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25 January 2023
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2023.
Roy Brushbreaker, III, age 28, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brushbreaker was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.
Brushbreaker was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in April 2019. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. On July 15, 2022, Brushbreaker moved out of his registered address in Rapid City and thereafter failed to update his registration. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in Rapid City on August 18, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Brushbreaker was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2023.
Dwight Black Spotted Horse, age 38, was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Black Spotted Horse was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.
Black Spotted Horse was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor on April 23, 2007. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment or student status. Black Spotted Horse last registered in August of 2021, providing a motel in Rapid City, South Dakota, as his address. The motel had no record of Black Spotted Horse staying there in 2021. Black Spotted Horse’s whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested on unrelated charges on April 14, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Black Spotted Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prolific Human Trafficker, Whose Victims Included Children and Foreign Nationals, Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced David Alan Quarles (51, Odessa) to 35 years in federal prison for conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, threats, fraud, or coercion; importation of an alien for the purpose of prostitution; transportation of an individual in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution; and using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of prostitution. As part of his sentence, the court also sentenced Quarles to a term of 10 years of supervised release and required him to register as a sex offender. An order of restitution for the victims of the offense will be determined at a later date. A federal jury had found Quarles guilty on November 7, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, for decades, Quarles recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, and maintained young women and forced them to have sex with men in exchange for money. Quarles used physical violence, threats of violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and financial abuse to force and coerce the victims to engage in commercial sex across the United States and throughout the Middle District of Florida. The evidence revealed Quarles frequented strip clubs and bikini bars to target and recruit young vulnerable women who were in difficult financial situations. Many of the victims lacked a stable home and had recently aged out of the foster care system. Quarles promised the victims he would provide everything they had been desiring – financial security, love and affection, and a family. Quarles and his conspirators directed the victims to engage in prostitution, posted advertisements featuring these victims, and arranged for the victims to travel across the United States to work. In addition to recruiting and obtaining women from the United States, Quarles also imported non-United States citizens into the country for the purposes of prostitution.
Quarles required that his victims send him the money that they had earned or seek his permission to spend funds on necessities. The evidence demonstrated that while Quarles lacked any legitimate source of income, he benefited financially from the victims. He used their earnings to rent large homes, buy luxury clothing items, and high-end cars including a Range Rover and Porsche Panamera.
At trial, Quarles testified that he had been working as a “pimp” since at least 1994 but denied needing to force or coerce the victims to engage in commercial sex. At the sentencing hearing, Quarles maintained this defense and stated that he did not intend to force or coerce the victims into engaging in sex acts.
“This violent criminal groomed girls to become his commercial sex workers and subsequently trafficked them across multiple state and international borders. He physically and sexually abused the women to force them to engage in sex work for his financial benefit,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “This 35-year sentence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our special agents, working side-by-side with the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and Miami-Dade Police Department, to rescue these victims and terminate the nefarious efforts of this international human trafficking organization.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Coast Guard Investigative Service, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking in the Tampa area. This includes the trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Prichard Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Prichard man was sentenced to 37 months in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
According to court documents, Tony Eugene Howze, 68, was arrested by Mobile Police Department narcotics detectives in March 2021 following the execution of a search warrant at his house on South Wasson Avenue in Prichard. During that search, detectives recovered, among other things, nearly half a pound of crack cocaine, three handguns (one of which had previously been reported stolen), several loose rounds of ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and more than $6,800 in cash. Text messages extracted from Howze’s cell phone referenced his nickname, “OG,” and discussed his sales of crack cocaine. Howze admitted that he had previously been convicted of several felony drug and theft offenses in the Mobile County Circuit Court.
Senior United States District Judge William H. Steele ordered Howze to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Howze to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited his interest in the firearms and ammunition recovered from his house.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Previously Convicted Fraudster Is Sentenced to Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joseph A. DiBruno, Jr., 54, of Gastonia, N.C., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for bank fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney ordered this sentence to be served consecutive to the remaining term of DiBruno’s federal prison sentence stemming from his 2008 federal fraud conviction.
Michael C. Scherck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, in 2008, DiBruno was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison after pleading guilty in the Western District of North Carolina to conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering conspiracy, and concealment of assets. On April 8, 2020, DiBruno was approved for placement on home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the federal Bureau of Prisons calculated DiBruno’s estimated release date as June 2025.
Court records show that, after his release to home confinement in May 2020, DiBruno obtained or attempted to obtain loans from at least two financial institutions, based on fraudulent statements and false information he submitted on loan applications. For example, on one loan application DiBruno falsely claimed that he had been employed as Director of Data Analytics by a company listed as M.R.S., that he earned an average monthly salary of up to $8,000, and that he had lived at the residential address listed on the application for over four years, all of which information was untrue. According to court documents, between May 2020 and June 2021, DiBruno submitted at least five fraudulent loan applications to two financial institutions seeking funds totaling over $120,000.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Whitney stated that DiBruno received a “windfall” under the CARES Act but got “right back in the game” and had “a serious history of committing fraud” and “never learned his lesson.”
On April 6, 2022, DiBruno pleaded guilty to making false statements to a credit union. He is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Burau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI and USPIS led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing Drugs, a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The three-count Superseding Indictment, returned on Jan. 24, 2023, named Eugene Key, age 27, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, Key was arrested on July 2, 2021, in possession of 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of heroin, fentanyl and a quantity of oxycodone. Key also possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $8,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted a joint investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proved 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pierre Woman Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2023.
Stephanie Martinez, age 38, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Stephanie Martinez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. She pleaded guilty on July 11, 2022.
Martinez was involved in a conspiracy with several others to distribute methamphetamine in and around central South Dakota. Martinez received distributable quantities of methamphetamine from others in California. The methamphetamine was further distributed by Martinez and those working for her. In total 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Martinez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting and Pointing a Firearm at Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – DeWayne Taylor, 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 13 ½ years in prison today by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty to assaulting federal law enforcement officers, brandishing a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“This defendant chose to put the lives of innocent people and federal law enforcement officers in danger rather than face his own arrest,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Thankfully, due to the swift and courageous response of the officers, lives were saved that day.”
“I am proud of the professionalism of our Deputies and Task Force Officers during the arrest of this violent fugitive,” said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott. “Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their steadfast effort on this case, along with an outstanding case investigation by the ATF. Law enforcement officers all around the country are dedicated to the safety of their communities, and that is truly the case here in Cleveland.”
According to court documents, in December 2020, members of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) were searching for Taylor due to an arrest warrant issued by the State of Pennsylvania Parole Authority.
Court documents state that NOVFTF officers received information that Taylor was at a Walmart in the city of Cleveland and attempted to make an arrest. During the arrest attempt, court documents state that Taylor noticed the NOVFTF members, got into his vehicle, and pointed a firearm at several of the officers. In response, some of the NOVFTF members discharged their firearms, striking the defendant in the shoulder. The NOVFTF members rendered first aid until EMS arrived and transported the defendant to the hospital.
Taylor is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous felony convictions in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (USMS NOVFTF), Cleveland Division of Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin.
