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26 May 2023
Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine he was intending to distribute was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Jose Guadalupe Angulo, age 43, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, received the prison term after a February 2, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Angulo admitted that on December 8, 2016, he was a passenger in a vehicle traveling through Woodbury County, Iowa. After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, he was found in possession of 7983 grams of methamphetamine he had obtained in California and was intending to redistribute in Minnesota.
After he was released following federal arrest, Angulo absconded from pretrial supervision and did not appear for his subsequent court hearings. He fled to Mexico until he was arrested in spring of 2022 as he crossed the border back into the United States.
Angulo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Angulo was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Angulo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 16-CR-4102.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 24, 2023, Jerome O. Smith (27) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison related to a carjacking that took place in Milwaukee in May 2022.
According to court records, on May 8, 2022, Smith lured his victim to an apartment building in Milwaukee. When the victim arrived, Smith held a gun to his head and stole his jewelry, wallet, watch, and car keys. Smith then fled in the victim’s car. After being charged in federal court, Smith entered guilty pleas to one count of carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119, and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
At sentencing, United States District Court Brett H. Ludwig noted that Smith’s crime was among the most serious crimes prosecuted in federal court. Judge Ludwig discussed the violent nature of the crime and the trauma it caused the victim; he concluded that the crime warranted a significant period of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Benjamin P. Taibleson.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Announces ATF, AHIDTA Gun Crime Mobile Unit to Deploy in Raleigh and Kanawha Counties on Tuesday, May 30, 2023Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) next week to provide high-tech assistance targeting gun violence to law enforcement agencies throughout the Southern District of West Virginia.
An ATF National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) mobile unit, operated in partnership with Appalachia HIDTA, will deploy on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office in Beckley and the West Virginia State Police Academy in Dunbar, to conduct training for local law enforcement and provide investigative support by analyzing ballistic evidence from gun crimes. The training will aid the ongoing support that NIBIN will provide law enforcement throughout the district.
NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. ATF maintains and operates NIBIN's infrastructure at no charge to law enforcement partners.
Thompson, ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia, and Appalachia HIDTA Executive Director Vic Brown will hold a press conference with law enforcement officials at each location. A tour and demonstration of the NIBIN mobile unit will follow each press conference.
WHAT: NIBIN mobile unit press conference, tour and demonstration events
WHEN: Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
- 11 a.m.: Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, 308 Ned Payne Drive, Beckley
- 2:30 p.m.: West Virginia State Police Academy, 135 Academy Drive, Dunbar
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Kansas Man Admits to Creating Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 262 months in prison for creating pornographic images of children.
In February 2023, Marquis Williams, 31, of Shawnee pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
According to court documents in May 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent information to the Shawnee Police Department about possible child pornography or solicitations over the Internet. The Shawnee Police Department is a partner in the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The tip stated 230 child pornography images had been uploaded into a Dropbox account.
An investigation led to Marquis Williams, and with a search warrant for his residence, officers retrieved a cell phone that included 550 images of suspected child pornography. Some of the images were of Williams molesting two children under the age of 12. Williams admitted to investigators that the Dropbox account was his and admitted to the sexual assaulting the children.
“The United States Secret Service is proud of the effective partnerships it maintains with the Shawnee Police Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the United States Attorney’s Office, whose tireless efforts were instrumental in seeing justice served in this case,” said Kansas City Field Office Special Agent in Charge Brandon Bridgeforth. “We can think of no greater outcome than this sentence in protecting our children from predators such as Marquis Williams.”
The Shawnee Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on May 25 was:
Kellen Kantrell Norman, 19, of Polson, on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Norman faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release on the drug possession crime and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Norman was released pending further proceedings. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-27.
Appearing on May 22 was:
Darcel Portra Saunders, 65, of Bozeman, on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and false statement to lending institution. If convicted of the most serious crime, Saunders faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release. Saunders was released pending further proceedings. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-2.
Appearing in Great Falls before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris and pleading not guilty on May 25 was:
Matthew Martin Brockie, 41, of Harlem, on charges of abusive sexual contact of a child. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brockie faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Brockie was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-19.
Appearing on May 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston was:
Carlos Mauricio Manrique-Frias, 27, of Mexico, on charges of transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography and illegal entry into the United States. If convicted of the most serious crime, Manrique-Frias faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Manrique-Frias was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-50.
Nicole Lynn Hicks, 36, a transient, on charges of robbery, assault with intent to commit a felony and intimidation. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hicks faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Hicks was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-25.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on May 25 was:
Patrick Lee Tellez, 49, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Tellez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Tellez was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-65.
Jarod Vahre Millar, 39, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Millar faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Millar was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-62.
Jeremy Ray Fisher, 36, of Billings, and James Kendall Wiles, 41, a transient, on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Wiles also is charged with prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fisher and Wiles faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, on the aggravated identity theft crime. Fisher and Wiles were detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-60.
Nicholas Steven Capella, 38, of Laurel, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Capella faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Capella was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-59.
Deana Louann Thomas, 41, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Thomas faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Thomas was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Probation and Parole investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-51.
Appearing on May 24 was:
Benjamin Carl Tedlund, 31, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Tedlund faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Tedlund was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-50.
Gregory Shawn Sanchez, 58, of Lame Deer, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Sanchez was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-117.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Illegal Agents of the PRC Government Charged for PRC-Directed Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal court in the Southern District of New York today unsealed a complaint charging two individuals with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as unregistered agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), conspiring to bribe and bribing a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the complaint, John Chen, aka Chen Jun, 70, a Los Angeles resident and former citizen of the PRC, and Lin Feng, a Los Angeles resident and PRC citizen, allegedly participated in a PRC Government-directed scheme targeting U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong — a spiritual practice banned in the PRC. Chen and Feng were arrested today in the Central District of California.
“The Chinese government has yet again attempted, and failed, to target critics of the PRC here in the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege the defendants in this case attempted to bribe someone they thought was an IRS agent in order to further the Chinese government’s campaign of transnational repression in the United States. But the individual they attempted to bribe was in fact an undercover law enforcement agent, and both defendants were arrested this morning. The Justice Department will continue to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute efforts by the PRC government to silence its critics and extend the reaches of its regime onto U.S. soil. We will never stop working to defend the rights to which every person in the United States is entitled.”
“The Department of Justice continues to expose the Chinese government’s brazen attempts to perpetrate transnational repression, this time through attempted bribery,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “As highlighted by today’s arrests and charges of conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering, we will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any foreign government to intimidate, harass, or undermine the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all who live in the United States.”
“China’s government has once again shown its disregard for the rule of law and international norms,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate CCP repression — its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people — here in the United States. We will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country. No other nation poses as severe a threat to the democratic values of the United States as the government of the People’s Republic of China,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI will not stand by as the PRC attempts to weaponize our institutions and programs and attack the rights of those on U.S. soil. Any attempt to repress or harass individuals runs directly counter to the ideals our nation was founded upon, and it simply will not be tolerated. The FBI and our partners remain committed to confronting the illegal conduct of the PRC government that threatens our national security and freedom.”
“John Chen and Lin Feng allegedly waged a campaign at the behest of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to influence a U.S. Government official in order to further the PRC Government’s repression of practitioners of Falun Gong,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Efforts to manipulate and use the arms of the U.S. Government to carry out the PRC Government’s autocratic aims are as shocking as they are insidious. My office will work vigorously to protect against malign foreign influences.”
The complaint alleges that from at least approximately January 2023 to May 2023, Chen and Feng worked inside the United States at the direction of the PRC government, including an identified PRC government official (PRC Official-1), to further the PRC government’s campaign to repress and harass Falun Gong practitioners. The PRC Government has designated the Falun Gong as one of the “five poisons,” or one of the top five threats to its rule. In China, Falun Gong adherents face a range of repressive and punitive measures from the PRC government, including imprisonment and torture.
As part of the PRC government’s campaign against the Falun Gong, Chen and Feng allegedly engaged in a PRC government-directed scheme to manipulate the IRS’s Whistleblower Program in an effort to strip the tax-exempt status of an entity run and maintained by Falun Gong practitioners (Entity-1). After Chen filed a defective whistleblower complaint with the IRS (the Chen Whistleblower Complaint), Chen and Feng paid $5,000 in cash bribes, and promised to pay substantially more, to a purported IRS agent who was in fact an undercover officer (Agent-1), in exchange for Agent-1’s assistance in advancing the complaint. Neither Chen nor Feng notified the Attorney General that they were acting as agents of the PRC government in the United States.
In the course of the scheme, Chen, on a recorded call, explicitly noted that the purpose of paying these bribes, which were directed and funded by the PRC government, was to carry out the PRC government’s aim of “toppl[ing] . . . the Falun Gong.” During a call intercepted pursuant to a judicially authorized wiretap, Chen and Feng discussed receiving “direction” on the bribery scheme from PRC Official-1, deleting instructions received from PRC Official-1 in order to evade detection, and “alert[ing]” and “sound[ing] the alarm” to PRC Official-1 if Chen and Feng’s meetings to bribe Agent-1 did not go as planned. Chen and Feng also discussed that PRC Official-1 was the PRC Government official “in charge” of the bribery scheme targeting the Falun Gong.
As part of this scheme, Chen and Feng allegedly met with Agent-1 in Newburgh, New York, on May 14. During the meeting, Chen gave Agent-1 a $1,000 cash bribe as an initial, partial bribe payment. Chen further offered to pay Agent-1 a total of $50,000 for opening an audit of Entity-1, as well as 60% of any whistleblower award from the IRS if the Chen Whistleblower Complaint were successful. On May 18, Feng paid Agent-1 a $4,000 cash bribe at John F. Kennedy International Airport as an additional partial bribe payment in furtherance of the scheme. Chen allegedly obtained funding from the PRC government to make bribe payments during his trips to the PRC in the course of the scheme.
