thrown from the car, they located the handgun used to kill K.B.
Upon his release from prison, Begaye faces three years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones prosecuted the case.
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Nash County Man Barred from Sweepstakes Scheme Targeting Senior CitizensRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina permanently enjoined Alpheus Brewer of Nashville, North Carolina, from further participation in a fraud scheme that victimized elderly Americans. The Government alleges that participants in the fraud scheme falsely claimed that individuals had won a sweepstakes or lottery, and then induced the victims to transmit money to Brewer to account for taxes and/or fees purportedly associated with, or to otherwise obtain the release of, the victims’ falsely promised winnings.
“Mr. Brewer is alleged to have taken advantage of some of the most vulnerable members of our community through his participation in a scheme that robbed them of their savings,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This action reflects our continued commitment to using every tool in our arsenal to combat elder fraud and abuse, and to ensuring justice for our community.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to investigating individuals who abuse consumer trust and target the elderly and vulnerable individuals because of greed,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors, along with our federal partners, are committed to holding responsible those individuals who utilize the U.S. Mail in furtherance of illicit schemes at the expense of the public.”
The United States alleged that from approximately mid-2021 to at least early 2023, Brewer assisted and facilitated this predatory mail-fraud, wire-fraud, and money-laundering scheme that was, in a nutshell, a sweepstakes or lottery scam. Brewer received the victims’ funds through the United States Postal Service or commercial mail carriers, deposited the fraudulently obtained funds into various bank accounts that Brewer owned in the United States, and then permitted individuals in Jamaica to withdraw the funds through automated teller machines.
As alleged by the Government, on at least two separate occasions, the United States Postal Inspection Service warned Brewer that he appeared to be involved in a fraudulent scheme and informed him that he should not participate further. Brewer continued participating. When approached by law enforcement, Brewer admitted his participation in the scheme, explaining that he, too, was a victim of a lottery fraud scheme and was trying to recover his own losses. All told, the United States alleged that victims of this scheme lost approximately $143,000.
The United States filed a complaint against Brewer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1345, which allows the Government to enjoin certain fraudulent behavior. Brewer cooperated with the Government’s investigation and consented to the injunction, which the Court entered on June 1, 2023.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Anderson and Andrew Kasper represented the United States.
Other than the findings in the Court’s order, the United States’ factual assertions are allegations only. The Court has, however, determined that Brewer is liable in this civil action, and has entered the injunction against him.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CV-260-FL.
Mother and Son Indicted for Drug Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment alleging that Moises Gonzalez-Rodriguez (age: 20) and Blanca E. Rodriguez (age: 52) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, conspired to distribute fentanyl in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. The indictment also alleges that Blanca Rodriguez laundered the proceeds of the drug sales in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i). Blanca Rodriguez is the mother of Moises Gonzalez-Rodriguez.
If convicted of the drug conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment and up to a life sentence. Rodriguez also faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the money laundering offense.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Milwaukee Felon Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and related Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Koleh B. Wilson (age: 45) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Counts One and Two of the indictment allege that Wilson was in possession of a 9 mm firearm and over 40 grams of fentanyl in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), and Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Additionally, Count Three of the indictment alleges that Wilson possessed the 9 mm firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
As a convicted felon, Wilson is prohibited from ever possessing a firearm under state and federal law and faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if convicted of Count One of the indictment. If convicted of dealing fentanyl, as alleged in Count Two of the indictment, Wilson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years’, and up to 40 years’, imprisonment. If convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, as alleged in Count Three of the indictment, Wilson would face an additional minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and up to a life sentence.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department and the Milwaukee Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The PSN strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
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Massage Envy Agrees to Address Alleged Americans with Disabilities Act Violations in All Franchised Locations NationwideRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Massage Envy Franchising, LLC, and ME SPE Franchising, LLC (“Massage Envy”) have entered into a settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, requiring the company to change policies at all of its franchised locations nationwide in order to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. There are approximately 1,100 Massage Envy franchised locations in 49 states, including five in Rhode Island.
