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16 March 2023
Readout of Joint Task Force Alpha Summit on Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking EffortsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division yesterday convened a meeting of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in El Paso, Texas, to bring together law enforcement leaders to discuss dismantling human smuggling and trafficking networks operating along the Southwest Border.
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined by senior leadership from five U.S. Attorneys’ offices from the districts along the Southwest Border: U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas (who hosted the meeting), U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Savel for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez for the District of New Mexico. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary John K. Tien, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Director Steve K. Francis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy A. Miller, also joined, as did other interagency members of JTFA.
Prior to the summit, senior leaders from the Justice Department and DHS components visited the Southwest Border in El Paso. The tour provided an important perspective on challenges presented by transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and other crimes, which all impact border security efforts by land, through waterways, and by air.
“I am proud of the accomplishments of JTFA since its creation nearly two years ago,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. “We are better at dismantling human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras because we are a stronger, more unified law enforcement team with our counterparts in Mexico and Central America. I believe our efforts to work together to combat these crimes will continue to generate immediate results, while also building towards sustained success.”
During the meeting, Assistant Attorney General Polite expressed his appreciation for the broad and continued support of JTFA. In its first two years, this joint law enforcement effort has resulted in substantial and continued disruption through specific and general deterrence, collaborating on numerous high priority investigations and cases of significant organizations and their key leaders and facilitators. These measures have resulted in dozens of arrests, indictments, and convictions both in the United States and with foreign law enforcement partners, along with obtaining substantial jail sentences and asset forfeiture.
The discussion included ways to further advance JTFA’s mission to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA members also discussed identifying ways to strengthen efforts to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse or exploit those being smuggled, pose national security risks, or have links to transnational organized crime.
Additionally, JTFA leadership identified enhancements made to increase the efficiencies of the task force model at the local and national levels and discussed ways to better foster interagency collaboration to target criminal organizations involved in smuggling and related crimes in and throughout the region.
Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Carl Gage Linden, age 57, of Mount Rainier, Maryland, yesterday to 32 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for production of child pornography. Judge Xinis also ordered Linden to pay a special assessment of $200 and that, upon his release from prison, Linden must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). Linden was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $25,401 to the victims.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Linwood Alston of the Mount Rainier Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
According to his guilty plea, Linden was arrested on November 12, 2020, on charges of second degree assault and third and fourth degree sexual offenses, after Victim 1 found sexually explicit photos of herself on Linden’s phone. A subsequent forensic analysis of Linden’s laptop and cellular phone revealed dozens of videos, photos, and images depicting the sexual abuse of Victim 1 and Victim 2, when the victims were between seven and eleven years old.
As required by his plea agreement on the federal charges, on November 30, 2022, Linden also pleaded guilty to related sex abuse charges in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. Linden is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on March 22, 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Mount Rainier Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin Cottingham and Kelly O. Hayes, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Postal Service Employee Charged with Stealing MailRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of mail theft, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Christina Ankney, age 39, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on May 19, 2022, Ankney stole from the mail while employed by the United States Postal Service.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Services conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Postal Employee Charged with Stealing Gift CardRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of mail theft, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named India Schatzman, age 47, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on Dec. 30, 2022, Schatzman was a postal employee who stole a gift card from the mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Mail Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States Judge Christopher C. Conner sentenced Ekow Harley, age 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to 48 months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Harley was a member of a conspiracy in which co-conspirators, using the personal identifying information of unknowing victims, opened Sprint cell phone accounts. In opening the accounts, the co-conspirators would order cell phones and have them shipped to residences, unassociated with the victims or conspiracy members. The tracking numbers for the packages were then sent to co-conspirators, to include Harley, that would pick the packages up from the houses after delivery. Through this scheme, Harley was personally responsible for over $90,000 loss and the use of the identity of at least 33 victims.
Gerrit Deku and Joseph Ofori were also members of the conspiracy. On March 23, 2022, Judge Conner sentenced Deku to 34 months imprisonment. On August 16, 2022, Judge Conner sentenced Ofori to one year probation.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Cambridge HomicideRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Taylor Ruffin Herrington, 31, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 150 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to using a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime which caused the death of Michael Haines, and conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Herrington serve four years of supervised release following completion of his prison term and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims of the offense. Herrington has been incarcerated since his arrest in March 2020.
According to public records, between the summer of 2018 and March 2020, Taylor Ruffin Herrington was in the Chittenden County area of Vermont selling heroin and crack cocaine. On March 3, 2020, Herrington had a dispute with the victim, Michael Haines, because Haines had stolen Herrington’s heroin. Angry about the theft, Herrington fired six shots at the front of Michael Haines’s house in Cambridge, Vermont. One of the bullets fired by Herrington pierced the front of the house and struck Haines who was standing in the kitchen. By the time the police arrived, Michael Haines had died of the gunshot wound.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Herrington was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels, Esq. The prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Pawn Shop Operator Pleads Guilty to $3 Million Scheme to Sell over 100,000 Stolen Items OnlineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The former operator of a Kansas City, Mo., pawn shop pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in a $3 million scheme to fence more than 100,000 stolen items and sell them on eBay.
Frank J. Santa Maria, 58, of Leawood, Kansas, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to a federal information that charges him with one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.
Santa Maria operated J’s Pawn, which was owned by his wife, for approximately 20 years until it closed in January 2023.
By pleading guilty today, Santa Maria admitted that he knowingly purchased approximately 100,860 items that had been stolen from various retailers in the Kansas City area, such as Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, CVS, and Walgreens. Santa Maria then posted the stolen items for sale on multiple eBay pages and shipped them to purchasers across the country, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $3,079,342.
Today’s plea agreement refers to four unidentified “boosters,” or shoplifters, from whom Santa Maria purchased such stolen items as ink cartridges, Crest Whitestrips, Rogaine products, Nicorette products, over-the-counter supplements and medications, Spypoint cameras, Nikon rangefinders, and electric fence systems over a four-and-a-half-year period from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 24, 2021.
During the execution of a search warrant at J’s Pawn on Oct. 21, 2021, officers seized 4,749 items that Santa Maria does not contest were stolen property.Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Santa Maria must forfeit to the government all property derived from the proceeds of the offense, including a money judgment of $2,752,352. Santa Maria must also forfeit $302,172 that was seized from his bank account in a pending civil asset forfeiture proceeding.
Under federal statutes, Santa Maria is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle, Matthew Wolesky, and Anthony Brown. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Parolee Who Robbed a Pharmacy at Gunpoint While Wearing a GPS Tether Sent to PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Clinton Township man was sentenced today to 171 months in federal prison based on his conviction for robbing a Hamtramck pharmacy and other related drug offenses, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chief Ann Moise of the Hamtramck Police Department.
Marcus McBride, Jr., 29, who previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, robbery involving a controlled substance, and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.
According to court documents, McBride robbed the Hoover Pharmacy, located at 2930 Holbrook Avenue, Hamtramck, Michigan, on June 10, 2020. After entering the pharmacy, McBride waved a semiautomatic pistol at customers and yelled, “Get down!” He then approached the counter and pointed the firearm at the pharmacist and stated, “Give me 30’s and 40’s!” The pharmacist grabbed a box of medication which contained Oxycodone and Oxymorphone prescriptions and handed it to him. McBride snatched the box and fled the pharmacy. McBride took approximately 3,937 pills, with a street value of over $100,000. The FBI executed federal search warrants at McBride’s home and another location as part of this investigation and seized a handgun, pills, and over $17,000 in cash. On the date of the robbery, McBride was wearing a Michigan Department of Corrections GPS monitoring device as a condition of his parole for a prior offense. The GPS coordinates confirmed he was at the pharmacy at the approximate time of the robbery.
In addition to the robbery and gun charges, McBride, along with co-defendant Patrick Johnson, pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a previous narcotics trafficking incident that occurred near the Greyhound bus station in Detroit. McBride was in a vehicle driven by the Johnson and had unsuccessfully attempted to board a bus headed to Alabama with 330 oxycodone pills and a bag of fentanyl.
“This case illustrates my office’s commitment to partnering with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. The cooperation between the Hamtramck Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections, the FBI, and our office resulted in violent offenders being taken off the streets,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“The impact of McBride’s crime on the community is much more consequential than the thousands of dollars of narcotics he stole,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “He terrorized customers and employees with a gun, making them feel unsafe in their own neighborhood. The FBI is committed to working with our partners from the Hamtramck Police Department to get violent criminals like this defendant off the streets.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, officers with the Hamtramck Police Department, and the Michigan Department of Corrections. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Picek and Robert Moran prosecuted this case for the United States
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tytus Lamaar Shields, 34, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shields admitted to possessing a Ruger, model LC9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his Parkersburg residence on November 22, 2021.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shields knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his multiple prior felony convictions, including for trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of criminal activity in the Washington County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas on October 29, 2014.
