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24 January 2023
34-Year-Old Omaha Man Sentenced in Nearly $1 Million Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kevin L. Brown, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for one count of Conspiracy to Interfere with Interstate Commerce by way of Robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Brown was previously convicted in federal court for one of the robberies that was part of this conspiracy.
United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Brown to a term of 161 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. Brown received credit for his prior term of imprisonment of 33 months, for a remaining sentence of 128 months. There is no parole in the federal system.
Brown’s co-defendant, Charles Ware, was sentenced in federal court on December 15, 2022, to a term of 170 months in federal prison, followed by a term of five years of supervised release. Brown and Ware were part of a conspiracy to rob federally insured banks across Nebraska. Brown was responsible for 10 armed bank robberies and Ware was responsible for 9 armed bank robberies. The evidence showed that the defendants purchased a high quality “old man mask,” that gave them the appearance of being an elderly Caucasian male when first entering the banks. After the initial robber would enter the bank in the mask, then co-conspirators would rush into the bank after the decoy robber in the mask took initial control of the bank employees. Once inside the bank, one of the defendants would jump the teller counter in a “takeover”-style bank robbery and proceed to the bank vaults. The defendants typically used stolen vehicles to drive to the bank robberies to help disassociate themselves from the robberies and evade law enforcement detection. Ultimately, the defendants robbed Nebraska banks of $959,147.68 combined between June 1, 2015 and June 22, 2018. Restitution for the bank victims will be determined at a future hearing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Lincoln Police Department.
23 January 2023
“Coyote” Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Transportation of Noncitizens and Refusal to Release Passengers After Demanding More PaymentRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A human smuggler (also known as a “coyote”) was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for unlawful transportation of noncitizens without status in the United States, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On Sept. 28, 2022, Mateo Gomez Gonzalez, 29, of Mexico, was arrested at a gas station near Dunnigan, California, and has been held in federal custody in Sacramento. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2022.
According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2022, a concerned resident of Sacramento called law enforcement to report that his relative and a friend were being held over a payment dispute in a human smuggling operation. The driver of a vehicle involved in the transport of Mexican citizens to the United States was threatening to drop the relative and family friend at an unknown stash house rather than to the awaiting family members if additional payment was not made. Acting on the tip, law enforcement met the vehicle at a gas station, discovered four passengers in the vehicle who did not have lawful status in the United States, and arrested the driver, Gomez.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Denise Yasinow prosecuted the case.
Venezuelan Man Sentenced for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a false identification document bearing someone else’s name and social security number was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison.
Franklin Sosa-Jimenez, age 33, a citizen of Venezuela illegally present in the United States and residing in West Liberty, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 23, 2022, guilty plea to one count of unlawful possession of an identification document.
At the guilty plea, Sosa-Jimenez admitted he knowingly possessed a fraudulent Social Security card. When Sosa-Jimenez was encountered by the United States Border Patrol in Texas on April 24, 2022, after illegally entering the United States, he was told to report to an Immigration Office near to his final destination. When Sosa-Jimenez reported to the ICE office in Cedar Rapids on October 26, 2022, Sosa-Jimenez had his Venezuelan identification card bearing his true name and picture. He also possessed a fraudulent Social Security Card and a fraudulent California identification card bearing someone else’s name. These are the types of documents required to show authorization to work in the United States. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The social security card contained a social security number that was assigned to the name on the card, a real person. The California identification card and an employee identification card for an Iowa business each bore Sosa-Jimenez’s picture. Sosa-Jimenez also had partially completed employment paperwork including an Immigration Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form and state and federal W-4 tax forms, all in someone else’s name.
Sosa-Jimenez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Sosa-Jimenez was sentenced to 78 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sosa-Jimenez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-0089.
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U.S. Marshals Arrested More Than 75,000 Fugitives in 2022Read the Press Release
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 75,846 fugitives (28,324 on federal and 47,522 on state and local warrants) in Fiscal Year 2022. On average, the agency arrested 303 fugitives per day (based on 250 operational days).
That number breaks down as follows:
- Sex offenders – 9,911 (Sex offenses include sexual assault, failure to register/noncompliance with the national sex offender registry and other offenses.)
- Gang members – 5,189
- Homicide suspects – 5,759
- International/foreign fugitives – 1,496 (A foreign fugitive is wanted by a foreign nation and believed to be in the United States.)
- Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program fugitives – 986 (OCDETF cases combine the resources and expertise of numerous federal agencies to target drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.)
- Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act violations – 248 (AWA categorizes sex offenders into a three-tiered system based on the crime committed and requires offenders to maintain their registration information accordingly. For example, Tier 3 offenders – the most serious – must update their whereabouts every three months with lifetime registration requirements.)
- “15 Most Wanted” fugitives – 2
Additionally, the USMS seized more than 6,200 firearms during numerous violence reduction and counter gang operations in FY22.
In July 2022, USMS conducted a fugitive apprehension initiative aimed at combating violent crime in 10 cities with a significant number of homicides and shootings. Using its broad arrest authority and network of partners, USMS focused on the most dangerous criminals causing the most harm in those cities. This 30-day initiative, called Operation North Star, resulted in the arrest of 1,501 individuals, including 230 wanted for homicide and 131 for sexual assault, in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. These efforts have contributed to the notable violence reduction accomplishments of our local law enforcement partners and communities in the 10 cities.
“Across the country, neighborhoods are safer because the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended 300 dangerous fugitives nearly every day in 2022,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Together with our state and local law enforcement partners, U.S. Marshals upheld the rule of law.”
“I wish to thank the extraordinary women and men of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as our state and local partners for their tireless work to make our communities safe,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis. “The impact of these arrests goes beyond contributing to statistics. Every fugitive arrested for a violent offense, helps support violence reduction and brings justice to families impacted by that violence.”
Total fugitives cleared: 95,425
- State and local warrants – 61,161
- Federal warrants – 34,264
The number of warrants cleared nearly always exceeds the number of arrests in a given year because fugitives are often wanted on numerous warrants, and a single arrest can clear them all at once.
The USMS has a long history of providing assistance and expertise to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. The USMS leads 56 fugitive task forces (representing more than 1,500 law enforcement agencies) throughout the United States and eight regional fugitive task forces. Staffed by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, USMS-led task forces target the most dangerous fugitives.
Notable Arrests in FY2022
On Feb. 23, 2022, the USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 15 Most Wanted fugitive Nyjell Outler, alleged to have shot one man and killed another while attending a gender reveal party March 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C. At the time of the shooting, Outler wore an ankle monitor and was on pre-trial release for a gun charge involving an AK-47 style rifle.
On May 9, 2022, a multi-state, USMS-led manhunt for escaped Alabama prisoner Casey White and his alleged accomplice Vicky White culminated in his arrest in Indiana. USMS investigators used their network of state and local partnerships and expertise to track the couple and bring the fugitive to justice once again. The 11-day ordeal garnered significant national media coverage and highlighted the fugitive investigative prowess of USMS.
On Aug. 30, 2022, USMS 15 Most Wanted fugitive Raymond McLeod, 37, wanted by the San Diego Police Department for the 2016 murder of 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell, was taken into custody by El Salvadoran law enforcement authorities without incident. McLeod confirmed his identity to members of the U.S. Marshals team and members of the U.S. Embassy, who were on the ground with the El Salvadoran local and national police when they took him into custody. Authorities had received a tip that McLeod had been teaching English at a school in Sonsonate.
Finding Missing Children
In May 2015, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was passed and clarified the USMS’ discretionary authority to support law enforcement requests for assistance on any missing child cases. As such, the USMS assists state, local and other federal law enforcement agencies, upon request, in locating and recovering missing children, while focusing agency resources on “critically missing child” cases – those that involve a suspected crime of violence or where factors are identified by law enforcement that indicates an elevated risk to a missing child. In FY 2022, the USMS assisted in the location or recovery of 424 missing children. Since the passage of the JVTA, the USMS has contributed to the location or recovery of more than 2,700 missing children.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners to combat human trafficking in all its forms.
“Human trafficking is an assault on the dignity and freedom of the men, women, and children who fall victim to it,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office – along with our federal, state, and local partners – remains committed to making our state a more dangerous place for traffickers to operate and a safer place for trafficking survivors. We thank the law enforcement agencies and service providers who partner with us, and we look forward to continuing in this work.”