The agreement follows an investigation initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island after receiving allegations that Massage Envy franchisees had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when they discriminated against individuals with disabilities who, because of their disability, needed assistance transferring to and from massage/facial tables.
“For more than thirty years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has made one thing emphatically clear: places of public accommodation have a duty to accommodate everyone, regardless of disability,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “When businesses open their doors to the public, they have an obligation to make their services accessible, and when they do not meet that obligation, we will act. I am pleased that, with today’s agreement, Massage Envy has taken comprehensive steps to ensure that customers can access these facilities not only in Rhode Island, but across the nation.”
One such complaint came from an individual who needed assistance transferring to and from a massage table, on account of vision and mobility disabilities. A manager at the Massage Envy franchise location in Providence, Rhode Island, informed her that a corporate policy prohibited employees from providing transfer assistance, and that the individual would need to bring in a third-party to assist her. The investigation revealed that Massage Envy had a policy that required all franchisees to require customers to bring in a friend, family member or other helper if they needed assistance with getting on or off the table.
Under the settlement agreement, Massage Envy will end their policy of prohibiting staff from providing transfer assistance to people with disabilities, and will develop new ADA policies, which will be included on its website and posted at all franchised locations. Massage Envy will also report any future complaints and has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure ongoing compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement. Massage Envy will also pay a settlement of $10,000 to the individual who was denied transfer assistance at the Providence location.
The matter was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill C. Solomon from the District of Arizona
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (401) 709-5000 or by email at [email protected].
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massage_envy_ada_settlement_agreement.pdfMarysville, Washington, man who ran fentanyl pill mill from his garage sentenced to 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Marysville, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for three federal felonies connected to the fentanyl pill manufacturing lab in his rental home, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Jose Eduardo Garnica, 34, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to conspiracy to manufacture and deliver controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “This is one of the largest fentanyl seizures in the district. Mr. Garnica had so much fentanyl a hazmat team had to be called in.”
“This case weaves together all the strands that make fentanyl trafficking such a dangerous business,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Mr. Garnica was manufacturing fentanyl pills with deadly powders that could make each pill lethal. His activities contaminated the home he rented, and he had 27 guns – many of them high powered assault weapons – adding to the danger. This is a significant prison sentence, but appropriate due to the risk he posed to our community.”
According to records filed in the case, Garnica came to the attention of law enforcement on June 17, 2022, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Los Angeles inspected a package shipped from China to Garnica’s Marysville address. The package was labeled “furniture parts,” but in fact it contained dies for use in a pill press that would make pills that appear to have the markings of oxycodone pills. Further investigation of Garnica and Wilson revealed numerous unusual cash transactions and the purchase of 11 firearms in a three-month span of 2020. In fact, when law enforcement searched the home, agents seized 27 guns and 25 kilos of fentanyl. Law enforcement also seized 50,000 rounds of ammunition.
On July 21, 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI executed search warrants at the Marysville residence and seized the pill press
and other materials for making fake oxycodone pills in the garage. Officers called a hazmat team to secure the lab due to the potentially deadly nature of fentanyl powder. Investigators determined that fentanyl residue had spread from the manufacturing location in the garage, throughout the house. The spread may have been caused by the HVAC system. Garnica has agreed to pay more than $71,000 to the owner of the home to remediate the residence.
In addition to the pill press and fentanyl powder, law enforcement found kilo sized bricks of fentanyl pills that appeared to have been smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. Also of great concern, some of the pills Garnica was manufacturing also contained Xylazine – a sedative used in veterinary medicine that has been linked to more deaths. In some instances, those injected with Xylazine had had tissue damage requiring amputation.
