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27 March 2023
U.S. Department of Justice Announces Nearly $300 Million in Federal Grants to Support Local Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
CONCORD – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has announced the release of approximately $300 million in grant solicitations for programs that advance community policing, keep students safe, and add law enforcement officers to our nation’s streets.
“These grant solicitations could not have come at a better time, as our law enforcement partners are operating with significant staffing shortages and working every day to reignite community faith in our profession,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “I urge departments throughout the Granite State to take advantage of these funding opportunities.”
“These grant solicitations represent the Justice Department’s commitment to keeping our children safe in their schools and assisting law enforcement agencies across the country with the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Supporting community violence intervention programs, and the law enforcement agencies that partner with them, is not only a priority of the Department, but is critical to the safety and success of future generations.”
The announced solicitations include $224.5 million available for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), which is a competitive award program that provides direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. The COPS Office intends to prioritize applications for jurisdictions that support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, seek to hire officers that would engage with community stakeholders to involve them in strategic operations and planning, and implement hiring practices to help agencies mirror the racial diversity of the communities that they serve. All local, state, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply.
Funding also includes $73 million for the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). This program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs. Awards will be provided directly to eligible state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. Recipients of SVPP funding must use funding for the benefit of K-12, primary, and secondary schools, and students.
Please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants for additional information about both the COPS Hiring Program and the School Violence Prevention Program.
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U.s. Department of Justice Announces Nearly $300 Million in Federal Grants to Support Local Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
CONCORD – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has announced the release of approximately $300 million in grant solicitations for programs that advance community policing, keep students safe, and add law enforcement officers to our nation’s streets.
“These grant solicitations could not have come at a better time, as our law enforcement partners are operating with significant staffing shortages and are working every day to reignite community faith in the profession,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “I urge departments throughout the Granite State to take advantage of these funding opportunities.”
“These grant solicitations represent the Justice Department’s commitment to keeping our children safe in their schools and assisting law enforcement agencies across the country with the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Supporting community violence intervention programs, and the law enforcement agencies that partner with them, is not only a priority of the Department, but is critical to the safety and success of future generations.”
The announced solicitations include $224.5 million available for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), which is a competitive award program that provides direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. The COPS Office intends to prioritize applications for jurisdictions that support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, seek to hire officers that would engage with community stakeholders to involve them in strategic operations and planning, and implement hiring practices to help agencies mirror the racial diversity of the communities that they serve. All local, state, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply.
Funding also includes $73 million for the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). This program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs. Awards will be provided directly to eligible state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. Recipients of SVPP funding must use funding for the benefit of K-12, primary, and secondary schools, and students.
Please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants for additional information about both the COPS Hiring Program and the School Violence Prevention Program.
###Two nurses sent to prison for illegal kickback schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston area residents have been ordered to federal prison today after admitting to paying kickbacks to marketers and a physician, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Joseph Nwankwo, 59, Houston, and Stacey Ajaja, 51, Richmond, pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2022, and March 11, 2022, respectively, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving illegal health care kickbacks.
Today, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks ordered Nwankwo to serve 36 months in federal prison, while Ajaja received a 14-month-term of imprisonment. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following completion of the prison terms. Nwankwo must pay $1,218,615.13 in restitution to Medicare, while Ajaja was ordered to pay $238,164.69.
Nwankwo and Ajaja co-owned Hefty Healthcare Services Inc.
At the time of their pleas, they admitted that from 2014 through 2016, both obtained patient referrals by paying marketers and patients. Nwankwo further admitted to bribing a physician to authorize medically unnecessary home health services for Hefty patients.
Nwankwo and Ajaja were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Department of Health and Human Services‐Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.
Two Oakland Residents Charged with Crimes Related to Separate Alleged Schemes to Distribute Drugs in the Tenderloin AreaRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - Esmun Moyses Moral-Raudales and Omar Zelaya appeared in federal court today to face charges each was engaged in a separate scheme to distribute drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. The indictments against the defendants were unsealed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros during today’s proceedings.
On March 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned two indictments, one against Moral-Raudales, 27, and another against Zelaya, 26, both of Oakland. The government requested that the court detain both defendants.
According to documents filed by the government in connection with its request to detain Moral-Raudales prior to trial, Moral-Raudales used a vehicle to commute back and forth from Oakland to his favored selling location in the Tenderloin. On January 17, 2023, Moral-Raudales allegedly sold fentanyl to an undercover officer in the Tenderloin. Law enforcement officers allegedly attempted to arrest Moral-Raudales on March 16, 2023, after he exited his residence in Oakland. Moral-Raudales allegedly tossed his backpack and fled but was eventually apprehended. The government argues that Moral-Raudales possessed—in his residence, car, backpack and on his person—over 3400 grams of suspected fentanyl (3205 grams of which was in powder form), over 50 grams of suspected methamphetamine, equipment for mixing and coloring fentanyl, over $10,000 in cash, and a “ghost gun.” At the time of his arrest, Moral-Raudales was on supervised release, having been previously convicted of a federal felony offense in July 2020.
Moral-Raudales is charged with three counts of distributing a controlled substance in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The first count alleges he distributed methamphetamine to an undercover officer in the Tenderloin on January 10, 2023; the second count alleges he distributed methamphetamine to an undercover officer in the Tenderloin on February 7, 2023, and the third count alleges he distributed fentanyl to an undercover officer in the Tenderloin on February 7, 2023.
As for Zelaya, undercover officers used text messages to contact the defendant by cell phone and arrange a meeting that was to take place on March 16, 2023. On that day, law enforcement officers allegedly observed Zelaya leave his residence and walk in the direction of the agreed-upon location. When officers attempted to arrest Zelaya, he fled and resisted arrest but was eventually apprehended. Zelaya allegedly tossed two bags of suspected narcotics as he ran from the officers. The two bags of contained over 100 grams of fentanyl and over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Zelaya is charged with five counts of distribution of a controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)— three counts pertain to the alleged distribution of fentanyl, one count pertains to the alleged distribution of cocaine, and one count pertains to the alleged distribution of methamphetamine.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of twenty years in prison for each count pending against him (five counts are pending against Zelaya and three counts are pending against Moral-Raudales). In addition, for each count, the court may order the defendant to serve up to a lifetime of supervised release and to pay a fine of up to one million dollars. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Moral-Raudales’s next federal court appearance is scheduled for May 8, 2023, before Hon. James Donato, U.S. District Judge, for a status conference. Zelaya’s next federal court appearance is scheduled for April 11, 2023, before Hon. William Alsup, U.S. District Judge, for a status conference.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case against Moral-Raudales with the assistance of Erick Machado. Special Assistant United States Attorney Anna Nguyen is prosecuting the case against Zelaya with the assistance of Amala James and Laurence Macaraeg. Both prosecutions are the result of investigations by the DEA.
Steuben County Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Miller, 63, of Corning, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2021, the New York State Police received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Miller’s email account uploaded suspected images of child pornography. On May 26, 2021, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at Miller’s Fox Ridge Road residence, and seized several digital devices. A forensic review of a seized cell phone recovered 84 images of child pornography. Another review of a computer that was seized recovered 22 images of child pornography.
Miller made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak. Additional assistance was provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Gun in Connection with a KidnappingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri to ten years in prison on gun and methamphetamine charges.
Mosley Jumon Williams, now 32, was accused on March 28, 2019 of kidnapping an elderly man at gunpoint to learn the location of William’s ex-wife, who had an order of protection naming Williams. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Williams, but could not find the gun until Williams called his girlfriend from jail and told her in to hide the gun in a closet.
Williams’ girlfriend allowed officers to search their apartment. They found a .45-caliber, HS Produkt handgun with a flashlight-laser combination, which the elderly man identified as the gun used in the kidnapping, as well as 42 tablets containing methamphetamine and a digital scale.
Williams pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to a felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a misdemeanor charge of possession of methamphetamine.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary M. Bluestone prosecuted the case.
South Florida Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Cambrel Jamal Smart (29, Fort Lauderdale) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Smart to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he illegally possessed. Smart had pleaded guilty on December 1, 2022.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, at around 3:00 a.m., a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper pulled over a vehicle Smart was driving after it was observed traveling at a high rate of speed on I-75 in Collier County. The car was searched, after a Trooper could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed a clear plastic baggy containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, in the center console. Upon searching the vehicle, a Trooper found a loaded firearm between the front and back passenger-side seats. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing linked the firearm to Smart, who is a multi-convicted felon. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
San Jose Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Interstate Marijuana Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Tan Minh Vo, 50, of San Jose, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno for distribution in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in November 2018, Vo and his co-defendants Patrick Maldonado, 46, of Madera; Elias Zambrano, Jr., 43, of Fresno; Tien Van Phan, 58, of Milpitas; Halen Frazier, 36, of Kingsville, Missouri; and David Agustus McGowan, of Kansas City, Missouri, coordinated the shipment of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. The first shipment was seized from Frazier during a traffic stop after Phan, Vo’s courier, delivered 92 pounds of marijuana to him in two suitcases at a hotel in Kansas City.
Later, agents intercepted calls between Vo, Maldonado, Zambrano, and Frazier in which they discussed the shipment of another load of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. That load was intercepted by Arizona troopers after stopping McGowan for nonfunctioning tail lights on his truck. During a search of the trailer, troopers found 384 pounds of marijuana and $1,629 in cash in a hidden compartment.