In the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of its law enforcement partners, prosecuted the following noteworthy cases:
United States v. Robinson, Crim. No. 2:21-cr-211-RMG. Brian Lydell Robinson, from Charleston, was convicted of extorting a victim for money and sex and for impersonating a federal law enforcement officer. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision. According to evidence presented in court, Robinson threatened the victim by telling her that she would be prosecuted, which would ruin her reputation, unless she assisted in an undercover operation against an alleged sex trafficker who was, in fact, Robinson. In truth there was no investigation, and Robinson used the scheme to extort money and sex from his victim by posing as the trafficker under investigation, the investigator, and a defense lawyer.
United States v. Watson et. al. , Crim. No 3:20-cr-492-JFA. Brian Leroy Watson, a/k/a “Lil B,” of Blythewood, was convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. Numerous witnesses told the FBI that Watson manipulated the withdrawal symptoms and drug dependence of women to obtain commercial sex for his financial gain. When a victim disclosed to law enforcement that Watson sexually assaulted her, he denied it, and instead said he was prostituting her. Advertisements linked to Watson’s phone provided evidence that he was advertising the victim while she was a minor. Evidence demonstrated Watson knew the victim was a minor. Watson’s sentencing is pending and he faces up to Life in prison. His co-defendant, Ryan Darian Grover, was convicted of human trafficking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
United States v. Grow et. al. , Crim. No. 4:21-cr-173-SAL. In this multi-defendant case that stretched across multiple states, four defendants were convicted of sex trafficking of minors and related offenses. The defendants included three from the Myrtle Beach area. According to evidence presented in court, the lead defendant, Hart William Grow, communicated with at least 23 minors in this scheme where he gained the trust of minor victims online by purporting to be interested in a relationship. Grow forced minor victims to produce sexually explicit photos and videos with adult men, after which Grow would collect the files. His victims were in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, along with others in South Carolina and across the country. Grow was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison and co-defendant Theodore Woolings Bye received a sentence of 24 years, both to be followed by lifetime supervision by the federal court.
United States v. Thomas, Crim. No. 4:21-cr-554-SAL. Johnny Ricardo Thomas, from North Carolina, was convicted of coercing 15- and 16-year-old minors to engage in prostitution in the Myrtle Beach area. According to evidence presented, Thomas knew his victims were minors, and he would threaten one minor victim that he would sell her, slice off her toes, or something worse if she did not participate in commercial sex. Thomas was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison to be followed by lifetime supervision.
United States v. Garland et al., Crim. No. 8:20-cr-0452-SAL. Following the conviction of eight defendants on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor charges – two lead defendants and six customers – Gary Garland and Shannon Garland, a husband and wife from Anderson, were sentenced to 35 years and 26.5 years in federal prison respectively, to be followed by lifetime supervision. The lead defendants forced two minor victims to participate in more than 300 commercial sex encounters, provided illegal drugs to the minor victims, and made their victims completely dependent on the Garlands for survival. Other participants in the sex trafficking conspiracy were also sentenced to prison time.
United States v. Balcazar et al., Crim. No. 3:21-cr-834-SAL. In this labor trafficking case, a father, daughter, and their labor contracting business, all from Lexington, were convicted of forced labor, fraud in foreign labor trafficking, and confiscation of passports related to labor trafficking. According to evidence presented in court, the defendants enticed seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico to work on South Carolina farms through false and fraudulent pretenses. Once the victim employees arrived in South Carolina, they were subject to high levels of control, passport confiscation, underpayment, and inadequate housing conditions. The defendants are awaiting sentencing.
United States v. Jones, et. al. , Crim. No. 3:22-cr-726-SAL. A federal grand jury in Columbia indicted Eric Rashun Jones, a/k/a “E Dolla,” a/k/a “E,” from Newberry, and Brittany Danielle Cromer, from Greenville, on multiple sex trafficking charges involving numerous victims. The grand jury also charged defendants with human trafficking conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and witness tampering for interference in the human trafficking investigation. Jones is detained pending the outcome of the case, and both defendants face up to life in prison. All charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
To report a tip or ask for help, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Armed Carjacking in Mall Parking LotRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for the armed carjacking of a woman in a mall parking lot, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Leon Kismit Bell, 49, and Jack Mitchell Piche, 23, both pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting carjacking and were sentenced January 20, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. Bell received 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Piche was sentenced to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, On February 16, 2022, Piche and Bell intentionally took a car by means of force from a victim in the parking lot of the Rosedale Mall in Roseville. As the victim drove around the parking lot looking for a place to park, Piche and Bell followed the victim’s car. Piche and Bell waited for the victim to get out of the car and then approached. As Piche was watching out, Bell went up to the victim, brandished a gun, and demanded her car keys. After the victim said that her car keys were in her purse, Bell took her purse, which also contained her cell phone and wallet. Piche and Bell then fled from the mall parking lot before law enforcement arrived. Further investigation led law enforcement to a location in south Minneapolis where Piche was taken into custody. The stolen vehicle was found a few blocks away from where Piche was arrested. On May 3, 2022, law enforcement located and arrested Bell.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Roseville Police Department, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs.
Toronto Gambler Sentenced for Falsifying Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Canadian national was sentenced in federal court here Friday to serve 30 months in prison and pay $1,771,011.67 in restitution for making false statements on income tax returns.
According to court documents, William Henry Woo, 67, of Toronto submitted duplicate and inflated refund requests to the IRS Service Center in Austin as a Canadian citizen seeking automatically withheld gambling winnings. In doing so, he defrauded the U.S. Department of Treasury of nearly $1.8 million in tax refund money from 2006 to 2010. Woo pleaded guilty to two counts of the nine-count indictment brought against him in October 2022.
“Mr. Woo, who admitted his addiction to gambling, lost his biggest bet,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “He got caught on his gamble that he could cheat the U.S. government on his taxes. I appreciate the work of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) to investigate Mr. Woo’s deceitful conduct, allowing our system to deliver justice.”
“Fraud schemes against the IRS will not be tolerated, as stealing from the Nation’s treasury is stealing from every American, and Woo’s sentencing today concretely shows the severity of his crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS CI’s Houston Field Office. “As the 2023 filing season begins, IRS-CI Special Agents remain committed to investigating, quickly stopping, and recommending for criminal prosecution all frauds against the IRS including abusive tax schemes, return preparer fraud, and stolen identity refund fraud.”
IRS CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.
CI’s Houston Field Office encompasses the U.S. District Court’s Southern and Western districts of Texas. CI special agents work a variety of cases, emphasizing traditional tax-related crimes such as employment tax, corporate fraud, identity theft, unscrupulous return preparers and general fraud. The Houston Field Office also provides crucial support to task forces involving counterterrorism, public corruption, human trafficking, drugs and complex money laundering violations. Report tax fraud and learn more about CI by visiting https://www.irs.gov/criminalinvestigation
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Three More Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accidents in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking CompaniesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LUCINDA THOMAS (“THOMAS”), age 67; MARY WADE (“WADE”), age 58; and JUDY WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 62, all of Houma, Louisiana, were sentenced on January 19, 2023 for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to documents filed in federal court, on June 6, 2017, THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and co-defendant Dashontae Young (“Young”) drove from Houma, LA, to meet with Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), for the purpose of staging an automobile accident in order to obtain money through fraud. After their meeting, THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young agreed to allow Labeaud to drive THOMAS’ 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche vehicle. The defendants then drove around the vicinity of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road of New Orleans until they located a 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by an Arkansas trucking company. At approximately 12:30 P.M., Labeaud intentionally collided with the tractor-trailer. Labeaud then exited THOMAS’ vehicle and instructed THOMAS to get behind the wheel of THOMAS’ Avalanche to make it appear that THOMAS was driving the vehicle at the time of the staged accident.
THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young contacted the NOPD and falsely reported that THOMAS had been the driver of the Avalanche and that the tractor-trailer had struck her vehicle. Labeaud then returned to the scene and also made false statements to the NOPD that he had witnessed the accident and that the driver of the tractor-trailer had been at fault.
Before and after the staged accident, Labeaud contacted attorney Patrick Keating (“Keating”) and arranged a meeting with THOMAS, WADE, WILLIAMS, and Young at a fast food restaurant on Chef Menteur Highway. Keating then filed two lawsuits in state court that were removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
THOMAS, WADE, and WILLIAMS each admitted to providing false testimony in various depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuits filed by Keating. Ultimately, but only after a year of pursuing their fraudulent lawsuits, did THOMAS, WADE, and WILLIAMS settle their cases for $7,500.00 each.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced THOMAS, WADE, and WILIAMS to 5 years probation, $43,000.00 in restitution, and $100.00 special assessment fee. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2023 and Damian Labeaud is scheduled for sentencing on May 25, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long.
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Three Indicted for Stealing More Than $32,000 in High-End GoodsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three men from the Washington, D.C., area have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for stealing thousands of items from a high-end outlet store in Wrentham, Mass.