Parmelee Man Indicted for AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Parmelee, South Dakota, man for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation.
Allen Two Eagle, age 30, was indicted in April of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 23, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on September 12, 2021, and on or about September 13, 2021, in Todd County, Two Eagle assaulted and strangled his domestic partner. The assault on September 12 also involved the use of a dangerous weapon, specifically a metal bar, with intent to do bodily harm.
The charge is merely an accusation and Two Eagle is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Two Eagle was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for March 28, 2023.
Onondaga County Man Sentenced 24.5 Years for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ryan Maher, age 36, of Cicero, New York was sentenced today to 294 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Maher, who has a prior New York State conviction for Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, admitted that he received child pornography in 2019 and 2020 using a peer-to-peer file sharing service on the internet. Maher also admitted that, on November 17, 2020, he possessed approximately 4,000 child pornography files on a thumb drive.
In addition to the 294-month imprisonment term, United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a lifetime term of supervised release to begin after Maher serves his term of imprisonment. In addition, Maher was ordered to pay restitution of over $60,000 to the identified victims of his offenses.
The FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Okreek Man Sentenced for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge, Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Okreek, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2023.
Leon Good Buffalo, age 24, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Good Buffalo was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. He pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.
On October 28, 2021, Good Buffalo was consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing with the victim, an adult male, at a residence in Okreek, South Dakota. Good Buffalo and the victim began to argue, and Good Buffalo retrieved a shotgun from a bedroom. Good Buffalo and the victim then went outside of the residence, at which point Good Buffalo shot the victim in the chest. The victim died as a result of the gunshot wound.
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 was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Good Buffalo was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ohio Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Sex Offense Involving MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeffrey Lee Ward Jr., 31, of Bellaire, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 4, 2022, Ward traveled from Ohio to Parkersburg, West Virginia, to meet an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in order to engage in sexual activity including sexual intercourse. Ward had been communicating with the individual via an instant messaging app. Ward used the app to send a photo of his genitalia to the individual. When Ward showed up at their arranged meeting location, he was arrested.
Ward was previously convicted of pandering obscenity involving a minor in Belmont County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court on May 18, 2015, and failure to register as a sex offender in Nicholas County, West Virginia, Magistrate Court on September 1, 2021.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-51.
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North Dakota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Hankinson, North Dakota, man, who also has ties to Northeastern South Dakota, and who was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on January 18, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Sky Walker Lawrence, age 41, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $200 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, between approximately 2012 and 2018, Lawrence engaged in abusive sexual contacts with two minor victims. Each victim was threatened or placed in fear in order for Lawrence to perpetrate the abusive sexual contacts. The abuse took place in Northeastern South Dakota and within the tribal lands of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Law Enforcement and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Lawrence was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
New York Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Transporting Maine Minor Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for transporting a Maine teenager across state lines with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity.U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Tyler Streeter, 28, to six years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court records, in late 2020, Streeter contacted a 16-year-old girl on Instagram and TikTok and began a months-long interaction with her online. At the time, Streeter resided in Norwich, New York, and the victim lived in Maine. Streeter groomed the victim by repeatedly telling her that she was attractive and that he loved her and wanted to marry her. He also sent graphic messages in which he expressed his interest in having sex with her. In April 2021, Streeter traveled to Maine with the intent to pick up the victim and take her back to New York. The victim’s father unsuccessfully attempted to stop Streeter and the girl from leaving, and an AMBER alert was issued. The victim was recovered from a residence in Syracuse, New York and returned to Maine the following day.
Street is a registered sex offender following a 2017 conviction in New York for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming 97.5% increase in online enticement reports between 2019 and 2020. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAVARIUS SMITH, 22, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 8, 2021, at approximately 11:15 p.m., New Haven Police recovered a 9-millimeter privately made firearm (“ghost gun”) equipped with a 31-round high-capacity magazine, and distribution quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, from a parked stolen vehicle that Smith had been driving. Smith, a known Bloods gang member, had been released from state incarceration on September 2, 2021, was serving a term of probation, and was wearing a GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his probation. Officers located and arrested Smith a short time later.
Smith’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for larceny and drug offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. On June 24, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
Nashville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Nashville woman who bilked investors by claiming that her sports marketing agency represented famous athletes was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Katie Lynn Mancuso, 41, who owned Gray Area Marketing in Nashville, was initially charged in September 2021 with bank fraud and wire fraud after operating a fraudulent scheme in which she received $2.8 million from investors. Beginning in 2017, Mancuso solicited funds from investors and falsely represented that her agency had been awarded contracts to perform marketing services for professional athletes. Mancuso overstated Gray Area’s assets and receivables and promised to repay investor’s funds within 90 days and with a rate of return usually between 15%-25%. Mancuso also provided investors with fake invoices and emails to make her business appear legitimate, including invoices falsely reflecting money owed to Gray Area by vendors such as Nike, Oakley, and Under Armour for services rendered.
Mancuso also forged the signature of an attorney on a fraudulent attorney-client representation and forged the signatures of another individual on a purported contract. Between June 2017 and February 2021, Mancuso solicited funds from at least 26 investors. Although she repaid some investors, using funds from others, the total loss to investors was more than $1.1 million. Mancuso used the investment funds to pay her living expenses and at hotels, bars, and to obtain plastic surgery.
Mancuso pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2021. However, prior to her scheduled sentencing in August 2022, she continued to commit fraud and submitted false documents to the Court in support of her sentencing request. The Court later revoked Mancuso’s pre-trial release status and remanded her to federal custody.
U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr., also ordered Mancuso to pay $1,011,241.33 in restitution and spend a term of four years of supervised release at the conclusion of her prison term.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn W. Booth prosecuted the case.
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Missouri Construction Company Owner and COO Admits Minority Business Enterprise Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The former owner and chief operating officer of a Clayton, Missouri construction company on Wednesday admitted committing fraud to sidestep St. Louis, Missouri requirements that encourage the participation of minority-owned businesses in city contract opportunities.
Brian Kowert Sr. pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to two counts of wire fraud.
Kowert was co-owner and chief operating officer of HBD Construction Inc., a general contracting, construction management and development company. At the time, Kowert was also acting as the project manager for the renovation and redevelopment of a building for Greater Goods LLC on Chouteau Avenue in St. Louis. Kowert and Charles Kirkwood, the owner of Midwestern Construction, a company that was a Minority Business Enterprise, agreed to falsely list Kirkwood’s company as providing materials and performing work on the project. Kowert sought to falsify the information to comply with St. Louis requirements for 25% participation by MBEs to qualify for a 10-year tax abatement.
The MBE participation requirements seek to address historical social and economic disadvantages experienced by minority group members and to reduce minority-based barriers to and foster participation by minority-owned businesses in city contract opportunities.
Kowert used a series of measures to conceal his violations of the city’s MBE guidelines, according to his guilty plea. On April 20, 2020, Kowert issued duplicate HBD subcontracts to Kirkwood’s company for work that was performed and materials that were supplied by two other, non-MBE companies. Kowert also issued a duplicate HBD purchase order to Kirkwood’s company for materials provided by a third non-MBE company.