Following these seizures, agents executed search warrants at Vo’s residence and place of business in San Jose, as well as Maldonado’s residence in Madera and Zambrano’s residence in Fresno. At Vo’s residence, agents found $24,700 and another $20,000 in cash on Vo’s person, which represented proceeds derived from drug trafficking. At his place of business, FIND-BUY-ITEMS, agents found 70 pounds of marijuana and indoor marijuana cultivation equipment. At Maldonado’s residence, agents found 4 kilograms of cocaine, 20 pounds of packaged marijuana, a firearm, and over $45,000 in cash. At Zambrano’s residence, agents found two loaded firearms, more marijuana, and an electronic money counter.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force consisting of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sheriff’s Offices of Tulare, Kings, and Fresno Counties, the Fresno Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Kansas City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado, Zambrano, and Frazier previously entered guilty pleas to the drug conspiracy. Maldonado was sentenced to seven years in prison. Both Zambrano and Frazier were sentenced to two years and three months in prison. The charges against McGowan are pending. As to him, the charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Queens Investment Advisor Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Central Islip, Surage Roshan Perera, the Founder and Executive Director of Janues Capital, Inc. (Janues) in Bellerose, Queens, will be arraigned on a 16-count indictment charging him with securities fraud, investment advisor fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to induce an investor (Jane Doe) to purchase stock in companies that traded on the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Perera was arrested this morning and the arraignment will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, the victim trusted Perera with millions of dollars of her hard-earned money for what she was assured would be a safe investment,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “In reality, the defendant deceived the victim and used the money to enrich himself. This Office will hold the defendant accountable for his acts of greed and dishonesty.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group for their cooperation and assistance.
As alleged in the indictment, between February 2022 and March 2023, Perera contacted Jane Doe via telephone calls, emails and text messages to solicit her to purchase stock in companies that traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE, in exchange for a fee. Perera falsely told Jane Doe that he had relationships with large institutions, and could purchase shares of those publicly-traded companies at discounted prices. The defendant also told Jane Doe that her investment was a low risk venture and he would use her investment capital to purchase shares in those public-traded companies. As a result, Jane Doe gave Perera more than $4.2 million. However, instead of investing Jane Doe’s money in those securities, Perera misappropriated those funds by, among other things: (1) paying redemptions to Jane Doe, (2) paying personal expenses, and (3) funding his day trading. To conceal his fraudulent scheme, Perera sent fraudulent confirmation notices and account statements to Jane Doe.
If convicted, Perera faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ incarceration.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and Perera is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Perera faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace will play a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and identity theft.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Caffarone is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
SURAGE ROSHAN PERERA
Age: 50
Bellerose, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-129 (GRB)
Project Safe Neighborhoods Cases: Indictments, Guilty Pleas, and a Sentencing Further Efforts to Reduce Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces recent cases in the Eastern District of California that were brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) federal initiative. PSN brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat gun and gang crime. At the core of PSN is increased federal prosecution to incapacitate chronic violent offenders as well as to communicate a credible deterrent threat to potential gun offenders.
Two recent indictments
Ulises Muro-Robles, 38, of Stockton, was indicted on March 23, 2023, and charged with possession with intent to distribute at least 1 kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 10, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call and found Muro-Robles to be in possession of 5.1 kilograms of heroin, 280 grams of cocaine, over $50,000 in cash, and a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Muro-Robles has several prior felony convictions including assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Task Force (METRO), the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
Arnes Krajinic, 32, of Roseville, was indicted on March 16, 2023, and charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, in January 2023, Krajinic arranged to sell fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer and arrived at the predetermined location, in possession of an assembled weapon lacking a serial number (known as a ghost gun) that was loaded with six rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Krajinic is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has five prior felony convictions, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and possession of a controlled substance while armed.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service; the ATF; the Placer County Special Investigations Unit; and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition, Krajinic faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the drug offenses, Robles faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Robles faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A Project Safe Neighborhoods defendant sentenced
Jaime Alvarez, 52, of Vallejo, was sentenced on March 21, 2023, to 21 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in October 2021, two different victims—both of whom were members of a different motorcycle club that is considered a “puppet” (or subordinate) club of the Vallejo chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club —were beaten by Alvarez and other club members based on perceived infractions of the Hells Angels’ rules. On Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Alvarez’s home as part of the investigation into the brutal beating and found several firearms, including a Glock 27 .40 SW caliber handgun. Alvarez has prior felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Vallejo Police Department, the FBI, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron D. Pennekamp and Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
The following two guilty pleas are part of Operation No Fly Zone, a multi-agency, months-long investigation that sought to address a rise in the number of shootings and homicides in Fresno.
Reginald Keith Cannon Jr., 24, of Fresno, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on March 22, 2022, officers observed Cannon at the Fashion Fair Mall and were aware he was on active probation. Upon being searched, officers located a Glock semi-automatic handgun with a large-capacity magazine in his pants. Cannon has prior felony convictions involving firearms offenses and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Donald Ray Phelps Jr., 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on March 18, 2022, officers learned about the presence of a firearm inside a car in which Phelps was a passenger. During a search of the car, they found a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic handgun with no serial number (known as a ghost gun) under the seat where Phelps had been sitting. Phelps has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit pandering in Orange County and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
These two cases are the product of an investigation by the FBI, HSI, ATF, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the cases. Phelps is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2023. Cannon is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2023. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The cases in this press release are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Postal Worker Charged with Embezzling Thousands in U.S. Postal Service FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been charged in federal court in Boston with allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in government funds through a false travel reimbursement scheme.
Anthony Fernandes, 37, of Douglas, Mass. was charged with one count of theft of government money. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Fernandes was a supervisor for the USPS in Buzzards Bay. It is alleged that Fernandes fraudulently used his USPS supervisor’s travel authorization account to approve approximately $52,987 in bogus travel reimbursement requests for the period of April through November 2022.
The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to a $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Perrysburg Man Indicted on Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TOLEDO - Sage George, 31, of Perrysburg, Ohio was indicted on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Felony.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service working in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alissa M. Sterling and Frank H. Spryszak.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Owner of Covina Employment Staffing Company Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Not Paying over Payroll Taxes to IRSRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Diamond Bar man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for deliberately failing to pay more than $200,000 for one three-month period’s payroll taxes owed by his San Gabriel Valley employment staffing company.
Robinson Rin Yang, 54, a.k.a. “Robert Mora,” a.k.a. “David Lee,” was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered Yang to pay $2,791,783 in restitution.
Yang pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of willful failure to pay over employment taxes.
From March 2016 to March 2020, Yang operated B&S Staffing, a Covina-based staffing service business. From mid-2017 until the end of 2019, B&S accrued large unpaid employment tax liabilities, failed to make timely employment tax deposits, and repeatedly failed to timely file quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. Notably, B&S did not file – until February 2019 – employment tax returns for the periods ending June 30, 2017 through December 31, 2018.
After these tax returns were filed, B&S again fell into non-compliance with its reporting obligations. B&S did not file – until September 2020 – employment tax returns for the quarterly tax periods ending March 31, 2019, through December 31, 2019.
Yang was aware of B&S’s tax situation, but willfully failed to pay over to the IRS all the employment taxes due and owing, including income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employee wages. Instead, Yang repeatedly used his control over B&S to direct payments from the corporate bank account, which he controlled, for his personal benefit.
For example, in July 2018, for the quarterly tax period ending on June 30, 2018, Yang willfully failed to account for and pay over approximately $221,108 in B&S payroll taxes.
In total, B&S accrued approximately $2,791,783 in unpaid employment taxes during this 2½-year period. Yang has agreed to pay this amount in restitution to the IRS.
Also, from 2017 to 2019, to frustrate IRS collection actions against him regarding his personal income taxes – and to conceal the true extent of how much money he made – Yang did not pay himself a salary from B&S. Instead, Yang caused weekly checks to be issued from B&S’s corporate bank account to a business named “Advanced Business Konsulting,” and deposited these checks into an account held in the same name and which he controlled.
In addition, Yang used B&S funds for the down payment and monthly mortgage payments on his purchase of a home, but kept the property titled in the name of another person to conceal Yang’s ownership of the property. Yang also directed payments from the corporate bank accounts of B&S to pay for personal expenses, including a portion of his daughter’s college tuition, and funding for Yang’s other business interests, including a failed construction business and a failed restaurant.
Despite the fact Yang earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from his operation of B&S during each of the calendar years 2017 through 2019, he failed to timely file federal income tax returns for those years.
“Under [Yang’s] management, B&S engaged in a long running pattern of failing to pay federal employment taxes and timely file federal employment tax returns,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Despite knowing of the company’s expanding tax debts, [Yang] repeatedly used his control over B&S to direct payments from the corporate bank account for his personal benefit and for the payment of other expenses.”
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Owner of Chicago Area Construction Company Charged with Bribing Cook County OfficialRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago area construction company has been charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official, and two counts of using a facility in interstate commerce (a cell phone) in order to facilitate the acts of bribery.
