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Friday 31 March 2023
Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Rey Felix-Rubio, age 32, and a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and unlawful possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
Felix-Rubio, who entered the United States unlawfully in 2021, admitted that in February 2023, he traveled to the northern border in Chateauguay, New York, where he smuggled five Mexican nationals from Canada and into the United States for profit. He also unlawfully possessed a firearm.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2023, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany, at which time Felix-Rubio faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in prison and a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
United States Border Patrol, Burke Station, investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Stitt is prosecuting this case.
Man Charged with Arson and Possession of a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was arrested this morning and charged with one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.
According to court documents, Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, on March 25, used Molotov cocktails against the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), Chesterland, Ohio, in an attempt to burn the church to the ground.
“As alleged in the charging documents, the defendant used an explosive device to cause harm to a church he found objectionable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “It is the solemn duty of the Department of Justice to safeguard the right of all Americans to free expression, and I commend the work of law enforcement in this matter.”
“Violence and destruction are never an acceptable way to express a disagreement with a particular viewpoint,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio. “While, as Americans, we enjoy the right to disagree, doing so peacefully is the only appropriate option. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio remains committed to protecting the rights of all citizens to express their viewpoints peacefully.”
“The FBI Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force worked alongside the Chester Township Police Department in the matter surrounding a Molotov cocktail used against the Community Church of Chesterland on March 25. The FBI leveraged its task force and its specialized resources to identify, locate, and subsequently arrest the subject earlier today,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “We thank the collaborative work and strong partnership of the Chester Township Police and the Geauga County local authorities who assisted.”
If convicted, Penny faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the malicious use of explosive materials charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession of a destructive device charge.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Charged with Arson and Possession of a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was arrested this morning and charged with one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.
According to court documents, on March 25, Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, used Molotov cocktails against the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), in Chesterland, Ohio, in an attempt to burn the church to the ground.
“As alleged in the charging documents, the defendant used an explosive device to cause harm to a church he found objectionable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “It is the solemn duty of the Department of Justice to safeguard the right of all Americans to free expression, and I commend the work of law enforcement in this matter.”
“Violence and destruction are never an acceptable way to express a disagreement with a particular viewpoint,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio. “While, as Americans, we enjoy the right to disagree, doing so peacefully is the only appropriate option. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio remains committed to protecting the rights of all citizens to express their viewpoints peacefully.”
“The FBI Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force worked alongside the Chester Township Police Department in the matter surrounding a Molotov cocktail used against the Community Church of Chesterland on March 25. The FBI leveraged its task force and its specialized resources to identify, locate and subsequently arrest the subject earlier today,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “We thank the collaborative work and strong partnership of the Chester Township Police and Lake and Geauga County local authorities who assisted.”
If convicted, Penny faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the malicious use of explosive materials charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession of a destructive device charge.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Luling Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Possessing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DOMINIC ROMANO, age 22, a resident of Luling, Louisiana, was sentenced, March 30, 2023, by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 60 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 2252(a)(4)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Additionally, Judge Ashe ordered ROMANO to serve a 10-year period of supervised release and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Judge Ashe scheduled a hearing on July 6, 2023 to determine the amount of restitution ROMANO must pay to the victims of his offense.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip from another law enforcement agency that an individual, subsequently determined to be ROMANO, accessed an online bulletin board having an explicit focus on the advertisement, distribution, and facilitation of sharing child abuse material. The bulletin board contained sections and forums cataloged by the age of the victims and the nature of the violence inflicting on them.
The FBI executed a search warrant on ROMANO’s residence on May 7, 2020. A forensic review of the evidence revealed that ROMANO knowingly used several of the electronic devices seized during the execution of the search warrant to search for, download, and save images and videos of child sexual abuse material. In total, ROMANO’s seized devices contained at least 2589 image and 62 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including children less than three years old. Among ROMANO’s collection was a digital presentation that purported to be an instruction manual on how to successfully victimize “very young girls” without being caught.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department and EPA File Complaint Against Norfolk Southern for Unlawful Discharge of Pollutants and Hazardous Substances in East Palestine DerailmentRead the Press Release
Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced a complaint against Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (Norfolk Southern) related to the Feb. 3, derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The complaint seeks penalties and injunctive relief for the unlawful discharge of pollutants, oil, and hazardous substances under the Clean Water Act, and declaratory judgment on liability for past and future costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
This action follows EPA’s issuance on Feb. 21, 2023 of a Unilateral Administrative Order under CERCLA to Norfolk Southern Railway Company requiring the company to develop and implement plans to address contamination and pay EPA’s response costs associated with the order.
“When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With this complaint, the Justice Department and the EPA are acting to pursue justice for the residents of East Palestine and ensure that Norfolk Southern carries the financial burden for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the community.”
“From the very beginning, I pledged to the people of East Palestine that EPA would hold Norfolk Southern fully accountable for jeopardizing the community’s health and safety,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “No community should have to go through what East Palestine residents have faced. With today’s action, we are once more delivering on our commitment to ensure Norfolk Southern cleans up the mess they made and pays for the damage they have inflicted as we work to ensure this community can feel safe at home again.”
“Last month, the East Palestine community was upended by a horrific train derailment. By filing this complaint today, we are demanding accountability from Norfolk Southern for the harm this event has caused,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will tirelessly pursue justice for the people living in and near East Palestine, who like all Americans deserve clean air, clean water, and a safe community for their children.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office stands with our district’s residents in pursuing accountability and justice in both the immediate and distant future, as we work together to deal with the damage and destruction this disaster has caused,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials, including hazardous substances, pollutants, and oil derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in a pile of burning rail cars, and contamination of the community’s air, land, and water. Residents living near the derailment site were evacuated. Based on information Norfolk Southern provided, the hazardous materials contained in these cars included vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, and benzene residue. Within hours of the derailment, EPA and its federal and state partners began responding to the incident, including providing on-the-ground assistance to first responders and conducting robust testing in and around East Palestine.
The fire caused by the derailment burned for several days. On Feb. 5, monitoring indicated that the temperature in one of the rail cars containing vinyl chloride was rising. To prevent an explosion, Norfolk Southern vented and burned five rail cars containing vinyl chloride in a flare trench the following day, resulting in additional releases.
Since the EPA’s issuance of the Unilateral Administrative Order to Norfolk Southern Railway Company, the EPA has been overseeing that company’s work under the order. Approximately 9.2 million gallons of liquid wastewater, and an estimated 12,932 tons of contaminated soils and solids have been shipped off-site.
The EPA and other federal agencies continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to and following the derailment. The United States will pursue further actions as warranted in the future as its investigatory work proceeds.
*This release has been updated to reflect the correct date, March 31, 2023.
Justice Department Commemorates International Transgender Day of VisibilityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today commemorates International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day that celebrates and lifts up the accomplishments of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people throughout the United States.
“International Transgender Day of Visibility is an important opportunity to reaffirm that transgender people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and to live free from discrimination, violence, and threats of violence,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Protecting the civil rights of everyone in our country was the Justice Department’s founding purpose, and it remains our urgent charge.”
Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division joined with the FBI and the Community Relations Service (CRS) to host a webinar ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
“Members of the LGBTQI+ community must be able to live free of discrimination, harassment, violence, and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “That is why the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has been using every tool in our arsenal to protect the civil rights of LGBTQI+ community members.”
“We want to make it clear that the FBI does not tolerate violence against any members of our communities for any reason,” said FBI Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the LGBTQI+ community and the American people, and to uphold the Constitution of the United States.”
“As America’s Peacemaker, the CRS provides facilitation, mediation, training, and consultation services to help communities prevent and resolve future conflicts,” said CRS Director Paul Monteiro. “And we work with our Justice Department partners to connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with community members in order to build trust, restore respect, and create inclusive and equitable communities for all.”