Linworth Hayes Crawford III, 28; Ronald Patterson, 32; and Nathaniel Owens, 32, were indicted on conspiracy and transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. The defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint in December 2021.
On the evening of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford III, Patterson and Owens allegedly traveled from the Washington D.C. area to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts. It is alleged that, in the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2021, the defendants and another unidentified individual smashed the front door of the Gucci outlet store, went inside and took approximately $32,000 in high-end merchandise. The defendants then left the store and drove back to the Washington D.C. area.
According to court documents, phone records show the defendants travelling from the Washington D.C. area through Connecticut to Wrentham prior to the burglary and that they were identified on video surveillance seeking a replacement tire at a Town Fair Tire in Connecticut in the early morning hours of Sept. 16, 2021. Later that day, it is alleged that the defendants were identified on video surveillance at the Wrentham Outlets prior to the burglary in the same vehicle and in the same clothing as seen in the Town Fair Tire surveillance footage. According to court documents, police reports indicate that the vehicle was involved in a number of shopliftings in Virginia.
Additionally, on Sept. 17, 2021, Patterson allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the Gucci bags stolen during the burglary earlier that day.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods across state lines provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and the Wrentham Police Chief William R. McGrath made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Shooting up Gas StationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri to 6 ½ years in prison for firing a shooting at a St. Louis gas station in 2021.
Jamell Sanders, 47, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Jan. 15, 2021 at the Convenience Express at 8815 North Broadway in St. Louis, he fired into the ceiling and again into bulletproof glass surrounding the register. He admitted firing the 10mm handgun again in the parking lot.
A Monday’s hearing, prosecutors said Sanders tried to get behind the counter where two employees were located, then tried to fire through the cash slot. Sanders pointed the gun at a man as Sanders left the store, then fired shots at a car outside, a sentencing memorandum says.
Police arrested Sanders when he returned to the gas station with his children. Officers recovered 12 cartridge casings at the scene.
In 1992, when he was 17 years old, an angry Sanders fired a shot that went through a bathroom window and struck a 21-month-old in the head, killing him, according to statements during Monday’s sentencing hearing. Sanders was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Still photo from a surveillance video in a sentencing memorandum from the U.S. Attorney's office.X
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Still photo from a surveillance video in a sentencing memorandum from the U.S. Attorney's office.Scranton Tax Preparer Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Defrauding Taxpayers of More Than $250,000Read the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 18, 2023, Donald Royce, age 46, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for defrauding taxpayers of more than $250,000.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on May 16, 2017, Royce was indicted on one count of mail fraud and eight counts of filing fraudulent tax forms. Following indictment, Royce alleged he was incompetent to stand trial due to a head injury that he claimed occurred in August 2013. Between 2019 and 2021, Royce was evaluated by numerous medical professionals to assess his claims of traumatic brain injury. Evaluators reported that Royce presented with “cave-man” speech and claimed he was unable to understand his charges or assist his attorney in his defense. Following a two-year delay in the prosecution of his case, the Court held a competency hearing on November 22, 2022, where a neuropsychologist testified that there was no medical basis for Royce’s allegations. Based on the medical evidence that Royce was malingering—or faking his symptoms—Judge Mariani found Royce competent to stand trial.
Royce pleaded guilty on March 7, 2022, to one count of mail fraud charge and one count of tax fraud. In pleading guilty, Royce admitted that, as a tax preparer working in Scranton, he defrauded a number of local taxpayers in 2014. After providing the victim taxpayers with a “client copy” of their tax return that showed the correct refund amount, Royce submitted fraudulent tax returns to the IRS that inflated the refund due. After the IRS sent the refund to Royce, the defendant kept the difference between the legitimate refund amount and the higher fraudulent amount for his own personal use. In one case, Royce instructed the victim clients to provide him with their tax payment and instead forwarding the payment to the IRS, Royce kept the payment for himself. Due to Royce’s actions, his victims suffered more than $250,000 in losses.
At the time of sentencing, Judge Mariani found that Royce’s intentional actions to feign incompetency amounted to obstruction of justice which increased his sentencing guidelines exposure. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge Mariani imposed a three-year term of supervised release to be served upon release from prison. The Court further ordered that money seized from Royce be used to pay more than $336,000 in restitution to over forty victims and the IRS, and that Royce must forfeit over $155,000 in proceeds of his crimes.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Santee Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Alitia Tikluk, 29, of Santee, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Tikluk to 120 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 9, 2022, probation officers entered Tikluk’s Santee residence. She was on probation for a 2021 conviction for possession of a controlled substance. When officers entered Tikluk’s residence, they located two digital scales and methamphetamine spread among multiples baggies. Tikluk admitted it was her methamphetamine and that she sold drugs. Laboratory testing confirmed there was approximately 190 grams of actual methamphetamine and 699 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, and the Santee Sioux Nation Tribal Police.
St. Croix Man Arrested on 2004 Florida WarrantRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today Edelfonso Garcia, 45, of St. Croix appeared before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III on for his initial appearance hearing after being arrested on a 2004 firearms possession warrant from the Florida. Garcia waived his detention and preliminary hearing and agreed to be returned to Florida to face charges.
According to court documents, Garcia was convicted in 2001 in Florida on the charge of possession of a firearm within a school zone and was placed on 5 years of probation. In 2004, an arrest warrant was issued by the Middle District of Florida, after Garcia violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release after being charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary and criminal mischief. Locally, Garcia was arrested by the Virgin Islands Police Department after they executed a search warrant in Pepper Tree Terrace and recovered live ammunition and illegal drugs.
The Virgin Island Police Department and U.S. Marshals are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from Former Intelligence OfficerRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017 and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
McGonigal is charged with concealing material facts and with six counts of making false statements, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. McGonigal is also charged with two counts of falsification of records and documents, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office is investigating the case, with significant assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from an Outside SourceRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal Arrested in New York
WASHINGTON - Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Donald Alway, and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017, and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
“Covering up your contacts with foreign nationals and hiding your personal financial relationships is a gateway to corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The FBI should be commended for handling the delicate and difficult task of investigating a former executive. This investigation demonstrates their commitment to act as an impartial enforcer of the law. The FBI and the Department will guard the best interests of the United States and hold to account those who make false statements and try to deceive the Bureau.”
“Mr. McGonigal betrayed his solemn oath to the United States in exchange for personal gain and at the expense of our national security,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Alway. “A senior FBI executive at the time, McGonigal is alleged to have committed the very violations he swore to investigate while he purported to lead a workforce of FBI employees who spend their careers protecting secrets and holding foreign adversaries accountable. Agents in my office, with the support of agents in Washington, D.C. and New York, vigorously pursued a former colleague without bias.”
“As an FBI agent, Charles McGonigal took an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “In betrayal of that oath, McGonigal is alleged to have received money from a businessman with foreign business interests, to have concealed these payments, and to have lied about related foreign contacts and travel. Integrity is one of the FBI’s core values and we hold our own to the highest standards.”
The charge of falsification of records and documents carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of making false statements carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Registered Sex Offender Arrested on New ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gregory Pum, 47, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography after having previously been convicted of a sexual offense. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2014, Pum was convicted of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child less than 16 Years of Age, and sentenced to 10 years’ probation. In July 2014, Pum violated his probation and was resentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison. He was paroled in May 2015 and placed on the sex offender registry. In May 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report that 29 files of suspected child pornography had been uploaded to an account belong to Pum. NCMEC alerted the New York State Police, who subsequently learned of seven additional CyberTips Google submitted, all of which traced back to Pum. On June 10, 2022, NYSP investigators executed a search warrant at Pum’s residence, seizing several digital devices, including cell phones and tablets. A preliminary forensic review recovered approximately 20 images and five videos containing child pornography.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Readout of Meeting between the Department of Justice and the Central Bureau of Investigation of IndiaRead the Press Release
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, together with colleagues from the Consumer Protection Branch and the FBI, met last week with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials in New Delhi to discuss deepening and expanding efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and transnational call center fraud, a shared law enforcement priority.
In their meetings, the parties highlighted the continued strengthening of cooperation in combating these types of crimes that has occurred since their last meeting in October 2021, including successful efforts to secure the testimony of U.S. victims of call center fraud for use in enforcement proceedings against the alleged perpetrators in India, as well as the seizure of evidence and arrests of individuals in India allegedly involved in cyber-enabled financial crimes and global telemarketing frauds and identified, in part, through information provided with the assistance of U.S. law enforcement.
