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28 April 2023
Wisconsin Owner of Consulting Firm Pleads Guilty to Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin businessman who helped secure international business deals for his clients pleaded guilty today to willfully filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Qasim Khan of Milwaukee owned and operated Global Focus Partners LLC, a consulting business through which he successfully brokered contracts between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other businesses located in the United States and abroad. For 2015 to 2017, Khan reported his income from U.S.-based businesses, but did not report over $350,000 in payments received from foreign companies in the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In total, Khan’s multi-year scheme to omit foreign-source income from his tax returns caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $127,306.
Khan is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2023, and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Amanda R. Scott of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Webster Man Charged in Connection with Two Pipe Bomb ExplosionsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A man has been charged in connection with two pipe bomb explosions in Weare, New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Dale Stewart, 54, was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, a destructive device, and possessing a destructive device unidentified by a serial number. Stewart will make an initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Stewart is currently in custody on state charges related to the destructive device explosions.
According to the charging documents, Stewart allegedly constructed and detonated two destructive devices in Weare, New Hampshire on April 26, 2023 and April 27, 2023. In response to the explosions, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Stewart’s vehicle and retrieved an additional destructive device, constructed of white PVC pipe, with glued end caps, wrapped in black electrical tape, with a green hobby fuse protruding from one of the end caps. The destructive device found in the vehicle contained more than 4 ounces of an explosive material, consistent with the manufacturing of the two recovered suspected pipe bombs from the two separate detonation scenes in Weare, New Hampshire.
The charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and possessing a destructive device unidentified by serial number provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $ 10,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Weare Police Department; and the Federal Protective Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Waterford Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bradley Boisen, age 26, of Waterford, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a child, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Boisen admitted that on April 21, 2021, he met someone over the internet and agreed to pay this person $100 to engage in sexual acts with a 14-year-old child. That same day, Boisen traveled to a location in Albany, where he was to meet and engage in sexual acts with the minor.
Upon arriving at the meeting location, Boisen informed an undercover law enforcement officer that he had only $60 and negotiated as to what sex acts he could engage in for $60. After coming to an agreement, Boisen handed the undercover officer $30, half of the agreed-upon price, and promised to provide the remaining $30 after he engaged in the sexual acts with the 14-year-old child. Boisen was then arrested.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Boisen to serve 15 years of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Boisen will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by the United States Attorney’s offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc
Valdosta Resident Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Valdosta, Georgia, resident was sentenced to federal prison this week for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of extremely young minors after an initial investigation into the defendant taking suspicious photos of a young woman at her workplace.
James Spencer Cochran, 50, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release and $4,500 in restitution to a victim by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson on April 26, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexual abuse material on Sept. 20, 2022. In addition, Cochran will have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole.
“A teenager reported that her privacy had been violated by a customer at her workplace; her call resulted in a child predator being held accountable for possessing child sexual abuse material of young children,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to thank this concerned citizen for speaking up, and I am grateful that the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI swiftly launched an investigation which held this predator accountable.”
“This sentencing of Mr. Cochran removes from our community an individual who has demonstrated his willingness to exploit vulnerable children through child sexual abuse material,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners work every day to protect our children and will continue to use every law enforcement resource available to identify those who take advantage of our most innocent victims.”
“This is the second case this week involving child predators in our community that resulted in federal sentences without parole,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. “I am thankful for the strong partnership we have at the federal level to keep predators off the streets and away from our children.”
According to court documents, in May 2018, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated a complaint from a young woman who stated that one of her customers, Cochran, was suspiciously taking photos of her with his cellular phone at the restaurant where she worked. Cochran was interviewed and consented to a search of his phone, where agents found photos of the woman, as well as multiple photos of fully clothed, prepubescent females and girls under the age of 12-years-old. Cochran admitted there were “some minors” and “a little nudity” on his personal computer at his home, and he consented to a search of his devices. A search warrant was executed, and Cochran’s electronic devices were seized. With the assistance of FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, agents identified 16 videos and 87 images containing child sexual abuse material, mostly of minors under the age of 12-years-old. Cochran told law enforcement that he would download, view and then delete the images before downloading more because he knew it was illegal.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch prosecuted the case for the Government.
United States Attorney Names Long-Time Federal Prosecutor Arvo Q. Mikkanen to Serve in Newly Created Role as Senior Counsel for Tribal RelationsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, United States Attorney Robert J. Troester named Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Arvo Q. Mikkanen to serve in a newly created role as Senior Counsel for Tribal Relations for the Western District of Oklahoma, as part of the office’s strong commitment to Indian country.
"Arvo Mikkanen has 30 years of federal prosecution experience and is one of the foremost authorities in the Department of Justice on the law related to Indian country," said U.S. Attorney Troester. "It is only fitting that he serves in this newly created role as Senior Counsel for Tribal Relations to further solidify the commitment, service, outreach, and collaboration by my office with the Tribes in the Western District of Oklahoma."
"I am extremely excited to accept this new position and look forward to utilizing my experience in the courtroom and knowledge of state, tribal, and justice systems to build upon what we have already accomplished," said AUSA Mikkanen. "I also hope to improve the understanding regarding the complexities of providing justice in Indian country and strengthen the cooperation among the federal government, the 21 tribal governments in the district, and the various state and local law enforcement agencies. Ultimately, the goal is for both tribal and non-tribal citizens to feel an added sense of public safety across the Western District by working together more closely in a cohesive fashion."
This position is historic—the first of its kind at the U.S. Attorney’s Office—and will be instrumental in coordinating Indian country law enforcement and public safety throughout the district, including training, management of law enforcement priorities, consulting with tribal leadership and justice officials, and strengthening relationships between federal, tribal, and state law enforcement partners. As Senior Counsel for Tribal Relations, AUSA Mikkanen will play a unique and crucial role in the Department of Justice’s effort to prevent and respond to violent crime in Indian country, as well as address such important issues as cross deputization, jurisdictional concerns, outreach to tribal communities, and improved strategies regarding Missing or Murdered Indigenous People.
The following Tribal Nations have land located within the Western District: Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Caddo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Chickasaw Nation, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Comanche Nation, Delaware Nation, Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Kaw Nation, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, Kiowa Tribe, Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Sac and Fox Nation, Shawnee Tribe, Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.
Today’s announcement follows the announcement last week of the U.S. Attorney’s adoption and implementation of Savanna’s Act Guidelines to improve the response and investigation of cases involving Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which Mikkanen was instrumental in drafting. More information on the guidelines can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/pr/united-states-attorney-issues-guidelines-part-new-federal-strategy-cases-involving.
AUSA Mikkanen is Kiowa/Comanche and an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe. He has served in both the civil and criminal divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has served as a tribal liaison, and has been counsel of record in more than 750 cases in the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City. AUSA Mikkanen has also served as a federal judicial law clerk, civil practitioner, tribal judge, tribal prosecutor, and law professor during his legal career. He received an A.B. magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1983, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1986.
AUSA Mikkanen has been well recognized throughout his career. He received the Gold United States Congressional Award from the U.S. Congress in 1985; the Oklahoma Bar Association's Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award in 1992; the Equal Access to Justice - Pro Bono Publico Award from Oklahoma Indian Legal Services in 1992; the American Bar Association's Spirit of Excellence Award in 2004; and the Sonja Atetewuthtakewa Award for Distinguished Service in the Protection of Native American Children in 2003. In 2011, the National Association of Former United States Attorneys presented AUSA Mikkanen with the Exceptional Service Award. In 2012, AUSA Mikkanen received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country during the 60th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony, which recognizes department employees and others for their outstanding dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s missions.