Shields has a long criminal history that now includes 16 misdemeanor convictions and 17 felony convictions, including several convictions for drug trafficking offenses in Ohio. Shields was under parole supervision as a result of previous felony convictions in Ohio at the time he possessed the firearm. Parole officers searched his residence and found the firearm while arresting Shields on an Ohio warrant on November 22, 2021.
Today’s sentence will run consecutively to a prison sentence that Shields is currently serving out of Washington County, Ohio.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted 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. 2:21-cr-268.
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Owner of Boston Pizzeria Chain Arrested on Forced Labor ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza was arrested this morning on forced labor charges for allegedly employing a victim who lacked immigration status and forcing him to work for years while threatening him with deportation and subjecting him to repeated verbal and physical abuse.
Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 47, of Westwood, was charged with one count of forced labor. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, Papantoniadis was detained pending a detention hearing set for March 20, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.
“Forced labor is a form of human trafficking. It is not a wage dispute. If someone is being compelled to work through the use of force, threats of force, or coercion, that is a federal crime. We allege that Mr. Papantoniadis compelled and threatened victims to work against their will using fear, violence and the threat of deportation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The allegations in this case are horrific. Nobody has the right to violently kick, slap, punch or choke anyone, and certainly not an employer to an employee. This case illustrates the manipulative, violent and abusive tactics some employers utilize for their own greed and financial gain. Labor trafficking is real and happening every day in Massachusetts and beyond. We are working hard to expose this disturbing crime and to hold those that abuse and traffic people accountable. We ask anyone with information about this or other alleged trafficking violations to contact our office.”
“Stavros Papantoniadis is alleged to have underpaid, threatened, and physically assaulted his employees, creating a climate of fear,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating labor trafficking and bringing to justice those who use force, fraud, or coercion to force people to work.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region.
According to court documents, Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias which has locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell and Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery) and Wareham, Mass. Over the course of several years, Papantoniadis allegedly targeted victims who lacked immigration status, employed them at depressed wages and demanded that they work, in most cases, six to seven days per week, at times for far more than eight hours per day and often without breaks or overtime compensation. Papantoniadis also allegedly withheld wages.
It is further alleged that Papantoniadis routinely threatened to have employees deported from the United States and used violence and threats to scare victims and ensure that they complied with his excessive workplace demands.
According to the charging documents, Victim 1 worked at Stash’s Pizza from 2001 to 2015. During his time there, it is alleged that Papantoniadis repeatedly made derogatory comments about Victim 1’s religion and violently attacked Victim 1 several times. On one occasion when Victim 1 missed a day of work, Papantoniadis allegedly responded by pushing him to the floor and calling him a “f*cking Muslim.” Another time, it is alleged that Papantoniadis kicked Victim 1 in the genital, causing Victim 1 to suffer severe pain. When Victim 1 sought medical treatment, Papantoniadis threatened to kill Victim 1 or report him to immigration authorities if he did not return to work. On another occasions, Papantoniadis allegedly slapped and choked Victim 1 and broke Victim 1’s teeth, causing Victim 1 to have teeth removed and causing him to wear dentures. According to court documents, as a result of the threats and violence, Victim 1 feared Papantoniadis and kept working for him at Stash’s Pizza.
Other former Stash’s Pizza employees disclosed additional information about Papantoniadis’ threats and violence. It is alleged that when one victim planned to quit, Papantoniadis told him that he was not going to leave and subsequently attacked the victim, forcing him to run to safety in the parking lot. When another victim intended to quit, Papantoniadis allegedly made a false police report, falsely stating that the victim had hit his car and left the scene of the accident after leaving Stash’s Pizza’s Norwood location. As a result, the victim was pulled over and cited by police.
The charge of forced labor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who believe they be a victim of this case or have any relevant information related to this case please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Out-of-State Men Charged in Federal Court with Trafficking Methamphetamine in Posey CountyRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Jeremy Novak, 41, of Illinois and Cesar Herrera, 37, of California, have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with distribution of methamphetamine in Posey County following a months’ long investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.
According to court documents, in February of 2023, the Posey County Drug Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into Jeremy Novak and Cesar Herrera’s methamphetamine trafficking activities. Herrera served as the supplier, obtaining the methamphetamine from California, which Novak then distributed in and around Posey County.
On three separate occasions between February 27, 2023, and March 10, 2023, investigators observed Novak sell four pounds of crystal methamphetamine to another individual for a total of $19,000. The drug deals occurred in a parked vehicle at a Dollar General Store in Poseyville, Indiana.
On March 10, 2023, members of the DEA, Posey County Drug Task Force, Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and Indiana State Police took Novak and Herrera into custody. During a search of the vehicle Novak used for dealing, officers found $11,100 and three vacuum sealed bags containing a total of over three pounds of methamphetamine.
If convicted on all counts, both Novak and Herrera face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The driver of the vehicle, Christina Alumbaugh, was also arrested and charged in Posey County Circuit Court with Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 Felony. Alumbaugh is being prosecuted by the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office and faces 10 to 30 years in state prison.
Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, Tom Latham, Posey County Sheriff, Thomas E. Clowers, Prosecuting Attorney for the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office, Billy Bolin, Chief of Evansville Police Department, and Doug Carter, Indiana State Police Superintendent made the announcement.
The investigation is being led by the DEA, Posey County Drug Task Force, Posey County Sheriff’s Office, the Evansville Police Department, and the Indiana State Police.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who is prosecuting this 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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Oklahoma City Bank Robbery Suspects Arrested in Nebraska and TexasRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DAVID JOHN-MATTHEW DAVIS, 38, PARIS KATHRYN MACE, 29, both of Omaha, Nebraska, and CHRISTIAN DELEON LANE, 36, of Dallas, Texas, have been arrested and charged with armed bank robbery, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and aiding and abetting the robbery of a MidFirst Bank in Oklahoma City, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to court records, it is alleged that on the morning of February 23, 2023, Davis entered a MidFirst Bank located at 5800 North Western Avenue in Oklahoma City, brandished a black semi-automatic pistol, and jumped over the teller counter. It is further alleged that Davis then grabbed a teller, pointed the gun at the teller’s head, and ordered the teller to open the bank vault. Davis then exited the bank with an unspecified amount of money. It is further alleged that Mace served as a getaway driver for the robbery, and Lane assisted with arranging the robbery.
On February 27, 2023, law enforcement arrested Davis in Omaha, Nebraska. On February 28, 2023, Mace was arrested in Omaha and Lane was arrested in Dallas, Texas.
On March 2, 2023, Davis and Mace appeared for their initial appearances in federal court in Nebraska. Both were ordered detained pending further proceedings.
On March 10, 2023, Lane appeared for his initial appearance in the Western District of Oklahoma and was ordered to be detained pending further proceedings.
If found guilty of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting, each defendant faces up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and payment of mandatory restitution. If found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, each defendant faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and payment of mandatory restitution.
This case is the result of an investigation by FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Robbery Division, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices, FBI Field Offices, and local law enforcement in Dallas, Texas, and Omaha, Nebraska. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson McGarry and Dan Gridley are prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that these charges announced today are merely allegations, and Davis, Lane, and Mace are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to court filings for further information.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Illegal Use of Credit CardRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kyle A. Halsey, 33, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced on March 15, 2023, by the United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 24 months’ imprisonment for Illegal Transaction with an Access Device. After his release from prison, Halsey will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Halsey was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,544.24.
In February 2022, Halsey used a credit card that belonged to another person to purchase a skid loader and bucket from a business in Nebraska and had the equipment delivered to New Jersey. The total for the transaction was $46,230.87, and Halsey paid with a credit card that did not belong to him. Police in New Jersey recovered the skid loader in March 2022, while Halsey was in the process of selling it to another person.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ho-Ho-Kus and Paramus Police Departments in New Jersey.
Nebraska Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearm in IowaRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty March 16, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.