On June 22, 2020, Kowert submitted a false chart of projected costs for the redevelopment project to the St. Louis Development Corporation, the city agency charged with reviewing, approving and recommending tax abatements. The chart falsely listed Kirkwood’s MBE company as providing labor and materials valued at approximately $198,000 on the Greater Goods redevelopment project and falsely omitted the three non-MBE companies which actually did the work and provided the materials.
Beginning on August 4, 2020, Kowert caused 14 HBD checks with a total value of about $220,000 to be issued to Kirkwood’s company for the work performed and materials provided by the three non-MBE companies. Kirkwood deposited those checks into his company bank account and then issued checks to the three non-MBE companies, at Kowert’s direction. Thus, Kowert used Kirkwood’s company as a fraudulent “pass through” in order to exchange the checks and violate the MBE requirements on the construction project.
Kirkwood was paid approximately $2,000 by Kowert for his role in acting as the fraudulent “pass through” MBE company.
Kowert admitted being “fully aware” that St. Louis Development Corporation guidelines required that an MBE company “perform a commercially useful function” and that his agreement with Kirkwood violated the city’s published MBE guidelines.
Between May 2021 and November 2021, Kowert and HBD caused a false application for tax abatement on behalf of Greater Goods for the Chouteau Avenue redevelopment project to be submitted to the St. Louis Development Corporation. The application falsely represented that Kirkwood’s MBE company had performed about $224,361 in project costs and omitted the three non-MBE companies. The $224,361 comprised approximately 6 ½% of the required 25% MBE participation in the project.
Greater Goods, which sells and distributes various kitchen, home, fitness, health and wellness products and donates a portion of the sales price to various charitable organizations, had no knowledge of Kowert’s scheme. Nor did its employees.
Kowert is scheduled to be sentenced April 26. Each wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Mission Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2023.
Jeffery Leo Larvie, age 40, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Larvie was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2022.
The conviction stems from Larvie failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between August 5, 2022, and October 20, 2022. Larvie had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court which requires him to register for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Larvie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Madison Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Charlie Goodwin, 34, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 132 months in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Goodwin pleaded guilty to this charge on October 21, 2022.
On August 27, 2021, a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration communicated with Goodwin and arranged to buy one pound of methamphetamine. Goodwin arrived at the meeting location in Madison and sold the confidential source one pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $3,000.
On September 10, 2021, Madison Police officers received information that Goodwin’s vehicle may have been used in the robbery of a gas station. When officers attempted to pull over Goodwin, he led them on a high-speed chase through Madison. After officers terminated the pursuit for safety reasons, Goodwin carjacked a Chevrolet Equinox and drove back to his residence. The victim of the carjacking sustained injuries to his neck and right arm.
Later that day, officers arrested Goodwin at his girlfriend’s apartment and searched the residence. During the search, officers found $164,124 in cash, two loaded firearms, and drug packing materials. There was also evidence showing Goodwin had recently flushed heroin down the toilet and the sink.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Goodwin was the leader of a large-scale interstate drug trafficking organization and was involved in transporting “a daunting amount” of methamphetamine from California to Wisconsin. Judge Peterson also noted it was an aggravating factor that Goodwin had two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking in the Madison area and six additional criminal convictions.
The charge against Goodwin is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Madison Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Madera Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alfredo Sanchez, 43, of Madera, was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Sanchez provided his co-defendant, Saybyn Borges, 30, of Reno, Nevada, with 493 fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. On May 21, 2018, Borges then sold those fentanyl pills to a confidential source working with law enforcement in Placer County. On June 7, 2018, Borges was arrested in possession of an additional 3,440 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that he had received from Sanchez. Sanchez had provided Borges 7,000 fentanyl pills for redistribution, but prior to Borges’ arrest, Borges destroyed half of the pills by throwing them out a car window during a high-speed chase with law enforcement in San Joaquin County. During a search of Sanchez’s residence, law enforcement seized four firearms and multiple high-capacity magazines. Sanchez, who had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking felony, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond prosecuted the case.
On Feb. 4, 2021, Borges, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 5+ Years in Heroin Conspiracy with GirlfriendRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Williams Josue Fuentes-Argueta, a 30-year-old El Salvadorian in the U.S. illegally, was indicted in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced Wednesday to 64 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered him to forfeit two handguns.
At his sentencing hearing, Judge Starr ruled that the defendant belonged to MS-13, a notoriously violent transnational street gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control.”
In plea papers, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta admitted he and his co-conspirator, girlfriend Angie Marlyn Valencia, dealt heroin out of an apartment on Royal Lane in Dallas.
On Sept. 16, 2021, while Ms. Valencia acted as lookout, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta sold more than 70 grams of heroin to an undercover Texas DPS officer for $2,7000 cash. About two weeks later, the pair teamed up again to sell another 76 grams of heroin to two undercover officers.
On Oct. 12, officers searched the defendants’ residence and found 20 grams of heroin and two handguns, a 9mm M&P and a .380mm Keltec.
Ms. Valencia, who also plead guilty to engaging in the conspiracy, was sentenced in August 2022 to 65 months in federal prison. Judge Starr found that Ms. Valencia also met the criteria to be considered an MS-13 gang member.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Carrolton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay MenRead the Press Release
Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.
The court rested its sentence on many factors, including its determination that the defendant intentionally targeted the victim and other gay men because of their gender and sexual orientation.
“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”
According to evidence introduced at sentencing and in an earlier hearing where the defendant pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.
Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.
“No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes such as this are a top priority for the Department and this office, and we take these kind of cases very seriously. It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us.”
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.” "Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”
The FBI and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay MenRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.
The court rested its sentence on many factors, including its determination that the defendant intentionally targeted the victim and other gay men because of their gender and sexual orientation.
"No one should ever be subject to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case," said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. "The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes are a top priority for the Department and this office and we take these kind of cases very seriously. It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us."
“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”
According to evidence introduced at sentencing and in an earlier hearing where the defendant pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.
Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
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Long Island Contractor Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud in Connection with Hurricane SandyRead the Press Release
Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, has been charged in a 20-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and attempted wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce individuals to hire the defendant and pay DCG to lift their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. Almaraz is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow afternoon in federal court in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the arrest and charges.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant took advantage of distressed homeowners who were desperate to rebuild their homes and their lives,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The criminal charges announced today demonstrate that despite the passage of time, this Office and our law enforcement partners will prosecute fraudsters who prey on disaster victims and use government relief programs as a piggy bank to enrich themselves.”
Mr. Peace also thanked New York Rising (NYR) within the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery for their assistance with the investigation.
“As our fellow community members attempted to restore their lives following the cataclysmic destruction of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant exploited the opportunity to operate a years’ long scheme. As alleged, rather than complete the promised contract, Almaraz stole his victims' money to pay for his lavish personal expenses. The FBI will continue to investigate fraud and abuse of government relief programs and hold the scammers accountable for their schemes,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
District Attorney Donnelly said: “Dozens of New Yorkers – in their hour of need – were left homeless, and with their homes in ruin, due to the alleged actions of Alexander Almaraz. For nearly four years, this contractor allegedly promised families that he’d repair their homes, but instead he used disaster relief money to buy exotic sports cars and property in another state. I thank our partners at the US. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their diligent pursuit of this defendant, who has left a trail of destruction in his wake.”