The parties reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continued cooperation in addressing dynamic and evolving technology-based crimes by building upon the experience gained through recent efforts and further refining processes for the exchange of information, in order to ensure the safety of citizens of both the United States and India.
Officials from the Justice Department's Civil Division, FBI, and India's Central Bureau of Investigation meet in New Dehli. Left to right: Dawn Rizzo (Assistant Legal Attaché, FBI); Richard Goldberg (Deputy Director, Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch); Jason Feldman (Trial Attorney, Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch); Kevin Gallagher (Supervisory Special Agent, FBI, Washington Field Office); Suhel Daud (Legal Attaché, FBI); CBI official; Arun Rao (Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Civil Division); Rachel Yurkovich (Management and Program Analyst, FBI); Lovjit Curran (Assistant Legal Attaché, FBI); Ronald Miller (Special Agent, FBI, Washington Field Office)Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to Florida and GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Late last week, Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco was in Florida and Georgia to showcase how the Department of Justice is using intelligence and technology-driven methods to reduce violent crime, protect our communities, and prepare the next generation of law enforcement leaders.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the Deputy AG visited the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). She was accompanied by Director Steve Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for a roundtable discussion with state, local, and federal law enforcement leaders whose agencies contribute to and benefit from the CGIC’s real-time intelligence. The Jacksonville CGIC is a nationwide leader in using crime gun intelligence to identify the most violent criminals and take shooters off the streets.
While in Jacksonville, Deputy AG Monaco also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, where she met with U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg and his leadership team, held an “all-hands” meeting with all district personnel, and was briefed on the district’s ongoing casework and community outreach.
The Deputy AG spent Friday at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia, visiting with new trainees for the ATF and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). She delivered remarks to the ATF’s 238th graduating class and reiterated that “now, more than ever, the ATF represents modern policing at its best” through its innovative use of technology — such as the ATF’s newly created Emerging Threats Unit (ETU) to target new technologies that threaten public safety — and through the investments it has made in crime gun intelligence with its National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.
Before they swore their oath of office, the Deputy AG told the new Special Agents that:
“Your job is now the core mission of the Department of Justice: to keep our country safe, uphold the rule of law, and protect civil rights. The professionals of ATF come from diverse backgrounds, but you have one thing in common — you are dedicated to protecting the public.”
Deputy AG Monaco also spent time with the graduates and their families and observed demonstrations of the arson and explosives investigative techniques that ATF Special Agents learn during their specialized training.
The Deputy AG met with Deputy U.S. Marshal candidates and observed various tactical exercises, including on the use of force and firearms techniques. She saw firsthand how Deputy U.S. Marshals train to protect the judiciary and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives, all while upholding the rule of law nationwide.
Finally, the Deputy AG met with leadership from the Department of Homeland Security, which manages FLETC, to thank them for their continued commitment to excellence in law enforcement.
Law enforcement roundtable at the ATF CGIC Demonstrations of the arson and explosives investigative techniques that ATF Special Agents learn during their specialized training Deputy Attorney General Monaco meeting with Deputy U.S. Marshal candidates Observing various tactical exercises by the U.S. MarshalsPrinceton Man Sentenced to 8 Years and 9 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Princeton, KY, man was sentenced today to 8 years and 9 months in prison, followed by a 4-year term of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Tracy White of the Todd County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Rodney Ware, 58, possessed with the intent to distribute 15.51 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine in Todd County, KY, on August 8, 2020. Ware also possessed a High Standard (JC Higgins) 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun after having previously been convicted of the felony offenses of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana while armed, and tampering with physical evidence. Ware was also sentenced for violating the National Firearms Act for possessing a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Marquise Thomas (34, Port Charlotte) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing and accessing with the intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Thomas to a life term of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Thomas had been found guilty after a bench trial on May 20, 2022.
According to court documents, Thomas possessed and accessed with the intent to view images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of minors. On January 24, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thomas’s home and seized his laptop computers and his cellphone. A subsequent forensic analysis of the electronics revealed more than 100 images and 35 videos of children being sexually abused. Thomas had saved the images on his cellphone, and the forensic analysis recovered the videos of the sexual abuse of children that Thomas had accessed with the intent to view before deleting them on his laptops.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes participation from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pinellas County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced David Jacob Mitchell (38, Treasure Island) to 50 years to in federal prison for production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and for sending obscene material to a minor, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. The court also ordered Mitchell to forfeit electronic devices utilized in the crimes, pay restitution to the victims, and register as a sex offender. Mitchell had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2022.
According to court documents, in October 2017, Mitchell communicated with a minor and coerced and enticed her into producing images of child sexual abuse material. Between October 2021 and April 2022, Mitchell communicated with an undercover detective whom he believed to be a 13–14-year-old-girl and sent images and videos of himself masturbating. He encouraged the fictitious minor to send images and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Mitchell also sent the fictitious minor videos of children being sexually abused. Law enforcement ultimately searched Mitchell’s cellphone and recovered images and videos of prepubescent minors being sexually abused.
“Young children do not always understand or realize the internet is a dangerous place where sexual predators target and exploit their innocence,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The investigative efforts of our HSI special agents and the Hernando Police Department, Mississippi, stopped this deviant from continuing to victimize our children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, and the Hernando Police Department in Mississippi. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Philadelphia Man Brought Distribution-Size Quantities of Heroin to Greater Pittsburgh AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Carlos Regalado, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin from September of 2018 through October of 2019, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV. Regalado is one of 19 defendants charged in the Indictment returned in this case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a heroin trafficking organization, of which Regalado was a member, that operated throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. Beginning in February of 2019 and continuing through September of 2019, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Regalado transported distribution-size quantities of heroin from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for distribution. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized heroin, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Regalado remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Regalado.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Pennsylvania man sentenced for traveling across state lines to engage in sex with a minorRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Monessen, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for traveling from his home to have sex with a child from Bridgeport, West Virginia.
According to court documents, Mark Sassak, Jr., age 38, began talking with whom he believed to be a 15-year-old female through a social media app. That conversation continued through text messages on his cell phone for several weeks. Sassak then asked for an in-person meeting to have sex with the 15-year-old. Sassak drove from his home in Pennsylvania to a location in Bridgeport, West Virginia in October 2020 for said meeting, where law enforcement arrested him. When a search of Sassak’s cell phone was done, officers found multiple chats with suspected minors and child pornographic videos.
After a three-day trial in December 2021, Sassak was found guilty of one count of “Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor” and one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.”
The Bridgeport Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Perri and Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Owners of Mobile Phlebotomy Company Plead Guilty to $ 7 Million Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabriella Santibanez, 58, and her sister Lisa Hazard, 54, both of Temecula, California, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit over $7 million in health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Dec, 1, 2015, and Dec, 1, 2020, Santibanez and Hazard ran a mobile phlebotomy company, PhlebXpress Inc. that provided phlebotomy and other medical collection services at patients’ homes and long-term care facilities in Sacramento and elsewhere. Santibanez and Hazard agreed to bill Medicare for services provided that were not reimbursable by Medicare. Santibanez and Hazard also agreed to bill Medicare for overstated mileage that PhlebXpress phlebotomists traveled. On average, Santibanez and Hazard caused false billing to Medicare of over 140 miles for each patient seen by PhlebXpress. Santibanez and Hazard caused a loss to Medicare of at least $7.5 million based on false billing by PhlebXpress.
In November 2020, due to “credible allegations of fraud” at PhlebXpress, Medicare instituted a payment suspension for PhlebXpress under which Medicare ceased paying PhlebXpress for the services it continued to bill Medicare.
According to court documents, between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, Santibanez and Hazard agreed to circumvent the payment suspension by representing to Medicare that services provided to Medicare patients were done by another company, Phlebotomy Solutions, when they were in fact being provided by PhlebXpress through its contractors and employees from PhlebXpress’s offices. Through Phlebotomy Solutions, Santibanez and Hazard agreed to bill Medicare for a non-reimbursable service, misrepresenting that it was for another reimbursable service and overstating the mileage traveled by phlebotomists in order to receive additional money from Medicare. For example, in September 2021, Phlebotomy Solutions billed Medicare for 124.6 miles of travel by a phlebotomist when in fact the phlebotomist travelled 1.4 miles. Santibanez and Hazard caused a loss to Medicare of at least $50,000 based on false billing by Phlebotomy Solutions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Bickley is prosecuting the case.
Santibanez and Hazard are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on May 1, 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Organizer of Armed Jewelry Store Robbery Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorney Mario J. Peia (619) 546-9706
SAN DIEGO – A street gang member who led and organized an armed robbery was sentenced in federal court today to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty in April to one count of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery.
