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Tuesday 20 December 2022
Career Offender Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Charles Edward Rowe, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to thirty years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This career criminal has demonstrated his unwillingness to abide by the law, committing repeated drug crimes. Given the outstanding work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, he will no longer be distributing drugs in our community.”
On July 27, 2021, as part of an ongoing investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Gun Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at a Pensacola hotel. Rowe, a Career Offender with several violent and narcotics-related prior convictions, was found in possession of distribution amounts of various controlled substances, including over two kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine, crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and a loaded Hi-Point .40 caliber pistol. At the time of his arrest, Rowe was on state probation for Grand Theft, Felony Battery, and Domestic Battery by Strangulation.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gordon prosecuted the case, which resulted from a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Cardiac Monitoring Companies to Pay More than $44.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Services Performed by Offshore TechniciansRead the Press Release
BioTelemetry Inc. and its subsidiary CardioNet LLC, both headquartered in Pennsylvania (collectively “BioTelemetry”), have agreed to pay $44,875,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare, TRICARE, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for heart monitoring tests that were performed, in part, outside the United States, and in many cases by technicians who were not qualified to perform such tests.
The United States alleged that CardioNet improperly billed Medicare and other federal health care programs for certain cardiac monitoring services — including Holter, event monitoring, and mobile cardiovascular telemetry (MCT) tests — that were performed overseas in violation of federal law that prohibits payment for services furnished outside the United States. More specifically, the government alleged that, in 2013, CardioNet contracted with a company located in India for the provision of diagnostic and analysis services of heart monitoring data. Although BioTelemetry set up a workflow that was designed to route electrocardiogram data, including data relating to cardiac events (ECG Data) for federal healthcare beneficiaries, to a domestic independent diagnostic testing facility for review and analysis, the government alleged that BioTelemetry — with the knowledge of then senior management — diverted certain federal beneficiaries’ ECG Data to India when the domestic workflow became backlogged. BioTelemetry also allegedly sent ECG data for other federal beneficiaries directly to India for review. In 2014, over 29% of the ECG Data reviewed in connection with MCT tests, and over 78% of the ECG Data reviewed in connection with event monitoring tests, for Medicare patients were allegedly reviewed by technicians located in India. In 2015, those numbers allegedly rose to over 47% and over 88%, respectively. Although BioTelemetry began implementing technological controls in late 2015 to prevent personnel in India from accessing the domestic workflow, those controls were insufficient, and technicians in India allegedly continued to review and analyze some ECG Data for federal healthcare program beneficiaries thereafter.
“Federal health care beneficiaries deserve care, including remote cardiac monitoring, that complies with federal law and is provided by qualified clinical personnel,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reminds all providers that they must observe those standards and reflects the department’s commitment to pursue knowing violations of federal health care program requirements.”
“Providers must act within clear federal healthcare program boundaries to ensure that appropriate care is given to the beneficiaries of those programs,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “This office will continue to pursue cases where providers have failed to honor these rules, which were established to provide quality care to elderly citizens and military veterans, among others.”
“Providers participating in federal health care programs are obligated to obey the laws meant to protect the integrity of those programs and the quality of care furnished to patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services. “With our law enforcement partners, our agency is extremely committed to investigating providers alleged of defying these requirements.”
The United States further alleged that most of the offshore technicians tasked with reviewing ECG Data for federal healthcare program beneficiaries did not have the basic qualifications to perform the tests in question. Of the more than 450 India-based technicians who reviewed Medicare patients’ ECG Data in connection with MCT services that CardioNet billed to Medicare during the 2013 to 2018 period, the government alleged that fewer than 3% were certified by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), the only recognized credentialing body for such cardiovascular technicians.
In connection with the settlement, BioTelemetry Inc. entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) that requires, among other things, the implementation of a risk assessment and internal review process designed to identify and address evolving compliance risks. The CIA also requires an independent review organization to annually assess the medical necessity and appropriateness of claims billed to Medicare.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Strasinski and Philip Leone, both former CardioNet employees. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Doe v. BioTelemetry, Inc., et al., No. No. 2:18-cv-01688-PD (E.D. Pa.). As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $8.3 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Assistance was provided by HHS-OIG, the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Attorneys Amy Kossak and Jessica Sievert of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Gill and Erin Lindgren for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Cardiac Monitoring Companies to Pay More than $44.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Services Performed by Offshore TechniciansRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – BioTelemetry, Inc. and its subsidiary CardioNet, LLC, both headquartered in Pennsylvania (collectively, “BioTelemetry”), have agreed to pay $44,875,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare, TRICARE, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for heart monitoring tests that were performed, in part, outside the United States, and in many cases by technicians who were not qualified to perform such tests.
The United States alleged that BioTelemetry and CardioNet improperly billed Medicare and other federal healthcare programs for certain cardiac monitoring services – including Holter, event monitoring, and mobile cardiovascular telemetry (MCT) tests – that were performed overseas in violation of federal law that prohibits payment for services furnished outside the United States. More specifically, the government alleged that in 2013, CardioNet contracted with a company located in India for the provision of diagnostic and analysis services of heart monitoring data. Although BioTelemetry set up a workflow that was designed to route electrocardiogram data, including data relating to cardiac events (“ECG Data”) for certain federal payer patients to a domestic independent diagnostic testing facility for review and analysis, the government alleged that BioTelemetry—with the knowledge of then senior management—diverted certain federal beneficiaries’ ECG Data to India when the domestic workflow became backlogged. BioTelemetry also allegedly sent ECG data for other federal payer patients directly to India for review. In 2014, over 29% of the ECG Data reviewed in connection with MCT tests, and over 78% of the ECG Data reviewed in connection with event monitoring tests, for Medicare patients were allegedly reviewed by technicians located in India. In 2015, those numbers allegedly rose to over 47% and over 88%, respectively. Although BioTelemetry began implementing technological controls in late 2015 to prevent personnel in India from accessing the domestic workflow, those controls were insufficient, and technicians in India allegedly continued to review and analyze some ECG Data for federal healthcare program beneficiaries thereafter.
The United States further alleged that most of the offshore technicians tasked with reviewing ECG Data for federal healthcare program beneficiaries did not have the basic qualifications to perform the tests in question. Of the more than 450 India-based technicians who reviewed Medicare patients’ ECG Data in connection with MCT services that CardioNet billed to Medicare during the 2013 to 2018 period, the government alleged that fewer than 3% were certified by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), the only recognized credentialing body for such cardiovascular technicians.
“Federal healthcare beneficiaries deserve care, including remote cardiac monitoring, that complies with federal law and is provided by qualified clinical personnel,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reminds all providers that they must observe those standards and reflects the Department’s commitment to pursue knowing violations of federal health care program requirements.”
“Providers must act within clear federal healthcare program boundaries to ensure that appropriate care is given to the beneficiaries of those programs,” said Jacqueline C. Romero, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “This office will continue to pursue cases where providers have failed to honor these rules, which were established to provide quality care to elderly citizens and military veterans, among others.”
“Providers participating in federal health care programs are obligated to obey the laws meant to protect the integrity of those programs and the quality of care furnished to patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services. “With our law enforcement partners, our agency is extremely committed to investigating providers alleged of defying these requirements.”
“Protecting TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their dependents, is a top priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General,” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The settlement agreement announced today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to work with our law enforcement partners, the Department of Justice, and the Defense Health Agency to investigate allegations of healthcare fraud.”
In connection with the settlement, BioTelemetry Inc. entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) that requires, among other things, the implementation of a risk assessment and internal review process designed to identify and address evolving compliance risks. The CIA also requires an independent review organization to annually assess the medical necessity and appropriateness of claims billed to Medicare.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by several relators who were former CardioNet employees. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Doe v. BioTelemetry, Inc., et al., No. No. 2:18-cv-01688-PD (E.D. Pa.). As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $8.3 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section. Assistance was provided by HHS-OIG, the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Gill and Erin Lindgren and Civil Division attorneys Amy Kossak and Jessica Sievert.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Canyon Lake Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Canyon Lake man was sentenced Thursday to 360 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for distribution and receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Seth Perricone, 48, shared more than 115,000 files of child sexual abuse material over the internet. In July, a federal jury found Perricone guilty of six counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. An investigation found that Perricone had been downloading and distributing child exploitation material since 2012, some of which depicted children as young as toddlers being sexually assaulted by adults.
“Child pornography violations are horrific crimes that plague victims long after their original abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “With this lengthy sentence by the court, the victims in this case were given the justice they deserve.”
“This sentencing of 30 years in federal prison illustrates the severity of Seth Perricone’s crimes against innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to do everything in our power to protect children from dangerous predators.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Thompson and William Calve 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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California Man Pleads Guilty in Scam PACs SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Texas to participating in a scheme to solicit millions of dollars in contributions to two political action committees (PACs) based on false and misleading representations that the funds would be used to support presidential candidates during and after the 2016 election cycle.
According to court documents, from 2016 through at least April 2017, Matthew Nelson Tunstall, 35, of Los Angeles, together with co-conspirators, operated two PACs – Liberty Action Group PAC and Progressive Priorities PAC – which solicited contributions from the public via robocalls and television, radio, and internet advertisements, among other means. The two PACs stated that the contributions would be used to support the presidential nominees of the two major political parties, respectively. Instead, Tunstall and his co-conspirators used the funds to enrich themselves and to fund additional fraudulent solicitations. Specifically, Tunstall admitted that the two PACs raised approximately $3.9 million in contributions during the 2016 election cycle and subsequent months. Additionally, to conceal the origin and nature of the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme, Tunstall and his co-conspirators instructed a third-party vendor to withdraw from the two PACs approximately $353,000 in excess of the amount owed to the vendor for services rendered, then deposit the excess payments into accounts held by shell companies that they controlled.
Tunstall pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to cause the PACs to make false statements to the Federal Election Commission and one count of money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Robert Reyes and Kyle Davies – co-conspirators who previously pleaded guilty for their involvement in the fraudulent political solicitation scheme – will be sentenced at a later date.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Antonio Field Office, Austin Resident Agency investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Michael N. Lang and Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) are prosecuting the case. Former PIN Trial Attorney Rebecca Schuman provided significant assistance.
Crowheart Man Arraigned for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that TEMAYNE THUNDER, 43, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. At an arraignment hearing on December 8, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Teresa McKee, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for February 13, 2023.
If convicted, Thunder faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 22-CR-00104
Businessman Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Swindling Hospital in Connection with Attempted Purchases of Personal Protective EquipmentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago businessman has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for swindling millions from a hospital that paid him for scarce personal protective equipment in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
DENNIS W. HAGGERTY, JR., 46, of Burr Ridge, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness on Monday imposed a 57-month sentence and ordered Haggerty to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and John S. Morales, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Heidi Manschreck.
Haggerty and two business partners in March 2020 formed a company called At Diagnostics Inc. to sell personal protective equipment. The company agreed to sell 500,000 N95 respirator masks to a hospital in Iowa for $2.495 million. Haggerty created an invoice to reflect the agreement and to instruct the hospital on where to wire the payment. Based on the invoice, the hospital on March 31, 2020, wired the money to a bank account that Haggerty falsely claimed was an At Diagnostics account, but which was actually the account of a different business solely controlled by Haggerty.
Haggerty spent part of the money for his personal benefit, including purchasing three luxury automobiles, paying nearly $189,000 to credit card companies, withdrawing more than $147,000 in cash, and paying $20,000 to a personal friend. At Diagnostics never delivered the masks, and when questioned about it by the hospital he falsely claimed that the bank had no record of the hospital’s payment being received. When his business partners questioned Haggerty about the whereabouts of the money, Haggerty altered a bank statement to make it appear as if the hospital’s funds had not been received.
Haggerty also engaged in similar conduct with a hospital in Illinois. After agreeing to sell one million N95 masks for nearly $4.5 million, the hospital requested that an initial payment be sent to an escrow account instead of the account Haggerty provided. When At Diagnostics failed to fulfill the hospital’s order, the money in escrow was returned. The hospital, however, later inadvertently wired more than $933,000 to Haggerty’s account in connection with a second order for 500,000 N95 masks that was never fulfilled. Haggerty spent some of this money for his personal use and did not return any of it.
Haggerty’s sentence included an enhancement for obstruction of justice. In his initial court filings in advance of sentencing, Haggerty claimed that he had relied on a bill of lading purportedly sent by a supplier of the N95 masks, and that he began spending the money from the first hospital believing it was owed to him from his business partners. Haggerty later withdrew those claims and admitted that he had created a fake bill of lading. He acknowledged that his conduct warranted the enhancement.
Brookline Doctor Indicted for Money Laundering and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline sleep medicine physician has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for his alleged role in a health care fraud scheme.
Dr. Pankaj Merchia, 49, of Brookline and Boca Raton, Fla., was indicted on three counts of money laundering and one count of health care fraud. Merchia self-surrendered this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston today at 3 p.m. before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.
According to the indictment, Merchia perpetrated two distinct health care fraud schemes. Specifically, Merchia allegedly billed former patients’ insurance companies for monthly rentals of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPap) machines years after the former patients had discontinued their use of the machines and/or returned the machines to Merchia’s office. It is alleged that Merchia used the proceeds of this fraud to purchase an expensive home in Brookline. Additionally, Merchia allegedly billed the insurance company of a family member over $400,000 for a monthly rental of a CPAP machine, despite knowing that the insurance carrier would not pay for treatment rendered by a family member. It is alleged that Merchia used the proceeds of this fraud to fund a wire transfer of $250,000 and to purchase at least $140,000 in securities.
The charges of money laundering and health care fraud provide 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; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Anthony M. DiPaolo, Executive Director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bridgeport Meth Dealer Sentenced to 39 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEREK COULSON, 36, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January and February 2021, Coulson sold a total of more than 80 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Coulson was arrested on June 11, 2021. On October 8, 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine.
At the conclusion of today’s court proceeding, Coulson, who was released on bond, was remanded the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Bethlehem Company Agrees to Pay $230,000 to Resolve Allegations It Failed to Notify the DEA and Maintain Required Records Regarding Chemical TransactionsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ungerer & Company, a flavor and fragrance business operating in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $230,000 and improve its compliance measures to resolve allegations it failed to make required notifications to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) about certain international shipments of listed chemicals that can be used to manufacture illicit controlled substances, and failed to create necessary records documenting the transfer of chemicals within the company.
Federal law and regulations require companies to notify the DEA before they export certain chemicals that can be used to manufacture illicit controlled substances on a form frequently referred to as a “486.” In addition, federal law and regulations require companies to generate and maintain records regarding certain transactions involving these chemicals. For example, companies must generate and maintain these records when they make transactions between their own DEA registrations such as transfers to different locations or within the same company.