Damian Ortega Rojas, 19, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on July 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Ortega Rojas was driving. Also present in the vehicle were Rojas’s three minor siblings. Ortega Rojas showed signs of driving impaired and as the officer approached the vehicle, he detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Ortega Rojas provided law enforcement with a bag containing approximately ¼ to ½ pound of marijuana. The officer also located a backpack in the vehicle which contained a Glock .40 caliber handgun. Also located and seized in the vehicle were numerous spent .22 casings, multiple .40 rounds, baggies, grinder, tobacco pre-rolls, marijuana pipe, and storage container with marijuana residue. Ortega Rojas admitted to being a user of marijuana and a daily smoker of marijuana. Ortega Rojas further admitted that he stole the backpack containing the handgun from a vehicle in Sioux City.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ortega Rojas remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Ortega Rojas faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4064. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Distributing A Designer DrugRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Fausto Hernandez, age 44, of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, on March 15, 2023, to one year in prison for the charge of distributing a “designer drug” which is a controlled substance analog.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hernandez previously pleaded guilty and admitted to distributing a “designer drug” known as “4-chloroethcathinone,” often referred to as “4-CEC,” a controlled substance analog which mimics the effects of other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, in the Monroe County area in June and July 2019.
Under federal law, such “designer drugs” are controlled substance analogues, which are chemically similar to controlled substances in Schedule I or II, to the extent they are intended for human consumption, and are treated as controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
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.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Scheme to Commit Computer Intrusion and to Illegally Stream Content from Four Major Professional Sports LeaguesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA STREIT, a/k/a Josh Brody,” was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by United States District Judge Andrew L. Carter for conducting intrusions into Major League Baseball (“MLB”) computer systems and illegally streaming copyrighted content from MLB, the National Basketball Association (the “NBA”), the National Football League (the “NFL”), and the National Hockey League (the “NHL”) on a website that STREIT operated, which offered the illegally streamed content to the public for profit.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Streit intruded into MLB computer networks and illegally streamed sports content online from MLB, the NHL, the NBA, and the NFL for his own personal profit. Today’s sentence shows that this crime is no game. Those who compromise computer networks and steal copyrighted content will be held accountable.”
According to allegations in the Complaint, the Information, and statements made during court proceedings:
Beginning in or about 2017 to in or about August 2021, STREIT operated a website which streamed copyrighted content, primarily livestreamed games from major professional sports leagues, including MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL, which STREIT had no authorization to stream. STREIT obtained the copyrighted content by gaining unauthorized access to the websites for those sports leagues via misappropriated login credentials from legitimate users of those websites. One of the victim sports leagues sustained losses of approximately $3 million due to STREIT’s conduct.
In addition, at the same time STREIT was illicitly streaming copyrighted content from MLB, STREIT engaged in an attempt to extort approximately $150,000 from MLB via a threat from STREIT to publicize unrelated vulnerabilities in MLB’s internet infrastructure. Specifically, in multiple communications with MLB employees, STREIT claimed that he knew MLB reporters who were “interested in the story,” and stated that it would be bad if the vulnerability were exposed and MLB was embarrassed.
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In addition to the prison sentence, STREIT, 31, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,995,272.64 in restitution and $500,000 in forfeiture.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL for their ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dina McLeod is in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican National Found Guilty of Conspiring to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that after a three-day jury trial in Lincoln, Nebraska, before Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard, Servando V. Urias, 48, of Mexico, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine.
The evidence presented at trial revealed that on August 28, 2019, a codefendant driving a Dodge pickup was stopped by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office after committing traffic infractions while driving on Interstate 80 in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Simultaneously, a black Jeep occupied by two other codefendants and Urias was stopped by another Lancaster County Deputy as the Jeep was believed to be travelling with the Dodge pickup.
During the course of the traffic stops, deputies became suspicious that parties in both vehicles were involved in criminal activity. Deputies received permission to search both vehicles and discovered three kilos of cocaine, and one kilo of heroin in the rear seat of the Dodge pickup. All were arrested after it was confirmed that the three individuals in the Jeep were in fact traveling with the Dodge containing the drugs. Testimony at trial indicated specifically the heroin belonged to Urias and he came along on the trip to sell it to the unnamed buyer.
The three codefendants had previously pled guilty to the Conspiracy charge and are pending sentencing. Urias’ sentencing has been set for June 9, 2023.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Mesa Man Sentenced to Nearly 15 Years for Assault on FBI Agent with a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gabriel Manzo, 40, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 177 months in federal prison. Manzo pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
On April 20, 2020, Manzo drove his truck to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office located in Phoenix, Arizona. He exited his vehicle, approached the north security fence, and fired three rounds from his .380 pistol at the building. He then returned to his truck and drove to the front of the office. He exited his vehicle and fired another 15 rounds, breaking 11 windows, and causing over $98,000 in damages. Manzo returned to his vehicle and started to drive away when he noticed an FBI agent, who was in his government issued vehicle, behind him. Manzo stopped, exited his truck in the middle of the street, and fired three rounds at the agent.
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 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. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Keith Vercauteren, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00540-SPL-PHX
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-036_Manzo# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Man who supplied stolen firearms used in Billings casino robbery sentenced to 37 months in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A man who admitted to illegally possessing firearms after he supplied two stolen guns to two women, who robbed a Billings liquor store and later ditched them at an elementary school playground, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Darwin Dalton Sutherland, 29, a transient, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2022, Sutherland participated in a residential burglary in which 12 firearms were stolen. Sutherland admitted he possessed all 12 stolen firearms and that he gave two of them to two women, Makayla Fetter and Taliah Ramirez, who then robbed a Billings casino at gunpoint. Sutherland was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony conviction for burglary in Cascade County.
After the robbery, Fetter and Ramirez attempted to flee law enforcement, crashed their car on property at Ponderosa Elementary School and ditched the stolen firearms on the playground. Officers recovered one of the firearms, while the next day, a student found the second gun. Fetter was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, and Ramirez was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for convictions related to the armed robbery.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by 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.
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Man admits sexually abusing minor boy on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A man admitted today that he sexually abused a boy in Lodge Grass, on the Crow Indian Reservation in 2021, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nathaniel Bartell Plainbull, 34, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with sexual abuse of a minor. Plainbull faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Plainbull’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2021, Plainbull and others were drinking and socializing at various locations on the Crow Indian Reservation. Eventually, the group returned to a home in Lodge Grass where some continued to drink. One of the individuals, a woman, tried to open a bedroom door but found it locked and went to sleep in the living room. The woman tried the bedroom door later, opened it and saw Plainbull, naked, on the bed with the victim, identified as John Doe, who was under the age of 16 at the time. The woman ultimately reported to law enforcement in March 2022 what she had seen in June 2021 while being interviewed on another matter. FBI agents interviewed John Doe, who described sexual abuse by Plainbull.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Man Pleads Guilty to $1.9M Baby Formula Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty today to defrauding insurance plans and medical suppliers by fraudulently procuring specialty baby formula.
According to court documents, Vladislav Kotlyar, 43, of Staten Island, submitted and caused the submission of forged prescriptions and medical records for specialty baby formula that was paid for by health insurers. Kotlyar obtained prescriptions and medical records for infants who were prescribed specialty baby formula and forged those records to obtain additional specialty baby formula. After receiving the specialty baby formula, Kotlyar fabricated issues with the shipments, including by falsely claiming they were damaged or the incorrect formula to acquire additional formula at no additional cost. Kotlyar then sold the fraudulently obtained formula. As part of the scheme, Kotlyar and his co-conspirators submitted more than $1.9 million in fraudulent claims to health insurers, including during a national shortage of baby formula. Kotlyar agreed to forfeit approximately $1 million and repay more than $738,000 in restitution.
Kotlyar pleaded guilty to mail fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Malden Man Pleads Guilty to Trying to Hire Contract Killer to Murder His WifeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man pleaded guilty today to attempting to hire a contract killer – who was actually an undercover federal agent – to murder his wife.
Massimo Marenghi, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of murder-for-hire. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2023. Marenghi was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in January 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2021.On Jan. 1, 2021, an individual reported to law enforcement that Marenghi had complained about his wife seeking a restraining order against him. Marenghi asked the individual for assistance in killing his wife. At the direction of federal agents, the individual introduced Marenghi to an undercover agent who posed as a contract killer. On Jan. 20, 2021, Marenghi met with the undercover agent and sought help to “eliminate” his problem. Marenghi provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife’s residence and explained how to evade detection by cameras while approaching the residence.
On Jan. 29, 2021, Marenghi again met with the undercover agent and discussed moving forward with the killing of his wife. Marenghi provided $1,500 cash as a deposit for the murder and explained that the sooner the “demolition job” takes place, the sooner he will be able to pay the balance owed. He also provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife, the color, model and license plate number of her car, the hours of operation of her place of business and a schedule indicating when he would have custody of his children, which he said would be the “best time for the construction work to start.”