According to his plea agreement, Trenelle Cannon, a member of the O’Farrell Park Criminal Street Gang, admitted that he and other individuals agreed to rob the Alpha and Omega Jewelry Store in National City at gunpoint. Other individuals entered the store, pointed a gun at the store clerk, smashed the jewelry cases open, and placed jewelry into bags before fleeing the store with the stolen property.
While Cannon never entered the store, he admitted to having a leading and organizing role in the conspiracy. His leadership included instructing other individuals on what materials to obtain for the armed robbery and instructing them on what to do during the robbery. Cannon also provided the gun used and actively worked to sell the sell the stolen merchandise afterwards.
“We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute not only those who commit the violent crimes, but those who organize, aid, and support the crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and FBI for their excellent work on this case.
“Mr. Cannon didn’t just commit this crime, he organized and planned it for his accomplices to help carry out,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to keeping our communities safe by finding, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations one person at a time. Today’s sentencing represents the unwavering teamwork between the FBI and our law enforcement partners to see that dangerous criminals are no longer a danger to the public.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr2938-WQH
Trenelle Cannon Age: 23 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in Prison
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National City Police Department
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identities to Apply for More Than $1 Million in COVID Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) benefits – and receiving more than $400,000 of the same – by using the stolen identities of two dozen victims.
Nhan Hoang Pham, 36, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in relation to benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency.
According to his plea agreement, from July 2020 to April 2021, Pham acquired without authorization or permission the personal identifying information (PII) – including names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers – of people living in California, Texas and Michigan, people he had never met.
Pham then created and submitted fraudulent online applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program. Pham’s fraudulent applications sought federally funded pandemic benefits intended for the jobless and represented that the victims whose PII was unlawfully used received mail at Anaheim addresses that, in fact, Pham controlled.
Upon receipt of the applications, EDD transmitted the claimant information to Bank of America, which caused the issuance and mailing of debit cards to Anaheim addresses that Pham controlled.
Pham then took the fraudulently obtained debit cards and used them to withdraw money at ATMs throughout Orange County.
While Pham tried to obtain approximately $1,255,350 through fraudulent applications containing the PII of 24 identity theft victims, he received approximately $408,496.
United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a May 22 sentencing hearing, at which time Pham will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The United States Secret Service; the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General; the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; and the Santa Ana Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Five Years for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that William Stafford, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 23, 2023, in federal court in Omaha after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Stafford to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
On November 7, 2020, Omaha police patrol officers noticed an unknown individual leaning into the back seat of a car. As officers approached, they noticed it was Stafford. Stafford began making furtive movements and was eventually searched. In his pockets officers found two baggies of marijuana, unused hypodermic needles, and $471 cash. Inside of the vehicle, officers also found syringes loaded with a blue liquid. At the Douglas County Jail, officers removed a baggie of methamphetamine from Stafford’s underwear. Forensic testing confirmed a net weight of 19.687 grams and purity of 95 percent.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Dalonte Foard, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was found guilty today following a four-day jury trial in federal court for Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a Minor. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher scheduled Foard’s sentencing for April 19, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. Foard faces up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of ten years.
The evidence at trial showed that in September 2020 two Omaha foster children went missing from their foster home. Foard had picked up the two girls, aged 16 and 17, and driven them to a hotel where co-Defendant Thomas Holbert posted online advertisements promoting the minors for commercial sex acts. The following morning, Foard sexually assaulted one of the minors to “break her in” and then posted a new online commercial sex advertisement for her. A man responding to Foard’s ad came to the hotel and Foard waited on the stairs in the hallway while the man paid $60 to engage in a sex act with the victim. After the man left, Foard took $50 of the $60 paid to the victim.
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 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Ocala Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Angel Alicea (29, Ocala) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Alicea faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on December 11, 2022, Alicea possessed a Glock firearm and CCI ammunition. At that time, Alicea had a previous felony conviction for conspiracy to import at least 50 kilograms, but less than 100 kilograms of cocaine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Norfolk Man Sentenced for Possessing Nearly Five Pounds of Methamphetamine During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Torey Benson, 41, Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, on January 20, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Benson to 114 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release upon his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 27, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop against Benson in Butler County, Nebraska. During the traffic stop, officers searched Benson’s vehicle and person and found just under five pounds of methamphetamine, five tabs of LSD, and three grams of marijuana. Officers also found drug packaging materials. Benson admitted to receiving the methamphetamine and that he intended to sell it to others.
This case was investigated by Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ELIJAH POWELL, age 27, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty as charged on January 17, 2023 before United States District Judge Wendy Vitter to a one-count indictment alleging that he illegally possessed a firearm after being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, POWELL was observed on the city’s Real Time Crime Cameras with what appeared to be a pistol in his pocket. When New Orleans Police Officers arrived to investigate, POWELL ran. He was apprehended after a brief chase but no longer had the pistol. Officers traced his route of flight and found the pistol in the side yard of a house along POWELL’s path of flight. POWELL had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm in St. Charles Parish.
POWELL is set to be sentenced on April 18, 2023. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana Probation and Parole, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
NW Houston man gets 30 years for multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of childrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Jersey Village resident has been ordered to prison for the sexual exploitation of children as well as receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Andrew Jeffrey Swope pleaded guilty Jan. 27, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered him to serve 360 months in federal prison. Restitution will be determined at a later date. Swope must following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Swope will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“We must protect our most vulnerable victims – the children - from sexual exploitation,” said Hamdani. “No amount of prison or restitution can make these victims whole but lengthy prison sentences, like the one in this case, send a strong message to these despicable offenders that our law enforcement partners will spend as much time as necessary to bring them to justice.”
The investigation revealed Swope was communicating in a chat room on KiK which was dedicated to the receipt and distribution of child pornography. Swope was the owner of a chat room where he posted numerous images of child pornography. In this room, Swope also said he had been abusing a minor male from the time the boy was six until he was 10 years old.
Authorities later executed a search warrant at Swope’s residence in Jersey Village.
There, Swope answered the door holding a firearm. Law enforcement disarmed him, but he fled. He then attempted to dispose of a smartphone which contained child pornography images and videos depicting abuse of two minor children, among other things.
Swope produced a total of 311 images and 48 videos of two minor victims. He also possessed 4,625 images and 1,533 videos of child pornography.
Swope has been and will remained in custody since. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI Houston conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is 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 link on that page.
Morgantown Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Steven Reger, 46, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2021, Reger sold approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near a garage in Parkersburg. Reger admitted to selling the methamphetamine to the informant and receiving $5,000 as well as $10,000 from prior drug deals from the informant.
Reger is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Negar M. Kordestani are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-196.
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Middle District of Florida Starts Fiscal Year 2023 with More Than 30 Firearms and Violent Crime Indictments as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today the results of the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the first quarter, ending on December 31, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has charged 31 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 62 firearms from our streets in the process. (See chart for case details).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the first quarter involved approximately 405 citizens.
“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q1 PSN case highlights:
United States v. Uriah Waggerby, Sylvanis Brice, and Johan Holder (Ft. Myers)
On November 1, 2016, three men wearing hoodies, masks and gloves, and brandishing firearms attempted to commit a robbery at a residence on the Big Cypress Reservation. During the robbery attempt, one of the masked men fired a shot that killed a young man who had been visiting the targeted residence. As the assailants had concealed their identities during the robbery attempt, no one at the scene was able to identify the perpetrators. Waggerby later admitted to his involvement in the robbery, telling investigators that he had met with individuals prior to the robbery and directed them to rob a particular house on the reservation because a resident there was a marijuana dealer. As a result of an exhaustive law enforcement investigation, Brice and Holder were identified as perpetrators who had committed the attempted armed robbery on the reservation. Johan Holder was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, Sylvanis Brice was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, and Uriah Waggerby was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
United States v. Darnell Rice (Jacksonville)
In December 2022, Darnell Rice was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun and making a false written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the acquisition of a firearm. Investigators determined that Rice was engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a federal license, specifically, by frequently buying and selling firearms for profit. He used social media accounts to offer firearms and ammunition for sale and to communicate with customers. Records from one gun store in Jacksonville show that Rice had purchased 77 firearms from that single location, paying a total of approximately $29,515.
United States v. Keo Mike (Ocala)
In December 2022, Keo Ibua Mike was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to court documents, law enforcement arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at an Ocala house that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from inside the home. They also recovered three loaded firearms in the attic—a handgun, an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings), and an AK-47 rifle.