The Civil Rights Division has used its civil and criminal authorities to enforce laws that guarantee the right of transgender people to live in our communities free from discrimination and threats and acts of violence. For example:
- The division issued a letter to all state attorneys general reminding them of federal constitutional and statutory provisions that protect transgender youth against discrimination, including when those youth seek gender-affirming care.
- The division has also filed statements of interest and amicus briefs in several cases involving the civil and constitutional rights of transgender people, including in Kluge v. Brownsburg Community School Corp. (7th Cir.), Brandt v. Rutledge (8th Cir.), and Corbitt v. Taylor (11th Cir.).
- The division is also challenging Alabama’s Senate Bill 184 (2022), a statute which has been preliminary enjoined by a federal district court, that criminalizes certain forms of gender affirming medical care for transgender minors but allows that same care when cisgender minors seek it.
- The division, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, continues to use federal civil rights laws to secure indictments and convictions in federal hate crimes cases charging defendants for assaulting transgender victims because of their gender identity.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect the civil and constitutional rights of LGBTQI+ individuals is available online at www.justice.gov/crt/lgbtqi-working-group. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Jury Convicts St. Louis Man for Attempted Sex Crimes Against a MinorRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a U.S. District courtroom Wednesday, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against a St. Louis man accused of several attempted sex crimes against a minor.
Members of the jury found Vallie Francis Zeller, 46, guilty of Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Travel with Intent to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor after evidence presented at trial showed he was conversing online with an alleged 15-year-old girl with the intention of having sex with the minor.
“The defendant deliberately tried to exploit a minor for sexual activity and chose to drive across state lines to engage in criminal sex acts, and I’m grateful the jury convicted him on all counts,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The FBI works diligently to protect minors from online predators, and I appreciate their collaboration with our office to put this offender behind bars.”
“The FBI’s investigation revealed a deliberate attempt by Vallie Zeller to victimize a child. Our utilization of proactive investigative techniques stopped Zeller from completing the harm he intended,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “We are grateful to the many law enforcement partners who participated in this investigation.”
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Zeller started conversing on an online platform with a profile created by an undercover FBI agent in June 2020. The agent was posing as a 15-year-old girl, and Zeller began sexually explicit conversations with the account, requested sexually explicit images of the minor, and made plans to meet for illegal sexual activity, knowing she was a minor.
Zeller was convicted of driving across the Missouri-Illinois border to engage in criminal sexual activity once the agent gave him an address for a residence in Collinsville to meet the purported minor. In addition, during the conversation over several days, Zeller asked the alleged girl for nude photographs and other sexually-explicit content.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2023. For his convictions, Zeller faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Zoe Gross are prosecuting the case.
Zeller was one of 14 defendants charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Illinois in June 2020 as the result of an operation involving multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that targeted online predators attempting to meet minors for sex.
The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation with assistance by the FBI St.
Louis Field Office, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Belleville Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Swansea Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Alton Jail, the Monroe County Jail, and the St. Clair County Jail.Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and ImmigrationRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine, who also distributed methamphetamine, and was illegally in the United States was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa on March 23, 2023, to 11 ½ years in prison.
Jose Duenas-Topete, 29, from Hawarden, Iowa, pled guilty on October 12, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distributing methamphetamine, and one count of illegal reentry.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, the evidence showed that from January 2020 to April 2, 2022, as part of the conspiracy, Topete distributed at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. On April 2, 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy/bust operation from Topete and his co-conspirators. Agents observed Topete receive 10 pounds of methamphetamine, in exchange for an initial payment of $5000, from a transporter from Arkansas, sent by Mexico-based sources, at Topete’s request. Topete then transferred the majority of the methamphetamine to an informant working with agents. Thereafter, agents conducted traffic stops of the vehicles involved and seized from the various participants the 10 pounds of meth and the $5000 in buy money supplied by the agents. Topete later admitted he had previously received four shipments containing 5-6 pounds each of methamphetamine from sources in Mexico to distribute to persons in Sioux City and the surrounding area. Evidence further showed that Topete is a native and citizen of Mexico, illegally in the United States and was subject to six previous removals from the United States.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Duenas-Topete was sentenced to 138 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Duenas-Topete remains in U.S. Marshal custody pending transport to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4026.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced to 204 months in prison for receiving child pornography.
Law enforcement identified Jesus Rafael Diaz-Figueroa, 31, after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from KIK that videos depicting child pornography were uploaded using IP addresses found to be associated with Diaz-Figueroa. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Diaz-Figueroa’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices, which contained more than 3,300 images and videos depicting child pornography. Diaz-Figueroa admitted he had been viewing child pornography since high school.
Following his term of imprisonment, Diaz-Figueroa was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Inmate at USP Canaan Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Assaulting Another Inmate with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jordan Anderson, age 28, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 28, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 64 months’ imprisonment for assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Anderson previously pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate on May 10, 2022, at USP Canaan with a sharpened piece of metal commonly known as a “shank.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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 for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on March 31 was:
Kellen Kantrell Norman, 19, of Polson, on charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and manufacture of a controlled substance. 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 charges and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Norman was detained pending further proceedings. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-33.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 30 was:
Nathan Allen Sayler, 46, of Billings, on charges of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and destruction and removal of property to prevent seizure. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sayler faces a minimum mandatory 15 years to 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. Sayler was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-31.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on March 28 was:
Emil Saunders Day Chief, 41, of Great Falls, on charges of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious crime, Day Chief faces a maximum of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Day Chief was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Montana Highway Patrol and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-10.
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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Huntsville Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge this week sentenced a Madison County man for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.
U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Gregory Wade Hughes, 33, of Huntsville, to 101 months in prison followed by lifetime of supervised release. Hughes was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victims. In January 2023, Hughes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations received seventeen cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to an internet protocol (IP) address that had uploaded apparent child sexual abuse materials online. Investigation revealed that the IP address was subscribed at a residence where Hughes lived. On July 12, 2018, a search warrant was executed on the residence and several electronic devices were seized. Forensic examination revealed child sexual abuse material on two of Hughes’ devices. Hughes was interviewed and admitted that he had searched for pornographic videos and images involving children under the age of thirteen. This conviction will require Hughes to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing 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, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Nine TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported nine times was sentenced today to ten months in federal prison.
Jose Lopez-Martinez, age 42, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 19, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Lopez-Martinez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Lopez-Martinez was previously deported to Honduras in April 2000, March 2001, March 2011, July 2011, October 2011, November 2011, February 2012, August 2012, and July 2014. On November 21, 2022, immigration officials learned Lopez-Martinez had illegally returned to the United States and found Lopez-Martinez at the Linn County Jail following his arrest for operating while intoxicated.
Lopez-Martinez was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa in January 2014 of illegally reentering the United States, a felony, and received an eight-month prison term. Lopez-Martinez also has prior convictions in Texas for misdemeanor illegal entry into the United States in April 2011 and December 2011.
Lopez-Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lopez-Martinez was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lopez-Martinez 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 Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-96.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Modesto Ricard IV, 32 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Ricard was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 9, 2021, law enforcement arrested Ricard on an outstanding arrest warrant and recovered a .380 caliber firearm from his pants pocket. Ricard’s criminal history revealed he has a prior felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, and the East Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
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.
Four Additional States Join Justice Department’s Suit to Block JetBlue’s Acquisition of Spirit AirlinesRead the Press Release
Today, the Attorneys General of California, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina joined a civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New York, and the District of Columbia to block JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The Antitrust Division and the state Attorneys General filed an amended complaint in the District of Massachusetts.
“We look forward to litigating this important case alongside our state law enforcement partners to stop JetBlue from eliminating its rival, Spirit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki. “Today we welcome the States of California, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina, who join the complaint to protect the benefits of competition in the airline industry on behalf of their residents.”