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey, causing catastrophic damage to low-lying and coastal areas, including many neighborhoods in the Eastern District of New York. Individuals whose homes were damaged were eligible to receive funding from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through the NYR program.
As alleged in the indictment, Almaraz entered into contracts—alternatively as the owner of DCG and fraudulently posing as the owner of a different company—with homeowners who qualified to receive funds from NYR. As part of these contracts, Almaraz agreed to lift the victims’ homes and set them down on a temporary support structure, which allowed demolition of the foundation, and then install a new foundation, lower the home, and reconnect appliances. Between October 2015 and June 2019, Almaraz agreed to lift the homes of at least 20 customers that had received NYR funding and who collectively paid him approximately $2.5 million. Almaraz convinced many of these homeowners to move out of their homes and pay him rent to live elsewhere, all the while neglecting their projects and causing greater loss. Additionally, instead of performing the agreed-upon work, Almaraz used the homeowners’ monies to pay for personal expenses, including credit card bills, land purchased in Kansas City, Missouri, and luxury automobiles, including a Lamborghini, a Porsche and a Jaguar. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration on each count in the indictment.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and Almaraz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Caffarone and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ALEXANDER ALMARAZ
Age: 55
Irvine, California – formerly of Freeport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-17 (JMA)
Local man sentenced for sexual exploitation of 15-year-old girl who later committed suicideRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 23-year-old League City resident has been ordered to federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Amari Mychael Singh pleaded guilty May 25, 2019, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
“This man’s actions led to death of an innocent girl,” said Hamdani. “While he will have to serve 25 years in prison, he will someday still have freedom and a life. She will not. The damage he caused her, her family and the other victims is immeasurable and has absolutely no place in our community.”
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown sentenced Singh to 300 months in federal prison. He must also serve 10 years of supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.
At the hearing, the court heard from the victim’s mother. She explained that her daughter had committed suicide in 2020 while charges were pending against Singh. She also read from journal passages her daughter had written, highlighting the emotional toll of Singh’s actions. Judge Brown further found Singh was a proximate cause of the victim’s death.
Throughout the proceeding, the courtroom was filled with members of Mady’s Movement, a human trafficking awareness organization the deceased victim’s mother had founded.
Judge Brown also considered a victim impact statement from another woman Singh victimized when she was in high school. The statement explained how Singh had raped her while she was incapacitated on drugs he had provided.
The court further ordered Singh to pay $11,454.10 in restitution to mother of the deceased victim and ordered Singh to register as a sex offender.
In 2019, law enforcement learned that a 15-year-old girl had reported that Singh, then 20, had recently produced a sexually-explicit video of her and distributed it over Snapchat.
Authorities obtained federal search warrants for Snapchat accounts of both the victim and Singh. The investigation confirmed the victim’s story. They also found the video of Singh having sex with the teenager on Singh’s cell phone.
Evidence from Singh’s Snapchat and cell phone showed he produced sexually-explicit videos of another underage female and used Snapchat to advertise drugs, guns and women for sale.
Singh has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
FBI-Texas City and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the League City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zahra Fenelon and Stephanie Bauman are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Manuel J. Gonzalez, 59, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine after having a prior conviction for a serious drug felony by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Gonzalez will serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Information obtained by law enforcement indicated between October of 2019 and April of 2021, Gonzalez was involved in the distribution of more than 500 grams (approximately 18 ounces) of methamphetamine in the Lincoln area. In October of 2019, Gonzalez made two sales of methamphetamine, totaling approximately one ounce, to a confidential informant working for the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Gonzalez had a prior Nebraska felony conviction for delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance for which he was sentenced to four to six years in prison in 2018.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Levant Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Fraudulently Receiving $322,460 in Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Levant man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and money laundering arising from his fraudulent receipt of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funds.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Craig C. Franck, 40, to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Franck pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.
According to court records, Franck formerly owned CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems. Neither company was in business, generated income or had employees in 2020 or 2021. Franck received Maine unemployment insurance benefits over the same time frame. In July 2020, Franck was arrested on felony fraud charges in Florida.
In the summer of 2020, Franck received $177,400 in EIDL funds after submitting two fraudulent loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the applications, Franck made numerous false representations regarding CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems, misrepresented that the funds would be used to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic, and claimed that he was not subject to criminal charges. Franck illegally used the EIDL funds to retain a criminal defense attorney and post bail in his Florida criminal case. He also used the funds to purchase a pickup truck and pay for other personal expenses.
In March 2021, Franck received a $145,060 PPP loan after submitting a fraudulent loan application to a private lender. In support of the application, Franck provided false IRS documents and forged checking account statements. Franck illegally spent the PPP funds on a second vehicle, online retail purchases and living expenses, among other prohibited uses.
In imposing sentence, Judge Walker observed that Franck engaged in a cynical scheme amounting to “high tech pocket picking” and had displayed “an extraordinary amount of narcissism” in carrying out the pandemic fraud.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made EIDL funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the SBA and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred.
Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP): Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding, and another $284 billion in December 2020. Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set period and used at least a certain percentage of the funds for payroll expenses.
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Lawrence Woman Sentenced for Social Security MisuseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently using someone else’s Social Security number.
Mariana Rosmely Aguasviva, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three years of supervised release with the first 18 months to include home confinement. In September 2022, Aguasviva pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Aguasviva fraudulently used a Social Security number that was assigned to someone else in an application at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in Boston in 2016. Specifically, Aguasviva filled out an application to change information on her driver’s license, which was in the name of the person whose Social Security number was misappropriated. Aguasviva began misusing the victim’s Social Security number to assume the victim’s identity in 2010, when she first obtained a Massachusetts driver’s license in the victim’s name from the RMV. Investigators discovered the driver’s license in the victim’s name in Aguasviva’s purse at the time of her arrest.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Billerica Police Department; and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
James Conlan, 58, from Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on January 25, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Conlan admitted that between January 2021 and December 2021, he and others were involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. Conlan further admitted that he shipped methamphetamine from Las Vegas, Nevada, via U.S. mail, to an address in Cherokee, Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Conlan remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Conlan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Homeland Security, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Colorado State Patrol, and the Cherokee Iowa Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4049. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Lame Deer man sentenced to two years in prison for sexual abuse of a minorRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted to having a sexual relationship with a minor girl was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nathan Francis Stops, 42, of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to sexual abuse of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court allowed Stops to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2020, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, who was then age 16, disclosed that she had been having an ongoing sexual relationship with Stops since she was 14 years old. The two had engaged in sexual intercourse on numerous occasions. Stops denied having sex with Jane Doe but was confronted with forensic testing results indicating sexual intercourse between him and Jane Doe.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Konplo Fo Diplòm Enfimyè Abouti a Arestasyon de plis de yon Douzèn AkizeRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Plis de yon douzèn endividi akize nan Distri Sid la Florid pou swadizan patisipasyon yo nan yon konplo fwòd elektwonik ki kreye yon chemen dekoupe ilegal pou kandida enfimyè jwenn lisans ak travay.