Chen and Feng are each charged with (1) one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General and to bribe a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (2) one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; (3) one count of bribing a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and (4) one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The FBI New York and Los Angeles Field Offices and Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Qais Ghafary, Michael D. Lockard, and Kathryn Wheelock for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Illegal Agents of the PRC Government Charged for PRC-Directed Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Lisa O. Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Paul Abbate, the Deputy Director of the FBI, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the FBI, and J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging JOHN CHEN, a/k/a “Chen Jun,” a U.S. citizen and former citizen of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), and LIN FENG, a PRC citizen, with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as unregistered agents of the PRC Government, conspiring to bribe and bribing a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges in the Complaint arise from CHEN and FENG’s alleged participation in a PRC Government-directed scheme targeting U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong — a spiritual practice banned in the PRC. CHEN and FENG were arrested today in the Central District of California and will make an initial appearance later today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Pedro V. Castillo.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “John Chen and Lin Feng allegedly waged a campaign at the behest of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to influence a U.S. Government official in order to further the PRC Government’s repression of practitioners of Falun Gong. Efforts to manipulate and use the arms of the U.S. Government to carry out the PRC Government’s autocratic aims are as shocking as they are insidious. My Office will work vigorously to protect against malign foreign influences.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Chinese government has yet again attempted, and failed, to target critics of the PRC here in the United States. We allege the defendants in this case attempted to bribe someone they thought was an IRS agent in order to further the Chinese government’s campaign of transnational repression in the United States. But the individual they attempted to bribe was in fact an undercover law enforcement agent, and both defendants were arrested this morning. The Justice Department will continue to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute efforts by the PRC government to silence its critics and extend the reaches of its regime onto U.S. soil. We will never stop working to defend the rights to which every person in the United States is entitled.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said: “The Department of Justice continues to expose the Chines government’s brazen attempts to perpetrate transnational repression, this time through attempted bribery. As highlighted by today’s arrests and charges of conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering, we will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any foreign government to intimidate, harass, or undermine the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all who live in the United States.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “The Department of Justice continues to expose the Chinese government’s brazen attempts to perpetuate transnational repression, this time through attempted bribery. As highlighted by today’s arrests and charges of conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering, we will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any foreign government to intimidate, harass, or undermine the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all who live in the United States.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “China’s government has once again shown its disregard for the rule of law and international norms. The FBI will not tolerate CCP repression – its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people – here in the United States. We will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country.”
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said: "No other nation poses as severe a threat to the democratic values of the United States as the government of the People's Republic of China. The FBI will not stand by as the PRC attempts to weaponize our institutions and programs and attack the rights of those on U.S. soil. Any attempt to repress or harass individuals runs directly counter to the ideals our nation was founded upon, and it simply will not be tolerated. The FBI and our partners remain committed to confronting the illegal conduct of the PRC government that threatens our national security and freedom."
FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “We allege Chen and Feng, acting on behalf of the Chinese government, attempted to execute a scheme to manipulate a United States government official to repress individuals opposed to the People’s Republic of China. This appears to be another example of the Chinese government’s willingness to disregard the laws and freedoms of the United States as they attempt to harm anyone with views they oppose. The FBI will continue to be resolute in protecting people from repressive actions.”
FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway said: “The alleged activity is antithetical to fundamental American values, and those who practice transnational oppression on behalf of the Chinese government must be held accountable. The FBI will continue to invest resources to protect the rights of Americans and those who come to live, work, and study in the United States.”
TIGTA Inspector General J. Russell George said: “The attempt to undermine the integrity of our tax administration system is disturbing. The individuals who thought they could do so have learned a hard lesson. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to protecting the Nation’s tax system. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]
From at least approximately January 2023 to May 2023, CHEN and FENG worked inside the United States at the direction of the PRC Government, including an identified PRC Government official (“PRC Official-1”), to further the PRC Government’s campaign to repress and harass Falun Gong practitioners. The PRC Government has designated the Falun Gong as one of the “Five Poisons,” or one of the top five threats to its rule. In China, Falun Gong adherents face a range of repressive and punitive measures from the PRC Government, including imprisonment.
As part of the PRC Government’s campaign against the Falun Gong, CHEN and FENG allegedly engaged in a PRC Government-directed scheme to manipulate the Internal Revenue Service’s (“IRS”) Whistleblower Program in an effort to strip the tax-exempt status of an entity run and maintained by Falun Gong practitioners (“Entity-1”). After CHEN filed a defective whistleblower complaint with the IRS (the “Chen Whistleblower Complaint”), CHEN and FENG paid $5,000 in cash bribes, and promised to pay substantially more, to a purported IRS agent who was in fact an undercover officer (“Agent-1”) in exchange for Agent-1’s assistance in advancing the complaint. Neither CHEN nor FENG notified the Attorney General that they were acting as agents of the PRC Government in the United States.
In the course of the scheme, CHEN, on a recorded call, explicitly noted that the purpose of paying these bribes, which were directed and funded by the PRC Government, was to carry out the PRC Government’s aim of “toppl[ing] . . . the Falun Gong.” During a call intercepted pursuant to a judicially authorized wiretap, CHEN and FENG discussed receiving “direction” on the bribery scheme from PRC Official-1, deleting instructions received from PRC Official-1 in order to evade detection, and “alert[ing]” and “sound[ing] the alarm” to PRC Official-1 if CHEN and FENG’s meetings to bribe Agent-1 did not go as planned. CHEN and FENG also discussed that PRC Official-1 was the PRC Government official “in charge” of the bribery scheme targeting the Falun Gong.
As part of this scheme, CHEN and FENG allegedly met with Agent-1 in Newburgh, New York, on May 14, 2023. During the meeting, CHEN gave Agent-1 a $1,000 cash bribe as an initial, partial bribe payment. CHEN further offered to pay Agent-1 a total of $50,000 for opening an audit of Entity-1, as well as 60% of any whistleblower award from the IRS if the Chen Whistleblower Complaint were successful. On May 18, 2023, FENG paid Agent-1 a $4,000 cash bribe at John F. Kennedy International Airport as an additional partial bribe payment in furtherance of the scheme.
* * *
CHEN, 70, of the PRC and Los Angeles, California, and FENG, 43, a PRC citizen and resident of Los Angeles, California, are each charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General and to bribe a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of bribing a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York and Los Angeles Field Offices and Counterintelligence Division and TIGTA. Mr. Williams thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division and National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Qais Ghafary, Michael D. Lockard, and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Christina Clark of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
u.s._v._chen_and_feng_complaint.pdfHollywood Man Arrested on Indictment Alleging He Fraudulently Sought over $65 Million in COVID-19 Employment Tax CreditsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood man has been arrested and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on federal charges alleging he sought more than $65 million from the IRS by falsely claiming on tax returns that his nonexistent farming business was entitled to COVID-19-related tax credits.
Kevin J. Gregory, 55, who is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with 17 counts of making false claims to the IRS, was arrested Thursday morning by special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit that a small business could use to reduce the employment tax it owed to the IRS, also known as the “employee retention credit.”
To qualify, the business had to have been in operation in 2020 and to have experienced at least a partial suspension of its operations because of a government order related to COVID-19 (for example, an order limiting commerce, group meetings or travel) or a significant decline in profits. The credit was an amount equal to a set percentage of the wages that the business paid to its employees during the relevant time period, subject to a maximum amount.
Congress also authorized the IRS to give a credit against employment taxes to reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. This “paid sick and family leave credit” was equal to the wages the business paid the employees during the sick or family leave, also subject to a maximum amount.
According to the indictment that was returned on May 11 and unsealed today, from November 2020 to April 2022, Gregory made false claims to the IRS for the payment of nearly $65.4 million in tax refunds for a purported Beverly Hills-based farming-and-transportation company named Elijah USA Farm Holdings.
The IRS issued a portion of the refunds Gregory claimed, and Gregory allegedly used that portion – more than $2.7 million – for personal expenses.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Gregory would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each false claims charge.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Valerie L. Makarewicz and Gregory D. Bernstein of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Hilton Man Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Isolino S. Presutti, 36, of Hilton, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 2, 2023, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Presutti possessed child pornography on a desktop computer. Subsequently, investigators executed search warrants on five digital devices belonging to Presutti. They recovered 4,668 and 27 videos of child pornography. Some of the images included prepubescent minor and depictions of violence against children.
Presutti made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Heavener Resident Sentenced for Violent Assault with A Firearm in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Francisco Perez, age 30, of Heavener, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The charges arose from investigations by the Heavener Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 16, 2023, Francisco Perez pleaded guilty to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
On June 16, 2021, Perez shot a person in Heavener with a semi-automatic pistol. The victim sustained serious but non-fatal injuries. Perez then drove to the Heavener Police Station, turned himself in, and confessed to the shooting.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted these cases because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Le Flore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearings in Oklahoma City. Perez 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 Jordan Howanitz represented the United States at sentencing.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to 21 Months for Selling Fraudulent Identity DocumentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Werner Monterroso-Monterroso, 26, of Guatemala, was sentenced on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Monterroso-Monterroso to imprisonment for 21 months to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Monterroso-Monterroso will be removed (deported) by immigration authorities after he completes his term of imprisonment.
On April 22, 2022, investigators made a purchase of fraudulent documents (a Social Security card, California Identification Card, and a Texas birth certificate) in exchange for $1,200. Investigators made a second purchase of fraudulent documents on June 8, 2022, and received a Nebraska Identification Card, a Social Security card, and a Texas birth certificate in exchange for $1,200. Such fraudulent documents are frequently sought by job applicants as they are required to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. The Social Security cards were confirmed to have valid numbers and names but are counterfeit.
Following the purchases, investigators obtained a warrant to search Monterroso-Monterroso’s residence in Schuyler, Nebraska. The warrant was executed on August 24, 2022, yielding 87 counterfeit documents (in addition to the 6 obtained through the document purchases), many of which appeared to have been issued by or under the authority of the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit.
Grand Rapids Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in A User’s DeathRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Tommy Terrell Mims, 52, of Grand Rapids, to 240 months in prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a Kent County man, H.C., in August 2020. When Mims is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for 25 years.
“Fentanyl is deadly and continues to devastate our families and communities. This drug is so dangerous that even a trace amount can leave a user dead within minutes,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Mr. Mims will now serve two decades in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting these cases to ensure that drug dealers who peddle this poison and cause death are brought to justice.”