As noted within the information, from approximately 2016 to June 2019, ALEX NITCHOFF, 56, of Lemont, is alleged to have conspired with other individuals both known and unknown to bribe Lavdim Memisovski, an employee of the Cook County Assessor’s Office who performed the function of Commercial Group Leader. As a commercial group leader, Memisovski assessed property values for Cook County commercial properties and reviewed property tax appeals for commercial properties. Nitchoff, along with other individuals, provided Memisovski with home improvement materials, home improvement services, contracts for electrical work, jewelry, meals, sporting events tickets, and other items of value, intending to influence Memisovski in connection with his work as a Commercial Group Leader. Memisovski, in return, ensured that appeals of property assessments related to Nitchoff and his business associates were routed to himself so that he could extend deadlines for the filing of appeals and reduce assessed property values.
The information is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Didwania and Thomas P. Peabody.
The public is reminded that an information contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge of bribery carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, and each charge of using a facility of interstate commerce carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
New Haven Man Who Committed 5 Gunpoint Robberies of the Same New Haven Store Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMAINE CANNON, 19, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to robbery and firearm offenses related to his commission of five gunpoint robberies of the same New Haven business during a six-week period in 2021.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 30, October 27, November 6, November 10 and November 11, 2021, Cannon, brandishing a handgun, robbed the Howard Mini Mart & Deli, located on Howard Avenue in New Haven. During all five robberies, Cannon pointed the gun and threatened to shoot store employees.
Cannon was arrested after the fifth robbery on November 11, 2021. A search of a residence where Cannon was apprehended revealed a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, a distinctive hoodie he wore during the robbery on November 10, and a pair of latex gloves.
Cannon pleaded guilty to five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and one count of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years. Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for June 19.
Cannon has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
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.
NH Man Sentenced to 14 ½ Years for Violent Home Invasion in YorkRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiracy, robbery and firearm charges stemming from a violent home invasion in York in August 2019.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Jason Candelario, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire to 175 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $180,277.06 in restitution. Candelario pleaded guilty on November 2, 2022.
According to court records, during the evening hours of August 2, 2019, Candelario and three other co-conspirators met in Hooksett, New Hampshire and planned a home invasion of a York residence to rob marijuana and marijuana sale proceeds from the home’s resident. The group traveled to the York residence where Candelario and one other co-conspirator, armed with handguns and wearing masks, waited in the woods for the resident to return home. When the resident arrived home, accompanied by two others, a violent physical altercation ensued between the resident and one of the armed co-conspirators and both ended up on the ground. The other armed co-conspirator came around the vehicle to aid in subduing the victim. During the fight, a firearm was discharged, and the bullet struck the victim in the lower abdomen. Candelario and the other armed co-conspirator then fled.
The FBI, in conjunction with the York Police Department and the York County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Dwayne Jones, 33, of Macomb, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 15, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jones on Interstate 77 near Ripley. Officers searched the vehicle and found one bottle of pills in the glove compartment and a second bottle of pills in the trunk. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the 984 blue pills found inside the two bottles contained a total of approximately 106 grams of fentanyl. Jones admitted that he possessed the pills, knew they contained a controlled substance, and planned to distribute them.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.
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. 2:22-cr-137.
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Maryland man charged with cyberstalking ex-girlfriendRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Hagerstown, Maryland man has been charged with cyberstalking after using social media to harass and intimidate his ex-girlfriend.
Derik Wayne Bowers, age 44, was indicted on one count of stalking by a federal grand jury in Martinsburg. According to court documents, Bowers harassed and intimidated his former girlfriend through text messages, phone calls, and via Facebook. In December 2022, he called the Morgan County victim 815 times during a 48-hour period. In addition, Bowers sent the victim thousands of harassing text messages over a several month period. Bowers also used social media posts to embarrass her and interfere with her livelihood.
“Cyberstalking is a pervasive problem that we treat very seriously in West Virginia,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “I encourage those who are being intimidated online and who suffer substantial emotional distress as a result to file a police report so that wrongdoers may be investigated and held to account.”
If convicted, Bowers faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice A 13-Year-Old over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that David Wayne Hogle, Jr. (29, Cherry Point, North Carolina) has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a 13-year-old child to produce sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him over the internet. Hogle faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. Hogle was arrested at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point in North Carolina and was transported to Jacksonville for prosecution. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2022, an FBI agent in Jacksonville began an undercover investigation to identify individuals using the internet to engage in sexual activity with children. This FBI agent (UC) posted a message in a chat room on a particular social media application (“app”) posing as the “mother” of a 13-year-old child. App user “Kaligula,” who was later identified as Hogle, responded, “Interested in domination, degrading, breeding, inc’est, and very young girls.” When asked about his age preference for children, Hogle responded, “No lower age limit.” The UC explained that her daughter was 13 years old, and Hogle replied, “Typically [I] like younger …” The UC confirmed that she and the “child” were located in Florida, and Hogle replied that he lived in North Carolina. After exchanging phone numbers, Hogle texted the UC, “So when do I get to see … your daughter?” He stated that he had previously had sex with a 13-year-old and a 2-year-old. Hogle sent the UC a hyperlink to a cloud storage account that contained 28 photos of infants and toddlers being sexually abused.
On July 15, 2022, Hogle texted the UC, who was portraying the “child,” stating “I understand your only 13, so there is going to be a lot of things you still need to learn. I [am] happy to teach you about them.” Hogle then requested the “child” take a “naughty pic” or a video of her genitalia for him and directed her as to how to do so using her smart phone. The next day, Hogle texted the UC, asked again for an explicit photo of the “child,” and provided step-by-step instructions as to how to take a picture of the “child’s” genitalia. To demonstrate what kind of picture that he wanted the “child” to take, Hogle sent the “child” a photo of his own genitalia.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) confirmed that Hogle was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina. Further investigation revealed that Hogle was accessing the internet during his online conversations with the UC while onboard MCAS Cherry Point.
On July 29, 2022, Hogle was arrested by the FBI onboard MCAS Cherry Point. During an interview with law enforcement, Hogle admitted that he had sent the UC a hyperlink containing child sexual abuse materials to show to the 13-year-old “child,” that he directed the “child” to take a picture of her “privates,” and that he was sexually interested in children aged “double digits, ten, twelve and plus.” A search of Hogle’s computer revealed that it contained 162 images and 45 videos depicting infants, toddlers, and young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, Florida and Greenville, North Carolina, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maine Recidivist Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine recidivist sex offender pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to failing to register as a sex offender when he moved from Haverhill, Mass. to Fryeburg, Maine.
Frank Boyd, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender, in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2023. Boyd was previously charged by complaint in August 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022. He has remained in state custody on unrelated charges since his arrest in July 2022.
Boyd was a Level 3 Sex Offender who had been convicted of sex offenses against children in 2001 and 2009. Accordingly, he was required to register as a sex offender and update his registration any time he moved or changed employment.
In 2020, Boyd registered and listed a Haverhill, Mass., address as his residence. On or around March 23, 2021, it was determined that Boyd no longer lived at the Haverhill residence and was later found to have moved to Fryeburg, Maine. He did not register as a sex offender in Maine nor update his sex offender registration in Massachusetts at any point prior to his arrest on state charges on July 27, 2022. Boyd has two prior state court convictions in 2009 and 2015 for failure to register as a sex offender.The charge of failure to register as a sex offender provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Maine made the announcement today. The Haverhill and Fryeburg (Maine) Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Heroin in StocktonRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Daniel Quiroz, 41, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Quiroz, acting at the direction of a Mexican source of heroin, delivered over 500 grams of heroin to a confidential source in Anaheim, in exchange for $3,070. Subsequently, Quiroz delivered over a kilogram of heroin to co-defendant Roberto Palacios-Garcia, 37, of Guerrero, Mexico, residing in California. Palacios-Garcia then sold the drug to a confidential source in Stockton for $6,080. The total amount of heroin involved was 1.5 kilograms or about 3.3 pounds.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Palacios-Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and, on Jan. 19, 2021, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
Quiroz is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on July 10, 2023. Quiroz faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Deigo Carter, Jr., 21, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 24, 2023, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he completes his prison sentence, Carter will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In September 2021, Lincoln police officers noticed Carter posting images of firearms on social media. In one video, investigators observed defendant handling a handgun with a unique laser attachment. On September 7, 2021, Carter posted an advertisement for narcotics sales on social media. That evening, police saw Carter leave a residence in a car with others. Investigators noticed a green laser light coming from the car that matched the laser light they had seen on Carter’s social media. The car parked at a Lincoln business, the occupants got out and went inside, then came out and got back in the car, at which time police contacted them. At the time, Carter was serving a term of post-release supervision due to two felony convictions from Lancaster County. He was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was a felon.
Police recognized Carter, who was in the front passenger seat, from his social media postings. On the driver’s side floor, investigators saw a firearm light attachment similar to the one seen in defendant’s social media postings. Investigators saw a battery used for the attachment on the ground outside of the car, and Carter had a battery for the light in his pocket. In the trunk, police found jars of marijuana residue. In the back seat, police located a THC product Carter had been advertising for sale on social media. One of the backseat passengers had a bag of marijuana on his person. Police also located a stolen pistol containing an extended, loaded magazine. This appeared to be one of the same guns police noticed in Carter’s social media. Investigators obtained DNA samples from the gun and learned that Carter was included as a person who left his DNA on the gun. The handgun, which was manufactured outside of Nebraska, had been reported stolen from a Lincoln apartment about a month prior to September 7, 2021.