Former Stoneham Police Officer Arrested for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former detective sergeant for the Stoneham Police Department has been arrested and charged for allegedly providing false information in rental applications to fraudulently obtain three separate apartment leases for which he intentionally withheld rent payments.
Robert Kennedy, 53, of Stoneham, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Kennedy will appear in federal court in Boston at 10:30 AM today.
According to the charging document, Kennedy defrauded his last three landlords by providing materially false and misleading information in his rental applications to obtain the respective apartment leases. After moving in, it is alleged that Kennedy would intentionally withhold rent payments, despite making $141,000 - $187,000 a year from the Stoneham Police Department. As a result, Kennedy lived in the apartments rent-free by allegedly taking advantage of the slow eviction process.
Specifically, it is alleged that Kennedy defrauded his most recent landlord by submitting materially false and fraudulent information during the rental application process. The landlord required Kennedy to submit to a tenant screening service, which included a credit check and eviction history check. Instead of providing his own date of birth and social security number to the tenant screening service – which would likely have shown Kennedy’s history of collections, delinquent payments, defaults and evictions – Kennedy allegedly provided the date of birth and social security number of a relative who shared his first and last name. The landlord relied on the information from the fraudulently obtained tenant screening report to approve Kennedy’s rental application and give Kennedy a lease for the apartment. It is further alleged that Kennedy immediately and intentionally violated the terms of the lease by giving the landlord bad checks for his rent and security deposit and failing to make subsequent rent payments. Kennedy lived in the apartment for approximately four months without making rent payments and currently owes the landlord approximately $14,000 in overdue rent.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Stoneham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Canton woman was sentenced a 12 month term of probation for the federal crime of mail theft by a postal employee, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Scott Pierce, Inspector in Charge with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
According to Court documents, Sherice E. Davis, 34, of Canton, was a Rural Carrier Associate and delivered mail along a rural route in Hinds County. After receiving complaints of mail theft along Davis’s route, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General agents investigated. On March 9, 2022, agents found Davis in possession of opened mail she did not deliver.
Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2022, and she entered a guilty plea in October 2022.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
Former National Guardsman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
Davenport, IA – A Salem man was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in prison for possession of child pornography.
According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Jason Robert Wesely, 39, a former member of the Iowa National Guard, after receiving a cybertip from a social media platform in May 2020. The tip included descriptions of Wesely’s sexual conversations with an undercover agent, pretending to be a 14-year-old child. Further investigation revealed that Wesely belonged to a chat group where child pornography was shared among its members. Wesely admitted to belonging to the group and to viewing and sharing child pornography. Wesely was ultimately discharged from the Iowa National Guard.
Following his prison term, Wesely was ordered to serve eight years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Former Manager of Brockton RMV Pleads Guilty to Passing Learner's Permit Tests in Exchange for MoneyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton woman pleaded guilty yesterday to accepting money in exchange for agreeing to issue passing learner’s permit test scores to applicants regardless of whether they actually passed or not, at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton.
Mia Cox-Johnson, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2023. Cox-Johnson was charged by an Information on March 2, 2023.
Cox-Johnson, a former manager of the RMV service center in Brockton, took money in exchange for agreeing to give passing scores on learner’s permit tests for both passenger vehicle driver’s licenses and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). Between December 2018 and October 2019, Cox-Johnson conspired to take money in exchange for agreeing to give customers passing scores on their multiple-choice learner’s permit tests even if they did not pass. These customers were told to request a paper test instead of taking the test on the RMV computer. Cox-Johnson scored these customers’ paper tests.
On Dec. 28, 2018, Cox-Johnson accepted $1,000 in cash – delivered from a friend on behalf of another individual – in exchange for giving a passing score to the individual’s relative who had failed the passenger vehicle learner’s permit test six times when taking it in their native language. Cox-Johnson also agreed to score the relative as having passed the permit test regardless of whether they had actually passed. Cox-Johnson did, in fact, pass the relative’s test, which was taken on paper in English.
On Oct. 21, 2019, a customer came to the Brockton RMV and took three multiple-choice tests they needed to pass in order to get a commercial learner’s permit – a prerequisite to taking the road test for a CDL. Cox-Johnson accepted $200 in cash from an individual to score the customer as having passed the tests even if they did not actually pass. In fact, the applicant failed one of the tests, but Cox-Johnson scored the applicant as having passed all three tests.
The charges of extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to commit extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General’s Special Agent-in-Charge is Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Mattapoisett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of Rollins’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Baldwin County Pain Doctor Sentenced to Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A former Baldwin County pain doctor was sentenced today to four years in federal prison for bank fraud, making false statements to federal agents, willfully refusing to pay court ordered restitution, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rassan M. Tarabein, 63, a former neurologist and pain doctor in Baldwin County, pleaded guilty in 2017 to healthcare fraud and unlawful distribution of controlled substances. A federal judge in the Southern District of Alabama ordered Tarabein to pay more than $15 million in restitution to his victims. In early 2018, while awaiting sentencing in his federal case, Tarabein issued cashier’s checks worth more than $100,000 to himself without the court’s approval. Tarabein falsely represented to his probation officer that the checks were for payment of bills. Tarabein was sentenced to five years in federal prison in June 2018, but was released early to home confinement in November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While on home confinement in Fairhope in 2020, and unbeknownst to the court, Tarabein reissued the 2018 cashier’s checks to himself. From 2020 to 2022, Tarabein made no payments toward his restitution obligation. Instead, the jury reviewed evidence that Tarabein had access to and spent large sums of money on himself. In December 2021, Tarabein fraudulently deposited money into his bank account using information from another account that he had agreed to forfeit and that had been closed years earlier as part of his healthcare fraud and drug convictions in 2017. Further, in early 2022, Tarabein made false statements to his probation officer in his financial disclosures while continuing to conceal assets.
In April 2022, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Tarabein at the Pensacola International Airport while he was en route to the Middle East. Agents found Tarabein in possession of, among other things, a $31,000 counterfeit check dated March 2022 from a victim business in Georgia made payable to Tarabein at his address in Fairhope. The counterfeit check bore the name and signature of a representative of the victim business, which had previously lost tens of thousands of dollars from a successful deposit of a nearly identical fraudulent check months earlier.
At today’s sentencing hearing, in addition to the four-year prison term, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Tarabein to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to credit restrictions and will be required to provide financial information to the probation office. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Tarabein to pay $425 in special assessments. Tarabein still owes more than $9 million in victim restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello said, “Defendants who lie to the court and who conceal assets rather than paying the victims of their crime what they are owed will be pursued by the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners. Criminals like Tarabein will not be allowed to escape the consequences of their conduct.”
“It is apparent by the court record Dr. Tarabein had a willful disregard for the rule of law and the very conditions he was supposed to adhere to. I am proud of the diligent work of the FBI and United States Attorney’s Office personnel to hold Dr. Tarabein accountable for his actions and instill justice for the victims of his crimes,” said Paul W. Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Mobile Field Office.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller of the Southern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Heck of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Criminal Division, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Former Air Force Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Stealing Firearm Silencers Intended for Military UseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Troy Lynn Misiak, age 47, of Spring Lake pleaded guilty to felony theft of government property and unlawful possession of an unregistered weapon. According to the Government’s statement during the plea hearing, Misiak used his former position as a United States Air Force Master Sergeant (MSgt) to obtain, among other things, firearm suppressors supposedly for use by his military unit, but which he stole for himself. These items required proper registration under the National Firearms Act, which designated them as property of the United States Air Force. The Government further explained that after Misiak left the Air Force and became a civil service employee of the United States Army, he continued to try to obtain weaponry, sometimes successfully, from firearms dealers and manufacturers that were again purportedly intended for the military’s use, but which Misiak took for his personal collection.