On August 8, 2020, officers with the Grand Rapids Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a 911 call reporting that H.C. was unconscious and not breathing. Investigators learned that the 911 caller and H.C. purchased and used “heroin” sold by Mims the night before. The “heroin” Mims sold was actually fentanyl. The 911 caller survived, but ultimately H.C. died from fentanyl toxicity. Mims pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of H.C. pursuant to a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on February 10, 2023.
“The lengthy sentence imposed on Mr. Mims reflects the seriousness of the charge to which he pled guilty,” said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “Mims actively contributed to the drug poisoning and overdose epidemic ravaging our communities and our country. This sentence should serve as a warning to those who distribute deadly drugs and place personal gain over human lives, that you will be held accountable, and the consequences of your actions will be severe.”
“The Grand Rapids Police Department Vice Unit continues to work diligently with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA to investigate and prosecute anyone distributing fentanyl in the greater Grand Rapids area,” said Lieutenant Jon Wu of the Grand Rapids Police Department Vice Unit. “This investigation and sentence illustrate the seriousness of the threat of fentanyl to the community.“
The Grand Rapids Police Department Vice Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan McGraw.
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Grand Jury Indicts Cheektowaga Man on Charges of Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Dustin Coffelt, 33, of Cheektowaga, NY, with production and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, in July 2022, the Depew Police Department received a report that Coffelt sexually abused a 13-year-old girl (minor victim). Subsequent investigation determined that the alleged abuse may have been ongoing for several years and included communication over various social media applications and text messaging. On July 29, 2022, investigators seized Coffelt’s cell phone. Numerous sexually explicit images of the minor victim, which constitute child pornography, were recovered from the phone.
Coffelt was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Depew Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Miller, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Four Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
MIDLAND –Michael Robledo Guillen, 48, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for cocaine trafficking and a firearm offense. She was the last of four Mexican nationals arrested by Odessa Police officers in December 2022 to be sentenced.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Guillen of Monterrey, Mexico; Ricardo Perez Flores, 37, of Veracruz, Mexico; Faustino Alvarez Mendoza, 22, of Michoacan, Mexico; and Ricardo Aguilar Villarreal, 37, of Monterrey, Mexico conspired to deliver one kilogram of cocaine from Dallas, Texas to Odessa, Texas. After Odessa Police Department officers stopped the truck the four defendants were in they recovered one kilogram of cocaine from the truck’s center console along with a stolen firearm. Officers recovered an additional loaded firearm from Mendoza’s waistband.
Earlier this month, Mendoza, Villarreal, and Flores were also each sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for both cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses.
“I would like to thank our law enforcement partners for disrupting the operations of these cocaine traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “These traffickers posed a clear threat to public safety as they were armed with loaded guns while transporting a significant amount of cocaine across the state of Texas.”
The Odessa Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mahoney prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
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Former chief scientist for GTRI pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud Georgia Tech and the CIARead the Press Release
ATLANTA - James G. Maloney, who served as the Chief Scientist for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Georgia Tech and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Maloney’s conspirators, James J. Acree and James D. Fraley, III, pleaded guilty to the same charge in 2016.
“These defendants violated the trust placed in them by Georgia Tech and the CIA in allowing their judgment to be clouded by greed,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The seven-year delay in resolving Maloney’s case resulted from Maloney’s ploy to evade criminal liability by threatening to reveal classified information during the course of his trial in a failed attempt to force the government to dismiss the case. But as Maloney discovered, the government will not be bullied or threatened by a criminal defendant.”
“Maloney’s guilty plea should send a clear message to anyone seeking to abuse their positions for personal gain, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable”, said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to our extraordinary partnership with Georgia Tech, even with Maloney’s defense tactics he was unable to avoid the consequences of his crimes. He will now be sentenced with his coconspirators, closing out this lengthy case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: From early 2007 through late 2013, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley engaged in a scheme to defraud Georgia Tech and the CIA. They are experts in electromagnetic analysis and measurements and were assigned to GTRI’s Advanced Concepts Laboratory (ACL), where they worked on projects funded by the United States Department of Defense, various intelligence agencies, and private industry.
PCard Fraud
As part of his duties and responsibilities at GTRI, Fraley had access to a Georgia Tech credit card known as a “PCard.” Fraley was supposed to use his PCard only to purchase materials and supplies for official Georgia Tech business. Neither Fraley nor anyone else was allowed to charge personal expenses on a PCard.
Maloney, Acree, and Fraley falsely led GTRI to believe that all of their PCard charges were for official business. In fact, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley charged approximately $200,000 in personal expenses on Fraley’s PCard, including, two four-wheelers and a trailer, two Sony 52-inch flat-screen televisions, Apple computers, iPads, OtterBox protective cases, iPods, Kindle E-readers, Leica and Nikon digital cameras, video cameras, a mini micro pinhole video camcorder pen, a night vision monocular, two pairs of binoculars, Bose headphones, a 3D printer, sports watches with heart-rate monitors, sunglasses, materials used to perform private consulting contracts, computer monitors and solar panels for a private hunting club, a personal video network for home use, and an uninterruptible power supply for a tennis ball machine. Maloney and Fraley also used Fraley’s PCard to pay for remodeling and maintenance expenses related to six rental properties they owned together in the name of a Georgia corporation called J’s Services, Inc.
Some of the fraudulent PCard charges and some of the remodeling and maintenance expenses for Maloney and Fraley’s rental properties were charged to a classified GTRI contract that was funded by the CIA.
Fraudulent Consulting Activity
In February 2007, Maloney and Acree were reprimanded by GTRI for engaging in outside consulting activity that violated Georgia Tech’s conflict-of-interest policy. Maloney and Acree sent a letter to their supervisor at GTRI, acknowledging that they had used facilities and equipment owned by Georgia Tech for their personal gain and benefit and promising that they would never do it again. But Maloney and Acree continued to engage in outside consulting activity that harmed Georgia Tech, and they were soon joined by Fraley.
Tec-Masters Inc.
From December 2007 through March 2013, while they were employed full-time by Georgia Tech, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley received approximately $500,000 from Picatinny Arsenal, SRA International, and the U.S. Air Force. They obtained those consulting contracts by using Acree’s former employer, Tec-Masters, Inc., as a billing pass-through. Tec-Masters, a defense contractor located in Huntsville, Alabama, performed no labor on any of the projects but merely facilitated the transfer of money from the customers to Maloney, Acree, and Fraley. Maloney, Acree, and Fraley falsely led those customers to believe that the work would be done by GTRI. They fostered this false impression by using their official GTRI telephone numbers and GTRI email addresses in their communications with customers. In addition, they met with customers at GTRI’s headquarters on the Georgia Tech campus and gave customers tours of GTRI’s labs and other facilities. Maloney called this “hiding in plain sight.”
Spectra Research, Inc.
From December 2010 through July 2013, Maloney and Fraley also moonlighted as consultants for Spectra Research, Inc., a defense contractor located in Dayton, Ohio. Spectra paid J’s Services $196,000 for this work. Maloney and Fraley directed Georgia Tech employees under their supervision at GTRI to help perform this consulting work for Spectra. Maloney and Fraley also directed those Georgia Tech employees to bill time for Spectra work to a classified CIA contract, even though that contract had nothing to do with Spectra.
In competing and billing for, and performing, their outside consulting work, Maloney, Acree, and Fraley violated Georgia Tech’s conflict-of-interest policy and code of business conduct; diverted customers and revenue away from Georgia Tech for their personal gain and benefit; and used Georgia Tech facilities and equipment for their personal gain and benefit.
Cover-up
During a routine audit in early 2013, Georgia Tech discovered problematic charges on Fraley’s PCard and scheduled a meeting with him. Maloney suggested to Acree and Fraley that they meet to “get our story straight.” Fraley, fearing that Maloney would seek to shift all the blame to him, recorded the cover-up meetings and provided those recordings to the FBI.
In their cover-up meetings, Maloney asked Acree and Fraley to help him “weave a story around” a fictitious set of facts designed to mislead Georgia Tech auditors. Maloney also suggested that they try to force Georgia Tech to shut down the audit by telling the auditors that the items charged to Fraley’s PCard were purchased for use on a classified CIA contract, and that the auditors did not need to know further details. That false narrative foreshadowed Maloney’s planned defense in the criminal case.
James G. Maloney, 57, of Marietta, Georgia, pleaded guilty on May 22, 2023, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sentencing for all three defendants will be scheduled at a later date, before Senior U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell Phillips and Stephen H. McClain, and Trial Attorney Emma D. Ellenrieder of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of an InmateRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lenton Jerome Hatten, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, plead guilty to a one count indictment charging him with sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
Court documents reflect that between October 2021, and August 2022, Hatten engaged in repeated sexual acts with an inmate while employed as a sports specialist for the Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee. Immediately after being reported, a forensic examination was conducted of the victim by a sexual assault nurse examiner. A mixed DNA profile was obtained, which confirmed the profile was 33 octillion (3.3 x 1028) times more likely to be from the victim and Hatten than the victim and an unknown, unrelated person.
At the time of the report, Hatten was on vacation leave and when made aware, he resigned his position. As such, Hatten had no further contact with inmates.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 10, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before the Honorable United States Senior District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
Hatten faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, 5 years to Life on supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Erie Resident Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Dustin Robert Patterson, 30, pleaded guilty to both counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in and around February 2022, Patterson possessed a firearm while being a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm. In addition, the firearm was possessed while Patterson was subject to a Protection From Abuse order.
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.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for September 19, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshal’s Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Patterson.
Ford County Man Convicted for the Second Time of Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Robert Shawn Anderson, 54, of the 300 block of Spruce Street in Paxton, Illinois, was found guilty, for the second time, yesterday of one count of enticement of a minor. The case was being tried for the second time after the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that in the initial trial, Anderson should have been able to argue that law enforcement had entrapped him into trying to have sex with a person he thought was a 15-year-old girl.
Over two and a half days of trial, the government presented evidence to establish that Anderson arranged to meet an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old minor for sexual activity on the dating application MeetMe. The government also proved that law enforcement had not entrapped Anderson into his attempted sexual liaison with a child.