In asking for an 18-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi cited the unique danger of fentanyl and the heavy toll of fatal overdoses in King County. “…Fentanyl overdose deaths have continued to soar in the Seattle area. Overdose deaths attributable in whole or in part to fentanyl have risen from just 22 in 2016 to 709 in 2022. As of May 26, more than 500 overdose deaths were attributable to fentanyl for 2023 to date – a pace that puts King County at more than 1,000 overdose deaths by year end.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI with assistance from the Washington State Patrol, National Guard Civil Service Team, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Custom and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, the Snohomish County Drug Task Force, and the Skagit County Drug Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Fatally Shooting StrangerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Randall, 35, of Annapolis, Maryland, was sentenced on June 2, 2023, to 264 months in prison for shooting a stranger outside a Northwest Washington D.C. night club, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Randall pleaded guilty on November 22, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Randall to 22 years’ incarceration. Following his prison term, Randall will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 24, 2019, at approximately 1:24 a.m., a fight broke out during a music event at the Safari DC Restaurant and Lounge, located in the 4300 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest. The patrons, including the victim, David Brandon, and Randall, were forced outside. Surveillance video shows that Randall and his associates were amidst a group of people who were walking away from the night club. As they were walking, Randall removed a firearm from his waistband, and one of his associates punched another individual. Randall then fired his gun towards the group of people and ran away with his associates. Randall continued to fire more rounds as he ran towards an SUV and ultimately fled the scene.
The victim, David Brandon, sustained five gunshot wounds and died a short time later. Randall was arrested on July 17, 2019. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Annapolis Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark and Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Colleen Kukowski, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Marathon County Man Charged with Drug & Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin returned an indictment today charging Jacob L. Gould, 34, Weston, Wisconsin with drug crimes involving fentanyl and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that twice on January 6, 2023, Gould possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, and that one of the possessions with intent to distribute involved 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The indictment also charges that on January 6, 2023, Gould possessed a 9mm handgun and a loaded magazine, knowing he had been previously convicted of a felony offense.
If convicted, Gould faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison on the count alleging the possession of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 20 years on the second drug count, and 15 years on the gun count.
The charges against Gould are the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, comprised of investigators from the FBI, Everest Metro Police Department, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program, with the assistance of the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Manitowoc Firearm Theft Leads to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Dewane J. Mrotek (age: 45) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Mrotek stole a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer, Fleet Farm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(u).
If convicted of stealing the firearm he faces up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The PSN strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
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Public Information Officer
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Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Christopher J. Fernandez, 33, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher, sentenced Fernandez to 78 months imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his federal sentence is complete, Fernandez will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 11, 2020, an Omaha Police Department-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confidential source equipped with audio and video recording equipment purchased 58 grams of methamphetamine from Fernandez at his residence. Following this purchase, Fernandez was arrested and charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Madison Man Sentenced for Participating in Straw Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Isaiah Phillips, 18, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 60 days in jail for aiding and abetting a false statement during a purchase of a firearm. The period of incarceration will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Phillips pled guilty to this charge on March 14, 2023.
On June 2, 2022, law enforcement in Fitchburg began an investigation into illegal purchasing of firearms, known as “straw purchasing,” involving Phillips and two others.
On February 7, 2021, an individual purchased a Glock 19X in DeForest, Wisconsin, and represented that she was the actual buyer of these firearms when in fact she was not. She had actually purchased the firearm for Phillips, who was a friend of her boyfriend. Phillips is under the age of 21 and cannot legally purchase a handgun.
The Glock 19X was stolen from Phillips in March. Subsequently, Phillips asked this same individual to purchase a second firearm for him and on March 22, 2021, that individual purchased a Glock 17 at the same firearms store in DeForest and gave that handgun to Phillips. She again misrepresented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm when she was actually buying the firearm for Phillips. On July 17, 2022, Phillips was arrested during a traffic stop and found in possession of the Glock 17.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson observed that Phillips was involved in “gun culture.” The judge’s decision to impose 60 days of jail time was driven by Phillips’s non-compliance on pretrial supervision. Judge Peterson remarked that he had “never had someone as defiant on pretrial supervision” as Phillips. The judge addressed that Phillips’s actions were irresponsible and that his behaviors are both “self-destructive and dangerous to the community.”
The charge against Phillips was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg, Madison, Monona, and Middleton Police Departments, Dane County Tactical Response Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn E. Ginsberg and Corey C. Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Madison Felon Indicted for Possessing Firearms in Grand ChuteRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Edlando M. Watson (age: 39) of Madison, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Watson, a felon, was in possession of five firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
As a convicted felon, Watson is prohibited from ever possessing a firearm under state and federal law and faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if convicted of that charge.