Ungerer and the United States previously entered into a civil settlement agreement, in which Ungerer agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve allegations that the company had imported and exported listed chemicals on a number of occasions and failed to provide information to the DEA on the date and quantity actually imported and exported within 30 days after certain transactions. As part of that resolution, the company entered into an administrative agreement with the DEA to implement certain remedial measures.
With the company’s implementation of those remedial measures, Ungerer self-disclosed certain conduct it had discovered to the United States. The current settlement is based on that self-disclosure. In particular, the settlement alleges that Ungerer, in 2018, negligently exported listed chemicals on three occasions without submitting the required pre-export notification, or “486.” In addition, the settlement alleges that Ungerer had transferred listed chemicals between its DEA registrations, but negligently failed to generate the records required to document those transactions.
Along with the $230,000 payment, Ungerer entered into two three-year administrative agreements with the DEA under which it has committed to implement heightened remedial measures. For example, the agreement requires Ungerer to document transfers of listed chemicals between registrations, train its employees on the documentation requirement, and regularly provide the DEA with a list of their listed chemical exports.
“Ungerer self-disclosed these chemical violations to the United States on its own accord,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The documentation requirements that are the subject of this settlement agreement are critical to ensure accountability and transparency over listed chemical transactions inside and outside of the United States. Ungerer’s self-disclosure is an important step in its commitment to compliance.”
“Ungerer appropriately discovered and disclosed these export reporting issues,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “The DEA’s goal is to ensure the proper transfer and export of listed chemicals so they can be properly accounted for.”
This investigation was conducted with the Philadelphia Field Division of the DEA and the Diversion Chemical Investigations Unit in the DEA’s Diversion Control Division. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Anthony D. Scicchitano handled the investigation and settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Ballston Spa Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Maxwell Leiser, age 35, of Ballston Spa, New York, pled guilty today to drug and firearm charges, and admitted to conspiring with the leader of a Schenectady-based drug trafficking organization to distribute cocaine base and heroin in Saratoga County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
Leiser admitted that between December 2020 and April 2021, he conspired with Terell M. Patrick aka “Lite,” to distribute approximately 465 grams of cocaine base and 198 grams of heroin in Saratoga County. Leiser further admitted that he unlawfully possessed three firearms and ammunition as a felon.
Leiser faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million, when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on April 20, 2023. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The following defendants have also pled guilty in connection with the conspiracy, and were sentenced as follows:
Name
Age
Prison Term
Supervised Release Term
Donovan Milhouse
25
60 months
4 years
The following defendants have also pled guilty in connection with the conspiracy, and face the following penalties when they are sentenced:
Name
Age
Minimum
Maximum
Terell M. Patrick aka “Lite”
38
10 years
Life
Dequenton Slade
30
5 years
40 years
Alexis Bernadt
28
5 years
40 years
This case was investigated by the FBI and NYSP, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.
Amarillo Drug Dealer Sentenced to 50 YearsRead the Press Release
A violent drug dealer was sentenced today to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
A jury convicted Gilbert Joseph Carrasco, 44, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after just seven minutes of deliberation in August 2022. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who noted that the defendant’s violent past – including multiple physical assaults with his fists, a screwdriver, and even a brick – warranted the sentence.
According to evidence presented at trial, undercover agents arranged to purchase methamphetamine from 25-year-old Catrina Palmer on April 28, 2020. Mr. Carrasco drove Ms. Palmer to the undercover buy. Agents located a trap in the dashboard of his truck that contained methamphetamine. Investigation later revealed that Mr. Carrasco was Ms. Palmer’s methamphetamine supplier.
In an interview, Mr. Carrasco admitted to receiving and distributing methamphetamine. He also admitted to being a convicted felon and knowingly possession a .22 bolt action rifle he said he obtained on the “streets.”
Ms. Palmer pled guilty in April 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
The Amarillo Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Tusing and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell.
Advanced Bionics LLC to Pay United States $11.36 Million to Resolve FCA Allegations Related to Cochlear Implant ProcessorsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Advanced Bionics LLC, a Valencia, California, based manufacturer of cochlear implant systems, will pay $11.36 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations for misleading federal healthcare programs regarding the radio-frequency (RF) emissions generated by some of its cochlear implant processors. The settlement was announced today by United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and the Justice Department.
The settlement resolves allegations that Advanced Bionics, in submitting pre-market approval applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Neptune and Naida cochlear implant processors, made false claims regarding the results of its RF emissions tests. These tests measure the extent to which cochlear implant systems generate RF emissions that can interfere with other devices that use the RF spectrum – such as mobile phones, alarm and security systems, televisions, and radios.
According to the allegations, Advanced Bionics represented that its processors satisfied an internationally recognized emissions standard when, in fact, they did not. More specifically, Advanced Bionics is alleged to have manipulated testing conditions to obtain passing test results by not testing processors in “worst-case” configurations, and improperly shielding certain emissions-generating components of the cochlear implant system during emissions testing – all contrary to the standard’s requirements.
“The FDA’s approval process requires companies to demonstrate the efficacy of their products,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The settlement in this case demonstrates our commitment to hold responsible any medical device manufacturer that skirts these rules and seeks FDA approval of a device it knows is not as effective as represented. The consumers who use these devices, and the federal programs that pay for many of them, deserve better.”
“The United States expects device manufacturers to provide accurate information when they claim that their devices meet certain tests or standards,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The integrity of our health care system depends on the government being able to rely on the information provided by manufacturers when they apply for permission to market their devices.”
“Patients deserve to receive medical devices which are in compliance with all federal standards,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “Manufacturers are required to be truthful in submitting claims for payment to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. HHS-OIG will continue to work with DOJ and our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund.”
“The VA OIG is dedicated to ensuring veterans receive the healthcare products that the VA is promised,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “In reaching today’s settlement, we thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in exposing misleading practices that affect medical devices meant for veterans and the proper use of VA dollars for their benefit.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to working with its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to combat health care fraud,” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “TRICARE, the health care program for active-duty military personnel, retirees, and dependents, relies on medical providers to furnish complete and truthful information about the efficacy of their products and services. Today’s settlement demonstrates DCIS’s tireless commitment to investigating the submission of false claims and statements to TRICARE.”
“We expect that medical products offered to federal employees and their families meet the standards promised by the manufacturer,” said Amy K. Parker, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) OIG. “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice for their hard work resulting in today’s settlement.”
As a result of today’s settlement, in addition to the $11.36 million paid to the United States, Advanced Bionics will pay state Medicaid programs $1,238,580. The Medicaid program is funded jointly by the federal and state governments.
In addition to the civil settlement, Advanced Bionics entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires an independent review of activities and processes relating to the preparation or submission of Premarket Approval Applications (PMAs) to the FDA and performance standards relevant to those PMAs. Advanced Bionics must also implement a robust compliance program that includes, among other things, a risk assessment program and compliance certifications from key managers and from the Board of Directors.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by David Nyberg, a former Advanced Bionics engineer, under the whistleblower, or qui tam, provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Nyberg will receive approximately $1.87 million of the federal settlement.