Daprè twa akizasyon ofisyèl resan ki pa sele epi ki te emèt pa Jiri Tabli Federal Sid La Florid la, ak twa akizasyoon ke komisè gouvènman federal te depoze, tout akize yo te angaje nan yon konplo pou vann fo diplom enfimyè ansanm ak tout relve ke yo pran nan men lekòl enfimyè akredite yo ba endividi ki tap chache lisans ak travay antan ke enfimyè diplome (RNs) ak enfimyè kalifye/enfimyè vokasyonèl (LPN/VNs).
Fo diplòm yo ak relve yo kalifye tout achtè yo pou prezante devan egzamen leta a, epi aprè yo finn pase l, jwenn lisans ak travay nan divè leta antan ke RNs ak LPN/VNs. Plan global konplo a te gen pou wè ak distribisyon de plis de 7600 fo diplòm enfimye ke tout lekòl enfimye ki chita nan Sid La Florid la te emèt: Siena College nan Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing nan Palm Beach County, Fla., ak Sacred Heart International Institute nan Broward County. Lekòl sa yo fèmen kounyeya.
Chak akize ap fè fas a 20 lane prizon.
Markenzy Lapointe, Pwokire Distri Sid La Florid la di: "Demann pou enfimyè wo anpil epi li kontinye ap grandi," "Se domaj ke sèten moun ansanm ak enstitisyon ki konekte ak metye enfimyè a eseye eskive tout egzijans edikasyonèl yo. Biwo sa a ansanm ak patnè fòsdelòd li yo angaje l pou l pouswiv konplo fwòd sa yo ak tout lòt konplo pou komèt fwòd sanblab yo ki mete lavi piblik la an danje.
Tip zak kriminèl sa yo kontinye ap parèt, sitou nan zòn sa a.
"Fwòd Swen Sante pa anyen nouvo pou La Florid di Sid, piske anpil nan magouyè sa yo wè l kankou yon fason pou yo fè lajan fasil, byen ke ilegal, se sa "Ajan FBI Chad Yarbrough, ajan responsab kap mennen dosye a nan Miami" di. "Sa ki pi enkyetan konsènan envestigassyon sa a se ke gen plis de 7600 moun atravè peyi a kap mache ak akreditasyon enfimye ki fo, ki pwobableman ap trete pasyan ki nan swen kritik. Si se pat pou dilijans ak gwo travay di envestigatè yo sou dosye sa a, degre fwòd la patap janm dekouvri."
Akizasyon sa yo konsantre sou bi lisans pou enfimyè a, ki la pou pwoteje piblik la de donmaj lè w etabli yon minimòm de kalifikasyon ak konpetans.
"Swadizan lavant ak acha diplòm ak relve enfimyè yo ba endividi ki disponib men ki pa kalifye se yon krim ki gen potansyèl pou l mete an danje sante ak sekirite tout pasyan yo epi li denigre metye enfimyè a," se sa Ajan Espesyal Omar Pérez Aybar, responsab Depatman Sante ak Sèvis Sosyal la, Biwo Enspektè Jeneral (HHS-OIG), di. "An kowòdinasyon ak tout patnè nan fòsdelòd nou yo, HHS-OIG ap kontinye envestige ak agresivite tout move aktè yo ki, kareman meprize byenèt lèzòt pou anrichi tèt yo ak fwòd."
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak Relve de Siena College.
U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., dosye no.: 23-60005-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Sanon, dosye no.: 23-60013-Cr-Moreno
Dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo dekri Siena College antan ke yon lekòl akredite pa Komisyon Anseyman Endepandan La Florid ak Konsèy Enfimyè La Florid nan Konte Broward la ki ofri yon Pwogram Enfimyè Oksilyè ansanm ak yon pwogram Enfimyè Diplome (RN) rive jis a yon diplòm inivèsitè nan Syans pou Enfimyè. Se Eugene Sanon ki te manadjè Siena College.
Akizasyon ofisyèl la akize Stanton Witherspoon nan Konte Burlington N.J.: Alfred Sellu nan Konte Burlington N.J.; Rene Bernadel nan Konte Westchester, N.Y. de konplote pou komèt ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Akizasyon a pretann ke Witherspoon, Sellu ak Bernadel solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn anplwa antan ke RN oswa LPN/VN. Yo pretann ke akize sa yo fè aranjman ak Sanon ki tap jere Siena College epi ki akize pa rekizitwa de konplo pou komèt fwòd elektwonik, pou kreye ak distribiye fo diplòm ak relve yo. Yo afime ke aspiran RN ak LPN/VN yo te asiste Pwogram pou Enfimyè nan Siena College nan Konte Broward la epi ke yo konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak tout fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplòm RN oswa LPN/VN yo. Ofèt, aspiran a enfimyè yo pa janmè konplete ni tout kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo.
Rekizitwa kont Sanon a pretann ke li menm ansanm ak lòt vann milye fo diplòm Enfimyè de Siena College ansanm ak tout relve yo ba aplikan metye enfimyè yo ki itilize yo pou jwenn lisans RN oswa LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay enfimyè ak tout pouvwayè swen sante yo san yo pat okouran atravè peyi a.
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak tout Relve yo de Palm Beach School of Nursing.
U.S. v. Russ, et al., dosye no.: 23-60007-Cr-Singhal
Daprè dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo, bi Palm Beach School of Nursing se te prepare elèev yo pou ranpli tout egzijans Lisans la Florid ak Konsèy Enfimyè yo, ak kalifye pou pran egzamen leta pou jwenn lisans la pou ka travay antan ke enfimye diplome.
Akizasyon ofisyèl la akize Gail Russ nan Konte Broward la; Cheryl Stanley nan Konte Collier, Fla.; Krystal Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Ricky Riley nan Konte Broward; Norberto Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Damian Lopez nan Konte Palm Beach; Francois Legagneur nan Konte Nassay, N.Y.; Reynoso Seide nan Konte Union, N.J.; Cassandre Jean nan Konte Palm Beach; Yelva Saint Preux nan Konte Suffolk, N.Y.; Evangeline Naissant nan Konte Nassau, N.Y.; Rony Michel nan Konte Monmouth, N.J.; Vilaire Duroseau nan Konte Essex, N.J.; ak Yvrose Thermitus, a/k/a "Yvrose Thompson," nan Konte Union, N.J., de konplote pou komèt, ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Rekizitwa a pretann ke akize sa yo solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn travay antan ke RN oswa LPN/VN.
Yo pretann ke akize rekritè sa yo fè aranjman ak mèt Palm Beach School of Nursing la, Johanah Napoleon ansanm ak tout anplwaye lekòl la Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez, ak Ricky Riley pou kreye ak distribiye fo diplòm fwodè ak relve yo ki afime ke aspiran RN ak LPN/VN te asiste Palm Beach School of Nursing e ke yo konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplòm RN oswa LPN/VN yo. Ofèt, enfimyè aspiran yo pat janmè konplete ni kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo.