Carter’s sentence was enhanced because he possessed the firearm in connection with drug distribution.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the FBI. 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.
Laboratory Corporation of America Agrees to Pay $2,100,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Overbillings on Department of Defense ContractsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Laboratory Corporation of America (“Labcorp”) has agreed to pay the United States $2,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by overbilling the Department of Defense (“DoD”) for genetic tests performed by GeneDx, LLC, a third-party reference laboratory used by Labcorp to perform genetic tests for military members.
The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Services, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, Christopher W. Dillard, and Special Agent in Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, L. Scott Moreland.
“Federal contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring integrity and compliance with government contracts,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“This settlement demonstrates DCIS’ vigorous commitment to investigate false claims related to DoD contracts. The submission of truthful and accurate documentation for payment by health care entities is essential to the integrity of DoD contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher W. Dillard, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS proudly stands with our investigative law enforcement partners and with the support of the Defense Health Agency to root out fraud, waste and abuse.”
“We are very pleased with today's announcement,” said Special Agent-in-Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “This is a true testament to our continued commitment to work closely and seamlessly with our outstanding fellow law enforcement agencies to protect the financial interests of the United States Army and the United States Government as a whole.”
In 2012, LabCorp entered a contract with DoD to perform laboratory testing at all DoD Military Treatment Facilities throughout the world. Certain specialized tests performed on the DoD contract, including genetic tests involving fetuses and parents, were performed by GeneDx as a reference lab for Labcorp. GeneDx would invoice Labcorp for these genetic tests and Labcorp would in turn invoice DoD. According to the settlement agreement, from December 1, 2013 through June 30, 2021, LabCorp double and/or triple billed DoD for genetic tests performed by GeneDx; overcharged DoD for genetic tests performed by GeneDx; and inappropriately billed DoD for tests performed by GeneDx when LabCorp could not later locate evidence of a (i) DoD requisition form, (ii) GeneDx test result, and/or (iii) corresponding GeneDx invoice.
The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Donna Hecker-Gross, a former employee of Labcorp, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and obtain a portion of the government's recovery. The civil lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel Donna Hecker-Gross v. Laboratory Corporation of America, Inc. PX 18-3459 (D. Md). As part of the settlement, the Ms. Hecker-Gross will receive $357,000.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by LabCorp nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Army Criminal Investigation Division for their work in this investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Corcoran and Sarah Marquardt, who handled the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Justice Department Releases Nearly $300 MILLION in Grant Solicitations for Hiring Law Enforcement Officers and Improving School SafetyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has announced the release of approximately $300 million in grant solicitations for programs that advance community policing, keep school students safe, and add law enforcement officers to our nation’s streets.
“These grant solicitations represent the Justice Department’s commitment to keeping our children safe in their schools and assisting law enforcement agencies across the country with the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Supporting community violence intervention programs, and the law enforcement agencies that partner with them, is not only a priority of the Department, but is critical to the safety and success of future generations.”
“We know from experience that it takes law enforcement and communities working together to reduce crime and increase public safety,” said COPS Office Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. “But they can’t do that without our help. This announcement represents another opportunity from the Department of Justice for agencies to apply for grants to advance their community policing efforts, hire more officers, and keep schools safe for our children.”
"We recognize that community-oriented policing is essential to promoting trust, safety, and justice for all. The Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is a vital partner in our efforts to create safer communities,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We stand committed to working with law enforcement agencies and community organizations to ensure that tragedies like the recent shooting at East High School in Denver are prevented, and that all Americans can live and learn in safety and security."
The announced solicitations include $224.5 million available for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. For this year’s program, the COPS Office will prioritize applications for jurisdictions that support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, for jurisdictions that seek to hire officers that would engage directly with CVI teams and other community stakeholders to ensure those groups are involved in strategic operations and planning, and for jurisdictions seeking to implement hiring practices to help agencies mirror the racial diversity of the communities that they serve. All local, state, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply.
Funding also includes $73 million for the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP), which includes $20 million that was made available through the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs. Awards will be provided directly to eligible state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. Recipients of SVPP funding must use funding for the benefit of K-12, primary, and secondary schools, and students. When undertaking comprehensive school safety and security approaches, applicants should prioritize implementing school safety measures that help to promote a positive school climate that does not detract from the mission of the school to educate students or negatively impact the health and wellbeing of students.
Please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants for additional information about both the COPS Hiring Program and the School Violence Prevention Program.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.
Justice Department Recovers over $53M in Profits Obtained from Corruption in the Nigerian Oil IndustryRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the final resolution of two civil cases seeking the forfeiture of various luxury assets that were the proceeds of foreign corruption offenses and were laundered in and through the United States.
With the conclusion of the cases, the department has recovered roughly $53.1 million in cash – constituting the net liquidated value of the defendant’s assets – plus a promissory note with a principal value of $16 million.
According to court documents, from 2011 to 2015, Nigerian businessmen Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Olajide Omokore conspired with others to pay bribes to Nigeria’s former Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who oversaw Nigeria’s state-owned oil company. In return, Alison-Madueke used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts to companies owned by Aluko and Omokore. The proceeds of those illicitly awarded contracts totaling more than $100 million were then laundered in and through the United States and used to purchase various assets through shell companies, including luxury real estate in California and New York as well as the Galactica Star, a 65-meter superyacht. The real estate was also used as collateral for loans to Aluko and shell companies he controlled. As part of the forfeiture process, those lien holders were paid.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squad in the Washington Field Office and the IRS-CI investigated the cases, with assistance from the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
Trial Attorneys Michael W. Khoo and Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the cases. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas provided substantial assistance.
These cases were brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. This initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.
In 2015, the FBI formed International Corruption Squads across the country to address national and international implications of foreign corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement at tips.fbi.gov/ or send an email to [email protected].
Jury Convicts Two of Conspiracy to Traffic FentanylRead the Press Release
AKRON - First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury convicted Branea Bryant, age 29, and Ramel Drew, age 44, both of Cleveland, Ohio, of drug trafficking offenses on Friday, March 17, in Akron, Ohio, following a two-week jury trial before Judge John R. Adams.
The jury convicted Branea Bryant of one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, one count of Conspiracy to Launder Money, and three counts of Money Laundering. The jury convicted Ramel Drew of one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, one count of Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate Drug Trafficking, one count of Distribution of Fentanyl, and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl.
The following information is based on court documents and evidence presented at trial.
In 2021, the FBI learned that Branea Bryant’s brother, Brandon Bryant, and her boyfriend, Devonn Fair, were selling fentanyl to customers at various locations on the east side of Cleveland. Branea Bryant’s company, ADF3 Investments, LLC, owned a house on East 130th Street in Cleveland that Brandon Bryant was using to sell fentanyl.
Based upon a long term, multi-agency investigation, the FBI determined that Brandon Bryant and Devonn Fair were selling fentanyl to customers at multiple locations in Cleveland, and that Branea Bryant and Ramel Drew were involved in the drug trafficking conspiracy.On August 31, 2021, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at seven houses connected to the drug organization, and seized over a kilogram of fentanyl, numerous firearms, ammunition, high-speed money counters, drug presses, a vacuum-sealer used to package drugs and money, over $68,000 in cash, jewelry, and multiple high-end vehicles, including two Range Rovers and a Jaguar F-Type.
One of the houses searched on August 31st was on East 89th Street in Cleveland, which the FBI had identified as a location where customers came from as far away as Lorain County and Ashland County to buy fentanyl. The FBI recovered a DVR surveillance system from the East 89th Street house, which showed Ramel Drew, Devonn Fair, and codefendant Nathaniel Lightfoot engaging in drug transactions with customers in the driveway of the residence. Testimony at trial also established that Fair, Drew, and Lightfoot shared a cell phone that drug customers would call to arrange the drug purchases. Fair and Lightfoot previously pled guilty and are pending sentencing.
Investigation by the IRS showed that Branea Bryant’s company, ADF3 Investments, owned several high-end vehicles connected to the drug conspiracy, including two Range Rovers that had been purchased with drug money, and a Jaguar F-Type that was used to facilitate drug deals. At trial, the lead IRS investigator testified that ADF3 did not file any state or federal tax returns, and that it did not appear to engage in any kind of legitimate business activity. The IRS investigator also testified that ADF3’s bank accounts, which had been opened by Branea Bryant, were largely funded with cash deposits and that ADF3’s accounts had been used to make large purchases at designer stores like Gucci and Prada using Branea Bryant’s debit card.
Branea Bryant and Ramel Drew were among 24 defendants indicted in the case, which was the result of a coordinated effort by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The other 22 defendants named in the indictment previously pled guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force (CGNL) and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force (SEALE), the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, and the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Lewis, Joseph Dangelo, and James Morford.