The charge of murder-for-hire, in a case in which neither personal injury nor death results, provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Malden Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Michael Ray Ernst, 65, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to five years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Ernst will serve four years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On August 30, 2021, a search warrant was executed by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force at Ernst’s Lincoln apartment. During the search, investigators found a total of 118 grams of methamphetamine which contained at least 51 grams of actual methamphetamine in Ernst’s bedroom along with plastic baggies, scales with residue, methamphetamine pipes and suspected drug records. Ernst’s cell phone showed several messages between Ernst and other persons regarding drug sales.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Lexington County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Cocaine Found in His CarRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Curley Brooks, Jr., 47, of Lexington, was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that the police were conducting a parcel inspection at the FedEx Express Hub in West Columbia when a K-9 gave a positive alert to a package. As a result of the positive alert, the police opened the package and found it contained approximately two pounds of cocaine. The Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) made a controlled delivery of the parcel. The police maintained surveillance on the package after it was delivered. A truck pulled into the driveway of the residence, and the driver, who was later identified as Curley Brooks, Jr., exited the driver side door, walked to the front door, and took the package. Brooks then carried the package back to his vehicle, where he got in with it.
Brooks then backed out of the driveway and attempted to leave. Agents attempted to stop Brooks as he was leaving the residence. Brooks attempted to evade law enforcement by driving into the yard and, when doing so, struck a SLED vehicle. Other agents attempted to block Brooks’ truck from leaving the yard to prevent a pursuit, but Brooks made a sharp turn and almost struck a second police vehicle. When Brooks turned to avoid hitting the police vehicle, he rear-ended a civilian car sitting at a stop sign. Brooks then placed the truck in reverse to try to back up and struck another police vehicle. As Brooks drove off, other agents were pulling up in the intersection, and Brooks drove head-on and struck their vehicle before being stopped. Brooks was then taken into custody. The parcel was recovered sitting on the passenger floorboard of the truck. During the entire incident, Brooks’ two-year-old child was unsecured in the backseat of the vehicle.
Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Brooks to 160 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Secures Settlement to Remedy Race and Sex-Based Harassment of Students in Vermont School DistrictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice today announced a settlement agreement with the Twin Valley School District in Vermont to resolve its investigation into complaints of student-on-student harassment based on race and sex.
The department’s investigation revealed that the school district knew of, and did not respond sufficiently to, individualized harassment and a broader hostile educational environment in Twin Valley Middle-High School. The department’s review, which focused on the school district’s responses to allegations of harassment from the 2019-20 school year to the present identified instances of targeted peer harassment and pervasive documented use of derogatory epithets and comments based on students’ race, sex, sexual orientation and sex stereotypes. Because the school district did not sufficiently address these instances, students were deprived of equal access to the educational opportunities the district provided.
“Pervasive racial and sex-based harassment in public schools violates the Constitution’s most basic promise of equal protection,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will help ensure that Black and LGBTQ students can thrive in a safe and supportive educational environment going forward. No student deserves to be subject to unlawful and harmful bullying or harassment, especially once they enter the schoolhouse door.”
“Schools should feel safe for all children, but when harassment does happen, schools have an obligation to respond appropriately so that every child has equal access to their education,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Here, the school district has agreed to take significant steps to improve its process for responding to harassment and its overall educational environment.”Under the settlement agreement, the school district agreed to implement the following reforms:
- Modify district policies and procedures to prevent and address peer harassment;
- Undertake periodic assessments of school climate at Twin Valley Middle-High School and implement responsive programming to remedy hostile educational environments; and
- Improve training for district employees who receive, investigate or adjudicate complaints of harassment.
The school district cooperated throughout the investigation, which was conducted under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant United States Attorney Jules Torti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the Educational Opportunities Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. Protecting the constitutional rights of public-school students is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at https://www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Additional information about the District of Vermont’s Civil Rights Program is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/civil-rights-program.
To report a possible civil rights violation, please visit www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
View the agreement here.
Justice Department Secures Settlement to Remedy Race and Sex-Based Harassment of Students in Vermont School DistrictRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the Twin Valley School District in Vermont to resolve its investigation into complaints of student-on-student harassment based on race and sex.
The department’s investigation revealed that the district knew of, and did not respond sufficiently to, individualized harassment and a broader hostile educational environment in Twin Valley Middle-High School. The department’s review, which focused on the district’s responses to allegations of harassment from the 2019-20 school year to the present identified instances of targeted peer harassment and pervasive documented use of derogatory epithets and comments based on students’ race, sex, sexual orientation and sex stereotypes. Because the district did not sufficiently address these instances, students were deprived of equal access to the educational opportunities the district provided.
“Pervasive racial and sex-based harassment in public schools violates the Constitution’s most basic promise of equal protection,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will help ensure that Black and LGBTQ students can thrive in a safe and supportive educational environment going forward. No student deserves to be subject to unlawful and harmful bullying or harassment, especially once they enter the schoolhouse door.”
“Schools should feel safe for all children, but when harassment does happen, schools have an obligation to respond appropriately so that every child has equal access to their education,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Here, the District has agreed to take significant steps to improve its process for responding to harassment and its overall educational environment.”
Under the settlement agreement, the district agreed to implement the following reforms:
- Modify district policies and procedures to prevent and address peer harassment;
- Undertake periodic assessments of school climate at Twin Valley Middle-High School and implement responsive programming to remedy hostile educational environments; and
- Improve training for district employees who receive, investigate or adjudicate complaints of harassment.
The district cooperated throughout the investigation, which was conducted under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Protecting the constitutional rights of public-school students is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justive.gov/crt/, and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Additional information about the District of Vermont’s Civil Rights Program is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/civil-rights-program.
To report a possible civil rights violation, please visit www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Justice Department Announces Historic Guatemalan Human Smuggling Extraditions at Joint Task Force Alpha SummitRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday announced the first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on charges of human smuggling resulting in death, and the first Guatemalan human smuggling extraditions to the United States of any kind in nearly five years.
This announcement was made at a meeting of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in El Paso, Texas. This meeting was convened by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division to bring together law enforcement leaders to discuss disrupting and dismantling human smuggling networks operating along the Southwest Border.
JTFA was created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021, in partnership with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the department’s overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted organizations that have the most impact on the United States, and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. To date, JTFA’s work with its partners has resulted in criminal charges and over 183 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling activities, several dozen convictions, significant prison sentences, seizure of drugs, firearms, ammunition and vehicles, and substantial asset forfeiture.
“This case demonstrates the deadly threat that human smuggling groups pose to the migrants they endanger and exploit,” said Attorney General Garland. “It also demonstrates that Joint Task Force Alpha and the entire Justice Department are doubling down on our efforts to disrupt and dismantle dangerous human smuggling operations and to find and bring to justice the perpetrators – no matter where they are.”
“JTFA was created to investigate and prosecute the international networks responsible for human smuggling activities that exploit and victimize migrants,” said Assistant Attorney General Polite. “The extradition of four prolific smugglers from Guatemala – in addition to the other cases and investigations we highlighted during this summit – demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding accountable criminal organizations that prey upon the vulnerable for profit. Through JTFA, our message to human smugglers is clear: using the combined might of U.S. law enforcement and its international partners, we will continue to aggressively target you and your illegal operations both within the United States and south of the border, using every tool, technique, and resource at our disposal.”
As announced last year, extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities led to the indictment and arrest of the four leaders, as well as the apprehension of 15 additional targets in Guatemala, in August 2022. Pursuant to an extradition request, Guatemalan authorities ordered the extradition of the leaders to the United States to face charges for their alleged roles in the offense.
According to court documents, Guatemalan nationals Felipe Diego Alonzo, aka Siete, 39; Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, aka Canche, 38; Lopez Mateo Mateo, aka Bud Light, 43; and Juan Gutierrez Castro, aka Andres, 46, allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, into the United States, charging the migrants and their families approximately $10,000 to $12,000 for the perilous journey. The defendants are also alleged to be responsible for the death of a young indigenous Guatemalan woman, who died in Texas in May 2021.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is fully committed to working with our international and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational human smuggling organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Through our combined efforts we will hold accountable human smugglers who callously disregard the safety of the people they transport. We are dedicated to ensuring that all victims of these groups receive justice.”
The victim’s family paid the defendants approximately $10,000 for the journey to the United States. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and their co-conspirators guided her for several days through the desert to Odessa, Texas, where she ultimately died. Upon learning of her death, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly disposed of her body on the side of a road in Crane County, Texas. The defendants and their co-conspirators then allegedly arranged for payment to the victim’s family.