“Anderson’s conviction is evidence of the powerful results that can be achieved through state, local, and national law enforcement cooperation,” said United States Attorney Gregory Harris. “This outcome and operation reinforce our continued commitment to combat sexual predators who would prey upon children.”
“The cooperation of the Attorney General’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office is critical to holding accountable individuals who would hurt children,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “This verdict underscores the commitment of state and federal law enforcement to protect the children of Illinois.”
“The FBI knows all too well the risk children can face when communicating with strangers online,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “And while our proactive measures demonstrate our commitment to stopping and holding accountable those who seek to sexually exploit children, we encourage parents to be equally proactive and remain aware of their child’s online activity.”
Anderson was arrested over Valentine’s Day weekend 2020 as part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation operation conducted in Kankakee County, Ill. The operation, dubbed Cupid’s Arrow, was conducted with the assistance of the Bradley Police Department, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien who is also Deputy Bureau Chief for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas McMeyer represented the government at the trial before U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm.
Sentencing for Anderson has been scheduled on July 10, 2023 before Judge Mihm at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois. He faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment, followed by 5 years to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case against Anderson was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal judge convicts Billings felon of illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A federal judge today convicted a Billings felon of illegally possessing a firearm after a bench trial, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen found Gregory Richard Boyd, 40, guilty of prohibited person in possession of firearm. The trial lasted two days.
Boyd faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The court set sentencing for Sept. 27. Boyd was detained pending further proceedings.
“Boyd possessed a 9mm pistol despite having been previously convicted of a felony and knowing he was banned from having guns or ammunition. Firearms in the hands of felons are a threat to community safety, and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute violent offenders. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian C. Lowney and Timothy A. Tatarka, along with and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department, for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that on April 10, 2019, Billings police officers served a search warrant on Boyd’s residence. Officers permitted Boyd to leave the residence, and he left in a Chevy Blazer. During the search, officers found a 9mm pistol under clothing in a bedroom. The gun’s magazine contained 10 9mm bullets. Two days later, law enforcement learned Boyd had not shown up for work since the search and eventually learned that he had fled to California. On April 17, 2019, law enforcement learned that Boyd’s Chevy Blazer, along with another of his vehicles, was at an autobody shop. The shop owner told law enforcement that Boyd had asked if he could leave the vehicles on his property. Officers searched the Blazer and found a box of 9mm ammunition. The box was missing 10 rounds, and the ammunition was the same brand as the bullets found in the pistol seized from Boyd’s residence. An analysis of the pistol found that Boyd’s DNA was likely on the gun. Boyd was convicted of a federal felony in July 2007.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian C. Lowney and Timothy A. Tatarka prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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.
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Federal Indictment Charges Former Thomson Penitentiary Inmate with Murder in Connection with Death of Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A former inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford in connection with the death of his cellmate.
JAVIER GONZALEZ-VALENZUELA, 47, of Sonora, Mexico, is charged with second-degree murder and assault in connection with the Feb. 28, 2021, death of Shay Paniry, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Rockford. Gonzalez-Valenzuela, who was Paniry’s cellmate at the time of the murder, was later released from Thomson but remained in law enforcement custody on an unrelated charge. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the new charges and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Cassandra L. Quaglia.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum sentence for the murder charge is life imprisonment, while the maximum for the assault charge is ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Armed Sexual Abuse of a StrangerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Troy Ashley, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for the armed rape of a stranger in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department. On March 17, 2023, Mr. Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Ashley has been in custody since his arrest on March 26, 2018. His guilty plea called for an agreed-upon 18-year prison sentence. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan accepted the plea today and also ordered lifetime supervised release.
According to the proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the evening of March 20, 2018, the victim was sitting in her car, which was parked in the 3200 block of Buena Vista Terrace Southeast, Washington, D.C. Ashley approached the victim’s car, displayed a black handgun, and demanded the victim let him into her car. Out of fear for her life, the victim complied. Ashley then ordered her to drive into a nearby alley. In the alley, Ashley ordered the victim to take off her shirt and move to the back seat of her car, where he was. Once the victim had done so, Ashley forced her to perform oral sex on him. He then forcibly raped her. Ashley then ordered the victim to get back into the driver’s seat and drive from the scene.
Before and after the assault, Ashley demanded money and credit cards from the victim. After the victim told Ashley for the second time that she did not have those things with her, Ashley ordered the victim to drive to the Anacostia River. Once they had arrived at the river, Ashley ordered the victim to strip naked and get into the water or he would shoot her. Again, out of fear for her life, the victim complied.
Ashley drove away in the victim’s car, leaving the victim in the river. The victim was able to call for help from the water using a cell phone she had managed to conceal on her person as she got into the river. Ashley was arrested while sitting in the victim’s car six days later.
In announcing the plea and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Park Police and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke and Tiffany Jones, and former Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Creighton, Kathleen Kern, Robert Platt, and Kristin Sourbeer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Departments of Justice and Education Release Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student DisciplineRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) jointly released a Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline. The departments recognize and appreciate school administrators, teachers and educational staff across the nation who work to administer student discipline fairly, and to provide a safe, positive and nondiscriminatory educational environment for all students, teachers and other educators.
The Resource demonstrates the departments’ ongoing commitment to the vigorous enforcement of laws that protect students from discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in student discipline. The Resource provides examples of the departments’ investigations over the last 10 years, reflecting the long-standing approach and continuity in the departments’ enforcement practices over time and the continuing urgency of assuring nondiscrimination in student discipline in our nation’s schools.
“Discrimination in school discipline can have devastating long-term consequences on students and their future opportunities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department Civil Rights Division uses our federal civil rights laws to protect students from discriminatory discipline, including discrimination in suspensions and expulsions, law enforcement referrals and school-based arrests. The investigations that we describe demonstrate how students may experience discrimination based on multiple facets of their identities and reflect our joint commitment to fully protect all students.”
“OCR remains committed to ensuring nondiscrimination in disciplinary practices,” said Assistant Secretary Catherine E. Lhamon of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. “I look forward to ongoing work in, and with, schools to ensure that no student experiences unlawful discrimination, including with respect to discipline.”
The Resource describes how the departments resolved investigations of 14 school districts in 10 states nationwide – Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah. These investigations, conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, involved concerns about discrimination in schools’ use of out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, school-based arrests, referrals to law enforcement, involuntary discipline transfers, informal removals and other disciplinary actions against Black, Latino and Native American students.
The Resource demonstrates ways school districts can take steps to proactively improve their administration of student discipline.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Dallas Resident Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Joseph Raz, age 42, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 200 months in prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charges arose from investigations by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 9, 2023, Charles Joseph Raz pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
During the plea hearing, Raz admitted that on November 27, 2021, he was stopped by a Latimer County Sheriff’s Deputy for speeding on State Highway 2. When the deputy initiated the stop, Raz turned off the highway, dropping a gun and methamphetamine out the vehicle. A search of the vehicle turned up baggies, digital scales, a fully loaded .45 magazine, and additional methamphetamine. A canvas of the nearby ditch revealed a loaded .45 semi-automatic pistol, and a baggie with over 1,500 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.
“The 200-month sentence imposed by the Court demonstrates that trafficking in illegal drugs and possessing firearms will not be tolerated and will result in significant punishment,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Raz 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 Jordan Howanitz represented the United States at sentencing.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a New York resident on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Jerrelle Quintez Gladden, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, to 330 months in prison. In September 2022, a federal jury convicted Gladden of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
“This sentencing signifies our unwavering commitment to combat the threat of illegal drugs and firearms,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we strive for safer streets, and through our collective efforts, we will work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
“The ATF commends the collaborative efforts that our brave men and women in law enforcement make on a daily basis,” SAC Watson said. “Criminals do not take a break, and neither will we. The ATF pledges to continue to work with our state, local, and federal partners to keep the communities safe from narcotic dealers and illegal gun possessors.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in January 2020, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant on a residence in Anniston. Police officers searched the house and found Gladden, a convicted felon, in a bedroom where officers also found digital scales with white crystal-like residue, small plastic baggies consistent with distribution, Gladden’s personal items, and 2 baggies of methamphetamine. Behind the door in the bedroom next to Gladden’s room, officers found a folded chair that contained a clear baggie of methamphetamine, a brown paper bag of U.S. currency, and two loaded firearms: a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Taurus .380 caliber pistol. The Sig Sauer was reported stolen 8 days prior to finding it during the execution of the search warrant.
ATF investigated the case along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit and the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Plyler and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Clancy man sentenced to 15 years in prison for meth trafficking, firearm crimesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Clancy man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and possessing a homemade firearm was sentenced on May 25 to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Matthew Phillip Hamper, 43, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of an unregistered firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2021, law enforcement learned that Hamper, who was on state supervision, was selling meth in the Helena area and identified him as the supplier in several controlled purchases. Montana probation officers conducted a search of Hamper’s home and an RV parked next to the main house. Inside the RV, officers found nearly four pounds of meth and several firearms, including a homemade single shot “slap gun.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the “slap gun” met the definition of a destructive device and that it was not registered in the National Firearms Regulation and Transfer Record.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missouri River Drug Task Force, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Probation and Parole.
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.
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Chinese National Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for a $1 Million Fraudulent Gift Card SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Liang Liang Zeng, age 58, a Chinese national residing in Staten Island, New York, to 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud related to a fraudulent gift card scheme resulting in more than $1 million in losses to dozens of victims. Liang Zeng was also ordered to pay restitution of $145,229 and to forfeit $43,633.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”) Washington Field Division.
According to Zeng’s plea agreement, from at least July 2018 through July 2021, Liang Zeng was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain gift cards from retail stores, which he and his co-conspirators used to purchase high end electronics, including cell phones, iPads, and laptop computers. For example, a conspirator called victim J.G., a resident of South Carolina, claiming to be a representative of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The called informed the victim that she owed taxes to the IRS and would be arrested if the outstanding taxes were not paid. The caller advised J.G. that she could resolve the debt by purchasing gift cards from Target and Walmart and providing the caller with the numbers on the back of each card. J.G. remained on the phone with the caller while she traveled to a Target store where she purchased a gift card in the amount of $2,000 and provided the caller with the number and access code on the back of the card. J.G. later learned that she had been defrauded.