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800 HHS TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case is being handled in this district by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren DeBruicker and Auditor Dawn Wiggins. This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Health Agency Office of General Counsel; the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units. The FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel also provided assistance.
The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. David Nyberg v. Advanced Bionics Corp., No. 19-cv-3439 (E.D. Pa.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Advanced Bionics LLC to Pay over $12 Million for Alleged False Claims for Cochlear Implant ProcessorsRead the Press Release
Advanced Bionics LLC, a Valencia, California-based manufacturer of cochlear implant system devices, has agreed to pay more than $12 million to resolve allegations that it misled federal health care programs regarding the radio-frequency (RF) emissions generated by some of its cochlear implant processors.
“The United States expects device manufacturers to provide accurate information when they claim that their devices meet certain tests or standards,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The integrity of our health care system depends on the government being able to rely on the information provided by manufacturers when they apply for permission to market their devices.”
“The FDA’s approval process requires companies to demonstrate the efficacy of their products,” said U.S Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “The settlement in this case demonstrates our commitment to hold responsible any medical device manufacturer that skirts these rules and seeks FDA approval of a device it knows is not as effective as represented. The consumers who use these devices, and the federal programs that pay for many of them, deserve better.”
The tests at issue measured the extent to which cochlear implant systems generate RF emissions that can potentially interfere with other devices that use the RF spectrum. Such other devices may include telephones, alarm and security systems, televisions and radios.
The settlement resolves allegations that Advanced Bionics, in submitting pre-market approval applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Advanced Bionics’ Neptune and Naida cochlear implant processors, made false claims regarding the results of its RF emissions tests. Advanced Bionics allegedly represented that its processors satisfied an internationally recognized emissions standard when, in fact, Advanced Bionics did not comply with that standard. More specifically, Advanced Bionics allegedly failed to honor the standard’s requirements to test processors using “worst-case” configurations, and improperly shielded certain emissions-generating system components during emissions testing. Advanced Bionics then allegedly sought reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs for these devices.
“Patients deserve to receive medical devices which are in compliance with all federal standards,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) Office of the Inspector General. “Manufacturers are required to be truthful in submitting claims for payment to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. HHS-OIG will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to working with its law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice, to combat health care fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “TRICARE, the health care program for active-duty military personnel, retirees, and dependents, relies on medical providers to furnish complete and truthful information about the efficacy of their products and services. Today’s settlement demonstrates DCIS’s tireless commitment to investigating the submission of false claims and statements to TRICARE.”
“We expect that medical products offered to federal employees and their families meet the standards promised by the manufacturer,” said Special Agent in Charge Amy K. Parker of the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice for their hard work resulting in today's settlement.”
“The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) is dedicated to ensuring veterans receive the quality healthcare products they are promised,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the VA-OIG Northeast Field Office. “In reaching today's settlement, we thank the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners in exposing misleading practices that affect medical devices meant for veterans and the proper use of VA dollars for their benefit.”
In addition to the civil settlement, Advanced Bionics entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires an independent review of activities and processes relating to the preparation or submission of Premarket Approval Applications (PMAs) to the FDA and performance standards relevant to those PMAs. Advanced Bionics must also implement a robust compliance program that includes, among other things, a risk assessment program and compliance certifications from key managers and from the Board of Directors.
The settlement provides that Advanced Bionics will pay roughly $11.36 million to the United States, and in addition, will pay approximately $1.24 million to the participating Medicaid States, pursuant to the terms of separate settlement agreements that Advanced Bionics has, or will enter into, with those states.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by David Nyberg, a former Advanced Bionics engineer, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, Mr. Nyberg will receive approximately $1.87 million of the federal settlement amount.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Health Agency Office of General Counsel; the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Senior Trial Counsel Daniel Spiro of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren DeBruicker for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Nyberg v. Advanced Bionics Corp., Case No. 2:19-cv-3439 (E.D.PA.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Monday 19 December 2022
司法部宣布新的执法机构语言通达倡议Read the Press Release
司法部宣布发起执法机构语言通达倡议，该全国性的倡议旨在帮助执法机构向英语程度有限者(LEP)提供有意义的语言协助，履行他们的义务。该项倡议将以司法部的长期工作为基础，确保执法机构遵守他们提供语言协助的义务。
司法部民权司的助理检察长克里斯滕•克拉克说:“向执法部门提供他们需要的工具，以确保有效和有意义的语言协助，此举能更好地促进和提高英语程度有限者的安全性。”“通过此倡议，我们将能够和全国各地的执法机构分享语言通达最好的做法和类似的资源。”
该倡议由民权司的联邦协调和合规办牵头，与美国检察长办公室合作执行。具体而言，该倡议的措施如下：
- 开发技术支持方面的资源和工具，协助地方和州执法机构努力为其管辖范围内的英语程度有限者和群众提供有意义的语言服务。
- 让有意审阅、更新、或加强他们的语言通达政策、计划和培训的执法机构，积极地参与进来。
- 利用与美国检察长办公室的合作，在全国各地的社区里开展培训，以提高语言通达义务的认识，鼓励执法机构广泛采用最佳的做法。
- 加强与英语程度有限者和群体的利益相关人士和群众的联系和接触。
除了今天的倡议公告外，司法部和科罗拉多地区美国检察长办公室还宣布一项协议，以解决对丹佛警察局（DPD）违反1964年《民权法》第六章因基于民族血统而歧视英语程度有限者的指控的调查。第六章禁止对联邦经济援助获得者进行基于种族、肤色和源自国的歧视。
“与丹佛警察局达成的这个协议将帮助警务人员做好他们的工作，”美国检察官（在28 U.S.C. §515法律规定下为科罗拉多区域行使代理职责）马修•柯尔切表示。“无论是在进行社区交流或在逮捕被控违法的个人中，确保能够获得准确的语言服务都能让警员们服务并保护社区所有的成员，无论其英语程度如何。”
司法部对丹佛警察局的调查, 始于社区群众对涉及居住在丹佛东科尔法克斯(East Colfax)地区英语程度有限者的缅甸和罗兴亚语居民的事件提出关切之后。调查揭露了许多情况，丹佛警察局的警员多次没有向英语程度有限者提供语言协助，或者提供了无效或不适当的语言协助。比如，调查发现出现了依赖儿童、家庭成员和旁观者来提供语言服务的情况，这其中包括本应该使用更可靠和客观的语言协助的情况。
作为本和解协议的一部分，丹佛警察局已同意对其语言通达的政策、程序和培训实施一系列的改变，包括：
- 更新警局的《语言通达政策和计划》，以建立与包括作为包括证人和嫌疑人的英语程度有限者沟通的程序，除非在特殊情况下，禁止使用儿童、家庭成员和旁观者来与英语程度有限者沟通；
- 任命警局有史以来的首位英语程度有限者协调员，在每个丹佛警察局的辖区里建立语言通达联络点；
- 对所有丹佛警察局的员工和新雇员进行培训，让他们更好地分辨英语程度有限者，如何与他们沟通，以及如何记录下和他们的互动；
- 设立一个语言通达委员会,包括代表英语程度有限者社区利益的利益相关者。
关于民权司的其他信息可在 www.justice.gov/crt 民权司网站上查阅，英语程度有限和民权法第六章的信息可以在www.lep.gov上面找到。公众可以在https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 上举报违反民权的可能行为。
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
司法部宣佈新的執法機構語言通達倡議Read the Press Release
司法部宣佈發起執法機構語言通達倡議，該全國性的倡議將幫助執法機構向英語程度有限者(LEP)提供有意義的語言協助，履行他們的義務。該項倡議將以司法部德長期工作為基礎，確保執法機構遵守他們提供語言協助的義務。
司法部民權司的助理檢察長克里斯滕•克拉克说:“向執法機構提供他們需要的工具，以確保有效和有意義的語言協助，此擧能更好地促進和提高英語程度有限者的安全。”“通過此倡議，我们將能够和全國各地的執法機構分享語言通達最好的做法和類似的資源。”
該倡議由民權司的聯邦協調和合規辦領頭，與美國檢察長辦公室合作執行。倡議的具體措施如下：
- 開發技術支持方面的資源和工具，協助地方和州的執法機構努力為其管轄範圍内的英語程度有限者和民衆提供有意義的語言服務。
- 讓有意審閲、更新、或加强他們的語言通達政策、計劃和培訓的執法機構，積極地參與進來。
- 利用与美國檢察長辦公室的合作，在全國各地的社區里開展培訓，以提高對語言通達義務的認識，鼓勵執法機構廣汎采用最佳的做法。
- 加强與英語程度有限者和群體的利益相關人士和民衆的聯係和接觸。
除了今天的倡議公告外，司法部和科羅拉多地區美國檢察長辦公室還宣佈一項協議，以解決對於丹佛警察局(DPS)違反1964年民權法第六章因基於民族血統而歧視英語程度有限者的指控的調查。第六章中禁止對聯邦經濟援助獲得者進行基於种族、肤色和源自国的歧视。
“与丹佛警察局達成的這個協議將幫助警務人員做好他們的工作，”美國檢察官（在28 U.S.C. §515法律規定下為科羅拉多區域行使代理職責）馬修•柯爾切表示。“無論是在進行社區交流或在逮捕被控違法的個人中，確保能夠獲得準確的語言服務都能讓警員們服務並保護社區所有的成員，無論其英語程度如何。”
司法部对丹佛警察局的調查, 始於社區民衆對涉及居住在丹佛东考爾費克斯(East Colfax)地區英語程度有限者的緬甸和羅興亞語居民的事件提出關切之後。調查揭露了許多情況，丹佛警察局的警員多次没有向英語程度有限者提供語言協助，或者提供了無效或不適當的語言協助。比如，調查發現出現了依賴孩童、家庭成員和旁觀者来提供語言服務的情況，這其中包括本應該使用更可靠和客觀的語言協助的情況。
作爲本和解協議的一部分，丹佛警察局已同意對其語言通達的政策、程序和培訓實施一系列的改變，包括：
- 更新警局的《語言通達政策和計劃》，以建立与包括作爲證人或疑犯的英語程度有限者溝通的程序，除非在特殊情況下，禁止使用孩童、家庭成员和旁觀者来和英語程度有限者溝通；
- 任命警局有史以來的首位英語程度有限者協調員，在每個丹佛警察局的轄區里建立語言通達聯絡點；
- 對所有丹佛警察局的員工和新雇員進行培訓，讓他們更好地分辨英語程度有限者，如何與他們溝通，以及如何記錄下和他們的往來；
- 設立一個語言通達委員會, 其中包括代表英語程度有限者社區利益的利益相關者。
關於民權司的更多信息可在www.justice.gov/crt 民權司網站上查閲。英語程度有限和民權法第六章的信息可以在www.lep.gov上面找到。公衆可以在https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 上舉報違法民權的可能行爲。
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
የፍትህ ሚኒስቴር፤ ለሕግ ማስከበሪያ እርምጃ የሚውል አዲስ የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ማስጀመሩን አስታወቀRead the Press Release
የፍትህ ሚንስቴር በሃገር አቀፍ ደረጃ የህግ አስከባሪ አካላት፤ ውሱን የእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ላላቸው የማህበረሰብ አባላት ትርጉም ባለው እና ተገቢ በሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ በመታገዝ ግዴታቸውን እንዲወጡ ለመርዳት ለህግ ማስከበር አገልግሎት የሚጠቅም የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት እርምጃ ማስጀመሩን አስታውቋል።
የዚህ ሃሳብ ተነሳሽነት የሚኒስቴር መስርያ ቤቱ የህግ አስከባሪ አካላት በቋንቋ ተደራሽነት የሚጠበቅባቸውን ግዴታ እየተወጡ መሆናቸውን ለማረጋገጥ ለረዥም ግዜ ሲያደርግ የነበረው ጥረት ላይ የሚገነባ ይሆናል።የሚኒስቴር መስሪያ ቤቱ የዜጎች መብቶች ክፍል ረዳት አቃቤ ህግ የሆኑት ክሪስተን ክላርክ ሲናገሩ፣
“የህግ አስከባሪ አካላት ውጤታማ እና ትርጉም ያለው የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት እንዲኖራቸው ለማረጋገጥ የሚያስፈልጋቸውን መሳርያ መስጠት፤ ውሱን የሆነ የእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ያላቸው ሰዎች ከህግ አስከባሪ አባላት ጋር የሚኖራቸውን ግንኙነት አስተማማኝነት የሚያራምድና የሚያሳድግ ይሆናል።” “የፍትህ ሚኒስቴር በዚህ የሃሳብ አነሳሽነት የተካተቱ የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ምርጥ ተሞክሮዎችን እና መሰል ግብአቶችን በመላው ሃገሪቱ የሚገኙ የህግ አስከባሪ አካላት እንዲጋሩ ለማድረግ ያስችለዋል” በማለት ክሪስተን ክላርክ ጨምረው ገልጸዋል።ይህ እርምጃ በዜጎች መብቶች መምሪያ የፌዴራል ማስተባበርያና የክትትል ማስከበሪያ ክፍል ከዩናይትድ ስቴትስ የአቃቤ ህግ ጽህፈት ቤቶች ጋር በመተባበር የሚመራ ይሆናል። በተለይም ይህ እርምጃ:
- የአካባቢ እና የግዛት የህግ አስከባሪ አካላት በክልላቸው ከሚኖሩ ውሱን የእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋ ተናጋሪ ከሆኑ ግለሰቦችና የተለያዩ የማህበረሰብ ክፍሎች ጋር ትርጉም ያለው የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት አገልግሎት ለማቅረብ የሚያደርጉትን ጥረት የሚያግዝ የቴክኒክ ድጋፍ እና ሌሎች ግብአቶችን ያጎለብታል።
- የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት መመሪያዎቻቸውን፣ እቅዶቻቸውን፣ እና ስልጠናቸውን ለመገምገም ፣ ለማዘመን ወይም ለማጠናከር የሚፈልጉ የህግ አስከባሪ አካላትን በአዎንታዊ መልክ ያሳትፋል።
- የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ግንዛቤን ለመጨመር እና የህግ አስከባሪ አካላትን መልካም ተሞክሮ እና ግዴታ በሰፊው ለማበረታታት፣ ከዩናይትድ ስቴትስ የአቃቤ ህግ ጽህፈት ቤቶች ጋር በመተባበር ስልጠናዎችን ያከናውናል።