“These extraditions speak to the collaboration in this Administration across the federal government and with our partners throughout the hemisphere,” said Deputy Secretary John K. Tien of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “From the frontline efforts of our workforce at Customs and Border Protection, to the investigative capabilities we leverage at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the seamless coordination with our partners at the Justice Department, we are unwavering in our commitment to holding transnational criminal networks accountable for human smuggling and their abuse of migrants.”
The indictments and extraditions against Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro, as well as the assistance provided by U.S. authorities to Guatemalan law enforcement, were coordinated under JTFA.
JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.
HSI Midland led U.S. investigative efforts in this case, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol (USBP); the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the Odessa and Midland Police Departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sherriff’s Offices. OIA and OPDAT provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department of Justice thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of HRSP, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas and JTFA, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock for the Western District of Texas handled the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Gallegos for the Western District of Texas and HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Which Resulted in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ryan A. Bloom, 37, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Bloom bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use, utilizing Facebook to conduct his drug trafficking activities. Bloom and co-conspirator, Rachelle Allison, also utilized a Fairview Avenue residence in Jamestown to conduct their drug trafficking activities, selling drugs and running a needle exchange out of the residence. These activities resulted in numerous overdoses occurred at that location.
On April 5, 2020, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Hoag Road residence in Ashville, NY, for a possible overdose death. Upon arrival, an individual identified as D.R., was found deceased. A search of D.R.’s cellular telephone revealed Facebook messages between D.R. and Bloom the previous day that were drug related. Bloom admits that he and Allison distributed heroin and fentanyl to D.R. the day before D.R.’s death. On July 19, 2020, Bloom sold heroin and fentanyl to an individual identified as A.R. at the Fairview Avenue residence, resulting in A.R. overdosing. After receiving two doses of Narcan, A.R. and was revived and regained consciousness. On February 12, 2021, investigators conducted an undercover purchase of heroin and fentanyl from Bloom.
Rachelle Allison was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 14, 2023, before Judge Sinatra.
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Indiana Man Indicted on Bank Robbery and Firearms Charges After Robbing Bank in LisleRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted an Indianapolis man on one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence after robbing a suburban Illinois bank in February.
As noted within the indictment and the now unsealed criminal complaint, on February 16, 2023, ANTONIO MOORE, 25, of Indianapolis, IN robbed by force, violence, and intimidation a BMO Harris Bank located at 1050 Maple Avenue in Lisle, Illinois. Moore is alleged to have brandished a firearm, pointing it at a bank employee and demanding the employee and another remove money from the bank’s vault. Law enforcement tracked Moore’s location to a Chicago warehouse where he was arrested. Moore has been in custody since.
The indictment 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lisle Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, and the Villa Park Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju.
The public is reminded that an indictment 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 bank robbery charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, the firearms charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Illinois Prison Guard Sentenced to 20 Years of Imprisonment Following Conviction for Civil Rights Deprivation Resulting in Bodily Injury and Death and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Alex Banta, 31, a former correctional officer at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, was sentenced today to an aggregate 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for civil rights deprivation resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Larry Earvin, an inmate at the facility.
At the sentencing hearing in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government summarized the evidence from Banta’s 2022 trial. During the trial, the government presented evidence that Banta and co-defendants Todd Sheffler, 54, who was a lieutenant at the correctional center, and Willie Hedden, 43, who was a sergeant, participated in the May 17, 2018, assault of Earvin, 65, during their forcible escort of Earvin from the residential housing unit of the prison to the segregation housing unit while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and while he posed no physical threat to the defendants or other correctional officers. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured mesentery, and other serious internal injuries, and resulted in Earvin’s death in June 2018. After the assault, all three defendants falsified incident reports that they filed with prison officials and lied to the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of or participation in the assault.
Also at the sentencing, the government stated that Banta had inflicted the most serious blows leading to Earvin’s death, including jumping in the air and landing on Earvin with both knees. Banta’s co-defendant, Hedden, testified about a prior incident in which Banta assaulted an inmate. And the government also presented statements and testimony from three of Earvin’s family members: his son, brother, and aunt.
Banta’s sentence consisted of concurrent 15-year terms of imprisonment on two of the five counts of the indictment: conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death. He also received five-year terms of imprisonment on the remaining three counts – conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct; obstruction – falsification of a document; and obstruction – misleading conduct – to run concurrent to each other and consecutive to the fifteen-year terms.
A federal grand jury had previously returned an indictment against Sheffler, of Mendon, Illinois; Hedden, of Mt. Sterling, Illinois; and Banta, of Quincy, Illinois, in December 2019.
At the April 2022 trial, Banta was convicted of all five charges in the indictment. The jury in that joint trial was unable to reach verdicts as to Sheffler, resulting in a retrial in August 2022 at which he was convicted of the same charges. Judge Myerscough ordered that both Banta and Sheffler be detained pending their sentencings.
Hedden pleaded guilty in March 2022 to both civil rights charges and to conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct.
Sheffler’s sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2023, at 10 a.m., and Hedden’s sentencing is set for March 22, 2023, at 10 a.m. Both are set to take place at the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
“We hope that the convictions of Todd Sheffler, Alex Banta, and Willie Hedden and today’s sentence for Alex Banta provide a measure of justice for Larry Earvin and his family,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “We also hope it serves as a warning to all those who would abuse governmental power that they will be held accountable under the law. Although the vicious and brutal beating of Mr. Earvin cost him his life, and that is a loss that can never be remedied, all of those persons whom the evidence established violated Mr. Earvin’s constitutional rights and caused his death (Sheffler, Hedden, and Banta) have been and are being held accountable. Our prosecution of this case demonstrates our continued commitment to equal justice under the law and to protecting society’s vulnerable, including those in our prisons.”
Harris added that his office also wanted to express its appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office, and highlighted the complete cooperation of the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), for their thorough and professional investigation of this most important civil rights matter. Harris also especially recognized and thanked the efforts of FBI Special Agents Angela Bray and Price McCarty for their tireless efforts, without which a just outcome in this matter would not have been possible. In addition, Harris noted the important testimony of IDOC witnesses who initially participated in the cover up of these offenses, but ultimately came forward and told the truth about the events surrounding Mr. Earvin’s death. Holding the defendants accountable for their murder of Mr. Earvin would not have been possible without their testimony. Finally, Harris noted that the actions of a few here had unfairly tarnished the reputations of the men and women in law enforcement who honorably serve their communities with professionalism on a daily basis.
“While the conduct of Alex Banta is not characteristic of the vast majority of those working in law enforcement, it unfortunately undermines the efforts of officers who serve with integrity and who bear the responsibility to respect and defend the rights of those under their watch,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “Banta’s actions tarnished the reputation and badge worn proudly by the many hard-working and upstanding officers who abide by their oath. The FBI is unyielding in our commitment to zealously protect the rights of all Americans and to hold accountable anyone charged with safeguarding those rights.”
“ISP thoroughly investigates civil rights violations to hold those who break the law accountable,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “This type of conduct is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.”
The statutory penalties for each of the civil rights resulting in death charges are up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalties for each of the obstruction of justice charges are up to 20 years of imprisonment.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, the FBI-Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation, with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Eugene L. Miller represent the government in the prosecution.
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing over 900 Grams of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
A man who possessed over 900 grams of heroin and fentanyl and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase pled guilty in federal court on March 15, 2023.
Donald Ray Owens, age 43, from Markham, Illinois, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Northern District of Iowa.
In a plea agreement, Owens admitted to taking the Iowa State Patrol on a high-speed chase and, during the chase, someone threw a vacuum-sealed package out of the vehicle, which contained 975.7 grams of heroin and fentanyl. Officers also found over $17,000 in cash. Officers also recovered text messages related to possible drug transactions, photographs of controlled substances, and photographs of drug paraphernalia from Owens’s phone.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Owens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Owens faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $8 million; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of at least eight years and up to life.
This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR-00032-CJW.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Houston Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic 13-Year-Old Female into the New Orleans Area to Perform Commercial Sex ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHELSE GEE, age 19, from Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023 before United States District Sarah S. Vance to a one-count bill of information charging her with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1591(a). The charges stem from GEE’S role in recruiting and bringing a thirteen-year-old female from Houston to New Orleans in June 2021 for the purpose of her engaging in commercial sex acts.