Aplikan pou pòs enfimyè yo itilize fo diplòm ansanm ak tout relve yo te achte yo de mèt ak anplwaye Palm Beach School of Nurssing la pou jwenn lisans RN oswa LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay kom enfimyè ak pouvwayè swen sante san yo pat okouran atravè peyi a.
Napoleon te deja akize pa rekizitwa e li plede koupab de konplote pou komèt fwòd swen de sante ak fwòd elektwonik, ansanm ak fwòd elektwonik (dosye nimewo 22-60111-Cr-Smith ak 22-60118-Cr-Smith).
Akizasyon ki gen Rapò ak Fo Diplòm Enfimyè ak Relve de Sacred Heart International Institute
U.S. v Jean, et al., dosye no.: 23-60010-Cr-Smith
U.S. v. Etienne, dosye no.: 23-60012-Cr-Singhal
Daprè dokiman akizasyon ofisyèl yo, Sacred Heart International Institute se yon Lekòl akredite pa Konsèy Enfimye La Florid nan Konte Broward la ki te ofri yon pwogram enfimyè destine a prepare elèv yo pou anplwa antan ke enfimyè oksilyè otorize.
Akizasyon Ofisyèl la akize Ludnie Jean nan Konte Harris, Texas; Serge Jean Simoon Itaman nan Konte Harris, Texas; Anna Itaman nan Konte Harris; Rhomy Louis nan Konte Suffolk, N.Y.; ak Nadege Auguste nan Konte Broward la de konplote pou ak komèt fwòd elektwonik. Yo pretann ke akize sa yo solisite ak rekrite endividi ki tap chache jwenn akreditasyon enfimyè pou jwenn travay antan ke LPN/VN. Rekritè sa yo fè aranjman ak Charles Etienne, mèt Sacred Heart, pou kreye ak distribiye relve fo ak fwodè ki afime ke aspiran a te asiste Sacred Heart ak konplete tout kou nesesè yo ansanm ak fòmasyon klinik yo pou yo te ka jwenn diplom LPN/VN. Ofèt, enfimyè aspiran yo pat janmè konplete tout kou nesesè yo ni fòmasyon klinik yo. Etienne akize pa Rekizitwa ak konplo pou komèt fwòd elektwonik.
Tout kandida pou enfimyè yo itilize fo diplòm ak relve ke yo te achte de Sacred Heart pou jwenn lisans LPN/VN nan divè leta ak travay enfimyè ak pouvwayè swen de sante ki pat okouran atravè tout peyi a.
Anons la fèt pa Markenzie Lapointe, Pwokirè Distri Sid La Florid la; Ajan Espesyal Enterimè FBI Chad Yarbrough, Biwo Rejyonal Miami; ak Ajan Espesyal Responsab, Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG.
Yon enkilpasyon se sèlman yon akizasyon, epi yon akize inosan jiskaske yo pwouve li koupab.
Se FBI Miami ansanm ak HHS-OIG Miami ki envestige tout dosye sa yo. Depatman Envestigasyon Sekirite Nasyonal te bay asistans ki te itil anpil, Biwo Rejyonal Miami; Depatman Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General Dèzetazini; Depatman Enspeksyon Lapòs Dèzetazini, Miami; ansanm ak Pwokirè Jeneral La Florid Seksyon Kontwòl Fwòd nan Medicaid, Biwo Rejyonal Mid-Atlantic. Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman Christopher J. Clark kap pouswiv dosye a ansanm ak Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman nicole Grosnoff kap jere tout konfiskasyon byen yo. Dosye sa a ap pouswiv devan leta ansanm ak tout lòt dosye kriminèl ki gen rapò ak yo nan Distri Alès Maryland.
W ap jwenn tout dokiman jidisyè ki gen rapò ak enfòmasyon sou sit entènèt Tribinal Distri pou Distri Sid La Florid sou www.flsd.uscourts.gov oswa sou http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas yesterday seeking to bar a North Texas-area tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Jennifer Murley and her tax preparation business prepared over 2,200 federal income tax returns and filed them during 2019 through 2022. According to the complaint, in a number of these tax returns, Murley and her business overstated the customers’ tax refunds by fabricating household help income, which can increase unlawful claims for tax credits, or by fabricating or inflating business losses to reduce taxable income improperly.
The complaint further alleges that by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities the fraudulent return preparation activities of Murley and her tax preparation business have caused a loss to the United States for returns filed during the years 2019 through 2022 totaling more than an estimated $2 million of tax revenue.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON-The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
- Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates
Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely confines people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Specifically, the department concluded that: 1) LDOC denies individuals’ due process rights to timely release from incarceration; 2) LDOC’s failure to implement adequate policies and procedures causes systemic overdetentions; and 3) LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic overdetention of people in its custody. For more than 10 years, LDOC has been on notice of its overdetention problem and has failed to take adequate measures to ensure timely releases of incarcerated individuals from its custody. Between January and April 2022 alone, 26.8% of the people released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Of those overdetained people, 24% were held over for at least 90 days, and the median number of days overdetained was 29. In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided LDOC with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“The Constitution guarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons may not be detained beyond their release dates, and it is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure that all people in its custody are released on time,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms.”
“Persons are legally incarcerated every day in America and are ordered by the court to serve certain sentences primarily for punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “This ultimately benefits the individual, society and the criminal justice system. There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be. This can be costly from a physical and mental standpoint for the incarcerated individual and a waste of money for the taxpayer. Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation. We look forward to working with the Louisiana Department of Corrections to ensure that it has the policy and tools going forward to prevent overdetention from reoccurring.”
“It is the job of the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the constitutional rights of every person, including individuals who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “While all government agencies operate under constraints, that is no excuse for violating the rights of people who have served their sentences and are ready to start their lives anew. Federal law requires equal justice for all. My office is committed to enforcing that mandate.”
“Today’s findings demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to hold accountable institutions entrusted to protect the rights of all citizens, including people within the Louisiana Department of Corrections,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Lawfully convicted people should not serve a day beyond their official designated release dates. Louisiana is wasting money on incarcerating people beyond their release dates and incurring legal expenses in defending lawsuits filed by the overdetained. We look forward to working with all affected parties to correct this problem.”
The Justice Department initiated the investigation in December 2020 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division by completing a complaint form available at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Additional information about the Eastern, Middle, and Western U.S. Attorneys Offices is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla , https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdla , and https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
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Jury Finds Man Guilty of Carjacking Victim Using A HandsawRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Whayname Ferdilus (21, Coral Springs) guilty of carjacking. Ferdilus faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 19, 2023, before United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell. Ferdilus had been indicted on April 22, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, on February 24, 2021, Ferdilus visited a car dealership in Orlando and requested to test-drive a 2021 Cadillac CT4. Because he did not have a driver license, an employee of the dealership agreed to drive the vehicle while Ferdilus sat in the passenger seat. During the test drive, Ferdilus began rummaging through his backpack that he had between his legs, and pulled out a 12-inch, serrated handsaw. Ferdilus threatened the driver with the handsaw and demanded the vehicle. In fear for his own safety, the employee fled from the vehicle with the remote key fob in his pocket. The employee called 911, and deputies from the Orange County Sheriff Office quickly located the vehicle with the help of On-Star. Ferdilus was apprehended inside a gas station convenience store. He had the same backpack on his person, and when searched, the handsaw was located inside.