Items seized from Misiak’s home included two Surefire brand firearm suppressors, a Daniel Defense internally suppressed rifle barrel, eight Geissele Automatics brand rifle upper assemblies, two suppressor alignment rods, two suspected rocket launcher tubes, and approximately 6,000 rounds of sealed ammunition. Investigators also seized a 31-page classified document from the US Army Special Operations Command that Misiak was not authorized to possess.
“Our American military is the best-equipped fighting force the world has ever seen, and our military leaders should be good stewards of that equipment, not abuse their positions for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We won’t allow dangerous weaponry that is provided for military use to be stolen without consequences. Today’s guilty plea is just one example of our partnership with the Air Force and ATF to ensure those consequences are meted out.”
“This defendant took advantage of his position, creating a potential threat to public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “There’s a proper procedure for acquiring firearms and related devices. Ignoring that process could lead to firearms ending up in the hands of prohibited and dangerous individuals.”
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment. The theft charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, while the weapon charge also carries a maximum fine of $10,000.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori B. Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-48-D.
Federal Jury Finds Anton “Tony” Lazzaro Guilty on All Counts in Child Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been found guilty by a federal jury of orchestrating a sex trafficking conspiracy in which he trafficked multiple minor girls, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a 10-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Anton Joseph Lazzaro, a/k/a “Tony Lazzaro,” 32, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and five counts of sex trafficking of minors. Lazzaro’s co-defendant, Gisela Castro Medina, 20, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. Sentencing hearings for Lazzaro and Castro Medina will be scheduled at a later date.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, emphasized that this case “represents the face of modern-day sex trafficking.” They went on to state that, “today’s guilty verdict recognizes the bravery of the five young victims who were trafficked by Lazzaro. We are humbled by their courage and inspired by their journeys to regain their power.”
“Today, justice was served. This judgment of guilt means that Mr. Lazzaro will never again be able to use his fortune to manipulate young, vulnerable girls for his benefit. Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors. The FBI and its law enforcement partners are dedicated to safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society and will continue to use all available resources to investigate anyone who engages in such predatory criminal activity.” said Alvin M. Winston, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Minneapolis Division.
“We hope the individuals Lazzaro victimized feel some sense of justice today, and that all sex trafficking survivors know we will continue to work to hold accountable the men and women who commit these terrible crimes. This verdict reinforces that no one is above the law. Lazzaro’s wealth and privilege helped him facilitate these crimes but did not shield him from justice,” said Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
As proven at trial, Lazzaro conspired with Castro Medina to recruit young girls – 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds – to have sex with him in exchange for cash and other items of value. Lazzaro met Castro Medina in May of 2020 through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to identify girls she knew and others on social media who would have sex with him for money. Lazzaro specified that he was looking for young girls of a certain skin color, petite body type, and those who were considered vulnerable, referring to them as “broken girls.” Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls. For her role in recruiting multiple minor girls, Lazzaro paid Castro Medina more than $50,000.
As proven at trial, Lazzaro often sent cars, typically Ubers, to transport the minor girls to his luxury condo in the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis. At one point, Lazzaro sent a driver to pick up a group of 14 and 15-year-olds from a slumber party in St. Michael, Minnesota. When minor girls came to his condo, Lazzaro would give them alcohol, flash stacks of cash, and offer the girls precise sums of money to perform various sex acts. Lazzaro would send the minor girls home with cash, vapes, alcohol, Plan B, cell phones, and other items of value. Lazzaro carried out this trafficking scheme from May 2020 through December 2020.
Following the execution of federal search warrants at Lazzaro’s condo on December 15, 2020, Lazzaro and Castro Medina discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement. As part of her guilty plea, Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro agreed to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek tried the case.
Drug trafficking, pipe bomb possession send Missoula man to prison for more than six yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to a drug trafficking crime after law enforcement found a backpack containing methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and a pipe bomb in his vehicle was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Matthew Lucas Jones, 43, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on June 1, 2021, law enforcement stopped Jones, while he was absconding from state probation, for a traffic violation after he drove into oncoming traffic. Officers searched a backpack in Jones’ vehicle and found heroin containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, dozens of distribution baggies and a pipe bomb. An explosives expert determined the pipe bomb was functional. Jones denied knowing about the pipe bomb or backpack and said that they must have belonged to the vehicle’s previous owner. However, surveillance video showed Jones carrying the backpack when he checked into a hotel the previous evening. Jones also possessed two cell phones, one of which contained multiple text messages indicating he was selling drugs, $1,060 cash, a silver coin and pre-paid cards.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration.
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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Dormont Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing a Firearm with a Glock SwitchRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. - A resident of Dormont, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on March 28 and unsealed today, named Donald Smith, 35, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about March 5, 2023, Smith is alleged to have unlawfully possessed a machine gun and possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. According to the Indictment, Smith is alleged to have possessed a Glock semiautomatic pistol that was equipped with a machinegun conversion device. A machinegun conversion device is a device that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. Under federal law, both the machine conversion device itself as well as the firearm equipped with it are considered machine guns and are illegal.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation and Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendant Posed as Young Girl to Target Victim
WASHINGTON –Christopher Young, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 26 years in prison on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and second-degree child sexual abuse for abusing a minor child, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Young pleaded guilty on Aug. 23, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Amit P. Mehta ordered 15 years of supervised release and ordered Young to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Young used a messaging application to reach out to a 10-year old child in June 2019 pretending to be a young girl. In the messages that Young exchanged with the victim, he blackmailed her for the purpose of sexually abusing her. While pretending to be a young girl, Young messaged the victim, stating that if the victim did not engage in sexual acts with Young, embarrassing photographs of the victim would be disseminated to the victim’s family. Young also photographed his sexual abuse of the victim. One of these photographs was recovered from Young’s e-mail account.
The victim reported the abuse to her mother and Young was arrested on July 23, 2019. He has been in custody since his arrest.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigation Division, Human Trafficking Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, to 84 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, and 12 months for violating his term of federal supervised release.
According to court documents, law enforcement encountered Ki-Jana Kolajuan Ivey, 25, as the front seat passenger during an April 2022 traffic stop. Officers observed a pistol under the front passenger seat where Ivey was sitting. Pursuant to a search warrant of Ivey’s phone, officers found videos and photographs of Ivey in possession of other firearms in the weeks preceding the traffic stop. During an interview, Ivey admitted to possessing the firearms shown on his phone.
In 2018, also in the Southern District of Iowa, Ivey was convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. For that conviction, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. At the time of the traffic stop, Ivey was serving that period of supervised release. As a result of this conviction, Ivey’s supervised released was revoked, and he was sentenced to serve a period of 12 months in prison consecutive to the 84-month sentence. Following his prison term, Ivey was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Bettendorf Police Department investigated the case.
Dominican Republic National Pleads Guilty to Possession of 630 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Victor Reyes-Martinez, 40, of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. A sentencing date for Reyes-Martinez will be set by the Court, and he will face a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on September 11, 2022, while on routine patrol south of the Dominican Republic, a maritime patrol aircraft detected a go-fast vessel navigating on a northerly course approximately 80 nautical miles south of Bani, Dominican Republic. The U.S.S. Billings was dispatched to the area when crew members observed that the vessel had no flag flown, no registration numbers and no name painted on its hull. The Dominican Republic Navy later advised that the vessel was not registered with their country. The vessel was therefore treated as one without nationality thereby subjecting it to laws of the United States. Onboard the vessel, the U.S.S. Billings boarding team detained Reyes-Martinez and another individual and located 18 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 630 kilograms.
The United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Illegal Gun SalesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for illegally selling ghost guns. A ghost gun is a firearm that has been manufactured by an individual and not by a firearms manufacturing company.
Zachary Zella, 30, of Dudley, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 92 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2022, Zella pleaded guilty to engaging in and conspiring to engage in the business of dealing and manufacturing firearms without a license. Zella was arrested and charged in June 2022 along with a co-defendant.