- የሚኒስቴሩ መስርያ ቤት ውሱን የእንግሊዝኛ የመግባባት ችሎታ ካላቸው የማህበረሰብ አባላት ጋር የሚኖረውን መልካም ግንኙነትና ስምሪት ያጠናክራል።
ከዛሬው የእርምጃ ሃሳብ ማስታወቅያ በተጨማሪ የፍትህ ሚኒስቴር እና የዩናይትድ ስቴትስ የኮሎራዶ ግዛት የአቃቤ ህግ ጽህፈት ቤት የዴንቨር የፖሊስ መምርያ ውሱን የእንግሊዝኛ ችሎታ ባላቸው የህብረተሰብ አባላት ላይ በ1964 ዓም የተደነገገውን የዜጎች መብቶች ሕግ አንቀጽ VI በጣሰ ሁኔታ ብሔራዊ ማንነትን መሰረት ያደረገ አድልዎ ይፈጽማል ተብሎ በቀረበበት ውንጀላ ተጀምሮ የነበረውን ምርመራ በስምምነት ለማጠናቀቅ መግባባታቸውን አስታውቀዋል።
የዚህ ሕግ አንቀጽ VI ፤ የፌዴራል የገንዘብ እገዛ የሚደረግላቸው አካላት ዘርን ፣የቆዳ ቀለምን፣ ወይም ብሄራዊ ማንነትን መሰረት ያደረገ አድልዎን እንዳያደርጉ ይከለክላል።
“ይህ ከዴንቨር የፖሊስ መምሪያ ጋር የተደረሰው ስምምነት የፖሊስ አባላት ተግባራቸውን እንዲያከናውኑ ይረዳቸዋል፤” ሲሉ በዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ህግ ኮድ 28 § 515 አማካይነት በተሰጠ ስልጣን መሰረት ለኮሎራዶ ግዛት የዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ጠበቃ የሆኑት ማቲው ከርሽ ገልጸዋል።” “ማህበረሰብን የመድረስ ተግባር ሲያከናውኑም ሆነ ሕግ የጣሱ ግለሰቦችን በቁጥጥር ስር ለማዋል በሚያደርጉት ጥረት ትክክለኛ የሆነ የቋንቋ አገልግሎት ማረጋገጥ፤የእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ላይ በማያተኩር መልኩ፤ የፖሊስ መኮንኖች ሁሉንም የማህበረሰብ አባላት ለማገልገልና ጥበቃም ለማድረግ ያስችላቸዋል፣ በማለት ማቲው ከርሽ ጨምረው ገልጸዋል።
የፍትህ ሚኒስቴር በዴንቨር የፖሊስ መምሪያ ላይ ይህንን ምርመራ የጀመረው በዴንቨር ምስራቃዊ ኮልፋክስ አካባቢ የሚኖሩ እና ዝቅተኛ የሆነ የእንግሊዘኛ ችሎታ ያላቸው የበርማ እና የሮሂንግያ ቋንቋ ተናጋሪ የሆኑ ነዋሪዎች በፖሊስ መምርያው ላይ ባቀረቡት ቅሬታ የተነሳ ነው።
ምርመራው፤ የዴንቨር ፖሊስ መምሪያ አባላት፤ ዝቅተኛ የእንግሊዝኛ ችሎታ ላላቸው አባላት የቋንቋ እገዛ እንደማያቀርቡ፣ ቢያቀርቡም ተገቢ እና ብቃት ያለው እንዳልሆነ በዛ ባሉ አጋጣሚዎች አሳይቷል። ለምሳሌ፣ ይህ ምርመራ አስተማማኝና ተጨባጭ የሆነ የቋንቋ እገዛ የሚያስፈልግበትን ሁኔታዎች ጨምሮ፣ የፖሊስ መምርያው አባላት፣ ልጆችን፣የቤተሰብ አባላትን፣ ወይም ተመልካቾችን የቋንቋ ድጋፍ እንዲያደርጉ አመኔታ ጥለውባችው እንዳነበረ በተደጋጋሚ አሳይቷል።በዚህ የመግባቢያ ስምምነት መሰረት፣ የዴንቨር ፖሊስ መምሪያ ከዚህ በታች የተዘረዘሩትን ጨምሮ፤ በቋንቋ ተደራሽነት መመሪያዎች፣ የአሰራር ስርአቶችና ስልጠናን የተመለከቱ ተከታታይ ለውጦችን ተግባራዊ ለማድረግ ተስማምቷል:
- ምስክሮችንና ተጠርጣሪዎችን ጨምሮ፤ ዝቅተኛ የእንግሊዝኛ መግባባት ችሎታ ካላቸው ግለሰቦች ጋር ለመግባባት የሚያግዛቸውን አሰራር ለመዘርጋት የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት መመሪያና እና እቅዳቸውን ለማዘመን፤ እንዲሁም፤ አጣዳፊ ከሆኑ ሁኔታዎች በስተቀር፤ ህጻናትን፤ የቤተሰብ አባላትና ተመልካቾችን መጠቀምን ለማስወገድ፤
- በሁሉም የዴንቨር ፖሊሰ ጣብያ ዞኖች ለመጀመርያ ጊዜ ዝቅተኛ የእንግሊዝኛ ብቃት ላላቸው ተጠቃሚዎች አገልግሎት አስተባባሪዎችን መመደብ እና የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ተጠሪዎችን ማዋቀር፤
- የዴንቨር የፖሊስ መምርያ ሰራተኞችን በሙሉና አዲስ ምልምሎችን ዝቅተኛ የእንግሊዝኛ ብቃት ያላቸውን ግለሰቦች እንዴት መለየት፣መቅረብ እንደሚኖርባቸውና ከግለሰቦቹም ጋር የነበሯቸውንም ተግባቦቶች በጽሁፍ ስለመመዘገብ ማሰልጠን፣ እና
- ዝቅተኛ የእንግሊዝኛ ችሎታ ያላቸውን የማህበረሰብ አባላትን ፍላጎት የሚወክሉ ባለድርሻ አካላትን የሚያካትት የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ኮሚቴ ማቋቋም።
ስለ ዜጎች መብቶች መምሪያ ተጨማሪ መረጃ በ www.justice.gov/crt ድረ-ገጽ ላይ ይገኛል።
ውሱን የእንግሊዝኛ ብቃት እና ይህን መብት የሚመለከት የሕግ አንቀጽ VI መረጃ በ www.lep.gov ድረ-ገጽ ላይ ይገኛል። በተጨማሪም የህብረተሰቡ አባላት ተፈጽሟል ብለው የሚያምኑበትን የዜጎች መብት ጥሰት
በ https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ ድረ-ገጽ ላይ ማመልከት ይችላሉ።
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Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
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တၢ်တီတၢ်တြၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤအတၢ်ဘိးဘၣ်သ့ၣ်ညါတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အသီတၢ်ဒုးလူၤပိာ်ထွဲသဲးစးအတၢ်မၤအိၣ်သီထီၣ်တၢ် (Justice Department Announces New Language Access Law Enforcement Initiative)Read the Press Release
တၢ်တီတၢ်တြၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤ (Justice Department) ဘိးဘၣ်သ့ၣ်ညါ၀ဲအတၢ်စးထီၣ်ဒုးလဲၤတရံးတၢ်ဒုး လဲၤပိာ်မၤထွဲသဲစးဂ့ၢ်၀ီတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီ (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative) န့ၣ်လီၤ. တၢ်မၤအံၤမ့ၢ်ထံကီၢ်ဒီတဘ့ၣ်အတၢ်ထဲးဂံၢ်ထဲးဘါလၢတၢ်ကမၤစၢၤ တၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ် ကဒုးလူၤပိာ်ထွဲကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်အဂီၢ်ဒ်သိးအ၀ဲသ့ၣ်အကမၤတုၤထီၣ်ဘးအမူအဒါအတၢ်ဖံးတၢ်မၤတဖၣ်လၢတၢ်ကဟ့ၣ်ကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤလၢအဘျုးအဖှိၣ်အိၣ်၀ဲဒၣ်ဆူနီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်လၢအအိၣ်ဒီးအဲးကလံးကျိာ်အတၢ်သ့တၢ်ဘၣ်လၢအစှၤတဖၣ် (LEP) အဂီၢ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.တၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီတခါအံၤကသူၣ်ထီၣ်အသးလၢ၀ဲၤကျိၤအကတီၢ်ယံာ် တၢ်ဖံးတၢ်မၤလၢတၢ်ကမၤလီၤတံၢ်တၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်ကဒုးလူၤပိာ်ထွဲကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ် အဂီၢ်လၢအကမၤပိာ်ထွဲအမူအဒါတဖၣ်လၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
ပီၢ်ရီခိၣ်ကျၢၢ်အစၢၤ Kristen Clarke လၢအမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်တီတၢ်တြၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤအထံဖိကီၢ်ဖိကမျၢၢ်အခွဲးအယာ်ဂ့ၢ်၀ီ အ၀ဲၤဒ့စံး၀ဲဒၣ်လၢ“တၢ်ဟ့ၣ်လီၤတၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဒုးလူၤပိာ်မၤထွဲကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်ဃုာ်ဒီးစုက၀ဲၤတဖၣ်လၢအ၀ဲသ့ၣ်လိၣ်ဘၣ်၀ဲလၢအတၢ်ကမၤလီၤတံၢ်တၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်လၢအဘျုးအဖှိၣ်အိၣ်ဒီးအတုၤလီၤတီၤလီၤ,ဟ့ၣ်သဆၣ်ထီၣ်ဒီးမၤလဲၤထီၣ်လဲၤထီတၢ်ပူၤဖျဲးလၢအဂ့ၤဒိၣ်ထီၣ်လၢပှၤလၢအအိၣ်ဒီးအဲးကလံးကျိာ်တၢ်သ့တၢ်ဘၣ်လၢအစှၤတဖၣ်အဂီၢ်န့ၣ်လီၤ”.“ခီဖျိတၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီတၢ်တခါအံၤတဆီပကနီၤဟ့ၣ်လိာ်ဘၣ်ပသးဒီးတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အတၢ်ဖံးတၢ်မၤအကျိၤအကွာ်လၢအဂ့ၤတဖၣ်ဒီးတၢ်တိစၢၤမၤစၢၤဒ်သိးအံၤတဖၣ်ဒီးတၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်ကဒုးလူၤပိာ်ထွဲကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်လၢအအိၣ်လၢထံကီၢ်တၢ်လီၢ်ခဲလၢာ်အပူၤ”န့ၣ်အ၀ဲကတိၤထီၣ်၀ဲဒ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
တၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီတၢ်တခါအံၤကဘၣ်တၢ်တီခိၣ်ရိၣ်မဲအီၤခီဖျိကမျၢၢ်ထံဖိကီၢ်ဖိအခွဲးအယာ်အ၀ဲၤဒ့ကီၢ်စဲၣ်စၢဖှိၣ်တၢ်ရဲၣ်ကျဲၤပၢဆှၢတၢ်ဒီးတၢ်လူၤပိာ်မၤထွဲတၢ်ဘျၢအဒ့,ဃုာ်ဒီးတၢ်ပာ်ဃုာ်မၤသကိးတၢ်ဒီး U.S. ပီၢ်ရီအ၀ဲၤဒၢးန့ၣ်လီၤ. လီၤဆီဒၣ်တၢ်, တၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီတၢ်တခါအံၤက-
- မၤကဲထီၣ်တၢ်သ့တၢ်ဘၣ်လီၤဆီအတၢ်မၤစၢၤအဂံၢ်ထံးတဖၣ်ဒီးစုက၀ဲၤတဖၣ်လၢအကမၤစၢၤလီၢ်က၀ီၤဒီးကီၢ်စဲၣ်တၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်ဒုးလူၤပိာ်ကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်ဒ်သိးအကသ့ထဲးဂံၢ်ထဲးဘါလၢအတၢ်ကဟ့ၣ်၀ဲဒၣ်တၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်လၢအဘျုးအဖှိၣ်အိၣ်ဆူ LEP နီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်တဖၣ်မ့တမ့ၢ်ကမျၢၢ် အဂၤလၢအအိၣ်လၢအ၀ဲသ့ၣ်တၢ်ပၢတၢ်ပြးတဖၣ်အပူၤအဂီၢ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
- ပှဲၤတၢ်လီၤတံၢ်လီၤဆဲးဒုးပာ်ဃုာ်ပာ်ဂီၢ်တၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်ဒုးလူၤပိာ်ကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်လၢအအဲၣ်ဒိးကွၢ်သမံသမိးက့ၤ,မၤသီထီၣ်,မ့တမ့ၢ်အတၢ် ဂံၢ်ဆူၣ်လၢအ၀ဲသ့ၣ်အဖီလစံၣ်တဖၣ်, တၢ်ရဲၣ်တၢ်ကျဲၤတဖၣ်ဒီးတၢ်သိၣ်လိနဲၣ်ယုၤလၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အဂ့ၢ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
- မၤဆူၣ်ထီၣ်တၢ်မၤသကိးဃုာ်တၢ်ဒီး U.S. ပီၢ်ရီအ၀ဲၤဒၢးလၢတၢ်ကမၤ၀ဲဒၣ်တၢ်သိၣ်လိနဲၣ်ယုၤလၢ တၢ်ဆဲးကျိး ဆဲးကျၢလၢထံကီၢ်ဒီတဘ့ၣ်လၢတၢ်ကမၤအါထီၣ်တၢ်သ့ၣ်ညါနၢ်ပၢၢ်တၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အမူအဒါတဖၣ်ဒီးဟ့ၣ်သဆၣ်ထီၣ်တၢ်ကရၢကရိလၢအဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်ဒုးလူၤပိာ်ကမျၢၢ်ဒီးသဲစးတၢ်ဘျၢတဖၣ်အတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူတၢ်မၤအကျိၤအကွာ်အဂ့ၤကတၢၢ်တခါအံၤလဲၢ်လဲၢ်ကွာ်ကွာ်အဂီၢ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
- မၤဆူၣ်ထီၣ်၀ဲၤကျိၤအတၢ်စၢဃာ်အသးဒီးဒုးပာ်ဃုာ်ပာ်ဂီၢ် LEP အပှၤတ၀ၢပှၤဘၣ်မူဘၣ်ဒါတဖၣ်ဒီး LEP အကမျၢၢ်တဖၣ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
တနံၤအံၤတၢ်မၤအိၣ်ထီၣ်သီတၢ်အတၢ်ဘိးဘၣ်သ့ၣ်ညါအမဲာ်ညါ, တၢ်တီတၢ်တြၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤဒီး U.S. ပီၢ်ရီအ၀ဲၤဒၢး လၢကီၢ်ရ့ၣ်ကိၣ်လိၣ်ရၣ်ဒိၣ်ဘိးဘၣ်လီၤ၀ဲဒၣ်တၢ်အၢၣ်လီၤအီလီၤတခါလၢတၢ်ကဃဲာ်လီၤ ဘှါလီၤတၢ်ဃိထံသ့ၣ်ညါ တခါလၢအမ့ၢ်တၢ်ဆှိးထီၣ်လၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးဒဲဘၢၣ်ပၢၤကီၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤ (DPD) အတၢ်ကွၢ်တလီၤထီဒါတၢ်လၢအဒိးသ န့ၤထီၣ်အသးလၢထံကီၢ်တၢ်လီၢ်အခီၣ်ထံးခီၣ်ဘိအဂ့ၢ်လၢ LEP နီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်အဖီခိၣ်လၢအလူၤသ့ၣ်ခါပတာ်၀ဲဒၣ် Title VI လၢအအိၣ်လၢကမျၢၢ်ထံဖိကီၢ်ဖိအခွဲးအယာ်အတၢ်သိၣ်တၢ်သီ 1964 န့ၣ်လီၤ. Title VI တြီဃာ်၀ဲဒၣ်တၢ်ကွၢ် တလီၤထီဒါလၢပှၤလၢအဒိးန့ၢ်ဘၣ်ကီၢ်စဲၣ် စၢဖှိၣ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤတဖၣ်အဖီခိၣ်မ့ၢ်လၢအဒူၣ်ကလုာ်,ဖံးညၣ်အလွဲၢ်ဒီးထံ ကီၢ်တၢ်လီၢ်အခီၣ်ထံးခီၣ်ဘိအဃိန့ၣ်လီၤ.
“တၢ်အၢၣ်လီၤတခါအံၤဃုာ်ဒီးဒဲဘၢၣ်ပၢၤကီၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤကမၤစၢၤပၢၤကီၢ်တဖၣ်မၤအ၀ဲသ့ၣ်အမူဒါတၢ်ဖံးတၢ်မၤ,” န့ၣ် Matthew Kirsch, ပီၢ်ရီလၢ United States, ဖံးမၤတၢ်လၢတၢ်စိတၢ်ကမီၤလၢတၢ်ဟ့ၣ်လီၤအီၤအဖီလာ် ခီဖျိ 28 U.S.C. §515 လၢကိၣ်လိၣ်ရၣ်ဒိၣ်ကီၢ်ရ့ၣ်အဂီၢ်စံး၀ဲဒၣ်န့ၣ်လီၤ. “မ့ၢ်အမၤ၀ဲဒၣ်တၢ်လဲၤလီၤမၤစၢၤ တၢ်လၢအတုၤလီၤတုၤကျဲ လၢပှၤတ၀ၢအပူၤမ့ၢ်ဂ့ၤမ့တမ့ၢ်ဖဲမ့ၢ်ဖီၣ်ပှၤတဂၤလၢတၢ်ပာ်ထီၣ်တၢ်ကမၣ်လၢအလိၤလၢအလူၤသ့ၣ်ခါပတာ်တၢ်သိၣ်တၢ်သီမ့ၢ်ဂ့ၤ, တၢ်မၤလီၤတံၢ်ကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤအတၢ်ဖံးတၢ်မၤလၢအဘၣ်ဒီးအိၣ်ကတဲာ်ကတီၤအသးလၢတၢ်ကမၤန့ၢ် အီၤအံၤကမၤစၢၤပဒိၣ်ပပှၢ်တဖၣ်လၢအကမၤန့ၢ်တၢ်ဒီးဒီသဒၢပှၤတ၀ၢဖိခဲလၢာ်ခဲဆ့လၢတအိၣ်ဒီးတၢ်ကွၢ်ကပာ်အ၀ဲသ့ၣ်အအဲးကလံးကျိာ်အတၢ်သ့တၢ်ဘၣ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.”
တၢ်တီတၢ်တြၢ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤအတၢ်ဃိထံသ့ၣ်ညါ၀ဲဒၣ် DPD အံၤ စးထီၣ်အသးဖဲပှၤတ၀ၢဖိတဖၣ်ပာ်ဖျါထီၣ်အတၢ်ဘၣ် ယိၣ်ဘၣ်ဘီတဖၣ်လၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးတၢ်ကဲထီၣ်အသးလၢအပာ်ဃုာ် LEP လၢအကတိၤပယီၤဒီးရိၣ်ဟ့ကၠၣ်အကျိာ်လၢ အအိၣ်ဆိးလၢ East Colfax အလီၢ်လၢ Denver အပူၤန့ၣ်လီၤ. တၢ်ဃိထံသ့ၣ်ညါအံၤပာ်ဖျါထီၣ်၀ဲဒၣ်လၢတၢ်မၤအ သးတဘျုးဘျီဖဲ DPD အပဒိၣ်တဖၣ်အံၤလီၤတူာ်လီၤကာ်လၢအတၢ်ဟ့ၣ်ကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤဆူနီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်လၢအမ့ၢ် LEP မ့တမ့ၢ်ဟ့ၣ်ကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤလၢတတုၤထီၣ်ထီၣ်ဘးမ့တမ့ၢ်တဖိးမံဘၣ်တဖၣ်န့ၣ်လီၤ. အဒိန့ၣ်, တၢ်ဃိထံသ့ၣ် ညါထံၣ်န့ၢ်၀ဲဒၣ်လၢဖိသၣ်,ဟံၣ်ဖိဃီဖိတဖၣ်ဒီးပှၤလၢအအိၣ်ဖဲတၢ်ကပိၤကပၤတဖၣ်တၢ်သူအီၤလၢကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤအဂီၢ်,ပာ်ဃုာ်တၢ်အိၣ်သးတဖၣ်ဖဲကျိာ်အတၢ်မၤစၢၤလၢ တၢ်နာ်န့ၢ်အီၤသ့ဒီးတကွၢ်မဲာ်တၢ်န့ၣ်တၢ်လိၣ်ဘၣ်အီၤလၢတၢ် ကဘၣ်ဟ့ၣ်အီၤအခါန့ၣ်တၢ်တဟ့ၣ်အီၤဘၣ်.
ဒ်တၢ်လၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးတၢ်ဆီလီၤမၤဘၣ်က့ၤတၢ်အတၢ်အၢၣ်လီၤအီလီၤတခါအံၤအသိး, DPD အၢၣ်လီၤ၀ဲဒၣ်လၢအ ကမၤလၢထီၣ်ပှဲၤထီၣ်တၢ်ဆီတလဲတဘျုးမံၤလၢအဘၣ်ထွဲဒီးအတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အဖီလစံၣ်,အကျိၤအကွာ်တဖၣ်ဒီးတၢ်သိၣ်လိနဲၣ်ယုၤ,ပာ်ဃုာ်-
- မၤသီထီၣ်အတၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အဖီလစံၣ်ဒီးတၢ်ရဲၣ်တၢ်ကျဲၤဒ်သိးတၢ်ကသူၣ်ထီၣ်တၢ်မၤအကျိၤအကွာ်တဖၣ်လၢတၢ်ကဆဲးကျိးဆဲးကျၢဒီး LEP နီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်, ပာ်ဃုာ်ပှၤအုၣ်သးတဖၣ်ဒီးပှၤ လၢတၢ်ဆိကမိၣ်လၢအမၤ ကမၣ်သဲစးတဖၣ်ဒီးဒ်သိးတၢ်ကတြီဒီးတသူ၀ဲဒၣ်ဖိသၣ်,ဟံၣ်ဖိဃီဖိဒီးပှၤလၢအအိၣ်ဖဲတၢ်ကပိၤကပၤတဖၣ်လၢကဆဲးကျိးတၢ်ဒီး LEP နီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်,တပာ်ဃုာ်ဂ့ၢ်ဂီၤအူတၢ်အိၣ်သးလၢတၢ်လိၣ်ဘၣ်နီၢ်နီၢ်အိၣ်ထီၣ်အခါ တဖၣ်
- ဃုထၢထီၣ်အ LEP အမူဒါခိၣ်အခီၣ်ထံးတဘျီဒီးသူၣ်ထီၣ်တၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အလီၢ်အကျဲလၢတၢ်ဆဲးကျိးအ ဂီၢ် (LAPCs) လၢ DPD ကီၢ်ရ့ၣ်ခဲလၢာ်အပူၤ,
- သိၣ်လိ၀ဲဒၣ် DPD အပှၤမၤတၢ်ဖိခဲလၢာ်ဒီးပှၤနုာ်လီၤသီတၢ်မၤတဖၣ်လၢကထံၣ်န့ၢ်, ဆဲးကျိးဆဲးကျၢ၀ဲဒၣ် ဒီးမၤနီၣ်မၤဃါအတၢ်တဲတၢ်,မၤတၢ်ဒီး LEP နီၢ်တဂၤစုာ်စုာ်ဒီး
- မၤကဲထီၣ်တၢ်မၤန့ၢ်သူကျိာ်အကမံးတံာ်တဖုလၢအပာ်ဃုာ်ပှၤဘၣ်မူဘၣ်ဒါလၢအကဲခၢၣ်စးလၢ LEP အပှၤတ၀ၢအတၢ်သးစဲတဖၣ်န့ၣ်လီၤ.