Jamestown Felon Arrested on Gun and Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Glover, 39, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of five grams or more of methamphetamine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case stated that according to the complaint, on the morning of December 14, 2022, a Jamestown Police officer observed Glover in a vehicle. The officer knew that Glover was suspended from driving. The officer stopped the vehicle and made contact with Glover, who immediately advised that he had a pipe on his person. Glover then handed over a glass pipe that contained what appeared to be methamphetamine residue inside. Glover was detained and a search of the vehicle recovered a digital scale with white crystal residue and a pistol. Glover was charged in New York State Court and released on bail. On February 22, 2023, a Jamestown Police officer observed Glover in the passenger seat of another vehicle and was aware of his outstanding charges. The officer stopped the vehicle and observed drug paraphernalia a plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine. Glover was again taken into custody. In 2019, Glover was convicted of a felony in Chautauqua County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
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.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Jackson Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Brandishing a Firearm in Relation to a RobberyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Tyrese Antwon Linson, 23, brandished a pistol during a nighttime robbery of a motel in the Jackson metro area. Linson became angry with the motel clerks when his reservation did not appear in their computer. As a result, Linson pulled a pistol and demanded money from the clerks. Linson was taken into custody shortly after the robbery. Robbery is a crime of violence, and it is contrary to federal law to brandish a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
The Jackson Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case is being 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.
Indictment Alleges New Haven Gang Members Committed 2 Murders and 10 Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
As a result of an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and related violence in New Haven, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging six alleged members and associates of the “Exit 8” street gang in New Haven with conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder, as well as related offenses.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
The indictment, which was returned on March 22, charges
JAEDYN RIVERA, also known as “Jae Honcho,” 22
TYJON PRESTON, also known as “TJ,” 20
SAMUEL DOUGLAS, also known as “Blamm,” 24
QUAYMAR SUGGS, 19
KIVEON HYMAN, also known as “Tiny, ” 25
DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 24The indictment was unsealed after Suggs and Hyman were arrested on March 24. On that date, they appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and were ordered detained. Preston has been detained in state custody since May 22, 2021, and Rivera, Douglas, and Allick have been detained in federal custody on previous charges.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, including murders and attempted murders, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The indictment alleges that members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least two murders and 10 attempted murders. Exit 8 members promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
Among the violent acts committed by the Exit 8 gang, the indictment alleges that:
- On June 16, 2018, Douglas and Hyman shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang, and shot another individual in the vicinity;
- On January 24, 2019, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On July 14, 2019, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On April 27, 2021, Preston and others shot and attempted to kill an individual;
- On May 3, 2021, Rivera shot and attempted to kill two members and associates of a rival gang;
- On May 10, 2021, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang, and shot another individual in the vicinity;
- On May 11, 2021, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill rival gang members;
- On May 19, 2021, Suggs and others shot and killed a member and associate of a rival gang;
- On May 20, 2021, Rivera and Preston shot and attempted to kill rival gang members, and Rivera and others shot and attempted to kill two other individuals;
- On June 30, 2021, Preston shot and attempted to kill an individual;
- On September 16, 2022, Allick and others shot and killed an individual.
The indictment charges each defendant with racketeering conspiracy. If convicted of this charge, Suggs and Allick face a maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years, and Rivera, Preston, Douglas and Hyman face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Rivera and Preston with attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; Rivera with VCAR assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; Rivera with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and Douglas with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
“This investigation, and these charges, demonstrate the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to provide substantial investigative resources and to work cooperatively with our local law enforcement partners to reduce gun violence in our cities,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “Gun violence will not be tolerated. No child should have to live in a community overrun by gun violence, and no parent or other family member should have to live with the fear and trauma that such violence causes. That trauma is, needless to say, profound. The negative impact of gun violence on our cities is immeasurable. We know that in New Haven, and in other cities in Connecticut, a very small number of young men involved in gang activity are responsible for a large percentage of shootings and other mayhem that occur there. If you are engaging in gun violence in Connecticut, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
“This investigation and prosecution represents the hard work and shared ongoing commitment of federal, state and municipal partners in using all resources available to stem violent crime in our cities,” said New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr.
“These arrests reflect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) commitment to investigating and bringing to justice those who use firearms to terrorize our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson. “Our neighborhoods are safer today because of the diligent work done by ATF and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who remain dedicated to reduce gang violence and make our communities safer.”
“The individuals indicated and arrested in this case must now face the consequences for their alleged reign of violent and destructive behaviors in our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “New Haven residents can rest assured that we are working to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.”
“Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Drug dealers and street gangs value their own profits over human life, and are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. These crimes hold law abiding citizens of Connecticut hostage to drug-fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
“On behalf of the New Haven Police Department and the New Haven community we value our continued collaboration with the federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. “The events of the last few days show us that partnerships matter and that we can get justice for families when we work together. It is alleged that the group “EXIT 8” and the individuals who have been indicted have been responsible for violence for the past several years. This case will help make our community a safer place to live. I thank the ATF, FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the continued partnership.”
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. 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.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN, “a/k/a “Jose Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “Jose G. Hernandez,” a/k/a “Daniel Enrique-Polanco,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Enrique,” age 50, pled guilty on March 21, 2023 to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN, (“HERNANDEZ-MARIN”) admitted to reentering the United States after being previously deported on June 23, 2011. HERNANDEZ-MARIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He also faces a sentencing enhancement of up to 20 years because of a prior felony conviction.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Goldsboro Man Sentenced to More than Seven Years for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Aratika Omhaya Anderson, 43, of Goldsboro was sentenced to 88 months in prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking organization that was trafficking significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Goldsboro area.
According to court documents and information presented in court, in 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina received information that Anderson was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in Goldsboro and distributing significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base (crack). The organization also maintained several “trap houses” or “stash houses” in Goldsboro and employed runners, often times drug users, to hand deliver drugs. Based upon the investigation, law enforcement learned that Anderson worked with the leader of the organization and personally managed a number of individuals distributing methamphetamine and crack cocaine from one of the organization’s stash houses.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement gathered historical information regarding this organization from multiple confidential sources, conducted surveillance, and also conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Anderson, as well as those working for him. Over the course of the conspiracy, Anderson was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 283.5 grams of crack cocaine, 198.45 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 572.48 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a/k/a “Ice.” On October 19, 2021, Anderson pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and Distribution of Five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.
Five total defendants have been charged and convicted in this investigation:
- Johnathan Aquavius Heath, a/k/a “Booty” (5:21-CR-314-M-1): pled guilty on June 7, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Five (5) Kilograms or More of Cocaine, and Two Hundred Eighty (280) Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack) and Distribution of Fifty Grams or more of Methamphetamine. Heath’s sentencing is currently pending.
- Victoria Christine Taylor (5:21-CR-314-M-3): pled guilty on March 8, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute a quantity of crack cocaine and was later sentenced to 80 months in prison.
- Richard Ronald Harris, III (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on October 6, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting. Harris was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment.
- Lelia Inez Harris (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on November 16, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Five (5) Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting. Harris was sentenced to 55 months imprisonment.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington and the Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:21-CR-00314-M.
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Garland Man Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew French, 36, of Garland, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 24, 2023, in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States Senior District Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of producing child pornography. French was sentenced to 225 months in prison and will also serve 12 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. After serving his prison sentence, French will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case began when a school intercepted an email intended for one of its minor students that contained sexually explicit language and requested sexual-related information and photos from the minor. An investigation was opened to determine the identity of the sender of the email. Through investigation, French was identified as the sender.
Through the subsequent investigation it was determined that French would meet minors through his small business, introduction from other minors, or through Snapchat. He would initiate a conversation with the minors and eventually would explain an opportunity to them to make money through “odd easy work.” He would then provide the minor the email address for a fictional individual. French explained to his victims that this fictional person wrote sex stories online and that they wanted the minor’s information to write these stories.
Using the fictional email address, French would pose as the third person and send the minor victims a survey with detailed questions about their sexual activities, proclivities, and anatomy. The email indicated the third person would pay the minor for a response to the survey. The email further contained options to make more money by taking certain sexually related photographs.
A search warrant was received for the email address, related-Google drive, and Google photos accounts and for French’s residence and devices. In reviewing this evidence, investigators discovered copious sexually explicit files. Investigators were able to positively identify four minor victims who provided sexually explicit images or videos to French at his request and who were paid by French.
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.
This case was investigated by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office.
Gang Member Convicted of Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Dieuverson Caille was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all counts of an indictment charging him with committing multiple armed carjackings. Between August 28, 2020 and June 20, 2021, Caille, together with his co-conspirators, robbed victims at gunpoint, kidnapped one of them, and stole their cars and personal items. The verdict followed a one-week trial before United States Circuit Judge Denny Chin sitting by designation. When sentenced, Caille faces a mandatory minimum of 21 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
“The defendant has been convicted of repeatedly using firearms to force innocent victims to give up their cars, confronting them with a terrifying choice of being seriously injured or killed,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The verdict today reflects this Office’s ongoing commitment to vigorously prosecute defendants who commit violent, gun-related crimes in our district.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito stated: “Today’s conviction serves as notice that the use of firearms to terrorize innocent victims will be met with swift and exacting justice. ATF and NYPD will expend all necessary resources to ensure that offenders such as the defendant are rewarded for their criminal activity with lengthy prison sentences. I am thankful for the hard work and commitment of the men and women of ATF NY’s Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension group, NYPD’s Brooklyn Robbery Squad & the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. ATF will continue to work with our Federal, State, and local partners to keep our communities safe.”