Additional information about Indian country resources in the Western District of Oklahoma is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/programs/indian-country.
Union Financial Secretary Pleads Guilty to Stealing Union FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRIAN GERALD, age 51, a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 24, 2023 to a one count indictment for embezzling assets of a local labor union in violation of 29 U.S.C. § 501(c) before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, GERALD was the Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 13-189. GERALD was responsible for organizing Local 13-189’s financial records, keeping an accounting of its income, and filing IRS forms and reports. GERALD was also responsible for maintaining Local 13-189’s debit card in a safe location. From January 2015 through September 2020, GERALD misused the union’s debit card to make 493 ATM cash withdrawals totaling $107,387.90 in cash and fees. GERALD also misused the union’s debit card to make payments for his personal accounts for a total of $36,589.41. GERALD misappropriated a total of $143,977.31 of union funds.
GERALD faces a up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Labor in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit and Troy Bell, of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. Attorney Thompson to Announce Verdicts in Child Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. today, Friday, April 28, 2023, to announce and discuss the verdicts in the trial of Larry Allen Clay Jr., 57, a former employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department.
WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson
WHEN: Friday, April 28, 2023, at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Two Waterloo Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm as FelonsRead the Press Release
Two men from Waterloo, Iowa, were sentenced to prison terms after possessing a firearm as felons.
Bruce Terrell Sanford, 32, from Waterloo received the prison term after a November 28, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Houston Simmons III, 26, from Waterloo received the prison term after a December 15, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings showed that Simmons III and Sanford were sitting in a car outside of a club in Waterloo on September 5, 2021, when officers were called to the club. Sanford was in the driver’s seat of the car, and Simmons III was in the front passenger’s seat. Officers could smell an odor of marijuana coming from the car and then searched the car. Inside the car, officers located a loaded Taurus PT111 G2 A, 9-millimeter pistol in the passenger door compartment next to where Simmons III was seated. Officers were able to determine that the pistol was stolen. Officers also found a burnt marijuana roach in the center console area of the car, a baggie of marijuana in the driver’s side door, an opened bag containing marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle, and a bag of marijuana in Sanford’s pocket. Sanford and Simmons III both admitted to possessing the pistol. Sanford was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted in Black Hawk County, Iowa, of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in 2010, burglary in the third degree in 2010, and criminal mischief in the second degree in 2011. Simmons III was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted in Black Hawk County, Iowa, of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in 2019.
Sanford was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 70 months’ imprisonment. Simmons III was sentenced today to 44 months’ imprisonment.
Both Sanford and Simmons III were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. They were each ordered to serve a 3‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Sanford and Simmons III are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-2019.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Two More Sentenced for Roles in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Hassan Abdullah, also known as “San,” 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Donte Webster, 23, of Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Abdullah traveled from Philadelphia to Beckley with conspiracy ringleader Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and other co-defendants to oversee the purchase of firearms at Beckley-area stores that the conspirators took back to Philadelphia to sell for profit.
Webster was one of several straw purchasers who bought firearms for the conspirators in exchange for money or drugs. Jones or an intermediary would tell the straw purchasers which firearms to buy, and provide the money for the purchases. Webster admitted to straw purchasing a Glock 19Gen5, 9mm pistol, a Glock 26Gen5, 9mm pistol, and a Taurus G2C, 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on July 6, 2021. During each purchase, Webster falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that he was the buyer of the firearms when he knew he was purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Webster further admitted that he bought at least 13 firearms for Jones in June and July, 2021, so Jones and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by the conspirators between early 2020 and mid-2021, approximately 45 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
Abdullah pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Webster pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Abdullah and Webster are among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones, 37, of Philadelphia, guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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Two Goshen County Men Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Rily Shawn Ralls, age 47, of Torrington, Wyoming, and Terry Gene Patch, age 35, of Fort Laramie, Wyoming, were both sentenced for possession of child pornography by United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
Ralls pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced on April 7, 2023, to 63 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
Patch also pled guilty and was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 40 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The two men came to the attention of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) in March 2022 after ICAC received cybertips from Google. Upon further investigation, agents determined that Ralls and Patch, who lived in the same residence, had both downloaded images and videos of child pornography. The investigators were able to identify email addresses, unique URLs and mobile phone numbers tied to each man that were used in viewing and downloading the pornography.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation through their participation in the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Wyoming Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Case Number 22-cr-00106-ABJ
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Donovan Shaw, 29, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by way of robbery with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a robbery. Shaw’s co-defendant, Leonard Hatten, was convicted following a jury trial in March and is awaiting sentencing. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Shaw to 112 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Shaw pleaded guilty to attempting to rob a Family Dollar store and robbing a Bucky’s gas station at gunpoint in Omaha. Shaw was also sentenced for robbing a Kwik Shop, a second Bucky’s location, a Tobacco Hut, and a Sergeant Peffer’s restaurant in Omaha. Shaw was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,073.41.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department.
Tompkinsville Woman Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Stalking and Mailing ThreatsRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky returned an indictment on March 15, 2023, charging a local woman with stalking and mailing communications containing threats to injure another person.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the Louisville Field Office, and Chief Michael Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on January 27, 2023, and January 30, 2023, Tara K. Thomas, 31, mailed threatening communications to another person in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Additionally, between September 21, 2021, and January 30, 2023, she sent Facebook messages and used the United States mail to stalk another person in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Thomas is charged with one count of stalking and two counts of mailing threatening communications.
The defendant made her initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in Bowling Green. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Bowling Green Satellite Office and the Bowling Green Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three Nigerian Nationals Extradited from the United Kingdom and Spain to Face Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Three Nigerian nationals were extradited to the Southern District of Florida to face federal charges related to allegations that they operated an international fraud scheme. Kennedy Ikponmwosa was extradited from Spain and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres on April 18. Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham and Jerry Chucks Ozor were extradited from the United Kingdom today and will make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eduardo I. Sanchez on Monday, May 1, in Miami.
Ikponmwosa, 51, Ezennia Peter Neboh, 48, and Prince Amos Okey Ezemma, 49, of Madrid, Spain; and Abraham, 44, Ozor, 43, and Emmanuel Samuel, 39, of London, UK, face federal charges in Miami, Florida. Neboh, Ikponmwosa, Abraham, Samuel, and Ozor were arrested in April 2022 by authorities in Madrid and London, based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, and have remained incarcerated since then. Samuel pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud on March 27.
According to court documents, the defendants are charged with operating an inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, they allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to serve as money mules. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who defraud U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Kingdom of Spain and the UK for their tireless efforts in assisting U.S. authorities to find and arrest these individuals so that they may face charges here in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service constantly strives to protect our communities from predatory criminals seeking to abuse and exploit the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “This case is an example of how Postal Inspectors will vigorously pursue fraudsters and ensure that they are brought to justice for the crimes they have committed.”
“These extraditions prove that by pulling law enforcement agencies together, we can best focus on investigating individuals and illicit criminal organizations associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect vulnerable seniors,” Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “I want to thank everyone involved in this investigation and in the extradition process for their dedication; together we have the tools to keep our elderly from falling prey to these scams.”
The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Neboh and Samuel were both extradited earlier this year. If convicted, Ikponmwosa, Abraham, and Ozor each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal provided critical assistance.