According to court documents, GEE met her co-conspirator, Randi Lewis (a/k/a “Teddy,” a/k/a “Teddy P.”), when she was about sixteen years old. Lewis recruited GEE to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction, and she complied. Lewis also instituted a series of rules GEE was to follow, including how to behave, what to wear, with whom she was allowed to interact (i.e., look at and speak to), as well as how much she was expected to earn from engaging in daily commercial sex acts. Lewis routinely tracked GEE’s location using a location sharing cellular phone application. Lewis also regularly engaged in sexual acts with GEE and used violence and threats of violence against her.
Together, Lewis and GEE met the victim, who was thirteen years old, in the Houston, Texas area not later than June 21, 2021. GEE recruited the victim to perform commercial sex acts under Lewis’ s direction and introduced the victim to Lewis. Lewis and GEE gave the victim instruction and guidance on matters related to successful performance of commercial sex activities, including ways to behave, what to wear, how to identify and avoid law enforcement, and how to best solicit commercial sex customers. The victim agreed, and Lewis arranged for he, GEE, and the victim to travel to New Orleans on a Greyhound bus for the purpose of his co-conspirator and the victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Between June 22, 2021, and June 24, 2021, GEE and the victim performed multiple commercial sex acts in the New Orleans area. Lewis required the victim to turn over to Lewis most, if not all, of the money she earned from commercial sex acts .
Acting at Lewis’s direction, GEE and the victim solicited commercial sex “dates” in several ways. First, they walked along streets soliciting customers. Additionally, Lewis created and caused to be created advertisements on an online classified ad service, commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money. Through this online ad service, Lewis received telephone calls, text messages, and messages via social media applications inquiring about, scheduling, and arranging prostitution dates with his co-conspirator and the victim. Lewis arranged for sexually explicit pictures of the victim to be used in the advertisements. GEE and Lewis also gave the victim illicit and mood-altering drugs, including marijuana, to numb her senses, control her behavior, and/or to encourage her to engage in commercial sex acts. Law enforcement authorities recovered the victim at a hotel in Terrytown, Louisiana, on June 24, 2021.
Lewis pleaded guilty to his role in trafficking the victim in November 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2023. GEE faces a maximum of five (5) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. GEE may also be required to register as a sex offender and make restitution payments to the victim. GEE’s sentencing has also been scheduled for June 14, 2023, at 10:30 am before Judge Vance.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity and Monetary Penalty and Recovery Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Account for and Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENE CLEMENT (“CLEMENT”), age 76, of Houma, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023 to failing to account for and pay federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202.
According to court documents, CLEMENT conducted a business as a limited liability company under the name Vinyl Products, LLC. Between 2014 and 2018, CLEMENT failed to account for and pay taxes associated with Vinyl Products in the amount of approximately $750,368.68.
In pleading guilty, CLEMENT faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years. Upon release from prison, CLEMENT also faces a term of supervised release up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of $10,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. He also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. The Honorable Ivan L. R. Lemelle set sentencing in this matter for June 21, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Health Care Staffing Executive Indicted for Fixing Wages of NursesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment yesterday charging a health care staffing executive with conspiring to fix the wages of Las Vegas nurses, in violation of the Sherman Act.
According to the one-count felony indictment, Eduardo Lopez, of Las Vegas, held executive positions at three different home health agencies. For each company, Lopez oversaw recruitment, hiring, retention and assignments of nurses and other health care staff. Lopez and other unnamed co-conspirators are charged with agreeing to suppress and eliminate competition for the services of nurses between March 2016 and May 2019. Specifically, Lopez and his co-conspirators are charged with participating in a series of meetings and communications to fix wages of nurses.
“Wage fixing is a crime that deprives workers of hard-earned wages,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will be vigilant in protecting workers.”
“We will continue to partner with the Antitrust Division and the FBI to protect the marketplace and the rights of workers to earn fair wages,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will investigate and prosecute those who engage in anticompetitive activities.”
“The wage fixing alleged in this case harmed hardworking Americans and cheated them of fair opportunity and compensation,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to rooting out anti-competitive activity and corruption.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum.
Today’s announcement is the result of a federal investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the International Corruption Unit of the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The charges in this case were brought in connection with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecute anticompetitive conduct affecting American labor markets. Anyone with information on market allocation or price fixing by employers should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Health Care Staffing Executive Indicted for Fixing Wages of NursesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment yesterday charging a health care staffing executive with conspiring to fix the wages of Las Vegas nurses, in violation of the Sherman Act.
According to the one-count felony indictment, Eduardo Lopez, of Las Vegas, held executive positions at three different home health agencies. For each company, Lopez oversaw recruitment, hiring, retention and assignments of nurses and other health care staff. Lopez and other unnamed co-conspirators are charged with agreeing to suppress and eliminate competition for the services of nurses between March 2016 and May 2019. Specifically, Lopez and his co-conspirators are charged with participating in a series of meetings and communications to fix wages of nurses.
“Wage fixing is a crime that deprives workers of hard-earned wages,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will be vigilant in protecting workers.”
“We will continue to partner with the Antitrust Division and the FBI to protect the marketplace and the rights of workers to earn fair wages,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will investigate and prosecute those who engage in anticompetitive activities.”
“The wage fixing alleged in this case harmed hardworking Americans and cheated them of fair opportunity and compensation,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to rooting out anti-competitive activity and corruption.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum.
Today’s announcement is the result of a federal investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the International Corruption Unit of the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The charges in this case were brought in connection with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecute anticompetitive conduct affecting American labor markets. Anyone with information on market allocation or price fixing by employers should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Guilford Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston Field Office, announced that CHRISTOPHER MICHAELSON, 38, of Guilford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 9, 2019, the Guilford Police Department assisted Burrillville (R.I.) Police with the arrest of Michaelson at his residence in Guilford on Rhode Island state charges for child molestation, solicitation and enticement. During the arrest, officers seized Michaelson’s cellphone. A court-authorized search of the seized phone revealed hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, primarily boys between the ages of five and 15, and communications between Michaelson and minor victims whom he directed to send sexually explicit photographs of themselves to him.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for June 2.
The Rhode Island state charges against Michaelson are pending.
Michaelson has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the Guilford Police Department and the Burrillville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Georgia man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for hate crime shootingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Larry Edward Foxworth has been sentenced to federal prison for shooting into Clayton County, Georgia, convenience stores to kill those inside based upon their race and ethnicity.
“Foxworth used a firearm to commit a brazen and heinous hate crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “He fired repeatedly into convenience stores in his effort to kill those inside based solely on the color of their skin. This abhorrent act of violence and intimidation left the victims, their families, and the community traumatized, and merits the prison sentence Foxworth received. The Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
“The defendant fired a gun into a store wanting to kill people who he thought were Black or Arab,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Hate-fueled violence not only traumatizes the victims, but it threatens and intimidates an entire community. This sentence demonstrates the importance of holding accountable those who commit racially-motivated violence. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting those individuals who carry out hate crimes in our country.”
“Hopefully this lengthy sentence proves that the FBI will not tolerate intimidation and violence against anyone because of their race or ethnicity,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI’s Civil Rights Program will continue to use every resource available to ensure criminals, like Foxworth, that commit bias-motivated violent crimes are held accountable and removed from our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: At approximately 2:35 a.m. on July 30, 2021, Foxworth fired numerous rounds from a Glock pistol through a window and a door of a gas station convenience store located in Jonesboro, Georgia. Just minutes later, at approximately 2:57 a.m., he again fired multiple rounds from the same handgun through the windows and door of a different convenience store located nearby. Both stores were open and occupied when Foxworth fired the shots, but no one was hit by the gunfire.
Clayton County Police Department officers arrested Foxworth shortly after the second attack. After his arrest, Foxworth told officers that he had targeted the stores because he wanted to kill Arab and Black people, and he believed that there were people inside the stores who belonged to those groups. Foxworth expressed hope that he had killed his targets, and professed belief in white supremacist ideology.
Larry Edward Foxworth, 48, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,000. On December 16, 2022, Foxworth pleaded guilty to the offense of hate crime based on actual or perceived race or color, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 249(a), and the offense of discharging a firearm during the commission of that crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray and Trial Attorney Alec C. Ward of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia White Supremacist Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime for Racially-Motivated ShootingsRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Atlanta today sentenced Larry Edward Foxworth, 48, of Jonesboro, Georgia, to 240 months in prison for shooting into two convenience stores attempting to kill those inside because he believed they were Black or Arab.