As detailed in the plea agreement, transactional records and video footage from Target revealed that less than one hour later, Liang Zeng (“L. Zeng”) and co-defendant Wen Fu Zeng (“W. Zeng”) redeemed the gift card purchased by J.G. at a Target store in Abingdon, Maryland, to purchase Apple products. Transactional records and video footage from other Target stores in the mid-Atlantic region revealed numerous examples of Liang Zeng and Wen Fu Zeng redeeming Target gift cards to purchase high-value Apple products.
Investigation revealed that L. Zeng and W. Zeng were working with co-defendants Yong Chen and Bin Tang. A search warrant was executed at their home in Owings Mills, Maryland on March 3, 2020. Law enforcement recovered four boxes containing new high-end electronics, including dozens of iPad tablets and Apple watches that were purchased with proceeds of the fraud scheme. A notebook that served as a ledger for the gift card scheme was found in Chen’s bedroom and contained the dates that gift cards were fraudulently obtained and how they were redeemed, including the names of the people Chen and Tang paid to use the cards. The purchased electronics were intended to be sold to foreign buyers. The notebook also listed the projected profit for each product purchased. Cell phone belonging to Chen and Tang were seized and subsequently searched, revealing messages on a Chinese messaging platform between Chen, Tang and L. Weng discussing the scheme.
Two weeks after the execution of the search warrant at Chen and Tang’s home, L. Zeng moved out of his home in Maryland to a residence in Staten Island, New York. Investigators recovered a notebook ledger similar to the one found at Chen’s home and Target store receipts from L. Zeng’s trash in Maryland and New York indicating the purchase of electronics and other items using multiple Target gift cards from stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
On July 13, 2021, a search warrant was executed at L. Zeng’s residence. Law enforcement recovered cell phones belonging to L. Zeng, prepaid credit and retail cards, store receipts, brand new Apple products, and over $43,000 in cash, some of which was tied up in Target store bags. A subsequent search of L. Zeng’s phone showed that he used the Chinese messaging platform to discuss the illegal gift card scheme with W. Zang and others. L. Zeng also sent fraudulently obtained gift card numbers to W. Zeng and instructed him to purchase items using the card numbers, which W. Zeng did. W. Zeng then delivered to products to L. Zeng. L. Zeng paid W. Zeng for working as a buyer in the gift card scheme.
According to the plea agreement, dozens of victims in many different states were defrauded and the cards purchased by the victims were primarily redeemed in the mid-Atlantic region to illegally purchase approximately $1,061,000 of Target products.
Co-defendants Wen Fu Zeng, age 55, of Brooklyn, New York and Yong Chen, age 34, of Owings Mills, Maryland have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement is looking for Bin Tang, age 33, who fled.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the Maryland State Police and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Chicago Bank Robber Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for robbing a downtown Chicago bank.
REGINALD DEBERRY and a co-defendant, IESHA BATCHELOR, robbed a Fifth Third Bank branch in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood on Nov. 22, 2019. Deberry served as a lookout near the bank's entrance while Batchelor approached the teller, and, drawing on coaching from Deberry about what to say, said, “I want all the money… no one will get hurt.” After receiving cash, Deberry and Batchelor fled from the area and divided the proceeds.
At the time of the robbery, Deberry was serving a term of court-supervised release for two prior federal bank robbery convictions.
Deberry, 60, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the sentence Tuesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
Batchelor, 31, of Chicago, also pleaded guilty to a bank robbery charge. She was sentenced in March to a year in prison.
The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“The defendant has shown himself to be a recalcitrant outlier who has engaged in a remarkably consistent pattern of violent offenses throughout his adult life,” Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Chatham County man sentenced to prison for torching vehicles in downtown SavannahRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man has been sentenced to federal prison after an arson spree that damaged multiple vehicles, a residence, and a business.
Calvin Frank Robbins, 41, of Savannah, was sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to Destruction of Motor Vehicles, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Robbins to pay nominal restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Calvin Frank Robbins potentially endangered dozens of lives, including those of first responders extinguishing multiple raging vehicle fires,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence will hold him accountable while protecting the community.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Savannah firefighters were called to a vehicle fire on West Harris Street late in the evening on Dec. 1, 2021, and while extinguishing the fire – which also damaged a nearby building – firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the Savannah Visitor’s Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. That fire damaged a tour bus and a van in the parking lot, while another nearby fire on Purse Street damaged the front porch of an under-renovation residence owned by the Coastal Heritage Society. Other vehicles also received minor damage.
Investigators from the Savannah Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identified Robbins from witness accounts and surveillance videos, and he was carrying a can of gasoline when agents located and arrested him several days later.
“Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property but also places firefighters, first responders and the general public at great risk,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Atlanta Field Division. “The ATF, along with the Savannah Fire Department and our other law enforcement partners, are committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and that those who commit these dangerous acts are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Savannah Fire Department Arson Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II.
Chalmette Pharmacist Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEITH WILKINSON, a pharmacist who owned and operated Wilkinson Family Pharmacy located in St. Bernard Parish, was sentenced on May 24, 2023 to serve 72 months in custody for his role in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering.
According to the bill of information, beginning prior to 2014 and continuing until the filing of the bill of information on September 14, 2018, WILKINSON and others conspired to dispense, outside the scope of his professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, quantities of controlled substances. WILKINSON also committed money laundering using criminally derived proceeds.
At his sentencing on Wednesday May 24, 2023, WILKINSON was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution was part of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Buffalo Man Involved in Fatal Crash Arrested on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Marlon Servance, 22, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas T. Cooper, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 23, 2023, Victims 1 and 2 were driving in a vehicle in the vicinity of Jefferson and Best in Buffalo. While Victim 1 was driving, Victim 2 observed Servance driving a dark colored SUV and firing gunshots in her direction. Victim 1’s vehicle subsequently crashed in the vicinity of Main Street and Utica Avenue, while she was fleeing from Servance. As it crashed, Victim 1’s vehicle struck Victim 3, causing her death. Servance fled the scene but was taken into custody by Buffalo Police a short time after at an East Ferry Street apartment. Investigators searched the apartment and recovered a black, semi-automatic Smith and Wesson firearm with an obliterated serial number. During a search of Servance’s vehicle, investigators recovered numerous fired cartridge casings.
Servance made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and is being held pending a detention hearing on May 30, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Biloxi Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Biloxi man was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Antonio Centrea Leger, 25, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, in July of 2021, as part of the investigation into the death of an airman at Keesler Air Force Base, a drug trafficking organization was identified as operating in the sale of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Harrison County, Mississippi. As a result of this investigation, Antonio Centrea Leger was identified as a participant, having a leadership role in this drug trafficking organization. Multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and a search warrant of his residence, which yielded 742 fentanyl tablets, led to Leger’s arrest.
Leger was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 7, 2022. He pled guilty on February 15, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Arrests Made in “Operation Broken Bonds,” an Investigation into Violent Crime, Drug Trafficking, and Gun Trafficking in the Central Valley Committed by Gang Members and AssociatesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Following a multi-agency investigation in Fresno County that focused on crimes of violence, drug sales, and illegal firearms possession, 10 federal defendants were arrested on Thursday for racketeering, drug trafficking, violent crimes, and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, California Department of Justice Special Agent in Charge Rachel Capello, California Highway Patrol (MAGEC) Captain Jon Staricka, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark made the announcement.
According to the criminal complaint, in July 2021, law enforcement agencies in Fresno County joined together to investigate the ongoing criminal activities committed by gang members for the benefit of the enterprise formed by the coordination of the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño criminal street gang. The crimes include murder in aid of racketeering, sales of illegal narcotics, illegal sale and distribution of firearms, and witness and victim intimidation.
On May 25, 2023, nearly 550 federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel executed 54 search warrants in Parlier, Reedley, Del Rey, Dinuba, and Clovis. 49 firearms, ammunition, firearm magazines, currency, and controlled substances were seized. More than 25 criminal street gang members and associates were arrested and charged with crimes in either federal or state court.
The federal defendants and their charges are as follows:
Victor Javier Zermeno, 34, of Clovis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Matthew Pete Mendez, 32, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Miguel Angel Barragan, 27, of Parlier, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), being a felon in possession of a firearm, and attempted bribery;
Joey Noel Magadan, 20, of Cutler, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting;
Jonathan Maldonado, 33, of Parlier, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering), and being a felon in possession of ammunition;
Ezequiel Maximino Guzman, 18, of Del Rey, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (attempted murder in aid of racketeering);
Victor Diaz-Aguilar, 30, of Fresno, is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;
Francisco Diaz-Salinas, 40, of Parlier, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Eduardo Amezcua, 32, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
Michael Neri, 33, of Reedley, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
Alejandro Hawkins, 24, of Reedley, is charged with distribution of cocaine;
Francisco Ferman, 28, of Delano, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Ivan Hernandez, 25, of Parlier, is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca is prosecuting the case.
The maximum potential sentences the defendants face if convicted of the charges range from five years in prison up to life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
25 May 2023
York Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Melinda Bixler, age 50, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bixler operated two businesses—one a for-profit company called Elder Healthcare Solutions; the other a non-profit company called Adult Care Advocates—providing services to elderly clients who resided in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Both businesses operated from an office location at 4070 W. Market St. in York, PA.
Bixler purchased a home in York, PA for $685,000 using money that she had obtained through various unlawful means. Bixler obtained a mortgage loan for the purchase of her home by submitting multiple false statements to York Traditions Bank. These false statements included a forged letter from the owners of a business property that Bixler had previously purchased stating that she no longer owed money to the prior owners, when in fact she was still making monthly payments on it. Bixler also obtained a false gift letter from a third party wherein that third party stated that he was gifting Bixler $350,000 from his own personal funds when Bixler actually funneled money to that third party through a series of transactions that disguised the true sources of the funds. One source of these funds was $78,000 that Bixler took from the bank account of M.H., a 94-year-old woman residing at a nursing home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bixler was then the power of attorney for M.H., and she therefore had access to the elderly client’s bank account.