The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for these types of schemes. An inheritance scam is a form of an imposter scam in which fraudsters pretend to be someone they are not, often a lawyer, banker, or foreign official. These fraudsters will try to get people excited about a large windfall and may use legitimate-looking legal documents as part of the scam. Be wary of unexpected contact from individuals offering a large inheritance. Do not send money or provide information to anyone you do not know. Seek advice from a trusted individual or an independent professional if you are in doubt.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Terre Haute Inmate Sentenced to an Additional 32 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal Correctional OfficerRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE- Dustin T. Swanda, 36, of Minnesota, was sentenced to 32 additional months in federal prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, in 2009, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota sentenced Swanda to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. On December 31, 2020, Swanda was housed at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution. That day, correctional officers conducted routine security sweeps, including physical checks of the bars and windows in each cell. As part of the check, inmates are asked to leave the cell for a short period of time while the officers searched it. When an officer approached Swanda’s cell, he asked Swanda to step out. Swanda refused to comply. The officer observed Swanda “moving like a zombie,” making unintelligible noises, and staring at the wall. The officer believed Swanda was intoxicated in some manner and called for backup.
When instructed to leave his cell again, Swanda became volatile and continued to resist verbal commands. After multiple orders to voluntarily leave the cell were given, officers attempted to physically guide Swanda out of his cell. At this time, Swanda physically resisted the officers by kicking his legs and punching an officer in the face. One officer was taken to a local hospital for a broken finger.
The Bureau of Prisons investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. Judge Hanlon ordered that the sentence be served consecutively to the sentence Swanda is already serving, and also ordered that Swanda pay a $500 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney James M. Warden, who prosecuted this case.
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Tennessee Corrections Officer Convicted of Obstructing Investigation into Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with an InmateRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was found guilty yesterday of obstructing an investigation into allegations that he sexually abused an inmate in his custody.
James Stewart Justice, 32, of Columbia, a corrections officer with the Maury County Jail, was convicted of one count of falsification of records. According to evidence introduced at trial, the defendant, formerly known as James Stewart Thomas, wrote an official report for the jail in response to allegations that he had violated the Prison Rape Elimination Act. In his report, the defendant 1) falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at a hospital; 2) falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about those alleged sexual advances by the inmate; and 3) omitted that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from the custody of the Maury County Jail.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve but instead he abused his authority as a corrections officer to try to cover up sexual misconduct at the county jail,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict sends a clear message that the Justice Department will hold accountable any official who obstructs a federal civil rights investigation.”
“Today’s verdict ensures that James Justice will be held accountable for his actions. As importantly, it ensures that he will no longer be entrusted to serve as a law enforcement officer,” said U.S Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “I commend our trial team and partners at the FBI for an excellent job of investigating and presenting this case to the jury.”
“When a correctional officer abuses his authority, it undermines the respect and reputation of all law enforcement officers," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. "The FBI will vigorously investigate and bring to justice any official who violates the constitution and the trust of the people."
Justice faces maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 18.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeffrey Charles Thomas (41, Lithia) has pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child sex abuse material. Thomas faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. He will be required to forfeit the electronic devices used in the offense.
According to court documents, Thomas communicated with an undercover agent he met in an online chat group dedicated to people interested in father/daughter incest. Between August 9 and November 28, 2022, Thomas communicated online with the undercover agent. In his communications, Thomas described in graphic detail his desire to engage in various sexual acts with the undercover agent’s fictitious minor stepdaughter. Thomas then sent the undercover agent an approximately 14-minute video of a minor child being sexually abused.
On December 6, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence and found him in possession of approximately 14 images and 31 videos of child sex abuse material, including the video he had sent to the undercover agent.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 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.
Tampa Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James Moody, Jr. has sentenced Christian Joel Andujar Rivera (25, Tampa) to four years and four months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of firearms. The court also ordered him to forfeit a Glock firearm and assorted ammunition associated with the offense. Andujar Rivera had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2023.
According to court documents, in June 2022, Andujar Rivera was wanted on a felony charge of fleeing and eluding police. On June 13, 2022, the United States Marshal's Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit located Andujar Rivera at his residence in Plant City. On that same day, investigators arrived at the Plant City residence and engaged in a standoff with Andujar Rivera. Andujar Rivera stood at the top of a set of stairs in the home, concealed his hands behind his back, and failed to obey law enforcement commands to surrender. He told the officers that the officers would have to shoot him once he pulled his firearm out. He eventually surrendered without incident.
After a search of the home, law enforcement located nine firearms and large amounts of assorted ammunition. A laboratory analysis later determined DNA found on one of those firearms, a Glock pistol, was linked to Andujar Rivera. As a multi-convicted felon, Andujar Rivera is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. PSN is a program that brings 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 principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Supervisor Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Subordinate at Palo Alto VA HospitalRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Onofre Salas-Lozano appeared in federal court today to face an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and making false statements to a federal agent during an investigation, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Special Agent in Charge Jason Root of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VA OIG).
During today’s appearance in federal court, the government described that Salas-Lozano, 40, of Palo Alto, and the victim both worked for a janitorial services company that cleans the Palo Alto VA Hospital. The indictment charges that Salas-Lozano used force and fear to cause the victim to engage in a sex act at the hospital on July 2, 2021. At the time of the incident, Salas-Lozano was the victim’s direct supervisor. Salas-Lozano is also charged with lying to a VA OIG special agent during a subsequent investigative interview by claiming he never had sexual intercourse with the victim.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Salas-Lozano is charged in the indictment’s first count with aggravated sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a), which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The second count in the indictment charges him with sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2242(1), which also carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The third and last count in the indictment charges Salas-Lozano with making a materially false statement in a federal investigation, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Salas-Lozano was arraigned in San Jose federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Nathanael M. Cousins. The government moved for detention and Salas-Lozano’s detention hearing is scheduled for May 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. Salas-Lozano was ordered detained until then.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by VA OIG, with assistance from VA Police.
Suburban Chicago Couple Plead Guilty to Child Labor Trafficking and Are Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two Aurora residents have pleaded guilty to two counts each of forced labor and have been sentenced to six and a half years in prison by a federal judge in Chicago.
Per their plea agreements, between February 2019 and February 2020, SANTOS TEODORO AC-SALAZAR, 27, and OLGA CHOC LAJ, 34, who are both Guatemalan citizens, conspired to unlawfully enter the United States with two children who were not their own in order to more easily be allowed entry into the United States and to avoid prolonged detention by U.S. immigration authorities. Once in the United States, Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj harbored the two children (ages 15 and 10 at the time) in a residence in Aurora by, among other things, failing to enroll the children in school, prohibiting them from leaving the residence except in limited circumstances, and instructing them to provide false information to third parties, including law enforcement authorities. Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj also forced the two children to work as their domestic servants and childcare providers and would physically strike and threaten to strike the children if the children did not do as they were told. Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj also forced the older child to work various paying jobs outside the Aurora residence and took nearly all of the earnings from the jobs the child worked.
U.S. District Court Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 78-month sentence, with a time served credit of 8-months, for Choc Laj on January 27, 2023, and imposed the identical sentence to Ac-Salazar on April 25, 2023. In addition to the 78-month prison sentence, the Court also ordered Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj to pay $98,364 in restitution to the victims.
The sentences are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations; and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region. Substantial assistance in the investigation has been provided by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Aurora Police Department, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri.
“This case outlines the extent to which many will go in order to enter and stay within this country, and the prevalence of child trafficking and labor trafficking occurring throughout our country on a daily basis” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “The abuses suffered by the victims in this case are unforgivable. Our Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in all forms of trafficking and forced labor, and to bringing justice to the victims in these cases”.
“Those responsible for committing these heinous crimes sought to benefit financially by abusing the most vulnerable members of our community,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work with our partners to prioritize the safety of children across the state of Illinois and beyond.”