“Ghost guns pose a real and imminent threat to public safety in our communities. When unregistered firearms get into the hands of prohibited individuals, we are less safe. Each of these illegal ghost guns could have been used in a violent crime, shooting or murder. Each bullet represents a potential shooting or homicide victim. Keeping illegal firearms off our streets and out of the hands of prohibited individuals is critical to addressing and eliminating gun violence,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We pledge to do everything in our power to hold individuals engaged in illegal firearms sales accountable. Today’s sentence proves just that.”
“Zachary Zella is a now a twice convicted felon who has continued to demonstrate why he is a serious danger to the community. Most recently, Mr. Zella admitted to selling non-serialized firearms to us. With today’s sentence, this career criminal has been held accountable for his blatant disregard for the law, and for putting innocent people in potential danger,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This investigation illustrates how the FBI is working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and remove dangerous criminals and weapons from our streets.”
On three separate occasions between March and May 2022, the Zella sold a confidential source four 9mm ghost gun pistols – one of which contained a Gamo laser sight – and ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta and Carol Mici, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial Bennett and Brendan O’Shea of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Clinton Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – A Clinton man was sentenced Tuesday to 27 years in federal prison for production of child pornography and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Timothy Craig Geerts, 49, sexually abused a child and recorded the abuse. Geerts also surreptitiously recorded that child, and two other children, naked, in the bathroom. As a part of the investigation, officers also located videos of Geerts sexually assaulting an incapacitated adult, who he admitted to drugging. Geerts was previously convicted in state court of sexually assaulting one of the child victims.
Geerts also possessed three firearms. He was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a drug user.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Geerts will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Geerts will also be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clinton Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Charlotte Woman Sentenced in Middle District for Conspiracy Drug Trafficking After Multi-State OperationRead the Press Release
WINSTON SALEM – A North Carolina woman was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment which charged her and six codefendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine. The case was part of a multi-state organized crime investigation, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
BETTY ODESSA DOVER, age 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to a 168-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, DOVER was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a special assessment of $100.00. She pleaded guilty on September 15, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court records, in 2020, various law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico. Members of this organization had been previously convicted in the MDNC for drug trafficking. Defendants in another drug-related case had reported picking up tens of thousands of dollars at a time from DOVER and dropping off money and kilogram amounts of cocaine to DOVER for the drug trafficking organization. During the investigation into those offenses, investigators executed a search warrant at DOVER’s home and recovered 238 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and three firearms. DOVER admitted to investigators during an interview that she had participated in the purchasing and selling of drugs along with another codefendant, Whitney Leigh Estep, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 10, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and multiple sheriff’s offices and police departments across North Carolina. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob D. Pryor.
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California Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offense Involving Two-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob David Dockter, 28, of Taft, California, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for distribution of child pornography, followed by 120 months of supervised release.
On May 28, 2020, a law enforcement officer was acting in an undercover capacity as part of the Metropolitan Police Department-Federal Bureau of Investigation (“MPD-FBI”) Child Exploitation Task Force, operating out of a satellite office in Washington, D.C. In that capacity, the undercover officer entered a private online group devoted to the receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Dockter began communicating with the undercover officer via private message on the online platform. Dockter told the undercover officer that he was a 25-year-old man from Southern California and that he had access to a two-year-old female relative. He told the undercover officer that he had taken nude images of this two-year-old relative in the past. Dockter then sent the undercover officer multiple live nude photos of the child, as well as one sexually explicit image.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation commended the work of those who worked on the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD’s Youth Investigations Division. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and April Russo, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen E. Stauss, and Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Transporting Firearms from Alabama into MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally transporting firearms from Alabama into Massachusetts.
Jarmori Brown, 20, pleaded guilty on March 29, 2023 to one count of illegal transportation or receipt in state of residency of firearm purchased or acquired outside of state of residency, and one count of conspiracy to illegally transport firearms. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2023.
In July 2022, Brown was charged along with co-defendants Brandon Moore, Jahquel Pringle and Kobe Smith. Brown has been in state custody on unrelated state charges since being charged federally. Pringle and Smith are currently in federal custody pending the government’s appeal of a District of Oregon order of release on conditions. Moore’s case was transferred to his home district of the Middle District of Alabama, where he has since pleaded guilty.
“The illegal trafficking of firearms is a serious crime and threat to public health and safety. Every illegal firearm in our Commonwealth fuels gun violence in our communities. Each can potentially be used to commit a shooting or homicide. Preventing the trafficking of illegal firearms and removing them from our streets is critical to addressing and reducing violent crime,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Brown knowingly circumvented the law to unlawfully purchase multiple firearms in another state and funnel them into our Commonwealth. At least seven of these illegal firearms have since been recovered from the streets of Boston and surrounding communities. Every single day, our City and our nation feel the devastating and deadly consequences of firearms. Trafficking plays a direct role in this. Anyone who attempts to evade firearm laws and put Massachusetts residents in jeopardy will be targeted and held accountable.”
“Transporting firearms across state lines with the express intent of furthering criminal activity will not be tolerated, and ATF will continue to use our resources to stop these crimes in their tracks,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.
According to court documents, Brown, Pringle, Smith and Moore conspired to obtain at least 24 firearms from Alabama, where Moore lived, and then transport them to Boston. In August 2020, Brown traveled from Boston to Alabama on a commercial bus to pick up the firearms from Moore and then transported the firearms, concealed within luggage, back to Boston on the commercial bus. At least seven firearms obtained in this manner have been recovered by law enforcement from the streets of Boston and surrounding communities.
Both the interstate transportation charge and the conspiracy charge provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ballwin Man Admits Sex with Minors, Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Ballwin, Missouri on Thursday admitted distributing child pornography and engaging in sexual contact with underage girls he’d approached on Snapchat.
Luke Edward Nicozisin, 22, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to one count of distribution of child pornography.
Nicozisin admitted sending nude images of himself to three 15-year-old girls and one 12-year-old girl, soliciting nude pictures of a 15-year-old and having sex with two 15-year-old girls. He also recorded videos of himself having sex with one of the 15-year-olds. Nicozisin initially approached the girls via Snapchat.
One of his victims reported Nicozisin to a school resource officer on July 28, 2021, prompting Nicozisin’s initial arrest.
Other victims came forward that October. On Oct. 20, 2021, a court-approved search was conducted of Nicozisin’s home, and investigators found an iPhone containing multiple pictures of videos of himself with one of the victims as well as condoms that depicted Nicozisin’s Instagram account.
At his sentencing, scheduled for July 7, Nicozisin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI, the Manchester Police Department and the Chesterfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Arizona man sentenced to 70 months in prison for laundering money and seeking to deliver ammunition to drug trafficking organizations in MexicoRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 28-year-old resident of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and his attempt to smuggle ammunition for high powered firearms into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Rafael Alejandro Canez, was arrested November 13, 2021, after he was contacted on multiple occasions attempting to hide ammunition in his vehicle to smuggle across the border to Mexico. Canez was also identified as part of a separate money laundering conspiracy. At the sentencing hearing Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said “If you are involved in money laundering for a drug ring, you don’t know for sure someone is going to die from the drugs…. But unfortunately, cartels are awash in guns. If you are smuggling ammunition and gun parts the result is people dying -- innocent bystanders, other cartel members, or law enforcement officers.”
“The conduct in this case touches on the two things that keep the cartels flooding our country with drugs: the money they make and the guns they use to enforce their often violent conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Mr. Canez played a critical role as a smuggler of both money and ammunition and so must be held accountable.”