Bixler agreed to pay a total of $147,882 to three former clients from whom she misappropriated funds; victims M.H, G.E. and E.P. Bixler also agreed to forfeit the property at 4070 W. Market St., along with $129,357.01, the balance in a bank account belonging to Adult Care Advocates. Finally, Bixler agreed to resign her positions with both Elder Healthcare Solutions and Adult Care Advocates.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, York County District Attorney’s Office, York County Area Agency on Aging, and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Protective Services Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.
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Wisconsin Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has been indicted for producing images depicting his sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 27, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
Lee was arrested on May 11, 2023, and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin before Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries, during which Lee was ordered to be transported to the District of Minnesota. Lee made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Lee was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Willoughby Hills Man Sentenced for His Part in $7 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Aydin Kalantarov, 38, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of approximately $1.2 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program under Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Kalantarov was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, a $200 special assessment, and agreed to pay up to $1.2 million in restitution.
According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2020, Kalantarov, along with his two brothers, Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli, conspired to defraud the SBA of nearly $7 million in EIDL loans. As part of the scheme the brothers created 70 fictious Ohio corporations with agriculture sounding names, such as “Ohio Almonds and Peanuts” and “Ohio Organic Carrots”.
Once the fictitious corporations were created, the brothers submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA claiming that their business was adversely affected by the pandemic. The SBA funded 47 of the applications for a total of approximately $7 million. Kalantarov personally received $1.2 million in fraud loan proceeds. He used most of his funds to purchase a house in
California.Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli remain at large.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Cleveland, the IRS Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (“USDA-OIG), and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBAOIG”). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad J. Beeson.
Whitefish man charged with fraudulent votingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Whitefish man accused of fraudulently voting the ballot of another elector in the 2020 general election appeared for arraignment on criminal charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Donald Samuel Hill, 52, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with false information in voting and with fraudulent voting. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hill faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Hill was released pending further proceedings.
“Our voting laws are in place to protect the right of every citizen to cast their ballot and to have that ballot counted. We are committed to enforcing those laws to ensure free and fair elections and will seek to hold accountable persons who attempt to violate them,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 10, 2020 in Flathead County, Hill knowingly gave false information about his name, address and period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of voting in a general election. The indictment further alleges Hill knowingly and willfully defrauded the residents of Montana of a fair and impartially conducted election and that he allegedly completed and signed the ballot of another elector, identified as Person A, and submitted the ballot to the Flathead County Elections Office.
Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Newman and Timothy J. Racicot are prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
PACER case reference. 23-21.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
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United States Reaches Settlement with Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Regarding Allegations of ADA ViolationsRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 22, 2023, the United States had settled a claim that Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Milwaukee Inc. (“CSM”) failed to provide sign language interpretative services to a patient who is deaf, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). CSM, located on North Lake Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a short-term acute care facility with approximately 400 staffed beds.
Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations to take those steps necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently because of the absence of appropriate auxiliary aids or services, unless the entity can demonstrate that taking such steps would fundamentally alter the nature of the services being offered or result in an undue burden. A public accommodation must also furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities and with companions of patients who are individuals with disabilities.
As set forth in the Agreement, the Government’s investigation determined the following:
- In 2017, CG developed a serious medical condition requiring her to undergo surgery at CSM on December 18, 2017. CG was initially hospitalized at CSM from December 18 to December 21, 2017, for the surgery and initial recovery period. On December 29, 2017, CG was re-admitted to CSM after experiencing complications from the surgery, including an infection of her surgical site. During her first hospital admission, CSM furnished CG with a qualified ALS interpreter for her pre-operative consultation. However, following the surgery, CG did not receive the services of a qualified ALS interpreter during several subsequent, important interactions with medical staff, including critical phases of her recovery period and staff assessments of her neurological status, in part because CSM staff did not adequately consult with CG about her desire for these services. In addition, no interpreter was provided during her discharge consultation.
- Rather than providing a qualified interpreter or other appropriate auxiliary aids or services, CSM staff relied on CG’s mother, or other auxiliary aids or services that did not provide effective communication, to attempt to facilitate communication with CG about post-operative medical information. As a result, CG did not fully understand the nature of the care and medical decisions being considered for her.
- On December 29, 2017, CG was re-admitted to CSM after experiencing complications from the surgery, including an infection of her surgical site. She was treated successfully and discharged on January 1, 2018. During her second hospital admission, CSM again failed to provide a qualified interpreter or other appropriate auxiliary aids or services, for any part of the entire stay. Instead, hospital staff once again impermissibly relied upon CG’s mother or other ineffective means including lip reading and written notes, to facilitate communication with CG. As a result, CG again did not fully understand the nature of the care and medical decisions being considered for her.
Based on these findings, the United States determined that CSM denied CG appropriate auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication during significant facets of her treatment at CSM in December 2017 and January 2018.
Under the settlement agreement, CSM will pay $35,000 to the patient. In addition, CSM has reviewed and revised, as appropriate, its existing policies. CSM has conducted and will conduct additional training on the ADA, and CSM has agreed to report any future complaints of possible ADA violations to federal authorities.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Larsen. For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov/aids. Those interested in finding out more about the obligations of healthcare providers under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed with the Department of Justice at File a Complaint | ADA.gov.
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United States Attorney’s Office Announces Leadership PositionsRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider today announced that several criminal prosecutors and a civil litigator have been named to leadership positions in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
The office’s management team will continue to be led by Jennifer Puhl, First Assistant United States Attorney (FAUSA). Puhl, a career prosecutor who joined the office in 2002, was United States Attorney from June through mid-December of 2022 and previously served as Criminal Chief. She was named FAUSA on December 13, 2023. Dave Hagler, an Assistant United States Attorney who has been with the office since 1999, is the office’s Criminal Division Chief. Kent Rockstad, a civil litigator who has represented the United States in bankruptcy proceedings and other commercial litigation since 2002, will continue to serve as Civil Division Chief. The office’s Criminal Supervisor is Brett Shasky, who joined the office in 2003. Shasky also leads the office’s OCDEFT efforts.
Additional leadership positions include:
Chris Myers – Special Counsel to the United States Attorney for Law Enforcement: Since joining the office in 2002, Myers has served as both FAUSA and United States Attorney. Myers was previously a Chief Assistant Clay County Attorney and an Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney. He was also a Special Agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation before becoming a prosecutor.
Gary Delorme – Senior Litigation Counsel: Delorme joined the office in August 2008 after serving as a prosecutor in Cass County and Stutsman County. He was a Judge Advocate with the North Dakota Army National Guard before retiring with over 20 years of military experience. He also serves as the office’s Tribal Liaison.
Megan Healy – Appellate Chief: In addition to her role as Appellate Chief, Healy prosecutes federal civil rights and tax cases. A native of Rugby, North Dakota, she previously practiced law in Washington, DC, and served as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Healy joined the office in 2012.
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United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Announces Participation in National Money Mule Initiative; Obtains Three Civil Injunctions Against Alleged Money Mules Involved in Lottery ScamsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced her office’s participation in the Department of Justice’s Annual Money Mule Initiative, a national effort to combat money mule fraud schemes.
Money mules are individuals who are recruited by national and international fraud schemes to help with the laundering of fraud proceeds, or to transport goods purchased with fraud proceeds. These individuals are usually recruited online, through dating websites, job recruiting advertisements, or other types of internet solicitations. The money mules are then asked to help move money and goods from the victims to the fraudsters, who are oftentimes located overseas.
Sometimes the money mules are themselves innocent victims who do not realize that they are assisting with criminal activity. Other times, however, the money mules come to realize that what they are doing is wrong and/or illegal. When this happens, the money mules become knowing participants in the fraud schemes they are assisting and are subject to prosecution.
“Identifying and disrupting the work of money mules is critically important, as money mules are integral components of many organized criminal groups, including international fraud rings,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt money mule networks in an effort to cut off the flow of funds from victims of fraud schemes – often elderly and vulnerable Americans – to transnational criminal organizations.”
“I am pleased to announce today that the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office are taking steps to stem the flow of victim money leaving the United States through the hands of money mules,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “For many years, we as Postal Inspectors have developed various initiatives to combat the flow of illegal proceeds being sent through the mail to foreign countries. Taking steps to not only educate our customers, but to bring law enforcement action against perpetrators, will stem the flow of financial loss. These efforts aside, the most effective way to reduce fraud victimization of American citizens is for friends and family to simply look out for one another. If you become aware that someone close to you sends Postal Money Orders, cash, or gift cards through the mail, or through other shipping services, to foreign countries, take a moment to talk to that person about these activities and notify the Postal Inspection Service if you suspect fraud. You might help save them from significant financial loss.”
In the last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed three separate civil complaints and civil injunctions against alleged money mules accused of participating in lottery fraud schemes based in Jamaica and Nigeria. Architects of lottery schemes contact potential victims, falsely claim that those victims have won the lottery, and thereby induce the victims to send money to account for taxes and fees purportedly associated with victims’ falsely promised lottery winnings.
In these schemes, money mules play a critical role by receiving victim payments by mail and wire transfer, depositing the payments into their bank accounts, and allowing access to those accounts by individuals in Jamaica engaged in the scheme. The defendants are alleged to have received victim payments by mail or common carrier, deposited the payments into their bank accounts, and then transferred the funds by wire transfer to individuals engaged in the schemes in Jamaica and Nigeria.
Each defendant has agreed to a stipulated consent decree and order of permanent injunction. The stipulated order bans the alleged money mules from directly or indirectly, assisting, facilitating, or participating in any lottery scheme, prize promotion fraud, or any money transmitting business.
The complaints and civil injunction actions (civil action numbers 23-cv-1844, 23-cv-1885, and 23‑cv-1886) were filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. These cases are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Degnan. The investigations were conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Members of the public are reminded to be careful of individuals they meet online. If those individuals ask you to receive or transfer funds or goods, purchase gift cards, or engage in any type of suspicious activity, please report this activity to law enforcement.