“Santos Teodoro Ac-Salazar and Olga Choc Laj trafficked two children who they forced to work for them against their will. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who engage in labor trafficking and involuntary servitude, particularly when children are involved,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson on National Child Abuse Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada today issued the following statement from United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson:
“During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we remain committed to protecting young people who are abused or exploited. Through our Project Safe Childhood initiative we work with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes against children, provide services to victims, and bring perpetrators to justice. Together, we can help children thrive and support families before they reach a crisis.
“For information on how to recognize and report child abuse or neglect, as well as on how to support families and safe communities, visit www.childwelfare.gov/preventionmonth.”
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St. Louis County Woman Accused of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri has been accused of prostituting a minor online.
Carrie Little, 43, of Olivette, was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 19 and now faces three felonies: sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement and a violation of the Mann Act.
She appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The enticement count in the indictment accuses Little of using interstate commerce (a computer, tablet and smartphone) from at least July 2018 through July 2020 to persuade and coerce the minor to engage in prostitution. The Mann Act charge accuses her of using the internet to promote, manage and facilitate prostitution from March 2019 through June 2022. The sex trafficking charge accuses her of recruiting, enticing and/or advertising the minor to participate in a commercial sex act from at least July 2018 through July 2020.
The sex trafficking and coercion charges each carry a potential penalty of 10 years to life in prison. The Mann Act charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
On Thursday, Little waived a detention hearing, meaning she will be held in jail until trial.
Little also faces charges in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins 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.
St. Louis County Man Admits Buying, Re-selling Checks Stolen from the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted buying and then re-selling business and personal checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.
Dennis Cooperwood Jr., 19, of Country Club Hills, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross to one felony count of possession of stolen mail matter. Cooperwood admitted being in possession of about 179 business and personal checks on April 12 that had been taken from collection boxes.
That night, St. Louis County Police Department officers on patrol in the Spanish Lake area spotted a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road with multiple people standing at the windows. After the crowd dispersed and the vehicle drove away, officers stopped the vehicle and found Cooperwood in the back seat wearing a shoulder bag containing a gun and the checks. Cooperwood told officers that he bought stolen checks for $5 to $10 each and would scratch off the writing on the checks before re-selling them for $20 to $25.
Cooperwood is scheduled to be sentenced July 31. The possession of stolen mail matter charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
South Florida Residents Arrested for Building “Ghost Guns” and Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – This week, Marshal Vivian Harris, 37, of Davie, Florida, and Wisler Majeure Jacques, 40, of Margate, Florida, appeared in federal court in Miami following their arrests for dealing firearms without a license and possession or transfer of a machine gun.
According to court documents, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Harris and Jacques in February 2023. During the investigation, Jacques sold approximately 27 “ghost guns” and 48 auto sears to investigators. Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home. Auto sears are devices that turn handguns into machine guns.
Jacques obtained these “ghost guns” from Harris before selling them to law enforcement. On April 25, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Harris’ residence. During the search, agents found 3D printing equipment and a computerized mill machine that was designed to manufacture firearms parts. Agents also found several partially completed ghost guns. Harris later admitted to possessing the firearm manufacturing equipment and admitted that he attempted to use the 3D printer to manufacture auto sears.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the charges.
ATF Miami Field Division investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gerarde is prosecuting it.
This case and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case numbers 23-mj-02790 and 23-mj-02789.
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Seven persons arraigned on charges in meth trafficking investigation on Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations, three countiesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — Seven persons accused in a large methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations and in Yellowstone, Big Horn and Rosebud counties appeared for arraignment this week on various charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Six of the defendants face charges in a multi-count indictment alleging meth trafficking, firearms and money laundering crimes. A seventh defendant faces drug trafficking charges in a companion indictment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. All defendants were detained pending further proceedings.
Agents with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI arrested the defendants, along with co-defendants, in a recent coordinated takedown involving multiple law enforcement officers at various locations on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations, and in Yellowstone, Big Horn and Rosebud counties.
A 13-count indictment alleges that multiple defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute meth from January 2022 through March 2023 in Billings, in Yellowstone County; Hardin, in Big Horn County; Crow Agency, Wyola and Lodge Grass, in Big Horn County and on the Crow Indian Reservation; and at Lame Deer, in Rosebud County and on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The indictment further alleges possession and distribution trafficking crimes, firearms crimes and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The meth conspiracy count carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Two of the defendants, Daniel Jiminez-Chavez, aka Raton, 40, of Lodge Grass, and Darlon Richard Lefthand, 37, of Hardin, pleaded not guilty on April 24 to various charges in the indictment, while Roderick Plentyhawk, 39, of Billings; Ranita Roselle Redfield, 47, of Lodge Grass; Carly Joy James, 42, of Billings; and Frederica Lefthand, 52, of Lodge Grass, pleaded not guilty on April 26 to various counts. PACER case reference. 23-41.
Seven additional co-defendants named in the same indictment pleaded not guilty on April 21 to various counts. Those defendants include Wendell Lefthand, 54, of Lodge Grass; Melanie Rose Bloodman, 54, a transient; Jeffrey Prettypaint, 30, of Crow Agency; Keilee Shambrae Diaz, 35, of Crow Agency; Zachary Douglas Bacon, 35, of Garryowen; Morgan Luke Hugs, 34, of Lodge Grass; and Anthony Springfield, 23, of Hardin.
In a companion indictment, Adrienne Dawn LaForge, 35, of Lame Deer, pleaded not guilty on April 26 to three meth trafficking crimes. If convicted of the most serious crime, LaForge faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least 4 years of supervised release. Co-defendant Jacklyn Marcel Garcia-Littlebird, 58, of Lame Deer, pleaded not guilty on April 21 to the indictment. The indictment alleges that from January 2022 until October 2022, at Lame Deer, in Rosebud County; and at Crow Agency, in Big Horn County; LaForge and Garcia-Littlebird conspired with others to traffic meth. PACER case reference. 23-38.
The indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI investigated the cases.
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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San Diego Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion, Fraud and Failing to Appear for his 2001 Sentencing HearingRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced to 63 months in prison today for criminal conduct spanning three decades, consisting of failing to appear for sentencing, conspiracy to defraud the IRS, evading the proper assessment of income tax and wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Robin J. McPherson, formerly of San Diego and who was apprehended in Costa Rica and returned to the United States last year, failed to appear for his sentencing in March 2001 following a December 2000 bench trial convicting him and two co-defendants of conspiring to defraud the IRS and collectively evading over $1 million in income taxes for 1993 and 1994.
McPherson also engaged in additional criminal conduct. In 1999 and 2000, he earned income from individuals whom he and a codefendant induced into investing in an internet shopping mall and attempted to evade taxes due on this income proceeds by cashing the checks he received and directing the income to a bank account he controlled in Canada. McPherson did not file income tax returns with the IRS for those years, causing a tax loss of approximately $79,367.
Later, between 2016 and 2020, McPherson, using the name Raymond James, defrauded individuals out of approximately $1.5 million by inducing them to invest in villas in Costa Rica that were never built.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino sentenced McPherson to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay approximately $4.7 million in restitution to the victims of his fraud scheme and to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman for the Southern District of California and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the cases.
Trial Attorney Charles A. O’Reilly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the cases.
Rutland Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Reinaldo Davis, 48, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison after Davis pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base. United States District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that after Davis’ release from custody, Davis must serve a 3-year term of supervised release.