According to court records, at approximately 2:35 a.m. on July 30, 2021, Foxworth fired numerous rounds from a Glock pistol through a window and door of a gas station convenience store located in Jonesboro, Georgia. Just minutes later, at approximately 2:57 a.m., he again fired multiple rounds from the same handgun through the windows and door of a different gas station convenience store located nearby. Both stores were open and occupied when Foxworth shot into the businesses. No one was injured during either shooting.
Clayton County Police Department officers arrested Foxworth shortly after the second attack. After his arrest, Foxworth told officers that he had targeted the stores because he wanted to kill Arab and Black people, and he believed that there were people inside the stores who belonged to those groups. Foxworth expressed hope that he had killed his targets, and professed belief in white supremacist ideology.
“The defendant fired a gun into a store wanting to kill people who he thought were Black or Arab,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Hate-fueled violence not only traumatizes the victims, but it threatens and intimidates an entire community. This sentence demonstrates the importance of holding accountable those who commit racially-motivated violence. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting those individuals who carry out hate crimes in our country.”
“Foxworth used a firearm to commit a brazen and heinous hate crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “He fired repeatedly into convenience stores in his effort to kill those inside based solely on the color of their skin. This abhorrent act of violence and intimidation left the victims, their families, and the community traumatized, and merits the prison sentence Foxworth received. The Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
“Hopefully this lengthy sentence proves that the FBI will not tolerate intimidation and violence against anyone because of their race or ethnicity,” said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of FBI Atlanta Field Office. “The FBI’s Civil Rights Program will continue to use every resource available to ensure criminals, like Foxworth, that commit bias-motivated violent crimes are held accountable and removed from our streets.”
The FBI Atlanta Field Office and the Clayton County Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Jack Morrow, 54 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Morrow was sentenced to 135 months in prison to be followed by 8 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between April 20, 2022, and May 11, 2022, Morrow was communicating on social media with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female. During the course of the online communications, Morrow sent very graphic messages about the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her. After arrangements were made to meet for sex at a park in Allen County, Morrow was arrested when he arrived at the park.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff's Department and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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Former Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco Sentenced to Prison for ExtortionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Macomb County Commissioner of Public Works Anthony Marrocco was sentenced to three months in prison and fourteen months of home confinement for attempted extortion by withholding county permits from businessmen who refused to contribute to Marrocco’s campaign accounts, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Charles Miller, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office.
Marrocco, 73, of Ray Township, Michigan, was sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland at the Port Huron, Michigan Federal Courthouse. Marrocco also placed on supervised release for a period of two years with the first fourteen months to be served under home confinement, without access to the internet, sports, movies, or other entertainment. In addition, Marrocco was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
Marrocco served as the Commissioner of Public Works from 1993 through 2016. In September 2022, Marrocco pleaded guilty to Count Three of the Indictment charging him with attempted extortion of a Macomb County developer in April 2016. Marrocco admitted that he pressured the developer to spend thousands of dollars to purchase tickets to one of Marrocco’s fundraisers. Marrocco threatened to delay or withhold approval of county permits sought by the developer if he did not purchase additional tickets to Marrocco’s political fundraiser.
The extortion conviction of Marrocco is the final and most significant development in federal law enforcement’s years-long effort to aggressively investigate and prosecute corruption in Macomb County. Thus far in this effort, some twenty-two public officials and bribe-paying businessmen have been charged and convicted in connection with the Macomb County corruption probe, including three defendants convicted after jury trials, as well as the conviction and imprisonment of elected Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith.
The Macomb County investigation centered on corruption in suburban Detroit communities and in the City of Detroit in garbage-hauling, towing, and engineering contracts involving tens of millions of dollars. The investigation revealed that for years the owners of garbage-hauling, towing, and engineering companies were bribing elected public officials and police officers in order to secure lucrative contracts. Targets convicted in the prosecution included Chuck Rizzo, the CEO and multi-millionaire owner of one of the largest garbage-hauling companies in Michigan, Gasper Fiore, the CEO and multi-millionaire owner of the largest towing company in Michigan, and a Fazal Khan, the millionaire owner of an engineering consulting services firm. The investigation also uncovered significant wire fraud and embezzlement schemes whereby Rizzo and his father were stealing millions from company investors and the engineering partner was stealing a million dollars from his fellow partners. The investigation resulted in the conviction of nine public officials, including Detroit’s Deputy Chief of Police, eight elected officials, and the former Chief Engineer of Macomb County, Michigan. In total, the prosecution resulted in twenty-two criminal convictions of bribe payers and public officials. Significant events in the course of the investigation included (1) the conviction at trial in June 2018 of Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds, for four bribery conspiracies and ten counts of bribery, involving the corruption of over $30 million worth of township contracts; (2) the 2021 conviction of elected and long-time Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith for obstruction of justice in connection with his embezzlement from his own campaign fund; and (3) the 2022 conviction of Marrocco for extortion.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Marrocco had exercised unchecked power over people just trying to do business in Macomb County. Although we are disappointed in the length of the Court’s sentence, through Marrocco’s conviction for extortion, he will no longer be able to demand obedience and respect from the district’s citizens.”
"Today, Mr. Marrocco has been held responsible for his part in a pervasive pattern of corruption and illegal practices by public officials in Macomb County," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Public corruption is the FBI's number one criminal investigative priority because a lack of faith in government undermines our institutions, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to address this issue until honest and responsible government is the order of the day in Macomb County and throughout the State of Michigan."
“Public officials, whether elected or appointed, hold positions of trust in the eyes of the public. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that when public officials commit crimes, they will be held accountable for that broken trust,” said Charles Miller, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office. "IRS-CI will continue to provide financial investigative expertise, as we work with our law enforcement partners to enforce the law and ensure public trust.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Cares and Robert Moran.
Former IT Director Admits to Embezzling More Than $1MRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former IT Director for a Warwick, RI, metals fabrication and supply company pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of wire fraud, admitting to a federal judge that he used his purchasing authority to embezzle more than one million dollars from the company, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Juan Hicks, 47, of New Bedford, MA, admitted that he defrauded AT Wall Companies by: creating false invoices and expense reports payable to himself; altering legitimate credit card statements to make purchases appear to be business expenses, when, in fact, they were for Hicks’ personal expenses; issuing company phones to himself and six family members and then enrolling the phones on the company’s wireless phone service plan; by submitting invoices and using company credit cards to purchase airline and entertainment tickets for himself, family members and friends; and by also using those company cards to make purchases at retail stores and auto repair centers.
Hicks’ criminal conduct came to light in March 2022, when AT Wall Companies hired forensic analysts to determine the source of a cyberattack and to assess vulnerabilities in its computer system. Hicks refused to provide his computer and passwords, as per company policy. Information and analysis provided by the company to the Warwick Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office subsequently revealed that Hicks had embezzled over one million dollars from the company since 2012.
Hicks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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Former Credit Union Manager Sentenced to Three and a Half Years in Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a former New Pilgrim Federal Credit Union (“NPFCU”) manager for embezzling funds from the credit union where he was employed, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Philip Brian Topping, 42, of Birmingham, to 42 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Topping pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2022.
According to the plea agreement and in information provided during the sentencing hearing, Topping embezzled approximately $268,000 from NPFCU over a period of five years. Topping took these funds from the NPFCU ATM and a Teller Cash Drawer. Topping would also create fictitious expenses of various items to different general ledger accounts to cover shortfalls. Topping then used these funds for his personal benefit.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the National Credit Union Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan S. Rummage prosecuted the case.
Former Burlington, Washington, resident sentenced to 20 years in prison for production of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old resident of Dayton, Nevada, who previously resided in Burlington, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Between 2014 and 2020, John Holcomb made sexually explicit videos of a young child left in his care. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik remanded Holcomb to custody saying, “These were serious and violent offenses…. One of the most reprehensible cases the court has seen.”
“No sentence can relieve the trauma suffered by the young victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “The court recognized a key issue of concern for prosecutors in this case, that the community and other children be protected.”
According to records filed in the case, in 2020, law enforcement in Skagit County was investigating Holcomb for an unrelated criminal allegation. As part of that investigation, law enforcement served a court authorized search warrant on Holcomb allowing them to seize his electronic devices. The forensic examination revealed videos depicting child sexual abuse. Law enforcement then sought a new search warrant from a Skagit County Superior Court judge to further review the devices for images of child sexual abuse.
The forensic examination revealed three videos of Holcomb sexually abusing a child who was about 6 or 7 years old.
Holcomb will register as a sex offender following his release from prison and he will be on federal supervision for the rest of his life.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Burlington Police Department, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the Mt. Vernon Police Department, and the Oak Harbor Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor who is specially designated to prosecute child exploitation crimes in federal court. Appellate Attorneys Teal Miller and Jonas Lerman added critical assistance to the prosecution of this case.