“Amid a nationwide increase in vehicle thefts that includes a spike in New York City, today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that such crime – particularly the brazen variety carried out at gunpoint – will never be tolerated in our neighborhoods,” stated NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “The NYPD, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate, arrest, and prosecute anyone responsible for violence in our communities. I commend and thank the skilled investigators of the NYPD and the ATF, as well as everyone from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District who were involved in this important case.”
As proven at trial, on August 28, 2020, Caille, a member of both the Eight Tray Crip and Haitian Locc gangs, approached a victim driving an Infiniti in Flatbush and carjacked him at gunpoint. Caille and several accomplices drove the victim to a nearby drive-through ATM where the defendant attempted to force the victim to withdraw money. The victim escaped by jumping out of the car’s window. Also as part of the conspiracy, on September 3, 2020, Caille and several accomplices carjacked a Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint in Flatbush and attacked an occupant of the car by pistol whipping him. On November 15, 2020, Caille, acting alone, carjacked at gunpoint the driver of a BMW who was working as a rideshare driver in Flatbush. The following day, after NYPD officers observed the stolen BMW, the defendant crashed the vehicle and struck a pedestrian. Finally, on June 20, 2021, the defendant, together with at least one other accomplice, carjacked at gunpoint the driver of a Porsche in East New York.
Caille was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, three substantive carjacking offenses, and three instances of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of those carjackings.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sara K. Winik, Ellen H. Sise, and Antoinette N. Rangel are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Magdalena St. Surin.
The Defendant:
DIEUVERSON CAILLE
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-547 (DC)
Fresno Woman Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for $300,000 COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Cecilia Aquino, 32, of Fresno, was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for submitting over $300,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and Small Business Administration (SBA) loan applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, from June through November 2020, Aquino went on a crime spree where she submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and loan applications in seven states using stolen identities. The claims and applications contained various misrepresentations, including that the named individuals worked as strippers and owned interior design businesses, and that they lost money because of the pandemic. Aquino used the proceeds of her fraud for gambling, rent, shopping, and other personal expenditures.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the SBA Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Franklin County Man Accused of Child Sex CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Franklin County, Missouri man has been accused of a federal criminal sex act with a minor.
Scott M. Arnold-Micke, 46, was indicted March 22, 2023 on one count of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act.
He appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday, after his arrest, and pleaded not guilty. He is scheduled to be back in court Wednesday for a detention hearing.
The indictment alleges that from approximately the spring of 20l8 through the fall of 2020, Arnold-Micke transported a child who was as young as 11 with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A motion seeking to have Arnold-Micke held in jail until trial accuses him of continuously sexually assaulting at least six other minors. Arnold-Micke traveled into seven states with minors to engage in sexual intercourse, the motion says. The alleged victim listed in the indictment sought medical treatment after Arnold-Micke knocked teeth out of the minor’s mouth for refusing to engage in sexual intercourse, the motion also says.
Any other potential victims are asked to contact the FBI in St. Louis at 314-589-2500 or call the Rolla Police Department at 573-308-1213 and ask for a detective.
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 FBI, the Rolla Police Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. 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.
Foreign National Sentenced for Victimizing U.S. Persons Through Cyber-Enabled Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was sentenced today to four years and one month in prison for his role in a cybercriminal group operating out of Nigeria and Malaysia, among other places, that executed complex financial fraud scams using the internet.
According to court documents, between December 2011 and January 2017, Solomon Ekunke Okpe, 31, of Lagos, and his co-conspirators devised and executed business email compromise (BEC), work-from-home, check-cashing, romance, and credit card scams that targeted unsuspecting individuals, banks, and businesses in the United States and elsewhere, and were intended to cause more than a million dollars in losses to U.S. victims. Among the victims of the scheme were First American Holding Company and MidFirst Bank.
To execute the scheme, Okpe and his co-conspirators launched email phishing attacks to steal victim login credentials and other sensitive information, hacked into victim online accounts, impersonated people, and assumed fake identities to defraud individuals, banks, and businesses, and trafficked, possessed, and used stolen credit cards in furtherance of the scheme. For instance, in BEC scams, Okpe and his co-conspirators posed as trusted individuals in order to deceive banks and companies into making unauthorized wire transfers to bank accounts specified by the co-conspirators. The co-conspirators also falsely posed as online employers on job websites and forums and purported to “hire” individuals in Arizona and elsewhere to positions that were marketed as legitimate. In reality, these work-from-home “employees” were often unwittingly directed to perform tasks that would facilitate the co-conspirators’ fraud schemes. Some of these tasks included creating bank and payment processing accounts, transferring/withdrawing money from these accounts, or cashing/depositing counterfeit checks.
Okpe and his co-conspirators additionally conducted romance scams by creating accounts on dating websites, feigning interest in romantic relationships with individuals under fictitious identities, and causing these victims to transfer their moneys overseas and/or receive money from wire-transfer scams. Okpe caused and intended to cause individual romance scam victims to suffer tens of thousands of dollars of losses.
Okpe was previously arrested in Malaysia at the request of the United States and detained for over two years as he contested extradition to the United States.
On March 20, one of Okpe’s co-conspirators, Johnson Uke Obogo, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison in connection with his role in related financial fraud activity.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Knoxville Field Office made the announcement.
Senior Counsel Aarash Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Goertz for the District of Arizona prosecuted the cases against Okpe and Obogo. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance throughout the investigation and extradition process.
A number of victims have been identified by the FBI. However, there is evidence of many more victims that remain unidentified. Anyone who believes they were defrauded by the defendants in this case should contact the Victim Witness Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona at [email protected].
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Florida man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court records, On October 11, 2022, a DEA Task Force Officer (TFO) conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado on Interstate 10 in Gulfport, Mississippi. The driver of the vehicle and sole occupant was identified as Vicente Valerio. A search of the vehicle revealed three bags containing 40 kilograms of cocaine.
Valerio will be sentenced on June 27, 2023, and faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Five Family Members Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Forfeit a Combined $51.9 Million Dollars in Proceeds from Their Fraudulent Sale of Counterfeit Trademarked Cellular Phones and AccessoriesRead the Press Release
BOISE – On March 21, 22, and 23, 2023, five family members were sentenced to prison for their conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit trademarked goods, in connection with their online sale of counterfeit cellphones and accessories, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.
On August 1, 2022, a jury found Pavel Babichenko, Piotr Babichenko, Timofey Babichenko, David Bibikov, and Mikhail Iyerusalimets, guilty after a three-month trial.
Pavel Babichenko, Piotr Babichenko, Timofey Babichenko, David Bibikov, and Mikhail Iyerusalimets operated a multi-million dollar scheme wherein they sold counterfeit cellphones and cellphone accessories on Amazon.com and eBay.com that the defendants misrepresented as new and genuine Apple and Samsung products. The counterfeit cellphones and cellphone accessories were obtained in bulk from manufacturers in Hong Kong, repackaged in the Treasure Valley, and then individually resold to consumers online as genuine and new.
“My Office is committed to protecting Idaho consumers, businesses, and the public from fraud of all types,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “The convictions, sentences, and financial recovery in this case reflects our ability to work with our law enforcement partners to take down large-scale and long-term fraud enterprises that cross borders.”
“These sentencings are a result of HSI’s dedication to protect the U.S. economy and intellectual property by investigating schemes that threaten the global economy,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “I commend the agents at HSI and our law enforcement partners at FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS-CI, U.S. Marshals Service, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, and the Meridian Police Department for the years of work that led to this outcome.”
“These sentencings are the result of law enforcement’s unrelenting work to dismantle transnational criminal organizations,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Salt Lake City FBI. “With strong partnerships in Idaho and around the world, the FBI stands firm in combatting those who attempt to defraud U.S. citizens and U.S. companies for their financial gain.”
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Pavel Babichenko to 72 months in federal prison, a $21,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Judge Winmill further entered a $33,708,700.30 forfeiture money judgment against Pavel Babichenko.
Piotr Babichenko was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. A $3,316,882.40 forfeiture money judgment was entered against him.
Timofey Babichenko was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison, a $10,500 fine, and three years of supervised release. A $9,230,196.82 forfeiture money judgment was entered against him.
David Bibikov was sentenced to serve one month in federal prison, nine months of home detention, and three years of supervised release. A $4,710,207.11 forfeiture money judgment was entered against him.
Mikhail Iyerusalimets was sentenced to serve two months in federal prison, nine months of home detention, and three years of supervised release. A $953,411.95 forfeiture money judgment was entered against him.
A future hearing will determine restitution and repayment of public defender attorney fees.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the joint investigation led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, along with IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service. These federal agencies were joined in the investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, and the Meridian Police Department.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Findlay Man Indicted on Five Counts of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO - Gage Haws, 28, of Findlay, Ohio was indicted on five counts of Bank Robbery. The indictment alleges that between December 31, 2022, and February 16, 2023, the defendant committed robberies at Premier Bank in Arlington, Ohio, Old Fort Bank in Bettsville, Ohio, First National Bank of Sycamore in McCutchenville, Ohio, Union Bank Company in Kalida, Ohio, and State Bank and Trust Company in Delta, Ohio.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Findlay Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Kalida Police Department, Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Delta Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank H. Spryszak and Matthew D. Simko.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Final Two Defendants Plead Guilty for Roles in Scheme that Fraudulently Obtained over $2 Million in COVID-19 Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – The last two defendants in an Inland Empire-based scheme in which eight people fraudulently obtained $2.1 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by claiming, among other things, that they were salon and barbershop workers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and mail fraud charges.