According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations and the Rutland City Police Department began investigating Reinaldo Davis in late 2020. On three occasions, Davis sold cocaine base to a confidential informant assisting law enforcement. In one specific instance, on May 26, 2022, inside of a house in Rutland, Davis sold approximately one ounce of cocaine base to the confidential informant. The investigation also demonstrated that Davis possessed weapons and used violence to further his drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Rutland City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Zachary B. Stendig handled the prosecution. Devin McLaughlin, Esq. represented Davis.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Fraud Scheme Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain over $450,000 in COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
Dquintz Alexander, 36, of Cranston, R.I., pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2023. Alexander was charged and arrested in November 2021.
In March 2020, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which among other things, created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The PUA program, which in Massachusetts was administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance, provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits.
Alexander participated in a scheme that obtained over $450,000 in proceeds from fraudulent PUA claims submitted between April and June 2020 in Massachusetts. Alexander and co-conspirator Norman Higgs opened bank accounts to receive payments on the fraudulent PUA claims. Alexander and Higgs also used various methods to conceal their involvement in the scheme, including Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, overseas email accounts and phone numbers from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.
In September 2021, Higgs pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2023.
The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to United States Penitentiary LewisburgRead the Press Release
On April 27, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited United States Penitentiary (USP) Lewisburg, a medium-security Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility, and its adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided an overview of the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in three different housing units, including the Reintegration Unit, the Camp and the Residential Drug and Alcohol Program.
The visit to USP Lewisburg was the second in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is providing to inmates and staff in the BOP. The first took place at FCI Ft. Dix, a low-security institution, in January 2023. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility.
The Pardon Attorney’s visit to USP Lewisburg is one of a series of outreach and education events conducted by the Office of the Pardon Attorney in recognition of Second Chance Month. Other events have included:
- An educational webinar on the pardon application process, presented in connection with the ACLU on April 26.
- An informational session on the pardon application process for D.C. residents, hosted by the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizens Affairs.
- A Celebration of Second Chances, highlighting clemency recipients and their advocates within and outside the Department of Justice, on April 21.
These April outreach events are part of a year-round initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Puyallup, Washington man pleads guilty to conspiring to attack power substationsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 32-year-old Puyallup, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to Conspiracy to destroy energy facilities, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Matthew Greenwood admits in his plea agreement that he and co-defendant Jeremy Crahan, 40, vandalized four power substations and plotted to fell trees to take out power lines. Both men were arrested before the tree plan was put into action. Greenwood faces up to twenty years in prison when sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo on July 21, 2023.
According to the facts in the plea agreement, Greenwood and Crahan hatched the scheme to disrupt power so they could break into ATMs and businesses and steal money. On December 25, 2022, they damaged four substations:
- Hemlock Substation in Puyallup, Washington, owned by Puget Sound Energy. Here, the two cut through a fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch damaging equipment and cutting power for 8,000 customers.
- Elk Plain substation in Spanaway, Washington, owned by Tacoma Power. The men cut padlocks on the gate and Greenwood manipulated breakers to damage equipment and cause an outage
- Graham substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Tacoma Power. The men cut through a perimeter fence and Greenwood manipulated a switch to damage equipment. This outage, combined with the Elk Plain substation outage, caused more than 7,500 customers to lose power.
- Kapowsin Substation in Graham, Washington, operated by Puget Sound Energy. The men cut through a fence and Greenwood tampered with a switch causing sparks, flame, and a power outage.
Following the December 25, 2022, substation vandalism, the men spent time looking for additional ways to cause power outages by felling trees. The goal was to cut power so that they could burglarize businesses and steal from ATMs. Law enforcement arrested them before they could put the tree plan into action.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend the low end of the guidelines range when Greenwood is sentenced. Since his arrest, Greenwood has been in intensive drug treatment while awaiting resolution in this case.
Co-defendant Jeremy Crahan remains charged with conspiracy to attack energy facilities.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Federal Protective Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Prince George’s County Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Two Counts of Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah J. Boardman sentenced Sean Christopher Henderson, age 36, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, yesterday to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Henderson pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (“PGPD”); and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
“We are successfully reducing and preventing crime by removing guns and repeat offenders from the streets by any legal means necessary,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “But our comprehensive violence prevention strategy also includes reaching out to at-risk youth and sponsoring reentry fairs to provide resources to returning citizens to help them succeed. We remain laser-focused on reducing crime in Maryland.”
According to his guilty plea, Henderson had a previous felony conviction, which he knew prohibited him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Despite this, Henderson admitted that on November 9, 2020 and October 3, 2021, he possessed two separate loaded firearms.
Specifically, in the early morning hours of November 9, 2020, PGPD officers responded to an address in District Heights, Maryland, for a reported shooting and located an individual matching the description of the shooter, later identified as Sean Henderson. Due to the nature of the call, Henderson was patted down for weapons. Officers recovered a clear glass vial containing 0.5 ounces of phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, with an approximate street value of $800 and a plastic baggie containing approximately 12.7 grams of marijuana, with a street value of about $254. In the area where Henderson was detained, officers located a black 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine. Additional searching recovered a 9mm spent shell casing. Investigation revealed that the gun had been reported stolen in Virginia on March 29, 2020. Henderson admitted that he possessed the firearm and ammunition in connection with another offense, specifically possession with intent to distribute PCP.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in the early morning hours of October 3, 2021, a PGPD officer responded to an address on Walter Lane in District Heights, Maryland. While approaching the scene, the officer was advised by a PGPD helicopter unit that someone was slumped over in the driver’s seat of a vehicle at that address, with the driver’s door open. When officers arrived, Henderson was found slumped over in the driver’s seat, with one foot hanging out the door. When officers approached the vehicle, they could see the end of a handgun magazine protruding from underneath a towel on the front passenger seat in plain view. Before waking Henderson, officers removed the gun, a 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol, which contained 31 rounds of ammunition in the large capacity magazine and one round in the chamber. After the gun was removed from the vehicle, Henderson woke up on his own and was also removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest. After his arrest, a search of the vehicle located 246 grams of marijuana on the floor of the front passenger area of the vehicle, packaged in 32 baggies that were held together in one lager bag and two ounces of PCP located in the driver side door compartment. Henderson admitted that he possessed the gun in furtherance of drug trafficking.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Crespo and William Moomau, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PEDRO DIAZ, 45, of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force of a drug trafficking network led by Landdy Rodriguez, also known as “Oso,” of Waterbury. In August 2021, investigators intercepted phone calls during which Rodriguez arranged for Ramon Oquendo, also known as “Mimo,” of Waterbury, to supply fentanyl to other drug distributors, including Diaz. After Diaz engaged in a drug transaction with Rodriguez and Oquendo in Waterbury in August 2021, a Pennsylvania State Trooper stopped Diaz’s car in Pennsylvania and seized 48 grams of fentanyl.
Diaz was arrested on November 14, 2021. On January 6, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Rodriguez and Oquendo are awaiting sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police and the Waterbury Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford and Stratford Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Gresham, John T. Pierpont, Jr., and Brendan J. Keefe through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Two Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 276 months in prison for his role as the gunman in two armed bank robberies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jose Soto, 53, of Passaic, New Jersey, was previously convicted of two bank robberies, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during those robberies following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, who imposed the sentence on April 27, 2023, in Newark federal court.
According to documents in this case and the evidence at trial:
On Feb. 6, 2020, Soto and his conspirator, while wearing face coverings and holding umbrellas, entered the PNC Bank in Passaic. Soto pointed a silver and black handgun at customers and employees and began ordering everyone down on the floor. His conspirator entered the bank and jumped over the teller counter, demanding that the teller turn over all cash in the drawers. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $35,000 from the PNC Bank.