Financial Manager Sentenced to 21 Months Imprisonment for Embezzling over $200,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KATIE LAROCHE, age 54, a resident of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced on March 15, 2023 to 21 months in prison for wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, LAROCHE created, owned, and operated a business, Capital City Consulting Firm, that purported to provide financial management services. Victim 1 was a client of LAROCHE’s, and LAROCHE was responsible for performing bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial services for Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses. LAROCHE had signatory authority and access to Victim 1’s bank accounts.
From about February 2015 through March 2021, LAROCHE engaged in a scheme to defraud Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses by withdrawing funds from Victim 1’s accounts under false pretenses and using the funds for her own benefit. Specifically, LAROCHE falsely represented that the funds were being used to pay federal income taxes. When Victim 1 asked LAROCHE about the status of Victim 1’s tax obligations, LAROCHE lied to Victim 1 to hide her scheme. LAROCHE also arranged for monthly payments to be automatically withdrawn from Victim 1’s account without Victim 1’s knowledge or consent to pay for an automobile insurance policy benefitting someone other than Victim 1. In total, LAROCHE embezzled $233,363.53 from Victim 1.
Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced LAROCHE to 21 months in prison, a fine of $250,000, a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, (3) three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. A restitution hearing will be held on a later date.
“There is no tolerance in our community for criminals like Ms. LaRoche, who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her long-time client, betraying that client’s trust to benefit herself,” said Leslie Pichon, U.S. Secret Service New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Secret Service will do everything it can to hold individuals like Ms. LaRoche accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Fentanyl distributors sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Geno Demons, Jr., and Raymond Dexter Hicks, have been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
“Demons and Hicks were involved in the distribution of large quantities of fentanyl, a drug that is steadily funneling poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “These sentences reflect the societal danger posed by this illicit drug and the seriousness with which the courts treat those who traffic it.”
“These two defendants directly contributed to the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic by pushing the dangerous drug fentanyl,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division. “They’ve now been brought to justice and will face significant time behind bars.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2021, the DEA, using an undercover agent, met with Demons and Hicks, who were attempting to sell two kilograms of fentanyl. Special agents arrested the men following the meeting. The investigators recovered loaded pistols from both men during their arrests, as well as two kilograms of fentanyl in Hicks’ car. The investigation revealed that Demons was working for a Mexico-based source of supply and distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl with Hicks. Both men admitted to conducting multiple additional drug transactions as part of the charged conspiracy.
Geno Demons, Jr., 38, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced on March 9, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen, to 12 years, seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Demons pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, on November 14, 2022.
Raymond Dexter Hicks, 59, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., on January 17, 2023, to six years, six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hicks also pleaded guilty to the offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, on July 23, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cal Leipold prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fentanyl Dealer Pleads Guilty, Claims Responsibility for Death of San Antonio WomanRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man pleaded guilty in federal court in San Antonio Wednesday to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents, Patrick James Hall, 28, is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of a 20-year-old woman. The two met on Oct. 28, 2020, in a hotel room where he had been selling the drug in the form of a small round blue pill disguised as oxycodone. Phone records indicate that the victim had been unconscious in Hall’s hotel room for an extended period before Hall returned a missed call to the victim’s friend using her cell phone. Hall notified the friend that she needed to pick up the victim from the hotel because she had overdosed. He then left the location without calling for emergency services. The victim’s friend, however, did alert emergency services and, upon their arrival, the victim was pronounced dead, noting she had been deceased for some time. A toxicology report showed that the victim had an amount of fentanyl in her blood that exceeded 24 times a fatal dose.
Hall was arrested on Nov. 19, 2020. Text messages sent from his phone confirmed that he had been selling the pills to multiple individuals at the time of the victim’s death, and that he himself had overdosed on the pills one week prior to this instance.
Hall is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15 and faces a penalty of 20 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.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The DEA and SAPD are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Hail is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Jury Finds Louisville Felon Guilty of Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Yesterday evening a federal jury convicted a local man of illegally possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 25, 2018, Timothy John Lewis, 52, possessed a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol after having previously been convicted of the following felony offenses:
On January 31, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lewis was convicted of burglary in the second degree, receiving stolen property under $10,000, theft by unlawful taking over $500, and tampering with physical evidence;
On July 29, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lewis was convicted of complicity to burglary in the second degree;
On September 7, 2012, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lewis was convicted of complicity to receiving stolen property under $10,000 and theft by unlawful taking (two counts); and
On October 19, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lewis was convicted of receiving goods by fraud, burglary in the second degree (three counts), theft by unlawful taking over $300 (twelve counts), theft by unlawful taking over $300 – auto (two counts), receiving stolen property over $300 (three counts), receiving stolen property over $300 - vehicle, criminal possession of forged instrument in the second degree, fraudulent use of a credit card (three counts), tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Lewis is scheduled for sentencing on July 20, 2023, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Lewis remains in federal custody pending sentencing and he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF and LMPD investigated the case and were assisted by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Alcohol Beverage Control.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez is prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Julie Mason.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Ecuadorian National Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Ecuadorian national was sentenced in federal court in Del Rio Wednesday to 84 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Ramiro Heliberto Cuenca-Campos, 27, of Cuenca Provincia, Azuay, Ecuador was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Brackettville during a failed human smuggling attempt. A forensic analysis of his cell phone revealed more than 2,000 images containing child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses found Cuenca-Campos guilty after a bench trial on July 27, 2021. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest on March 10, 2020. In addition to the prison sentence, Cuenca-Campos was ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims and $200 in special assessments. Chief Judge Moses also ordered forfeiture of his phone.
“This defendant traveled from Ecuador and crossed the border into our country with a sickening amount of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Thankfully, our federal law enforcement partners at the border disrupted a human smuggling operation and conducted their routine procedures, searching this individual and his phone when they detained him. This case reinforces the fact that, much like our policies against the drugs and firearms that noncitizens occasionally try to bring into the U.S., we will not tolerate anyone bringing in material that sexually exploits and harms children.”
“Individuals who receive and possess child pornography participate in the victimization of children whose innocence can never be restored,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “These criminals also represent a public safety threat to our communities. For those reasons, child exploitation cases are a top priority for HSI, and we will continue to work closely with our federal partners to ensure they are arrested, prosecuted, and ultimately removed from the United States.”
HSI and USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted 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 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.
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Dillon man admits producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Dillon man accused of recording himself having sex with a minor girl on multiple occasions admitted to a child pornography charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Blaine Anthony Thomas Burger, 19, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Burger faces a mandatory minimum 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for July 12 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Burger was detained pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement filed in the case, the parties agreed that the evidence establishes the commission of two additional counts of production of child pornography involving two additional Jane Does, and that the agreement shall be treated as if Burger had been convicted of the additional counts for purposes of calculating his recommended sentencing guideline range.
The government alleged in court documents that between October 2021 and May 1, 2022 in Dillon, Burger was in a dating relationship with a girl, identified as Jane Doe 1, who was under the age of 18. On April 30, 2022, Jane Doe 1 told law enforcement that she had been in an abusive sexual relationship with Burger for the last several months. Jane Doe 1 further disclosed that Burger had sex with her on multiple occasions, recorded them having sex on his phone and kept the videos. When interviewed, Burger admitted to having sex with Jane Doe 1 more than 10 times after he learned that she was underage. Burger further admitted he had naked pictures of Jane Doe 1 on his phone. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Burger’s phone and recovered three videos that were recorded by Burger and depict him having sexual intercourse with Jane Doe 1.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Dillon Police Department, Helena Police Department and FBI.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Convicted Felon Charged with Possessing A GunRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Lay Wah, 23, a Burmese citizen living in Buffalo, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Leydecker, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 13, 2023, the ATF and Buffalo Police executed a search warrant at Wah’s Newfield Street residence. Upon entering the residence, law enforcement observed Way move quickly from a computer room to a bedroom, where he was spotted reaching in a piece of furniture before pushing the door closed. Moments later, a law enforcement officer outside the residence observed an object, which turned out to be a loaded 9mm handgun, thrown from the same bedroom window. The handgun was equipped with a device which converts semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machineguns. Inside the residence, law enforcement also recovered a quantity of cash, 9mm ammunition, various packaging materials, and a plastic bag containing numerous suspected counterfeit Percocet pills. In December 2020, Wah was convicted of a felony in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Wah made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commission Joseph Gramaglia.
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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