တၢ်ဂ့ၢ်တၢ်ကျိၤဆူညါဘၣ်ဃးထံဖိကီၢ်ဖိအခွဲးအယာ်အ၀ဲၤကျိၤန့ၣ်အိၣ်၀ဲဒၣ်လၢအပှာ်ယဲၤသန့အလိၤဖဲ www.justice.gov/crt ဒီးတၢ်ဂ့ၢ်တၢ်ကျိၤဘၣ်ဃးအဲးကလံးကျိာ်အတၢ်သ့တၢ်ဘၣ်လၢအစှၤဒီး Title VI န့ၣ်အိၣ်၀ဲဒၣ်ဖဲ www.lep.gov န့ၣ်လီၤ. ကမျၢၢ်တဖၣ်ပာ်ဖျါထီၣ်ကမျၢၢ်ထံဖိကီၢ်ဖိအခွဲးအယာ် အတၢ်လူၤသ့ၣ်ခါပတာ်ဂ့ၢ်၀ီလၢအကဲထီၣ် သးတဖၣ်ဖဲ https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ န့ၣ်သ့လီၤ.
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
တရားေရးဌာနက ဘာသာစကားအသစ္အသုံးျပဳခြင့္ ဥပေဒစိုးမိုးေရးအစီအစဥ္ကို ေၾကညာRead the Press Release
Burmese Translation - Justice Department Announces New Language Access Law Enforcement InitiativeEnglish
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
कानुन लागू गर्ने एकाइहरूको लागि न्यायिक विभाग (Justice Department), भाषाप्रति पहुँसम्बन्धी नयाँ अग्रसरताको घोषणा गर्दछRead the Press Release
Nepali Translation - Justice Department Announces New Language Access Law Enforcement Initiative
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
وزارة العدل تُعلن عن مبادرة جديدة لقانون الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية في مجال إنفاذ القانونRead the Press Release
أعلنت وزارة العدل الأمريكية عن إطلاق مبادرة الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية في مجال إنفاذ القانون، وهي مجهود على مستوى البلاد لمساعدة وكالات إنفاذ القانون على الوفاء بالتزاماتها لتوفير مساعدة لغوية حقيقية للأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية. وستستند المبادرة إلى العمل الذي تقوم به الوزارة منذ فترة طويلة لضمان امتثال وكالات إنفاذ القانون لالتزاماتها المتعلقة بإتاحة فرص الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية.
وقالت مساعدة وزير العدل لشعبة الحقوق المدنية كريستين كلارك: "إن تزويد وكالات إنفاذ القانون بالأدوات التي تحتاجها لضمان الوصول الفعال والملموس إلى المساعدة اللغوية يعزز ويوفّر المزيد من السلامة للأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية". وأضافت أنه "من خلال هذه المبادرة سنتمكن من مشاركة أفضل ممارسات الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية، وموارد مشابهة، مع وكالات إنفاذ القانون في جميع أنحاء البلاد".
وسيقودُ المبادرة قسمُ التنسيق والامتثال الفيدرالي بشعبة الحقوق المدنية بشراكة مع مكاتب المدعين العامين الفيدراليين. وستقوم المبادرة على وجه التحديد بما يلي:
- تطوير موارد وأدوات المساعدة التقنية التي يمكن أن تساعد وكالات إنفاذ القانون المحلية وعلى مستوى الولايات في جهودها الرامية إلى إتاحة فرص الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية الحقيقية للأفراد والسكان ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية في مناطق نفوذها.
- المشاركة بالإيجاب مع وكالات إنفاذ القانون التي تريد مراجعة و/أو تحيين و/أو تقوية سياساتها وخططها وتدريبها في مجال الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية.
- الاستفادة من التعاون مع مكاتب المدعين العامين الفيدراليين لإجراء دورات تدريبية في المجتمعات المحلية في جميع أنحاء البلاد لزيادة الوعي بالتزامات الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية ولتشجيع اعتماد وكالات إنفاذ القانون لأفضل الممارسات على نطاق واسع.
- تعزيز روابط وتعاون الوزارة مع الجهات المعنية والسكان في مجتمعات الأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية.
وبالإضافة إلى إعلان المبادرة اليوم، أعلنت وزارة العدل ومكتب المدعي العام الأمريكي لمنطقة كولورادو عن إتفاق لإنهاء تحقيق في شأن اتهامات بأن شرطة مدينة دنفر قامت بالتمييز على أساس الأصل القومي ضد أفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية في انتهاك للمادة السادسة من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964. وتحظر المادة السادسة التمييز على أساس العرق واللون والأصل القومي للمستفيدين من المساعدة المالية الفيدرالية.
قال ماثيو كيرش، مدعي الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، الذي يعمل بموجب السلطة الممنوحة وفقا للبند 515 من الفصل 28 من قانون الولايات المتحدة لمقاطعة كولورادو: "هذا الاتفاق مع شرطة دنفر سيساعد ضباط الشرطة على أداء وظائفهم". وأضاف أنه "سواء تعلق الأمر بالقيام بتوعية المجتمع أو باعتقال الأفراد المتهمين بمخالفة القانون، فإن ضمان الوصول السريع إلى خدمات المساعدة اللغوية يُمكّنُ الضباط من خدمة وحماية جميع أفراد المجتمع بغض النظر عن الكفاءة في اللغة الإنجليزية."
وقد بدأ تحقيق وزارة العدل مع شرطة دنفر بعد أن عبّر أفراد المجتمع المحلي عن مخاوفهم بشأن حوادث تعرض لها سكان ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية يتحدثون بالبورمية والروهينغية، ويعيشون في منطقة شرق كولفاكس في دنفر. وكشف التحقيق عن حالات عديدة لم يقم فيها ضباط شرطة دنفر بتوفير المساعدة اللغوية لأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية أو قدموا مساعدة لغوية غير فعالة أو غير مناسبة. فعلى سبيل المثال، كشف التحقيق عن حالات تم الاعتماد فيها على الأطفال وأفراد الأسرة والمارة لتوفير المساعدة اللغوية، بما في ذلك في الظروف التي كان ينبغي فيها تقديم مساعدة لغوية أكثر موثوقية وموضوعية.
وكجزء من إتفاق التسوية هذا، وافقت شرطة دنفرعلى تنفيذ سلسلة من التغييرات في سياساتها وإجراءاتها وتدريباتها المتعلقة بإتاحة الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية، بما في ذلك:
- تحيين سياستها وخطتها المتعلقة بالوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية من أجل وضع إجراءات للاتصال بالأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية، بمن فيهم الشهود والمشتبه فيهم، ومن أجل حظر استخدام الأطفال أو أفراد الأسرة أو المارة للتواصل مع الأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية، إلا في الظروف القاهرة؛
- تعيين أول منسق للأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية من نوعه، وإنشاء نقاط اتصال للوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية في كل مقاطعة من مقاطعات شرطة دنفر؛
- تدريب جميع موظفي شرطة دنفر الحاليين والجدد على طرق التعرف على الأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية والتواصل معهم وتوثيق التعاملات معهم ؛
- وإنشاء لجنة الوصول إلى المساعدة اللغوية تضم الأطراف المعنية التي تمثل مصالح الأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية.
ويمكن الاطلاع على المزيد من المعلومات عن شعبة الحقوق المدنية على موقعها www.justice.gov/crt و على المعلومات المتعلقة بمحدودية إتقان اللغة الإنجليزية والفصل السادس على الموقع www.lep.gov . ويمكن للعموم الإبلاغ عن أي انتهاكات محتملة للحقوق المدنية على الموقع التالي https://civilrights.justice.gov/report: .
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
اعلامیه وزارت دادگستری درباره پیشگامی جدید دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی توسط نیروهای انتظامیRead the Press Release
وزارت دادگستری اعلام کرد که پیشگامی دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی توسط نیروهای انتظامی آغاز شده است. این یک تلاشی است در سراسر کشور برای یاری رساندن به سازمانهای انتظامی تا آنها بتوانند تعهدات خود را در ارائه هدفمند خدمات زبانهای خارجی به افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی انجام بدهند. این پیشگامی بر تاریخچه طولانی این وزارتخانه گسترش خواهد یافت تا اطمینان حاصل شود که سازمانهای انتظامی تعهدات خود را در رابطه با دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی انجام می دهند.
کریستین کلارک، دستیار دادستان کل بخش حقوق مدنی وزارت دادگستری، گفت: «ارائه ابزار لازم به سازمانهای انتظامی در زمینه دسترسی موثر و هدفمند به خدمات زبانهای خارجی منجر به ترویج و افزایش امنیت افرادی خواهد شد که در زبان انگلیسی کم مهارت هستند. از طریق این پیشگامی ما قادر خواهیم شد تا بهترین شیوه های دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی و منابع مشابه را با سازمانهای انتظامی در کل کشور به اشتراک بگذاریم.»
این پیشگامی توسط بخش حقوق مدنی، قسمت هماهنگی و پیروی فدرال، و با همکاری دفاتر دادستانی ایالات متحده هدایت خواهد شد. این پیشگامی بویژه موارد زیر را انجام خواهد داد:
● گسترش منابع و ابزار فنی که میتواند به سازمانهای انتظامی محلی و ایالتی در تلاش خود برای ارائه خدمات هدفمند زبانهای خارجی به افراد و جوامع کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی در حوزه قضایی شان کمک کنند.
● مشارکت مثبت سازمانهای انتظامی که مایل به بررسی، به روزرسانی، و یا تقویت رویه ها، طرح ها⸲ و آموزشهای مربوط به دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی در آن سازمانها هستند.
● بهره بری ازهمکاری با دفاتر دادستانی ایالات متحده برای اجرای آموزشها در جوامع سر تا سر کشور برای آگاهی بیشتر در زمینه تعهدات مربوط به دسترسی به خدمات زبانهای خارجی، و تشویق سازمانهای انتظامی به برگزیدن گسترده بهترین شیوه ها.
● تقویت روابط و همکاریهای وزارت دادگستری با جوامع کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی و اشخاص کلیدی آنها.امروز علاوه بر اعلام این پیشگامی، وزارت دادگستری و دفتر دادستانی ایالات متحده در منطقه کلرادو اعلام کرد که با اداره پلیس دنور به توافق رسیدند که تحقیقات در باره اتهامات مبنی بر تبعیض قائل شدن اداره پلیس دنور نسبت به اصلیت ملی افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی، که خلاف ماده ششم قانون حقوق مدنی ۱۹۶۴است، به پایان برسد. ماده ششم دریافت کنندگان کمک مالی فدرال را از تبعیض بر مبنای نژاد، رنگ پوست، و اصلیت ملی منع می کند.
متیو کرش، وکیل دادستان ایالات متحده که بر اساس بخش ۵۱۵ ماده ۲۸ قوانین ایالات متحده مسئولیت این امر را در منطقه کلرادو برعهده دارد، گفت: «توافق حاصل شده با اداره ﭙلیس دنور به افسران پلیس کمک خواهد کرد که وظیفه خود را انجام دهند. اطمینان داشتن از دسترسی آماده به خدمات صحیح زبانهای خارجی افراد انتظامی را قادر می کند که بدون توجه به مهارت در زبان انگلیسی افراد، به خدمت و محافظت تمامی افراد جامعه بپردازند. چه این امر مربوط به گسترش ارتباطات با جوامع باشد، و چه مربوط به دستگیری اشخاصی که متهم به شکستن قانون هستند.»
وزارت دادگستری تحقیقاتش را بر روی اداره پلیس دنور زمانی آغاز کرد که اعضای جامعه نگرانی هایی را ابراز کردند درباره رخدادهایی مربوط به ساکنان منطقه کلفس شرقی در دنورکه به زبانهای برمه ای و روهینگا صحبت می کنند ومهارت کم در زبان انگلیسی دارند. این تحقیقات نشان داد که افسران ﭙلیس دنور در موارد بسیاری یا از ارائه خدمات زبان به اشخاص کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی کوتاهی کردند، یا خدماتی که ارائه دادند بی ثمر و یا نامناسب بوده است. به عنوان مثال، تحقیقات مواردی را آشکار کرد که در آنها از کودکان، اعضای خانواده، و رهگذران برای خدمات زبانهای خارجی استفاده شده بود. از جمله رویدادهایی که مستلزم ارائه خدمات معتبرتر و بیطرفانه تر زبانهای خارجی می بود.
بر اساس بخشی از این توافق، اداره پلیس دنور پذیرفته است که تغییراتی دررویه ها⸲ روندها، و آموزشهای خود در دسترسی به زبانهای خارجی بدهد که شامل موارد زیر می باشد:
● بروزرسانی رویه و طرح دسترسی به زبانهای خارجی خود به منظور ایجاد روندهایی برای ارتباط با افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی، از جمله شاهدان و افراد مظنون، تا استفاده از کودکان، اعضای خانواده، یا رهگذران برای برقراری ارتباط با افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی منع شود⸲ مگر در شرایط ضروری.
● انتساب شخصی برای نخستین بار به عنوان مسئول هماهنگی با افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی، و گزینش اشخاصی در هر یک از حوزه های پلیس دنور که برای خدمات زبانهای خارجی با آنها باید تماس گرفته شود.● آموزش دادن به همه کارکنان و تازه استخدامی های اداره پلیس دنور تا آنها بتوانند افراد کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی را شناسایی کنند، با آنها ارتباط برقرار کنند، و برخوردهای خود را با آنان مستند سازند.
● ایجاد کمیته دسترسی به زبانهای خارجی که شامل اشخاصی باشد که به نمایندگی از جامعه کم مهارت در زبان انگلیسی حضور داشته باشند تا منافع جامعه را ابراز کنند.