On Feb. 27, 2020, Soto and the same conspirator entered the Valley Bank in Little Falls, New Jersey. Soto again pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees and his conspirator jumped over the teller counter and began rifling through various drawers. Soto and his conspirator, at gunpoint, forced the bank employees to open the vault, and began retrieving cash from the bank vault. They then forced all employees and customers into the bank vault and fled through the rear door of the Valley Bank. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $45,000 from the Valley Bank.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Soto to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the FBI Newark Violent Incident Crimes Task Force, Garrett Mountain Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Passaic Police Department, under the direction of Chief Luis A. Guzman; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik; the Little Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert A. Thomas III; and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Interim Officer in Charge, Maj. Frederick P. Fife, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Spiro and Mark J. Pesce of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Panama City Couple on State Probation for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes Indicted for Manufacturing and Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City) with one count of manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and nine counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, and Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City) with four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the victims they defrauded.
According to court documents and public records, Pollman manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Thereafter, he and Markland defrauded multiple businesses throughout the Middle District of Florida by passing the counterfeit currency. Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail where they are serving time for violating their state probation on charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The Court ordered Pollman and Markland detained pending trial. Pollman and Markland are currently on State of Florida felony probation for multiple crimes related to the passing of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in 2022. Their trial is set for June 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Orange Park Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Orlando Restaurateur Pleads Guilty for Failing to Pay $2 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Manuel Tato has pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to truthfully account for and pay over employment taxes. Tato faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Tato owned and operated multiple restaurants in the Orlando area from at least 2010 to 2017, including Spice Modern Steakhouse. Tato was the owner and operator of an entity called Core Food Group, an affiliated company for Tato’s restaurants that was responsible for processing payroll for the employees of Tato’s restaurants. Through Core Food Group, Tato employed approximately 645 restaurant workers between 2010 and 2017, and had a duty to collect and pay over employment taxes on behalf of those employees. Employment taxes include Federal Income Tax, Medicare and Social Security.
While Tato withheld employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks and informed his employees that he was doing so on their paystubs, he never actually paid those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). During the charged time frame, July 2016 to March 2017, Tato failed to pay the IRS $93,690.66. Throughout the entire time Core Food Group existed, Tato failed to pay over $2 million in taxes that he had withheld from his employees and owed in relation to their employment.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel S. Lyons and Assistant United States Attorney Dana Hill.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jeremy M. Boyd, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution and of child pornography. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Boyd to imprisonment for 102 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Boyd will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Boyd must also pay an assessment of $1,500 to victims of child pornography offenses.
On April 6, 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) forwarded a CyberTip to the Nebraska Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Lincoln, Nebraska. The CyberTip was received by NCMEC from MediaLab/Kik on February 27, 2020. Kik is a freeware instant messaging mobile app available for use on cell phones. According to the report, a Kik user uploaded several video files depicting child pornography. An investigator reviewed the video files and confirmed they depicted child pornography.
Investigators used the Kik account information to obtain the suspect’s internet protocol (IP) address, which led them to Boyd’s residential address. Investigators obtained a warrant and searched the residence on July 2, 2020. Three devices (a black gaming computer, an LG Tribute smartphone, and a Lexar USB flash drive) were seized. Investigators interviewed Boyd, who made admissions about receiving and viewing child pornography and having previously used the Kik app. A forensic examination of the gaming computer yielded 16 additional digital videos depicting child pornography. At least one video depicts the sexual abuse or exploitation of a 3- to 5-year-old female.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Nebraska Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
North Liberty Woman Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison Related to False Statements During the Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – A North Liberty woman was sentenced on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, to 12 months and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to making false statements during the purchase of firearms.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Miracle Star Vaughn, 27, purchased seven handguns from Scheels, in Coralville, over a period of 18 months. During the firearms purchases, Vaughn provided false information regarding her address and her drug use. One of the firearms Vaughn purchased was recovered in Chicago in the possession of Dimione Walker. Walker was a felon prohibited from possessing firearms, and also had a federal warrant for his arrest. One of the other guns Vaughn purchased was recovered in the possession of her significant other and co-defendant, Michael Haythorn, also a felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
At sentencing, the District Court found that when law enforcement confronted her, Vaughn continued to provide false statements. The District Court considered the danger to the community created by Vaughn’s conduct and noted that Vaughn’s lack of criminal history allowed her to purchase these firearms.
After completing the prison term, Vaughn will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Haythorn pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon. His sentencing is currently scheduled for May 23, 2023.
“Straw purchasing is a serious crime that contributes to the epidemic of gun violence,” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa said. “We will continue to partner with federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who illegally purchase firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Iowa City Police Department.
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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
If you have information pertaining to illegal firearms activity such as a straw purchase, please contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). Anonymous tips may also be submitted to ATF through the ReportIt mobile app.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Kickback Conspiracy and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juller Perez Salcedo, age 44, of Garfield, New Jersey, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud, and also to tax evasion.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Tammy L. Tomlins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Perez Salcedo admitted that from at least 2015 to 2019, he co-owned a trucking company in New Jersey that transported products as a third-party contractor for a bedding company with a distribution facility in West Coxsackie, New York. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Perez paid kickbacks to the transportation manager of the bedding company in exchange for the use of the bedding company’s trucks and drivers to transport merchandise from West Coxsackie to Perez’s truck yard in Clifton, New Jersey, which allowed Perez to avoid certain transportation costs. Perez then fraudulently invoiced and received payment from the bedding company as if his trucking company had transported and delivered the merchandise from West Coxsackie when Perez and his trucking company did not in fact transport the merchandise from West Coxsackie. As a result of the scheme, the defendant caused $422,170.86 in losses to the bedding company.
Perez also evaded taxes between January 2014 and April 2018 by cashing gross receipts checks on behalf of his trucking business, providing false and incomplete information to tax preparers and omitting the cashed checks, and filing false federal income tax returns. Perez Salcedo evaded a total of $477,090 in taxes.
Perez Salcedo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on September 5, 2023. 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. Perez Salcedo also agreed to a forfeiture money judgment, and to pay restitution to the bedding company and the IRS.
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting this case.
New Britain Man Involved in Drug Ring Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWIN REYES, 40, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began an investigating an organization that was trafficking large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that Reyes and other members of the organization were receiving bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers. They then stored, processed and packaged the heroin/fentanyl in multiple locations, including apartments located at 280 Collins Street in Hartford where some members of the organization also resided, and then distributed the drug in the Hartford area, and also the Springfield and Holyoke, Massachusetts area. A significant amount of drug trafficking activity occurred at the Neighborhood Supermarket, located at 316 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.
The investigation also revealed that members of the drug trafficking organization possessed and used firearms in connection with their drug trafficking activity.
During the investigation, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants in Connecticut and Massachusetts and seized approximately 10 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, much of which was packaged for resale in hundreds of thousands of bags. Investigators also seized numerous vials of Xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a heroin/fentanyl additive. Seven firearms, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest were also seized.
Fourteen individuals were charged with various narcotics, firearms and immigration offenses as a result of this investigation.
Reyes was arrested on June 29, 2017, and was released on a $200,000 bond in December 2017. On October 15, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He failed to appear for his sentencing on September 19, 2022, and was located and arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in Texas on November 22, 2022. He has been detained since that date.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Nacogdoches Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking, Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Nacogdoches man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Angel Aguilar, 25, pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Aguilar was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on April 27, 2023.