During the trial, Ferdilus testified and admitted to stealing the car but denied any intention of causing harm to the victim.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Ithaca Man Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Remanu Phillips, age 32, of Ithaca New York, was sentenced today to serve 320 months (26 years and 8 months) in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child. 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 Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Phillips admitted that on two separate days in June of 2019 he produced sexually explicit videos of himself sexually abusing a child. Phillips further admitted that he later transferred the two videos from his cellular telephone to a desktop computer, where they were later recovered by law enforcement.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 30-year term of supervised release, which will start after Phillips is released from prison, and ordered Phillips to pay a $200 special assessment. Phillips will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Phillips’ case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Irvington Man Sentenced to Three and a Half Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Irvington man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, David John Waxman, 35, was arrested by deputies with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office in September 2021 in possession of dozens of stolen Alabama’s driver’s licenses and credit and debit cards, as well as several bags of stolen mail, including checks worth more than $10,000. Deputies encountered Waxman passed out in the driver’s seat of an SUV and blocking the road at an intersection in Theodore, Alabama.
During an interview with investigators, Waxman admitted that he had fraudulently deposited checks that had been stolen from the mail and altered into his personal account at Regions Bank. Waxman also admitted that he had attempted to fraudulently deposit a stolen U.S. Treasury check issued as part of the federal government’s program to offer stimulus relief to eligible U.S. taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regions ATM surveillance video captured Waxman making these deposits on several occasions. As part of his guilty plea, Waxman admitted that he possessed and used means of identification of real people—namely, victims’ names, addresses, phone numbers, and bank account information.
Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Waxman to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse, will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Beaverstock ordered Waxman to pay $7,120.86 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Indiana Woman Indicted in Rhode Island in Online Romance Scam that Allegedly Defrauded a 96-Year-Old Rhode Island WidowerRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Indiana woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island, charged with perpetrating an online romance scam that allegedly defrauded a 96-year-old Coventry widower of approximately $80,000, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Brittany Rakia Shawnai Lasley, 32, of Anderson, IN, is charged by way of indictment with five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that Lasley created a social media account containing fake profile information on the internet dating site “Plenty of Fish.” It is alleged that Lasley used the false profile to lure the victim into responding, and then promptly began a campaign to persuade the victim to provide her with money, credit cards, gift cards, and his personal identifying information. Lasley allegedly led the victim to believe that providing her with these items would facilitate meetings between the two and foster a romantic relationship.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Lasley made numerous false representations to the victim to persuade him to provide her with money for home improvements, medical treatment, and travel to Rhode Island; to authorize and provide her with more than fifty prepaid money cards and unique login information necessary to redeem the cards; and that she gained access to the victim’s credit card and checking account that she used to make numerous unauthorized purchases; finally, she is alleged to have obtained access to the victim’s credit card by fraudulently representing herself as the victim’s daughter.
Lasley is currently detained in Indiana state custody in Indiana on unrelated charges. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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Indian Citizen Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kirtankumar Dalwadi, age 27, and a citizen of India, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in a law enforcement impersonation scheme.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Dalwadi admitted that in June and July 2021, while temporarily residing in Albany, he was contacted by scammers he knew in India, who asked him to pick up quantities of U.S. currency from several locations in the eastern United States, and to transport and deliver the currency to various people in New Jersey.
At the request of Dalwadi’s associates, he picked up $250,000 in Niskayuna, New York, $60,000 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and $30,000 in McKee, West Virginia, and delivered most of this money to people in New Jersey. The victims in Niskayuna, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were victims of law enforcement impersonation scams, and were falsely led to believe that by making cash payments, they would extricate themselves from legal trouble threatened by the scammers. In pleading guilty, Dalwadi admitted that he knew the victims were being defrauded.
Dalwadi was initially arrested by Watervliet Police in July 2021, while attempting to pick up a Fedexed package of money sent by a would-be victim in New Mexico.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Dalwadi to pay $340,000 in restitution, and to forfeit an additional $12,000. Dalwadi, as a citizen of India lacking status in the United States, will also be placed into removal (deportation) proceedings.
HSI, along with the Niskayuna and Watervliet Police Departments, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Charged with Setting Fire to Planned ParenthoodRead the Press Release
An Illinois man has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria.
The complaint alleges that Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, committed the offense.
On Jan. 15, law enforcement received a report of a fire in progress at the Planned Parenthood in Peoria. Subsequent investigation — including a review of area surveillance from the fire scene — revealed that at approximately 11:20 p.m., an older white pickup truck with red doors parked in an area adjacent to Planned Parenthood. Video footage depicts a man wearing a coat with a hood pulled up and possible face mask walk up to the building with a laundry detergent-sized bottle. The man lit a rag on fire on one end of the bottle, smashed a window with an object and then placed the container inside of the Planned Parenthood building. He then quickly left the area on foot.
The complaint alleges that law enforcement, acting on several tips, linked the truck to Massengill and ultimately recovered the truck from an individual in Sparland, where Massengill had left it with a request to paint its doors white. After Massengill’s truck was seized, Massengill met with investigators at the Peoria Police Department on Jan. 24 and was taken into custody.
If convicted of the offense, Massengill faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of at least five years and could receive up to 40 years in prison. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois made the announcement.
The FBI Springfield Field Office, Peoria Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna for the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Illinois Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jamie Swanson, age 32, of Colona, Illinois, has been charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on January 19, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, in March 2022, Swanson possessed three firearms after having been convicted of a felony.
If convicted, Swanson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.
Swanson appeared for a detention hearing today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Swanson’s next appearance for trial is set for March 20, 2023.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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 being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Anamosa Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 22-100.
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Honduran Man Arrested in Portland Trafficking Rainbow Fentanyl and Firearms Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Honduran man residing in Portland is facing federal charges after he was arrested moving two kilograms of rainbow-colored fentanyl and several firearms between two Portland-area motels.
Jose Isidro Zuniga Torres, 47, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Tigard Police Department are engaged in an ongoing investigation into the suspected trafficking of illegal narcotics from Mexico for distribution and sale in Oregon and Washington state. To date, law enforcement officials have charged or arrested eight individuals with connections to an international drug trafficking organization and seized more than five kilograms of powdered fentanyl, four and a half kilograms of heroin, three kilograms each of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, 45,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and 12 firearms.
As part of this investigation, on January 23, 2023, investigators were surveilling a motel in Portland when they observed two men, one later identified as Zuniga, exit a room carrying multiple boxes. The two men loaded the boxes and several additional bags into a vehicle and began driving toward another area motel. The investigators followed the vehicle and observed the two men unload the boxes and bags into a room at the second motel.