اطلاعات بیشتر در مورد بخش حقوق مدنی در این تارنما موجود است:
www.justice.gov/crt
اطلاعات در مورد کم مهارتی در زبان انگلیسی و ماده ششم در این تارنما موجود است:
www.lep.gov
افراد جامعه میتوانند تخلفات احتمالی قوانین حقوق مدنی را از طریق این تارنما گزارش بدهند:
https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Министерство Юстиции Объявило О Новой Инициативе Правоохранительных Органов По Обеспечению Доступа К Языковым РесурсамRead the Press Release
Министерство юстиции объявило о запуске инициативы по обеспечению доступа к языковым ресурсам для правоохранительных органов – общенациональной программы по оказанию поддержки правоохранительным органам в выполнении их обязательств по предоставлению значимой языковой помощи лицам с ограниченным знанием английского языка. Инициатива будет основываться на многолетней работе министерства по обеспечению соблюдения правоохранительными органами своих обязательств по обеспечению доступа к языковым ресурсам.
«Предоставление правоохранительным органам инструментов, необходимых для эффективного и целенаправленного обеспечения доступа к языковым ресурсам, будет содействовать улучшению безопасности людей с ограниченным знанием английского языка», — заявила помощница Генерального прокурора Кристен Кларк из Отдела гражданских прав Министерства юстиции. «Благодаря этой инициативе мы сможем поделиться передовым опытом предоставления доступа к языковым и другим подобным ресурсам с правоохранительными органами по всей стране».
Инициативу будет возглавлять Секция федеральной координации и надзора за нормативно-правовым соответствием Отдела гражданских прав в партнерстве с прокуратурой США. В частности, инициатива позволит:
- Разработать ресурсы и механизмы технической помощи, которые помогут местным и государственным правоохранительным органам в их усилиях по предоставлению доступа к языковым ресурсам лицам и группам населения с ограниченным знанием английского языка в пределах их юрисдикции.
- Активно привлекать правоохранительные органы, которые хотят пересмотреть, доработать и/или улучшить свои внутренние правила, планы и обучение в области предоставления языковой помощи.
- Эффективно использовать сотрудничество с прокуратурой США при проведении тренингов для местной общественности по всей стране с целью повышения осведомленности об обязательствах по доступу к языковым ресурсам и поощрения повсеместного внедрения передового опыта правоохранительными органами.
- Укреплять связи и взаимодействие министерства с заинтересованными представителями местной общественности и населения с ограниченным знанием английского языка.
В дополнение к сегодняшнему объявлению об указанной инициативе, Министерство юстиции и прокуратура США судебного округа штата Колорадо объявили о соглашении о завершении расследования по делу обвинения Департамента полиции г. Денвер в дискриминации лиц с ограниченным знанием английского языка по признаку национальной принадлежности в нарушение Раздела VI Закона о гражданских правах 1964 года. Раздел VI этого закона запрещает дискриминацию по признаку расы, цвета кожи и национального происхождения получателями федеральной финансовой помощи.
«Это соглашение с Департаментом полиции г. Денвер поможет полицейским выполнять свою работу», — заявил Мэтью Кирш, прокурор США, действующий в соответствии с полномочиями, предоставленными параграфом 515 Раздела 28 Кодекса США судебного округа штата Колорадо. «Будь то проведение работы с населением или арест лиц, обвиняемых в нарушении закона, обеспечение свободного доступа к надежным языковым услугам позволит полицейским исполнять свои обязанности и защищать всех членов общества, вне зависимости от их знания английского языка».
Расследование Министерства юстиции в отношении Департамента полиции г. Денвер началось после того, как представители местной общественности выразили обеспокоенность по поводу инцидентов с участием жителей, говорящих на бирманском языке и на языке рохинджа, и обладающих ограниченным знанием английского языка, проживающих в районе Ист-Колфакс в г. Денвер. Расследование выявило многочисленные случаи, когда сотрудники Департамента полиции г. Денвер либо не оказывали языковую помощь лицам с ограниченным знанием английского языка, либо оказанная языковая помощь была неэффективной или неадекватной. Например, в ходе расследования были выявлены случаи, в которых за языковой помощью обращались к детям, членам семьи и прохожим, в то время, когда должна была быть оказана более надежная и объективная языковая помощь.
В рамках этого мирового соглашения, Департамент полиции г. Денвер согласился внести ряд изменений в свои внутренние правила, процедуры и обучение в области предоставления доступа к языковым ресурсам, в том числе:
- Обновление внутренних правил и планов предоставления доступа к языковым ресурсам с целью установления процедур общения с лицами с ограниченным знанием английского языка, включая свидетелей и подозреваемых, и запрета использования детей, членов семьи или посторонних лиц для общения с лицами с ограниченным знанием английского языка, за исключением неотложных случаев;
- Назначение первого в истории координатора по работе с лицами с ограниченным знанием английского языка и контактных лиц для обеспечения доступа к языковым ресурсам в каждом округе Департамента полиции г. Денвер;
- Обучение всех сотрудников и новобранцев Департамента полиции г. Денвер по выявлению, общению и документированию взаимодействия с лицами с ограниченным знанием английского языка; а также
- Создание комитета по обеспечению доступа к языковым ресурсам, в который будут входить члены местной общественности, представляющие интересы лиц с ограниченным знанием английского языка.
Дополнительная информация об Отделе гражданских прав доступна на его веб-сайте по адресу: www.justice.gov/crt, а информация по вопросам, связанным с ограниченным владением английским языком и Разделом VI, доступна по адресу: www.lep.gov. Представители общественности могут сообщать о возможных нарушениях гражданских прав по адресу: https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Yuma Contractor Convicted of Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Isrrael Millan, III, 40, of Yuma, Arizona, was found guilty by a federal jury on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, eight counts of Wire Fraud, two counts of Mail Fraud, and four counts of Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for February 21, 2023, before Senior United States District Judge Roslyn O. Silver.
Millan’s charges were related to several insurance fraud schemes that occurred in Yuma, Arizona, between 2018 and 2020. The schemes included staging vehicle accidents, as well as deliberately flooding residences and then submitting fraudulent claims to insurance companies related to those incidents. One of the incidents occurred in the early morning of June 2, 2019, when two individuals recruited by Millan purposefully crashed a U-Haul moving truck into the Sunshine Market and Liquor Convenience Store in Yuma.
The evidence at trial revealed that Millan worked as a general contractor and made fraudulent claims related to the damage caused by the incidents in an effort to collect insurance proceeds.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raymond K. Woo and Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00713-PHX-ROS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-225_Millan# # #
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.
Wasaaradda Cadaaladda Oo Ku Dhawaaqday Hindisaha Dhaqangelinta Sharciga Luuqad CusubRead the Press Release
Wasaaradda Cadaaladda ayaa ku dhawaaqday bilawga Hindisaha marin-u-helidda Luqadda ee Sharci Fulinta, dadaal heer qaran ah oo lagu caawinayo hay’adaha Sharci Fulinta si ay u gutaan waajibaadkooda oo ay u siiyaan kaalmo luuqadeed oo macno leh shaqsiyaadka leh aqoonta xadidan ee afka Ingiriiska (LEP). Hindisaha ayaa dhisi doona shaqada soo jireenka ah ee wasaaradda si loo hubiyo in hay’adaha sharci fulinta ay u hogaansamaan waajibaadkooda luqadda.
Kaaliyaha Xeer Ilaaliyaha Guud Kristen Clarke ee Wasaaradda Cadaaladda Qaybta Xuquuqda Madaniga ah (Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division) ayaa tiri, “Siinta hay’adaha fulinta sharciga agabka ay u baahan yihiin si loo hubiyo helitaanka luuqad waxtar leh oo macno leh waxay kor u qaadaysaa badbaadada weyn ee dadka aqoonta kooban ee afka Ingiriisiga.” “Waxaan awood u yeelan doonaa inaan la wadaagno sida ugu wanaagsan marin-u-heliida luuqad, iyo sida ugu haboon ee loo adeegsan karo hay’adaha fulinta sharciga ee dalka oo dhan anagoo adeegsanayna hindisahan.”
Hindisaha waxaa hogaamin doona Qaybta Xuquuqda Madaniga ee Isku Duwidda iyo Dhaqangelinta Dawladda Federaalka (Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance) iyada oo lala kaashanayo Xafiisyada Qareenada Maraykanka (U.S. Attorneys’ Office). Gaar ahaan hindisaha:
- Waxay horumarin doontaa agabka kaalmada farsamada iyo agabka caawin kara wakaaladaha fulinta sharciga deegaanka iyo gobolka dadaalka ay ugu jiraan bixinta luuqad macno leh oo ay helaan shaqsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta afka ingiriisiga xadidan) iyo dadyowga ku jira xukunkooda.
- Si dhab ah u hawlgelin doonaa hay’adaha fulinta sharciga ee doonaya inay dib u eegaan, cusboonaysiiyaan, iyo/ama xoojiyaan siyaasadaha marin-u-helka luuqad dooda, qorshayaasha, iyo tababarka.
- Ka faa’iidaysan doontaa wada shaqaynta Xafiisyada Xeer Ilaaliyaha Maraykanka si loo tababaro bulshooyinka dalka oo dhan si loo kordhiyo wacyiga ku saabsan waajibaadka marin-u-helka luuqadda iyo dhiirigelinta ku dhaqanka baahsan ee hababka ugu wanaagsan ee hay’adaha fulinta sharciga.
- Xoojin doonaa xiriirka wasaaradda iyo la shaqaynta daneeyayaasha LEP (dadka aqoonta xadidan ee afka ingiriisiga) iyo dadwaynaha LEP (dadka aqoonta xadidan ee ingriisiga).
Ka sokoow ku dhawaaqista hindisaha manta, Wasaaradda Cadaaladda iyo Xafiiska Xeer Ilaaliya Mareykanka ee Degmada Colorado (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado) waxay ku dhawaaqeen heshiis lagu xallinayo baaritaanka eedeymaha ah in Booliska Denver ay takoor ku saleysan tahay asalka qaran ee shaqsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xadidan) ee xadgudubka xeerka Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Xeerka Title VI wuxuu mamnuucayaa midabtaakoorka midabka iyo asalka qaran ee dadka qaata kaalmada maaliyadeed ee federaalka.
“Matthew Kirsch, Xeer Ilaaliya Mareykanka oo ah Ku Simaha hoos yimaada Maamulka uu bixiyey xeerka 28 U.S.C 515 ee Degmada Colorado wuxuu yiri, “Heshiiskan lala galay Booliska Denver wuxuu ka caawin doonaa saraakiisha booliska inay qabsadaan shaqadooda.” Wuxuu kaloo yiri, “Hadday samaynayso wacyigelin bulsho ama la xirayo shaqsiyaadka lagu eedeeyay inay sharciga jabiyeen hubinta helitaanka diyaarka ah ee adeegyada luuqadda saxda ah waxay awood u siinaysaa saraakisha inay u adeegaan oo ay ilaaliyaan dhamaan xubnaha bulshada iyadoon loo eegayn aqoonta Ingiriisiga.”
Wasaaradda Cadaaladda ayaa bilowday baaritaanka ku saabsan Booliska Denver ka dib markii xubnaha bulshada ay walaac ka muujiyeen dhacdooyin ku lug leh dadka Burmese iyo Ronhingya ku hadla ee ah LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan) ee ku nool agagaarka East Colfax ee Denver. Baarintaanku wuxuu daaha ka qaaday tusaalayaal badan oo saraakiisha booliska Denver ay ku guuldaraysteen inay bixiyaan caawinta luuqadda shaqsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta afka ingiriisiga xaddidan) ama ay bixiyaan caawimaad luqadeed oo aan waxtar lahayn ama aan haboonayn. Tusaale ahaan, baarintaanku wuxuu daaha ka qaaday xaaladaha carruurta, xubnaha qoyska iyo dadka ag jooga lagu tiirsaday caawinta luuqadda oo ay ku jiraan xaalado ay aheed in la bixiyo gargaar luqaddeed oo la isku haleyn karo oo macquul.
Iyada oo qayb ka ah heshiiskan xaalbixinta Booliska Denver wuxuu ogolaaday inuu hirgeliyo isbeddelo taxane ah oo lagu sameeyo helitaanka adeegyada luuqadda, nidaamyada iyo tababarka oo ay ku jiraan:
- Cusboonaysiinta Siyaasaddeeda iyo Qorsheheeda Helitaanka Luuqadda si loo dhiso habraacyo lagula xiriiro shaqsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan) oo ay ku jiraan markhaatiyaasha iyo tuhmanayaasha iyo in la mamnuuco isticmaalka carruurta, xubnaha qoyska ama dadka ag jooga si ay ula xiriiraan shakhsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan) marka laga reebo xaaladaha macquulka ah;
- Magacaabista isku dawaha LEP-ka ugu horeeyay iyo in la dhiso Barta Helintaanka Luuqadda ee Degmo kasta oo Booliskka Denver ah;
- Tababarka dhammaan shaqaalaha Booliska Denver iyo kuwa cusub ee la qorayo aqoonsiga, la xiriirka iyo diiwaan-gelinta isdhexgalka shaqsiyaadka LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan); iyo
- Abuurista Guddi qaabilsan Marin-u-heliddda Luqadda oo ay ku jiraan daneeyayaasha matalaya danaha bulshada LEP (dadka aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan).
Macluumaad dheeraad ah oo ku saabsan Qaybta Xuquuqda Madaniga (Civil Rights Division) ah ayaa laga heli karaa shabakadeeda www.justice.gov/crt iyo macluumaadka ku saabsan aqoonta ingiriisiga xaddidan (limited English proficiency) iyo xeerka Title VI waa laga heli karaa www.lep.gov.
Xubnaha dadweynaha waxeey u tebin karaan xadgudubyada xuquuqda madaniga https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Unlawful U.S. Entry Leads to Prison for Central American ManRead the Press Release
MIAMI –Carlos Alexis Torres, aka Cesar Soto Lopez, 43, of Honduras, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 46 months in prison for unlawfully entering the United States after previously being removed.
Torres, who is not a natural-born or naturalized citizen, or a national of the United States, was first removed from the U.S. and sent back to Honduras in October 2007. He had been convicted of assault in the second degree in Minnesota—an aggravated felony.
Sometime thereafter, Torres unlawfully re-entered the United States. In 2009, he was convicted of identity theft in Sioux County, Iowa. In August 2010, he again was removed from the United States and sent back to Honduras.
Torres once again unlawfully re-entered the U.S. and in August 2022 he was arrested for driving without a license in St. Lucie County, Fla.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director Garrett Ripa made the announcement.
ICE-ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-CR-14051.
United States Attorney Will Thompson to Hold Press Conferences in Huntington and CharlestonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson, along with law enforcement partners, will hold a pair of press conferences on Monday, December 19, 2022, to announce outcomes in three high-profile cases.
At 3:30 p.m. at the Sidney L. Christie Federal Building in Huntington, Thompson will be joined by officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Secret Service, and the Huntington Police Department to discuss:
- United States vs Kymoni Davis (3:20-cr-18)
- United States vs Kenneth Emeni (3:21-cr-68)
At 5 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, Thompson will be joined by officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police to discuss:
- United States vs. Todd Christopher Roatsey (2:21-cr-235)
** NOTE: The start time for each press conference is contingent on the conclusion of the hearings in the respective cases. **
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Educational Testing ServiceRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has reached a settlement with a New Jersey non-profit organization to resolve allegations of discrimination in violate of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announce today.