According to information presented in court, Aguilar was a member of a drug trafficking organization distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and other narcotics in the Nacogdoches area. During the investigation, law enforcement agents were able to purchase methamphetamine from Aguilar on multiple occasions. During Aguilar's distribution of methamphetamine, he provided a stolen firearm as collateral towards the future purchase of methamphetamine.
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. The defendant faced up to life at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Nacogdoches Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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Multi-Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine and for Violating Terms of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Corinthian King (32, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. King has also agreed to the forfeiture of a Glock 9mm pistol and ammunition, possessed during his commission of the offense. King had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022, and admitted to violating his supervised release on April 25, 2023.
According to court documents, in April 2022, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic top of King as he was departing a Southside motel. During the traffic stop, the officer learned that King had a suspended driver license. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a digital scale with cocaine residue, plastic baggies, and a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol under the rear passenger seat. As the officers prepared to transport King, they discovered a plastic baggie in his pants containing more than 50 grams of powder cocaine, more than 40 grams of methamphetamine, and fentanyl and oxycodone pills.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Moline Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison for Heroin Distribution and Related Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Moline, Illinois, man, Cordero Harris, 34, was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to 240 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a felon.
At the sentencing hearing in front of Chief United States District Judge Sara L. Darrow, the government proffered evidence that in January 2021 Harris sold heroin in both Iowa and Illinois. A search of his residence found multiple firearms near heroin. Harris’s fingerprints were on the weapons found at his residence. He was previously convicted of multiple offenses in state court. Harris has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in January 2021.
Harris faced statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute heroin of at least five years and up to 20 years’ imprisonment; five years consecutive and up to life imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and up to ten years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm as a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Moline, Illinois Police Department; Bettendorf, Iowa Police Department; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Harris 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.
Mobile Man with Illegally Modified Machinegun Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced in federal court today on the charge of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, described as a Glock .40 caliber pistol loaded with a magazine containing eighteen rounds of .40 caliber ammunition modified with a machinegun-conversion device, which had not been registered to him as required by federal law. Sidney Rashard Collins, 21, pled guilty to the charge in August of 2022.
According to court documents, Mobile police officers were on routine patrol on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile on May 15, 2022, when they saw bouncers at a nightclub there searching patrons prior to their entry into the club. They observed struggle when bouncers attempted to search Collins, and Collins fled the area, jumping a nearby gate. Officer approached him, and Collins ran west on Dauphin Street, failing to stop in spite of officers’ commands to do so. The officers chased Collins and observed him pull a firearm from his waistband that throw it into the intersection at Conception and Dauphin Streets while continuing to run. Collins finally tripped and fell, and officers detained him. They also recovered the gun he had thrown into the intersection. The police observed that the firearm was a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, which had been modified by the addition of a machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock chip” or a “Glock switch.” This device enables a Glock pistol to shoot automatically, more than one shot, without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. This device is designed to convert a Glock-style firearm to fire automatically, effectively creating a machinegun A firearm equipped with this device is regulated under federal law and must be registered to be possessed legally. Collins’ device was not registered as required. In a statement to police made after Collins was advised of his constitutional rights and agreed to waive his rights, Collins admitted that knew the manner in which the firearm operated with the device.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 70 years in Collins’ case, to be followed by three years of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. As conditions of supervision, Collins will undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Collins pay $100 in special assessments.
Collins’ case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele O’Brien and Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Medical Practice and its Owners to pay $1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two doctors and their medical practice have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by allegedly performing and billing for medically unnecessary procedures on Medicare and Medicaid patients, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
From Jan. 1, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2022, Drs. Fadi El-Atat and Sarah Abdul-Sater and their medical practice, FA CV Consultants P.C., violated the False Claims Act by knowingly seeking reimbursement for medically unnecessary balance tests, pulmonary function tests, allergy tests, autonomic nervous tests, and cardiology ultrasound tests that were performed on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
The allegations were originally made in a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act brought by Jennifer Jean. The act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Jean will receive approximately $180,000 from the proceeds of the settlement.
The government’s pursuit of this lawsuit illustrates its efforts to combat healthcare fraud. One of the strongest tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti D. Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no admission of liability.
The case is captioned United States and the State of New Jersey ex rel. Jean v. FA CV, et al. Civ. No. 19-10555 (D.N.J.).
facv.settlement.pdfManchester Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, and Sale of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that ANDREW FRANCOEUR, 36, of Manchester, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to offenses related to his illegal possession, manufacture, and sale of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an ongoing investigation into the proliferation of privately made firearms (“PMFs” or “ghost guns”) in Connecticut, ATF investigators determined that Francoeur was buying firearm parts from a Missouri company, having the parts shipped to him, and manufacturing guns inside a shipping container on a property in Suffield. Francoeur sold some of the firearms he manufactured.
In August 2022, while Francoeur was incarcerated in state custody for drug and firearm offenses, investigators retrieved two storage bins used by Francoeur that contained firearm parts, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, 25 high-capacity magazines, M-80 explosives, firearm gear, and other items.
Francoeur’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm, drug, burglary, and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Francoeur pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and one count of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Man Charged in Miami with Diamond Smuggling Arrested by Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Guilherme Cipriani, 41, of Scottsdale, Arizona, has been arrested on federal charges of smuggling diamonds into the United States and providing a false statement to a federal agency.
As alleged in a Miami federal grand jury’s indictment, on November 10, 2022, Cipriani tried to smuggle 14 loose cut diamonds and 53 rough uncut diamonds into the U.S. through Miami International Airport (MIA). It is also alleged that Cipriani lied when he told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent at MIA that he was not transporting commercial merchandise into the country and had spent zero dollars on commercial merchandise while abroad.
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations arrested Cipriani in Arizona, where he made his first court appearance to face the Miami federal indictment.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami and HSI Brasilia investigated the case. HSI Arizona; CBP; the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor in Brasilia and Office of International Affairs; and Brazil Federal Police provided significant assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan Diaz Espinosa is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20123.
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Malvern Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Malvern man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, Jadadire Lashawn Nellums, age 46, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in the Malvern, Arkansas, geographical area.
Between the months of July 2020 and August 2020, investigators were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Nellums.
On August 17, 2020, searches were conducted at multiple properties associated with Nellums, resulting in investigators locating and seizing over 1,400 grams of pure methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Leader of Calhoun County-based Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to over 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy based in Calhoun County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Antonio Franchester Orr, aka Lil T, aka Tony, 47, of Eastaboga, to 372 months in prison. In January 2023, Orr pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and attempt to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, along with fifty-five counts of use of a telephone to commit a drug trafficking crime.
According to the plea agreement, Orr coordinated with a Mexican source of supply, using a broker out of an Alabama state prison, to obtain methamphetamine and other controlled substances and distribute them in the Calhoun County area. According to plea documents, Orr was responsible for possessing or attempting to possess over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, and overseeing the distribution of various other substances, including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of cocaine, multiple firearms, and bulk currency from members from Orr and other members of his drug trafficking organization.
“Armed drug traffickers will go to extreme lengths to profit from deadly drugs with no regard to the pain and devastation they cause our communities, and we will not tolerate it,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target individuals who illegally possess firearms and push illegal and dangerous drugs in our communities.”
“This outstanding collaboration between federal and local law enforcement agencies illustrates the continuing unified goal to keeping our community safe,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thorne-James. “We are committed to investigating drug trafficking organizations that profit from the distribution of methamphetamine and other illegal and dangerous narcotics. The sentence imposed should be a warning to those thinking of polluting our communities with these addictive substances.
“The ATF worked collaboratively and tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to arrest and charge the members of this criminal organization,” said ATF SAC Watson. “We will continue to use all of our resources to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other acts of violence within the communities that we serve.”