All eight defendants charged by a federal grand jury in June 2022 now have admitted to participating in a scheme to submit fraudulent applications in the names of relatives, prisoners, and identity theft victims.
Keith Burns, 39, of Houston, Texas, and Regjinay Tate, 29, of Corona, each pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency and one count of mail fraud in relation to benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency. The other six defendants in this case pleaded guilty over the past several weeks to the same conspiracy count and the same or similar mail fraud charges.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through July 2021, lead defendant Robert Campbell Jr., 29, of Corona, orchestrated the scheme to use the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to steal UI benefits. Campbell and his co-conspirators used the personally identifiable information (PII) of others – including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers – to file fraudulent UI applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program.
The fraudulent UI claims were federally funded through programs authorized by Congress in response to the pandemic, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Lost Wage Assistance programs.
Many of the fraudulent claims were made on behalf of ineligible out-of-state claimants and on behalf of people ineligible for benefits because they were imprisoned, including one claimant in Texas.
The fraudulent applications falsely stated the claimants had prior annual incomes of $42,000 and they were self-employed individuals whose jobs were adversely impacted when salons and barbershop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraudulent applications listed mailing addresses with locations chosen and controlled by Campbell and his accomplices. Once the fraudulent applications were approved, debit cards were mailed to those addresses.
One defendant – Dillon Roberts, 31, of Eagle Point, Oregon – recruited Texas residents ineligible for California EDD benefits, including co-defendant Burns, to provide their PII to generate fraudulent EDD claims and payments in their names.
In total, Campbell and others caused 174 fraudulent applications to be filed with EDD, resulting in 125 fraudulent claims to be paid and resulting in total losses of approximately $2,113,966.
Campbell, who pleaded guilty on March 6, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5 by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal. The other seven defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months, including sentencing hearings scheduled for June 26 for Burns and Tate.
As a result of their guilty pleas, each of the eight defendants faces statutory maximum sentences of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and 30 years in federal prison for the mail fraud charges.
The United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the California Employment Development Department – Investigation Division are investigating this matter. Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit, and the United States Secret Service provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Elk Grove and Las Vegas Residents Sentenced for Conspiring to Violate the U.S. Trade Embargo on IranRead the Press Release
ACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dariush Niknia, 60, of Elk Grove, was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison, and Richard Lant, 77, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 24 months of home detention and fined $7,500 for a conspiracy to export to an embargoed country, Iran, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between May and October 2015, Niknia, Lant and others conspired to unlawfully sell and supply 500 Russian-made tank helmets to Niknia’s contact in Tehran, Iran. The helmets were to be configured for a Russian-produced T-72S battle tank and were required to have a five-pin plug, a feature that is necessary to enable a tank communication device.
In May 2015, Niknia contacted Lant, who operated R&L Ltd., a company that sold Russian items, and requested to purchase 500 T-72S tank helmets and to have the helmets shipped to Tehran. Niknia initially paid R&L to purchase sample tank helmets and to have the helmets sent from Russia to Iran. Prior to the shipment of the first sample helmet, both Lant and Niknia were told that the United States’ sanctions prohibited the shipment of items to Iran, but both nevertheless proceeded with the transaction.
Niknia’s customer rejected the first sample helmet because it did not have a rectangular five-pin plug, but approved the second sample tank helmet that was sent to Tehran. In an email communication with Niknia, Niknia’s Iranian contact discussed the fact that the helmets would be inspected by the ultimate buyer, the Government of Iran. Niknia then requested additional helmets be sent to Tehran, 50 at a time, and paid Lant money for the purchase and shipment of the first 50 helmets. However, the deal ultimately stalled because Lant’s associate could not obtain and ship the tank helmets in the quantities and timeframe Niknia required. The Russian supplier said the difficulties stemmed from the fact that it was illegal to sell large quantities of tank helmets and to send modern military items to countries such as Iran that might use them in “terroristic or any war ways.”
In May 2015, Niknia had attempted to purchase battle tank helmets from another individual who sold Russian military memorabilia online. This individual did not sell Niknia any helmets and instead reported him to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The embargo on Iran, which is enforced through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, prohibits the export, sale, and supply of goods to Iran by United States persons with very limited exceptions. It also prohibits, with very limited exceptions, United States persons from engaging in any transaction or dealing related to the sale or supply of goods to Iran.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division.
East Helena woman sentenced to three months in prison for mail theft schemeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An East Helena woman who admitted to her role in a mail theft scheme to defraud others by using unauthorized financial information was sentenced on March 23 to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Jessica Rose Menth, 33, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to access device fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that between December 2020 and January 2021, Menth became involved in a scheme to steal mail to obtain documents, checks, ATM and credit cards, prepaid debit cards with COVID relief funds and other items of value, and then pass the checks and access the money from the various stolen cards. In a search of Menth’s hotel room in January 2021, law enforcement discovered a stack of stolen mail, several documents and more than 30 debit cards, most of which still had activation stickers on them. There was no evidence that Menth had the chance to use or attempt to use any of the devices to make unauthorized purchases. Officers also searched Menth’s car and found several small baggies and a small amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
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Drug ring tied to Aryan prison gang indicted with 24 federal arrestsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Twenty-seven people were indicted by a grand jury for drug trafficking, and many of those in the indictment are tied to the “Aryan Family,” a white supremacist prison gang, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Twenty-four of the defendants have been arrested over the last five days in Washington and Arizona. The alleged leader of the drug trafficking organization, Jesse James Bailey, is also an influential member of the Aryan Family prison gang. Bailey is alleged to have trafficked huge amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs in Washington, Idaho, and to Alaska. Bailey and many other defendants will have detention hearings in Tacoma today.
“While the dozen counts in this indictment do not detail every criminal moment in this conspiracy, it does provide one remarkable statistic: 48 firearms seized in this case even before last week’s takedown,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “On Wednesday we took another 177 guns off the street and additional kilos of fentanyl and meth. The level of danger is high when you have people connected to Aryan prison gangs spreading drugs and using guns in our community.”
“This operation was the culmination of a year and a half of great investigative work,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. “We were able to arrest over 20 subjects, some of whom are alleged to have operated this drug organization from prison, and also prevented vast quantities of dangerous drugs from being sold on our streets. I'm so proud of how the FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners worked together to keep our community safe.”
On Wednesday March 22, 2023, the coordinated takedown involving ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers resulted in the seizure of an additional 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona.
These defendants have been indicted by the grand jury. All are in federal custody unless otherwise noted.
Jesse James Bailey, 39, of Steilacoom, Washington, in custody
Thomas Carver, 59, of Auburn, Washington in custody
Bryson Gill, 30, of Buckeye, Arizona, in custody in Arizona
Yehoshua Kilp, 37, incarcerated in Washington State prison
Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia, 37, of Burien, Washington, in custody
Candice Bailey, 41, of Steilacoom, in custody
Ronaldo McComb, 58, of Ridgefield, Washington, in custody
Keagen Larsen, 28, currently incarcerated in King County Jail
Sean Moinette, 54, of Spanaway, Washington in custody
Gregory Beers, 30, of Edgewood, Washington, being sought by law enforcement
Michael Warren, 63, of Shelton, Washington, in custody
Michael Slocumb, 44, of Concho, Arizona, in custody in Arizona
Isaac Cervantes, 24, of Phoenix, in custody in Arizona
Sara Thompson, 37, of Bonney Lake, Washington, in custody
Shawn Ellis, 31, of Renton, Washington, in custody
Eric Smith, 52, incarcerated in Washington State prison
Joseph Hempel, 45, of Burien, Washington, in custody
Stephanie Yepez, 42, being sought by law enforcement
Daniel Hammond, 41, of Puyallup, Washington, in custody
Philip Boorkman, 40, of Seattle, in custody
C’La Morales, 36, of Pierce County, in custody
Ronnie Griffin, 64, of Tacoma, in custody
Anna Sarnes, 37, of Quilcene, Washington, in custody
Anthony Escoto, 51, of Tukwila, in custody
William Tripp, 34, being sought by law enforcement
Dana Hanson, 57, of Burbank, Washington, in custody
Justin Hanson, 48, of Burbank, Washington in custody
Before last week’s takedown, during the year that the ring was under investigation, law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.
“The sheer amount of narcotics seized in this investigation is shocking,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle. “The fentanyl seized in this operation contained enough lethal doses to kill everyone who lives in Tacoma and Seattle, with enough lethal doses left over to poison another half a million people.
“DOC is honored to be part of this interdisciplinary task force,” said Department of Corrections Secretary Cheryl Strange. “It takes a highly skilled team to investigate, disrupt and dismantle a sophisticated group of criminals like this. Fentanyl use by incarcerated individuals and those under DOC supervision in the community has become a serious problem. Removing a major supplier of this deadly drug is a huge victory for all Washingtonians.”