United States v. Carlos Albert Roman (Orlando)
Thirteen individuals were identified and charged in two separate indictments. One of the lead defendants, Carlos Alberto Roman, supplied cocaine and fentanyl to others and was arrested at his home with 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. As a result of the investigation, DEA agents seized more than 110 kilograms of cocaine and 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl. Roman recently pleaded guilty and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years, up to life, in federal prison.
U.S. v. Alvarez et. al (Tampa)
Between May 5 and 6, 2022, Christopher Alvarez, Enrique Marquez, and Dyonnie Alvarez robbed 4 separate convenience stores in the Tampa area. Marquez brandished a firearm during each of the four robberies and C. Alvarez carried a knife during two of the robberies. D. Alvarez acted as the getaway driver. The investigation also revealed that D. Alvarez and Marquez attempted to rob two individuals of marijuana. The robbery was unsuccessful, and the two victims were shot by Marquez.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Ft. Myers Division
1st Quarter
Travis Lavon Anderson (35)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
4
Steven Dewayne Barnes, Jr. (28)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
Possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Alphonso Lataurean James (29)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
1
Martavious Brown (45)
Distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years, plus consecutive 5 years for firearm offense
2
These PSN cases from the Ft. Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Mario Lenard Elbert (33)
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession of firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a machine gun
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
2
Jonathan Donte Rogers, Jr. (21)
Possessing a stolen firearm and failure to register the firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count
1
Pernell Dewayne Bodiford, Jr. (24)
Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Paul Steven Hulbert (26)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; unlawful possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence injunction; two counts of possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and short-barreled shotgun
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count
1
D’Treious Sharron Epps (26)
Distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Possessing a firearm while unlawfully using a controlled substance
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
7
Geoffrey Scott Carter (43)
Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years per count
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
2
Jesse Rance Moore (45)
Interference with commerce by threats or violence robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
3
Ronald Thomas Jr. (45)
Distribution of fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years Maximum Prison Term: Life plus 50 years
1
Sonja Leigh Quinn (50)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kevin Frein, John Cannizzaro, Michael Coolican, Laura Taylor and Kirwinn Mike.
1
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Timothy James Roberts (29)
Possession of an unregistered National Firearm Act weapon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2 counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years per count
3
Mario Jerard Delancy (33)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3
Antonio Eugene Brutton (35)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Christopher Richard Munroe
(55)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
2
Cody Richard Hawk (51)
Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
3
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Sarah Swartzberg, Hannah Nowalk, and Tyrie Boyer.
1
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (29)
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Derrick Evans (44)
Possession with intent to distribute narcotics
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Dartis Cobb (35)
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
Meccos Donta Allen (38)
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
James John Hall (34)
Unlicensed distribution of explosive materials, possession of an unregistered destructive device, unlawful making of a destructive device
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per county
1
Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38)
Illegal possession of a firearm
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs David P. Sullivan, Samantha Beckman, Samantha Newman.
0
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Tarick Jean Charles (22)
Jesus Rojas (21)
Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier (Rojas and Charles); armed postal robbery (Rojas);
theft of arrow key and receipt of stolen property (Charles)
Maximum Prison Term (Charles) – 10 years
Maximum Prison Term (Rojas) – 25 years
0
Elsie Marie Crespo (27)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts)
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years per count
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifeRafick Gordon Gilpin (31)
Damion Clark Kingston (31)
Possession with intent to distribute narcotics
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years per count
Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
3
Nathan Joel Arledge (29)
Possession of a short-barreled rifle, two machine guns, and three silencers
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of child pornography
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
9
Rany Parrales (35)
Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
7
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, John M. Gardella, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Michael P. Felicetta
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Ft. Myers Division
1st Quarter
Terry Kristopher Flournoy (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
This PSN case from the Ft. Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
John Nathan Hemingway (52)
Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base “crack;” and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Brandon Corey Skeith (40)
Possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Sabastian Amrine (20)
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, knowingly committed Hobbs Act robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, John Cannizzaro, Frank Talbot and Laura Taylor.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
Jaedyn Tiryse Presley (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30)
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Justin Heath Griffin (34)
Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr. and Hannah Nowalk.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Juan Carlos Garcia (39)
Conspiracy and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Daniel Stephen King (28)
Possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
9
Ramondo Zavious Williams (41)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life1
Bobby Houston Bridges Jr. (46)
Possession of firearm and or ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Javier Alejandro Lopez Rivera (36)
Conspiracy to distribute narcotics
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 yearsCarrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life2
Carlos Alberto Roman (56)
Possession of controlled substances and possessing a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of drug crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 30 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life19 firearms,
6 silencers,
3 grenades.
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Courtney Richardson-Jones, Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, and Terry B. Livanos.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Edwin Hill (51)
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin; distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 20 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life3
Cheyenne McIntosh (26)
Making false statement on an ATF form
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
7
Dallas Robinson, Jr. (29)
Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Enrique Marquez (26)
Robbery, conspiracy to commit those robberies
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence while committing robberies
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life0
Marques Howard (31)
Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count
Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: LifePossessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Robert Humberston (39)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Dan Baeza, Charlie Connally, David Chee, and Samantha Newman.
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
1st Quarter
Re’Shod Peter Jontavious Larry (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence imposed: 7 years, 8 months
1
Shauntavus Berklin (34)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence imposed: 15 years
2
Matthew Garrett Mink (38)
Possessing an illegal machinegun, possessing an unregistered firearm silencer, possessing a stolen firearm silencer, and possessing an un-serialized firearm silencer
Sentence imposed: 4 years, 3 months
1 machine gun
2 firearm silencers
Brown Dimas III (27)
Falsifying records relating to firearms purchases
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month
4
William Earl Siebert (47)
Unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device
Sentenced imposed: 5 years, 10 months
1 pipe bomb
Gabriel Acosta, Jr. (28)
Falsifying records relating to firearm purchases
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month imprisonment
0
Otis Marchman IV (28)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 5 months
1
Johan Holder (26),
Sylvanis Brice (31),
Uriah Waggerby (25)
Attempted robbery that resulted in the killing of a victim on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.
Sentences imposed:
Holder: 40 years
Brice: 40 years
Waggerby: 18 years
0
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Michael Sinacore.
Jacksonville Division
1st Quarter
Raymond Reeves (22)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Sentence imposed: 2 years, 3 months
1
Darnell Donja Rice, Jr. (28)
Possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun; making false written statement to federally licensed firearms dealer during acquisition of a firearm
Sentence imposed: 5 years
1
Stephan Marshall (35)
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 4 years, 9 months
2
James Lewis (54)
Misrepresentation to firearms dealer during purchase of firearm
Sentence imposed: Time served
0
Dontae Edwards (31)
False statement on a Form 4473
Sentence imposed: 18 months
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Michael Coolican, and John Cannizzaro.
Ocala Division
1st Quarter
James Clay Bexley (35)
Possession of unregistered destructive devices and firearm silencers; and possession of firearms in violation of domestic violence
Sentence imposed: 3 years
18
Demuntray Cox
(39)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Sentence imposed: Time Served (22 months)
1
Keo Ibua Mike (29)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 8 years
2
Reginald Herman Smith, Jr.
(47)
Possession of a firearm by a felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years
1
Brodie Harlow Kies (39)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 27 years
2
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and William Hamilton.
Orlando Division
1st Quarter
Charles Edward Palmatier (74)
Dealing in firearms without a license
Sentenced imposed: 1 year, 1 day
2
Mandel Lamont Stewart (23)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 8 years
2
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Beatriz Gonzalez and Ranganath Manthripragada.