A total of 11 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges in the indictment returned in July 2022. The indictment was a result of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into the drug-trafficking enterprise based in Calhoun County. The task force identified acts in furtherance of the conspiracy committed by members of the organization over a period of six months. Six of the defendants have now been sentenced, and five remaining defendants await sentencing.
The DEA and the ATF investigated the case, along with assistance from the Anniston Police Department, Oxford Police Department, 7th Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Unit, Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office, Talladega County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Pell City Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Blount County Sheriff’s Department, and the Alabama National Guard Joint Counter Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Blake Milner are prosecuting the case.
This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation “Lengua Doble.” OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.
Laurens County man is final defendant sentenced in middle Georgia drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Laurens County man who was involved in a now-dismantled drug-trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to prison, joining the other seven defendants identified in the investigation.
Quaveris Leshaun Mims, a/k/a “Strong,” 51, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 108 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Mims $2,000 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“A collaborative effort from multiple law enforcement agencies identified and shut down this prolific drug-trafficking network in middle Georgia,” U.S. Attorney Steinberg said. “These eight guilty pleas reflect the continued hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners to make their communities safer.”
Operation “The Hole” was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation coordinated by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force. The investigation targeted a drug-trafficking ring moving large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana into the Laurens County area starting as early as 2017.
The investigation identified a small, secluded cinder-block building called “The Hole” that was being used as the “trap house,” or central distribution site, complete with a retail-like service counter for drug transactions.
During the execution of multiple federal search warrants, agents seized pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, along with two dozen firearms, nearly $37,000 in cash, silver bars with an estimated value of $73,000, devices for pressing bricks of cocaine, pill presses, a stolen vehicle, and two stolen generators with lights. Additional drugs, firearms and cash also were discovered during individual arrests of the eight defendants.
In addition to Mims, the seven co-defendants all are serving federal prison sentences after pleading guilty in the case:
- Rodney Jarrod Denson, a/k/a “RD,” 46, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 262 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. Denson was a drug supplier for other defendants.
- Anthony Michael Denson, 51, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. He is the brother of Rodney Denson.
- Nicholas Turner, 27, of East Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 112 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
- Brandon Payne, a/k/a “Tre,” 28, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 121 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. Payne is a stepson of Rodney Denson.
- Constance Victoria Moore, 36, of McRae-Helena, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
- Zandera Finney, 36, of Warner Robins, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
- Desergio Kates, a/k/a “Serg,” 26, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Kates is a stepson of Rodney Denson.
“The leader of this once-thriving drug trafficking organization has owned up to his crimes and now will pay the price,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Operation The Hole was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. Agencies involved in the investigation include the DEA; the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF); the FBI; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office; Ocmulgee Drug Task Force; the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office; the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office; the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office; the Washington County Sheriff’s Office; the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; and the Warner Robins Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Rhodes, Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jeremiah L. Johnson.
Lake County Convicted Felon Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic More Than 130 Pounds of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jack Protzman (74, Tavares) to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic more than 130 pounds of marijuana. The court also ordered Protzman to forfeit $18,440, and an additional $32,800 was administratively forfeited, which amounts were traceable to proceeds of the offense. Protzman had pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.
According to court documents, an individual working with law enforcement met with Protzman regarding his marijuana dealing. Protzman showed the individual THC oil cartridges he was trafficking and said he purchases 2,000 cartridges at a time. Protzman also advised that he cultivated marijuana out of state and could provide marijuana to the individual in 50-pound increments. Protzman also advised that he was looking for someone to assist him in transporting his marijuana across state lines in a concealed compartment in a specially-outfitted vehicle.
Protzman sold the individual hundreds of THC oil cartridges and pounds of marijuana, including one instance where Protzman delivered 110 pounds of marijuana in November 2019, which was seized by law enforcement. Agents seized $32,800 in cash from Protzman.
In 2004, Protzman was convicted of conspiracy to import 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana into the United States and sentenced 5 years and 11 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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.
Justice Department Releases Strategic Plan for Supporting the Goals of the Federal Interagency Alternatives and Reentry CommitteeRead the Press Release
As part of an all-of-government strategy set forth in the May 2022 Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, the Justice Department’s newly released report, Rehabilitation, Reentry, and Reaffirming Trust: The Department of Justice Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan), represents its ongoing commitment to strengthening the safety of our communities, while advancing thoughtful, evidence-informed initiatives and reforms throughout the criminal justice system.
The Executive Order established the Federal Interagency Alternatives and Reentry Committee (ARC or Committee), chaired by the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and comprised of the Attorney General and the secretaries of more than a dozen executive agencies. The Committee has been focused on three goals: safely reducing unnecessary criminal justice interactions, supporting rehabilitation during incarceration, and facilitating reentry into society of people with criminal records. As required by the Executive Order, the Strategic Plan outlines a department-wide vision for promoting the Committee’s goals at the federal level, as well as ways the department can support those goals in state and local justice systems through grantmaking, guidance, and technical assistance.
Safely Reducing Unnecessary Criminal Justice System Interactions: The Strategic Plan highlights a number of department initiatives aimed at safely reducing unnecessary criminal justice system interactions, including supporting community-based alternatives for addressing less serious offenses, promoting safe and effective interactions with state and local law enforcement for individuals with mental health and/or substance use conditions, supporting diversion and alternatives to incarceration where appropriate, and addressing the crack-to-powder sentencing disparity in the federal system.
Supporting Rehabilitation During Incarceration: The Strategic Plan emphasizes the myriad ways the department is supporting rehabilitation during incarceration, including by expanding access to correctional education and employment opportunities, providing treatment and other rehabilitative services in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities, launching a national training and technical assistance hub to guide jail administrators in establishing and maintaining safe and humane facilities, and encouraging access to the ballot box for eligible persons.
Facilitating Reentry Into Society of People With Criminal Records: Given the importance of preparing individuals for release after incarceration, the Strategic Plan outlines a number of department initiatives and programs designed to facilitate successful reentry, including reducing barriers to obtaining critical government-issued identification, promoting continuity of healthcare for individuals returning from incarceration to the community, identifying resources for record clearing and expungement, improving community supervision outcomes, and issuing a Dear Colleague Letter for state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies that addresses common practices around court-imposed fines and fees.
“This Strategic Plan represents the Justice Department’s comprehensive approach to strengthening public safety, advancing public trust, and promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability in our criminal justice system,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to support our state and local partners as they undertake the critical work of safeguarding communities and strengthening the bonds of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
“Second Chance Month recognizes the promise presented by a new opportunity and a fresh start for individuals as they rejoin their communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Strategic Plan released today builds on the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring a criminal justice system that is fair for all—and our obligation as federal law enforcement to lead by example—by promoting rehabilitation, reentry, and public trust.”
“Every day, the criminal justice system touches lives across the country in countless ways—from individuals who are arrested and incarcerated to police officers, victims, families, and communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This Strategic Plan sets forth the Justice Department’s priorities and vision for a better, fairer system for all stakeholders. It is a comprehensive outline of our work to advance public safety through more thoughtful approaches to criminal justice system interactions, rehabilitation and humane treatment during incarceration and detention, and ensuring the necessary supports for individuals to live healthy, productive lives despite a criminal record or past incarceration.”
The department will continue to support both the work of the Committee and the initiatives outlined in the Strategic Plan. In the months and years to come, the department will operationalize and build upon this Strategic Plan to ensure that justice systems nationwide embody the principles of equality, dignity, and justice for all.
The department’s full strategic plan is available here.
The department’s strategic plan fact sheet is available here.