The settlement resolves allegations that Educational Testing Service (ETS), a New Jersey non-profit organization that administers standardized tests, engaged in discrimination in violation of the ADA by creating unlawful hurdles to individuals with disabilities who sought testing accommodations. Among other things, the United States alleged that ETS unlawfully denied requests for testing accommodations or failed to timely consider requests for testing accommodations, effectively denying those requests.
Under the settlement, ETS agrees to comprehensive reforms that will require timely determinations on any requests for testing accommodations and narrow the organization’s inquiries related to requests for accommodations. ETS also agrees to pay damages to several complainants – up to $10,000 – who sought testing accommodations that were denied or delayed.
“This office will not tolerate discrimination in any form and will work tirelessly to ensure equal access to educational opportunities,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “This agreement compels ETS to make systemic reforms and ends an unfair process for considering requests for testing accommodations. Through this settlement, thousands of Americans with disabilities will be given a fair shot in seeking admission to higher education.”
Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Sellinger created a Civil Rights Division with the sole focus on enforcing federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, with the goal of protecting and upholding the civil rights of those in our community.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Stinson of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division.
U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest of Lamor Whitehead for Fraud, Extortion, and False StatementsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LAMOR WHITEHEAD with defrauding one of his parishioners out of part of her retirement savings, attempting to extort and defraud a businessman, and lying to the FBI. WHITEHEAD was arrested this morning and will be presented in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As we allege today, Lamor Whitehead abused the trust placed in him by a parishioner, bullied a businessman for $5,000, then tried to defraud him of far more than that, and lied to federal agents. His campaign of fraud and deceit stops now.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “As we allege today, Whitehead carried out several duplicitous schemes in order to receive funds from his victims. Additionally, when speaking with authorities, Whitehead consciously chose to mislead and lie to them. If you are willing to attempt to obtain funds through false promises or threats, the FBI will ensure that you are made to face the consequences for your actions in our criminal justice system.”
According to the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and publicly available information:[1]
LAMOR WHITEHEAD, who leads a church in Brooklyn, New York, has engaged in a course of conduct in which he sought money and other things of value from victims on the basis of either threats or false promises that the victims’ investments would benefit the victims financially. First, WHITEHEAD induced one of his parishioners to invest approximately $90,000 of her retirement savings with him but instead spent the investment on luxury goods and other personal purposes. Second, WHITEHEAD extorted a businessman for $5,000, then attempted to convince the same businessman to lend him $500,000 and give him a stake in certain real estate transactions in return for favorable actions from the New York City government, which WHITEHEAD knew he could not obtain. In addition, when speaking with FBI agents who were executing a search warrant, WHITEHEAD falsely claimed that he had no cellphones other than the phone he was carrying when, in fact, WHITEHEAD owned a second phone, which he regularly used to communicate — including to send a text message describing it as “my other phone” shortly after telling the agents he had no other phones.
* * *
WHITEHEAD, 45, of Paramus, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hagan Scotten, Celia V. Cohen, and Andrew Rohrbach are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Individuals Charged with Wire Fraud in Second Superseding Indictment Connected with Vermont Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that last Thursday, Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, California and Berk Eratay, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy and the January 6, 2018 kidnapping and death of Gregory Davis, a resident of Danville, Vermont. The wire fraud charge was added to existing murder for hire conspiracy charges against Gumrukcu and Eratay and Jerry Banks, 35, of Fort Garland, Colorado and kidnapping charges against Banks. The defendants’ arraignment on the second superseding indictment is scheduled for December 29, 2022.
As described in Count 3 of the second superseding indictment, Gumrukcu and Eratay, in connection with business dealings with Davis, devised a scheme to defraud Davis and other person by attempting to deceive them about the amount of money available to Gumrukcu and his associated entities as well as the identities of individuals involved with Gumrukcu.
The wire fraud charge in the second superseding indictment carries a maximum sentence of twenty years. The murder for hire conspiracy and kidnapping charges carry a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The second superseding indictment contains accusations only, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Jonathan Ophardt. Banks is represented by Michael Desautels and Mary Nerino from the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Eratay is represented by Robert Katims, Esq. Gumrukcu is represented by David Kirby, Esq.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police for their collaborative investigation of Gumrukcu, Eratay, and Banks and the crimes associated with Davis’s murder. U.S. Attorney Kerest also thanked the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations for assisting in the ongoing investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Three MS-13 Gang Members Convicted of Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Maryland convicted three members of La Mara Salvatrucha – a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13 – on Dec. 16 for racketeering conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between August 2018 and April 2019, Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, aka Felon, 33, of Landover Hills, Maryland; Jose Rafael Ortega-Ayala, aka Impaciente, 30, of Greenbelt, Maryland; and Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia, aka Paciente, 29, of Annandale, Virginia, participated in the MS-13 criminal enterprise by engaging in acts of violence, including murder, the destruction of evidence, and witness tampering, among other crimes. The criminal acts were committed by gang members to increase MS-13’s power in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia.
MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 operate throughout the United States, including in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Ordonez-Zometa, Ortega-Ayala, and Hernandez-Garvia were members and associates of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatruchas (“LGCS” or “Ghettos”) clique of MS-13.
Ordonez-Zometa was the leader of the LCGS clique. On March 8, 2019, Ordonez-Zometa called a meeting of the LCGS clique at his house to discuss clique matters, including recent contacts that an LCGS clique member (Victim 1) had with the police. During the meeting, Ordonez-Zometa questioned Victim 1 about his/her cooperation with police.
During the questioning, the defendants and at least one other MS-13 member assaulted Victim 1 based on their incorrect suspicions that Victim 1 was cooperating with law enforcement. They also assaulted another MS-13 member who attempted to defend Victim 1. The assault culminated with Ordonez-Zometa, as LGCS clique leader, ordering that Victim 1 be killed. Ortega-Ayala, Hernandez-Garcia, and other MS-13 members then stabbed and murdered Victim 1 in Ordonez-Zometa’s basement.
According to trial testimony, after the murder, Ordonez-Zometa ordered Ortega-Ayala, Hernandez-Garcia, and other LCGS clique members and co-conspirators to conceal and destroy evidence of the murder. Ortega-Ayala and other MS-13 members transported Victim 1’s body to a secluded location in Stafford County, Virginia, set the victim’s body on fire, and then destroyed and concealed evidence of the murder from the vehicle used to transport the victim. Meanwhile, Ordonez-Zometa, Hernandez-Garcia, and another MS-13 member stayed at the crime scene and attempted to remove, destroy, and conceal evidence of the murder, including the blood of Victim 1.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations, and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
Ordonez-Zometa, Ortega-Ayala, and Hernandez-Garcia were convicted of racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering conspiracies, committing murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence connected to their participation in MS-13. They each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. A sentencing date has not yet 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 Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Stafford County Sheriff David P. Decatur; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Engelking for the District of Maryland and are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Texas Man Admits $1.2 Million Romance Scam Targeting St. Louis WomanRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On Monday, a man from Texas admitted targeting a St. Louis woman in a $1.2 million romance scam.
Rotimi Oladimeji, 37, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel to two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. He admitted in his plea obtaining or trying to obtain more than $1.2 million from the woman.
Oladimeji admitted that in May of 2019, someone in Nigeria created a fake LinkedIn profile of a veterinarian and animal behaviorist who was purportedly a Belgian national living in St. Louis. They used a picture of a German man.
In August of that year, a St. Louis woman created an online dating profile. Several months later, Oladimeji and others began communicating with the victim, using the Belgian identity. The perpetrators of the fraud made plans to meet the victim, but never followed through. On one occasion, they left her waiting at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Oladimeji then told the victim that the Belgian was taking a business trip to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. One day after his alleged arrival, Oladimeji texted the victim, claiming that he needed help with “an urgent business issue,” and $15,000, the plea says. That began a pattern of texts requesting electronic transfers of cash from the victim between October 2019 and March of 2020. In total, the victim sent or attempted to send $931,000 to her scammers in a mistaken belief that the Belgian would not be permitted to leave Dubai unless she paid, the plea says.
Oladimeji also had the victim send cash and cashier’s checks via FedEx to the Texas home of his co-defendant, Olumide Akrinmade, 37, of Richardson, Texas, his plea says. Oladimeji admitted recruiting Akinrinmade and Adewale Adesanya, another Texas resident, to receive the finds, the plea says, in exchange for a cut of the money.
The victim sent about $314,000 to Texas that way, the plea says.
Oladimeji admitted taking part of the money for his role in the scam. The majority went to other scammers in Nigeria and the United States, the plea says.
The scam began to unravel on February 3, 2021, when Oladimeji returned to the United States from a trip to Nigeria. Upon his arrival in Atlanta, Georgia, Homeland Security Investigations agents inspected two phones belonging to Oladimeji and discovered text messages from and to his victim.
Each count to which Oladimeji pleaded guilty carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Oladimeji is scheduled to be sentenced in March 23. He will also be ordered to repay the money, and could face deportation.
Akinrinmade’s case is pending. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and four counts of mail fraud.
Adesanya pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Dallas in April and was sentenced in September to four years in prison. He was also ordered to repay $1.5 million that resulted from various frauds.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
For information about how to spot and guard against romance scams, go to ice.gov/features/romance-scams.
Texas Accountant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from Employer and Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today to embezzling funds from his employer and filing a false tax return. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steven Marquez embezzled more than $700,000 from his employer, an Austin-based company (“Company A”), where he worked as an accountant and cash manager. From at least April 2010 through October 2017, Marquez without authorization caused funds to be transferred from Company A’s bank accounts into an account he controlled. He then used some of this money to pay his credit card bills and other personal expenses. To conceal his embezzlement, Marquez altered the business’s bank statements, and then provided the altered statements to Company A’s bank reconciliation group. Marquez also filed a false tax return for 2017 that did not report the embezzled funds.
Marquez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Tampa Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded Firearm Months After Release from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dallas Robinson, Jr. (29, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Robinson has also agreed to forfeit a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition, which are traceable to the offense.
According to court documents, on December 26, 2021, in the Rivergrove neighborhood of Tampa, near the intersection of East Sligh Avenue and Rowlett Park Drive, Robinson was traveling as a passenger in a stolen vehicle being driven by another convicted felon. Both men were armed with fully loaded, semi-automatic pistols. Police officers followed the stolen vehicle until Robinson and the driver exited the vehicle. When ordered to stop, both men fled the stolen vehicle on foot, leaving behind their fully loaded pistols. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded black SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat, and a loaded black Springfield XDS (HS Produkt) .45 caliber pistol in the passenger side footwell. Latent fingerprints were lifted from the .45 caliber pistol and analyzed by a fingerprint examiner. One latent fingerprint was a match for Robinson. Additionally, officers recovered Robinson’s wallet and Florida identification card that had been left on the passenger seat near the pistol bearing Robinson’s latent print. Robinson and the driver were subsequently arrested.
Robinson had recently served 30 months in federal prison for convictions under the National Firearms Act in a prior federal criminal case, and was released 4 months prior to his arrest in this case.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
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.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Yoan Rodriguez, age 24, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve a total of 120 months incarceration based on his previous guilty plea to drug trafficking and firearms offenses, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Albany Field Office, and Chief of Police Joseph Cecile, Syracuse Police Department. Rodriguez was also ordered to serve a term of five-years supervised release following his release from prison, and to forfeit to the United States a handgun and a money judgment in the amount of $35,000.00, representing the value of unrecovered drug proceeds.
Rodriguez was one of 14 defendants charged and convicted in this case. The investigation revealed that members of the conspiracy brought kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl from Pennsylvania to Syracuse, where they packaged the drugs and distributed them over several months in 2020. During the investigation, law enforcement seized multiple kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, multiple firearms, several vehicles, and large sums of United States currency. The other defendants charged in this case, and the sentences they received, are listed below.
Defendant
Age
Residence
Prison Sentence
Alejandro De Jesus Tavarez
31
Syracuse
120 months
Alexander Tavarez Espinal
37
Syracuse
120 months
Jan Leonel Vazquez Familia
31
Hazelton, PA
68 months
Jahdier Dowdell
20
Syracuse
70 months
Maurice Graves
24
Syracuse
123 months
Kamiya Joe, aka “K-Joe”
24
Syracuse
36 months
Jonah Sutton, aka “Kunsa”
28
Syracuse
31 months
Dianisha Trapps, aka “Dutchess”
28
Syracuse
24 months
Tacarra Newton, aka “T-Newt”
26
Syracuse
60 months
Tywone Haskins, aka “Ty”
23
Syracuse
60 months
Joshua Stanley, aka “40”
27
Syracuse
30 months
Shateek Brown, aka “Teek” and “Stu”
27
Syracuse
41 months
Treyquwan Rucker
24
Syracuse
120 months
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Syracuse Police Department-Gang Violence Task Force and Special Investigations Division (GVTF and SID), the New York State Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Paul Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy after recruiting six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 20, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual activity with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Castro Medina took half of each cash payment.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls.
Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vaping cartridges, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore.
Castro Medina pleaded guilty today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz, Emily A. Polachek, and Laura M. Provinzino are prosecuting the case.
South Georgia man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for drug, gun feloniesRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: An Atkinson County man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after admitting to charges involving methamphetamine trafficking and illegal gun possession.
Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., was sentenced to 135 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Quintanilla to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence of hard time in federal prison sends the unmistakable message that we will not tolerate convicted felons continuing to commit crimes and threatening the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Drugs and illegally possessed guns fuel violent crime, and getting such criminals off the street will make our neighborhoods safer.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Quintanilla was on felony probation on drug charges in August 2021 when Coffee County Sheriff’s deputies searched Quintanilla’s vehicle during a traffic stop and arrested him after finding drugs and a loaded pistol. During a subsequent search of his residence, Atkinson County Sheriff’s deputies seized methamphetamine, a rifle, ammunition, and drug-distribution paraphernalia.
“Despite prior felony convictions, Quintanilla continued to plague our communities with drugs and the crimes that result from them,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are determined to make our streets safer by removing violent felons and holding them accountable with long prison terms without the opportunity for parole.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
South Carolina Sex Offender Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced that Christopher James Masterson, 35, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was sentenced to 30 years in the Bureau of Prisons for the sexual exploitation of minor children. In imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff noted that Masterson was one of the top two or three most egregious sex offenders she had sentenced. Masterson will be on supervised release for 10 years when he gets out of prison.
“This horrific type of predatory conduct harms the most vulnerable members of our society leaving irreparable damage in its wake,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Those who seek to exploit children should know that my office will bring them to justice.”