This case was investigated by the City of Madison Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The PSN strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
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Local woman ordered to prison after chasing down trafficked victim who tried to escapeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old woman who resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to traffic an adult female for sex by force, fraud or coercion., announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Samaria Kearney pleaded guilty Feb. 15.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal sentenced Kearney to a total of 72 months of imprisonment. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the sentence reflected the delicate balance between Kearney being under the influence of another person, engaging in prostitution and causing others to become a victim of sex trafficking. Judge Rosenthal further noted the sentence was commensurate with the brief time Kearney was controlling this victim. Kearney will serve five years on supervised release following completion of her prison term. During that time, she will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict her access to children and the internet. Kearney will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The day before her plea, her boyfriend and co-defendant Aryion Dupree Jackson received a 324-month-prison term for his participation in this case and an additional sex trafficking case involving minor females.
Between June and July 2020, while Jackson was in custody in Harris County, Kearney controlled a victim for him. He had directed her to do so in recorded calls from the jail. The plan was to put this victim on “the blade,” an area known for prostitution, and cause her to engage in commercial sex. However, the victim escaped and called police.
Kearney was responsible for driving the victim to a hotel, taking her phone and documents, threatening the victim and her family and chasing her down when she tried to escape. During that chase, Kearney was on the phone with Jackson.
Kearney will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case.
The FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Leader of San Francisco MS-13 Clique Convicted by Jury of Racketeering Conspiracy, and Murder & Attempted Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal jury found Elmer Rodriguez, a/k/a Gordo, guilty of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence related to his participation in the MS-13 20th Street clique, announced Acting First Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Colthurst and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The verdicts follow a three-week trial before the Honorable Richard Seeborg, Chief United States District Judge.
“Bringing these violent criminal gang members to justice is a direct result of the partnerships between HSI SF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Francisco Police Department and the San Mateo County Sherriff’s Office,” said Tatum King, special agent in charge, HSI San Francisco / NorCal. “HSI personnel and law enforcement partners dedicated years to this complex investigation with the ultimate goals of holding criminals accountable and prevention of additional victimization in our communities.”
The trial centered on the conduct of Elmer Rodriguez, the alleged leader of the MS-13 20th Street clique. Rodriguez was convicted of ordering the murder of Jorge Martinez near 19th and Mission Street on March 17, 2017. Martinez had been celebrating his birthday after attending a Warriors basketball game with his son. After the game, they went to a bar in the Mission District. Rodriguez and other MS-13 clique members were also present at the bar that night and identified Martinez as a possible rival Norteño gang member. Rodriguez ordered another clique associate to murder Martinez. The associate followed Martinez out of the bar and shot him to death.
Rodriguez was also convicted for ordering the murder of Giovanni Alvarez, a/k/a “P Wee,” on May 25, 2017. Alvarez was a 20th Street clique member who Rodriguez and others in the clique believed to be cooperating with law enforcement. Rodriguez sanctioned Alvarez’s murder because of these suspicions. Rodriguez and his associates, including Edwin Alvarado Amaya, a/k/a “Muerte” and Kenneth Campos, a/k/a “Nesio,” lured Alvarez into a car. Campos drove the group to Bernal Heights Park where the group intended to kill him. At the park, Rodriguez gave a signal to Alvarado Amaya, who then hacked Alvarez to death by inflicting dozens of deep wounds to his face and torso with a machete. Alvarado Amaya and Campos pleaded guilty to the crime and have been sentenced for their roles in this murder.
Rodriguez was further convicted of attempted murder and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence following a shooting that followed an extortion attempt by Rodriguez and other MS-13 associates on Eddy Street in the Tenderloin District on November 26, 2017.