The next day, on January 24, 2023, investigators executed a federal search warrant on the second motel room. After making entry into the room, Zuniga was arrested without incident. Investigators located and seized more than 2 kilograms of hard, rainbow-colored fentanyl packaged for distribution, 417 grams of counterfeit oxycodone pills (M30s) containing fentanyl, 393 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 49 grams of cocaine, and eight firearms.
Zuniga admitted to possessing most of the drugs found in the motel room. He further told investigators the firearms were to be shipped to Honduras and were wrapped in tinfoil and clothing to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Zuniga made his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is being investigated by the DEA, HSI, and Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hays man sentenced to 15 months in prison for stabbing woman on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Hays man who admitted to stabbing a woman in the back was sentenced today to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tyrell Andrew Laroque, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court allowed Laroque to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
In court documents, the government alleged that in October 2021 on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Laroque attacked a woman and stabbed her in the back as she lay on a bed in a Hays residence. After drinking heavily at his home, and for unknown reasons, Laroque became combative, got into a fight with a relative and held a knife to another relative’s throat while threatening to cut him. After the two relatives left, Laroque found the victim in a basement bedroom and stabbed her in the back, leaving a wound three inches deep. Fort Belknap Tribal Police arrested Laroque and recovered a folding knife from his person.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Belknap Tribal Police.
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Hampden Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child sexual abuse materials.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin MacVicar, 31, to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution. MacVicar pleaded guilty on August 12, 2022.
According to court records, between about February 2015 and February 2021, MacVicar possessed child pornography on his cell phone and electronic storage devices. He had obtained the images and videos from the internet, including by participating in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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H2K Member Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A known gang member pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a Glock pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” (a machine gun), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Tavares Trevon Nelson, 20, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm before U.S. District Judge Annmarie C. Axon.
According to the plea agreement, on November 1, 2022, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) arrested Nelson on an outstanding felony warrant from Jefferson County for Theft of Property, First Degree and Receiving Stolen Property, Second Degree. Nelson had been identified by law enforcement as a core member of a local, violent street gang known as Hard 2 Kill, also known as “H2K.” Birmingham Police Department officers executed a search warrant on Nelson’s apartment. Officers recovered a Glock .45 caliber pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” – a conversion device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man residing in Framingham pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Carmen Jimenez-Cruz, 42, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley, who scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2023. Jimenez-Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022.
In May 2013, Jimenez-Cruz was encountered by federal immigration authorities after he illegally crossed the Mexican border into Texas without being admitted by an immigration officer. He was removed from the United States in June 2013. Sometime after his removal, Jimenez-Cruz illegally reentered the United States and one month later, in July 2013, Jimenez-Cruz was again encountered by federal immigration authorities in Texas after having entered the United States without inspection. He was removed from the United States for the second time shortly thereafter in July 2013.
On an unknown date and place, Jimenez-Cruz illegally reentered the United States again. In April 2019, federal immigration authorities located Jimenez-Cruz at the Middlesex County House of Correction where he was being held pretrial on unrelated state charges. According to court records, in May 2022, Jimenez-Cruz was convicted of strangulation/suffocation and assault and battery on a family/household member and was sentenced to an 11-month split sentence followed by probation until May 2023. Upon completion of his sentence, Jimenez-Cruz was released from state prison without notification to federal immigration authorities.
Jimenez-Cruz was later located in September 2022 upon him being identified as a passenger during a motor vehicle stop in Framingham. Jimenez-Cruz was taken into custody. Fingerprints obtained from Jimenez-Cruz during his booking process were confirmed as an identical match to a prior removal verification document.
The charge provides for a maximum sentence of two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning Charged with Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Shawn Denning, the Chief of the Greensburg (Pennsylvania) Police Department, has been arrested and charged with violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced.
The six-count Criminal Complaint charging Denning, age 41, of Delmont, Pennsylvania, was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Pittsburgh. Denning was arrested Wednesday morning at the Greensburg Police Department and made an initial appearance by video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly. Judge Kelly released the defendant on a $250,000 unsecured bond.
According to the Criminal Complaint, Denning is charged with: • Count One: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around November 2021; • Count Two: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around February 2022; • Count Three: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around January 2022 through February 2022; • Count Four: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around May 2022; • Count Five: Aiding and abetting the attempted distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in and around July 2022; and
• Count Six: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute quantities of Schedule II controlled substances (methamphetamine and cocaine), in and around June 2021 through October 2022.The complaint alleges that Denning facilitated the acquisition of cocaine and methamphetamine by Confidential Source 1 (CS1) multiple times over a 16-month period between June 2021 and October 2022. The drugs were sourced in California and Arizona, then delivered to CS1 via the United States mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gaffney Man Who Crushed Officer with His Car Sentenced to over 34 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Cornelius Mayberry, 41, of Gaffney, was sentenced to more than 34 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Brandy Scates, 37, also of Gaffney, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on May 3, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sting operation at a motel in Cherokee County and arrested Mayberry with two kilograms of methamphetamine. A search of Mayberry’s residence revealed another kilogram of methamphetamine, a bag of fentanyl, three firearms, and ammunition. Mayberry was initially charged by the State and made bond.
On August 27, 2018, a Homeland Security task force officer and a Cherokee County captain were conducting surveillance in the case and made a traffic stop of a vehicle Mayberry was driving. The task force officer advised Mayberry that Mayberry had outstanding federal warrants. Mayberry resisted arrest and struggled against the task force officer. The captain crawled into the back of the SUV, attempting to restrain Mayberry from behind. Mayberry drove the SUV forward, with the task force officer’s torso in the driver’s side window, and knocked the captain out of the SUV on to the ground. The vehicle hit a ditch and flipped onto the task force officer, crushing his legs.
Mayberry climbed out of the flipped SUV—stepping on top of the pinned task force officer—and began to fight the captain. The captain was able to put Mayberry in handcuffs but had to release Mayberry to call for help for the task force officer, who was still pinned and significantly injured under the SUV. Mayberry came into federal custody on April 4, 2019, and he has remained in custody since.
Evidence presented to the Court regarding Brandi Scates showed that in 2018, Scates conspired with Mayberry to distribute methamphetamine and was found in possession of 196.8 grams of methamphetamine on August 21, 2018.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Those who put them in harm’s way in the course of committing other crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are grateful to HSI and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for their work in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“This verdict sends a strong message, that those who sell and distribute this poison in our communities or target law enforcement officers will be held accountable,” said Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of HSI Charlotte, which covers North and South Carolina. “Thanks to the great work of the agents and officers involved in this case and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our community is much safer.”
“This is a great example of a partnership between local and federal agencies working together to remove major distributors of illegal narcotics from our neighborhoods,” said Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller. “These career drug dealers will no longer have the ability to push poison on our streets after receiving these lengthy prison sentences. We are grateful for the work of all involved to help secure the lengthy prison sentences, which should send a message to others in our community who choose to push poison on our streets: you could be next.”
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Mayberry to 414 months in prison, to be followed by court-ordered supervision. Judge Hendricks sentenced Scates to 120 months in prison, to be followed by court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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