According to records filed in the case, Canez played a significant role in a massive multi-state and multi-national “funnel account” money laundering scheme. Canez traveled across the country collecting funds and depositing them in bank accounts which then were accessed to wire money to cartel connections in Mexico, or to withdraw cash and smuggle the money into Mexico. Canez personally laundered more than $1 million in cash for the drug trafficking organization. In just a few months in 2017 and 2018, more than $120,000 from Western Washington flowed through Canez’ account. Canez traveled to Illinois, Arizona, and New Mexico to pick up cash and make deposits – in Chicago alone he picked up $800,000 in currency.
On multiple occasions in 2020 and 2021, Canez came to the attention of law enforcement for his munitions smuggling scheme. In June of 2020, Homeland Security Investigations contacted him when he ordered 5,000 links for machine gun ammunition. The links allow a “belt” of bullets to be fed into the machine gun. Law enforcement seized the links. About a year later, Canez was found with 3,000 rounds for an AK-47 style rifle, and an upper receiver for an AR-15 style assault rifle. Canez admitted he planned to smuggle the ammunition into Mexico. Records reflect that he had purchased 16,000 rounds of that type of ammunition.
Finally, Canez was contacted as he was trying to leave the U.S. for Mexico and was found to be carrying 55 high-capacity magazines for AR-15-style assault rifles. The magazines were hidden in the spare tire underneath his vehicle.
Multiple law enforcement agencies worked on this case including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington and Arizona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) in Arizona, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Western Washington, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Arizona.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.
American Man Who Joined ISIS in Syria Sentenced to 20 yearsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A U.S. citizen, Emraan Ali (“Ali”), has been sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release by the Honorable Beth Bloom for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. Ali entered a guilty plea on November 22, 2022.
On March 20, 2015, Ali, aka Abu Jihad Al-Trinidadi Al-Amriki, took his family from Trinidad and Tobago to Brazil, and thereafter to Turkey and Syria with the purpose of joining ISIS. Before leaving Trinidad and Tobago to join ISIS, Ali set up a financial system whereby he could receive funds in Syria, collected $15,000 in cash, falsely told his children they were going on vacation, and melted down gold to be converted to jewelry so he would have money and financial support once he was in Syria. Ali also made efforts to make Trinidadian authorities believe he was not leaving Trinidad so they would not interfere with his efforts to provide material support to ISIS.
Upon arriving in Turkey, Ali and his family stayed in Istanbul and then traveled to Gaziantep, Turkey. While in Gaziantep, Ali contacted coconspirators to arrange for travel across the Turkey-Syria border to join ISIS. Shortly thereafter, Ali and his family were driven from Gaziantep to the Syrian border in a van. Once at the border Ali and his family, including small children, got out of the van and ran across the border into Syria on foot.
Once they arrived in ISIS controlled territory, ISIS registered Ali and his family, who thereafter joined a settlement in Manbij, Syria, where they lived while Ali awaited ISIS military training. From July through November 2015, Ali went to Raqqa, Syria, for ISIS religious and military training with other English speakers. The training included instruction on the operation of various automatic weapons such as the AK-47 assault rifle and PKC machine gun. Following this training, Ali was assigned an ISIS census number in the “12000” series - the series reserved for military enlistees. He was given boots, socks, and a gun barrel. Ali also registered with ISIS the M4 weapon he had personally acquired.
After he completed military training, Ali was assigned to the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah (battalion) in Raqqa and received an ISIS identification card under the kunya (alias) of “Abu-Jihad al-Trinidad al-Amriki” or “Abu Jihad TNT.” Between September and November 2015, Ali’s son, Jihad Mohammed Ali, then 15 years old, began attending ISIS religious and military training in Raqqa, after which he also was assigned to the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah. Eventually, Ali was discharged from the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah for medical reasons, and he moved his family to another location in Raqqa, which had become the de facto ISIS capital.
Ali thereafter continued to provide material support to ISIS and contribute to its economy while in Raqqa, approximately between 2015 and 2017. First, Ali worked in residential construction for ISIS. Ali’s construction work helped create homes for ISIS members, including fighters and their families who occupied territories ISIS claimed from Syria. Like others who received housing to help the occupation, Ali also received free housing upon his arrival in Syria and his entry into ISIS military training. In addition, Ali worked to create buildings for ISIS operations. Ali also became a merchant, thereby supporting ISIS and its members. Ali began buying and selling livestock, cars, weapons, weapons accessories, and telephones to and from other ISIS members.
Ali also assisted ISIS’s military goals by purchasing and selling weapons and weapons accessories to ISIS members to use in their fighting, preferring superior American-made accessories to those manufactured by China. Ali also provided money remitting services to other Trinidadian ISIS fighters in Syria, serving as a “hawalder,” or money transfer broker. He also donated his own money to ISIS members to support the ISIS cause.
Eventually, in late 2017, Ali left Raqqa with his family and moved to Mayadin, Syria, which had become the new headquarters for ISIS after the Coalition Forces retook Raqqa. While in Mayadin, Ali was assigned to an ISIS housing battalion, or katibah, and received an ISIS identification card. Consistent with ISIS’s bureaucratic structure, Ali also received a monthly stipend or payment in the amount of $35 US per adult and $28 US per child in his household. In addition, Ali was again provided free housing by ISIS.
In 2018, Ali moved his family to Hajin, Syria, where ISIS assigned him to construct a well to provide the ISIS community with potable water. When ISIS came under attack in Hajin, Ali moved his family to Al-Shafah, Syria, where he ran a store that sold various goods. While in Hajin, Ali donated some of the store’s profits to other ISIS members, thereby furthering ISIS’s goals.
Between late 2018 and early 2019, after ISIS was targeted in Al-Shafah, Ali moved his family to Baghuz, Syria, the last ISIS stronghold before its collapse in 2019. In fact, in March 2019, just before his surrender on March 19, Ali urged other Trinidadian ISIS members to refuse to surrender to the Coalition Forces. Ali did this in the hope that Coalition Forces would allow ISIS members to simply relocate.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Stratton for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20123.
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Alamogordo man pleads guilty to enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Alfonso Salcido Herrera, Jr. pleaded guilty to the enticement of a minor. Herrera, 45, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in 2018 and continuing into 2022, Herrera groomed and sexually abused at least four children who were between nine and 13 years old at the time of the abuse. Herrera showed each of the four minor victims pornography from the Internet on his cell phone in an attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the minor victims to engage in sexual activity with him.
Herrera faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. Under the terms of his agreement with the government, Herrera can be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the Alamogordo Police Department and the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Matilda McCarthy Villalobos and Joni Autrey Stahl are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Additional Federal Charges Brought in Superseding Indictment for Murder of Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’ConnorRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that a Superseding Indictment was unsealed today in relation to the murder of Philadelphia Police Corporal James “Jimmy” O’Connor, posthumously promoted to Sergeant. The 31-count Superseding Indictment includes a RICO conspiracy, three additional counts of murder, nine non-fatal shootings, and related charges for Hassan Elliott, a/k/a “Haz,” age 25; Khalif Sears, a/k/a “Leaf,” a/k/a “Lil Leaf,” age 21; and two previously unnamed defendants, Kelvin Jiminez a/k/a “Nip,” age 32; and Dominique Parker, a/k/a “Dom,” age 31, all of Philadelphia.
The original Indictment charged the murder of Sergeant O’Connor, as well as related drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
The Superseding Indictment charges all four defendants with:
- conspiracy to participate in a racketeering (RICO) enterprise (1 count); and
- conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (1 count).
Additional charges include:
- murder in aid of racketeering (4 counts);
- assault in aid of racketeering (9 counts);
- attempted assault in aid of racketeering (2 counts);
- possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (1 count);
- using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (5 counts);
- murder in the course of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm (4 counts);
- possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance (1 count);
- maintaining a drug involved premises (1 count); and
- possession of a firearm by a felon (2 counts).