Tampa Division
1st Quarter
Antwan Brown (22)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentenced imposed: 1 year, 6 months
1
Kermon Williams (42),
James Higgs, Jr. (40),
Jhaphre Iiggs (35)
Double homicide, murder for hire conspiracy
Sentences imposed: Life followed by 20 years
1
William Shumaker, Jr. (39)
Possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years
1
Karey Tyrone Taylor, II (42)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 5 years, 11 months
1 firearm,
1 magazine
Aunyis Cherry (27)
Felon in possession of a firearm
Sentenced imposed: 22 years, 11 months
1
Christopher Deon Townsel (47)
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years
1
Rossonno Borders, Jr. (25)
Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month
1
Davion Rivers (27)
Possessing a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 15 years, 8 months
1
Deron Lamar Foster (35)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 10 years
1
Cleate Wilson (40)
Forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with Deputy U.S. Marshals; and
possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 6 months
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Samantha Beckman, Craig Gestring, Charlie Connally, David Chee, Risha Asokan, Patrick Scruggs, Samantha Beckman, James Preston, Terry B. Livanos, Lisa Thelwell, and Chris Murray.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Mario Carranza, 38, of Mexico, was sentenced four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a house in Fresno County after receiving a report of shots being fired in the backyard. Carranza and another individual were observed entering a car and leaving the area. The officers stopped the car, searched it, and recovered a disassembled, short-barrel, AR-15 style rifle with no serial number (known as a ghost gun) and a compatible firearm magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. Carranza had fired the AR-style rifle in the backyard of the residence. He is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Fentanyl-Related SubstanceRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Arturo Salomon Perez, aka Jesus Ramos, aka Jesus Rodriguez-Ramos, 48, a native and citizen of Mexican, pleaded guilty today to distributing fentanyl and p‑fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in October 2021 Perez negotiated for the sale of 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and one kilogram of “Chinese Food,” believed to be synthetic heroin laced with fentanyl. After confirming the prices with his source of supply in Mexico, Perez advised that it would cost $3 per pill and $22,000 for the “Chinese Food.” Perez requested an additional $1,000 for making the delivery in Fresno for a total of $53,000. An undercover agent agreed to the terms. A couple hours later, Perez met with and showed the agent a large clear plastic bag containing 10,004 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl and another clear plastic bag containing about two pounds of p-fluorofentanyl in powder form. When the agent advised that another car was bringing the money, Perez fled and was eventually stopped by Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Agents found another 219 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl in Perez’s vehicle.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 17, 2023. Perez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Melbourne Man Sentenced for Firearm and Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Nathan Joel Arledge (29, Melbourne) to six years in federal prison for possessing two machine guns, an unregistered short-barrel rifle, three unregistered silencers, and child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Arledge to forfeit an AR-10 style .308 caliber firearm; a 9mm Luger firearm utilizing a Polymer80 brand kit, Glock-type firearm parts, a FAB Defense pistol-to-rifle conversion kit; three firearm silencers, and his cellphone, which were used to commit the offenses. Arledge had pleaded guilty on October 25, 2022.
According to court documents, an investigation was initiated into Arledge after law enforcement received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that matched Arledge’s internet protocol (IP) address. During the investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Arledge’s residence where they found electronics, multiple firearms, ammunition, silencers, flash bangs, potassium nitrate, magnesium flakes, gun powder, tactical clothing, body armor, law enforcement insignia, and counterfeit credentials for Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A forensic examination of Arledge’s cellphone uncovered numerous visual depictions of child sexual abuse material depicting young children. During an interview with law enforcement, Arledge admitted that he had made the machine guns, multiple silencers, and downloaded the child sexual abuse material despite knowing all of these things were illegal.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
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 is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maryland Man, Previously Convicted for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Facing Federal Charges for Filing Fraudulent Applications for COVID-19 CARES Act Loans and Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Ryan Dales, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, with wire fraud, relating to the submission of fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint was filed January 13, 2023, and unsealed today.
A search warrant executed at Dales’ residence following his arrest recovered two firearms, including one privately made firearm, known as a “ghost gun,” suspected fentanyl and suspected drug manufacturing equipment (including a press, multiple scales, multiple sifters, capsules, baggies, and other packaging materials) five cell phones, and materials used to make fraudulent identification documents and access devices. The investigation is continuing.
The defendant is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore later this afternoon.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. In addition, the CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including workers who otherwise wouldn’t be eligible for UI benefits.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Dales has a 2017 federal conviction for bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, for which he was sentenced to 62 months in federal prison. On December 9, 2020, Dales was transferred from prison to a halfway house in Baltimore, to complete his sentence. Dales was released from custody on June 4, 2021.
The affidavit alleges that on December 15, 2020, soon after Dales arrived at the halfway house, an application for UI benefits was submitted on his behalf from an IP address that resolved to the halfway house. The application stated that Dales was self-employed as a barber, and that he stopped being able to provide services on April 5, 2020, when Dales was actually in federal prison. The application was denied because Dales had not earned sufficient wages in the previous year to be eligible for UI benefits.
As detailed in the affidavit, on July 31, 2021, Dales re-opened his UI claim, seeking benefits under the PUA program. Dales allegedly submitted fraudulent IRS documents to support his PUA claim. The forms indicated that Dales was the sole member of “KNW Group,” and indicated a gross profit for the company in 2019 of $144,112.35, with total expenses of $45,031 and a net profit of $99,081.35. As a result of the documentation, Dales was awarded PUA benefits with an effective date of December 2020. Between August 2021 and September 2021, Dales was paid approximately $25,570 on the claim. Subsequent investigation found that the IRS had no record of any such forms being filed by Dales for the 2019 and 2020 tax years, during which time Dales was incarcerated.
Further, the affidavit alleges that on December 29, 2020, while he was in the halfway house, Dales filed a fraudulent EIDL application for business “Ryan Dales,” d/b/a “Dales Drop, Inc.” According to information contained in the application, Dales Drop is an “agriculture” business established on March 15, 2018 (when Dales was federally incarcerated), with three employees and 2019 gross revenue of approximately $10,000, and $6,000 in costs of goods sold. On the application, Dales allegedly answered “No” to the question “Within the last five years, for any felony, have you ever been convicted, plead guilty, plead nolo contendere, been placed on pretrial diversion, or been placed on any form or parole or probation (including probation before judgment)? Dales’ 2017 fraud conviction made him ineligible for EIDL funding. SBA records show that the EIDL application was ultimately denied due to “unsatisfactory credit history.”
According to the affidavit, in March 2021, again, while Dales was still in the halfway house, a PPP loan application was submitted online from owner “Ryan Dales,” which asserted over $8,000 in average monthly payroll for the sole proprietorship, and sought more than $20,000 in funds for “payroll, rent/mortgage interest, utilities, and covered operations, expenditures, and covered supplier costs.” The application listed a business start date of “08/2018”—a time when Dales would have been incarcerated. The application included a purported 2019 IRS Form Schedule C, listing Dales’ “principal business” as “home improvement,” and listed a gross profit of $113,219, total expenses of $10,117, and a net income of $103,102. Dales allegedly also responded “yes” to the question as to whether he did “materially participate in the operation of this business during 2019.” In fact, Dales was incarcerated during all of 2019.
If convicted, Dales faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The District of Maryland COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force is one of three strike forces established by U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DOL-OIG for their work in the investigation. United States Attorney Barron and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley are prosecuting the case. Mr. Barron also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Man Charged with the First Degree Murder of a Washington County CoupleRead the Press Release
A Bartlesville man was charged Monday in federal court for killing a Washington County couple, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Lucas Anthony Walker, 20, was charged by Criminal Complaint with first degree murder in Indian Country and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The Complaint alleges that on or about Dec. 19, 2022, Walker entered the home near Dewey while the victims were sleeping and killed the couple when they awoke. It further alleges that he and a minor later buried the victims in the home’s back yard.
On January 20, 2023, personnel from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the residence to conduct a welfare check based on the suspicious disappearance of the couple, Deborah and Larry Dutton, who lived there.
According to the Complaint, Walker and the minor were occupying the residence when law enforcement arrived. During a search of the residence, evidence was allegedly discovered indicating a crime had likely taken place.
This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric O. Johnston and Shakema M. Onias are prosecuting the case.
Los Angeles County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 372 Pounds of Methamphetamine in Kern CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Edgardo Rosales-Andrade, 26, of Paramount, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from Sept. 30, 2019, to Nov. 15, 2019, Rosales-Andrade conspired with Pedro Alegra and others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On Nov. 15, 2019, law enforcement agents tracked a cargo truck carrying 312 pounds of methamphetamine to Delano where Alegra and Rosales-Andrade were waiting. Agents obtained a search warrant for the truck and Alegra’s residence and found an additional 60 pounds of methamphetamine in the residence. The methamphetamine was concealed in furniture in the cargo truck.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
On June 17, 2022, Pedro Alegra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Rosales is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on June 26, 2023. Rosales faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Aaron Joseph Kearney, 50, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 20, 2023 by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 13 years imprisonment following his conviction for possession of child pornography. After he completes his prison sentence, Kearney will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Kearney was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim, and $5,000 in special assessments. Kearney pleaded guilty to the offense on October 6, 2022.
Agents with the Department of Homeland Security in Phoenix, Arizona, were investigating an account on an instant messaging platform that was involved in the receipt of child pornography. They were able to obtain information about other accounts interacting with the account under investigation in Phoenix, and which were exchanging child pornography material. One of the accounts they discovered, and which was later found to belong to Kearney, posted messages on August 26, 2021, requesting child pornography material. On August 29, 2021, Kearney’s account posted six videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Three of the videos involved prepubescent children.