“Combatting large criminal enterprises who have tentacles into our communities, prisons, and borders cannot be accomplished without partnerships at all levels. This joint effort demonstrates our capabilities to investigate and seize firearms, narcotics and large amounts of cash used to destabilize our communities and institutions,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “We’re thankful to the FBI, DEA, ATF, CBP, Tacoma PD, Thurston County Narcotics Task Force and all our partners in this investigation which made the dismantlement of this organization possible.”
“This operation is an example of the difference we can make when we collaborate to keep illegal guns and drugs from hitting our streets,” said Chief Avery Moore, Tacoma Police Department. “Guns and drugs have taken the lives of our loved ones, friends, neighbors, and community members. The contraband confiscated in this effort will not be allowed to harm anyone. The Tacoma Police Department, along with our law enforcement partners will not stop in the pursuit to bring those who set out to harm and exploit our communities to justice.”
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
In addition to the agencies above, on Wednesday March 22, 2023, agents and officers from FBI Phoenix, DEA Phoenix Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Puyallup Tribal Police, and the Vancouver, Pasco, Kennewick, Puyallup, Steilacoom, and Burien Police Departments, the Clark, Cowlitz, Jefferson, King, and Benton County Sheriff’s Offices all assisted with arrests and search warrants.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon.
bailey_et_al_indictment.pdfDrug Trafficker Sentenced to 120 Months Imprisonment Following Exchange of Gunfire with SWAT and Seizure of NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, where a SWAT officer and the defendant were shot and injured in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, Sean Dejesus Darragh, 54, of Sandy, Utah, admitted that on September 8, 2021, while possessing more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, he carried a Canik, Model TP9 Elite Combat, 9mm pistol, with ammunition. He further admitted, that during the execution of a search warrant by officers with the Sandy City Police Department SWAT, he fired shots as they entered his home. The exchange of gunfire between Darragh and officers led to the injury of a SWAT officer and Darragh.
“The impact of this drug trafficking crime could have been far worse,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “The U.S. Attorney’s office will remain vigilant in working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute drug traffickers who pose a threat in our community.”
"The combination of illegal firearms and illicit drugs in the hands of a prohibited felon poses a grave threat to not only our communities, but also our law enforcement partners every day,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “We are grateful for the US Attorney’s Office prosecutorial success which will now hold this violent felon accountable for his reckless and dangerous actions.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Sandy City Police Department and the Salt Lake City Police Department, who had the primary role in the investigation per Salt Lake County officer-involved shooting protocols.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Stewart M. Young and Stephen L. Nelson of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was 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.
Denver Woman Accused of Stealing More Than $3.3 Million from Covid Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces DeJane Reaniece Lattany, age 32, of Denver, has been charged by information with wire fraud for receiving more than $3.3 million of fraudulent COVID-19 loans.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which provided emergency assistance to small business owners suffering adverse economic effects caused by the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and expanded existing programs, including programs created or administered by the SBA. Two sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) program. The CARES Act mandated that only businesses in operation on February 15, 2020, for PPP, or before February 1, 2020, for EIDL, were eligible under the programs. In addition, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to issue advances of up to $10,000 to small businesses, known as Economic Injury Disaster Grants (“EIDG”). The amount of the EIDG was determined by the number of employees the applicant certified having. The EIDGs did not need to be repaid.
According to court documents, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through January 2022, the defendant prepared and submitted fraudulent EIDL applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of business entities that she purportedly owned. In these fraudulent EIDL applications, Lattany made false statements regarding the entities’ number of employees, gross revenues, and cost of goods sold; she further falsely certified that the information provided in the EIDL applications was true and accurate and that the funds would be used to pay payroll and other permissible expenses when, in fact, she used the bulk of the proceeds for her personal benefit. The SBA approved and funded five EIDL applications and three EIDGs for a total of $430,000 in EIDLs and $20,000 in EIDGs. From June 2020 through December 2021, Lattany submitted fraudulent PPP applications to participating lenders on behalf of business entities that she purportedly controlled and obtained $2,887,976.94 in PPP loans as a result of the Scheme. These PPP applications contained a number of false and fraudulent certifications and representations regarding Lattany’s ownership of other businesses, as well as the businesses’ average monthly payroll and number of employees. Lattany falsely represented that all PPP funds would be used to pay eligible business expenses, when, in fact, the bulk of the proceeds were used for her personal benefit. She also submitted false and fraudulent documentation in support of the PPP applications to the participating lenders. Lattany also sought loan forgiveness for PPP loans by submitting loan. In total, $3,337,976.94 of PPP, EIDL, and EIDG proceeds were paid out as a result of the scheme.
The defendant made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews on March 27, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division. Prosecution is being handled by Nicole C. Cassidy and Rebecca S. Weber.
The charge contained in the information is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
CASE NUMBER: 23-cr-00074-NYW
Denver Woman Accused of Stealing More Than $3.3 Million from Covid Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces DeJane Reaniece Lattany, age 32, of Denver, has been charged by information with wire fraud for receiving more than $3.3 million of fraudulent COVID-19 loans.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which provided emergency assistance to small business owners suffering adverse economic effects caused by the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and expanded existing programs, including programs created or administered by the SBA. Two sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) program. The CARES Act mandated that only businesses in operation on February 15, 2020, for PPP, or before February 1, 2020, for EIDL, were eligible under the programs. In addition, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to issue advances of up to $10,000 to small businesses, known as Economic Injury Disaster Grants (“EIDG”). The amount of the EIDG was determined by the number of employees the applicant certified having. The EIDGs did not need to be repaid.
According to court documents, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through January 2022, the defendant prepared and submitted fraudulent EIDL applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of business entities that she purportedly owned. In these fraudulent EIDL applications, Lattany made false statements regarding the entities’ number of employees, gross revenues, and cost of goods sold; she further falsely certified that the information provided in the EIDL applications was true and accurate and that the funds would be used to pay payroll and other permissible expenses when, in fact, she used the bulk of the proceeds for her personal benefit. The SBA approved and funded five EIDL applications and three EIDGs for a total of $430,000 in EIDLs and $20,000 in EIDGs. From June 2020 through December 2021, Lattany submitted fraudulent PPP applications to participating lenders on behalf of business entities that she purportedly controlled and obtained $2,887,976.94 in PPP loans as a result of the Scheme. These PPP applications contained a number of false and fraudulent certifications and representations regarding Lattany’s ownership of other businesses, as well as the businesses’ average monthly payroll and number of employees. Lattany falsely represented that all PPP funds would be used to pay eligible business expenses, when, in fact, the bulk of the proceeds were used for her personal benefit. She also submitted false and fraudulent documentation in support of the PPP applications to the participating lenders. Lattany also sought loan forgiveness for PPP loans by submitting loan. In total, $3,337,976.94 of PPP, EIDL, and EIDG proceeds were paid out as a result of the scheme.
The defendant made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews on March 27, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division. Prosecution is being handled by Nicole C. Cassidy and Rebecca S. Weber.
The charge contained in the information is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
CASE NUMBER: 23-cr-00074-NYW
Correctional Officer Arrested for Suspected Contraband, Narcotics SmugglingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Karnes County Detention Facility (KCDF) correctional officer was arrested Friday in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged smuggling of contraband and narcotics into KCDF.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Dexter Obryan Sistrunk, 40, of Converse is alleged to have smuggled contraband such as heroin, methamphetamine and tobacco to inmates in return for money.
Sistrunk is charged with attempting to provide contraband in prison. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Division; Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Field Office; and U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fidel Esparza III and Amy Hail are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Convicted Murderer Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Richard Munroe (55, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Munroe faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 15, 2023. Munroe had been indicted on December 20, 2022.
According to court documents, on November 14, 2022, the Ocala Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the owner of a moving company who reported Munroe had stolen three firearms while packing a residence for customers. When officers arrived on scene, they found Munroe crouched down in some nearby bushes. Officers located the stolen firearms, seven ammunition magazines, and ammunition where Munroe had been hiding. Munroe had previously been convicted of second-degree murder in New York. He was released on parole in 2018. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the City of Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Crockett.
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.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Raphiel Coleman, 37, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a convenience store on Broad River Road concerning a man with a gun. When the deputies arrived, they saw Coleman wearing the same clothing as the man described by the 911 caller. They ordered him to the ground, but Coleman fled behind the store. One deputy gave chase on foot and the other deputy followed in the police car. Eventually, they caught Coleman, and they found one .357 caliber bullet in his pocket. With the help of a police dog, they retraced their steps and found a handgun on the ground in a bush nearby. The police also found approximately 2 grams of marijuana in Coleman’s pocket.
Federal law prohibits Coleman from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to stop for a blue light, intimidation of a juror or witness, possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine, and pointing and presenting a weapon.
Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and 5 years, of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Coleman after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Carrabelle Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Franklin Jefferson Mathes, Jr., 59, of Carrabelle, Florida, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for receiving material constituting child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The safety and well-being of our children is paramount,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content, robbing our children of their innocence and their very childhood. With our law enforcement partners, we will hold such offenders accountable.”
Between September 2018, and July 2022, Mathes received, and possessed material containing child pornography. The pornographic material found in Mathes’ possession involved minors under the age of 12.
“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the FBI to investigate cases of child pornography and work with our U.S. Attorney’s Office partners to hold them accountable,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “We will stop at nothing to protect children from those who engage in this type of activity, and we have now ensured one less predator is victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community.”
Mathes’ prison sentence will be followed by 20 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.