The Superseding Indictment alleges that the defendants were members of a violent drug trafficking organization known as “1700 Scattergood,” which operated in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia. The defendants allegedly sold large quantities of narcotics over a multi-year period, using violence and threats of violence to protect their reputation and drug territory. The Superseding Indictment alleges that in furtherance of that conspiracy, Elliott and others killed Kaseem Rogers on December 3, 2018; Tyrone Tyree on March 1, 2019; and Dontae Walker on August 22, 2019.
On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears, and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge Street when Sergeant O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department’s SWAT team arrived with a homicide warrant for Elliott related to the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As Sergeant O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and announced their presence multiple times, Elliott allegedly fired a semi-automatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O’Connor.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible penalty of lifetime imprisonment. In addition, contained within the Superseding Indictment is a Notice of Special Findings for defendant Elliott for each of the four charges of murder while using or carrying a firearm. These Notices make Elliott eligible for the death penalty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Diviny, Ashley Martin, and Lauren Stram.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
33-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Importation of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Sergio Caballero, 35, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Caballero pleaded guilty to Importation of Methamphetamine.
On September 1, 2021, Caballero entered the United States from Mexico via the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. At the time of his crossing, Caballero was driving a Chevrolet Suburban that he claimed to own. During a routine inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers noticed irregularities with the vehicle’s gas tank. They later discovered 90 packages in the gas tank that contained approximately 43.04 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: 21-CR-02517-TUC-RM (DTF)
21-CR-50140-TUC-RM (DTF)RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-046_Caballero
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Thursday 30 March 2023
Ypsilanti Man Pleads Guilty to Lying About His Work on a Classified Naval Project for a Foreign Country During Application Process for a U.S. Navy JobRead the Press Release
DETROIT – An Ypsilanti man pleaded guilty this week to making several false statements in his security clearance application for a job working with the United States Navy overseas, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court records, Yifei Chu, age 57, a naturalized U.S. citizen and recent employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), applied for a three-year detailed assignment to the United States Embassy in Singapore working for the United States Navy. To obtain this position, Chu was required to apply for and obtain a security clearance. Chu made several false statements in his security clearance application during an interview with federal background investigators and in an affidavit he signed regarding his security clearance application.
Chu’s false statements were made to hide his extensive contacts with members of the Taiwanese Navy and a Taiwanese company. These contacts included the fact that Chu was hired by the Taiwanese company to provide consulting services on a “classified” Taiwanese Navy project, was paid money by the Taiwanese company, and that he traveled to Taiwan on multiple occasions to meet with members of the Taiwanese Navy on a military base in Taiwan in performance of his consulting services.
Chu pleaded guilty to both counts charged in the indictment: (1) making false statements and (2) falsifying records in a federal investigation. Chu faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the false statements charge, and a maximum of twenty years in prison on the false record in a federal investigation charge. Sentencing is set for August 15, 2023 before United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts.
“It is vital that those individuals who gain access to classified information related to our national defense are truthful and honest about their connections to foreign governments so that our nation’s military secrets do not end up in the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
“This case is about more than just lying on a job application,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “In order to obtain a position with the U.S. Navy, Chu attempted to hide his extensive contacts with the Taiwanese government, potentially giving them access to our nation’s classified information and military technology. The FBI continues to work tirelessly to ensure only the most trusted people have access to the U.S. Government’s sensitive information.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Waterstreet.
Worcester Man Indicted for Receiving and Possessing Machinegun While Under IndictmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on two firearms charges.
Jose Rivera, 24, was charged by indictment with unlawful possession of a machine gun and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Rivera was initially charged on March 7, 2023 for possession of a machinegun.
According to the charging documents, during a search of Rivera’s Worcester residence on March 7, 2023, three Glock switches – including one attached to a Glock .40 caliber firearm were recovered. Glock switches convert semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machine guns and are considered machine guns under federal law. The indictment alleges that Rivera received the Glock .40 caliber firearm at some point on or after Oct. 9, 2021, while he was under indictment in state court for a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of over a year.
The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is also a 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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wilson Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud Scheme in North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Nekita Donyae Hooks, 44, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loan. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
“This defendant, along with his network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.”
According to the charged criminal information, the defendant conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan on behalf of Hooks’ business. Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud.
According to charging documents and information summarized in court, Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for the PPP loan which they provided to Hooks in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds. The fraudulent application falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID pandemic, in order to help qualify for the PPP loan. Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker instructed Hooks as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees, when in reality the money was transferred back to Hooks. The fraudulent payroll records were then submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness.
Late last year, Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals in the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea. Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge James C. Dever III later this year. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00025-D.
West Columbia Gang Member Pleads to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Darius Antonio Pugh, 36, of West Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine), and a quantity of cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of August 14, 2020, a Charleston County deputy conducted a traffic stop of a speeding car. Pugh, the driver, was in the car with a friend. As the deputy was speaking with Pugh, he saw loose “shake” (marijuana) inside the car, which gave the deputy probable cause to search the car. Deputies recovered a small baggie of cocaine and a loaded handgun. Pugh, who was out on a state bond from Lexington County for a shooting, was arrested on new state charges and thereafter made another state bond.
While out on state bond, Pugh, a gang member, was involved in a high speed chase with Richland County deputies. Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of April 9, 2022, Richland County deputies responded to a home invasion in progress in northeast Columbia. Enroute, deputies received information that the suspect fled in an older model Expedition. While responding to the call, a deputy encountered an older model Expedition fitting the general description in the area. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop of the Expedition for having improper vehicle tags.
As the deputy turned on his blue lights and siren, the Expedition fled onto 1-77 with speeds in excess of 100mph. The chase continued onto 277 South and came to a stop within the Colony apartment complex, after the Expedition struck a parked car as it attempted to make a turn at a high rate of speed. Pugh, the driver and sole occupant of the Expedition, exited the SUV and was stopped by the deputy after a short foot chase. Inside a bag that Pugh had, deputies found a loaded handgun with an extended magazine and clear bags of methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. A search of Pugh’s Expedition revealed another loaded handgun, along with a jar of marijuana and a digital scale. Both handguns were determined to have been previously stolen in Charlotte. It was determined that Pugh was not the suspect involved in the home invasion and that his Expedition was not the Expedition the home invasion victim said left the scene.
Federal law prohibits Pugh from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior state convictions that include possession of cocaine, possession of other controlled substance, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (two separate convictions), possession of stolen motor vehicle, distribution of heroin, distribution of fentanyl, failure to stop for blue light and siren, and discharging firearms into a dwelling.
Pugh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 on the firearm charges and a mandatory minimum of 10 years with a maximum of life and a fine of $8,000,000 on the drug charge. After service of the term of imprisonment, Pugh will also face a term of supervised release of at least 8 years. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
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Wesley Chapel Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting and Producing Sexual Abuse Material Depicting Half A Dozen ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Clayton Everett Colborn (31, Wesley Chapel) has pleaded guilty to two counts of enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity, five counts of using minors to produce child sexual abuse images and videos, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material. Colborn faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison and mandatory court-ordered restitution. Colborn has agreed to forfeit electronic devices and his black Chevrolet Corvette, which were used in the commission of the offense. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, between 2018 and continuing through 2020, Colborn used a social networking application to find minors for the purpose of engaging in sex acts. Colborn, who was between the ages of 27 and 28 at the time of his offenses, created a fictitious profile named “Jason Rich” and indicated that he was 16 years old. The social networking application is designed to help people make friendships and has two distinct age groups based on a user’s profile: 1) ages 13 to 17 years old, and 2) ages 18 years and older. Using the fictitious profile, Colborn met the victims in group one—ages 13 to 17 years old. He told the victims he was 16 years old and enticed them into engaging in sexual intercourse with him at various locations throughout the Middle District of Florida, including his car, apartment, and victims’ residences. In one instance, the Ocoee Police Department caught Colborn in a public park in the middle of the night with a child victim. Colborn’s pants were unzipped at the time officers chased and apprehended him in the park. Law enforcement officers obtained DNA evidence which showed that Colborn had engaged in sexual activity with the child victim.