After tracing that account back to Kearney, agents with Homeland Security Investigations in Nebraska obtained a search warrant for Kearney’s residence in Lincoln. The warrant was executed on January 27, 2022. Among the items seized was Kearney’s cellphone. Kearney was home at the time the search warrant was executed and he was interviewed. Kearney confessed that the account in question was his and that he had used that account to seek out child pornography.
Kearney’s phone was later examined. It was found to contain two videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The examination of his phone also showed three applications installed on his phone that are used to clean and delete files from the device.
One of the factors the district court considered in determining Kearney’s sentence was the fact that Kearney was previously convicted on April 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, of possession of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Latrobe Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Supplying Meth to Members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle ClubRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on charges of violating federal narcotics trafficking laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Joshua Birrell, 40, was sentenced on Jan. 11, 2023, to five years’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In conjunction with the sentencing hearing, the Court was informed that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted a long-term investigation into drug-trafficking activity occurring in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Law enforcement identified several individuals, suspected at the time, of illegally distributing controlled substances, including methamphetamine in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Erie, Fayette, and Washington Counties.
During the investigation, investigators learned of individuals involved/associated with the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club (PMC) responsible for distributing methamphetamine, in Westmoreland County. Investigators identified Birrell, who was not a member of the PMC, as a methamphetamine source of supply for the PMC, including among others, co-defendant Zachary Miller.
On May 17, 2020, law enforcement seized a parcel containing methamphetamine intended for Birrell, obtained Facebook drug-facilitation communications between Birrell and Miller, from in and around January 2020 to July 2020, and conducted surveillance of Birrell. Birrell admitted to conspiring to distribute at least 350 grams but less than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Birrell.
This sentencing was the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Carrying Eight Pounds of Meth Aboard BusRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Las Vegas, Nevada, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing more than eight pounds of methamphetamine in his duffel bag aboard a bus passing through Kansas City, Mo.
Reginald S. Thomas Sr., 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
A police service canine alerted to the presence of drugs in a duffel bag that was among the luggage of a bus from Los Angeles, California, that arrived at a bus station in Kansas City, Mo., on July 28, 2021. Thomas, the owner of the duffel bag, was questioned by law enforcement officers.
When officers searched the duffel bag, they found a grey denim backpack that contained seven bundles. Those bundles contained approximately 8.1 pounds (3.674 kilograms) of methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Thomas is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Western Interdiction Narcotics (MOWIN) Task Force.
Lakeland Woman Pleads Guilty to Education Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Kelli L. Pollard, 50, of Lakeland, Tennessee pled guilty to a criminal information, charging her with education loan fraud. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today.
According to the charging document and information presented in court, Kelli Pollard attended the University of Memphis as an undergraduate and graduate student between 2016 and 2022. In each of the five academic years between 2017 and 2022, Pollard obtained federally guaranteed student loans through fraud. She submitted falsified documentation for each student loan request to the University of Memphis Financial Aid Office, including three different fake doctors’ notes, falsified medical bills, and a false auto repair bill.
Sentencing is set for April 23, 2023, before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker, where Pollard faces up to five years’ imprisonment, a $20,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General and the University of Memphis Police Department.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Murrell Foster, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID Relief Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Levelle Joseph Harris (36, Kissimmee) to 27 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $1,283,029.81, which represents the proceeds Harris obtained from his wire fraud offenses. Harris had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022.
According to court records, between May 27, 2020, and June 2, 2021, Harris applied for 14 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act using false information. As part of Harris’s scheme, he electronically submitted applications for the PPP loans over the internet, made false representations on his PPP applications, and received proceeds from the loans through wire transfers. Harris also provided fake supporting documentation for his loan applications. Harris received $1,283,029.81 that was supposed to be used to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills. Instead, Harris used the money to buy a new car and investment properties.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case was prosecuted as part the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act relief programs. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the two programs that were developed through CARES Act is the PPP. It provides funding to businesses through PPP loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Trevor Dean Williams, 36, of Ashland, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 19, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to Williams’ Huntington residence after a home alarm system alerted 911. Officer observed suspected drug paraphernalia including a blender containing a powder substance, needles and torn plastic bags, as well as ammunition and gun holsters in plain view in the residence. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and found three loaded firearms in Williams’ bedroom: a SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol, a Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol, and a Hi-Point CF380 .380-caliber pistol.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williams knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions in Boyd County, Kentucky, Circuit Court for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, methamphetamine, on October 31, 2018, and second-degree assault on May 21, 2008.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-152.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Ryan Tucker, 45, of Mammoth, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 13, 2022, law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Tucker on a state warrant in Cedar Grove and he fled on foot. Tucker was caught and while resisting arrest told the officers he possessed a firearm. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol holstered on Tucker’s belt and concealed beneath his clothing.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tucker was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for breaking and entering on May 3, 2021, and grand larceny on January 26, 2015, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Tucker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service and the Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force.
United States District Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Negar M. Kordestani are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-17.
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KC Man Connected to Three Fentanyl Deaths Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man with connections to at least three fentanyl overdose deaths in Belton, Mo., has been charged in federal court with possessing fentanyl to distribute and illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement officers found 17 firearms along with a large amount of cash and illegal drugs in his apartment.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 22, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint that was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, Jan. 20. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Draggoo’s arrest and initial court appearance. Draggoo remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing that has not yet been scheduled.
The federal criminal complaint charges Draggoo with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms, including machine guns, in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of illegally possessing machine guns.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, three Belton, Mo., teenagers who were associated with Draggoo died from acute fentanyl intoxication between Jan. 14 and Sept. 13, 2022. On at least three more occasions during that time, Belton police officers were called because a juvenile was under the influence of fentanyl (one of those juveniles, who turned 18 after being contacted by police officers, is among the three fentanyl deaths).
Law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on July 21, 2022, of the Dodge Charger Draggoo was driving near the south Kansas City apartment complex where Draggoo lived with his girlfriend. Draggoo refused to stop, according to the affidavit, and fled from the officers.
Officers were conducting surveillance at the apartment complex on Sept. 22, 2022, when Draggoo and another person left the apartment and got into a Jeep Renegade. Officers followed the Jeep and saw it commit numerous traffic violations wile displaying erratic driving. A Jackson County sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled from the deputy.
A few minutes later, the Jeep returned to the apartment complex and Draggoo and the other person entered the apartment. Draggoo carried a large laundry bag from the apartment and placed it in the backseat of the Jeep. When a Jackson County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy drove into the parking lot, Draggoo ran back into the apartment building. When officers knocked on the door of Draggoo’s apartment, the affidavit says, his girlfriend initially told them he wasn’t there. After she allowed officers to enter the apartment, she admitted that Draggoo had run into the apartment and out the back door.
Officers searched the apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Belton, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Joplin Man Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving and distributing child pornography.
Dakotah James Gilmore, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Gilmore admitted that he viewed and distributed child pornography using the Kik social media application on his iPhone. An officer with the Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received four Cyber Tips from Kik and one from Dropbox when Gilmore uploaded images of child pornography.
On Jan. 21, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gilmore’s residence. Gilmore admitted to viewing and distributing child pornography for at least two years, using several different Kik accounts. Gilmore told investigators that after Kik would close the accounts for violating their terms of service, he would set up a new account with a disposable Gmail address. He also stated that he was a member of at least 50 child pornography groups on Kik. Most of these groups require individuals to distribute child pornography before allowing them to join the group.
A preliminary examination of Gilmore’s cell phone indicated that he sent texts to another person that contained suspected child pornography. The suspected child pornography depicted prepubescent children, no older than five years old, being sexually abused.
Under federal statutes, Gilmore is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Gilmore will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Production of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Tadd Andrew Melton (33, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted production of child sex abuse materials. The court also ordered Melton to pay $189,000 in restitution to the victims of his offenses. Melton had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022, and has been in custody since his arrest on July 23, 2021.
According to court documents, Melton, under the username “flshine69,” began chatting on a particular social media application with a woman he believed to be the mother of a nine-year-old girl. In reality, that individual was an undercover FBI agent. During their conversation, Melton distributed child sex abuse materials multiple times to the undercover agent. He also said that he wished he had children but did not have any yet. Melton requested to purchase used underwear from the “child.” He also requested the agent create child sex abuse materials for him of the “child,” describing in detail what he wanted depicted in the images. Melton also stated he “would love to be” actively abusing children, that he had “no limit” as to a child’s age, and that he had always been interested in young children.
Law enforcement identified Melton as the individual using “flshine69” based on his IP address, vehicle, and online account records. On July 23, 2021, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Melton’s residence. During the execution of the warrant, Melton spoke with FBI agents and admitted to using the “flshine69” account.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.