Masterson engaged in a multi-year process of grooming a minor victim, ultimately convincing her to send live video footage of sexual acts involving herself and a sibling via social media. He was arrested after traveling from South Carolina to Chippewa County, Michigan to engage in sexual conduct with the victim. When law enforcement seized his phone, they found sexually explicit videos of the victim with Masterson directing her activities.
“HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the safety and security of children in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar. “For our team, the work of caring for the victims of these despicable crimes is just as important as bringing predators like Masterson to justice.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan; county prosecutor’s offices; HSI; Michigan State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force; the West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX); and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. Anyone with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Childhood in West Michigan, including resources for children and parents, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/project-safe-childhood
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the Michigan State Police, the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, the City of Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, and U.S. Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Paul D. Lochner and former AUSA Hannah N. Bobee.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 140 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Sander Ray, 25 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Ray was sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in June 2021, Ray committed an armed robbery of a liquor store and then a cell phone store located in South Bend, Indiana.
Co-defendant, Andre Pittman, was previously sentenced for his role in the offense to 121 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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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Somersworth Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Mark E. Butler, 46, of Somersworth, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and September 2021, federal and state law enforcement officers investigated the online child sexual exploitation activities of the defendant, Mark E. Butler, who used various social media applications to share child sexual abuse materials. For example, on September 23, 2021, Butler distributed a one-minute video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in sexual conduct to an undercover agent. On October 13, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant to seize electronic devices used by Butler to distribute and possess child sexual abuse materials. Butler admitted that he used the internet to obtain child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent forensic analysis of Butler’s Apple iPhone and evidence obtained from a cloud storage service provider confirmed Butler’s use of several social media applications, emails, and text messages to send child sexual abuse materials to other individuals.
In addition to his sentence, Butler was sentenced to five years of supervised release following his release from prison and a $6,000 restitution payment.
“Protecting children is a paramount priority and those who engage in child exploitation will be prosecuted and we will seek significant sentences as demonstrated in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This case is another example of the collaborative work our law enforcement partners engage in to identify and prosecute those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse materials.”
“Butler possessed and distributed child exploitation materials and his sharing of this material perpetuates a cycle of abuse. Homeland Security Investigations and our partners will continue to pursue individuals who are involved in any part of the child exploitation cycle,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police, the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Somersworth Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Rochester Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam T. Le.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Six Alleged Baltimore BGF Gang Members and Associates Indicted for a Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge, Including Murder, Murder-For-Hire, Drug Trafficking, Armed Robbery, and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six Baltimore men for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang. The indictment, which was returned on December 15, 2022 and unsealed today, charges the following defendants:
David Warren, a/k/a “Meshawn” and “LA Meshawn,” age 30;
Barak Olds, age 33;
Davante Harrison, a/k/a “YGG Tay” and “Lor Bip Bip,” age 28;
Wayne Prince, a/k/a “Taz,” age 23;
Joshua Duffy, a/k/a “Josh,” age 35; and
Tyrell Jeffries, a/k/a “Whitebread,” age 37.Duffy and Jeffries were arrested today and are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore this afternoon. Initial appearances for the remaining defendants, who are already in custody, will be scheduled at a later date.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Interim Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop gang violence, like that alleged in this indictment,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Gangs will not be allowed to hold communities hostage through violence and intimidation.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2014 and continuing until the date of the indictment, the defendants are members and associates of the Black Guerilla Family (“BGF”), also known as “Jamaa,” and participated in the BGF criminal enterprise. BGF is a nationwide gang operating in prisons and in cities throughout the United States. Founded in California, BGF appeared in the Maryland correctional system in the 1990’s. Although still a prison gang, BGF is involved in criminal activity, including murder, murder-for-hire, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation throughout Baltimore, in Maryland, and elsewhere. BGF members in Baltimore are organized into “regimes” corresponding to particular regions or neighborhoods. Each “regime” is organized and controlled by a hierarchy called “the bubble.”
BGF members are required to follow a code of conduct and includes: never snitching, never stealing from or lying to Jamaa, never participating in homosexual activities, never revealing BGF secrets, and never running during combat. BGF members who violated this code or who disobeyed an order from a superior were subjected to disciplinary measures, called “sanctions,” which included fines, physical beatings, stabbings, and murders administered by other BGF members.
The indictment alleges that BGF members and associates, operated street-level drug distribution “shops” throughout Baltimore, primarily distributing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, and other controlled substances. The indictment further alleges that the defendants committed acts of violence, including six murders, 11 shootings, attempted murders, and armed robberies. The violent acts were intended to further the gang’s activities, including intimidating witnesses to prevent them from cooperating with law enforcement, protecting the gang’s drug territory, financing the dues paid to BGF, and enforcing gang rules.
For example, the indictment alleges that on June 29, 2014, Harrison paid a BGF member to murder an individual who owed him money for narcotics. Harrison allegedly supplied the BGF member with $10,000 and a gun, which the BGF member used to kill the victim in the 1300 block of Ward Street in Baltimore. The indictment further alleges that in 2018 Harrison hired Warren as a hitman. Between February and August 2018 Warren allegedly attempted to murder three of Harrison’s rivals in exchange for payments from Harrison. The intended victims included two individuals who publicly accused Harrison of cooperating with law enforcement, and a BGF member who burglarized Harrison’s residence in 2013. As detailed in the indictment, Harrison also assaulted an associate after she threatened to report Harrison’s activities to police, allegedly stomping her in the face and knocking her out.
According to the indictment, on April 4, 2018, Warren went to the home of one of the individuals who had accused Harrison of cooperating with police. The intended victim was not there, but the targeted victim’s mother and sister were in the home. The indictment alleges that Warren murdered them both using a .357 caliber handgun and that Harrison later paid Warren for committing the murders. As detailed in the indictment, after the murders, Harrison instructed his girlfriend to look for properties in Atlanta, Georgia, and directed the mother of his child to stay in a hotel in Baltimore County because Harrison was concerned that they may be targeted for violence in retaliation for Harrison’s involvement in the murders.
The indictment alleges that in August 2018, Warren, Prince and a co-conspirator attempted to murder the second person who had accused Harrison of cooperating with law enforcement. The attempted murder took place at a home that the target owned and was having renovated. During the assault, two of the construction workers on the site were shot and one of them was killed.
On July 3, 2019, the indictment alleges that Olds shot and killed a woman while she was pushing her infant daughter in a stroller. The victim was murdered because she was doing business in the 400 block of North Rose Street without obtaining permission from BGF.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez, Patricia C. McLane, and Ariel Evans, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Sexual Predator Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dennis William Sheffield, Jr. (52, Keystone Heights) has pleaded guilty to receipt of child sex abuse images. Sheffield faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. He has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and he also faces a potential life term of supervised release. The court previously ordered Sheffield detained pending the completed proceedings in this case.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Sheffield as part of its investigation into a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip indicated child sex abuse images had been uploaded to a search engine. An Internet Protocol (IP) address for the individual who had uploaded the materials was traced to Sheffield. Law enforcement learned that Sheffield was listed as a predator on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry as a result of two prior convictions (1996) for attempted sexual battery on a child under the age of 12.
On March 3, 2022, based on the CyberTip and the identification of Sheffield as the subject of the CyberTip, law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant for Sheffield’s residence. The following day, law enforcement executed the search warrant and encountered Sheffield, who was holding a cellphone in his hand. A preliminary examination of the phone revealed multiple files depicting the sexual abuse of children on the phone. Sheffield admitted to law enforcement that he had a problem and that he liked looking at child sex abuse images, which he admitted to having viewed as recently as a couple of days earlier. Sheffield also admitted to saving some of the images on his phone.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sex Offender Who Lived in Iowa for More than a Year Without Registering Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who moved to Iowa from Texas and failed to comply with his requirement to register as a sex offender was sentenced on December 13, 2022, to more than two years in federal prison.
Robert Lee Metz, age 61, formerly of Austin, Texas, and last living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 20, 2022 guilty plea to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
Information at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Metz moved to Iowa from Texas in April 2021. Metz was required to register as a sex offender because he had previously been convicted of two sex offenses that each required him to register: indecency with a child-contact in 1993 in Texas state court and possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors in 2012 in a federal court in Texas. Between April 2021 and May 2022, which was when he was indicted by a grand jury, Metz never registered as a sex offender living in Iowa.
Metz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Metz was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Metz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-2030.
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Settlement with Conrado Castor, M.D. for Violations of the Stark Law Regarding Physician ReferralsRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced today a settlement of a civil case against physician Conrado Castor, M.D., age 77, of Schererville, Indiana, for referring home health services patients to home health agencies owned by his siblings and their spouses, for which claims were submitted for payment to Medicare, in violation of the Stark Law.
The Stark Law provides that the government will not pay for designated health services if such services were furnished by an entity that had a financial relationship with an immediate family member of the referring physician because such financial relationships can cause overutilization of those services and compromise the physician’s professional judgment. The False Claims Act prohibits an entity from knowingly submitting claims for payment to Medicare for such services.
During 2008-2014, Dr. Castor referred numerous Medicare patients for the purpose of receiving home health care services to three home health agencies owned by his immediate family members: American Home Health Services, Inc., Adarna Home Health Care Services, Inc., and Amore Home Health Care Services, Inc. All three entities were owned by Dr. Castor’s immediate family members and billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred by Dr. Castor. Medicare paid over 400 claims totaling over $1.2 million to American, Adarna, and Amore for Dr. Castor’s home health care referrals.
Dr. Castor has agreed to pay $2,478,979 to resolve the United States’ claims under the Stark Law and the False Claims Act for claims submitted to Medicare totaling $1,224,489 by home health agencies owned by Dr. Castor’s family members.
“All medical decisions should be based on the patients’ best interests and not on the personal financial interests of referring physicians and their family members,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “My Office will continue to enforce the Stark Law’s prohibition against physicians referring patients for health care services to entities they own or owned by their family members.”
The settlement was reached in a case against Dr. Castor filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Wayne T. Ault and Dirk D. De Lor.
Saudi Arabian National Charged with Illegally Exporting Rifle BarrelsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Saudi Arabian national residing in Cleveland Heights was charged in a one-count indictment with attempting to export more than 50 automatic and semi-automatic rifle barrels from the United States since April 2022.
Abdulrahman Zalah, 30, was charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States.
According to court documents, in October 2022, federal authorities with the Cleveland Division of the FBI were contacted by a firearms manufacturer regarding the suspicious purchasing behavior of an individual later identified as the defendant.
Based on the information, authorities began an investigation into the matter and determined that the defendant, beginning in April 2022, had fraudulently exported and attempted to export and send more than 50 automatic and semi-automatic rifle barrels from the United States.
Court documents state that the defendant did not obtain an export license from the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) as required by law to export commodities, including firearms and firearm components, originating in the United States.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown.
Samson Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, ALABAMA – On Friday, December 16, 2022, Harley Dakota Wambles, a 25-year-old from Samson, Alabama, received a 72-month prison sentence after being convicted of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition to imposing a 6-year prison sentence, the judge ordered Wambles to serve 5 years on supervised release and to pay a total of $18,000.00 in restitution to 6 victims. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip that there were images of child pornography being uploaded using the instant messaging application, Snapchat. The NCMEC provided the information to the FBI and agents identified Wambles’s Internet Protocol address as being associated with the uploads. Agents then examined various electronic devices belonging to Wambles and found, stored on the devices, numerous images containing suspected child pornography. During his plea hearing, Wambles specifically admitted that some of the images were sexually explicit depictions of children under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Ruston Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Threats to Member of United States CongressRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chase Levi Thibodeaux, 39, of Ruston, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
These charges stem from an incident which occurred on or about October 12, 2021 when Thibodeaux placed a telephone call to the office of a United States Congress Member located in the State of New York. In the voicemail, Thibodeaux stated that he would buy an Uzi and gun the Member of Congress down in the streets. He also stated that he would buy a Walther PPK with a silencer and that the Congress Member would “never know what hit [them].”
The United States Capitol Police began an investigation into the threats and learned that Thibodeaux had in fact placed the phone call and left the threatening voicemail. In addition, agents learned through their investigation that Thibodeaux had made over 100 calls to the Congressional Office in the previous two months, and left voicemails directly for the Member of Congress.
The case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
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Romance Scammer Sentenced to 3+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A romance scammer with ties to a Nigerian organized crime syndicate was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Frederick Orji, a 38-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Nigeria, was charged alongside 10 co-conspirators in a large-scale operation led by the FBI in in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in June 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Monday to 37 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey, who also ordered him to pay $418,030 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, Mr. Orji and his co-defendants preyed on elderly victims, many of whom were widowed or divorced. They assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com and Bumbledate.com, searching for targets.
Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they concocted sob-stories about why they needed money – i.e., taxes to release an inheritance, essential overseas travel, crippling debt, etc. – and then siphoned money from victim’s accounts, tens of thousands of dollars at a time.
In plea papers, Mr. Orji admitted that once he and his conspirators had depleted the victims’ accounts of all the funds they were willing and able to send, often emptying their entire savings, the defendants stopped communicating with the victims.
His brother, co-defendant Emanuel Orji, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in September 2022 and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2023. Five additional defendants are awaiting trial, which is set for March 20, 2023. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, and IRS – Criminal Investigation led the investigation with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Walters and Jenna Rudoff are prosecuting the case.
The FBI estimates that more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams in 2020 alone. For tips on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s romance scam webpage. To report a suspected romance fraud, file a report via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Ridgeland Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats Against CDC Director Rochelle WalenskyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Ridgeland man pleaded guilty to making threats in interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2021, Robert Wiser Bates, 39, placed phone calls to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and left voicemails for CDC Director Rochelle Walensky that were threatening in nature. During an interview with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bates admitted to making the threatening phone calls, and stated that he would kill Dr. Anthony Fauci as well.
Bates is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Readout of Reproductive Rights Task Force MeetingRead the Press Release
On Friday, Dec. 16, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta convened the full Reproductive Rights Task Force (RRTF). The meeting focused on the work of the RRTF since its creation in July following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion recognized in those cases.
The RRTF provided updates on the Civil Division’s work in both affirmative and defensive litigation to ensure access to reproductive services that are protected under federal law; the Office of Legal Counsel’s work with other federal agencies to support their work on issues relating to reproductive rights and access to reproductive health care; and outreach by the department to reproductive health care providers, including groups representing both clinics providing abortions and pregnancy resource centers, to ensure they know their protections under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and how to report threats, attacks, or other forms of interference that may violate federal law. The RRTF also discussed challenges ahead and expected work in the new year.
Associate Attorney General Gupta, who chairs the RRTF, thanked the members for their hard work over the prior five months and for their continued work in the year to come. The RRTF is made up of representatives from the department’s Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney community, Office of the Solicitor General, Office for Access to Justice, Office of Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of the Associate Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General and Office of the Attorney General and is supported by dedicated staff.