Rodriguez’s trial featured evidence of the MS-13 20th Street clique’s other racketeering activities, including two other previously unsolved homicides. A member of the 20th Street clique shot German Polanco Gil to death on September 2, 2015, in the Bayview District of San Francisco after he and another member spotted Gil walking near his home. The gang member believed Gil was a rival Norteño gang member so they drove around the block, returned to where Gil was walking, and fatally shoot him on the sidewalk. Clique member Rogelio Belloso Aleman, a/k/a “Smiley,” pleaded guilty to, and admitted his role in, this murder.
Members of the 20th Street clique also murdered Gilberto Rodriguez at the Gray Whale Cove parking lot in Pacifica. Clique members including Kevin Reyes Melendez, a/k/a “Neutron,” Kevin Guatemala Zepeda, a/k/a “Mision,” and Abner Marroquin Alegria, a/k/a “Coche,” lured Gilberto Rodriguez away from San Francisco and ultimately drove him to a remote parking lot in Pacifica where multiple associates, including Reyes Melendez, murdered him by stabbing him with a machete and shooting him to death.
In addition to these murders, the trial featured evidence of additional acts of violence including:
- a September 16, 2016 shooting of a suspected Norteño at 21st Street and Hampshire Street;
- an October 27, 2016 gang assault in the Mission District;
- a May 17, 2017 gang assault outside of a taqueria in the Mission District;
- a November 30, 2017 attempted murder at 24th Street and Potrero Avenue in the Mission District.
In sum, the jury convicted Rodriguez of participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d). In addition, the jury convicted Rodriguez of two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1), one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5), and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
Rodriguez faces a mandatory term of life imprisonment. Further, additional fines, forfeitures, and restitution may be ordered; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Rodriguez is in federal custody pending sentencing. Rodriguez’s sentencing hearing is set for September 19, 2023.
In total, 14 defendants have been convicted as a part of this investigation, which has resulted in convictions relating to four murders, four attempted murders, and multiple assaults with dangerous weapons.
Defendant Age Charges Sentence ABNER MARROQUIN ALEGRIA
a/k/a “Coche” or “Chapin” 42 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 204 months in prison ROGELIO BELLOSO ALEMAN
a/k/a “Smiley” 30 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 204 months in prison Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 EDWIN ALVARADO AMAYA
a/k/a “Muerte” 26 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 300 months in prison Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2 KENNETH CAMPOS,
a/k/a “Nesio” 33 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 204 months in prison Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (two counts)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 EVERT
GALDAMEZ
CISNEROS
a/k/a “Talentoso” 25 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 60 months in prison Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 OSCAR ESPINAL a/k/a “Chuy” 32 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 144 months in prison Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2 KEVIN REYES MELENDEZ, a/k/a “Neutron” 30 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 300 months in prison Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering (two counts)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2 MISSAEL MENDOZA 22 Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 36 months in prison CHRISTIAN QUINTANILLA 22 Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 36 months in prison BRIGIDO JOSUE GONZALES SALES a/k/a “Inocente” or “Kiko” 22 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 144 months in prison Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) and 2 Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 ALEXIS CRUZ ZEPEDA a/k/a “Zorro” 29 Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 192 months in prison Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2 KEVIN GUATEMALA ZEPEDA 27 Racketeering Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 204 months in prison Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 FERNANDO ROMERO BONILLA 25 Racketeering Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) 84 months in prison Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the Office of the United States Attorney. The prosecution is the result of an investigations by HSI, the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit and Community Violence Reduction Team, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Gang Intelligence Unit and Investigations Bureau, Daly City Police Department, Pinole Police Department, Redwood City Police Department Street Crimes Reduction Team, and San Pablo Police Department.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Conveying a Hoax and False Information by Sending White Powder LettersRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brent Carter, age 73, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced yesterday to time served for conveying a hoax and false information in connection with his sending white powder letters to the New York State Gaming Commission.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Carter admitted that between October 2017 and November 2018, he left numerous voicemails for employees at the New York State Gaming Commission in Schenectady, New York, in which he used threatening language. Carter also admitted that between 2019 and 2021, he mailed four letters containing white powder and other substances to the Commission. He further admitted that he sent the letters and voicemails to the Commission as revenge for suspending his license for horse racing.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Carter to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Schenectady Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Richard Belliss.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Skimming Devices on Gas Pumps in Nevada and Southern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 56 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a large gas pump skimming fraud scheme in Nevada and Southern California.