To find public education materials, as well as information about how fraudsters use and recruit money mules, please visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.
Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, Law Enforcement Partners Announce Safe Summer 2023 Initiative to Address the Rise in Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
Offenders Caught with Crime Guns Face Federal Prosecution
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that his office, along with law enforcement partners, is launching Safe Summer 2023. This new initiative addresses the rise in gun violence that so often accompanies the warmer summer months. Under this program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will federally prosecute all offenders who illegally possess crime guns – namely, firearms linked to prior shooting crimes through ballistic evidence.
"Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts immense trauma on communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This program directs the most serious consequences to the most dangerous offenders. While we’ll never prosecute our way out of this epidemic – and wrap-around prevention programs are important – we must hold violent offenders accountable for their callous actions. I am grateful to our law enforcement and community partners for their support and commitment to making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”
WATCH: Video message from U.S. Attorney Totten announcing Safe Summer 2023
U.S. Attorney Totten will be joined by local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to announce the program today in a series of four press conferences across the District, with stops in Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Safe Summer 2023 kicks off today and runs through the end of September, focused on cities in the Western District of Michigan that have the highest rates of gun violence, including Benton Harbor, Benton Township, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, and their surrounding communities.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and prosecute prolific shooters who commit gun violence with illegal firearms in our community,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “ATF’s long-standing collaborative partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, federal, state, and local law enforcement, in conjunction with ATF’s unique Crime Gun Intelligence and NIBIN capabilities, are definitive components towards making the community a safer place for everyone to live.”
“Combatting crime in the most violent areas of our state is only successful if law enforcement and community partners work together,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI contributes to the enforcement effort by strategically identifying the most violent criminals – those who commit armed robberies of businesses and who lead gangs or criminal enterprises – and to the outreach effort by engaging with schools, youth groups, and community organizations. By doing so, we are working collaboratively to ensure our neighborhoods are safer places for everyone to live and work.”
“The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety (BHDPS) works hard to protect our residents from violent crime,” said BHDPS Director Daniel McGinnis. “The Safe Summer 2023 initiative will be another key tool as we work to take illegal guns off our streets and hold offenders accountable. We appreciate the law enforcement partnerships that will help provide safer neighborhoods within our community.”
“The Michigan State Police (MSP) is pleased to continue our partnership with local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan to reduce gun violence in the Benton Harbor region, “said Capt. Michael Brown, commander of the MSP’s Fifth District. “We have committed seven full-time department members for crime prevention efforts, solving violent crimes, and community engagement initiatives.”
“As a county representative for Benton Township and co-chair of ALPACT (Allies and Leaders for Police and Community Trust), I know that we need a two-track approach: prevention and prosecution,” said Berrien County Commissioner Chokwe Pitchford. “Our community violence prevention initiatives are important to keep individuals out of jail, and I am grateful that U.S. Attorney Mark Totten is committed to prosecuting those responsible for crimes linked to dangerous weapons. We need a holistic approach to keeping our community safe and this is one step of many that is needed.”
“Every child deserves a safe community to play and just be a kid. Everyone shares in this responsibility,” said Muskegon Director of Public Safety Timothy Kozal. “The Muskegon Police Department is committed to partnering with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to not only advocate for our community, moreover, work tirelessly to prosecute those that choose to conspire to commit crimes with guns.”
“Reducing gun violence is a top priority for the City of Kalamazoo,” said Chief David Boysen, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. “The level of gun violence that we have experienced so far this year is unacceptable. We know that a small number of people drive majority of the gun violence. Safe Summer 2023 will send a clear message to them that if you choose to be a shooter in our community, we will be working closely with our federal law enforcement partners to make sure you are held accountable. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan for making this initiative possible. We are excited to work with our federal partners to keep Kalamazoo safe.”
“The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office is a proud partner of this initiative. The Safe Summer 2023 initiative comes at a critical moment in our fight against all violence,” said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller. “With the U.S Attorney’s commitment to prosecute those found with a weapon that has already been used in a crime, we now have a tool that will make a significant difference in removing offenders and firearms from our neighborhoods.”
“The Lansing Police Department (LPD) is eager to partner with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Safe Summer 2023 initiative,” said LPD Chief Ellery Sosebee. “Partnerships and collaborations such as this, make a difference in the gun violence crisis so many communities are facing.”
“I applaud U.S. Attorney Totten and his staff for partnering with us here in Ingham County to hold people accountable who use violence – specifically gun violence – to settle their differences,” said Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth, Ingham County Sheriff’s Office. “We should all hope the initiative is a success, gauged not by an increased number of indictments, but rather a noticeable reduction in the number of shootings.”
“We’ve seen the devastation the escalation of gun violence can do to individuals, families, and our community,” said Chief Eric Winstrom, Grand Rapids Police Department. “We welcome this effort to bring the potential of federal charges to the table when possible. I appreciate U.S. Attorney Totten’s leadership in this initiative and his office’s support of law enforcement as we work to hold perpetrators of gun violence accountable.”
“This is a clear message to the few people in our communities who would use a firearm to hurt another person,” said F/Lt. Matt Williams, Commander of the MSP Grand Rapids Post. “Any gun violence will result in dire consequences.”
Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have slightly declined since 2021, they remain high.
In 2021, for the first time ever, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death for American children, ages 1-19, according to the New England Journal of Medicine (see also here).
While gun violence has the potential to impact everyone, recent studies show that gun violence has a disparate impact on people of color. For example, a recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that the disparity in shooting injuries among children before and after the pandemic in four major cities approximately tripled as between white children and children of color (Black, Hispanic, Asian).###
U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh Pledges to Prosecute All Prohibited Possessors of Firearms Linked to NIBIN DatabaseRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh announced today an initiative to prosecute all prohibited persons who possess a firearm that has been previously used in a crime and logged in the federal National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) database.
NIBIN, maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence from crime scenes across the country. Law enforcement officials then use the potential matches or “leads” that NIBIN generates to identify links between shootings and other firearms-related cases in different jurisdictions.
In today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh pledged to prosecute all prohibited persons, including individuals convicted of domestic violence or a felony, who possess a firearm that – after being run through the NIBIN database – comes back as having been associated with another crime, either in the Western District of Virginia or elsewhere.
“Today’s commitment to prosecute individuals possessing firearms used in previous crimes is the third component in my Office’s violent crime reduction strategy,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “This multi-prong approach – when joined with community engagement and prevention – provides genuine opportunities for solving violent crimes in our communities, as well as preventing them in the first place.”
In 2022, U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh announced the first component of his violent crime reduction strategy when he pledged that the United States Attorney’s Office would prosecute any case referred to his office where a firearm was discharged in connection to a federal offense.
Earlier this year, his Office enacted the second component of their strategy: prioritizing the prosecution of individuals involved in the trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
Since the implementation of this violent crime reduction strategy, federal prosecutions of violent crimes in the Western District of Virginia are projecting a 63% increase over last year, while prosecutions for firearms offenses are projecting an increase of 193%.
Two Indicted for Armed Robberies of Postal WorkersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Massachusetts individuals were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers that took place on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.
Myesha Lewis, 22, of Boston, and Kenneth Demosthene, 22, of Stoughton were indicted on two counts each of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. The defendants were previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 10, 2023. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 13 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.
On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, it is alleged that Demosthene and Lewis followed and then forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene allegedly approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. It is alleged that the force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Demosthene and Lewis allegedly fled the scene in a rental vehicle.
It is further alleged that, on Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Demosthene and Lewis robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene allegedly approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” It is alleged that the letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Demosthene and Lewis then allegedly attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose, and fled the scene on foot.
The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twenty Charged in Federal and State Court for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Devon Reed of New Castle, DE, Dawann Reed of Clayton, DE, Gregory Carter of Wilmington, DE, Jaywann Saunders of New Castle, DE, Quincy Clark of New Castle, DE, Eduardo Felix of San Diego, CA, Monyae Fields-Brown of New Castle, DE, Arthur Deramus of New Castle, DE, Janet Cooper of New Castle, DE, Alturo Smith of Wilmington, DE, Airial Boyd of Wilmington, DE, and Ainger Gardner of Wilmington, DE, have been charged by a federal grand jury sitting in Wilmington with conspiracy to traffic and manufacture cocaine, methamphetamine, counterfeit fentanyl pills, and marijuana in the Wilmington, Delaware metropolitan area.
Also, as a part of Operation Cripgate, a state grand jury sitting in Wilmington charged Dale Reed of New Castle, DE, Michael Sullivan-Wilson of Wilmington, DE, Braheim Reed of New Castle, DE, Marcus Waller of New Castle, DE, Derwin Evans of New Castle, DE, and Jahnair Murphy of New Castle, DE with drug and gang violations. Finally, a federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey charged George Joyce, Jr. of Haddonfield, NJ with drug and firearm violations.
Through a multi-state, multi-agency investigation involving the FBI, the New Castle County Police (“NCCPD”), and the Delaware State Police (“DSP”), the investigation identified a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), headed by Devon Reed and Dawann Reed, that supplied cocaine, methamphetamine, counterfeit fentanyl pills, and marijuana to the District of Delaware. More specifically, the investigation centered on the Rosegate Community, which is located just off Route 9, north of I-295 and south of I-495, and is comprised of 200 rowhomes on a total of four streets in a secluded, compact neighborhood. Throughout the years, the Rosegate Community has been gripped by drugs, gun violence, and homicides, which has drastically impacted its citizens’ quality of life.
The DTO openly operated their drug business. The DTO stored drugs in elderly community members’ homes and vehicles and paid them to store, package, and sell drugs. The DTO also used an abandoned day care facility to manufacture and package counterfeit methamphetamine and fentanyl pills for resale. In fact, during a search warrant at the day care facility, law enforcement located two large pill presses, which weighed approximately 100 pounds each.
At the conclusion of the investigation and during search warrants, law enforcement seized approximately:
• 3.5 kilograms of counterfeit methamphetamine and fentanyl pills;
• 1.7 kilograms of cocaine;
• 11 handguns;
• 2 assault rifles;
• 2 large pill presses;
• 7.5 pounds of marijuana;
• a quarter pound of methamphetamine; and
• $78,000.00 United States Currency.