To date, the FBI has identified and interviewed seven child victims who all resided within the Middle District of Florida. Colborn victimized each child victim in a similar manner.
During the investigation, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for Colborn’s iCloud account and found approximately 30 videos and 81 images that Colborn had produced of himself engaging in sexual acts with various young girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years old.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ocoee Police Department, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
Anyone with information regarding Clayton Everett Colborn, also known as “Jason Rich,” “Jason,” “Clay,” or “Clayay” should call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit online at tips.fbi.gov.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Van Zandt County Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas - A Canton man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Ashton Norris, 30, pleaded guilty on August 22, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.
According to information presented in court, on Oct. 4, 2021, Norris was stopped on IH-20 in Van Zandt County for a defective license plate lamp. During the stop, it was discovered that Norris had an active warrant for his arrest out of Wood County and Norris was placed under arrest. An inventory of the vehicle after Norris was arrested revealed a backpack with approximately 103 grams of methamphetamine. Norris was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 5, 2021 and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the Canton Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
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Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Renay Williams, 62, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between September and November 2020, Williams sold large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine on numerous occasions to an undercover agent. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of approximately 3 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. He faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges are pending against co-defendant, Clarence Courtney, 57, of Vallejo. Courtney is scheduled for a jury trial to begin on March 11, 2024. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Jane E. Young Announces New Criminal Division LeadershipRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced the appointments of Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth R. Aframe to serve as the Criminal Division Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis to serve as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief.
“I am delighted to announce Seth Aframe as the Criminal Division Chief and Jennifer Davis as the Deputy Criminal Chief,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Together, Seth and Jen have diligently served the office for more than half a century. Each bring strong legal, analytical, and mentorship skills. Additionally, they have demonstrated an unparalleled devotion to this outstanding office. I am confident that under their leadership the Criminal Division will continue to thrive.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aframe has served the U.S. Department of Justice since 2007 in the District of New Hampshire’s criminal and civil divisions, most recently serving as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief. Over the course of his esteemed career, Mr. Aframe prosecuted a variety of federal violations, including fraud, drug, firearm, and child exploitation crimes. He also litigated over 100 appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Mr. Aframe has served as the District’s Elections Coordinator and Civil Rights Coordinator since 2018.
Mr. Aframe is a respected member of his community. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire Law School, and previously served as a School Board Member in Hopkinton. Mr. Aframe is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.
Ms. Davis has nearly 30 years of experience serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Hampshire. Most recently, she has conducted complex long-term narcotics investigations as the District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator and National Opioid Coordinator. Since 2022, she has served as a mentor for her colleagues as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel.
Ms. Davis has prosecuted and tried cases related to health care and security fraud, firearm and narcotics, immigration, and white-collar crimes. Earlier in her career, Ms. Davis received a detail appointment as the Assistant Director for Criminal Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Education, where she oversaw the implementation of trainings for the country’s federal prosecutors. She is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Files Lawsuit Against Local 1456 to Compel Fair Election of Union OfficersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to compel Port Police and Security Guards Union, Local 1456, to hold a fair election under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
The lawsuit alleges that Local 1456 established bylaws for the election of union officers that rendered 98 percent of the union’s membership ineligible to be elected to leadership positions. The suit alleges that any union member who missed the union’s September 2021 meeting – more than a year before the election – was rendered ineligible by that fact alone. The suit alleges that Local 1456’s officers disqualified at least four individuals who were or sought to be nominated at its nomination meeting on Nov. 1, 2022. A slate of five officers – four of whom had voted to disqualify candidates who might have opposed them – was then elected unopposed.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman of the Camden office.
The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegation must still be proven in federal court.
ppgu1456.complaint.pdfTwo Involved in Violent Robberies of AT&T Stores Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that two participants in a spree of violent robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. SHAQUILLE RAYMOND, 25, of Hartford was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and SAVIANA BOURNE, 25, of Middletown, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, Raymond, Alex Josephs, Ronaldo Smith and Deshawn Baugh committed several violent armed robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The perpetrators typically entered the stores shortly before closing, pointed weapons at employees, and, at times, pistol-whipped, dragged, and shoved employees toward the back inventory room. They then held the employees at gunpoint while loading large bags with cell phones and other electronics. The group stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. Bourne, who worked at AT&T stores, helped plan the robberies, served as a getaway driver, and coordinated the sale of the stolen merchandise.
The investigation revealed that Raymond, Josephs, and Smith robbed AT&T stores in Newington on January 29, 2021, and Enfield on February 24, 2021. Baugh then joined the conspiracy and together they robbed an AT&T store in Canton on April 15, 2021, and attempted to rob stores in Torrington and Glastonbury in May 2021, but were locked out of the stores.
On June 6, 2021, Raymond and his associates, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, two revolvers, and a semiautomatic rifle, robbed an AT&T store in West Springfield, Massachusetts. After the robbery, they fled in a vehicle driven by Bourne, who led police on a high-speed chase that ended when their vehicle collided with a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. Raymond, Josephs, Smith, Baugh, and Bourne were arrested, and a search of the vehicle revealed more than $150,000 in stolen merchandise, as well as the firearms used during the robbery.
Judge Underhill ordered Raymond and Bourne to pay restitution of $298,073.86, which reflects the losses from the Newington, Enfield, and Canton robberies. The property stolen in the West Springfield robbery was recovered.
Raymond and Bourne have been detained since their arrests. On October 28, 2022, Raymond pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On November 30, 2021, Bourne pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
Josephs, Smith, and Baugh also pleaded guilty. On March 1, 2023, Baugh was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution of $124,842.45, which reflects the loss from the Canton robbery. Josephs and Smith await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI's Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police and the Newington, Enfield, Canton, Torrington, Glastonbury, and West Springfield Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Tuscola Man Sentenced to 27 years in Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Tuscola County man, who went by the online moniker “thefundad,” was sentenced this week to 27 years in prison for sexually exploiting two 13-year-old girls, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Office.
Brian Siwka, age 39, of Reese, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington. Siwka sexually exploited two 13-year-old girls that he found through the “Kik” social media application. He engaged in sexual chats with both girls and made them take sexually explicit photographs of themselves and send them to him over the internet via Kik. Siwka further admitted that he had produced nearly two dozen recordings of other minors online, whom he had also made engage in sexually explicit conduct for him. At the time of his arrest in September 2020, Siwka was in possession of 178 images of child pornography and 21 videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct at the urging of Siwka on his laptop.
“This defendant repeatedly sought out, groomed, and sexually exploited multiple children whom he met online,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Our work rooting out these online sexual predators seems never-ending, but my office will not stop bringing online sexual predators and all who prey on our children to justice.”
“Our agents and partners will continue to identify and apprehend these predators within our communities and work to bring them to justice,” said Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Office. “It is my hope that this sentencing brings some measure of peace to these victims and deters others from targeting children online.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Nee.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to Serve 192 Months for Possessing and Intending to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jondell Middlebrooks, age 42, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 192 months in federal prison following his conviction for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Chief Joseph Cecile, City of Syracuse Police Department, and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Middlebrooks admitted that on June 23, 2022, he possessed a quantity of cocaine that he stored in Syracuse, NY and intended to distribute. At the time he possessed it, Middlebrooks was on supervised release following a 2019 federal drug conviction.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby further sentenced Middlebrooks to a consecutive 18-month term of imprisonment for violating his supervised release and a new six-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his terms of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the DEA-Syracuse Resident Office, the Syracuse Police Department, the New York State Police, and the United States Probation Department-Northern District of New York. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.