Juan Luis Sosa Tamayo previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of use of unauthorized access device, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from at least June 2018 and continuing through June 2020, Sosa Tamayo, together with co-conspirators Danyer Manuel Alarcon Rodriguez, Adrian Leyva Tamayo, and Francisco Rodriguez Gonzalez, installed skimming devices on gas pump terminals in and around Las Vegas and Reno, Nev., and Bakersfield and Fresno, Calif., to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers. They subsequently recoded the stolen account information and other personal data onto counterfeit cards. Then, the defendants used the counterfeit cards to fraudulently obtain goods and to make ATM cash withdrawals. Sosa Tamayo and his co-conspirators captured at least 8,229 stolen credit and debit card numbers through the use of their skimmers, and caused a total estimated loss amount of $5,032,616.
Adrian Leyva Tamayo awaits sentencing on June 22, 2023; Francisco Rodriguez Gonzalez was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison and Danyer Manuel Alarcon Rodriguez was previously sentenced to 61 months in prison for their role in the conspiracy.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom for the United States Secret Service made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Schmale prosecuted the case.
If you are a victim of identity theft, you may make a report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 1-877-438-4338 or online at www.identitytheft.gov. For identity theft prevention tips and free resources visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
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Justice Department Co-Hosts Second Meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum in NorwayRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (State CT) co-hosted the second annual meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum (CTLEF) with the Government of Norway in Oslo from June 6 to 7. The CTLEF, which focuses on countering the global threat of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), brought together law enforcement, prosecutors, and other criminal justice practitioners from Europe and North and South America, as well as specialists from INTERPOL, Europol, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law and other multilateral organizations to discuss how to effectively address and counter REMVE threats.
Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division provided opening remarks with U.S. Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ian Moss and Norway’s Minster of Justice and Public Security Emilie Enger Mehl. AAG Olsen noted that the United States remains committed to addressing REMVE extremism in conjunction with foreign partners. The complex challenges posed by REMVE actors require a coordinated international response that sees countries work together to understand and address REMVE recruiting, financing and attack-planning. Coordinated action by rule of law practitioners worldwide is a key strategy to degrading REMVE activities.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce Swartz, along with a Norwegian counterpart, delivered closing remarks after the first day of CTLEF meetings. DAAG Swartz noted that this meeting continued the important work that began at last year’s first ever CTLEF and encouraged all participants to continue their ongoing efforts in preventing and addressing terrorism and REMVE threats.
OPDAT Director Faye Ehrenstamm, along with State CT’s Bureau and a Norwegian counterpart delivered the closing remarks at the end of the CTLEF. Director Ehrenstamm first thanked the delegations for attending and participating in this important initiative. She further emphasized the importance of international cooperation to learn about and address REMVE threats and pointed out participants had shared many important insights with each other during the forum. She concluded by emphasizing that the experiences exchanged and lessons learned at the year’s CTLEF illustrates the importance of working together on this critical threat.
The Governments of the United States and Germany co-hosted the inaugural meeting of the CTLEF in Berlin in May 2022. The initial meeting increased government’s focus, awareness and understanding about REMVE activity globally and focused on the strengthening of international cooperation to counter this terrorist threat. The June 2023 meeting built on the 2022 meeting and continued to increase international knowledge of this terrorist threat, as well as focusing on strengthening mechanisms and international cooperation to counter this threat. A more robust shared understanding and picture of REMVE global activity, including the overlap with anti-government and conspiracy theorist movements, will be critical in the years ahead as REMVE threats continue to build their transnational ties. This forum serves as a locale to begin building lines of communication between like-minded law enforcement and other partners and practitioners around the world who are working on this problem set. The CTLEF will convene again in the spring of 2024.
Officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, and Treasury, as well as representatives from over 40 countries and various international and multilateral organizations, also participated in this meeting.
Please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-opdat for more information about OPDAT’s capacity building efforts around the world.