In announcing the Indictment, U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “The defendants openly and brazenly trafficked large quantities of drugs in our community. These defendants also abused the trust of elderly Rosegate community members and flagrantly manufactured counterfeit pills in an abandoned day care. We will pursue these charges to the fullest extent of the law, and we will continue the investigation into those who traffic illegal drugs here in Delaware.”
"This case demonstrates why partnerships to combat drug trafficking organizations are so important for our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. "Exploiting vulnerable community members such as the elderly and the young is unconscionable and unacceptable. We intend to use every available resource to combat this terrible problem," said Special Agent in Charge Sobocinski.
All of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and some are charged with federal firearm charges. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Weiss, and Special Agent in Charge Sobocinski, commended the work of those who investigated the case, including FBI's Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Taskforce, NCCPD, and Delaware State Police. They also expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the New Castle City Police Department and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce and Eli H. Klein are assigned to prosecute the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-31-MN.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Toulon Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Jason R. Musselman, 35, of the 7400 block of Modena Road, in Toulon, Illinois, was sentenced on May 24, 2023, to 300 months in the Bureau of Prisons for producing child pornography, to be served consecutive to a 120-month prison sentence for distributing and possessing child pornography. In total, Musselman was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender once he is released. Musselman was also ordered to pay more than $60,000 in restitution to his victims. Four additional counts of production of child pornography were dismissed pursuant to Musselman’s guilty plea.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that agents with the Illinois State Police and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on Musselman, his residence, and his electronic devices on January 19, 2022 as part of an ongoing child pornography investigation. The government presented evidence that Musselman had produced numerous images of child pornography in his residence between approximately 2010 and 2013 by secretly recording videos of minors using a tanning bed in his home and then using the videos to create images that displayed the minors’ genitals in a lascivious manner. Musselman also distributed other images of child pornography on December 21, 2021, via the “Kik” internet messaging platform, including images of the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children. In total, Musselman possessed more than 600 images of child pornography.
Some of Musselman’s victims provided victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing. Judge Shadid praised their courage for appearing in court to present statements in Musselman’s presence and noted that Musselman’s crimes affected not only his victims, but also their families and communities.
Musselman was originally charged in Stark County, Illinois in January 2022 with nine separate counts relating to child pornography. The Stark County case was dismissed after Musselman was charged in federal court by a criminal complaint in March 2022. He entered into a plea agreement in November 2022.
The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a child (production of child pornography) are 15 to 30 years imprisonment. The penalties for distribution of child pornography are 5 to 20 years imprisonment, and possession of child pornography carries a sentence of not more than 10 years imprisonment. Each of the charges carries a supervised release term of at least 5 years following release from incarceration and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Illinois State Police conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Washington Police Department and Stark County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Holst Schryer represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Musselman was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Three Luzerne County Family Members Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Disabella, age 34, James Disabella, Jr. age 59, and James Disabella, III, age 35, all of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted on May 23, 2023, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between August 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas conspired to distributed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. The indictment also alleges that between July 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas distributed quantities of pure methamphetamine on several occasions.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Three Additional Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Government Property from Anniston Army DepotRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three additional individuals have been charged with conspiracy to steal United States property from Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) in an ongoing investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones, Defense Logistics Agency Office of the Inspector General Deputy Inspector General Jerold Unruh, and United States Army Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge D. Todd Outlaw.
In charging documents filed in United States District Court, Kelvin Battle, 53, of Anniston, Steve Bonner, 62, of Goodwater, and Shane Farthing, 41, of Gadsden are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal United States property. Battle and Bonner are also each charged with an additional count related to specific instances of stealing or selling property stolen from ANAD. Six other individuals have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty to offenses related to the theft of property from ANAD.
According to the charging documents, Battle and Farthing, who were police officers at ANAD, and other civilian employees of the Directorate of Emergency Services stole military property from warehouses at ANAD. Bonner acted as a middleman, selling stolen property directly to buyers and delivering stolen property to the owner of a military surplus store in Sylacauga. The stolen items included equipment that was designed to be attached to military weapon systems to provide operators with instant nighttime engagement capabilities and/or improved target acquisition.
Battle has also been charged with two counts of wire fraud in connection with false statements made to obtain emergency loans and a loan guarantee from the Small Business Administration under programs designed to provide support to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a plea agreement, also filed today, Farthing has agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to steal United States property. The plea agreement states that Farthing agreed to pay restitution to the United States and forfeit the money he made from the conspiracy.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for theft of government property is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General are investigating the cases. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment or information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Charles County Man Accused of Being Unlicensed Firearm DealerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri has been indicted and accused of selling firearms without a license.
Harry Trueblood, 68, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis May 10. He pleaded not guilty to the unlicensed dealer charge on May 12.
The indictment alleges that Trueblood was an unlicensed firearms dealer from Jan. 1, 2021 through May 10, 2023
A court affidavit says that after learning that an AR-15-style pistol recovered in a criminal investigation had originally been purchased by Trueblood, an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was able to document that 15 firearms originally purchased by Trueblood had been recovered in criminal investigations. Between January 4, 2021 and March 31, 2022, Trueblood bought at least seventy firearms, the affidavit says. On many occasions, Trueblood purchased the same make model and caliber of firearm, including 15 of the same 9mm pistols.
Agents repeatedly saw Trueblood selling firearms at gun shows, where background checks are not required for sales from private sellers. Trueblood sold a firearm to a convicted felon working with the ATF at one show, even after the felon told Trueblood that he’d done time in prison, the affidavit says. Trueblood mentioned that police had called him about two guns used in crimes, and offered armor-piercing ammunition to shoppers, it says.
Trueblood continued to sell firearms at gun shows after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the ATF warning that the ATF believed he was illegally dealing in firearms without a license and an application so that he could become licensed, the affidavit says.
The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
SoCal Man Allegedly Impersonated Federal Agent and Used that Persona to Bilk Latino Immigrants Seeking Status to Remain in U.S.Read the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury has indicted a San Diego man for allegedly impersonating a federal agent and using that fake position to defraud more than 25 Orange County victims who sought immigration assistance, including “green cards” and United States citizenship, the Justice Department announced today.
Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 52, of San Ysidro, was named in a 25-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday afternoon. Brand Jimenez is currently being sought by federal authorities.
The indictment charges Brand Jimenez with 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee, three counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of misusing a United States passport.
According to the indictment, Brand Jimenez pretended to be a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used that false title to scam victims. Brand Jimenez has never been employed by ICE.
Brand Jimenez primarily targeted undocumented members of the Latino community, telling victims he could help them obtain work permits, legal United States residency, and U.S. citizenship, according to the indictment. Brand Jimenez falsely claimed to be an ICE agent, including by showing a fake ICE badge. Under that assumed persona, he promised that he could help his victims – most of whom were illegally present in the United States – to obtain legal residency (also known as a “green card”), work permits, or U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment, from April 2019 to November 2020, Brand Jimenez charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000. In addition to falsely claiming to be an ICE federal agent or a federal “Homeland Security” official, Brand Jimenez allegedly sometimes told victims that he was a “G-18” federal official, which is a non-existent position.
Brand Jimenez failed to file immigration paperwork for his victims, and he never obtained any immigration benefits for them, according to the indictment. Because he was not providing any immigration benefits for his victims, Brand Jimenez allegedly fabricated immigration documents with the victims’ names that fraudulently displaying the emblem of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Brand Jimenez also allegedly fabricated a stay of deportation order and provided it to one of his victims as alleged proof that the victim would not be deported, which was not true.
In another instance, Brand Jimenez allegedly provided a victim with a valid Social Security card, a U.S. passport card, and a California Identification Card, and he directed that victim to use those documents under the name of a different person as proof of authorization to reside and work in the United States.
Brand Jimenez is considered to be a fugitive after failing to appear for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty in an unrelated narcotics case in San Diego federal court.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Brand Jimenez would face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each mail fraud and wire fraud count, 10 years in federal prison for each count of misusing of a passport, five years in federal prison for each count of wrongful use of a government seal, three years in federal prison for each count of impersonating a federal officer, and a mandatory two-year prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count.
The FBI Orange County Resident Office investigated the case and received assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department. Anyone with information regarding Jimenez’s current whereabouts should take no action themselves but should immediately call the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov/ or contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED-2.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Small Business Administration Employee Sentenced in Covid Relief FraudRead the Press Release
OXFORD – A Marshall County man and employee of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) was sentenced yesterday to 62 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the SBA of more than $11 million.
According to court documents, Lakeith M. Faulkner, 31, of Holly Springs, was an employee of the SBA and used his position to assist borrowers in submitting over $11 Million worth of fraudulent loan applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), which were intended to help small businesses recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In return for his assistance in submitting the fraudulent loan applications, those borrowers paid Faulkner and his co-defendant, Norman Beckwood, $2.3 Million.
On December 7, 2022, Faulkner entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 24, 2023, Chief U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Faulkner to serve 62 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. In addition to prison time, Faulkner was ordered to pay $10,620,452.26 in restitution to the SBA.
On January 17, 2023, Norman Beckwood, Faulkner’s co-defendant, entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Beckwood is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2023.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs and Parker King of the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Sioux City, Iowa Man Found Guilty of Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man with a history of felony convictions was convicted by a jury on May 24, 2023, after a two-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Jerell Wilson, age 30, of Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The verdict was returned Wednesday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial revealed that while Sioux City Police were investigating an unrelated crime, it was learned through witness and video surveillance that Wilson had been at the crime scene prior to, and after, the crime with a Coach backpack containing multiple firearms. Armed with this information, on June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Wilson’s home, where a loaded gun – with a round in the chamber -- was found in his bed, along with the Coach bag and ammunition for multiple guns that were not found in the search. Wilson refused to attend his own trial.
Wilson has previously been convicted of possession of a defaced firearm, 1st degree theft and eluding resulting in death and homicide by vehicle.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Wilson remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Wilson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-04061.
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